Big Piercish in a Small Pool

Welcome back to the world of Pokémon.

A place where trainers and their partner Pokémon work together to try and become the best like no one ever was. That includes Flash Sentry, an aspiring young trainer with great skill. Alongside his partner Pokémon Springer the Riolu, and joined by Twilight, Spike and Doc, he has learned much on his quest for the title of Pokémon Master. And now, a new phase of his journey is about to begin.

With the Hoof Cup now behind them, our heroes are now back on the road to their next destination. Joined by their friends, Applejack and Rarity, they were making their way to their hometown of Applewood City. At this moment, the group was going through a small wooded area, Twilight leading the way with her electronic journal's mapping system. Applejack and Flash were next in line while Doc and Spike were behind them.

And trailing at the end was Rarity, who let out a long whiny moan, "Are we there yet?!"

The others turned to her with raised eyebrows, Applejack rolling her eyes as Flash replied, "Rarity, we just got started. Its still morning!"

"So?! That's too long!"

"Applewood city is a long ways away Rarity," Twilight told her before presenting her journal, the map showing two dots connected by a squiggly line. "See? We're here and Applewood is there. Its a couple days at the shortest route."

Rarity went up to her, the trainer's eyes shrinking as she saw no towns were on the path. "Darling...there's got to be some other path." she groaned as she took the journal and went through other paths. "Let's see here..."

Applejack let out a low growl, "Rarity, yah can't just fast trek yer way through life. Sometimes yah just gotta make the best outta what'cha git."

As she said this, Flash leaned over and asked, "Let me guess: she doesn't do camping, does she?"

The farmer facepalmed at the question, "Not one bit. One time her sister guilted her into coming camping with me and her friends and she brought a whole cart's worth of suitcases."

"Seriously?!" Spike asked, only to see Rarity casually nod.

"But of course. I needed everything I brought."

"No yah didn't!" Applejack barked back, to two now glaring at each other before Rarity went back to the journal. As she did this, Applejack whispered to the others, "Ya'll have no idea much convincing it took to get her to bring just one backpack's worth of stuff when we started our journey. Ah'm betting she only agreed because she realized ah wouldn't pull the cart for her."

Flash let out a long sigh, "This is gonna be a long trip."

"Oh! How about this?!" Rarity gasped as she turned to them with a new map on the journal, "If we take this route, it'll be much quicker and we'll get to pass through a place called Gem Town. It says here it's quite well known for its gem stores!"

Twilight looked over the route, rubbing her chin at the path. That is, till she pointed to a section showing a red line going right around a large forest, "I won't deny this might take a day or two out of the journey, but what about this? Wouldn't going straight through this make more sense?"

Rarity's eyes went wide at the suggestion, "No! We definitely can't go through there!"

"Why not?" Spike asked, Peewee chirping the same question.

Applejack looked over the map and did a small nod, "Ah, ah see. Ya'll don't wanna go through the Everfree Forest."

"Everfree Forest?" The others all repeated in confusion.

"Of course not!" Rarity yelled at Applejack. "You remember what we were told!"

"That was so we never went there as kids. We're older now, and we have our own Pokémon. Ah think we can handle it."

"You can't be serious! We can't-"

"Does somebody wanna tell me what so bad about this Everfree Forest?" Flash interrupted, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Riolu!" Springer mimicked.

Applejack tipped her hat at the question, "The Everfree Forest is a large dark forest where a lot of really strong Pokémon live."

"Doesn't sound all that different from any other place we've been too," Doc replied, shrugging.

Rarity shook her head. "When she says strong Pokémon, she means vicious. We grew up hearing stories of trainers entering the forest, only to get attacked by powerful and very territorial Pokémon. It's said the place is so dangerous that any trainer who goes and manages to survive it, will come out never wanting to pick up a Pokeball again."

Spike gulped at that, "Maybe we should go around it."

"Don't listen to her," Applejack barked back. "There was one trainer who went in and survived before going onto become a great trainer, and that's mah Granny Smith. She went into that forest when she was mah age and spent a month in it, learning everything she could about the place. When she finally came back out, she'd grown into the most powerful trainer our town had ever seen! She even caught her strongest Pokémon in there!"

Everyone raised eyebrows at this story, Flash shining a big grin, "Wow...sounds awesome! I'm up for something like that!" He raised his hand, "I'm going through the Everfree Forest. Who's with me?"

Doc and Twilight both hummed before the Gym Leader spoke up. "It would be a valuable learning opportunity. If the Gym Leader you facing trained in that forest, experiencing it would help you better understand her for when your Gym challenge arrives."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "And I would like to see what this place is like. If very few people go in there, there could be some rare Pokémon in there that no one's ever seen."

"But-" Spike tried to say while Rarity shook in fear.

"Then that settles it," Flash and Springer interrupted began heading up the trail. "Let's head to the Everfree Forest!"

"YEAH!" Twilight, Applejack and Doc all cheered before following suit, leaving a terrified Rarity and Spike.

"What have I done?" She whispered.

Spike looked like he was about to cry. "Oh no...I'm gonna end up not wanting to hold a Pokeball before I even get the chance too."

A few hours later...

After their change of route, the group now found themselves at the edge of the forest. Blinking at the treeline, they went inside, finding a small path. As they walked through, they soon found a large pond around fifteen meters in size, filled with rocks and shrubs.

"Oh, how pretty." Rarity commented as she leaned over the water.

Twilight checked the lake on her journal before letting out a gasp, "Oh wow! This lake is actually part of the bunch of lakes filling the forest." She showed them a picture, a satellite image of the forest that showed several small lakes surrounding a large one. "This one is ours, and all the little lakes are fed by the big one through underground tunnels."

"Cool. I'm guessing that means this is a perfect place to spend the night." Flash pulled out his Pokeballs, "Come on out guys!" He tossed the balls into the air, a barrage of red energy filling the air as Skyler the Wingust, Riptide the Aquana, Prongs the Thawn, and Viper the Hisscor appeared. All cheered at being released, Riptide instantly to the water's edge.

"AK!" He dived in immediately, letting out a squee of joy as he sank into the liquid.

"Not a bad idea," Twilight took out her Pokeball and did the same as Flash, Owlicious the Psychick soon taking to the skies along with Skyler.

"Agreed." Doc added as he unleashed his Pokémon Higear, Tockwork and Steeledge.

"Let's roll gang!" Applejack threw three Pokeballs, revealing her Redog Winona, Diasyjo the Calfaze and Brawloey. They joined the rest of the Pokémon, all playing as the humans began to set up camp. As they did this, a pair of eyes stared at them within the water, Riptide having already gotten out of the pond to play with the others.

Thirty minutes later, everything was set up as Applejack announced, "Alright, all the tents are pitched."

"And the table's set darlings," Rarity added as she and Spike placed the last bowl down.

"Pokémon's food is ready," Twilight continued as she filled the last bowl.

"Along with the human food," Doc finished as he pulled the pot off the stove.

"Alright everyone, grub's up!" Flash called out to the Pokémon, an almost stampede running over to the bowls. The group laughed as they saw their partners all stuff their faces, Doc now dishing out some noodles before pouring the soup with veggies on top, creating the perfect ramen dinner.

"Thank you for the food!" They all announced before chowing down, all quickly enjoying the delicious meal.

"Now that's good grub," Applejack told him as she chomped down a full chunk of noodles.

"Indeed," Rarity added as she patted her lips with a napkin, "You should open your own restaurant. You'd make millions."

"Thanks...but cooking's really just a hobby. Something I like to do for friends." Doc replied as he started to eat as well.

But as they continued eating, Springer's ears shot up, making him turn to the lake. "Ri?" The Riolu gasped as he stopped eating and stood up, catching everyone's attention.

"What's up bud?" Flash asked, only to follow his partner's eyes, "Hmm? What's that?" The others followed, all now staring at the lake as a bunch of lilypads started floating up to them.

"That's strange," Twilight said as they got up and moved over to the lake.

They all stared at the lilypads, noticing one that was a lot bigger than the others. It was here that it lifted itself out of the water, revealing a certain bluish-greenish biped Pokémon with a big red bill for a mouth. "Lombre…" it let out.

"A Lombre?" Twilight questioned as they then saw the rest of the lilypads lift up, now showing a bunch of six legged blue Pokémon. "And those are all Lotad?"

"Lombre and Lotad? Are they evolutions of each other?" Spike asked, only to get a nod from Twilight.

"Oh yes, Lotad evolves into Lombre." Twilight answered as the Lombre got out of the pond. "Hmm?"

Applejack knelt down at the Pokémon, "This guy's kinda cute." The Lombre nodded back before it started moving in a rhythmic fashion.

"Aww...he's dancing." Rarity giggled. "Not bad moves."

"Aw heck, that makes him even cuter," Applejack added before pulling out a Pokeball, "Ah like it. Ah think ah'm gonna catch it."

But as she said that, everyone's ears picked up a sudden noise. A rumbling sound came from above them, making them look up as they saw several dark clouds now above their heads. "Scor!" Viper cried out as water began to fall, the snake quickly slithering up Flash's leg and hiding inside his jacket as it began to downpour.

"My hair!" Rarity shrieked as she rushed over to her tent, jumping inside as the others did the same.

"Where'd this rain come from?!" Spike asked while poking his head out, "It was clear as day a minute ago."

Twilight blinked at his statement, only to gasp, "Rain Dance...that Lombre was using Rain Dance!"

"But why would it-whoa!" Flash yelped as all the Lotad hopped out of the lake before running to the campsite. Only a second later, half the group grabbed a bowl of food before tossing to the other half, them catching the food with their lilypads. "What the heck?!"

"They're stealing our food!" Applejack barked, pointing at the now fleeing Pokémon.

"AQUANA!" Riptide yelled as he ran out of the tent, the Lombre noticing him. The Pokémon quickly countered, firing a giant bubble out of his mouth that struck Riptide instantly. "AK!" he yelped as he went flying into a nearby tree trunk.

"Riptide!" Flash yelled as he sprinted to his Pokémon, the Lombre now telling his comrades to leave. The Lotad hopped onto each other, linking their lilypads as shields for the food before diving back in.

"You little varmits!" Applejack roared as she jumped out of the tent, seeing the Lombre now at the edge of the water. He gave her a tip of his lilypad hat before jumping in, the girl yelling as she dove after him, "Git back here!"

"Applejack!" Rarity screamed from the tent as the rain began to fade away.

"AQUANA!" Riptide added as he ran past the worried Flash, quickly submerging himself into the lake.

"Riptide, wait!" Flash yelled...but it was too late. They were gone. "That's not good."

Below the water, Applejack couldn't keep up. She was human after all, something that would have problems following a water based Pokémon. As she swam, the girl kept having trouble as she tried to catch them, now seeing them swim into a cave. The girl went into the tunnel, now seeing the underground passage system Twilight had mentioned. However, she then put her hands over her mouth, oxygen leaving her. But as she did this, Riptide swam by, the trainer quickly grabbing the lizard as he shot through the chasm at incredible speed.

Seconds later, the Aquana pulled her out of the water, Applejack now gasping for air. "Ohhh...that was close. Thanks, pardner."

"Aquana!" Riptide replied while nodding.

"Ugh...feel like I drank a whole barrel of water..." she moaned as she started to look around, now seeing she was in a smaller version of the previous lake, which was also surrounded by forest trees. "Alright, where are they?! Those varmints are gonna-there!"

They saw a barrage of lilypads scurry out of the water, the duo growling at the sight. The two made their way to the pond's edge next, climbing out as they chased the Pokémon. But as they started to catch up, the two came to a stop when they saw the Lotad and Lombre huddle around a collection of moss-filled trees.

Together, they formed a kind of shelter, one filled with even more Lotad, the sight almost overwhelming due to the amount of Pokémon staying in one place. But it didn't matter as Applejack yelled, "Now we've caught yah!" They all froze and spun around, going wide-eyed at the sight of the two. "Ya'll varmints are in a heap of trouble! Ya'll better give back that food, or-hmm?"

She blinked as she saw them huddle around in one spot, trying to obviously hide something. But the sight just made her lean over with a long glare, the trainer pointing at the whole group, "Wotcha got back there?"

The Lombre and Lotad all shared glances, only to slowly end their huddle. As they did this, Applejack and Riptide both went wide-eyed at the next sight, "What in the-"

Back at the campsite, everyone was still waiting for any news about Applejack and Riptide. They had returned all but Springer, Peewee and Applejack's Pokémon to their Pokeballs and were now changing into their swimwear. "Oh dear, they've been gone too long."

"I'm sure they'll be okay Rarity." Twilight responded as she walked out of the tent. "In fact, I bet they'll be back-"

"GUYS!" They spun around and saw Applejack running out of some trees.

"See?" Twilight giggled as Rarity rolled her eyes.

But as she did this, Flash now asked, "AJ, where's Riptide?"

"He's back with the Lombre and Lotad. Ya'll gotta see this." Applejack replied before running back into the forest. The others shared a glance before following, the group soon arriving at the smaller pond.

"What's going on?" Spike asked as they reached the shelter, only to see Riptide, Lombre and the Lotad standing beside a Pokémon they had never seen before. This Pokémon looked like the cross between a Ponyta and a fish, its body color being light blue. The top half looked like your average equine Pokémon while the bottom half was a dolphin tail. Its mane appeared to be made out of seaweed, and it had long green vine-like strings coming out of the back of its hooves.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Flash asked as he pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Kelpool
Category: River Dwelling Pokémon
Type: Water
Info: Once considered to be a shape-shifting water spirit, it lives in clear pools of water with rocks for them to sunbathe on.

"I've never seen a Kelpool before. Not only that, its hurt," Doc commented as they all saw the injuries littering its body, along with a giant cut down its chest. "Wow. This looks really bad." He stood up and turned around, "I'm gonna head back to camp and grab some medicine."

"Got it. We'll stay here." Twilight replied as Doc went back into the trees. After this, she glanced back at the Lombre, "So...you were just trying to get your friend food to help it recover?"

The Lombre did a small nod, Rarity glaring at him as she growled, "You didn't have to steal from us! If you had asked, we would have gladly helped you."

"They didn't know that Rare," Applejack told her. "They were desperate and if we said no, they probably figured we'd be on guard so they couldn't do what they did before." She turned back to the Kelpool, "Sides, ah think they've been set straight. Ah told the Kelpool what had happened and it gave 'em a big old talking too."

It was here that Flash saw Riptide feeding the Kelpool with the food that had been stolen. Kelpool then let out a neigh of gratitude, Riptide smiling back, "Ak."

Flash just growled at this sight, "Now I'd like to know how you got hurt like this."

"And why they're living here," Twilight added as she stared at the tiny pond, "If there's this many, they would definitely need to be living in that bigger lake. There's barely enough food for them with a small lake like this." She then felt a tug on her swimsuit, making her look down and see a frowning Lombre. "Huh?"

"Lom!" He motioned for her to follow, diving back into the pond.

"Looks like he wants us to follow," Flash commented as he took off his jacket. He then pulled out a pair of underwater rebreathers, Riptide and Springer following him as he gave the Riolu a rebreather. Twilight took out three more as she gave them to Applejack and Rarity. As they put them in their mouth, Applejack took off her clothes to reveal a swimsuit beneath them before they all dived in.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Spike put a rebreather into his and Peewee's mouths before hopping into the water. They all swam to the bottom of the pond, the Lombre gesturing them to a tunnel. As they all swam through, Applejack and Riptide noticing it was much longer than the cave from before.

But as they did this, the group soon found themselves leaving the chasm before surfacing out of a truly massive lake. It was filled with large rocks, several sticking out of the water along with loads of underwater plants.

"Amazing. This would be perfect for them." Twilight commented as she spun around, "Why aren't they living here?"

"Yeah, why aren't they-urgh!" Spike screamed as something passed by them, striking the boy's arm.

"Spike?!" Twilight yelped as she turned to her brother, only to feel something slice her leg. "Augh!"

This put the others on guard, Springer now closing his eyes as he tried to sense anything. "Ri!" he yelped as his eyes shot open, quickly summoning an Aura Sphere and firing it inside the lake. A small explosion followed this, rubble of a rock now floating up as a small fish swam up to the surface. It was a combo of black, blue, gray and silver, and about twelve inches in length, a third of it being its long nose that appeared to be three sharp triangles linked together into a blade. The blade was silver along with the fish's underside, while the front was blue with a pair of bright orange eyes. Finally, its fins and tail were colored black, all looking like sharp blades.

"What is that?" Rarity asked.

"A Bladin." Twilight replied, "But what's it doing here?"

Applejack then pointed at the rest of the lake, "Probably hanging with its friends...a lot of friends."

They all followed her finger before now seeing a horde of Bladin. The sight made their eyes shrink in fear as they all readied their harpoon noses, Flash now yelling, "Riptide! Echoed Voice!"

Flash put his hands in his ears, the others following suit as Riptide took a deep breath, "Ak...WANA!!!" The soundwaves shook the lake, the attack pushing the Bladin back. The horde went flying, most slamming into rocks or getting caught in a mess of underwater plants.

"Nice one Riptide!" Flash cheered as his Pokémon ended his attack.

But as he did this, a projectile wrapped in water shot out of the lake, smacking Riptide with ease, "Aquana!!" he yelped as went flying, Flash quickly catching him before he could fly out of the lake.

"Riptide!" Flash yelled as took the water lizard in his arms, "You okay?"

"Ak..." he weakly moaned, Flash hugging him before looking back at the lake. It was here that the projectile's owner came out of the water. It was a new Pokémon, one that was a bigger and longer version of Bladin. From its nose tip to its tail was about six feet long, a third of its length taken up by its giant nose that looked like a sharper version of Bladin's. The nose was part of a large silver mask, which covered all but the Pokémon's mouth, orange eyes and the back of its head. It also had a large jagged point sticking out the back, and the center was the same blue glass-like middle that Bladin had. Its head and the top half was dark grey, while the lower half was light blue. It also had a light blue sail connecting the tip of its mask and ran down the back of its tail, which was black alongside its long sharp fins.

"What is that thing?" Spike asked with a large gulp.

"A Piercish. This is bad." Twilight whimpered as they saw the Piercish start to charge at them, it's super sharp horn ready to strike.

Its target was Flash and Riptide, the Aquana flinching in fear before Springer appeared in front of them, "Riolu!" he yelled before using Double Team, filling the lake with copies as the Piercish attacked a fake.

"Come on!" Flash yelled as he began to swim back to the tunnel, the others following as the swordfish Pokémon took out two more doubles. And as it took out the rest, the group was already gone, all escaped into the tunnel.

Back at the Kelpool's shelter, Doc was busy treating the injured Pokémon. It was here his work was interrupted by the sound of the water's surface breaking, glancing back as he said, "You're back!" He got up to greet them, only to see Spike and Twilight holding injured limbs. "What happened?"

Flash replied as he slowly put Riptide on the ground. "We found out why Kelpool and the others are living here."

Twilight did a small weak nod. "The main lake's been overtaken by a Piercish and its Bladin school."

"Piercish and Bladin?! Are you sure?!" Doc asked as Flash moved over to his jacket and pulled out his Pokedex, Applejack grabbing her clothes while taking out an orange Pokedex.

Name: Bladin
Category: Sharp Nose Pokémon
Type: Water/Steel
Info: Its body is coated in a steel-like armoring which it can use for both offense and defense. Despite this, it's incredibly fast, able to reach speeds of up to fifty knots an hour.

Name: Piercish
Category: Piercing Pokémon
Type: Water/Steel
Info: The evolved form of Bladin. This Pokémon attacks by moving through the water at high speed, striking the opponent with its steel-like nose.

"That's them alright," Flash commented.

"But what are they doing here?" Doc asked next. "They're sea-dwelling Pokémon."

Spike let out a long moan, "Oh great, this is the Sharazor situation all over again!" They then heard a slight neigh, turning to see Kelpool stagger out of its shelter. "Is he gonna be okay?"

"I treated the wounds. A little rest and it'll be as good as new."

"That's a relief," Flash commented before going over to Kelpool with his Pokémon beside him. "Can you tell us what happened?" Kelpool nodded and began to neigh, Springer and Riptide listening intently. As he finished, his Pokémon turned and repeated the story, the two dancing around to reenact what happened, "Right...I see."

Applejack turned to Twilight, "He understands them?"

Twilight did a small giggle, "That's just one of his many talents. Any Pokémon he grows close to, he's able to understand...well, to an extent. I think he's just good at picking up context clues from the Pokémon."

"Wow..." Applejack and Rarity both gasped as they turned back to see Flash nodding to his Pokémon.

The teen glanced at his friends before crossing his arms, "Alright, here's the deal. Kelpool and the others used to live in the big lake until those bullies showed up, and though Kelpool was willing to share...looks like they wanted it all for themselves. The Piercish challenged Kelpool to a battle, with the winner getting to keep the lake. Kelpool accepted and...well...lost. So now they can only live in these small lakes."

"That's horrible!" Rarity exclaimed, "I bet that brute cheated!"

"Kel!" They turned to see Kelpool shake its head.

"I'm guessing that's a no. Looks like that Piercish was too strong."

"But that's not fair," Spike added. "Why should these guys lose their home just because Kelpool lost?"

"That's the natural order of things," Twilight told her brother. "Sometimes, the strong get to have whatever they want."

"Well, I don't like it!"

"Aquana! Ak, Aqua!" They all turned to Riptide, pure anger on his face.

Flash knelt down and patted Riptide on the head. "It's alright bud. Its okay to get angry, and there's no shame in getting scared earlier."

"Ak, Aqua!" He started punching the air. "Aquana!"

"You sure bud?" Flash asked, Riptide nodding. "Alright then." Flash turned back to the others, "Riptide wants to challenge Piercish to a battle, with the winner gets control of the lake."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rarity asked with a glum frown, "That Piercish seemed pretty powerful."

Flash shined a big grin, "Riptide's no slouch either. We got this."

The others all shared a glance, only to give a nod to Flash as Twilight added, "Alright, then we'll leave it in Riptide's hands."

"But first, we should all get some rest." Doc chimed in, pointing to the setting sun "We'll all need to be well-rested for tomorrow."

The others nodded and began to head back to their campsite, Flash and his Pokémon staying. Flash watched as Riptide began talking to Kelpool, seeing him tell it how he was gonna win his home back. Chuckling at the sight, Flash said to the others, "You guys go on ahead. I think we're gonna sleep here for the night."

A few hours later...

As the sun and moon swapped places, the forest grew quiet with the many inhabitants fast asleep. But not everyone was in the coziness of the dreamland, which Flash discovered when a sneeze woke him up. "Ugh..." he moaned while rubbing his nose, only to blink his eyes open as he saw Riptide wasn't in the shelter with Kelpool and Springer.

Licking his lips as he tried to wake up, he spotted Riptide sitting at the edge of the pond, staring up at the moon. Blinking at the sight, he went over to Riptide, who seemed to notice him but didn't turn as Flash sat down and put his feet in the water. "Can't sleep?" Riptide didn't reply, still looking at the moon. His silence told Flash everything. "You're worried about your battle with Piercish tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Ak." Riptide nodded, shivering at the memory of Piercish.

"It's okay to be scared. That Piercish was pretty terrifying." He patted Riptide's head, "But you don't need to be scared. Remember, you're not gonna be alone when you face him. You'll have me, Springer and everyone else cheering you on." Riptide just sighed, looking away. Seeing this, Flash tapped his tiny shoulder, making Riptide look back up at him, "Listen buddy, you've grown a lot stronger since we first met. Remember all the battles you've won, like when we faced off against Viper, Maud, and Doc in the Hoof Cup. You did great in all those battles."

"Ak..." he muttered out as he looked back down, thinking back at those battles. And as he did this, a certain battle with a Chimplug pulled itself out of his memory.

"Its a piece of weak trash."

"Aquana…" He whimpered, remembering his loss against Lightning's Chimplug. He had so wanted to show him how strong he was, only to lose and double Lightning's belief in his worthlessness. "Ak..."

Flash opened his mouth to say more comforting words, only for the duo's ears to perk up. They turned to see Kelpool walking out of the shelter, "Kel," he said as knelt down besides Riptide. The Aquana smiled as he patted its head, saying something that Flash understood as an apology for if he loses. "Pool," it shook its head before getting up. The two watched it walk to the treeline, using its two hooves to pull its body along the ground. "Kelpool."

"I think it wants you to follow." Riptide nodded before getting up, the two following after Kelpool until they arrived at a small clearing where a bunch of large rocks sat. "What are we doing here?"

Kelpool didn't reply, instead moving over to a rock before leaping into the air. As it did this, water exploded out of its tail before spiraling around it. Kelpool then flipped forward and brought the tail crashing down on the rock, shattering it in a single blow.

"Wow," Flash whispered, "That was...Aqua Tail." A bulb went off in Flash's head as he smiled down at his Pokémon. "Riptide! It must want to teach you Aqua Tail!"

Riptide's eyes went wide before turning to Kelpool, who nodded in confirmation. The lizard began to backpedal at the thought, only to feel a certain hand pat his head, "Don't doubt yourself buddy. That's always been your biggest issue. You'll never really grow strong until you believe you can grow stronger." He stood back up, "So, do you believe you can become stronger?"

Riptide looked down again, his brain going over several thoughts and memories. But as he did this, he felt a small fire in his heart before nodding, "Aquana!"

"Atta boy! Now, let's get to work."

Meanwhile...

Applejack had been awoken by the call of nature. It was never a nice thing to wake up by, but as she finished her business, she went through some foliage to get back to the tents, only to come to a stop. She blinked at the sight before her, it was the Lombre from before sitting near the lake. Moving over, she sat down by the Jolly Pokémon, now noticing it was staring up at the sky. "Beautiful night, ain't it?"

"Lom," Lombre replied wistfully.

Applejack looked into its eyes and saw something within them. It was something she had seen in herself when she was much younger: An urge to see the world. "Ah get it. Ya'll wanna see what's out there, past this forest." Lombre just nodded, "So why don't yah leave?" Lombre didn't reply, instead pointing at the pond, several lilypads floating by. "Ah...ah get ya. Yah worried about yer friends, aren't yah?"

"Lombre," he said with a nod.

"Ah know how yah feel. Ah felt the same way when ah first left home for mah journey. But ah knew it was something ah had to do, to help mah-self grow." She turned to smile at the Lombre, "It's okay to put yah friends first, but imagine how they feel if they knew yah were putting yer own dreams on hold for 'em. Ah think they'd feel pretty guilty."

Lombre just looked down, slightly glancing away. Applejack could see the conflict on his face, making her sigh as she got up, "Just think about it," Applejack told him as she turned away. "Or at least tell Kelpool about yah feelings." She looked back at Lombre and saw him now looking up at her, nodding. They both gave one another a hat-tip before Applejack returned to her tent, Lombre returning to his stargazing as the night continued on.

The next morning...

As soon as the sun rose, everyone was up and heading to the big lake. Flash, Riptide and Kelpool all yawned as they went through the trees, catching everyone's attention.

"Late night?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We were just...doing some last-minute training. Hopefully it'll help." Flash replied while letting out a yawn. As he did this, the reached the lake, Flash picking up a rock and throwing it into the water. "Hey, Piercish!"

Seconds later, the swordfish Pokémon and his school of Bladin broke through the water. "Pierce?"

"We challenge you to a battle! If we win, you and your Bladin pack up and leave the lake to Kelpool and the others. But if you win, it's all yours. What do you say?" Piercish did a small hum before doing a devilish grin, nodding at the same time. "Alright, let's do this!"

Everyone put their rebreathers on before diving in, the Piercish gesturing them to follow. It wasn't long till they were at the bottom, the Bladin surrounding them.

Flash pointed at the opponent as Riptide and Piercish swam forward, "This will be a one on one battle with the lake going to the winner. You ready Riptide?"

"AK!" Riptide roared, pure determination on his face.

"Then let's do this!" And as these words left his mouth, the battle began. It was here Piercish suddenly shot like a bullet at Riptide, his bladed nose pointing right at the lizard. "Echoed Voice!"

"Ak..." Riptide breathed in as everyone covered their ears, "WANA!" The soundwaves shook the water, the vibrations knocking Piercish back.

"Pierce!" It cried as before narrowing its eyes, its whole body suddenly being surrounded by water. It arched its back at this, pushing back as it began to charge after Riptide, "Piercish!"

"Rock Smash!" Riptide swam at the speeding water bullet with a glowing fist, the two meeting in the middle of the lake as he thrust the fist.

"Ak/Pierce!" The two were pushed back at this, Riptide pushing himself to a halt before dashing back at the fish.

"Here we go! Now...Aqua Tail!" Everyone went wide-eyed at the statement, now seeing Riptide's tail become surrounded by spinning water.

"Ak-" Riptide spun around, ready to hit Piercish with his new move, only for the water to break off his tail right before it made contact. "Wana?"

"No!"

"What happened?" Spike asked.

"Seems that Riptide hasn't mastered that move yet," Doc responded, "They need more training?"

Piercish pushed Riptide off before pointing its nose at him, thrusting it at him again and again. "Ak!" Riptide started dodging the bladed nose, only to start getting nicks on his body.

"Water Gun!" Riptide unleashed a stream of water, the blow hitting Piercish in the stomach.

"Pierce!" It grunted as it was pushed again, only to correct itself even faster than before. "Piercish!" It shot past Riptide and started circling around him at high speed, the water beginning to morph into a vortex that made the Aquana spin around uncontrollably.

"Aaaaaak!" He cried out as swirls began to appear in his eyes.

"Riptide! Use Echoed Voice!" Riptide tried to do so, taking a deep breath, but in that moment Piercish shot into the Whirlpool with glowing fins.

"AQUA!" Riptide yelled as he was slashed with the fin, being sent flying out of the fading whirlpool and slamming into a nearby rock.

"RIPTIDE!" Flash yelled, the others flinching or shielding their eyes. Kelpool, Lombre and the Lotad all cried out in support, only to watch as Piercish use Aqua Jet before charging at the lizard, "No choice. Aqua Tail!"

Still reeling from the earlier attack, Riptide jumped off the rock and shot out with his tail wrapped in water. But as he spun around to attack, the water dissipated again, forcing him to use a basic Pound attack against Aqua Jet. "AQUA!" He was knocked back by the attack, slamming down into the lake bed. "Ak..."

"Riptide!" Flash and Springer swam down to him, "Riptide, are you alright?" Riptide let out another moan, his body shaking, "You can't give up yet bud. You promised to help Kelpool get his home back. Remember how hard you worked to learn Aqua Tail."

"Ak..." Riptide groaned as he closed his eyes, memories beginning to swirl in his head.

"Remember...remember what I told you and what Kelpool said."

Last night...

"Aquana!" Riptide leapt into the air as his tail was wrapped in water, spinning around to slam the rock. But as he got near it, the water faded as his tail slapped the boulder, "AK!" He cried as he jumped back, holding his sore tail with tears trying to appear his eyes.

"Kel..." he glanced over at Kelpool as he walked up to him. He then began to say something that only Riptide understood. "You want to get stronger, don't you?" Riptide nodded, "Why?"

"To help you. I wanna help you get your home back. And also..." He looked away, letting out a long sigh.

"Also?"

"I don't wanna be a burden to my friends." He looked back at his trainer, Flash letting out a loud yawn, "Flash let me join his team, but ever since then, I...I feel like I've only ever held him back. I know there's tons of stronger Water-Types out there, but...he chose me. I don't want him to ever regret that decision."

Kelpool chuckled at this, "Well then, I think you have a great reason to become stronger."

"Reason?"

"Yes. Simply gaining strength is pointless without a reason. Without a reason, your strength becomes hollow and you'll never reach your full potential. But with a reason, there's no limit to what you can achieve."

"Like you protecting the Lotad?"

"Exactly." He tapped Riptide's chest, "As long as you keep your reason close to your heart, your strength will grow more than you can ever imagine. You can become more. I may have lost, but I can see you have the potential to go even further."

The Present...

"I don't know what Kelpool told you, but I bet it was something really inspiring. Am I right?" Flash gave him a confident smirk, Riptide now staring at his friends and Kelpool.

"Aquana," Riptide looked back at his opponent, the swordfish glaring at him as the two locked eyes. "AK/PIERCE!" They both yelled as they charged at each other, Piercish wrapping itself in water while Riptide's tail did the same.

"Go Riptide! Aqua Tail!"

"AQUANA!" Riptide spun around, the water remaining in place as he slammed it into the water projectile. "WANA!"

"PIERCE!" Piercish cried out as his Aqua Jet was broken, his body flying back before slamming into a nearby rock.

"YES!" Everyone cheered.

"You did it Riptide!" Flash added as Springer began to express joy alongside Kelpool, Lombre and Lotad.

"Aqua..." he gasped as he looked down at his tail, now feeling the doubts fade away in his mind. "AQUANA!" Riptide yelled out before his entire body was engulfed by light, making everyone gasp.

"No way..." Flash muttered as they watched the Aquana begin to change shape.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rarity asked, the others all nodding.

"Indeed. Riptide's evolving."

"Awesome!" Spike cheered as the light began to fade.

It was a slightly larger version of an Aquana, complete with larger tail and legs, muscles now pulsing in all his limbs. The Pokémon floating in the Aquana's place held itself with an air of confidence, opening its eyes to show the naïve innocence had been replaced by a look of calm determination. "SPRANITOR!"

"Riptide just evolved into Spranitor."

"Magnifique," Rarity whispered.

"Well ah'll be." Applejack spoke up as Twilight smiled at the sight, happy that the little Aquana she had looked after at Celestia's lab had grown so much.

Piercish glared at its slightly large opponent, letting out a roar, "Pierce!" He shot ahead, ready to unleash another Fury Attack on Riptide.

"Dodge it!" Flash ordered his newly evolved Pokémon, who started swimming with great ease through the water. It easily dodged each strike, the fish whipping around as it tried to hit him with no results, "Now, Echoed Voice!"

Riptide stopped swimming and turned to Piercish while breathing in, everyone else covering their ears. "Spran...NITOR!" The water shook with a great ferocity, knocking Piercish off balance easily. However, it wasn't enough as it regained control and began swimming around Riptide with great speed.

But even as the whirlpool formed around him, Riptide's new swimming strength allowed him to stay in place. "Rock Smash!" Riptide's legs glowed as his tailed flicked, pushing him to the edge of the Whirlpool before slamming his foot into the spinning water. This made the Whirlpool disperse, freeing Riptide as he swam right into Piercish. "Water Gun!"

"Spran!" He fired a powerful bullet of water, striking Piercish before it could dodge.

"Pierce!" It cried as it was knocked into a bunch of seaweed, tangling in the grass.

"Rock Smash!" Riptide swam up to Piercish, the fish trying to cut itself out of the weed as Riptide's legs began to glow.

"Nee!" He spun on his heel and swung his other foot up into Piercish, slamming into its chin.

"PIERCE!" It cried as it was thrown upwards, trying to stay conscious as it got closer to the surface.

"Let's finish this!" Flash ordered as Riptide followed after Piercish. "Aqua Tail!"

"Spran!" Water wrapped around his tail as Piercish began to spin like a top, "SPRANITOR!" He slammed his tail into Piercish, the two pushing into one another until Riptide's attack smacked Piercish into a nearby rock. The rocked shattered into dust next, a pile of mist happening next.

And as it faded, it revealed to show Piercish laying on the lakebed with spirals for eyes. "YES!" Everyone cheered, Flash swimming up to his Pokémon and giving it a hug, "You did it!"

But as they embraced, they both went wide-eyed as they now saw all the Bladin glaring at them. "Aww man..." Spike moaned as the rest of the fish swam up to them. "Don't tell me we have to fight these things now."

"That's not very sporting," Rarity added as they now saw all the Bladin preparing to attack.

"Pierce!" Everyone came to a stop at the sudden voice, all soon looking down as they saw Piercish float back up. It then shook its head before turning back to Riptide. The two locked eyes, only to shine a smirk at the Spranitor. "Piercish." With that, the swordfish Pokémon turned away, gesturing for the Bladin to follow him. A few sighed at this, but they all followed as they went into one of the tunnels, disappearing in the chasm's darkness.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Twilight adding, "That was too close."

"Yeah. Looks like Piercish was a pretty honorable fighter." Flash commented before turning to Kelpool, "Just like you said." Kelpool nodded as he watched the Lotad begin to swim around the lake happily, a big smile now on his face.

A little later...

The heroes had returned to the surface, now back at the campsite. Kelpool and Lombre were they with them as they finished packing everything up. "Well, this is it. Hope you guys don't have any more problems, though I think you won't be seeing that Piercish and the Bladin again."

"Kel," Kelpool nodded in agreement at Flash before turning and talking to Riptide. This made Riptide smile and nod, agreeing with what he said.

Twilight pulled out her notebook, "Well, we'd better be off."

Rarity batted her hair back. "I hope we all get to meet again."

"See yah guys," Applejack tipped her hat as they began to walk off, continuing to give their goodbyes as they got further away. Eventually, they disappeared into the treeline, Kelpool now noticing a huge frown on Lombre's face.

Kelpool didn't need to ask what the problem was. He had always known about how Lombre's want to see the world, even back when it was just a Lotad. And so, he moved behind Lombre and gave him a push.

"Lom!" He yelped as he staggered from the surprise, turning back to Kelpool with a confused look. "Lombre?" He watched as Kelpool pointed to the direction the trainers had headed, making him go wide-eyed. "Lom?" Kelpool just gave him a small nod. This made Lombre tear up before leaping at Kelpool, pulling it into a hug.

"Kel...Kelpool."

The gang were getting closer to the edge of the forest, coming across another small pond as they did. And as they did this, the pond exploded as something leapt out. The group all got into a fighting stance, only to gasp at the sight as Applejack asked, "Lombre?"

"Lom!" he waved before walking up to Applejack.

"What are you doing here?" Rarity asked next.

"Is something wrong back at the lake?" Doc added, only for Lombre to shake its head.

"So what's up?"

Lombre didn't reply, instead just staring up at Applejack. The girl and Pokémon locked eyes for several seconds, only for the girl to ask, "Wait, do you...wanna come with us?"

"Lom," Lombre replied with a nod.

Applejack giggled back, happy Lombre was following its dream. "Alright," she pulled out a Pokeball, "then welcome to the team." With that, she tossed the ball into the air.

"Lombre!" The Jolly Pokémon leapt up and slapped the ball, soon opening to suck up the Pokémon.

They all watched as the ball landed, shaking for several seconds before letting out a dinging sound. Applejack smirked as she picked the sphere up and held it high. "YEE-HAW! Ah just caught...a Lombre!"

The others all clapped and congratulated her, the girl soon releasing the Pokémon out to help it greet the rest of the team. Our heroes adventures together had only just restarted and already Flash's Aquana had evolved into Spranitor and Applejack had caught herself a Lombre. One can only wonder what other adventures were awaiting them on their quest.

Stay tuned to find out.

A Trio of Hidden Gems

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Continuing their journey to Applejack and Rarity's home town of Applewood and Flash's fourth gym challenge, our heroes were now heading to the Everfree Forest. But as they finally exited the woods, they found themselves at the top of a hill overlooking a small town. "There it is! Gem Town!" Rarity cried in joy at the sight of the village.

"It sure looks like a nice place," Applejack commented before turning to Twilight. "What's this place known for again?"

Twilight opened her mouth to explain, only for Rarity to leap in front of her, "I told you, darling, this place is famous for its gems! Why, it has it in its name! It has stores that sell gem themed items of all shapes and sizes along with clothes, toys, clothes, battle items, clothes and so much more!"

"That does sound awesome," Flash replied as he looked down at Springer, "Maybe we'll be able to find something we can use in our next Gym Battle."

"Ri!" Springer added.

Rarity was practically vibrating as she started into a sprint, "Come on! Let's get down there!"

"That girl can really move when she wants too," Doc commented as they saw her run into the distance.

"Come on!" Spike yelled as he ran after her, the others following behind as they soon reached the bottom of the hill. It wasn't long till they reached the town, soon seeing a barrage of stores everywhere.

"Battle Gems here!" A stall owner called out as Flash and Twilight walked past him, "Get your Battle Gems here!"

"Battle Gems?" Flash asked as he went over to the store, now seeing several small boxes littered around a table, each holding a different colored gem on a tiny cushion.

"They're special gems that increase the power of certain Pokémon moves," Twilight explained as she pulled out her journal, "I must say...this has several of them. Should I-"

"Here!" the owner interrupted as he held up a mauve colored gem, "Maybe you'd be interested in getting a Fighting Gem for your Riolu. It'll double the power of any Fighting-Type move it'll use, but only one time."

Flash and Springer stared at the gem, only to share a glance before nodding at one another. "Sorry, but no thanks. We'd rather win using our own strength."

"That's fine," the owner told him with a shrug. "To each their own."

Rarity and Applejack now walked by another store, Rarity gasping as she saw the gems in the window display, "Oh! Applejack, you should take a look in here."

Applejack raised an eyebrow, "Why?" Her answer came when someone walked out with a huge smile on his face, holding a green stone with a lightning bolt symbol on it.

"I just got a Thunder Stone!" He announced before pulling out a Pokeball, "Eeletrik!" The ball opened before unleashing a weird looking eel Pokémon.

"Eel," it said while wiggling, only for the trainer to tap the Thunder Stone on it.

"Evolve!" Eeletrik suddenly started glowing before it changed shape and size, the light soon vanishing to reveal a larger eel Pokémon with arms. "How do ya feel Eelectross?"

"Tross!" The newly evolved Pokémon cheered before it and its trainer walked off.

Rarity nudged Applejack while pointing at the leaving trainer, "That's why. This store sells Evolution Stones."

"So?" Applejack asked.

"So?! Applejack, you have a Pokémon that can evolve with a stone!"

"Ah do?" Applejack replied with a raised eyebrow.

Twilight walked up next and said, "She means your newest Pokémon. Your Lombre evolves into Ludicolo with a Water Stone."

"Huh...Ah had no idea." Applejack responded as she scratched the side of her face.

Rarity nodded in agreement. "You shouldn't hesitate Applejack. Even if you don't want to evolve Lombre yet, if you get the stone now, you won't have to wait to get one when you eventually decide to evolve him." Applejack crossed her arms as she started to think about it as Rarity pulled out a Pokeball. "Alright Opal, come on out!" The ball opened and released her Opaline, the trainer bending down to pick up the cat. "Are you ready to do some shopping deary? I'm sure we'll be able to find you something beautiful to wear."

"Line," Opal purred in its trainer's arms. But before it could get comfortable-

"THIEVES!" Everyone spun to the voice, only to see three blurs flying past a stall. They were colored brown, which they then hopped onto another stall, the owner yelling, "HEY! Get off my-"

"Augh!" Rarity yelped as the blurs flew off the stall and right into Rarity, knocking her over. Opal was flung upward, only to easily land on the nearby sidewalk. As for the trainer, she now felt a new weight on her lap, making her look up and see the thieves. They looked like they were crossed between a baby and a rabbit. Their skin was dirt brown and had large ears that you could almost mistake for bird wings, which each had four tips on them. They had stubby little arms and large feet, with a dark brown rock-like encasement around the tips. On their foreheads were kite-shaped diamonds, with similar gems on the tips of their ears and each one had a different colored bindle wrapped around their neck, one red, one blue and one green.

"They're Diamalem!" Twilight gasped.

"Stop them!" They heard another voice call out, turning to see a peach skinned girl with yellow hair in a ponytail. She was wearing a pink shirt with white sleeves and collar with a pink skirt over cream colored pants and pink boots. "Don't let them get away!" But before the others could even register this, the three Diamalem leapt off Rarity's lap.

"Dia!" They all cried as the crystals on their foreheads started to glow. Red beams of light flew out of them, hitting the street before causing an explosion, one that kicked up a dust cloud. A volley of coughs happened next as everyone started to swat at the smog. And as the dust settled, the Diamalem were gone.

"No!" The girl screeched before glaring at the group, "Thanks a lot, you useless morons! I told you to not let them escape!"

"Sorry," Spike replied as Rarity picked herself and Opal up. "It all happened so fast we didn't know what to do."

"What is going on?" Doc asked as he dusted himself off. "What were those Diamalem doing here?"

"Diamalem?" Rarity pulled out a purple Pokedex and typed the Pokémon's name into it. Seconds later, the image of the creature that had just run into her appeared on screen, but it didn't have the bindle around its neck.

Name: Diamalem
Category: Crystal Clear Pokémon
Type: Normal/Rock
Info: This Pokémon's body is always in a state of flux, which allows it to absorb any unusual energy to let it evolve in a special way.

"What that Pokedex won't tell you is that they're also a bunch of terrible thieves!"

"I'm guessing you've had issues with these things before," Doc asked, only to get a glare from the girl.

"You bet!" she growled while crossing her arms. "The name's Topaz and my family runs the town's main jewelry store. Over the last few weeks, those three have been coming into town and stealing any gemstone they can get their grubby little hands-on..." Her eyes went red in anger, "Those little twerps have already hit my store three times and you all let 'em get away! Grrr…when I get my hands on them, I'll make 'em wish they never stepped foot into this town!"

The six teens all slowly started to backpedal, all creeped out at her outburst. But before they could comment, another stall owner yelled, "Hey! All my gems are gone!" They turned and saw it was the owner of the gem booth that Flash and Twilight had been at, the duo gasping as they saw the boxes were now empty.

"Whoa! How did-"

"It's those Diamalem!" Topaz screamed, "They were right next to this booth when they fired that Power Gem! They obviously used the dust as cover to swipe 'em!" She leapt up onto the booth, raising her fist to the air, "Alright everyone, listen up! Are you all tired about having your merchandise stolen by those little crooks?!" The people all nodded, Flash and friends all gulping at the sight, "Then let's stop waiting around here and go find them! Once we do, we'll make those thieves pay for every single gem they've stolen. WHO'S WITH ME?!"

The townspeople all let out roars of agreement before beginning to close up shop. As they did this, Flash commented, "Man, these guys are seriously mad."

"No kidding," Doc added. "I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled out the torches and pitchforks next."

"So what do we do?" Spike asked next.

"Ah say we help them out." Applejack replied while tipping her hat, "Ah know if it was mah farm's stuff being stolen, ah'd wanna make the little varmint pay for it."

"I'm with AJ," Flash pulled out his Pokeball. "Skyler, come on out!" He tossed the ball into the air, soon unleashing the Wingust.

"Wing!" It cried before flying down to his shoulder.

"Alright bud," Flash held up his Pokedex as it showed the image of their target. "I want you to try and find something that looks like this." Skyler scanned the image and nodding, soon taking to the skies.

Topaz saw this and smiled before walking over. "Thanks. Any of you other guys have any Flying-Types we might be able to use?" Doc and Twilight pulled out their Pokeballs, unleashing Steeledge and Owlicious. They were given the same instructions and took off to search, just in time for everyone else to finish packing for their search. "Alright everyone, let's get out there and find them!"

"YEAH!" The townspeople roared before running out of the village, Flash and his friends following behind.

"It's probably better to split up," Doc suggested as he reached into his backpack and pulled out a box. Opening it up, he showed them a bunch of radios that they all took. "These'll let us keep in touch. If we find them, we should contact the others." They all nodded and headed off in different directions, Twilight and Spike being the only ones staying together.

One hour later...

Nobody had found the thieves. Despite the whole town searching, they had found nothing in that past hour. As such, Rarity and Opal were now currently sitting on a large rock in an open field. The girl was resting, Opaline laying in her lap. "Good grief...it's like those three just vanished."

Opal said nothing, too busy grooming herself to reply. But as she licked the back of her paw, a glint suddenly caught her eye. Turning to it, she saw something hidden in the grass that was reflecting the sunlight into her face. "Op?" Opal jumped off Rarity's legs, surprising the girl as she saw her Pokémon run through the grass.

"Opal? What is it?" She got up and followed as she crossed the field, only to see the cat start to play with something on the ground. She knelt down and saw it was a small gemstone, "Could this be?" She turned to the direction of the town, then did a one-eighty to where she now suspected the three had gone. "Must be." With that, she and Opal headed in that direction, soon finding themselves at the edge of the forest they had previously left. "Hmm...this would probably be a good place to hide out until they attempted their next robbery."

She then stepped inside and saw that the brush was so thick that it blocked her from seeing the sky, "Is this how they evaded the Flying Pokémon?" she asked herself as she trudged through, only to start hearing some voices in the distance. "What's that?"

"Dia,"

"Die die!"

"Malem!"

Hearing this, she tiptoed towards the voice, pulling into a stop as she hid behind a tree. There, her and Opal saw a small clearing, this one showing a patch of beautiful flowers next to a pond with the three Pokémon in question. The Diamalem were sitting around a pile of gems and rocks, all with big smiles on their faces as they dug through them.

This made Rarity growl as she pulled out her radio...only to hear a loud cry. "DIAMALEM!" She looked back and now saw the one with the blue bindle was crying, the one with the green bindle moving over to comfort her while the red one kicked the pile before throwing their loot over to a bunch of rocks. Rarity narrowed her eyes at the pile, now seeing that they had made a cave-like dwelling that she was betting had the rest of their stolen goods.

"I don't understand. Why are they upset?" Rarity whispered as she saw the one with the green bindle go over to the pond. It then placed the bindle in the water, pulling it back while using it as a cup before pouring the water onto the flowers. The blue one just stared at the water longingly as the red one hopped onto some rocks and did some punches and kicks into the air. It took a deep breath next, letting out air as Rarity assumed it was trying to breathe fire.

Rarity just blinked at the sight, making her pull out her Pokedex and type Diamalem into it. Once the page opened, she started to scan it over, looking at all the facts on the Pokémon. The first was the species were all female, and had a variety of moves that were considered unusual for a Rock-Type.

But then she got to the bottom of the page, which got to their evolutions. Touching the link, she gasped, "No way." She now found herself looking at her family heirlooms: The Power Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire. She clicked on the emerald, only to be sent to another page with a new Pokémon appearing onscreen. It was a human-shaped Pokémon that looked like a woman with light green skin, wearing robes that appeared to be made out of sewn together leaves with different colored flowers. On its forehead was a large emerald, with a bunch of smaller gems that mimicked hair, mainly in a distinct pair of pigtails. It also had the same ears as Diamalem, only they weren't as large and the diamond tips were replaced with emeralds.

Name: Herbarald
Category: Grass Emerald Pokémon
Type: Grass/Rock
Info: The evolved form of Diamalem. The gems in this unusual Pokémon's body grant it Agrokinesis. It manipulates vines and trees in order to catch its prey.

She hit the back button and touched the ruby this time. This one showed something similar to Herbarld, a human-shaped Pokémon that looked like a young woman. This one's skin was bright orange and it was wearing red cloth robes with yellow flame patterns on the arms and around the bottom. On its forehead was a large ruby, with a bunch of smaller gems around its head that mimicked quaff style hair, its style resembling a flame while its ears were now tipped with rubies.

Name: Pyruby
Category: Fire Ruby Pokémon
Type: Fire/Rock
Info: The evolved form of Diamalem. The gems in this unusual Pokémon's body grant it Pyrokinesis. It enjoys juggling fireballs around, but often times loses control and may set everything around it on fire.

She repeated the process and pressed the sapphire, the final one looking like the last tow. Its skin was light blue and was wearing dark blue robes with wave patterns. On its forehead was a large sapphire, with a bunch of smaller gems around its head that mimicked a natural wavy hairstyle. As with the others, its ears were now tipped with sapphires.

Name: Aquapphire
Category: Aqua Sapphire Pokémon
Type: Water/Rock
Info: The evolved form of Diamalem. The gems in this unusual Pokémon's body grant it Hydrokinesis. It can find water in even the driest of areas, and as a last resort, it will force the water to spring up through the ground.

Rarity put her Pokedex away as she stared at the Pokémon in the meadow, "So that's it..."

As she watched them, Skyler was just above her, gasping as the bird spotted the trio, "Wing!" He chirped before flying off, soon returning to his trainer, "Wing! Wingust!"

Back on the ground, Flash heard Skyler and looked up, "You find 'em?"

"Wingust!" Skyler nodded before doing an about in the air, Flash and Springer following suite.

"Guys!" Flash yelled into his radio, "Skyler's found something! It looks like the Diamalem are in the forest!"

"Alright, we'll head there now." Twilight's voice replied.

"Same here," Doc added.

"Ah'm on mah way," Applejack finished as she turned around, completely unaware of Topaz standing nearby.

"Payback time..." she said while pumping her fists.

"Rarity! Rarity, yah there?" Applejack spoke into her radio, "Come on, answer."

Rarity had switched off her radio as she and Opal tiptoed up to the meadow. Despite this, the Diamalem heard her footsteps and turned to her, gasping as Blue and Green started to backpedal as the Red landed in front of them. "Diam!" Red roared as it got into a battle stance.

"Hold on there. Calm down...I'm not here to hurt you," Rarity assured them, holding up her Pokedex as it showed the image of the Power Gems. "This is what you're looking for, aren't you?" The three shared a glance, all three leaning as Rarity bent down and showed them the device. "Look. Here's what they'll do to you:" She flipped to a page showing all their evolutions, the three looking awestruck at the sight.

Rarity giggled at their reaction before putting the Pokedex away. She then moved to the pond, dipping her hand into it. "The water feels amazing." She turned to Blue, "You want to feel it, don't you?" Blue looked down at her comment, Rarity then adding, "Since you're a Rock-Type, simply touching water must be very painful. That why you want to become an Aquapphire, so you'll become a Water-Type and get to be in water without hurting you."

"Dia..." Blue replied as tears began to form in her eyes, Green stroking her head in response.

"And you're a very caring Pokémon." She patted Green on the head before glancing at the flowers, "Those are beautiful. I'm guessing you want to become a Herbarald since that'll make you become closer to nature, am I right?"

Green nodded rapidly, leaving Rarity to turn to Red. This Diamalem still glared at her as Rarity flashed her palms, "Relax hot head, I'm not gonna do anything. It's clear you want to become a Pyruby since I saw you trying to breathe fire earlier." Red's face started to turn into a tomato blush as she looked away, not wanting to admit it.

Rarity did a small giggle again before crossing her arms, "Listen you three, you all want to evolve..." she then pointed at their den, "But you shouldn't steal to do it." She saw a look of shame appear on Blue and Green's faces, while Red just looked away. "I understand that this is something you all really want, but that doesn't give you the right to steal. And think about it, do you really want to evolve that way? If you did, you would end up feeling bad that you did such a bad thing and it would ruin the experience."

The three all looked away now, making Rarity reach into her bag as she continued, "So here's what we're going to do: You three are going to return everything you stole and apologize." She then pulled a box out. "And in exchange, I'll give you these." She opened the container, making all three gasp as their hearts came to a stop at the sight of what was inside. It was the gems they had seen on her Pokedex.

"Dia..." Blue's eyes grew wide like a kid at Christmas.

"Malem," Green gasped as she started up at Rarity.

"Diamalem!" Red yelled as she reached for the Power Ruby, only for Rarity to shut the box.

"No!" She snapped the box out of the Pokémon's reach, "I may be generous, but I'm no pushover. You have to earn these by doing what I said. Deal?" The three shared a glance before eagerly nodding. They then ran up to their loot, putting them in their bags as Rarity got back up. And as she smiled at the sight, her ears perked as she heard someone yell her name.

"Rarity!" Everyone turned to see Flash, Springer and Applejack rush into the clearing, frowning as they saw the Diamalem with the items they stole. "What are ya'll doing here?!"

"Yeah, why didn't you tell us you found them?!" Flash added as he put his hand to the Pokeball on his belt.

"Ri!" Springer got into a battle stance next, "Ri, Riolu!"

"Hold it!" Rarity spread her arms in front of them. "It's not what you think. They-"

"I FOUND YOU!" They now saw Topaz step into the clearing, a death glare on her face as she pulled out a Pokeball. "Time to make you thieves pay. Kadabra, GO!" She tossed the ball out, unleashing a strange yellow Pokémon carrying a spoon.

"Kadabra!" It roared as it pointed its spoon at the trio.

"Psybeam!" Kadabra's spoon unleashed a burst of multicolored lights, the three rock Pokémon backpedaling at the sight..

"DIA!" They all cried, hugging each other in fear.

"Opal!" Rarity yelled, Opalescence leaping in front of the attack. The beam hit her, only for no damage to be dealt to the Dark Type Pokémon.

Topaz's jaw dropped before pointing at Rarity, "What are you doing?!"

"Stopping you from hurting them," Rarity replied as she moved in front of the trio. "You don't need to attack them. They're going to return everything they stole and apologize." Flash and Applejack shared a glance at this, raising an eyebrow before seeing the fear on the three Pokémon's faces.

"Who cares?!" Topaz screeched, "We can't just let them get away with things scott free! We need to make them learn to never do it again, and that means beating them till they learn! So step aside, or I'll go straight through you!"

Rarity glared back as she got into a fighting stance. "Then you'll need to go through us. Ready Opal?"

"Line!" Opal hissed, ready to do battle.

"Fine! Don't say I didn't warn you!" Topaz growled before pointing at Rarity, "Kadabra, let's tear her apart!"

"Rarity!" Applejack yelped as she reached for her own Pokeball, only for Rarity to flash a palm at her.

"No. Stay back Applejack. I don't want her saying I cheated." She glared back at Topaz, "This will be an official one on one match. And if I win, you and your townspeople will let me decide how to handle the Diamalem."

Topaz grit her teeth before staring at the trio, "Fine. But when I win, I get to do whatever I want with those three."

"I won't let that happen!" Rarity announced as she pointed at Kadabra, "Use Snarl!" Opalescence opened her mouth as a black sphere of electricity appeared, firing it at the Psychic-Type.

"Light Screen!" Kadabra's eyes glowed before five shining yellow walls appeared to form a box around it. The black sphere struck the box and exploded, pushing its inhabitant back a few inches but barely doing any damage.

"That's gonna make damaging it with Special Attacks tricky," Flash commented as the box disappeared.

"Guys!" They all turned to see their friends with the townspeople, the many store owners now spotting the Diamalem standing next to a pile of their stolen stuff.

"Hang on!" Flash jumped in front of the group as they tried to charge at the three, "Before you attack them, you have let this battle play out."

"Why?!" A townsman barked back, Flash quickly explaining what was going on.

Looks of surprise followed this as Flash said, "So if Rarity wins, you can't do anything. That's the deal Topaz made, alright?" The people all shared glances, only for Flash to then say, "If you don't, we'll gladly use our Pokémon against you so you don't interrupt the fight. We don't need this to get ugly." They began to murmur to each other, soon nodding in agreement to the duel. "Good."

It was here Twilight stepped up to Flash, their friends soon joining as Flash asked, "What do you think? Does uh...does Rarity have a chance?"

"Rarity should have the advantage," Twilight replied, "Against a Dark-Type like Opaline, Kadabra's at a big disadvantage."

"How so?"

Twilight gave him a flat stare, "Flash...you should know all types now. I've been teaching you-"

"I don't use Dark or Psychic."

"I..." Twilight opened her mouth, only to sigh, "Yeah, I guess that's true. You do use a Fighting Type...but barely fight any Dark Types. Anyways, Opal has an advantage because Psychic moves won't affect her."

"Oh...right. Thanks."

"You're still learning rookie." Twilight commented as they looked back at the battle.

"Power Gem!"

"Line!" The gem on its collar started to glow before firing off a red beam, only for it to be blocked by the Light Screen.

Doc rubbed his chin at the sight, "That Light Screen's gonna make doing damage difficult. And getting in close for a Scratch or Bite attack will be just as hard. Luckily, as Twilight said, none of Kadabra's Psychic Attacks will hurt her."

Hearing this, Topaz just laughed. "Don't be so sure," she pointed at Kadabra. "Miracle Eye!" Kadabra's eyes began to glow purple as Topaz the ordered, "Now use Psybeam!" Kadabra held up its spoon before unleashing a burst of psychic energy.

"Dodge it darling!" Rarity cried, but Opal just blinked at the command. Not understanding, the beam struck her, making her cry out.

"LINE!" She screeched as she flew backwards.

"OPAL!" Rarity gasped as the Opaline landed at her feet, "Are you okay?"

Opal hissed as she picked herself up, "Opal..." she growled as she clinched her claws.

"Ha! How'd ya like that?!" Topaz barked back, the three Diamalem all shaking as they saw the angry look in her eyes.

"Wait...why did Psybeam work?" Spike asked. "I thought Opal was immune to Psychic-Type Attacks."

Twilight shook her head, "Miracle Eye removes that immunity. Now Rarity needs to be extra careful."

"Psybeam again!"

"Snarl!" Opal unleashed the hissing sound, firing a ball of black energy right at Kadabra's beam of light. The two attacks collided in midair, exploding into a dust cloud that blinded everyone. "Bite!" Opal shot out of the smoke and leapt at Kadabra, opening her mouth as a white aura appeared around it. The aura then reshaped itself into a set of teeth, which bit into Kadabra's arm.

"Kadabra!" It moaned in pain, staggering back as Opal let go.

"Scratch!" Opal's claws began to shine as it then slashed the Pokémon's face.

"Kadabra!" It yelped while holding the scratched area.

"Use Psybeam again!" The goat-fox-man Pokémon pointed its spoon at Opal before unleashing another burst of light, Opal this time dodging the beam. "Again!"

"Kadabra!" It fired once more, only to miss the cat again.

"Don't stop!" Kadabra kept on firing, the cat easily evading each attack.

"We have to beat that Light Screen! Snarl!" Rarity ordered next.

"Opal..." Opal created the blast sphere in her mouth, "LINE!" The ball slammed into the Light Screen, exploding on impact as it pushed the Kadabra back.

"Dab!" It moaned as it began to stagger, cracks now appearing in the Light Screen.

"Psybeam!" Kadabra pointed its spoon at the Opaline, this one striking the cat as she recovered from firing the Snarl.

"Line!" She cried as she sent upward, only to land on her feet with ease.

"Again!" Kadabra fired once more again, this attack hitting Opal's side.

"LINE!" She hissed as she was blasted back, rolling across the dirt before stopping right next to the pond.

"Opal!" Rarity cried as she saw the Pokémon try to pick itself up.

"Now's our chance! While it's recovering, use your ultimate move." She pointed at Opal, "Focus Punch!"

"Dab!" Kadabra clenched the fist that didn't have the spoon, the hand now being wrapped in a blue light.

The others all gulped as Doc commented, "This is really bad."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "If this attack hits, it'll be all over for Rarity."

"Really? Is it that strong?" Spike asked next.

Flash crossed his arms at this, "It's the strongest Fighting-Type move the is. If it hits her, it's game over."

"Rarity!" Applejack called out, "Ya'll gotta get her out of there!"

Rarity grimaced at the sight of the incoming attack, her eyes going back to her Pokémon as she said, "Opal darling, I know you're in pain, but you need to be strong. We can't lose. Do it for the Diamalem!" The Pokémon stared at the trainer with wide eyes, all gasping as they saw the cat start to get up.

"Oh no you don't! Those three are gonna pay right now! FIRE!" Topaz ordered, Kadabra lunging at the cat with a fully glowing fist.

"Dabra!"

"Use Snarl at its fist!" Opal heard this and opened its mouth, the black orb forming as Kadabra reached her. His Focus Punch struck the sphere, causing it to explode. The force of the attacks sent both flying, Opal into the water while Kadabra was sent hurtling across the field. The Light Screen also flared up, more cracks as Kadabra started to recover from the blow.

Topaz shined a huge grin as she stared at the pond, confidence brimming as her Pokémon stood up. "Looks like I win. Now, hand those three rotten thieves over and-"

"OPALINE!" Opalescence cried as she flew out of the pond, a huge splash following this as Rarity shined a huge smile before pointing at Kadabra.

"Use Power Gem now!" Opal fired the red beam from out of her collar gem, Kadabra pointing his spoon at her.

"Psybeam!" Kadabra fired its own beam attack, both colliding as Opal's started to push his back. But as this went on, the cat's attack hit the Light Screen. The attack began to make more attacks, Kadabra trying to push the Power Gem but to no avail. Before anything could be said, the Light Screen shattered, knocking the Psychic Pokémon back.

"Use Bite!" Opal land as the aura appeared around its mouth again, taking shape as she charged at the Kadabra.

"Psybeam!" Kadabra unleashed another beam, Opal responding with her Bite attack. The two attacks collided in midair, exploding as Opal jumped in the dust cloud that was formed, only to appear out other side and into Kadabra's face.

"SNARL!" Rarity yelled, with Opal forming the black sphere right into Kadabra's face.

BOOM!

Kadabra let out a mighty cry of pain as it was engulfed by the attack. With no Light Screen the shield it, Kadabra fell over instantly, the smoke clearing to show it laying in the dirt with swirls in its eyes. "Ka...kadaba…."

"Kadabra!" Topaz cried as she kneeled down and rubbed her Pokémon's head, "Are you okay?" She glared back up at Rarity, "You meanie! You cheated! Your Opaline should have been finished in that pond!"

"No, she won. She believed in her Pokémon while you were wrapped up in your revenge to care about yours." Flash announced as he walked in front of her, Twilight and the others all nodding in agreement.

Topaz just growled at Flash as the villagers all gathered around her. As they did this, Rarity picked up Opal and began to stroke her, "Thank you darling. You were amazing."

"Line..." the Pokémon replied while grooming itself.

Rarity then turned to the three Diamalem, "It's time to return everyone's things." The three all nodded before going back to their den, soon making a pile of gems. As they did this, Rarity glanced back at the townspeople. "Everyone, please form an orderly cue." They did so and slowly, the Diamalem began handing the stolen goods back to their rightful owners while bowing to apologize.

Eventually, only a few items remained, which all belonged to Topaz, "Alright, hand them over." The Diamalem all glared at her as they held the jewels up, "Kadabra." The now awake Psychic-Type used its abilities to lift the gems out of their hands before Topaz went up to Rarity, hissing, "Don't think this is over. If they try to pull this again, and they will, I won't let you get in my way. They will pay for what they've done!" With that, she disappeared into the woods with the townspeople.

The group of friends could only sigh at the sight as Rarity turned back to the trio, "Well, you three held up your end of the deal." She reached into her bag and pulled the box back out, "Now to hold up my end."

"Watcha talkin' bout?" Applejack asked her, only to see Rarity pull out her families treasures.

"I'm giving them my Power Gems."

Twilight gasped at this, "Wait...you're gonna help them evolve?! But if you do that, your gems will-"

"I know," Rarity replied before looking down at the jewels. "Evolution items vanish once the Pokémon evolves. But...I'm alright with that as long as these three get to fulfil their dreams."

"Yah sure Rarity?" Applejack asked her, "They're yer families treasures."

"And that's all they'll ever be to us. If I keep them, they'll just be...well, pretty gems that are also useless items. But to these three, they're so much more." She held box out, "Take them. You deserve them."

The three's eyes all went wide before cheering, "DIA!" They each reached into the box and grabbed the gem they wanted, all admiring them as the gems began to glow.

The glow then spread around the Pokémon holding the stones, causing them to glow blue before they all began to change and shift. Everyone awed at the sight as the three grew taller, each one beginning to morph into different a shape. As the light faded, the trio looked down at themselves, gasping as they all now stood at four and a half feet tall.

"Herba..." Green muttered as she looked down at her new body, a quaint smile appearing on her face.

"Pie!" Red cheered as she spun around, admiring every bit of her new form.

"Phire..." Blue started tearing up, only to quickly jump into the pond. "Aqua!" she joyfully cried as the water didn't hurt her, now happily splashing around. She then came to a stop, holding her hands out as the large gem on her head started to glow. Seconds later, a bubble of water floated out of it, which began to fly around as she moved her hands.

The newly evolved Herbarald moved over to her flowers and did the same as Aquapphire, the gem on her head glowing as the unbloomed flowers began to open up, displaying a variety of beautiful colors. "Barald…"

Meanwhile, Pyruby put her hands together and focused as her head gem glowed. Seconds later, a small flame appeared between the hands, slowly growing before she extinguished the flame. "Ruby!"

With that, the three all moved back to Rarity. The girl smiled at them, only to see tears in all their eyes. "What's wrong?" The three then leapt at her, causing her to fall as each hugged a different part of her.

"HERB/PIE/FIRE!" They all cried, their tears now in full force as they gave Rarity their thanks.

Everyone laughed at the sight, soon helping Rarity up as she replied to the trio, "You're welcome. I'm happy you got to have your dreams." The three then let her go, the gems on them shining like stars. The sight made Topaz's words to repeat in Rarity's head, making her gasp as she leaned down as asked, "You three...will you be staying here?"

They each shared a glance, all three shrugging as Twilight asked, "Rarity? Why are you asking them that?"

Rarity looked back at her with a small frown, "Looking at them reminded me of what Topaz said. You saw how angry she was." Rarity went back to the Pokémon, pulling out her bag as she took three Pokeballs out, "Listen, do you three...want to come with me?"

The three Pokémon all gasped at this, now seeing the three spheres being put on the ground as Rarity continued, "I'm asking because...well, I believe you shouldn't have to hide yourselves away in this forest, not with how beautiful you've become." She looked away while sighing, "To be honest, I'm still not sure what I want to do with my life..." she glanced back as a small smile began to form on her face. "But I do know I'd love to have you there with me when I finally figure it out."

She turned to Herbarald, "We're going to a place called the Everfree Forest. It's supposed to be a mysterious place that'll probably have lots of strange plants." She then glanced at Pyruby, "And I could sure use a strong Pokémon like you to protect me when I'm in trouble." Pyruby giggled at this as Rarity now went to Aquapphire. "And I promise whenever I come across a body of water, you can play in it for as long as you want."

Aquapphire gasped at this, new tears forming before turning to her sisters. The three all seemed to have a mental conversation before turning back to Rarity.

"So...what do you say?" The three didn't say anything, instead stepping over and each reaching out to tap the balls. Rarity gasped at the quick motion, putting her hands over her mouth at their instant decision. Before she could say anything, the balls slapped shut, dinging a split second later.

That sound made a huge smile appear on Rarity's face before she held the three balls into the air, "Oh my goodness...I just caught a Herbarald, Pyruby and Aquapphire!" She put the Pokeballs to her face as she let out a squee, "Oh...I can't believe I caught three beautiful Pokémon just like that! Not only that, they're a perfect fit for me!" The others all chuckled at her excitement, Rarity quickly shutting up as a huge blush appeared on her face. She then let out a 'ahem' before doing a small cough, "Sorry about that. That was...out of character for me."

"Eh, its fine." Applejack told her, "Ya'll shouldn't be embarrassed."

"Yeah! You deserve them!" Spike added, Twilight nodding in agreement.

"Agreed. It's not every day you see someone catch three Pokémon at once," Doc commented.

Rarity did a small nod before looking down at the Pokeballs. "Thank you all. I promise, I'll look after you three no matter what."

Rarity might not have a clear idea of her future, but as long as she got to make new amazing friends like the three evolved Diamalem, then she was happy and content. Now, with Applewood City getting closer by the day, one can only wonder what adventures await our heroes next.

You'll have to stay tuned to find out

Author's Notes:

Alright, Rarity gets herself three super cool Pokemon. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and tell me what you thought about Diamalem and its evolution's designs. I originally thought of just making them a bunch of Carbuncles, but then I realised I was stealing enough ideas from Eevee without stealing its body design.

Speaking of Eevee: Since this is pretty much mimicking Eevee's gimmick, I wanna hear your ideas for possible Diamalem evolutions from the other types. What type would it be, what gem would it be based on, what name and design would it have and how would it evolve.

Pokemon

Name: Diamalem
Design: Calumon with the changes I mentioned
Name: Diamond and normalem
Pronounced: Die-mal-lem

Name: Herbarald
Design:
Name: Herbal and Emerald
Pronounced: Her-ba-rolled

Name: Pyruby
Design:
Name: Pyro and Ruby
Pronounced: Pie-roo-bee

Name: Aquapphire
Design:
Name: Aqua sapphire
Pronounced: Ak-wa-fire

The Everfree Forest

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Continuing their journey to Applejack and Rarity's hometown of Applewood and Flash's fourth Equestria Region Gym challenge, our heroes were now in a large meadow filled with multiple rocks. This was where they had camped for the night and were currently packing up, ready to finally tackle the Everfree Forest.

But before they headed out, Rarity and her three newest teammates were standing in a line as Rarity pointed at some rocks, "Alright, are you all ready?" Herbarald, Pyruby and Aquapphire all nodded, "Then let's give this a go. We'll start with Herbarald. Use Energy Ball!"

"Herb!" She brought her hands together, the large emerald on her forehead glowing as a ball of energy appeared between them. "Barald!" She thrust her hands, sending the sphere flying into a rock, slamming into it to make an explosion.

"Excellent!" Rarity exclaimed as the others clapped, "Now Pyruby, use Fire Punch!"

"Pyr!" She raised her hand and clutched it into a fist, the large ruby on her forehead glowing as the fist burst into flames. "Ruby!" She thrust her blazing fist into the rock, shattering it as some of its fragments began to melt.

"Magnifique!" Rarity cheered as the others kept clapping, "And finally, Aquapphire." The blue gem Pokémon stepped up as Pyruby gave her a thumbs up, "Let's try Water Pulse!"

"Ak!" She brought her hands together, the large sapphire on her forehead glowing as a large bubble appeared between them. "Aqua...PHIRE!" She thrust her hands, sending a bubble flying...only to veer to the left, missing the rock completely. The sight made her slump over, "Ak..."

"It's okay," Rarity patted her shoulders as her sisters also came up to comfort her. "You just need some practice."

"She's right," Twilight added as the rest walked up to the four, "You've got the form, so now you just need to work on your accuracy."

"A little hard work and ya'll be able to hit yer target with yah eyes closed." Applejack finished, tilting her hat.

"They're right darling. In fact, why don't we give it another shot?" Aquapphire nodded and put her hands to together, only to hear Doc speak up.

"Err...Rarity," he showed her his pocket watch. "It's just passed the time we agreed to head out." This made Rarity sigh, looking back at her new Pokémon as Flash walked up next.

"Come on Rare," Flash told her as he put on his bag and held up her's. "You can't get out of this."

"Oh....alright." Rarity took her bag before turning to her Pokémon, "Sorry girls, we'll have to continue this another time." The three gem Pokémon all nodded, slight pouts on their faces as Rarity returned them to their Pokeballs. "I still say going to the Everfree Forest is a bad idea."

"Seconded," Spike added while Peewee let out a scared squawk.

"We'll be fine. Between all of us, we've got almost every single type of Pokémon." Flash assured before turning to Twilight, "Right?"

"Indeed. I think we're only missing Fairy and Ghost, which we can compensate for."

"See? Whatever comes at us, we can deal with it. Now, you all ready?" Everyone except Rarity and Spike nodded, "Then forward...MARCH!"

And so, the group began their journey into the forest. Upon first glance, they easily saw what made this forest different from the rest, mainly the instant immense size. They couldn't see an end on either left or right side, now seeing it was miles wide. Not only that, they saw the trees were not normal, the branches on these curving in all sorts of directions.

Some branches were straight, others curved around or growing in a zigzag motion. One was even shaped like a curly fry. Their leaves were all sorts of different colors, some being different shades of green while others appeared to be black, brown and even purple. The grass was also different, being a much darker shade of green, along with a thick foliage as sunlight was nonexistent in this thick volley of lumbar pillars.

But as they walked in, the air was the biggest difference. It felt stale, a gust of wind blowing the smell of rot into our hero's faces, making them all cover their noses. "Good grief!" Rarity cried as she pinched her nose. "It's even worse than the stories told!"

"Don't be such a baby," Applejack barked back. "So it smells bad. It ain't gonna kill ya."

"It might..." Spike whined.

"I'm sure we'll get used to it," Twilight added as she pulled out her journal. "Now let's not just stand around here. The sooner we get in there, the sooner we get out."

The others nodded as they began to vanish inside the trees, the warmth of the sun all but vanishing as Spike stuttered out, "So um...how big is this place?"

"About forty-eight miles," Twilight announced as she tapped a few buttons. "It should take us about three to four days to get to the other side."

Spike let out a moan at this, only for Flash to pat his side, "Hey, buck up buddy. We'll be fine. And think of all the amazing Pokémon we'll get to meet while we're in here." As if to prove his point, a Mankey swung on some branches nearby, the group now looking up as they saw a few more Pokémon walk by. Paras, Seedot, Instick and Spinarak all walked over the branches while Venonat, Pyroom and Petilil walking in the grass below them.

The sights made everyone gasp and giggle at the different Pokémon, the group continuing their way. They were like this for two hours until Spike's stomach let out a grumbling sound, "Sorry...trekking through this place is hungry work."

"Can't argue with that," Doc chimed in as he looked at his watch. "It's pretty close to lunchtime. Why don't we keep going for a few minutes until we find someplace to relax and have a bit to eat?"

The others all nodded and kept moving as a pair of glowing green eyes stared at them from a gap of bush's branches behind them. A low growl filled the air, a large bulky being now shifting in the leaves.

After our heroes found a nice...ish spot to sit down and have lunch, Doc took out the sandwiches he had packed for them that morning. "Grubs up."

"Delicious." Rarity commented as she gulped down her meal.

"Doc can make anything taste great," Flash added.

Doc chuckled, looking away as he responded, "Come on, it's just sandwiches. Nothing too complicated."

"It's still great. Even the smell of it is enough to make you sigh in delight." To demonstrate, he held the sandwich up his nose before both he and Peewee took a big whiff, only for their faces to suddenly turn green. "Gyah!" He cried out, covering his nose.

"Wagon!" Peewee wailed, using his wings to shield his.

The others turned to him in confusion, Twilight scowling, "Spike, that's not very nice."

"Not my fault," he moaned with another sniff, only to feel tears start to appear in his eyes, "I don't know why, but there's something here that really stinks!" The others were about to say they didn't smell anything until their noses twitched, each now feeling their nostrils being assaulted.

"What the heck is that?!" Flash asked.

"It smells worse than a barn in the wet season!" Applejack groaned as she used her hat to shield her face.

"But where's it coming from?" Rarity added.

The others all shared a grimace as Flash bravely uncovered his nose to take another whiff. As he did this, he held back the urge to pike as he turned around and pointed, "Over there!"

It was here that Springer's ears flared up, his aura now suddenly sensing an unbelievable amount of primal anger. "Ri!" He yelped as he created an Aura Sphere and tossed it into one of the bushes, only for a collection of energy rings to shoot out and block it.

"What was that?"

"A Dark Pulse. But what fired it?" Twilight replied, only to gasp as she saw her answer come in the form of a low growl as it stepped out into the open. It was a collection of sticks and leaves in the shape of an angry looking wolf the size of a small car.

Everyone's eyes shrunk at the sight of this creature as Applejack muttered out, "A Timbark."

"Timbark?" Flash repeated as he pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Timbark
Category: Dark Forest Pokémon
Type: Grass/Dark
Info: Legend speaks of how this Pokémon was born in the darkest forest, where evils came together and summoned fallen trees to give it form. Its breath is so bad that you can smell it from a mile away.

"That explains the smell..."

"This is bad," Twilight added. "Timbark are extremely territorial. If we're in its territory, it'll stop at nothing to get us out."

To prove her point, the Timbark charged with its fangs bared. "Springer, Quick Attack now!" Springer shot ahead at blinding speed, leaping over the Timbark as it tried to bite him. "Now Drain Punch!" Springer landed behind the wolf and spun around, his fist glowing green as he slammed it into the beast's side.

"Bar!" Timbark growled as it staggered back, pulling itself to a stop before turning to glare at Springer. Its whole body then glowed a green aura as it let out a loud howl. This caused the ground to shake before a bunch of large roots shot out, growing to about fifteen feet as they swung down at Springer.

"It's using Terror Root!" Twilight cried as Flash pointed at his partner.

"Double Team!" Springer nodded before multiplying into a small army, the Terror Roots slamming into the fakes. "Aura Sphere!"

"Rio..." Springer created the ball of aura in his paws as the wolf spotted him, only for the Riolu to slide beneath him. "LU!" Once under, he thrust the orb into the Timbark's stomach as it exploded. Timbark let out a mighty howl as it was blasted into the air, its body colliding with a nearby tree as several sticks flew off it form. Everyone sighed in relief as it slumped over.

"That was close," Flash sighed as he glanced back at Springer. "Great work bud."

"Riolu!" Springer, still laying on the floor, gave him a thumbs up.

"Ah say we get out of here before that thing wakes up." The others all nodded in agreement as they grabbed their bags. But before they could make another move, a new terrible smell wafted in.

"Oh no..." Spike covered his nose. "Not again."

"It's even worse than the last one," Rarity commented as she did the same.

Twilight did a small gulp, shivering as they all turned to see another Timbark step into the area. And it wasn't alone. More growls reached their ears, the group now seeing six Timbark prowling around them. They were all glaring at the teens and their Pokémon, who now stood in a huddle. "We're surrounded..."

"We'll need ta fight our way out," Applejack told them as she reached for a Pokeball.

Doc nodded as he did the same, "They're Grass and Dark-Types, so Fire, Flying and Fighting-Types are our best options." He grabbed Steeledge's ball as Flash reached for Viper and Skyler. Twilight also reached for Owlicious as Rarity went for Pyruby and Applejack going for Brawloey. Peewee prepared for battle on Spike's shoulder as the Timbark all let out a unified growl.

But before anyone could jump into action, a lone figure suddenly leapt out of the trees. "Cauldrula, without prologue, come out and use your Smog!" The figure tossed a Pokeball up, the ball opening as it unleashed a new Pokémon. This one looked like a small black cauldron with arms coming out the sides. On the front of its body were a pair of blank white eyes above a semi-circle like mouth while below its body were four black spheres, each having a cone-like spike sticking out the bottom to keep it upright. But the most unusual thing about it was the top of its head, which was completely open, showing a strange purple liquid inside.

"Call..." it said before taking a deep breath. As it did, the figure called out to them from the tree-branch.

"If you wish to avoid your death, come with me and hold your breath."

As these words left the stranger's mouth, Cauldrula let out a roar, "Drula!" As it yelled, a purple mist shot out of its head, filling the air. Everyone quickly caught on and covered their mouths, but the Timbark were not so lucky. As the mist surrounded them, they all started swaying from side to side, their forms falling apart as the group quickly cut into a sprint.

The stranger, who was dressed in a green and brown cloak, had now hopped off the tree, gesturing the teens to follow. "We must go now and have great haste if we don't want those creatures to have a taste." With that, they followed her in a full run, their sprint lasting almost twenty minutes. And as it finished, the figure then said, "There is no need to worry. Those Timbark won't find us in a hurry."

"Thanks...but who are you?" Flash asked as he started to catch his breath. The stranger responded by pulling down their hood, revealing herself as a gray-skinned woman with black marks around her mouth and black stripes on her arms. She had a bunch of golden rings around her neck along with her right arm and wrist. She was wearing a brown vest and a dark green skirt with black and white knee-high boots.

"My name is Zecora, pleased to meet your acquaintance. May I hear your names, if you have no reluctance?"

Flash thumbed his chest, "I'm Flash Sentry. And this is my partner, Springer."

"Ri."

"I'm Twilight," she then pointed to Spike. "And this is my brother."

"Spike's the name," the teen gestured to his Terragon. "And this is Peewee."

"Terra!"

"You can call me Doc."

"Ah'm Applejack."

"And my name is Rarity."

Zecora did a small smiling nod as she patted her Pokémon, "And let me introduce you to my friend, who is my special partner till the end."

"Call!" It cried out, the sloshing sound of the liquid now being heard. In response, Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Cauldrula
Category: Chemical Pokémon
Type: Poison
Info: The evolved form of Beakula. Its body is a chemical vat, which it uses to store multiple chemicals to use when the occasion is needed.

"Well, I'd say those Timbark sure gave us an occasion where it was needed," Spike commented before releasing a sigh, "If you hadn't come along, we might have been mincemeat."

Zecora nodded again in agreement. "This part of the forest is their domain, attempting to travel through it was quite insane."

Twilight crossed her arms at this, showing a small frown, "We're sorry. We didn't know, as...well, we've never been in here before."

"For the first time, I understand. The Timbark will likely be on the hunt, continuing now would be stupid to be blunt. To my home, I humbly hope you coerce and tomorrow, I'll show you a safer path to traverse." The others nodded in agreement, soon following her and Cauldula.

It wasn't long till they reached their destination, a sight that made them go wide-eyed. It was a large thick trunked tree with what appeared to be a door in the side of it. It had a small window and was decorated in masks, leaves and other oddities. Zecora opened the door next, allowing them in so they could now see that the place was completely hollowed out. There were more decorations inside, masks, shelves with bottles and other strange knickknacks. At the same time, there was a curtain blocking off a section of the building over on the side.

"Welcome to my humble home. Please be comfortable, but also leave the potions alone." Everyone nodded and began to take a seat, as Zecora then called out, "Acidron, might I suggest. You come out here and meet our guests."

A few seconds later, the curtain in the corner was pulled back to reveal a new Pokémon. This one looked similar to Cauldrula, only it was twice its size. It had four arms, two of which were being used to hold down a lid that covered its open top. Instead of the four cone legs, it appeared to have six mechanical spider legs while also having a semi-circle shaped sheet of metal that was its mouth, which was connected to the rest of its body by a bunch of hinges at the bottom.

"Dron?" The Pokémon asked as it stared at the guests, Flash pulling out his Pokedex again.

Name: Acidron
Category: Chemical Pokémon
Type: Poison
Info: The evolved form of Cauldrua. Acidron eats many different herbs, which its body burns down and mixes to the concoctions in its body to make even better potions.

"Cool..." Flash commented as Twilight looked up at the shelves.

"Did Acidron help you create all these potions?"

Zecora nodded as she opened the sack she was carrying. "Yes, we have lived in this forest for many a year. When Pokémon are injured or sick, they can always come here to get a tick. Working together, we make many an elixir. Always ready for when those in need appear."

"Incredible..." Doc added as they watched Zecora feed Acidron several plants out of her sack. The Cauldron Pokémon leaned back in response, opening its mouth for her to drop them in.

Rarity just shivered at the sight, "No offence, but I don't get why you'd want to live in such a...horrible place."

"A horrible place to you, maybe. But this forest has always been welcoming to me. I've never been one, meant to live in a city. Out here in nature, that's where I'm meant to be." Zecora replied, the others sharing a glance at her response.

Before anyone could say anything else, a loud cry of pain caught their attention as they turned to the previously curtained off area. Now looking inside, they saw it was a small bedroom with a Nuzleaf laying on the covers. It wore a face of pure pain, one that made Zecora walk over and grab a bottle from a shelf. Uncorking it, she started to pour its contents into the Pokémon's mouth. It flinched as the potion went down its mouth, Zecora commenting, "I know the taste may be bitter, but drinking it will make you better." The Nuzleaf didn't resist, gulping the whole thing down as its breath became more steady before falling back to sleep.

"What's wrong with it?" Spike asked next.

Zecora sighed as she turned back to them. "A rare sickness that is difficult to cure, the potion it drank is only meant to help it endure. I'm working on a potion that will cure the ailment, but alas I am missing a crucial element."

Hearing this made everyone frown, Flash speaking up, "Well...we could help you find this ingredient. You saved us back there and I know we'd all want to repay you."

The others all replied in agreement, but Zecora just shook her head as she went to another shelf, taking a book out next, "I commend your valour, but it is not so simple." She opened the book and showed them the image of a plant with blue leaves. "For I already know where this herb grows ample. Getting it's the major issue, for it grows in a place I dare not go into."

"Where does it grow?"

"In a cave on the south side of the forest floor. A dangerous place, for it houses a foe you've met before."

They all blinked at this, only to grimace as Twilight replied, "Oh no...don't tell me its the Timbark."

"Indeed. You saw how they were when you got close to their lair. Imagine how they'd act if they found you in there."

Everyone sighed at this, only for them to hear another cry of pain from the Nuzleaf. The sound made everyone flinch, Flash now feeling extra bad as he saw the Pokémon toss and turn. The sight was like an arrow piercing his heart, the teen slowly standing up at this, "Well...I can't just sit back and do nothing. I don't care how dangerous it is or what I have to do...let me help you get that plant."

The others all stared at him, only for Applejack to get up as well, "I'm with yah! Ah'm not scared of those things if it means helping that critter. We'll take them down and get that weed."

The others all nodded in agreement, all getting up as Zecora shook her head, "I commend your courage, but it shall not be easy. If they find us, they'll go into a frenzy."

Rarity showed a small frown next as she spoke up, "That is true. It won't be easy to battle our way through all those Timbark, even if we do have Pokémon that have type advantages."

Doc hummed at this, "Maybe we don't have to. After all, it's not like we're going to need to be in the cave for long. If we can find a way to lure them out-"

"Then someone can go in and pick the plant," Twilight caught on while snapping her fingers. "That's brilliant Doc. If Zecora tried alone, it'd be impossible. But if we all help, we just might be able to pull it off."

"Sounds like a piece of cake to me! Let's do it!" Flash announced, Springer, mimicking the thumbs-up he was giving her. "Now, let's get a plan going."

Twilight giggled at this, showing a small smirk, "Oh? You're not gonna go in guns blazing?"

Flash just shrugged in response, "Eh, I totally would...but I know better. After all, that's why I brought you all along for this journey."

"Isn't that the truth." Twilight said with rolling her eyes, "Now, let's begin..."

The next day...

In the southern part of the forest, a large cave settled a group of Timbark. Some were chomping on berries while others were fiddling with sticks they had in their mouths. The wood wolves were all grumbling at each other, not noticing several figures climb onto the trees just outside the cave.

"Alright...there they are," Flash whispered as he turned to Doc, who had some binoculars out. "How many?"

"I'm seeing six," he replied as he then asked Zecora, "How many were in that pack from yesterday again?"

"Seven was the number at my last count. And making sure they're all gone is paramount."

"Well I don't see the seventh," Doc added with a low hum. "My best bet is that it's out hunting."

"That means there's less of them to deal with," Twilight commented before glancing at all her friends, "You all still up for this?" They all nodded in response, "Then let's get into position."

With that, all but Flash, Rarity and Zecora headed off with Flash held one of Doc's radios. Ten minutes later, Flash heard the signal for everyone in position. "Alright...here goes." Flash handed Rarity the radio before jumping down. "Yoohoo!" he yelled, the wolves instantly turning to the sound, "Remember me, ya bunch of ugly twigs?!" Flash barked as he began to dance around, the wolves growling at the sight. Seeing this, he spat a raspberry before yelling, "Bet you can't catch me!"

With that, Flash cut into a sprint, disappearing deeper into the woods. The wolves were in full pursuit, each roaring as they continued to down the path. But as they did this, the Timbark in the back of the pack suddenly felt something hit it in the eye. A growl followed this as he turned around and saw Springer, the Riolu sitting in a tree with his tongue stuck out. "Riii!"

The Pokémon leapt off the lumber next, the wolf growling as it followed Flash's partner. As for the other five, they continued their pursuit of the trainer, only for a pair of lassos to shoot out and wrap around the tails of the two back Timbark. They yelped as they suddenly felt themselves being pulled off their feet. Stumbling over, the quickly picked themselves up before turning and seeing Twilight and Applejack.

"Howdy."

"And bye." The two vanished into the forest, the Timbark roaring as they bit through the rope.

Flash now looked back and saw that only three Timbark were currently following him. The sight made a big smile appear on his face before he looked ahead and saw a rope hanging down in front of him. He quickly turned around and gave it a swift pull. The action made a bunch of sticks and rocks to fall down on the Timbark at the front, burying it as the other two jumped over the pile. And as the first pulled itself out of the pile, it saw it was now face to face with Doc, "Hey there! Bet you can't catch me!" He then cut into a sprint as well, the Pokémon roaring as he ran after him.

Back at the cave...

Zecora and Rarity had now climbed down and tiptoed to the entrance of the cave. They then let Cauldrula and Aquapphire out to help with the herb gathering, hoping to get as much as they could so Zecora wouldn't need to come back for a very long time.

But as they got closer, they both felt a shiver go down their spines along with their ears. It was a low growling noise, the duo now seeing in the darkness of the cave one sleeping Timbark. The sight made Rarity gulp as she whispered, "Its the last Timbark. What do we do?"

Zecora blinked at the sight, only to see the herb behind the dozing wolf, "I see the plant we need in the cave's back. Let us sneak in there and fill my sack."

"Are you insane?! What if it wakes up?!"

"We cannot let our friend's hard work be for nothing. So let's get this done before it's done napping." Rarity let out a silent sight before nodding. The four began to slowly tiptoe to flower bed inside, trying everyway to make sure there was no noise. And as they reached it, Zecora reminded Rarity that they needed both the plant and its root, and began putting them into her sack.

Meanwhile...

Flash was still running from the two Timbark, his running now leading to a large mass of fallen trees that formed a wall. Seeing this, he came to a stop before turning around, the wolves also slowing down. But as they came to a stop, they saw the big smirk on his face.

"End of the line and I'm bored of running!" he proclaimed as he pointed at the beasts, "NOW!"

In that moment, a burst of fire and a blade of wind flew out from behind the trees. They both struck the Timbark, staggering them back as the cause of those attacks came out of hiding.

"Gust!"

"Hiss!"

It was Skyler and Viper, both now standing in front of Flash as he pumped his fists, "Nice. Let's do this!"

At the same time, Springer had just now came to a stop, spinning around to face the Timbark. The wolf began to pant as it halted, only to see Springer summon an Aura Sphere. "Rio..." The wolf began to backpedal, but it was too late, "LU!" the orb instantly struck the beast, exploding as he was sent flying back.

Springer shined a huge grin at this, only to yelp as his ears spiked up, now feeling a vicious aura from the Timbark. Quickly sidestepping next, his body barely dodged a Dark Pulse fly into a tree behind him, destroying it in an instant. After glancing at the now decimated lumber, Springer saw the Timbark growl as it got up.

But there was no fear in Springer's eyes. Instead, the Riolu gave a cocky grin as he got into a boxer's pose, giving him a 'come at me bro' gesture that infuriated the beast. It roared before going into a bum-rush, Springer's right fist glowing green as he followed suit.

Twilight and Applejack were still running, the two now coming up to a split off. They both nodded to each other, the duo saying 'good luck' before going down a separate path. Seeing this, the Timbark divided as well, both chasing one each. But as they ran, Twilight especially felt herself growing short of breath, only to look up and smile, "Spike!"

"Incinerate!" A large fireball flew out and struck the Timbark on the head, knocking it back as her brother dropped down with Peewee and Owlicious.

"Nice timing little bro."

"Of course." Spike replied as they saw the Timbark get up, steaming blaring out of its wooden nostrils, "Someone's angry."

"Agreed. Time to take this thing down." Twilight added as she pointed at the wolf, "Use Peck!"

"And use Wing Attack Peewee!" Spike finished as both flew forward, both charging as the wolf let out a mighty roar.

Applejack had just now reached her destination, turning as she tried to catch her breath. "Okay...I think this is it." She blinked as she the wolf tear through a log before landing in front of the trainer, growling as Applejack smirked at her, "Ah got ya now! Bounce and Fire Punch!"

Brawloey and Pyruby dove out of the bushes, Brawloey spinning like a top as it slammed its foot into the beast's side. A roar of pain followed this, only to then feel a blazing fist uppercut. The Timbark kept whining as it was knocked back, barely keeping on its feet as the two Pokémon leapt back.

"Good going pardners," Applejack added as the duo nodded back at her.

A low growl followed this, all three now seeing the Timbark shake off the damage, "Alright...looks like you're ready to throw down. Let's do it!"

Like the others, Doc was also running with the Timbark right behind him. "Almost there..." he panted as he hopped over a turned log, "Why did I pick this path?!" He then looked back, now seeing the wolf was nipping at his heels, "Oh no..."

He looked back at his path, only for his face to try and make a smile as he yelled, "NOW! Air Cutter and Energy Ball!"

From out of the bushes, a green sphere of energy and blade of wind shot out, striking the wolf back with ease. The sight made Doc come to a stop, gasping as he bent over, "Oh...too much exercise recently..."

Steeledge and Herbarald then stepped out, standing besides Doc as corrected his tie before looking back at the Timbark. "Now...I'll go ahead and warn you, this will not end well for you." The Timbark just growled in response, the other Pokémon mimicking him as they all glared at each other.

Back at the cave again...

Rarity and Zecora were just about done, Zecora commenting as she pulled the last herb out, "I think that should be enough. We should leave before things get rough."

"Hold on," Rarity grabbed hold of another flower. "Let me just get this one and we can go." However, as she pulled, she found that the weed was determined to stay in the ground.

Feeling this, she continued to struggle as Zecora looked back at the still sleeping Timbark, "Staying here too long is not to our benefit. Best for us to just leave it."

"I've...almost...got it!" Rarity whined as she gave the plant one last tug, this pull making her yelp as she fell back, kicking up some dirt, "Aww..." she moaned as she began to dust herself off, only to see that she had the herb in her hand, "Oh! I got it!"

But as those words left her mouth, her ears now heard a sniffing noise, making her turn to see the sleeping Timbark as his nose twitched. The dirt she had plucked up had gotten into its nose, the sight now making Zecora and Rarity's eyes shrink in fear as it began to sneeze, "Oh no..."

The Timbark sniffed again, only to let out a large sneeze. The action work it up, the group freezing up as the wolf began to smack its lips, its eyes groggily looking around. But as it did this, it turned to see the four, his eyes instantly narrowing as it let out a growl.

"Run!" Zecora yelled, she, Rarity and their Pokémon running out of the cave as the Timbark followed. It let out a loud howl as in leapt out of the cave, the girls turning back as Zecora ordered, "Acid Spray, use no delay!" Cauldrula pointed its top at Timbark before it shot out a purple bubble, smacking the wolf in the head.

"Now, use Power Gem!"

"AK!" Aquapphire's forehead sapphire started to glow before unleashing a red energy, "FIRE!" The beam hit the Timbark, knocking it back.

"Yes! Great work darling!" Rarity clapped, Aquapphire smiling at the praise, "Now, let's use Water Pulse. I know it won't do much, but it might confuse it."

Aquapphire nodded before bringing its hands together as the small bubble formed. "Aqua...PHIRE!" She thrust the bubble, only to verge off right before hitting its target.

"No!" Rarity gasped as Timbark shook off the damage it had just taken.

Seeing this, Zecora turned to Cauldrula, only for the Poison-Type to be suddenly struck by a Dark Pulse from the Timbark, "Caul!" it yelped as it went flying into a tree, soon slumping over from the blow.

"Cauldrula!" She quickly ran over and kneeled down, "Cauldrula, are you alright? Please, we need you in this fight." But Cauldrula just shivered, unable to move its body.

"Oh no..." Rarity muttered before turning back to her Pokémon, "That's not good. We don't have any good moves against Grass-Types! Um..." She glanced back at the Timbark, the wolf now glaring at her, "Uh...use Tackle!"

Aquapphire gulped before charging, tears filling her eyes. "Aqua!" Timbark saw the fear and spun around, its tail glowing green as it smacked Aquapphire with ease. "Aqua!" She cried, tears bursting as she slammed into the ground with a loud thud.

"Darling, no!" Rarity gasped as she ran up to her, helping her sit up, "Are you okay?"

"I don't want to be a bummer, but it looks like this Timbark knows Wood Hammer." Zecora commented as Rarity looked up and now saw Timbark stand over her. All she could was hold Aquapphire tightly, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Flamethrower!" Before Timbark could do anything, a burst of fire shot out of the clearing. The wood wolf yelped as it fell back, slamming into its cave. Rarity gasped as she opened her eyes and turned around, now seeing Flash, Skyler and Viper. As she saw this, Twilight, Applejack, Doc, Spike and the rest of their Pokémon soon followed, Herbarald and Pyruby quickly running over to their sister.

"Oh thank goodness," Rarity sighed in relief.

"Ya'll okay?" Applejack asked as she helped Rarity up, "Looks like we made it just in time."

"Thank you much for stopping this attack," Zecora told them. "Tell me, where is the rest of the pack?"

"Down for the count. Trust us, they won't be getting up for a while." The others all nodded in agreement as Flash turned to the last Timbark, "All that's left is this guy. You all ready?"

"Ready!" everyone replied in unison as the Timbark let out a roar, charging out of the cave in full bum-rush mode.

"Aura Sphere, Flamethrower and Air Cutter!"

"Incinerate!"

"Energy Ball!" Flash, Spike and Rarity's Pokémon all unleashed their long-range attacks, stopping the Timbark in mid-stride.

"Bounce!"

"Peck!"

"Drill Peck!"

"Fire Punch!" Applejack, Twilight, Doc and Rarity's Pokémon all rushed in, one by one hitting the Timbark back.

Seeing this, Rarity looked back at Aquapphire, kneeling down to her again, "You can do this. Just focus." Aquapphire nodded and held out her hands, forming the bubble again. "Good. Now, keep your eyes on Timbark and launch it with all your might!"

"Aqua...PHIRE!" Aquapphire thrust her hands forward, firing the bubble at full force. Everyone watched the attack fly out, only to see it wobble as it got near Timbark. But as it did this, it remained on target and splashed the wolf's head, knocking it back even more. "AQUA!" She cheered as Rarity and her sisters hugged her.

"Excellent darling!"

Zecora giggled as she saw the friendship, turning to her Cauldrula as she saw it had now fully recovered. "You're looking better all and all. Ready to get back into this brawl?"

"Call!" It replied before hopping up and down.

"Very well. Then with no qualm, hit that thing with your Sludge Bomb!"

"CALL!" Cauldrula rocked back and forth before tossing its top forward, a purple ball of liquid flying out as it hit the Timbark right in the face.

Everyone watched as the Timbark started to sway, pain searing its body before flopping over. As it hit the dirt, its eyes were now replaced by spinning swirls, making everyone sigh in relief as Spike comment, "Aw man...that...was tough."

"No kidding. I don't wanna do that again." Flash added as he wiped his brow.

"We should not remain in their land patch, in case they come around and want a rematch."

The others all nodded and got up, leaving the Timbark territory as fast as their bodies would let them move. Once they returned to Zecora's home, she instantly got to work. They helped her build a fire, which Acidron sat on to heat itself up as she and Cauldrula began to feed it the flowers. Once everything was consumed, they all began to sit and wait, time passing as each talked about how their battles went.

And after some time, Acidron lifted itself off the fire and removed the lid. Everyone looked inside and saw a blue liquid inside. Zecora took an empty bottle and dipping it in, quickly taking the potion to the Nuzleaf as she fed it to him. It wasn't long till the potion was gone inside Nuzleaf's mouth...only for nothing to happen.

"It's not working," Spike moaned.

Zecora shook her head, "You must give the elixir time. In situations like this, patience if prime."

Time began to pass again, Zecora using this to empty Acidron of the potion and store it away for later use. As she did this, they all started to notice Nuzleaf begin to move. "Nuz?" He sat up and looked around, his face no longer showing pain.

"Is he okay?" Rarity asked as Zecora checked him over.

"You have no need to distress, for the treatment was a complete success." Zecora cheered as everyone sighed in relief, Nuzleaf now jumping off the bed. They watched as it ran around the room with incredible vigor. As it did this, Zecora bowed the trainers, "My deepest thanks I give to you. Your courage helped me make this brew."

Everyone chuckled back, all smiles as Flash added, "Eh, it was no problem Zecora."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "We were happy to help. If we ever come across a Pokémon in need, it's our pleasure...no, our duty to help."

"Truly, yours are the purest of hearts. And as promised, I will show you tomorrow the safest of ways, to get out of this forest in just a few days."

The next day...

True to her word, Zecora did lead them to a safe section of the forest. There, she, Cauldrula, Acidron and Nuzleaf saw them off, the friends now seeing a well-trodden path.

"This path leads out, straight and true. It's the perfect path, for all of you. Simply stay on the beaten trail, and you'll find your way without fail"

"Thank you Zecora," Twilight replied before bowing. "For everything."

"Yeah. Thanks again. Now, we'd better get going." They all gave Zecora their thanks before heading down the path, waving goodbye to their new friends as they did.

Our heroes journey through the Everfree Forest had lead to some interesting encounters. Now with good memories of their new friend in their minds, one can only wonder what else the forest has to offer. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.

Friendships in the Forest

View Online

Continuing their journey to Applejack and Rarity's home town of Applewood and Flash's fourth Equestria Region Gym challenge, our heroes are still trekking through the Everfree Forest. After their meeting with Zecora and battle against the Timbark, they had been shown a safe path through the woods, which was thankfully true for two days.

It was here that they chose to take a break to rest their feet and have a bite to eat. "Grub's up!" Doc and Rarity placed the lunches down on the table, which Spike and Applejack had just finished setting while Flash and Twilight got done with the Pokémon food.

"Come on guys!" Flash called out, their Pokémon all rushing over. With them beginning to chow down, the humans all sat around the table, talking as they began to eat.

"So how long until we're out of the forest?" Spike asked, a spoonful of scrambled egg in his mouth.

"We should be out by the end of the day," Twilight replied while looking at her journal. "After that, there's a small town between us and Applewood City."

"Then it's home sweet home," Applejack cheered. "Oh, ah can't wait to see the family!"

"I can't wait to spend some time with mine as well," Rarity added as she took another bite. "I do hope everything is okay over there."

As this was happening, Prongs was enjoying his lunch, but having a few issues. The ground his bowl was on wasn't too stable, making the quadruped Pokémon struggle to get the last few bites into his mouth as the bowl was pushed away from him. "Fay..." he moaned as he chased after his food while it slid across the dirt. The others all saw this and tried not to giggle, all of them not having this issue since they hands or claws.

Eventually, Prongs pushed the bowl right into the side of a tree that Viper was sitting under, his tail wrapped around his bowl. With the trunk stopping it from going any further, Prongs could finally eat his meal, only for his leaf-like tail to now dangle in front of Viper.

"Scor," the Hisscor tried to pull his head away, but no matter where he moved, the tail was right up in his face. That is, till the leaf accidentally slapped him on the head. "Scor!" He created a small flame in his mouth and spat at the leaf, causing it to light on fire.

"FAY!" Prongs cried as the flames bit into him, causing him to run around the clearing like a headless chicken.

The others saw this, Flash standing up. "Prongs? What is-" Flash spotted the flame on his tail and gasped, "Riptide!" The Spranitor didn't need anything else, quickly building the water up in his mouth.

"Nee!" He shot his Water Gun, instantly taking out the flames.

The soaked Thawn sighed in relief, turning to give Riptide a thank you before glaring over at Viper. "Thawn!" He yelled as began to march over to the snake.

Viper looked back up at him as if to ask 'can I help you?', only for Prongs to begin to bark back, asking him what his problem is. Viper just hissed his tongue, the two then settling into a barking fest.

"Hey!" Flash yelled as he put a hand on both their heads before pushing them away, "No fighting!"

"Fay/Scor!" The two cried out, pointing at one another and yelling again.

"I don't care who started it, I'm ending it! Now, are you two gonna behave or do I have to put you both back in your Pokeballs?" The two growled before looking away, Flash sighing and shaking his head, "You two..."

Everyone else sighed in relief, Rarity chiming in, "Good thing that didn't get out of control. Though it is odd that those two would get into an argument."

"Not really," Doc added. "Those two are very similar, and that can lead to conflict."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "They're both Pokémon that didn't like humans until they met Flash. Plus they're also very stubborn and serious."

"Those types of personalities can clash against each other very easily. Especially if something annoys them." Doc turned from the still pouting Pokémon to Flash, "It isn't best to leave them mad like this."

"You're probably right." Flash turned to the two, only to sigh as both showed huge scowls on their faces, "But where do I start?"

"I might have an idea," Twilight replied as she stood up. "What about a double battle? Working together to defeat an opponent is a great way to make Pokémon grow closer."

Flash did a small hum before turning to the others, "Yeah, that sounds good. Anybody want to help me?"

"I'd suggest opponents that are the same type as them."

"So that means Grass and Fire-Types..." Flash rubbed his chin at this, turning to Rarity as he spoke up, "Hey Rarity, you mind facing off against us with Pyruby and Herbarald?"

"Of course darling," Rarity replied with a nod, quickly finishing the last few bites of her lunch. She then turned to the Pokémon in question, "you two ready?"

"Pie/Herb!" The sisters cheered, both getting up.

"Nice." Flash added as he went to his Pokémon, now seeing the two still glaring at each other. He leaned down and pointed at both, "Alright you two, we're gonna do a battle, okay?"

The two growled at each other before getting into position, the duo not noticing a pair of eyes watching them through the trees. Once everything was cleared away and the non fighting Pokémon back in their Pokeballs, Flash and his team stared down at Rarity and hers with Doc as referee. "Alright, this double battle is about to begin. Both sides will compete until both of team's Pokémon are unable to battle. Are you both ready?"

"I'm ready," Rarity announced as Pyruby and Herbarald got into a fighting stance.

Flash nodded, turning to his Pokémon. "You two ready for battle? You're gonna cover each others weak points and strengthen each others' strong points." The two glanced at one another, still growling.

"Very well. Then battle...BEGIN!"

Rarity was the first to give orders, "Power Gem!" Both Pyruby and Herbarald's forehead gems glowed, unleashing a pair of red energy beams.

"Flamethrower!" Viper took a deep breath before unleashing a stream of fire, the flames striking the Power Gem, causing an explosion. "Nice! Now, Double Kick!" Prongs shot through the smoke and spun around, thrusting his backhooves to the Diamalem Evolutions.

"Pie/Herb!" They both grunted as they staggered back.

"Now use Fire Spin on Herbarald!" Viper leapt into the air before his tail ignited, flipping as he launched the fireball at the green Rock-Type.

"Herb!" She flinched as the fireball hit the ground and exploded, encasing her in a tornado of flames.

"Herbarald!" Rarity cried, turning to Pyruby. "Help get her out of there. Fire Punch!"

"Ruby!" Pyruby ran up with an ignited fist, punching the spiral to extinguish it. The whirlwind vanished as Herbarald staggered out, panting as glared back at Viper.

"Energy Ball!" She formed a sphere and threw it at Viper, the snake ready to take the blow. But as he did this, Prongs jumped in and grabbed his tail, pulling him away just before the orb struck.

"Nice one Prongs!" Flash cheered, only to frown as he saw the now annoyed look on Viper's face as the Thawn put him down.

"Scor! Scor hiss scor!" Prongs blinked at the snake, only to bark back.

"Fay, Thawn fay!" Prongs yelled, explaining how he was helping him.

"Hisscor hiss!" Viper replied, telling him he didn't need help as Flash growled at the sight.

"Guys!" They turned to him, "You two are on the same team."

"Power Gem!" They looked back to see a pair of red energy beams ready to hit them, the duo unable to dodge as both were blasted back.

Rarity shined a big grin at the sight. "Sorry Flash, but if you can't get your Pokémon under control, this is what happens." Flash growled at her words as Rarity batted her hair back, "Now...I think I'll try something I've been thinking about for a while." She pointed at Herbarald, "Use Energy Ball!"

"Barald!" She roared as she formed the sphere, soon firing it at the two downed Pokémon.

"Now Pyruby, hit the Energy Ball with your Fire Punch!"

"Pie!" Pyruby advanced with a fiery fist, managing to catch up and punch the orb. Doing so accelerated the attack, the sphere now wrapped in flames.

"What the heck?!" Flash yelped as he started at his Pokémon, both still unsteady from the last attack. But as they tried to dodge, they ended up knocking into each other before the strange fusion move to hit them, unleashing an explosion of fire and nature energy.

"FAY/SCOR!" They cried as they went flying back.

"You two alright?" Flash asked as both pushed themselves up before shooting a glare at one another, only for to start a yelling fest again.

As this was happening, Applejack stepped up to Rarity. "What was that back there Rare?"

Rarity shined a cheeky grin, "I've been wondering about the possibility of combining two different moves. Wasn't sure it was gonna work, but it seems it really did. It helped that the ones using the combo move have such great teamwork considering they're siblings."

"Make sense," Twilight commented next.

Meanwhile, Flash was glaring down at his two Pokémon. The battle was still on, but he had a feeling he'd lose unless he could help them stop arguing. He then looked back up at Rarity, "Combo move, huh?" He smirked before turning back to Prongs and Viper. "Then that's what we'll do. Prongs and Viper...you're gonna make your own combo move."

The others all heard this, Twilight adding, "That could work Flash."

Flash nodded and turned back to his Pokémon. "Alright guys, we're gonna make a combo move. You ready?" The two glanced back, only to look away again while growling. "Come on guys, I know you can do it. Don't let some silly tiff break up your friendship. After all, you're more than just part of the same team. You're part of the same family. It doesn't matter how angry you get, you shouldn't let something silly stop you from working together."

The two continued to look away from one another, Flash sighing as he began to tap his feet in frustration. A few minutes later, he snapped his fingers before kneeling down by the two, "Here, I got something. Listen up you two." Flash started to make a few images in the dirt, "Here's the plan. First, Prongs fires off an Energy Ball, then Viper launches a Flamethrower into it. That flames will push the Energy Ball forward and surround it in fire. We'll call it the Energy Fireball!"

"Isn't that just what Rarity did?" Spike asked, Flash glared back at him.

"What matters is pulling it off, not what it looks like." He turned back to the two. "You guys ready?" The two let out an unenthusiastic cry, making Flash roll his eyes. "Alright, let's give it a go." He pointed at a nearby tree, "Try hitting that tree. Use Energy Fireball!"

"Fay/Scor..." The two began to build-up power, Viper being the first as Prongs was still building energy in the sphere. "Scor..." he moaned while rolling his eyes. But as he did this, Prongs finally fired the ball, Viper being taken by surprise and shot his Flamethrower. Everyone watched as the flames hit the Energy Ball, but instead of accelerating, the sphere exploded, smoke now engulfing the trio. The group backpedaled at the sight, the smoke soon fading to reveal a very sooty trio.

"Well..." Flash let out a cough, "That didn't work."

"Fay!" Prongs shook himself to remove the soot before barking at Viper, "Fay, Thawn!"

"Scor, Hisscor scor!" Viper barked back, the two about to butt heads before Flash pushed them away from one another.

"I said no fighting. Now come on, we're gonna keep doing it until we get it right." The two rolled their eyes at this, only to squirm as they saw Flash now glare at this. Letting out a sigh, the two tried it again...only for it blow up in their faces once more. Flash then commanded for them to try again, the others now seeing this was going to take a while. The only ones still watching were Springer and another set of eyes, which seemed more focused on Flash now than before.

"Come on!" He yelled after another failed attempt, enough smoke inhalation in him now to cause black lung. "Come on guys. Focus."

"This isn't gonna work, is it?" Applejack asked.

Doc shook his head. "Not likely. They're just too out of sync."

Rarity nodded in agreement. "For something like that, you have to be two Pokémon in one. Only when their hearts are one will they be able to pull it off."

"That could take a while to do..." Twilight finished as she tapped another button on her journal, "Maybe I can look up something to help."

Back at Flash, he was swatting away another smoke cloud as he said, "Alright, one more time. Use-" But as he tried to say his next words, only for a pair of vines to shoot out of the treeline, both wrapping around Flash's shoulders. "Huh? WHOA!" he yelped as he suddenly dragged into the treeline, Springer, Prongs and Viper frozen in shock as they watched him vanish into the foliage. Their shock quickly disappeared after that, all screaming as the others turned to the yelping Pokémon.

"What's going on?" Spike asked as they saw Flash's Pokémon rush into the trees, the rest of the group quickly joining the chase.

As they ran, Springer, Prongs and Viper were managing to get close to their trainer, only for a wall of roots to appear. "Riolu!" Springer yelled as he charged the wall, Prongs and Viper following his lead. But as they did, several smaller roots shot out and wrapped around Springer. "RI!" He cried as he was lifted up, more roots now trying to grab the two starters. Luckily, Prongs and Viper were able to dodge the weeds, both hopping over the wall as they continued the chase.

But as they left, the rest got up to the wall, Applejack yelling at the sight, "What the heck?! Where'd this thing come from?" But as she asked this, everyone's ears spiked as they now heard Springer's cry and looked up to see him tied up.

"Springer!" Twilight gasped before new roots shot out, all ready to try and grab them. "Oh no you don't! Peewee, use Incinerate!"

The Terragon leapt off Spike's shoulder and took a deep breath. "Tear...WAGON!" He unleashed the fire bullet, a flame explosion now consuming all the roots.

"Great!" Twilight cheered, "Now use Wing Attack and get Springer out of there!" Peewee did so, glowing wings now slicing the plants with ease.

"Riolu!" Springer added as he landed, only for another wall of roots to shoot out of the groud, making a circular wall around them.

"Good heavens! Just what is going on?!" Rarity cried.

As this was happening, Flash found he was still being pulled through the wood. And as the vines started to slow down, he groaned in pain as felt rocks grind into his back, "Not my day..." he moaned as he reached for his Pokeballs, "Now, let's find out who...aw crap."

His hand found that there was nothing to grab, the rest of this Pokeballs back at camp. "Darn it." he sighed as he patted his pants, now feeling the vines fully stopping. Feeling this, he tried to stand up and went wide-eyed at the new sight in front of him. It looked like a humanoid tree that stood around ten foot in height. Its skin was made up of brown wood, had a moustache made out of long thin twigs and a long thick beard made out of bushes. The top of its head had a crown shape with leaf-like hair behind it.

"What the heck?!" Flash yelped as he reached for his Pokedex, only for the Pokémon to grab its beard, moving its mouth as musical sound started to come out. Flash blinked at the sound, his eyes now starting to close, "Wait...what's...going...on?" That was all he could say before the sleep finally overtook him, the trainer now slumping over into a snoozefest.

"Oak..." it muttered as it held up its sleeping prey.

"FAY/SCOR!" the tree looked up and saw Prongs and Viper jump out of the trees, angry looks adorning their faces as they glared at the creature. Both let out a roar before preparing a Flamethrower and Energy Ball. But before they could launch, the Pokémon's eyes glowed green, thin roots now shooting out of the ground. The vines quickly wrapped around Prong's leg and Viper's tail, the two yelping as they were pulled into the air, turning their attention to their bindings.

"Oak..." The Pokémon again lifted its beard to its mouth, now playing the soothing melody. Prongs and Viper both tried to block their ears, but the vines keep them constricted, making them fall asleep.

"Fay/Scor..." The two began to snore as the Pokémon went back to his hostage. Seeing this, it turned around and disappeared into the foliage.

Meanwhile...

"I don't like this," Spike grumbled as he stared at the vine wall. "It's like something out of a horror movie."

"Don't panic Spike. I'm sure there's a logical explanation to this." Twilight replied as she adjusted her glasses.

Doc nodded in agreement. "I think this is the work of a Pokémon." He stepped up to the roots, tapping them. "Yes, this is most definitely a Terror Root attack...and those roots holding Springer before were likely Ingrain."

"So a Pokémon took Flash?" Rarity asked, Doc nodding again.

"Why'd it do that?" Applejack responded next.

"Not sure," Doc replied. "But we better find them fast to be on the safe side....which means getting out of this cage."

"No problem," Twilight pointed at the roots. "We'll use Incinerate again!"

"Tear!" shot another fireball, burning the root...only to reveal more roots. The dragon roared again, firing a volley of fire that singed away three more walls.

The group went through the new burned hole, Twilight now commenting, "Alright, now which way do we go?" Springer stepped up and began scanning the area for Flash's aura, only to shake his head. "Too much life in the forest?" The Riolu nodded in response. "Figures..."

"Don't worry, ah got this," Applejack pulled out a Pokeball. "Winona, come out partner!"

The ball opened to reveal her Redog, the dog woofing, "Red!"

"Alright Winona, we need yah to find a scent. Flash, Prongs or Viper. Any of them'll do." Winona nodded and began sniffing the ground, only to freeze up. "Yah got it?"

"Red!" Winona woofed again before cutting into a sprint.

"She's got something!" Applejack yelled as she ran after her, the others following as they ran deeper into the forest.

"I hope Flash is okay," Rarity commented. "We're heading off the path, which means there might be more dangerous Pokémon lurking around.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Twilight told her. "After all, Prongs and Viper are with him...I hope."

Prongs and Viper weren't with Flash. They were still fast asleep, the Ingrain roots holding them up. "Fay...fay..." Prong muttered as his eyes began to open, only to go wide-eyed, "Thawn!"

"Hiss..." he turned to see Viper hanging beside him. His eyes began to flicker open, waking up to see the Thawn. "Scor!" he growled before also noticing their current situation. "Hisscor!" he unleashed a small flame that hit the root, burning it all at once. The vines vanished as he spun around, landing perfectly. "Flawless," he said in his own language.

"Hey!" Prongs cried in his language, "What about me?!"

Viper rolled his eyes before creating another fireball, launching it up at the root and burning it as well. Prongs let out a yelp as he fell to earth, unable to spin around, so he was forced to land on his head. This caused Viper to laugh, Prongs growling as he picked himself up.

"You did that on purpose!"

"Did not! Besides, how could I make you fall on your head?! You just have no sense of balance!" The two growled at each other, only for both to go wide-eyed, "FLASH!"

Both started looking around, trying to find any trace of their trainer. "Look!" Prongs ran over to a spot on the ground, patting a large footprint, "This must have belonged to one who took Flash."

"But why'd it take him?" Viper slithered up to the mark, only to see another, "He went this way. We have to find him."

Prongs nodded, squatting down. "Get on. I'm faster than you."

"Says who?!" Viper almost yelled.

"Just do it!" Prongs grumbled, both locking eyes. But as they were about to break out into an argument, Flash's words echoed in their heads.

"You two are on the same team."

"You're gonna cover each others weak points and strengthen each others' strong points."

"You're more than just part of the same team. You're part of the same family. It doesn't matter how angry you get, you shouldn't let something silly stop you from working together."

Those words floated in, the snake grumbling as he hopped onto Prong's back, "Alright, I'll ride." He then wrapped his tail around his stomach, "Let's go save Flash!"

"For once, I agree with you!" With that, Prongs began to gallop through the woods, following the footprints.

Meanwhile again...

The owner of the footprints was still trodding through the forest, Flash hanging in its armpit as he began to stir from his sleep. "Where..." He opened his eyes, groggily licking his lips before blinking at the Pokémon carrying him, "Who's that?" He asked reached into his jacket and pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Oaking
Category: Grand Tree Pokémon
Type: Grass
Info: The evolved form of Oakid. Known as The Lord of the Forest, Oaking claim forests as their territories and will protect it and the Pokémon that live there from any danger.

"Is that why you grabbed me? You thought I was gonna put the forest in danger?" Oaking didn't respond, causing Flash to start struggling. "Look, I'm not gonna do anything. Just let me go! I've gotta get back to my friends!" He continued to yell out, but Oaking just ignored him.

Luckily, another Pokémon heard his screams. "Fay!" Prongs roared as he jumped out of the bushes, Viper still on his back.

"Let me go!" Flash repeated, only to gasp as he saw a red and green blur shot past them. The sight made him shine a big smile, the Oaking coming to a stop as he saw the duo stand in front of him. and caught his attention.

"Thawn!" Prongs growled while scraping at the ground.

"Scor!" Viper barked as he jumped off, shining his teeth at the tree.

"Prongs, Viper!" Flash cheered, only to look back at his Pokedex, "What moves does this guy have...that one!" He glared back at his Pokémon, "Watch out for his Grass Whistle!" The two nodded, Prongs charging first, "Use Body Slam!"

"Fay!" Prongs leapt up as gravity began to pull him back down, only for Oaking's beard to start rustling. Vines spring out of the tree, whipping at the deer. "Thawn!" he yelled as he slammed his body into the vines, crushing the branches as Viper slithered around the Oaking, sneaking up to the tree's side.

"Scor!" He fired a volley of Poison Stings, all striking Oaking's side, but not the arm holding Flash.

"King!" It flinched, dropping Flash with a thud. He let out a yelp of pain before hopping back up, quickly running back as Prongs and Viper leaped in front of him.

"Nice going you two. Now that's working as a team!" he announced as he pointed at the opponent, "Time to show off the results of our training. Just remember to focus and use Energy Fireball!"

"Fay/Scor!" The two began to build their power, Prongs creating a ball of energy while Viper ignited some flames in his mouth. Prongs then launched his attack, the sphere flying at Oaking as Viper spat his fire stream. However, when the flames hit the sphere, the same result happened as an explosion occurred.

"Oh, come on!" Flash yelped while pulling at his hair, his Pokémon flinching at the sight. "Not again..." As the smoke cleared, Oaking was seen glowing before the ground began to shake. Roots then shot out of the dirt, all of them whipping down at the two, knocking both flying back.

"Fay/Scor!" They screamed as they flew, Prongs tasting a bowl of dirt while Viper smashed into a tree.

"Guys!" Flash yelped as he run up to his Pokémon, looking them over as he saw the new bruises covering their bodies. He then felt the ground shake, spinning around to see a new Terror Root attack about to happen, "No! I won't let you!" Flash leapt in front of two, crossinig his arms as he closed his eyes.

"Fay/Scor!" Prongs and Viper both cried, the two trying to get up as they saw their trainer about to be assaulted.

But as Flash waited for the roots to hit...he felt nothing. Nothing happened. His eyes began to slowly open as he looked up at Oaking, now seeing the roots hovering inches from his head. They then pulled back and retracted into the ground, Oaking staring at him with a long, blank stare.

Flash let out a long sigh, putting his arms down to his sides, "So, you get it now? I want to protect my Pokémon, and I'm not here to hurt your forest." Prongs and Viper got up as this happened, watching Flash continue to talk to the Oaking, "Now...why did you take me away from my friends? Was it because you thought I was gonna harm the forest?" Oaking shook its head, "Then what?" The Grand Tree Pokémon turned around and gestured to follow with his hand, the three raising an eyebrow at the sight, "You...want me to come with you?" Flash and his Pokémon shared a glance before nodding, "Okay...but this better not be some kind of trap."

The Oaking nodded before walking away, the four walking through the forest for a good five minutes. It was here that the Oaking came to a stop, now pointing up at one of the trees. Flash looked up and saw what looked like a large net hanging from a bulky metal cord, "What's that?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes, staring at the net as he saw what was inside, "Wait...are those?"

"Oakid!" a Pokémon cried out from inside, confirming their identities as a wooden child shaped Pokémon with three large leaves poked out their heads.

"A bunch of Oakid?" Flash replied before turning to the Oaking. "Did you bring me here to help get them out?" Oaking nodded, Flash showing a small smile at this. "Alright. I get it now." He hugged the tree tightly, soon shimmying up the pillar of lumber, "Leave it to me." As he began to reach the net, he started to comment to himself, "Though I gotta say, if you're that powerful, why'd you need my help? You shouldn't be having problems with this-AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!" he yelped as he reached for the net, only for a powerful surge of electricity to fly through his arm and into his body. The blow knocked him off the tree, his back slamming into the dirt. "Blaugh!"

"Fay/Scor!" Prongs and Viper cried, now seeing him twitching as yellows sparks danced across his body.

"Ow..." he moaned as he slowly tried to get up, shaking his head, "So that's why you need me. That net's electrified....ow." His Pokémon then walked up to his side, slowly helping him up, "Thanks guys."

As he fully got up, his ears heard a new voice, "FLASH!" He turned to see his friends, Springer at the front.

"Rio!" He leapt at Flash, who caught him and pulled him into a hug.

"I'm okay bud. Sorry for worrying ya." he replied before looking back up and seeing everyone ready to attack the Oaking. "No, wait! Stop!"

"Flash! This thing kidnapped you!" Twilight barked back before pointing at the Oaking, "Peewee, use-"

"STOP!" he yelled as Viper and Prongs ran in front of her, both yelling as Flash walked up as well. "Please...just let me explain."

One rushed explanation later...

"That's horrible!" Rarity gasped as she stared at the net, "Who would do such a terrible thing?!"

Doc shook his head, "It doesn't matter. What matters is getting them out before they come back."

"Right!" Flash turned to Spike, "You know what to do."

Spike nodded as he pointed at the net. "Peewee, burn through that cord with Incinerate!"

"Tera!" Peewee flew up to the cord before taking a deep breath, unleashing the fire rocket that melted right through the metal rope.

"Get ready to catch them!" Flash announced as everyone got under the tree. The net began to descend, ready to be caught...only for a sudden metal claw to appear, snagging the net in one fell swoop. "What the heck?!"

Inside the net, the Oakid began to scream in pain as the claw yanked it violently, everyone gasping as they saw the net slam into the ground. As it did this, the sound of laughter now echoed through the trees, causing Twilight to yell, "Who's there?!"

"Show yourself!" Flash demanded, only to growl as he now saw the owners of the laughs step out from the shadows. It was a trio of criminals Flash and his friends knew all too well.

"Long time no see Sentry," Big Score chuckled.

Flash let out a long groan, "Not you guys again."

"Still up to your old tricks, I see," Twilight added.

Rarity and Applejack turned to them, "You know these...brutes?!"

"Unfortunately," Doc hissed.

"Well, who are they?"

"Bad guys!" Spike yelled as Peewee let out an angry snort. "They steal Pokémon and whatever else they can get their hands on!"

"We're not stealing these Pokémon," Rickashay replied while patting his chest. "We're catching them like any normal trainer would."

"Any normal trainer wouldn't need to use an electrified net," Flash barked back. "Let them go, right now!"

"Not happening," Score and his men pulled out their Pokeballs. "Jesterror, go!"

"Stompice, chill out!"

"Spikorn, attack!"

They tossed the balls into the air, unleashing their Pokémon. "Jest/Stomp/Korn!" they cried out as they got into a battle stance.

"Let's go guys!" Flash's Pokémon leapt in front of him, Winona doing the same.

"We got this! Quick Attack Winona!" The Redog charged at high speed, aiming at the Stompice while Springer, Prongs and Viper charged at Jesterror and Spikorn. The Redog reached the walking block of ice and slammed into it, making it stagger back with a cry of pain.

"Drain Punch, Energy Ball and Bite!" Springer reached Spikorn as his glowing fist, thrusting it into the beetle shaped Rock-Type.

"Spike!" It flinched as it was pushed back as Prongs launched an Energy Ball at Jesterror.

"Dark Pulse!" Jesterror brought his hands together before thrusting them into a Kamehameha pose, unleashing a flurry of dark energy rings that struck the Energy Ball. A explosion followed this, but as the smoke formed, Viper leapt out of the cloud and quickly bit down on Jesterror's arm.

"TERROR!" It screamed as it flailed its arm around, trying to get it off. But Viper continued to bite down as hard as he could, not daring to let go.

"Fire Fang!" Winona jumped at Stompice, her mouth consumed in flames as it bit down on Stompice's head.

"Ice!"

"Stompice!" Rickashay yelled before turning to Boulder, "A little help?"

"Huh? Oh...right." He pointed at his Spikorn, "Use Rock Blast!" Spikorn turned to Stompice as its horn glowed, the light firing arrow-like rocks at Winona.

"Dodge it!" Applejack ordered, Winona cutting her attack as she leapt off seconds before the rock made contact.

Instead, the rock struck Stompice. "STOMP!" It cried, falling over as the Fire Fang coupled with the Rock Blast had been enough to completely knock it out. The sight made Rickashay screamed, turning to yell at Boulder, only for another explosion to occur.

It was Springer, as Flash had said, "Double Team!" The Riolu copied into an army, all charging at Spikorn. "Aura Sphere...BARRAGE!" Each Springer created a tiny Aura Sphere and surrounded Spikorn, thrusting them all in one go. The blows caused an explosion, the Rock-type now flying out of the dust cloud.

"KORN!" It cried out, falling to the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Alright!" Everyone cheered, seeing they only had one opponent left.

"Terror!" Jesterror continued to shake Viper around, the snake not letting go. "Terror, jest!"

"That's enough! Knock him off with a Slash!" Jesterror stopped squirming and used his other hand to swipe at Viper's face, only for the Hisscor to let go. He then leapt back, Prongs jumped under him, the snake landing on his back. They both nodded at each other with a smirk as Jesterror rubbed its arm. "Stop whimpering and use Shadow Sneak!"

Jesterror began to charge at the two, only to disappear into a shadow. Flash saw this and grit his teeth, knowing his Pokémon didn't have any basic techniques to stop it. That is, till he pointed at the shadow, "We got no choice. Guys, you gotta work together. Use Energy Fireball!"

The two stared at the approaching shadow, both building up their power. As they did this, their forms began to relax, their heartbeats slowly thumping. They both heard this, the two quickly realizing that it was their teammate's. The two heartbeats continued to beat separately, but then both seemed to come to a stop. And when they started again, they were beating in rhythm as the let out a roar.

"Fay/Scor!" They launched their attacks together, the Energy Ball flying out as the Flamethrower slammed into it's back. But instead of exploding like before, the flames wrapped around the sphere, creating a new fireball with green energy sparking around it.

And as the attack flew at the shadow, the Energy Fireball's explosion was enough force to blast Jesterror out of its shadow, knocking him flying back into Score. "Jest!"

"BLAUGH!" Score yelped as he fell over.

"YES!" Flash screamed, the rest all cheering again.

"Grrrr….you blasted kids!" Score yelled as everyone turned back to him. "Eh, it doesn't matter. At least we've still got those Oakid." He turned to the net, "Let's grab'em and...and..." He stopped when he saw that the net was gone, "Huh?!"

"Yoohoo!" He turned to Rarity's voice, seeing she and the others helping the Oakid out of the net. Oaking had used his Ingrain to grab the net and pulled it away. Now that the Oakid were free, there was nothing keeping the Pokémon from his wrath on these criminals.

"Go get 'em, your lordship!" Flash added as the Grand Tree Pokémon stepped in front of everyone, pure rage showing on its face.

"Now hang on," Score whimpered as he and his cronies started backpedaling. "Let's not get aggressive. This is just a big...misunderstanding." The two nodded in agreement, but it was too late.

"OAK!" He roared before the ground shook, a bunch of Terror Roots shooting out of the ground before whipping at the criminals. In the blink of an eye, the three were sent flying into the sky. Everyone watched as they disappeared over the horizon, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank heavens," Rarity sighed.

"Can't believe there are people like that," Applejack added, shaking her head.

"It's a very small percentage of the world," Twilight assured her before turning to Flash. "That Energy Fireball was amazing."

"Thanks." Flash chuckled before looking at the creators of the move, "And it only happened because you two worked together. You see just how amazing you two are when you work as a team?" Viper and Prongs turned to one another, both sighing before bumping hoof and tail. The sight made everyone smile, the Oaking and Oakid all soon giving their thanks and offered to show them back to their camp. It was here they found out that they knew a way to get out of forest with ease, which there were more than happy to agree too.

A little bit later...

As the sun kissed the horizon, our heroes smiled as they all found the exit of the Everfree Forest. The sight made Spike let out a cheer, "Yes! I can't believe we're finally out!"

"Told yah we'd be fine," Applejack replied, only to get a glare from Rarity.

"Though you have to admit that it wasn't easy," Rarity grumbled, "Thank goodness we're out of this awful mess."

The others all shook their heads before turning back to Oaking and the Oakid, the Grass-Types all smiling at them all. "Oak..."

"Thanks for showing us through," Flash told them back. "And be careful. If I know Score and his cronies, they don't give up. Be sure to keep an eye out." The Pokémon all nodded before heading back into the forest, our heroes all waving them goodbye.

It wasn't long till they setup camp for the night, glad they could sleep under the stars. Their journey through the forest had been a difficult trek, but by working together, they had managed to overcome its many adversities. Now with Applewood City so close, our heroes adventures were ready for the incoming gym battle on the horizon. But as for what happens next, stay tuned to find out.

Hopping to the Rescue/The Mysterious Egg

View Online

It had just struck midnight and all was silent.

And as every living thing went to sleep, the silence was shattered at the sound of a revving engine, one that filled countryside. Every Pokémon hissed and growled at the noise, small families grumbling as they now saw the source of the sound. It was an armoured truck rolling down the country path at high speed. As it did this, the truck began swerving around, dodging a Hyper Beam that blasted from out of the sky. The attack's owner was a large shadow, one of four, the being panting as it tried to summon another Hyper Beam.

Inside the truck, four figures were glaring back at the flying figure. They were all wearing the same clothing, that being black leather jackets with camouflage pants and black boots, all but one wearing a metal mask over their mouths and a pair of goggles. The one not wearing it was the driver, a middle-aged man with dark brown skin and purple greying hair. The man looked in his mirror and growled, "They're gaining."

"What do we do?" Another one, this one being a woman with long blonde hair, asked, "The client never said anything about these guys being so persistent."

Another man, this one who had short green hair, looked down at a metal box he was carrying, "This was supposed to be an easy payday."

"Let's just give it back to them," a blue-haired man added. "No amount of money's worth this much hassle."

"We're not giving it back," the driver barked, "We have a reputation to keep up. I'll think of something." He stared ahead and spotted a bunch of trees near the path, "I got it." He glanced back at the woman. "Bonnie, get your Arbok."

Back outside the truck, the figures got closer as the truck came to a stop, the back door opening. There, Bonnie hung out the side with her snake Pokémon, "Haze!" The Arbok took a deep breath before unleashing a thick black smoke, covering the entire truck.

The figures remained hovered above the smoke, only for the truck to bolt out of the smoke in the other direction. Seeing this, the figures quickly recovered and gave chase. And as they drove down the path, the driver just chuckled as he looked back into the mirror, "Looks like they fell for it."

"Good. Let's get out of here." Bonnie replied as she put her Arbok away.

The next day...

Finally free of the Everfree Forest, our hero's journey to Applewood City was drawing shorter by the day. Now with just one town before their destination, Flash's fourth Equestria Region Gym Challenge now soon to take place. And as they now travelled down a country road, Twilight pulled out her journal, "Hey, look at this. There's a rocky area of land near here called Cave-in canyon."

Applejack looked over her shoulder. "Ah've heard of that place. Granny says it's called that cause you can't step foot in it without causing a rockslide."

Everyone shuddered at the thought, Rarity speaking up next. "Probably best to avoid that area then."

"I'm down with that," Spike added.

Flash was about to say the same thing, only to look down and see Springer frantically looking around. The trainer blinked at the sight, squatting down while tilting his head, "What is it bud? You sensing something?"

"What's up?" Doc asked next.

"I think Springer is sensing something." To prove Flash's theory, the Riolu suddenly cut into a sprint. "Springer, wait!" He quickly followed, the others close behind.

It wasn't long till Springer ran down the path and reached a bunch of trees. There, he stared at a bush, blinking as he muttered, "Ri? Riolu ri…"

"What is it?" Twilight asked as they all caught up.

"Its a bush," Spike deadpanned, Flash rolling his eyes as he leaned down and pulled the bush's leaves. There, he felt something cold, making him reach inside and pull something out.

"What's this?" He held up a metal box, everyone blinking at the mysterious container.

"What's inside?" Spike asked, no one answering him as Flash put the box on the ground.

"Only one way to find out," Flash responded as he started unclipping the clasps on the box's sides. Once undone, he opened the lid and they all looked inside before gasping. The box was containing a large egg, which was purple with a white patch on the top. The interior of the box was lined with fluffy padding, which was barely keeping the egg safe.

"A Pokémon Egg?" Doc questioned as Flash took the egg out of the box.

"But what's it doing in a metal box?" Applejack asked.

"Maybe that's how its owner was carrying it," Rarity guessed.

Twilight shook her head. "I don't think so. Pokémon Eggs are usually stored in special glass containers." Twilight lifted up the box and looked it over, "The egg containers are designed to be like a nest...but this isn't like that at all. This is...cold and uncomforting."

Before anyone could say anything else, their attention was caught by a bright orange light that suddenly covered the egg. "Whoa!" Flash almost dropped the egg, quickly sitting down as he kept it in his lap, "What's happening? Why's it glowing?!"

"It must be about to hatch," Doc answered.

"Hatch?!" Flash gasped as he saw the egg light up again, "What do I do?!"

"Keep it warm!" Rarity barked back, Flash nodding as he clutched the egg close to his chest, the light pulsing on and off.

Everyone watched as the light stopped pulsing, now being a constant shine. It was here that Flash stopped hugging the egg, the light now changing from orange to blue. Then in the blink of an eye, it exploded off the egg with a bright flash as it's contents fell into Flash's lap.

As everyone blinked the light out of their eyes, they found themselves now staring at what had just been born. At first, they thought it was just some purple furball. But as they looked closer, they saw it had a white patch of fur over its mouth, its mouth looking like a zigzag when closed. And as the furball began to move, two purple furred ears opened up, showing orange skin beneath. It then pulled out a tiny purple tail, along with four stubby legs, all having white points as feet. Not only that, on closer inspection, they saw a patch of white fur between its ears that seemed to resemble the shape of a dragon head. The Pokémon then opened its eyes, which were bright orange as it stared up and locked eyes with Flash. "Hop?"

"Aw...its kinda cute." Spike slightly muttered.

"Indeed," Rarity giggled as she bent down and scratched its head, "Hello, little one."

"But what is it?" Applejack asked next.

"Its a Hoppin...which are very rare," Twilight responded as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Hoppin
Category: Hop Pokémon
Type: Normal
Info: Its stubby little legs prevent it from walking properly, so instead it has to hop from one location to the other.

Flash chuckled as he put his Pokedex away, now staring down at Hoppin, "Hey little guy, welcome to the world." He picked the Hoppin up, the Pokémon growing tense for a moment before putting him on the ground, "Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you. We're friends."

"Ri!" Springer stepped up and patted his head. "Riolu ri..."

The Hoppin stared at him for a few seconds, only to exclaim, "Hop!" He began hopping up and down, now bouncing around the whole group.

"Looks like he gets it," Doc chuckled.

"He sure is excitable," Applejack laughed as it hopped up into her arms before jumping out and doing the same to Rarity.

"He just hatched," Twilight added as Hoppin leapt into her arms. "It's natural for it to be curious about the world." Hoppin leapt from her arms before hopping into Spike's.

"Hey little guy, I'm Spike. And this is Peewee."

"Terra!" Hoppin just cheered before jumping again, now leaping into Flash's arms again.

"Nice to meet you, buddy," he replied before he was about to pat his head...only to come to a stop, "Huh? What the..."

"What is it?" Twilight asked, only to see Flash pull his Pokedex back out.

"That's weird. The Hoppin in here doesn't have that mark on its head." Everyone gathered around and compared the Hoppin to the image in the Pokedex, all noticing the mark on the forehead wasn't there.

"Interesting," Doc pondered while rubbing his chin. "Is it a birthmark?"

Rarity clapped her hands, "Oh! Maybe its something a certain gender of Hoppin has." She tapped Flash's Pokedex, "See if it has a gender variant." Flash did so and brought up the two genders side by side, only to still see no mark on either. "Hmmm...perhaps not."

Twilight tilted her head at this, "Interesting. I'm sure Professor Celestia will want to see this. If we take this Hoppin to the next town's Pokémon Center, let's call her and see what she thinks."

They all nodded, only for a loud growl to come out of the Hoppin's stomach. Flash chuckled at this, putting him down as he asked, "Are you hungry little guy?" Hoppin just frowned at him, not understanding what hungry meant. Flash then reached into his bag, pulling out one of their Pokémon food cans. It was the Normal-Type food he'd usually gave Skyler, taking out a pellet as he said, "Here."

The Hoppin stared at the pellet, blinking before Springer took the pellet and put it to his mouth. "Ri," Springer bit into it, trying not to flinch at the flavour, "Rio ri."

"Hop," Hoppin seemed to understand and nodded before turning back to Flash. He took the next pellet into his mouth and bit down, only for his eyes to fill with tears. "HOPPIN!" The Pokémon let out a Screech attack, everyone covering their ears as the Hoppin's lungs blasted out a wave of sound.

"Yow! Okay, okay! We're sorry!" Flash flinched as the reached and patted the little Pokémon, making it stop screaming. "We're sorry little guy. We thought you'd like that."

The others all uncovered their ears, Twilight rubbing hers', "That's strange. A Normal-Type like Hoppin should love that flavour of food."

"Well, considering that mark, perhaps this isn't your usual Hoppin." Doc moaned as he rubbed a finger in his ear. "We'll just have to try a bunch of different types until we find one it likes."

The others all nodded and began to get out their Pokémon food, completely unaware of another bunch of people just a ways away. Inside a large patch of trees, an armoured truck was parked with its occupants all glaring at the group through their binoculars, almost growling at the sight of the Hoppin. "That's just great. How the heck did they find the box?!"

"Had to have been dumb luck," the blue-haired thief replied.

"Who cares how they found it!" the woman screeched. "They've got the target, and it's likely they're gonna keep it! I mean, who wouldn't?!"

"Well, we're not giving up just yet," the purple man stated as he put the binoculars. "We're getting that Hoppin and collecting our fee. Let's go."

Back with the heroes, they had set up a table with multiple bowls laid out. Each bowl was a different type of Pokémon food, Hoppin now being put on the table to see which one he liked.

"Alright little guy, go nuts." Hoppin hopped over to the closest one and sniffed it before taking a bite, looking disgusted at the taste.

"Guess that's a no on the Fire-Type food," Doc commented as Hoppin tried another.

"Grass-Type's out," Twilight added when he spat it out. This went on for several minutes, Hoppin seeming to hate ever type he tried.

That is, till he bit into another, his eyes going wide, "Hop?" he took another bite, only to cheer, "HOPPIN!"

He started munching the food, making everyone smile as Applejack said, "Looks like he found one he likes."

"What flavour is it?" Spike asked, with Doc picking up the can next to the bowl.

"Dragon-Type? That's...odd. Why would he like that?"

"Well, as long as he likes it, that's fine with me," Flash responded as Hoppin let out a happy sigh. "You enjoy that?" Hoppin nodded before jumping off the table, now hopping around as Springer chased it, the Riolu soon trying to teach the hatchling the game of tag.

As everyone giggled at the sight, they began to put the food away as Twilight spoke up, "Still, why was that egg left in a box like that?"

Doc put the last can away as he responded, "Good question. It didn't look like it was dropped or anything. The way it was hidden, it looked like it had been purposely placed there."

"But why?" Spike asked next.

"That's a good question," Rarity hummed while tapping her foot. "What should we do? If that egg belonged to someone and they left it there on purpose, then maybe we should wait to see if anyone comes to try and collect it."

"Why?" Applejack asked while shrugging her shoulders. "If they were willing to just leave it here, they probably don't think it's very precious. It'd be no different from leaving a baby in the woods. Anyone who'd do that doesn't deserve that Hoppin."

The others all shared a glance at this, agreement on all their faces as Twilight crossed her arms, "If that's the case...what should we do? Do we think whoever this was can be trusted with Hoppin's wellbeing?"

As this question lingered over the group, Springer and Hoppin had gotten further away from the group. It was here that Springer's ears shot up, feeling something coming. But as he began to react, something shot out of the distance, slamming into both him and Hoppin, a clicking sound following as they both yelled, "RIOLU/HOPPIN!"

This cry caught everyone's attention, all turning to gasp at a new sight. Springer and the Hoppin were now inside some kind of round metal cage, which was being dragged by an only metal cable. "Springer!" Flash yelled as he ran after the container, only to come to a stop as the someone hopped in front of him, "Huh?!"

It was the purple-haired man, chuckling as the cable retracted into a metal handle that was in his hands. "Capture complete. Nice." He smirked at the Hoppin, only to notice Springer beginning to form an Aura Sphere. "I don't think so." He pressed a button on the handle, lightning now sparking around the metal cage.

"RI/HOP!" they screamed as electricity surged through both.

"SPRINGER!" Flash yelled, "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"Collecting my bounty," the man casually replied.

They all glared at him as Spike growled, "Bounty?!"

He nodded before holding up the cage. "Some very generous individuals offered us a lot of money in exchange for this Hoppin. Of course, I couldn't say no."

Doc grit his teeth in disgust, "You're a Pokémon hunter."

"That I am."

"Well, why don't you go find another Hoppin!?" Spike asked next.

"No can do. The client asked for this one in particular....and I'm sure this Riolu will fetch a high price for the right bidder." He pressed the button again, shocking both as he laughed, "HA! Looks like it's my lucky day!"

"Why you...release them now! That Riolu is my Pokémon!" Flash screamed, his blood boiling at the sight.

"That's cute," he turned away, "But I don't play with kids. Your Pokémon is mine now." In that moment, the armoured truck shot out and did a doughnut, its back door opening as he quickly put the metal cage inside. "Get lost kid! These moneymakers are mine!"

"SPRINGER!" Flash yelled as he started to run, only for Doc to pull out a Pokeball.

"Steeledge, stop them!" He tossed the ball, revealing the metal bird which flew after the truck.

"Ledge!" His wings glowed before swiping at the tires, bursting them like balloons as the vehicle flipped over in the attack.

"YES!" They all cheered as they all ran up to the car, seeing the doors open up as the thieves climbed out.

"Ow..." the woman moaned.

"Damn kids..." the leader grumbled before grabbing the cage, "Hold them off. I'll meet with the client and do the exchange."

"Right!" The others replied as they pulled out their Pokeballs and tossed them into the air.

"Krookodile!" Blue-haired man yelled.

"Magmortar!" Green-haired man added.

"Arbok!" The three balls opened and unleashed the mentioned Pokémon, all landing in front of the heroes as the leader disappeared into the treeline.

"No!" Flash yelled as the others pulled out their Pokeballs.

Twilight enlarged hers as she glared at the trainer, "Flash, go after him."

"We'll handle these varmints!" Applejack growled as Doc, Spike and Rarity nodded in agreement before tossing the Pokeballs into the air. "Come out Lombre and use Water Pulse!"

"Owlicious!"

"Aquapphire!" The three Pokémon landed next to Steeledge, Peewee also jumping off Spike's shoulder, before the four charged. "Water Pulse!"

"Confusion!"

"Air Slash!"

"Dragonbreath!" The four attacks shot at the enemy Pokémon, the twin Water Pulses hitting Magmortar while the Air Slash hit Krookodile and the Confusion and Dragonbreath struck Arbok.

"CHAR/MAG/KROOK!" The three all flinched, giving Flash the opening he needed as he ran past them all.

"Oh no you don't!" the blue-haired thief tried to grab him, but Flash side-stepped him, all three yelling, "Get back here!" as Flash quickly got away as their Pokémon finally recovered from the last attacks.

"Hey!" They turned to the others, "Ya'll's fight is back here!" Applejack pointed to the sky, "Rain Dance!"

"Lom!" Lombre began to dance, dark clouds forming as they opened up to unleash a downpour. The rain immediately caused both Magmortar and Krookodile discomfort, cries of pain following this.

"We won't let you get away with this," Twilight told them next. "Use Peck!" Owilcious shot ahead with an extending glowing beak, now impaling Krookodile.

"Krook!" It moaned as the super sharp beak stabbed its chest.

"Knock Off!" Krookodile clenched its fists before punching at the Psychick, the owl barely managing to fly away as Lombre got closer.

"Bubblebeam!" Lombre unleashed a barrage of bubbles, all exploding on contact. Krookodile screamed in pain, the rain now making it whine even more.

"Flame Burst!" Magmortar aimed its cannon-like arms, blasting a beam of fire.

"Water Pulse!" Rarity ordered, Aquapphire throwing a water sphere at the Flame Burst. The two attacks connected, the water extinguishing the flames as Peewee hopped between them.

"Wing Attack!" Peewee's wings glowed as he shot past Magmortar, slashing it with ease.

"Power Gem!"

"Ak!" Aquapphire unleashed a red beam from its head, hitting Magmortar in the stomach.

"MAG!" It cried, falling back. "Magmor…"

While this happened, Doc was facing off against the woman on his own. Steeledge was flying around Arbok, the snake doing everything to keep it away. "Acid!"

"Cha!" The cobra Pokémon spat a thin stream of purple ooze, only for the bird to just flap in place. The slime hit the bird...only to drip off its body, "Cha/what?!"

"Steeledge is a Steel-Type," Doc reminded her. "Completely immune to Poison-Type attacks. Now...Steel Wing!" The bird slashed the snake with glowing wings, knocking it back with ease. "Just give up. That Pokémon can't touch mine."

"Never! I won't lose to you!" she barked back, only to see Steeledge smack the snake again. "No!"

Doc just shook his head, "Good grief. I just hope Flash is doing as good."

Back with the lead hunter, he had now reached a small rocky area. In front of him, he spotted the town Flash and the others had been heading for, only to see that between him and it was Cave-In Canyon. It wasn't really a canyon, more of a large rock-like bowl that was roughly a mile wide, the insides having a bunch of stalagmites roughly between ten and fifteen meters in height.

Seeing this, he began going around the canyon's edge, only to hear a certain teen yell, "HEY! You're not getting away!" He looked back to see Flash throw a Pokeball at him, "Riptide! Use Water Gun!"

The Sparanitor appeared and took a deep breath, "Spar...NITOR!" He unleashed a burst of water, the hunter turning around just as the water struck his chest.

"Augh!" he yelped as he fell over, the cage going flying out of his hands and into the canyon.

"Guys!" Flash screamed as he saw the cage roll down the canyon's slope, soon coming to a stop at the bottom. "Springer! Hoppin! You guys okay?"

"Ri..." Springer moaned as he and Hoppin sat themselves up, the Riolu looking up at his trainer and nodding, "RIOLU!"

Flash breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Don't worry, I'm gonna get you out of there!"

"Oh no, you're not!" He spun around as the hunter pulled out a Pokeball. "That Hoppin is mine!"

"What's so special about that Hoppin?" Flash asked, as Riptide stood in front of him.

"Don't know, don't care! All I know it I get paid real good if I get that one, so that's all that matters! Rhydon, come out and crush this brat!" He threw the ball into the air, the bipedal rhino Pokémon landing with a might thud.

"Rhydon!" It roared, as Flash rolling his eyes at the sight.

"Seriously?! You're gonna use a Rock and Ground-Type against my Water-Type?! No wonder you fell to a life of crime. You were too stupid to get any other job."

"Be quiet! Use Rock Blast!" Rhyhorn's horn glowed before the light shot off, fading to reveal a bunch of jagged rocks flying at the lizard.

"Dodge it!" Riptide did so, jumping around as his trainer covered his ears, "Use Echoed Voice!" Riptide breathed in before unleashing a powerful soundwave, making Rhydon flinch as it tried to shield its ears. "Now, Aqua Tail!" Riptide stopped screaming as his tail wrapped itself in water, leaping to strike the enemy.

"Protect!" As the Spranitor tried to reach him, Rhydon created an energy bubble, Riptide's Aqua Tail bouncing off the forcefield.

"Dang it! Use Rock Smash instead!" As soon as Riptide landed, he charged before spinning like a top, thrusting a glowing leg into its stomach.

"Raaah!" It cried while staggering back, it's trainer growling.

"Hammer Arm!" Rhydon's glared down at Riptide before raising its arms, both now glowing.

"Raaah!" It started punching at Riptide, the Spranitor trying to dodge before one punch smacked him flying back.

"Riptide!" Flash yelped as his Pokémon skidded along the ground, only to flip over to get back on his feet.

"Take Down!" Rhydon began to glow before charging, ready to slam Riptide hard with the recoil attack. But Riptide was ready to reply, looking over at Flash and seeing him cover his ears.

"Sparan...NITOR!" The soundwaves blasted the Rhydon back, his charge coming to a stop.

"Aqua Tail!" Riptide stopped screaming and leapt again, water covering his tail.

"Protect!" Once again, Rhydon put up the shield and protected itself from the attack. Flash and Riptide both grumbled at the sight, Riptide landing as the Rhydon kept a defensive stance.

As this happened, Springer and Hoppin were watching what they could of the battle. But as they did this, Springer growled at the sight of Riptide having trouble, making him turn around with glowing fists. "Ri!" He used Drain Punch on the metal cage, both fists hitting one precise spot. "Ri, ri, ri, ri!"

As this happened, Hoppin's eyes shifted between him and the battle. "Hop..." He muttered as he watched them, amazed at all the sights, "Hop...hoppin."

Back with the others, the group were a bit surprised how....unskilled their opponents were. It made them wonder how they managed to get their Pokémon to evolve to the level they were.

"Dragon Claw!" Krookodile charged as its glowing blue claws tried to swipe at Owlicious.

"Energy Ball!" Applejack commanded as Lombre leapt in front of the owl as a green sphere of nature energy appeared in its hands.

"Lom, LOMBRE!" it yelled as he threw the sphere, the orb exploding into the Krookodile's claws, making it cry out in pain.

"Peck!"

"Hoo!" Owlicious stabbed Krookodile with his extended beak, knocking it back further.

"Water Pulse!" Lombre flung a water orb at the crocodile, ready to hit it right in the face.

"Flamethrower!" Magmortar pointed its cannon arms at Peewee, unleashing twin streams of fire that merged into one large barrage of flames. But as it headed for Peewee, Aquapphire jumped in front of him, her Water Rock-Typing giving her four times the resistance to fire to block it.

With Magmortar distracted by Aquapphire, Peewee flew in close as Spike called out, "Dragonbreath!"

"Terra!" He breathed in, the blue flames igniting inside his mouth. "WAGON!" The flames shot out in a blue stream of fire, which struck the fire karura, knocking it back as rain pelted its form.

"Water Pulse!" Aquapphire created her own water orb, firing at the opponent's face in an instant.

"Iron Tail!" Arbok's tail glowed silver as Steeledge flew down to use Steel Wing, the cobra spinning around to slam its tail into the wing. The two continued to trade blows for several seconds, Steeledge soon knocking the snake back due to having two wings over one tail.

"Cha!" It cried as Steeledge's other wing struck, falling back as Steeledge flew back up.

"Thunder Fang!" Arbok's mouth was filled with lightning, springing on its tail as it flung itself into Steeledge, chomping its wing.

"Ledge!" It flinched as it tried to shake the snake off, only for Arkbok to wrap its tail around his waist. "Steel!"

"Be strong Steeledge!" Doc told it before rubbing his forehead, "Uh....got it! Use Drill Peck!" Steeledge smirked, catching on as he started spinning in the air.

The Arbok spun with it, the snake's hold stopping as it fell like a brick a second later. "Char!" It bounced three times before stopping, spirals in its eyes.

"Let's end this!" Doc ordered as Steeledge flew down, cocking its wings back. "Air Cutter!"

"Steel...LEDGE!" Steeledge beat his wings, air blades slicing the snake right as Aquapphire and Lombra fired off their Water Pulse attacks.

The three attacks struck their targets dead on, sending them flying back into their trainers, "AUGH!" They all yelled, the weight of their Pokémon knocking all three out at the same time.

Everyone sighed in relief, "That was fun," Applejack sarcastically said.

"At least it didn't take to long to beat them," Twilight added.

Rarity nodded as she looked down at the criminals. "So what now? Do we just leave them here?"

Doc shook his head, "No. The police will likely want to have a few words with them."

"Ah got a load of rope we can use to tie 'em up," Applejack suggested as she went to her bag, the others following her.

As they did this, Twilight put her Pokémon away as she muttered, "I hope Flash is doing okay."

"Rock Smash!" Riptide charged with legs glowing.

"Hammer Arm!" Rhydon's swung his now shining arms at Riptide, both kick and chop hitting each other. A shockwave happened next, Rhydon's attack overpowering Riptide as he smacked him to the ground.

"Spar!" Riptide hit the dirt, only rolled back onto his feet.

"Echoed Voice!"

"Spran..." Flash, Rhydon and the hunter covered their ears, "NITOR!" The soundwaves flew across the rocky field, making the rhino Pokémon flinch.

"Urgh...that's starting to give me a headache. Use Rock Blast!" But Rhydon didn't perform the attack, his hands still over his ears.

"Aqua Tail!" Flash yelled, Riptide as he began bum-rushing the enemy.

The hunter waited until he saw Riptide's tail be covered in water before barking, "Protect!"

"Raaah!" Rhydon once again surrounded himself in a bubble-like shield, Riptide's Aqua Tail bouncing off the forcefield.

"Dang it!" Flash growled before pointing at the Rhydon, "We gotta break that defence! Water Gun!"

"Rock Blast!" Rhydon's horn fired a rock right at the water stream, blocking it as another stone flew into Riptide.

"Nee!" Riptide flinched, staggering back from the blow.

"Take Down!" The hunter's order, the Rhydon charging at full speed.

"Echoed Voice!" Flash called out, but as Riptide was still recovering, allowing Rhydon to body check him.

"Spran!" Riptide cried as he went flying back, hitting the dirt with several painful thuds.

"You okay?" Flash said as he leaned over to help Riptide up, "This is bad."

"Just give up kid." The hunter barked back, "Give up and get out of my way. Heck, why you're at it...give me that Spranitor as well! AHAHAHA!!!"

"You..." Flash growled, Riptide now getting on his feet.

At the same time, Springer was still punching at the cage while Hoppin watched the battle, "Hop...hoppin."

"Ri!" Springer slammed his fist into the dented cage, the bar bent and twisted before he hit it one more time.

BAM!

"RIOLU!" he cheered as the cage door went flying, letting him crawl out before turning back to Hoppin. "Rio! Rio Riolu!"

Hoppin didn't hear him though, watching the fight as Rhydon readied to finish the battle. "Beat it with Hammer Arm!" The hunter yelled, Springer now seeing the battle as well before gasping.

But as this happened, Hoppin's eyes narrowed. A look of pure determination appeared on his face as he quickly went through the hole Springer had made and then hopped on top of the cage, "Hop..." Hoppin too a deep breath, which made Springer quickly put his paws over his ears, "HOPPIN!" He unleashed his Screech attack, the powerful high pitched noise now echoing through the canyon.

"AUGH!" Everyone screamed, covering their ears. "What's happening?!" The hunter cried over the noise, his ears feeling like they were about to burst.

"Hoppin...stop. You're-" Flash didn't finish, as he looked down and saw Riptide was having no trouble with the attack, "Wait...that's it! Riptide, Aqua Tail!"

"Spran!" Riptide leapt up, wrapping his tail in water as he charged at the flinching Rhydon.

The hunter saw this and yelled, "Protect!" But Rhydon couldn't hear him, his hands tightly over his ears, "I said PROTECT!"

But it was too late.

WHAM!

"Raaah!" Rhydon yelped as the liquid powered attack struck him clean, his defence also lowered due to the Screech. The force of the blow knocked him flying back, spirals appearing on his face as his legs began to gave out.

"No, no, no!" The hunter screamed as Rhydon's shadow now covered him, "AUGH!" he cried as his Pokémon collapsed on top of him, covering all but his head and one arm.

It was here that Hoppin stopped screaming, Flash sighing in relief, "That's was close." He leaned down and patted Riptide, "Great work bud." Riptide gave a cheeky smile before giving a thumbs up. Nodding at this, Flash turned to look down into the canyon. "And thanks Hoppin, we couldn't have won without you."

"Hoppin!" Hoppin cheered, his tail trying to wag.

Flash smiled back at the sight, only to suddenly feel a shaking beneath him. Looking down, he now saw a barrage of cracks appearing in the rock face. The Hoppin's Screech attack had caused the canyon to start caving in, Springer now looking around to see the walls breaking apart. "Ri..." namesake to occur, the place was collapsing.

"Springer! You gotta get out of there!" No sooner had he said that the rock under Flash broke away. "Whoa!" Flash and Riptide leapt back, the rock now beginning a path for Springer and Hoppin.

"RIOLU!" Springer grabbed the hatchling and jumped out of the way, just avoiding the rolling rubble. But as they did this, a stalagmite collapsed, all its pieces becoming another avalanche. "Ri!" Springer began dancing around the falling rocks, Hoppin piggybacking on the Riolu.

"Springer, use Quick Attack there!" Flash pointed to another part of the canyon, this one not having cracks. Springer glanced over, the Pokémon then telling Hoppin to hold on tight.

"Hop?" He asked, only to get his answer as Springer shot up at blinding speed. Hoppin's face began contorting due to the wind, the Pokémon yelping, "HOP! HOPPIN!"

As this happened, Springer kept hopping over the rocks, his feet doing all the fancy footwork on each piece of rubble. At the same time, Flash and Riptide were running along the edge of the bowl, watching as they got closer to the safe zone. But as they did this, the shaking continued, Flash now seeing new cracks starting to form.

"Oh no..." Flash whispered. "SPRINGER! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"

"SPRANITOR!!!"

Springer dug deep, pushing his body as much as he could as he kept dodging, only for a pebble to scratch his shoulder. "Ri..." he flinched as he soon felt two more rocks hit him, the Pokémon starting to slow down. It was here he saw a shadow cover his body, making him look up as a giant boulder blocked out the sun. The sight made him go wide-eyed, his feet shaking at the sight.

"Hop!" The voice of the Hoppin screamed on his back, making him glance back to see pure fear on the hatchling's face.

The scared look on his face made a click go on his brain, remembering Hoppin had just hatched. "Ri..." he turned back to the boulder, fear disappearing on his face as he narrowed his eyes. As he did this, his aura beginning to change colour as he stared the falling rubble down. But as he did this, time seemed to slow down for the Riolu, his eyes closing as he his aura began to morph from the standard white from the usual Quick Attack, only for it to become a deep green. His eyes then shot open, the green light morphing into green sparks.

"SPRINGER!" Flash screamed as he watched the rock slam on top of Springer and Hoppin. His heart stopped, falling to his knees as tears began to leak out of his eyes. "No."

Riptide did the same, tears beginning to form over the loss of his friend. But as he was about to do this, his eyes suddenly went wide as he yelled, "Spran! Spranitor!"

"Huh?" Flash's eyes reopened, only to do the same as Riptide as both gasped at the new sight. It was a green bolt of lightning shooting around the canyon, all moving at blinding speeds. "Is that..."

It was Springer, Hoppin still on his back as parkoured through the canyon. Green lightning was sparking around them, Hoppin cheering as they outmanoeuvred anything that came their way. "Hop." Hoppin cheered, nuzzling the Riolu's back as he watched the world blur around him.

Springer was the same, unable to believe he was actually moving this fast. "Riolu!" He yelled as he kept hopping around, dodging more falling stalagmites as they continued to run up to the edge of the bowl. But as they got closer, another stalagmite collapsed in front of him. Springer was about to change direction, but then saw something that gave him an idea. "Hold on," he told Hoppin as he hopped into the air and pulled back one of his feet. A rock the size of Hoppin was falling ahead of the rest, which he waited for the right second.

A split-second later, Springer slammed his leg into the rock at top speed. Time seemed to stop again, the two forces meeting as the Riolu overpowered the rubble, pushing the rock right back into the falling stalagmite. It shot through the air like a meteor, shattering them into the pieces, only to be blown away by the wind from Springer's kick.

"Wow!" Flash gasped as Riptide began cheering, both now watching Springer reach the ramp stalagmite before running all the way up and jumping off the edge. The blue lightning bolt flew through the air until landing right by Flash, a huge grin on his face. The sight made the biggest grin appear on Flash's face, "Springer!" He and Riptide ran over to his partner as he put the Hoppin down, pulling them both into a hug. "You're both okay!"

Springer and Hoppin hugged back, both now feeling the tears fall off Flash's face. And as Flash pulled away, he asked, "But...what was that? That didn't look like Quick Attack. What did you do?" Springer just shrugged, making Flash cross his arms in response. A few moments later, he pulled out his Pokedex and pulled up Riolu's page...only to find nothing. "Hmm? I don't see anything on this."

A few taps later, he still didn't find anything, making him scan Springer instead. The device then showed his moves, making him see something new, "Extreme...Speed? Cool! You learned Extreme Speed!"

"RIOLU!" Springer cheered, Riptide grabbing his and Hoppin's paws as both started dancing.

"FLASH!" They all turned to a new voice, now seeing their friends. As they got closer, they saw the destroyed canyon, all gasping, "What happened here?"

Flash smirked at Twilight's question. "It's a...long story."

One long story later...

"Wow..." Doc replied as Applejack finished typing up the criminal, "I can't believe Springer learned Extreme Speed. That...shouldn't be possible until it evolves."

"Well, Springer can already us one move he shouldn't be able to," Twilight pointed out. "Who knows, maybe he's a special case that can learn any Lucario move...which makes me want to have Professor Celestia look at him again."

"Who cares why it happened," Flash patted Springer and Hoppin on the head. "What matters is they're safe." The others nodded in agreement.

"Hop! Hop, hop!" They all turned to Hoppin, who was bouncing up and down rapidly.

"What's it saying?" Spike asked, he and Peewee blinking at the sight.

Flash chuckled at the sight, kneeling down as he said, "He's saying he wants to become as strong as Springer and Riptide." He began to scratch him behind the ear, "Isn't that right?" Hoppin nodded. "Then come with us. I want to become the best trainer Equestria has ever seen, and to do that, I'm gonna need some super strong Pokémon. I get the feeling that with some training, you'll become one of the strongest." He pulled out a Pokeball, "What do you say?"

"Hop!" Hoppin cheered as Flash stood up.

"Alright, then go Pokeball!" He tossed the ball up into the air, Hoppin jumping after it. Once at the same height, Hoppin tapped it with his nose, the ball opening up and unleashing a blast of red energy. The energy sucked the hatchling inside before slamming shut, instantly dinging. Flash caught the ball, barely containing himself as he started shaking, "ALRIGHT!" He held the ball up, "I just caught...A HOPPIN!"

"RIO/NITOR!" The others all cheered.

"Congrats Flash," Twilight added.

Rarity nodded, "I'm sure you'll raise Hoppin well."

"Thanks," Flash held out the ball and let Hoppin back out. "Come back out buddy."

"Hop!" Hoppin cheered before leaping into his trainer's arms, Flash scratching him behind the ear.

"Welcome to the family Hoppin." Flash replied before starting to hum, trying to think of a name as a bulb shined over his head, "I know!" He held the little Pokémon up, "I'm gonna call you Hopper."

Hoppin, now Hopper, giggled at the name. "Hoppin!" The others all smiled, happy to have a new member of the team.

A few hours later...

The sun was beginning to set as the hunter sat against the rock he was tied to. He had woken up an hour ago, having tried every possible way of escape...but to no avail. Now all he could do was grumble, only to blink as he saw there were several shadows suddenly cover his body.

He looked up and gulped at the new sight. Out of the light revealed a bunch of Dragon-Type Pokémon. There was a Noivern, Flygon, Dragonair and Garchomp, each one carrying someone on their back as the riders dismounted before the Noivern rider walked over to him.

"Hey there," he said before his shirt was grabbed by the person. He was a teenager that had charcoal grey skin and spiky red hair with yellow tips, and was wearing a blue flame patterned jacket.

"Where's the egg?" The teen growled, their faces now only inches apart.

"Gone. It hatched and found its way into the clutches of someone else." The teen growled back at him, the hunter now chuckling at the sight, "Relax, it's not with the one you're thinking of. It's embarrassing to say, but the robbers got robbed."

"Where are they?!"

"No idea. They were gone before I woke up. But..." He looked over at the village, "They were coming from that place and seemed to be on a journey. Best guess, they're heading in the opposite direction."

The teen growled before letting go of him, returning to his Noivern. And as the riders all took to the sky and disappeared, the thief laughed, "Suckers! That'll keep them off the trail long enough for me to catch up." He then started struggling against the ropes again, "If I'm ever able to free myself...."

Back in the air, the Dragon-Types and their riders were all looking ahead. "Ryu," Noivern rider turned to the boy on the Flygon, "What now?"

Ryu crossed his arms before turning to the Dragonair rider. The only girl of the group, she had snow-white skin and sky blue hair while wearing a headband with wings similar to her Pokémon's on the side. "Kaida, send a message back to the village. Tell them to send out every scout they can spare." Kaida nodded as Ryu looked back at the sky. "We have to find them. We have to find the lost heir."

A Sibling's Spat

View Online

With Applewood City now only a stone's throw away, our heroes had arrived in a small town to rest and resupply in preparation for the final leg of their journey. As soon as they arrived, they headed straight for the Pokémon Center, all knowing their teams needed to be checked out after going through the Everfree Forest. "Thank you for waiting," Nurse Redheart told them as her Chancy walked out with a trolley with Springer, Peewee and several Pokeball trays. "I'm happy to report that all of your Pokémon are completely fighting fit."

"Thank you," Twilight replied as they took the Pokeballs while Springer and Peewee moved over to their partners.

Redheart then pulled out a long paper, "Mr Sentry? I also completed the full medical check-up you requested over your Hoppin. You said it just hatched, correct?"

"Yeah," Flash responded with a nod, Doc walking up to hear the report as he suggested Flash get it checked.

The nurse nodded as well, "I'm happy to say that your Hoppin is one of the healthiest freshly hatched Pokémon I've ever seen. No issues whatsoever."

"Awesome!" Flash shined a smirk as he took the Pokeball off the tray, "Come on out bud!" The ball opened up to unleash Flash's newest team member.

"Hop!" Hopper cheered as he hopped off the tray, now bouncing around.

The sight made everyone giggle, Rarity chiming in, "He's so cute when he does that."

"He's got more energy than a Ratatta in cider season." Applejack commented as they watched Hopper now try to hop on anything he can reach. "But maybe now ain't the best place to let out that energy."

"Hopper!" Flash yelled as he tried to grab the Hoppin, only for it evade him with a single bounce. "Hey! Come back here!"

Hopper continued to jump around, Doc shaking his head, "This isn't going to end well. I suspect he probably thinks this is a game."

As he said that, Hopper landed on a girl's lap. "Huh?!" She gasped, only for Hopper to bounce away.

"Sorry!" Flash yelled as he ran past her, he and Springer now trying to catch him.

Spike turned to Twilight, "Should we help him?"

Twilight shook her head, "No, this is something he needs to learn by himself."

Doc nodded in agreement. "He's only ever dealt with Pokémon that were already at least a bit into maturity. Flash will need to learn how to handle a newly hatched Pokémon by himself. He'll basically be Hopper's parent, so he needs to be responsible for anything Hopper does."

"I guess..." Spike turned back to see Hopper leap up onto the video phones, hopping from one to the other. "I just hope he doesn't get us kicked out of the Pokémon Center before he learns."

"Hop!" Hopper cheered as he bounced on the last phone, about to jump before two arms suddenly yanked him, "Hoppin!"

"Gotcha!" Flash wrapped his arms around the Pokémon, holding him tight against his chest. "That's enough of that mister!"

"Hop..." Hopper pouted as he squirmed in his trainer's arms.

Flash then started patting the Hoppin's head, "Now now, I know you're excited, but you can't just go jumping all over the place. You might end up breaking something and I'll get the blame." He started to move back to his friends. "So from now on, if I tell you to stop, you've gotta stop, alright?"

"Hop..." Hopper did a small nod, seeming to get the message.

As Flash reached the others, he heard a familiar voice let out a laugh. "You guys never change, do you?" They turned to see a pair of figures standing by the door, shadowed by the sunlight that flowed through the glass. Slowly, they walked in, the first showing a certain stage magician slash Pokémon trainer Trixie Lulamoon. The other was a girl with similar skin color to Flash's with red and yellow hair. She was wearing a purple skirt and an orange shirt under a sleeveless leather jacket. Her shirt had a sun image on it while she also wore leather boots. The bacon haired girl then laughed, "I gotta say though, you sure know how to keep things from getting boring."

"Sunset!" Twilight cheered as she ran up and threw her arms around her, the two girls hugging for several seconds before pulling away. "It's so great to see you."

"You too," Sunset replied before strutting over to Flash, "Hey you, still living the roguish Pokémon trainer life?"

Flash shined a big grin, Twilight rolling her eyes at this, "You know it. Though uh...what are you doing here?"

"And why are you with Trixie?" Doc asked while pointing to the girl in question. "No offense, but I didn't think you two would be best buds."

"We're not," Trixie replied while putting her hands behind her head, "Trixie only met her yesterday."

"You heading to Applewood city too?" Flash asked, Trixie shaking her head in response.

"No. Trixie is taking a break from her badge quest so she can focus on her training with Professor Luna."

"Professor Luna's in town?"

Trixie and Sunset both nodded, Sunset replying, "Yup. So's Celestia, which is why I'm here. They were asked to give a lecture at town hall tomorrow."

Twilight's eyes sparked at the mention of her mentor, the girl turning to the others. "We've got to go see them! And we have to stay to see their lecture! The two of them, giving a presentation on Pokémon...it's going to be amazing!" The others all held their giggles back as Twilight's eyes shined giant stars.

"Alright, we'll show you them after we get what we came for." Sunset responded as her and Trixie walked to the counter, the nurse pulling out two more trays of Pokeballs.

"Here you go. I'm happy to report your Pokémon are all completely fighting fit." They gave their thanks as they took the balls, Flash and the others all staring at Sunset.

"Since when did you get a Pokémon?" Flash asked, Sunset smiling as she spun the ball on her finger.

"Since I found him. Come say hi Ray." The ball opened up to reveal a small lizard that was about meter long from head to tail. It was yellow in color with a white underbelly and mouth, but also had black spots covering its body. The Pokémon opened its eyes before looking up, a bright glow radiating off its body.

"What's that Pokémon?" Spiked asked as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Geckolar
Category: Sun Gecko Pokémon
Type: Fire
Info: The spots on this Pokémon are miniature solar panels. It can often be found sunbathing, absorbing the sun's heat to gain energy. In ancient times, they were kept as pets and used to keep beds warm during the winter.

The Geckolar crawled along the ground, reaching Sunset and scurrying up her leg. "He was found injured and sent to Professor Celestia to be treated. We just ended up...bonding." She scratched him under the chin, "Isn't he just a little ray of sunshine?" The others all nodded in agreement, Sunset then saying, "Anyways, we should head off. Don't wanna leave Celestia and Luna alone for too long."

"Why's that?" Applejack asked, Sunset and Trixie grimacing at the question, "What? What I'd say?"

They both did a gulp as Trixie replied, "You'll need to uh...see for yourself. They're at town hall."

One transition to town hall later...

As they headed inside the building, the whole group's ears were met with the sound of yelling. "I AM NOT TAKING ANY PART OUT!" They heard Luna's voice call out.

"You have too!" Celestia's voice barked back, its tone only a level of volume lower. The group all shared a glance before tiptoeing in, now seeing that the room was filled with multiple chairs, all pointing at a large stage at the back. On the wooden frame was the two arguing professors, looks of anger on both faces.

"I spent all night on this presentation! I'm not going to take any part of it out!"

"Then how do you expect us to fit both subjects into the time frame?!"

"Simple! Get rid of your stuff!"

"Professor!" Twilight called out as she ran through the room, making both turn to see her climb onto the stage.

"Twilight?!" Celestia gasped as her anger vanished, Twilight quickly running up and pulling her into a hug, "What is-why are you here?"

Twilight released the hug, "We stopped here on our way to Applewood City. Then we met Sunset and Trixie, who told us what you were doing here."

"Well, it's nice to see you all again," She looked up at the group, a kind smile appearing on her face. That is, till she saw the Pokémon in Flash's arms, her eyes going wide at the sight. "Is that a Hoppin?"

"Yup," Flash added as Hopper gave a big grin, "I just got him, freshly hatched and everything."

"Incredible..." Celestia took him in her hands, looking him over, "I've never had the chance to see one in real life."

"Neither have I," Luna commented as she walked off the stage. "Quite a rare find you have there Sentry. Though...I don't recall that mark being on any image I've seen of a Hoppin."

"Yeah, we're still trying to figure out that one. This little guy is...kind of a mystery." Twilight responded as Hopper jumped back into Flash's arms, the trainer soon explaining their first meeting with the Hoppin.

"That's quite an adventure you had," Celestia replied while rubbing her chin in thought, "Strange...very strange indeed."

"No kidding. Why would those guys want this Hoppin specifically?" Sunset asked. "In my experience, they had to have a reason."

Trixie shrugged in response. "Eh, it was probably just an excuse he made up to mask how lazy he is to go find another one."

Celestia hummed at her comment. "Either way, I should probably look up what I can about Hoppin when Sunset and I get back to the lab."

Luna rolled her eyes at this. "Yes, I'm sure the answers you seek are in your precious lab."

This made everyone turn to her, Spike now asking, "Um...Professor Luna? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Luna growled, looking away in response.

Celestia sighed while shaking her head. "You'll have to excuse my sister. She's decided to act like a child right now."

"I am not acting like a child!"

"Oh please, you've been throwing a hissyfit ever since you found out you had to cut your lecture subject down."

"My hissyfit is perfectly reasonable since you won't even consider cutting some of your material! No, it just has to be me who has to throw away all her hard written material. Well, you know what?!" She jumped up on the stage and grabbed one of two laptops, "You can do this lecture all on your own! I'm sure the great Celestia won't have any trouble filling out three full hours!" With that, she walked away, everyone backpedaling at the sight as Celestia growled at the fleeing professor.

"Well, that...escalated quickly." Doc commented before hearing a long sigh from Celestia.

The professor put her head in her hands, "This always happens whenever the two of us try to work together on a project. For some reason, Luna always starts getting angry and refuses to listen to anything I say."

Twilight sat down next to her mentor, "Really? I don't remember her doing something like that during the Hoof Cup."

Celestia shook her head, "That's because we weren't the main focus. But when all eyes are on us, Luna always gets like this."

"Huh...that's weird." Flash added before staring at the door Luna left through. "Has she always been like this?"

"No...she used to love working with me." She let out a long huff, "I remember when I got back from my first Pokémon journey. Luna was finally old enough to get her own Pokémon, so we went out looking for one."

The past...

Luna and Celestia's heads popped out of the tall grass, both eyes darting around as Celestia pointed to a nearby tree. "There it is." Luna looked up, now seeing the owl Pokémon, Hoothoot. "Alright Lulu, you know what to do."

"Right." Luna whispered as her form slowly creeped out of the grass, Pokeball in hand. But as she did this, her shoe stepped on a twig, a loud crunch following the footstep. The noise instantly alerted the bird, making its head turn an one-eighty before flaring its wings.

"Throw the ball now!" Luna pulled back her hand before flinging the sphere, the owl now in flight as the ball smacked its back. Before it could get to the sky, the ball consumed it in a swirl of red energy, yanking it into the orb.

And as it fell to the ground, Luna ran up to the ball, now seeing it wobble several times before going ding. Luna gasped at the sight, picking it up as she exclaimed, "I did it! I caught a Hoothoot!"

"Well done Lulu!" Celestia cheered as she stood up, only for Luna to leap into her big sister's arms.

"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Celestia giggled back at the hug, soon patting her sister's head.

"Any time sister."

Present...

"But then everything changed. Luna went off on her Pokémon journey and I began work on becoming a researcher. But when she came back, she suddenly never wanted to do anything with me and when she rarely agreed to....well, she would always try and do everything her way."

Everyone frowned at hearing this, Twilight especially showing as she crossed her arms, "I...had no idea."

Celestia let out a long sigh, "Yes...unfortunately, I could never figure out what happened."

Twilight put a hand to her chin, "Hmm...there's gotta be some way to help clear the air then."

Flash hummed at this, "I might have an idea. Though we need to find Luna first." He turned to Celestia, "Any idea where she might be?"

Celestia bit her lip in thought before turninig to Twilight. "Twilight, pull out your journal and see if this place has an arcade."

One transition to the town's arcade later...

"Well, she was right." Flash commented as he, Springer, Twilight and Trixie all walked inside the building, Flash having told the others to meet them at the Pokémon Center.

They were now staring at Luna, the woman tapping the buttons on an arcade cabinet with more force than necessary. She glanced away from the screen for a second as she caught the group in the corner of her eye before hissing, "I'm not going back there. Celestia thinks she's so great that she can keep all her material while I lose mine, she can do the lecture all on her own! Now leave me alone!"

The teens shared a glance, grimaces on their faces as Twilight began, "Professor Luna, your sister doesn't want to do the lecture alone. She wants you there with her."

"Yes, to boss me around and cut whatever content out of my material so she can have more of the limelight. Well she can forget it! Heck, I wasn't really even invited here!"

"Wait, what?!" Trixie yelped, tilting her head in confusion, "But you were the one who got the call and then you called Celestia."

"You're too naïve my student. They called me in hoping I could get my sister to come. I was invited because they knew it would be easy for me to get the goody-two-shoes that she is. If that wasn't true, they wouldn't even bother with me." She then let out a long hiss as she slammed her fist into one of the buttons, "Now leave me alone."

Twilight and Trixie both sighed at the sight, Flash shaking his head as he spoke up, "Professor Luna...no offense, but this isn't helping. We wanna help you, and you taking your anger out on that game isn't gonna help."

"Then what would you have me do?!" she barked as she looked back to glare at him, only for her ears to pick a draining sound behind her. Glancing back at the game, she now saw a game over screen, "Augh!"

"Professor-"

"Stop it!" Luna yelled as she flashed a had at the teens, the woman now taking several deep breaths before asking, "You're not gonna go away, are you?"

All three shook their heads, Flash replying, "Nope. I have an idea about how to solve this little issue, but you gotta come with us to hear it, alright?"

"Fine." Luna grumbled as she looked away from the arcade cabinet, "Where are we going?"

"Follow me."

One trip to the center later...

"I don't like this." Luna admitted as they now saw everyone including Celestia waiting for them outside of the center. She then looked away with crossed arms, "So what's this great idea you have?!"

Celestia did a small nod, "Yes, I'm curious about it too."

Flash smirked before shrugging, "It's simple. The problem is that neither of you want to cut content from your lecture, but it's too long right?"

"Yes. The lecture is scheduled to last three hours with a half hour at the end for questions. But our lecture material put back to back is three hours and fifteen minutes." Celestia then turned to Luna, "My sister's lecture has long tangents that aren't necessary and can be cut without losing any substance...but she refuses to accept that." Luna turned to glare at her, only for Flash to walk in between them.

"Well, my plan is simple. You two battle for it and the loser has cut down their lecture material." This made everyone go wide-eyed, Flash continuning before anyone could say anything, "What do you say, you two in?"

Celestia opened her mouth, only to Luna to shine a big grin, "Oh, I'm in on that." They all turned to her as they saw her grin grow, "What do you say, sister? Scared you'll lose?"

Celestia sighed, shaking her head as she crossed her arms, "This coming from the one who's never actually beaten me...but I know that tone. Fine, I'm in. A one on one battle with the winner getting to cut whatever content they want from the loser." She held out a hand, "Deal?"

Luna shook it immediately, "Deal! Let's go to the center's battlefield."

The group soon watched the two walk away, Twilight turning to glare at Flash, "What have you done?! Do you realize-"

Flash flashed a finger at her, "Twilight, just trust me. This is exactly what they need. A good battle will clear the air between the two, and by the end of it, they'll be so pumped and exhausted that they won't even remember what they were fighting about."

"Riolu!" Springer added with a nod.

Twilight sighed, very close to facepalming, "I hope you're right." With that, they followed the sisters to the center's battlefield.

Doc then stepped up to the center of the field to act as referee. "Alright, this battle between Celestia and Luna will now begin. It will be a one on one battle with no substitutions, and the battle will be over when one of either side's Pokémon is unable to continue. Is that understood?" They both nodded while pulling out their Pokeballs, "Then release your Pokémon!"

"Suncess/Primoon, GO!" They both threw their Pokeballs into the air, the two opening to reveal a pair of very similar humanoid Pokémon that stood at around four foot tall.

The first was wearing a fire patterned dress and had white skin with orange hair that was done up in a regal style. It was also wearing a sun-shaped pendant with a hole in the center. "Sun..." it said in a high-pitched voice.

The other was wearing a dark blue dress and had silver skin along with black hair in a similar style to the other's, though this one had twinkling sparkles in it. It was wearing a crescent moon shaped pendant with a hole in the center as well as it spoke in a long low tone, "Moon..."

"Whoa...its a Suncess and Primoon." Spike gasped, his eyes darting between the two.

"Awesome," Flash added as he pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Suncess
Category: Sun Pokémon
Type: Fairy
Info: This Pokémon draws its strength from sunlight. If it absorbs enough solar energy, an amazing thing will happen.

Name: Primoon
Category: Moon Pokémon
Type: Dark
Info: This Pokémon draws its strength from moonlight. If it absorbs enough lunar energy, an amazing thing will happen.

"They're so...similar," Rarity commented. "Its like they're almost the exact same Pokémon."

"Just different types," Twilight added. "Though that means Luna's at a disadvantage."

Flash shrugged at this, "Maybe, but there's more to a battle than typing."

"Are both sides ready?" The two professors nodded as Doc raised his arms, "Then battle...begin!" As soon as he said that, the two Pokémon's gems glowed before unleashing a wave of orange and dark blue energy, the two waves meeting before exploding, causing a bubble of gray energy to appear around the battlefield.

Everyone blinked at this as Spike asked. "What just happened?"

"Sun Force and Moon Force," Sunset explained while crossing her arms. "The special abilities of Suncess and Primoon. which activate at the start of a battle. Sun Force creates a barrier that increases the power of the sun, while Moon Force creates a barrier that mimics nighttime...but when they're used together, they create a barrier that blocks the other out."

"So it's basically like they didn't even activate?" Trixie asked, Sunset nodding in response. "Huh. Well, at least it'll be a bit more even if abilities are taken out of the fight."

"Mach Punch!" They turned back to the battlefield as the professors called for the same move, both Suncess and Primoon charging with glowing fists.

"Sun/Moon!" The two reached one another, their punch's colliding in midair as a shockwave hit the field, firing off a burst of wind.

"Whoa!" Applejack yelped as the wind hit them, needing to hold onto her hat from the force, "Boy howdy, that's some firepower!"

"Now use Foul Play!" Luna ordered as Primoon used her free hand to grab Suncess's arm, soon spinning around before swinging the Fairy-Type up over her and slamming it into the ground.

"SUN!" She cried as her back hit the dirt, Primoon using this chance the jump back.

"Now use Future Sight!" Primoon raised her hands into the air as a ball of blue sparking light appeared between them.

"Prim!" She thrust her hands up, sending the ball up before it seemed to phase out of sight.

Celestia growled at this as Suncess picked herself up. "Use Dazzling Gleam!"

"Sun!" Suncess's body began to glow a rainbow of colors, the light forming into a sphere around its body as it charged at it's opponent, "SUNCESS!" She roared as she slammed into Primoon, the sphere of light burning the Dark-Type.

"Moon!" She staggered back as Suncess jumped to a safe distance, Luna glaring at Celestia as she gave her next order.

"Dazzling Gleam again!" The princess-like Pokémon rushed ahead as the rainbow sphere appeared again.

"Mach Punch!" Primoon's fist began to glow, smashing into the Dazzling Gleam that made an explosion that knocked them both back.

"It looks even..." Flash commented as both hopped back to their feet.

"Hold that thought," Twilight countered as she pointed up, the others following her finger as a space in the sky began to warp, a wormhole soon opening as it shot out a huge burst of psychic energy.

The energy beam struck Suncess, the Pokémon screaming, "SUNCESS!"

"See that Tia?! You figured I'd be a pushover, but you were wrong! Unlike you, I don't spend my days eating cake in my lab. I'm out in the field, so I need to be battle-ready at a second's notice."

Celestia just shook her head, "Don't think you've won. Don't forget, I'm the one who taught you how to battle." Suncess picked herself up. "I might spend my days inside more, but my battles skills haven't dulled. Let me show you with this...Suncess, use Solarbeam!" Suncess brought her hands together, a small ball of energy beginning to form.

"Future Sight!" Luna ordered, Primoon tossing another energy blast into the air. "Now Mach Punch!" The night princess Pokémon ran with another glowing fist, reaching Suncess in an instant.

"Moon/Sun!" The two cried out as the attack struck Suncess's stomach, knocking the sun princess back as she continued to build up energy.

"Fire!" Celestia yelled, Suncess thrusting the sphere forward as it formed into a beam that struck Primoon, pushing her back.

"Moon!" She cried, hitting the ground rolling.

Suncess and Celestia smiled at the sight, only for the Future Sight to return and strike the Pokémon. "SUN!"

Celestia growled at this, "Cheap move. Use Sun Burst!" Suncess brought her hands together, a pink ball of energy now forming as it seemed to be getting sucked out of the sun.

Luna glared at her, "Two can play at that game. Primoon, use Moon Burst!" Primoon did the same as Suncess, her energy ball being made out of blue light.

"Sun Burst and Moon Burst?" Trixie asked. "I've never heard of those moves before."

Twilight turned to her. "They're moves that only Suncess and Primoon can use. Sun Burst, which doubles in power during harsh sunlight, and Moon Burst, which doubles in power at night. But with their abilities negating the others, they won't have that boost." They watched as the two Pokémon threw the orbs, the two turning into rocket-like projectiles that struck before exploding in a brilliant flash of pink and blue light.

"Whoa!" They all gasped, shielding their eyes from the light.

"Mach Punch!" As the light faded, they opened their eyes to see two princess Pokémon throwing high-speed punches at each other. It looked like white streaks of light were dancing around the two, blow after blow bouncing around before both jumped back a few inches. "Sun/Moon Burst!" The two fired a sphere, both colliding as an explosion consumed the field. And as the smoke cleared, both Pokémon appeared...and fell over in sync.

"Suncess/Primoon!" The professors cried, time stopping as Celestia and Luna looked up at each other, sharing a gaze.

The sight made Luna's face turn to a glare, her mind racing, 'Celestia….you've always been ahead of me. Firstborn. First to become a trainer. First at...everything. Even when I managed to do better than you...'

The past...

A younger Luna was watching TV, which was currently showing Celestia doing battle in the Equestria League. "Volcarona, use Fairy Dance!" Her giant fire moth's entire body burst into flames before dancing in the air and flapping its wings, causing the flames to strike its opponent.

"Queen!" Queensect cried as it fell over, swirls now in its eyes.

"Queensect!" A tall black-skinned girl screamed before glaring at Celestia.

"Queensect is unable to continue. Volcarona is the winner and victory goes to Celestia!"

The stadium cheered as the announcer called out, "And there you have it. Celestia will now move onto the semi-finals."

"Way to go Tia!" Luna said to the TV, a giant smile on her face. "One day, I'll be just as strong a trainer as you. And one day, I'll beat you in a battle."

'But that never happened. Even after I became a trainer, and no matter how much I trained and challenged you, you always managed to win. And then, when I entered the Equestria League.'

"Lunatone, use Explosion!" The moon-shaped Pokémon flew at its opponent, a light now surrounding it.

"Tone!" The Psychic Rock-Type slammed into the enemy Weezing before exploding, burning the Poison-Type. And when the smoke cleared, both Pokémon were now laying on the floor.

"Both Lunatone and Weezing are unable to continue. All of Bad Breath's Pokémon are unable to battle, so the winner is Luna!"

"And there you have it. Luna will be moving onto the finals!"

"Yes!" Luna yelled, "I did it!"

And as the crowd cheered, Luna headed back to the trainer area. Here, she found herself crowded by a bunch of reporters. "Excuse me, do you think we could get an interview?" Luna nodded, happy to be getting some limelight. "Luna, you're heading into the finals of the Equestria League, a monumental achievement for any trainer. Do you credit your success to your older sister's teachings?" Luna's smile dropped so fast it would have dented the floor. "Celestia made it to third place when she competed, so I'm sure she was able to train you in how to get past that. Am I right?"

Luna didn't reply as the reporters kept going on and on, all about questions over her older sister. All she could hear was how Celestia was a great researcher, and how Luna felt having such an accomplished older sister. But as those questions continued, Luna felt all the strength she had coming this way...fade into nothingness.

'Accomplished? Better? How was she more than me?! I made it to second place, but that still wasn't as good as her third place. That was always my life. I wasn't seen as Luna. I was seen as Celestia's little sister. No matter what I did or achieved, everyone assumed I was only able to do it because she helped me.'

"Well, no more!" Luna reached into her pocket and pulled something out. "Today I'll finally surpass you!" She threw the object at her Pokémon, "Catch!" Everyone's eyes focused on the object, now seeing it was a glass orb roughly the size of a marble. If they had got a closer look at it, they would have seen it had the image of a dark blue crescent moon inside.

Primoon saw the orb and grabbed it, inserting it into the moon pendant around her neck. As soon as the jewel was locked into place, it began to glow before exploding with light, her form soon changing. There, it grew two feet taller and its hair was now flowing loose. Her dress had now been replaced by a blue shirt and skirt under purple armor, which was on her chest, arms, waist and legs. She also wore a helmet, which seemed to take design elements from valkyries, and her chest armor had the pendant and orb locked into it. "Prim..." She spun around before getting into a fighting stance. "MOON!"

"What...just happened?" Spike asked.

"Did it evolve?" Flash added, only for Twilight to shake her head.

"No. Its form changed. This is...Primoon's Full Moon Forme."

"Form change?" Trixie replied, Sunset nodding at this.

"Yes. It's similar to an evolution, but the Pokémon is still the same one and it can be reversed if you want it too." She looked back at the battle. "Think of it like a Mega Evolution. This'll help Luna a lot."

Doc rubbed his chin at the sight. "Not only has Primoon grown stronger, but this form will also give it the Fighting-Type."

"Awesome," Spike gasped.

Twilight stared at Primoon's chest armor, blinking at the pendant and orb now locked together. "To think, she managed to find a Lunar Orb."

"Is that was caused this transformation?" Rarity asked next.

"Yes. It's a very rare item."

Luna smirked at Celestia, who appeared to be in near shock at the sight. "So sister, what do you think? It wasn't easy to find this item, but all the sleepless nights and ruin searching finally paid off. Now my Primoon's power far exceeds your Suncess's."

However, Celestia's face soon morphed to a grin, making Luna growl as she replied, "I'll admit, you caught me by surprise." Celestia then reached into her pocket. "But you aren't the only one with a secret weapon." Luna's eyes went wide as Celestia pulled out an orange marble-sized orb with a sun symbol inside it.

"No..." She watched as Celestia threw the orb at Suncess, who caught and placed it in her pendant before a burst of light formed around her. A few seconds later, Suncess began to grow two feet taller, her dress now being replaced with a white shirt and skirt under golden armor. Her hair was flowing loose under a golden valkyrie helmet and her chest armor had the pendant and orb attached to it. She got into a fighting stance that mirrored Primoon's, "SUN!"

"Wow..." Spike whispered.

"It changed too," Trixie added.

Twilight nodded again. "It used the Solar Orb to enter its Solar Flare Forme."

"Awesome. Does that mean it's a Fighting-Type too?" Flash asked, with Twilight confirmed with one final nod.

"Well Luna, what do you think of my secret weapon? Unlike you, I didn't go aimlessly wandering through ruins looking for it. I did my research and found it ten minutes after arriving at the ruins. Amazing what you can do in a lab." Luna growled while her sister gave her next command. "Mach Punch!"

Suncess cut into a sprint, making Luna point at her, "Foul Play!" As Suncess was about to slam her fist into Primoon, the moon princess flinched before grabbing the sun princess's wrist and spinning her around before slamming her into the dirt.

"Sun!" She cried as her back hit the ground, opening her eyes to see Primoon staring right at her.

"Moon Burst!" She created an orb and fired it point-blank, but Suncess quickly rolled away just in time.

"Dazzling Gleam!" The rainbow orb appeared around her before she slammed into Primoon, knocking her back. "Now Solarbeam!"

"Sun!" Suncess once again started to build up energy as Primoon picked herself up.

"Use Future Sight!"

"Prim!" She formed the orb before throwing it up, "moon!" The orb disappeared once more as Primoon turned back to Suncess.

"Now Mach Punch!" She disappeared in the blink of an eye before appearing in front of Suncess, slamming a flowing fist into her gut.

"Sun!" She cried as she fell back, only to point her Solarbeam at Primoon, blasting the other back.

"This battle's getting seriously intense!" Flash commented, the others agreeing as they then saw a wormhole open in the sky, unleashing a wave of psychic energy at Suncess.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Suncess let out a cry as the rainbow sphere appeared around her, acting as a shield that blocked the Future Sight as she charged at Primoon.

"Mach Punch!" As Suncess got closer, Primoon unleashed a punch that struck the sphere, both strikes making an explosion that covered the field. And as both skidded back, they managed to stay upright, both now heavily panting.

Celestia sighed at the sight, glancing up at Luna. "Sister, let's stop this battle. It's clear if we keep going, the match will end in a draw. Let's just call it that and not put our Pokémon through any more pain."

However, as those words went into Luna's ears, her face began to morph. Her left eye twitched as her brow furrowed, teeth gritting as she glared at Celestia, "Give up...did you just say, give up?!"

"Luna?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Luna screamed, her fists now clenching before pointing at her sister, "This isn't over! I will not give up, and I will not lose to you again! I will beat you!"

"Luna...why are you-"

"Shut up!" Luna screeched, slamming her foot in the ground as she continued, "I'm done living in your shadow, do you hear me?! I'm beating you right here, right now!"

"What's she talking about?" Trixie whispered, only to get shrugs from the rest.

However, it was Spike that would find an answer as he replied, "I think...she's jealous of Professor Celestia."

"But why?"

"Use Moon Burst!"

"Prim!" Primoon began to form her energy sphere, building up as much power as she could.

"Luna...please stop. I-"

"Do it now! Blast her!" Luna interrupted, Celestia's eyes going wide as she now knew words wouldn't help.

"Suncess, use Sun Burst!"

"SUN!" Suncess formed her own energy ball, the two now charging as their orbs began to spark.

"GO!" Luna screamed, both Pokémon now firing their attacks. The two orbs morphed into full-on lasers that flew across the field, colliding in a brilliant clash.

KABOOM!

An explosion covered the field again, everyone shielding their eyes and kneeling down so to not be pushed over from the force. Then, after almost a minute of the place shaking, the light faded as the shockwaves died down. Everyone opened their eyes to see giant smoke cloud was gone, now showing two Pokémon.

"Sun..." they turned to see Suncess laying on the ground. In a flash of light, she reverted back to her normal form as swirls formed in her eyes.

"Suncess's down. What about Primoon?" Trixie noted before they turned to the other end of the field. Here, they saw the moon princess Pokémon in the same position, back to her standard form while swirls replacing her eyes.

Doc raised his arms. "Both Suncess and Primoon are unable to battle, which means this battle is a draw."

Luna slumped over with wide eyes, "No...not again." She then held out her Pokeball, "Return. Thank you...Primoon." The red beam recalled Primoon, Luna's entire body shaking until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Celestia kneeled down with a soft smile on her face, "Luna....I'm so sorry. I never knew you felt this way."

"How could you?!" Luna growled as she swatted the hand off her shoulder. "You were always so focused on your own life you didn't have time to even notice how everyone else was treating me. People are always comparing me to you, saying I'm not as good whenever I fall behind you, or saying it's because of you that I managed to achieve a goal you couldn't gain. They never saw Luna. They just saw...Celestia's little sister."

Celestia could now see tears appear in Luna's eyes, causing her heart to break as she pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry." Luna fought back the tears as she leaned into Celestia's chest. "I never meant for you to feel like this, and I'm sorry I was so focused on my work to notice how you felt. But Luna...you know that the only reason I worked so hard was because I wanted you to grow as high as you could."

This made Luna's eyes shoot open in surprise. "What?!"

Celestia pulled away and looked at her right in the eye. "I always knew you would grow up being better than me, so I wanted to make sure you had the loftiest goal possible. Every time I came up against a challenge, I'd think to myself that Luna's gonna face the same thing one day, and I want her to be as determined as she can be to overcome it." She placed a finger under her chin, "People are wrong about us. It wasn't me that helped you grow into the amazing trainer you are, it was you who helped me grow into the trainer I am. You've always been what's pushed me forward, knowing you were cheering me on and getting ready to come after me."

Now the tears were in full flow as Celestia pulled Luna into another hug. "Oh, sister...I'm so so sorry."

Luna leaned in, her head muffling into Celestia's chest, "Celestia...I'm sorry too. From now on, let's not keep our feelings bottled up. Any time you feel like everything's too much, tell me okay?"

"Okay. As long as you promise to do the same thing."

"Promise."

Over at the side, everyone was smiling at the siblings, Rarity chiming in, "Aw...that's so sweet."

"Sure is," Applejack nodded in agreement.

Flash put his hands behind his head, "I told you. There's nothing a good battle can't solve." Twilight and Sunset both rolled their eyes at this as the two siblings walked over.

"We're sorry you had to get involved in our family issues."

Luna nodded in agreement. "Yes. I was...being childish, and I apologize."

Twilight waved them off. "No, it's fine. Sometimes families have issues that can only be fixed with the help of others. We're just glad you two are done fighting."

"Yes," Celestia said with a happy sigh, "I'm sure now we'll be able to find a way to do this lecture together."

Luna rolled her eyes, "Well...maybe I can cut out some of my material, at least the stuff that's not absolutely necessary to help understand it."

Celestia giggled at this, "You know, maybe you don't have to. If we can just find a way to reword some of it so that it doesn't take as long to say, that could allow us to fit the whole thing in without losing anything. And if we do the same with my material, they should be able to fit together in the time frame we're given."

The others all exchanged smiles, now glad thing were finally starting to work out between the two sisters.

The next day...

The hall was packed, every row filled as everyone waited for the lecture. Twilight and the others were all sitting at the front, a huge smile on her face as the two sisters walked on stage. A loud round of clapping followed this as Celestia said to the audience, "Thank you everyone."

"Welcome to our lecture on Pokémon natures and how they affect raising them."

"My sister will be starting off by explaining each Pokémon nature and what effects they have on their battle skills."

It was here that the lecture began, Luna and Celestia both working in perfect harmony with one another. Neither interrupted, soon showing the practice and planning had been perfected. Even trainers like Flash, Spike and Applejack were completely captivated by the two's speech, the three hours seemingly whizzing by. And after another half hour of Q and A, the lecture was over as everybody began to file out of the hall.

Eventually, only our heroes were left as Celestia said, "Well, I'm happy you could all be here to see our lecture. I hope we didn't bore you too much."

"Are you kidding? It was awesome." Flash replied before putting his hands behind his head, "Heck, I might actually end up remembering some of it."

This made the professors laugh, Twilight facepalming as Luna added, "Well, that is the point. Anyways, good luck with your gym battle. I'm sure you'll win the badge."

Flash nodded back as Twilight walked over to her mentor. "It was great seeing you again professor."

Celestia did a nod back, "Yes, I enjoyed seeing you again soon. The lab isn't the same without you in it." She then turned to Sunset, "No offence."

"None taken," she replied before moving over to Flash, a big smirk on her face, "Like Luna said, good luck in your gym battle. A great trainer like you is sure to win, hands down."

"Uh...thanks." This made Twilight sigh as she pulled him back by his ear. "Yahhh! Ow ow ow!"

"Cool it, Romeo." She grumbled before looking back at Celestia, "Welp, it's about time we head off." Celestia, blank-faced at Twilight's actions, reached into her pocket before pulling out a piece of folded paper.

"Of course. But before you go, take a look at this." She held out the paper. "This might interest you. If you want to see me again, I'll be there in a few weeks."

Twilight took the paper before they left the hall, saying their goodbyes to the rest. And as they reached the edge of the city, she finally opened it up as Flash asked while rubbing his ear, "So...what is it?"

The teen blinked at the paper, soon reading aloud, "Pokémon Summer Camp. An amazing place to learn things about Pokémon you've never even considered existing. Grow as both a trainer and a person to become the best like no one ever was."

"Sounds cool. Where's it at?"

"Someplace called Camp Everfree."

"Ah know that place," Applejack chimed in. "It ain't too far from Applewood. It's said that everything there was built using wood from the Everfree Forest, which is why they named it after the place."

"Awesome!" Spike added. "We should totally go!"

Twilight nodded as she put the paper away, "Agreed. But first-"

"Its Applewood City gym battle time!" Flash interrupted, Springer letting out a cheering 'Riolu!'. Everyone giggled at this, the group continuing their way down the road. Soon, Flash's next Equestrian Gym Challenge would be underway.

Sweet Apple Acres

View Online

"There it is!" Applejack cheered from the top of a hill, the others now looking down at their destination. "Home sweet home."

"Applewood City..." Rarity added as she pointed at the town in the distance. The group now took in the sights, seeing many large buildings in one corner with what appeared a shopping district in the middle with a suburban area taking up the rest of the city space. From the corner opposite of the skyscrapers, they spotted a path leading to a large farmland, most of it covered in trees.

"Is that-" Applejack nodded at Twilight's question.

"Eeyup. That's Sweet Apple Acres, mah family farm and home to the Applewood City Gym." She began to walk down the hill, the others following, "Heck, the farm's the whole reason this city exists. Mah great grandpappy started the farm with vendors comin' to buy his apples. Over time, they decided to stick around and open stores to sell the apple products they made, and eventually, the town slowly began to be built into a city."

Rarity nodded in agreement. "In fact, the name of the city comes from the wood used to build the first few buildings that made the town. Applejack's family sold them the wood from their orchard, namely Appletree wood."

"Cool," Flash replied as he stared at the farm, practically vibrating at the sight. "Hey Applejack, what kind of trainer is your granny like?"

"She's tough." Applejack instantly responded, a proud smile on her face, "People always say that Grass-Types are one of the weakest type, but that's only because they don't know how to properly use 'em to their fullest. Well, Granny Smith knows how, and that's why she's one of the toughest trainers in Equestria!"

"Nice. I can't wait to-"

"APPLEJACK!" interrupted a voice, making them all turn to see a trio of girls Spike's age running up, all three being girls they recognized.

"RARITY!" Another girl yelled with a squeaky voice.

"Apple Bloom!"

"Sweetie Belle!" The two girls quickly met their sisters, both throwing their arms out and pulling them into a big hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"It's great to see you too!" Sweetie Belle cried before pulling away.

Applejack did the same, now looking Apple Bloom over as a tear came to her eye. "Oh, look how big you've gotten."

"Aw, thanks Applejack." Apple Bloom then looked at the others, only to tilt her head at them, "Hey...aren't ya'll the trainers who were competing in the Hoof Cup with mah sister?"

"Yeah!" the last girl pointed to Doc, "That guy's the one who won it!"

"It's nice to meet you all," Twilight told them before they all gave their introductions.

"Riolu," Springer said as he was the last to be introduced this time, only for Sweetie to let out an almost ear-splitting squeal. Before he could put his paws to his ears, she teleported over and pulled him into the tightest hug possible. "Ri! Riolu ri!"

"He's sooooo cute!" She rubbed her face up against his, moaning in his fur. "He's so fluffy I'm gonna die!" The others all laughed at this sight, Springer whining as he tried to pull away.

After a few minutes of this, Rarity leaned down and pushed her sister away, "That's enough Sweetie Belle."

"But Rarity, he's so cute!" she whined, Rarity rolling her eyes at this.

"Oh Sweetie...tell you what, would you like to see some more cute Pokémon?"

"Really?"

Rarity reached for three particular Pokeballs, all holding them up to her, "Meet my new Pokémon."

All three spheres opened, revealing the trio of rock Pokémon as they exclaimed while posing, "HERB/PIE/FIRE!"

"You three, meet my sister, Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie's eyes went wide, unable to speak as Apple Bloom commented, "Oh wow, those are some purty Pokémon, Rarity."

"Why thank you Apple Bloom, I'm glad you-"

"SO BEAUTIFUL!" Sweetie screeched, only to pull all three into a snake-like hug, the trio screaming in pain. "Oh Rarity, I want them all!"

"Sweetie! Don't be so forceful, you're hurting them!" Rarity cried as she started trying to pull them apart, the others all shaking their heads while suppressing giggles.

A few minutes later, Rarity put her Pokémon away before they walked into town, now seeing the many stores filling the streets. There were cafes, clothing stores and many other places that looked like fun after visiting Sweet Apple Acres. And as they entered the suburbs, Rarity turned to the group, "Well darlings, we'll have to be off."

Spike tilted his head at this, "You're not coming with us?"

"As much as I'd like to see Sweet Apple Acres again, I haven't been home in quite a long time. Sweetie and I will come around later, after I've caught up with my parents."

The others all nodded at this, waving goodbye before they split up, Scootaloo also going home to do some chores. They then continued through the houses until they reached a gravel trail that winded into the countryside area, leading up to Applejack's house. The farm was surrounded by a low wooden fence, several broken posts running along the side that were all reinforced with chicken wire. As they neared the entrance, they saw a tall wooden arch which showed a faded, weathered chipped green and red painted sign.

WELCOME TO SWEET APPLE ACRES!

Looking past the sign, they spotted a red, white and purple building that appeared to be a house and a barn built into one structure. Around it were a bunch of sheds, chicken coops and a well. A nearby pen could be seen with a pair of Tauros inside while another pen could be seen holding a bunch of Wooloo prancing around.

Applejack sighed at the sight, "Home sweet home." She then pulled out a Pokeball, "Come on out Winona, we're home!" The ball opened and unleashed the Redog, the pocket monster happily yipping at the sight of home.

"GRANNY! MAC!" Apple Bloom suddenly yelled out, the words echoing over the farm, "APPLEJACK'S HOME!" They waited a few seconds, the door of the building opening up to reveal an elderly lady with green skin and white hair. She was wearing a cream colored top with an orange ascot around her neck that had apples on it, along with a long red skirt and high yellow boots while carrying a walking stick with a rounded top.

"Applejack!" She slowly hobbled over to the hat-wearing trainer, Applejack making up more of the distance before pulling her into a hug.

"Hiya Granny. So good to see ya." She then pulled away and pointed to the others, "Here, I want you ta meet mah new friends."

"Howdy young'ins!" The woman replied while waving at them, everyone waving back.

"Hey there, I'm Flash Sentry and this is my partner Springer."

"Riolu!"

"I'm Twilight," she said with a bow, "And this is my brother-"

"Spike," he pointed to the Terragon on his shoulder, "This is Peewee."

"Terra!"

"And you can call me Doc."

"Mighty fine to meet ya'll," Granny responded before looking them all over, her eyes soon falling on Flash, "Let me guess, you've come for a Gym Battle." Flash's eyes went wide, Granny letting out a guffaw, "Oh, don't be surprised! After all mah years as a Gym Leader, ah've learned ta tell on sight when someone's come to challenge me."

Flash pointed at himself, "Well, I am here to do just that. What do you say?"

"Ah say that ah accept...but how about we have that battle tomorrow? That'll give us both time to prepare and give it our all."

Flash nodded in agreement, "I'm up for that."

"Good. Now, why don't we show you and yer friends around once Big Mac shows up?" As if hearing her say that, a young man a few years older than them came into view alongside a Tauros that was pulling a large cart. "Ah, speak of the devil. Mac, come say hi to yer sister."

The man showed a small smile before Applejack went up and pulled him into a hug, "Hey Mac, so good to see you." They embraced for several seconds before ending the hug, "Looks like ya'll been able to keep this place from burning down without me, huh?"

"Eeyup," Mac nodded before returning to the Tauros and unhooking him. The bull Pokémon moved over to the pen holding the other two, Apple Bloom going with it to open the gate. Mac then opened the cart and took out an apple-filled barrel.

"Want some help?" Doc asked, Mac nodding again in response.

"Eeyup." They all began unloading the apple barrels and brought them into the barn, only needing two trips with all the help. "Thanks." He finished before kneeling down to scratch Winona behind the ear as she ran around his feet.

Twilight took this opportunity to stare at the farm, now seeing its variety. Most of it was fields of apple trees, but there was also berry bushes and vegetable patches along with areas for the Pokémon to hang around. "So you guys farm apples?"

"Only at first," Granny replied as they all began to walk around. "When mah pa first settled here, the apple trees were the first things that grew. But over the years, we've added to our produce." They passed by a berry patch here, the group now seeing Oran, Pecha, Rawst and other types of berries. "We grow these berries and sell 'em to a company in town who use 'em to make potions, antidotes and other healing concoctions." They then walked past another patch, this one growing Nomel, Durin and Belue berries. "These berries we sell for Poke-Muff or Poffin making, or we just eat them ourselves."

"Cool..." Spike commented as Granny picked a few and handed them over, everyone taking a bite with huge smiles, "So good!"

"Terra!" Peewee added.

The Apple family continued to show their friends around, first showing them the Wooloo herd that they would shear to sell the wool. But as they passed that, they then got to their pride and joy. "And this here's the apple orchard," Granny smiled while tapping one of the trees with her walking stick. "One of many covering the farm."

"Is this one the first orchard you planted?" Doc asked, only for Granny to tap the side of her head.

"Well...yes and no. This orchard was the second one we planted, but the first one to grow to full maturity."

"Really? Fascinating."

"Eeyup. Mah pa an ah planted them ourselves, though an orchard don't just grow overnight. Mah family an ah almost starved to death while waitin' for them to grow."

The others frowned at this, only for Spike to ask, "How'd you survive?"

Granny turned around with a big smile, "We had a little help."

"That reminds me." Applejack chimed in, "Where are all the Orchardacre?"

"The what?" Spike asked, only to hear a loud boom, the ground shaking as noises of snapping twigs and rustling branches began to fill the area. They all turned to the source, now seeing a Pokémon that looked like a giant walking tree, similar to that of a Trevenant, that stood at around ten foot high. Unlike Trevenant, it had an afro of leaves with many apples and vines around it, its long branch arms having large bushes at the ends of them with five long stick-like fingers coming out. Just below the afro was three holes, two smaller ones with glowing yellow eyes above a larger hole. Not only that, the Pokémon's legs were six spider-like roots that allowed it to scurry across the ground.

Several seconds later, another of these Pokémon appeared out of the trees, soon followed by what seemed to be a whole horde of the trees. Each one appeared to be carrying a large metal bucket, the sloshing sound of water now being heard as a bunch of Pipple also hopped along the ground beside them.

Spike turned to Applejack, "I'm guessing those are the Orchardacre?"

"They sure as sugar are. They've been a part of Sweet Apple Acres since it was created." Applejack replied as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Orchardacre
Category: Orchard Pokémon
Type: Grass
Info: The evolved form of Pipple. This Pokémon wanders the land looking for dead places which it cares for until a forest is born. It is said that the apples that grow on it become Pipples when they fall.

"That's just a silly superstition," Granny grumbled while rolling her eyes. "The apples are plain old apples. Heck, all the Orchardacre have to do with the apples is its taste. For example, the sweeter the apples, the more healthy the Orchardacre is."

"Cool." Flash remarked.

Twilight then turned to Granny. "Are they the help you were talking about?"

"Eeyup. Ah remember it like it was yesterday. It was a month after we arrived and planted the first seeds as all our food had run out. That night, ah heard a rustlin' and came out to see what was happenin'. It was then ah found the Orchardacre, all of them tending to the land. Turns out, they had stumbled across our place and wanted to help it grow into what you see now. Not only that, it saw we were out of food, which they then chose to give use the apples they were growing."

"They didn't need it for themselves?" Flash asked, Applejack smirking at his question.

"Naw, they don't actually need to eat. They just need water and sunlight to survive."

"Cool." Flash repeated.

"The apples they grow also take a lot longer to do so," Granny continued. "In fact, it takes almost a whole year to grow 'em. That's where the myth about their apples being Pipple comes from."

Twilight rubbed her chin at this information, "So...you just happened to meet the Orchardacre when their fruit was ripe?"

Granny did a small nod. "That's right. The apples they make last a lot longer than regular ones, so we enjoyed them delicious apples every day for a month, plantin' the seeds of the first patch and makin' this here orchard. We don't know why, but something about them seeds make these trees grow like wildfire, with the Orchardacre all lookin' after them and pickin' the fruit for us."

"Wow..." Doc commented as they now started to watch the Orchardacre begin to water the trees, "What amazing Pokémon."

However, Applejack just stared at the Orchardacre with a small frown, "Hey Granny, is somethin' wrong?" The others all turned to her as she continued, "Why are they waterin' the trees like that?"

Granny sighed and shook her head, "Cause it hasn't rained in over a month. The Orchardacre have been sloggin' back and forth from the nearby stream to fetch the water for the trees and for themselves." She started to slightly slump over, "But it's startin' to catch up with 'em. They can't keep up."

Everyone all frowned at this, only for Applejack to smirk at their expressions, "So that's the problem, huh?" She reached for her belt and pulled out a Pokeball, "Well ah've got the perfect Pokémon to help. Lombre, come on out!" She tossed the ball into the air, unleashing the red burst of energy that revealed the kappa Pokémon.

"Lom," he cheered as he stretched his limbs, happy to be out of the ball. "Lom, lombre."

"Oh cool! Is that your new Pokémon sis?" Apple Bloom asked, Applejack nodding as she patted Lombre's lily pad head.

"That's right. Now Lombre, could ya help us out with a Rain Dance?"

"Lom," Lombre replied before beginning to wave his arms around. Dark clouds soon formed above them, quickly opening to unleash a downpour onto the trees.

Everyone cheered at the rain as it soaked the ground, the Orchardacre all celebrating as they began to absorb the water. Even Winona, a Ground-Type, seemed to enjoy the rain as it began jumping around, forming big splashing puddles.

"Yeehaw!" Granny exclaimed with a slap of her knee, "Nicely done Applejack! You too Lombre!"

"Don't mention it, Granny," Applejack tipped her hat. "I'd offer to leave Lombre here for yah, but ah promised to show him as much of the world as possible. But we're stayin' for a while, so we'll be able to help out with things. And if you ever need him, ah could send him through the transporters to help out."

"That's fine Applejack-"

"PIPPLE!" a voice interrupted Granny, Applejack turning to the source before a big smile appeared on her face.

She leaned down and spread her arms wide as a Pipple leapt into her arms, "Bloomberg!" She began to hug her close to her heart, "Look at you. Ya'll grown up, aren't yah?"

"Pip!" Bloomberg rubbed her face into the trainer's chest, the others giggling at the sight.

"Who's this little guy?" Twilight asked as she reached out to the scratch the Pipple's chin, "Friend of yours?"

"Ah hatched Bloomberg here and raised him from a seedling. I wanted to take him on mah journey, but he was too young back then. Had to stay with the rest of the Pipple and Orchardacre."

"Well that shouldn't be a problem any more," Doc said while looking Bloomberg over. "He looks to have reached maturity."

"Eeyup," Mac added as he walked past them, the rain now stopping.

Seeing this, Granny turned to her granddaughter, "Deary, do you and your Lombre mind using that move of yours over at the berry fields? Those fruits are just as thirsty."

"No problem Granny." Applejack, Lombre, Winona and Bloomberg all walked away to the next field, Granny now glancing at the others.

"Now...who wants to help shear the Wooloo?" They all smiled, Mac quickly walking by with a cart filled with razors and buckets. Handing them each one, the four teens all headed into the pen and picked a Wooloo.

"Here Wooly Wooly Wooly!" Spike cheered as he tried to catch his Wooloo, the sheep Pokémon having curled up and now rolling around the pen. "Stay still!"

"Wooloo!" it yelped as Spike and Peewee both tried to grab him...only to kiss dirt as it rolled away at the last second.

"He knows ya'll are nervous," Apple Bloom told him. "He won't let yah shear him if he thinks yah don't know what yer doing. Scared ya'll hurt it."

"So what do I do?" Spike asked as Peewee flew past the Wooloo, grabbing it as Spike looked at the others. A frown graced his face as he saw Flash had already gotten his Wooloo half-balled, Springer putting the wool into one of the buckets while Twilight and Doc were about a third done.

"Relax youngin', that's all you gotta do." Granny said as she walked up to the two. "Let the Wooloo come to you."

"Okay..." Spike turned on the razor and held it out. After a few seconds, he felt a pressure on the end and opened his eyes to see the Wooloo leaning into the cutting instrument. He then pushed the razor up, shearing off a chunk of wool that Peewee caught. He laughed at the sight before picking up speed, slowly catching up to the others. Eventually, each one finished shearing and had a bucket full of wool.

"Ya'll did great. This here wool is sure to be made into something very useful to Equestria." Granny reached down to pick up one of the buckets, only for a crick to let out in her back, "Augh!"

"Here," Twilight reached down to take the bucket for her.

"Thank you lassie. These old bones ain't as flexible as they used to be."

"Most people would use that as an excuse to retire." Flash commented as he picked up another.

Granny shook her head as she rubbed her back, "Don't have the luxury of retiring. This farm needs all the hands it can muster, not to mention the gym."

"Isn't there someone else who could run it?"

"Yeah! You know, like Applejack's parents?" This statement made Granny, Apple Bloom and Mac faces shine dark frowns, making Spike gulp at his question, "Uh...did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"No..." Granny sighed, "But I'm afraid me son and daughter-in-law...ain't around anymore."

"Oh." Spike looked away as he muttered out, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Not yer fault. But it's...still a sore spot. Mah son Bright Mac was always goin on about taking over the farm and gym, but alas-"

"We understand," Twilight interrupted, the others nodding. "You don't have to say anymore."

"Its fine. Ah'll just say...ever since then, things have been hard, especially needin' to run two businesses and help look after a trio of youngins. But we managed as a family. And heck, a few sore bones never hurt anyone."

They then walked away, not noticing Applejack had been listening in. And as they entered into the barn, she looked down at her Lombre, memories along with words from her Granny now flowing through her head. "Maybe...maybe ah'm ready." she told herself before looking back at Granny, "But ah need to know fer sure."

It was here that the others finished the buckets and walked out of the barn, Applejack now coming around the corner before standing right in front of everyone, "Granny Smith, I wanna battle yah right here, right now." Everyone exchanged glances at this, Granny raising an eyebrow as she stared at her granddaughter, "It doesn't have ta be a Gym Battle. Just a match ta see how I stack up against yah."

Granny just stared at her, only to nod, "Alright, we'll battle. Just be sure to bring yer A-game."

Applejack shined a big grin back, "Ah intend too."

It wasn't long till the group go to the farm's battlefield, the bunch of friends now spotting Rarity, Sweetie and Scootaloo walking across the farm. "Hey everyone," Rarity announced as they got close. "How are things going on over here?"

"Pretty good," Twilight replied. "In fact, you're just in time. Applejack and Granny are about to battle."

"Awesome!" Scootaloo cheered, "I've always wanted to watch a real-life battle with the gym leader!" Sweetie nodded in agreement as they headed through the trees, soon entering a large clearing. There they found the arena, trees all surrounding a battlefield as foliage formed a bowl-like covering with an opening in the center where the sun was seeping in. On the ground was a painted outline, a bunch of benches on the side as well.

"Wow...so this is the Applewood City Gym?"

"This is just one of the fields," Granny told Flash as she moved over to the far side of the field and stepped into the trainer podium. "We also have a barn that acts as an indoor arena for when the weather ain't so friendly, but with how things are today, we can enjoy an outside fight." She turned to her granddaughter, who was still holding Bloomberg. "Now lassie, are yah ready to show me everything yah've learned since leavin' home?"

Applejack nodded before handing Bloomberg over to Apple Bloom. "Ah sure am Granny." She and Winona then stepped up to her trainer's podium, everyone else moving over to the benches.

"Oh boy!" Apple Bloom cheered, "Ah finally get to see Applejack and Granny battle!"

Twilight turned to her. "But didn't you watch the Hoof Cup? Applejack battled in that."

The younger girl shook her head, "That was on TV. Now ah get to watch them both in real life."

"But haven't you seen Granny fight challengers before?" Doc asked, the three young girls now all shaking their heads.

"She didn't want to distract the challenger, so she never let us watch. Only Mac or Applejack got to watch, but only when they were acting as Granny's ref."

As they said that, Mac appeared at the center of the field, "Alright, this'll be a one on one battle with no substitutions. The battle will be over when one of either side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Do you both understand?"

"Eeyup," the two replied, Granny then holding up her walking stick. It was here she let go of the rounded top, revealing a Pokeball connected to the wooden cane. "Alright Applejack, yah knew this was coming. Mah very best Pokémon." She slammed the stick into the ground, causing the ball to open and release a blast of red energy, "Go, Timbark!" The energy hit the ground, taking shape of a Pokémon they all knew quite well.

"HAWOOOOO!" The wooden wolf howled out at the top of its lungs, unleashing a wave of bad breath all over the field. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo all covered their noses, letting out squeals of disgust.

"A Timbark..." Doc whispered.

Spike shivered at the sight, "Aw man...I was kinda hoping we never saw one of them again."

Flash crossed his arms at this, remembering what Applejack had said about Granny Smith when she trained in the Everfree Forest and caught her strongest Pokémon there, "So Timbark's the one she was talking about. If this thing is as strong as those were or even stronger, Applejack's gonna have a tough time."

Applejack stared at Timbark, glaring before looking down at her Redog, "Alright...ready to go Winona?"

"Red!" Winona barked before running onto the field.

"Why'd she pick Winona?" Scootaloo asked, "She's a Ground-Type."

"I agree with the concern. Her best bet would have been Brawloey," Twilight added. "I wonder what she's thinking."

Rarity chuckled at this, "Applejack knows what she's doing. She's been planning her battle against her grandmother since the start of her journey. She'll be alright."

"Ah hope yer right," Apple Bloom finished.

"Are both trainers ready?" Mac asked, getting a pair of nods in return. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Use Sandstorm!" Applejack ordered, Winona letting out a loud howl. A tornado of sand appeared out of nowhere, filling the clearing as everyone cried out before shielding their eyes, the windswept sand now assaulting them.

"My hair!" Rarity cried as tried to shield it as well.

"I can't see!" Spike moaned.

"Meaning neither can Timbark!" Twilight commented, the haunted mass of wood now squinting its eyes at the wall of sand.

"Quick Attack!" Winona shot out of the storm and slammed into Timbark, causing it to stagger back a few inches while the Redog jumped back into cloud. "Now use Fire Fang!" Once again, Winona appeared out of the cloud as flames appeared in her mouth.

"Terror Root!" Timbark's whole body glowed a green aura as it let out a loud howl. This caused the ground to shake before a giant root shot out between it and Winona. The Redog saw the root coming and used her Fire Fang to cut through, only for Timbark to charge at the distracted dog, "Wood Hammer!"

"Bar!" Timbark's tail began glowing green before it spun around and struck Winona, sending the Redog flying.

"Red!" She yipped as she hit the ground near the edge of the field, allowing everyone to see her.

"That had to hurt," Spike commented.

"But the Sandstorm is also causing damage to Timbark," Twilight pointed out, the wolf trying not to flinch at the sand.

Applejack stared through the storm as she watched Winona pick herself up, only to see Timbark powering up another Wood Hammer, "Use Dig!"

Winona leapt up in response before drilling into the ground, the Timbark howling as it pounced at Winona, only for the Redog to vanish in the dirt right as Timbark's paws hit the ground.

"Alright!" Apple Bloom cheered, "Now Timbark can't find her."

"Don't be so sure," Twilight told her. "Don't forget about one of Timbark's moves."

"Terror Root!" Timbark's body glowed before the ground shook, multiple roots firing out of the ground. One of them was wrapped around Winona, the dog whining as she was squeezed and lifted high above the dust cloud.

"Red!"

"Use Fire Fang!" Winona's mouth became filled with flames as she bit through the root, cutting through it. But as she fell, another root swung up and slapped her back, slamming her into the dirt.

"Red!" she screamed as the sand began to fade around her.

"There goes the Sandstorm," Doc commented.

"At least now we can see what's happening," Flash added.

"Dark Pulse!" Timbark took a deep breath before letting out another howl, this time a barrage of dark circles firing out of its body. Winona saw this and began to leap away, dodging each blast as Granny yelled, "Now use Bite!" Timbark zipped across the field, instantly catching Winona in its mouth.

"Redog!" She squealed as the wooden wolf's fangs bit into her.

"Winona!" Applejack cried as she saw her best friend struggle in its grip. "Come on Aj...ya'll gotta find a way to get her out!"

"Too late! Use Terror Root!" Once again, Timbark growled before the giant roots shot out of the ground. It then threw Winona into the air, the Redog unable to stop herself from being torn apart by a barrage of flailing roots.

"RED!" She screamed as she hit the ground rolling, only coming to a stop right in front of Applejack.

"Dang it!" Applejack yelled as she knelt down and looked her over, seeing she had taken serious damage from that last attack. Applejack then looked up at Granny, her mind racing a mile a minute. 'Granny....Ah've always looked up to yah ever since ah was a kid.'

The past...

A younger Applejack and Winona, freshly hatched, were running through the trees towards the gym battlefield. Granny had received a challenger, and they knew they had to see it. "Alright Winona," she whispered. "We gotta be quiet." Winona yipped as they reached the field, both now hiding behind some bushes.

They watched as Granny and the trainer faced off, Applejack's father acting as the ref. "Alright," Bright Mac announced, "Battle...BEGIN!"

Applejack watched as the battle began, both sides firing off attack after attack, the two fighting their hardest. She dared not blink, fearing she would miss something amazing. Eventually, it was Timbark up against the trainer's Beartic. "Ice Punch!" The Beartic ran in with a fist now wrapped in freezing cold mist.

"Terror Root!" Timbark's body glowed before the giant roots shot out of the ground between the two, Beartic smashing the wall and freezing it solid. "Now use Dark Pulse!" Timbark leapt over the frozen wall before unleashing a barrage of energy rings, all hitting Beartic's face.

"BEAR!" It cried while staggering back, Timbark landing at the same time.

"Wood Hammer!" Timbark rushed in with a glowing tail, spinning around before slamming it into the off-balance Beartic.

"Beartic!" It fell back with a loud thud, kicking up a cloud of dirt.

And when the smoke faded, Beartic was shown with swirls in its eyes. "Beartic is unable to battle, Timbark wins! All of the challenger's Pokémon are unable to battle, so the victor is the Gym Leader!"

Applejack gasped at the sight, vibration as she hugged Winona, "Awesome. Yah see that girl? One day that'll be us. Ah'll be the leader of this gym, and together, no one will ever be able to beat us."

"Red!"

The Present...

'That was just a pipedream back then, but after ma and pa passed away, it suddenly became much more real. Now, if ah can win, ah might actually be able to take the strain off of Granny.' "That's why ah gotta win!" Everyone looked surprised at the sudden yell, Winona now picking herself up. "Use Quick Attack!" Winona let out a howl before zipping across the field, smashing into Timbark as she yelled, "Now use Fire Fang and aim for the leg!"

"Red!" Winona's fiery mouth snapped onto the wooden wolf's front leg, bracing with everything it could do.

"BAR!" It cried as its leg was scorched, staggering back while limping.

"That's smart AJ...but Timbark doesn't need to move to beat'cha. Terror Root!" Timbark howled before the giant roots broke out of the ground in a circle, forming a protective cage before whipping around.

"Dodge it!" Winona started jumping around, evading the roots before seeing a root coming right for her head, "Fire Fang!"

"Flick it away!" The root bended to slap her, only for Winona to jump over the vine, getting past the cage as she got close to the Timbark.

"Red!" She leapt with a flame-filled mouth, ready to strike.

"Dark Pulse!" Timbark looked up and unleashed a blast of energy into Winona's face, the Redog's flames blocking the blast before being thrown back.

"Sandstorm!"

"REDOG!" The sand cloud exploded off of her, covering the field while blinding everyone again.

"Quick Attack, back to back!" Winona shot ahead at high speed, practically invisible in the sand cloud. This combined with her Sand Rush ability let her zip around effortlessly, but Granny wasn't worried.

"Terror Root!" More roots shot out, all whipping around aimlessly. Despite this, Winona evaded the barrage, quickly getting to the Timbark.

"RED!" She slammed into the wood wolf, knocking it back before jumping back to pick up speed again.

"Bar," Timbark growled while the Sandstorm caused it to flinch, Winona zipping by and slicing it with her claws. She then spun around and did the same attack again, each blow doing a combo into the wolf.

Outside the cloud, everyone watched as white flashes appeared in it, all realizing that Timbark was taking a serious pounding as the Sandstorm blinded it. "This could be it," Twilight commented while crossing her arms, "Applejack might win."

In that moment, Winona stopped her barrage before leaping back, the dog now heavily panting. Despite this, the sand began to fade, Applejack's eyes going wide as she gulped, "No way."

Inside the cloud was a cocoon of roots, all wrapped around the wolf in a spiral motion. The vines were covered in scratch marks, all from Winona's attacks. It was here that the root retracted, now showing a perfectly fine Timbark. Everyone gulped at this sight, Twilight speaking up, "Oh no. It shielded itself from the Sandstorm and Quick Attacks."

Flash gulped next, "Applejack's in trouble."

"Dark Pulse!" Timbark unleashed the energy rings, instantly hitting the sluggish tired Winona, knocking her back with ease.

"Redog!" She cried as she kept staggering back, her form trying to stay on its feet.

"Winona!" Applejack yelped as she watched the dog began to fall, "Get outta there! Use Dig!" Winona tried to pick herself up, preparing to jump-

"Terror Root!" As she leapt into the air, Timbark slammed its paws on the ground, causing a single Terror Root to shoot out of the ground and slam into her.

"RED!" The root then shot up again, wrapping around her body before holding her in place.

"Finish this. Wood Hammer!"

"Tim..." the wooden wolf crouched down as its tail began to glow, "BARK!" It shot into the air, spinning like a wheel as Winona struggled to escape the vine's hold.

"Fire Fang!" Winona bit into the root with her blazing mouth, slowly burning through the plant. But just as the grip started to give, Timbark reached her, smacking her with full force.

"BAR!"

"REDOG!" Winona screamed was batted into the dirt, slamming the ground while kicking up a cloud of dust.

Applejack's eyes went wide at the sight everyone else gasped, "WINONA!"

The cloud then faded, revealing a slumped over dog, "Redog," she moaned as swirls replaced her eyes.

Mac inspected her before letting out a sigh, "Winona is unable to battle. Timbark wins and victory goes to Granny Smith!"

"Winona!" Applejack rushed over to her fallen friend, the others all sighing as they got up and moved over to her. She picked the Redog up, "Ya'll okay girl?"

"Red..." Winona moaned out while opening her eyes, trying to lick her before limping over again.

"Oh Winona...ah'm sorry. Ya'll did great." She pulled her into a hug, "Ah'm proud of yah."

"And ah'm proud of you, Applejack." She looked up, now seeing Granny and Timbark walk over to her. "Even though yah lost, ya'll have shown me just how strong ya'll have become." She reached behind her ascot and removed something attached to it, showing a badge that was shaped like an apple with a segment taken out of it.

Flash's eyes grew wide at the sight, "Is that the Gym Badge?"

Granny nodded at this, "It's called the Harvest Badge. And one day, it'll be Applejack's duty to give them to trainers who beat her."

This made everyone's eyes go wide, Twilight now speaking, "Wait...Applejack's gonna be the Gym Leader one day?"

The Apples all nodded at this, Granny chuckling as her granddaughter stood up. "Of course. She went on her journey so that she could learn everything she could to take over the farm and running the gym." She then patted Applejack's shoulder, "And it's clear now that ya'll grow into a fine Gym Leader. By the time the Equestria League is over, ah might finally get to retire." She let out a long sigh, "And boy do ah need it..."

"Pip!" Bloomberg cried as it leapt out of Apple Bloom's arms and into Applejack's, the girl giggling as she held the Grass-Type.

Applejack patted the little one, now looking back up at Granny, "Thanks Granny. Ah'll keep getting stronger, ah promise."

"Ah know ya'll will."

Applejack then turned to Flash, a cheeky smile on her face, "Ya'll up next partner. Think ya'll got a chance now that yah seen what yer up against?"

Flash rubbed his chin at this, a half frown on his face before responding, "To be honest...I'm not sure." He then turned to Granny, "But, I do know one thing. I know I've got a chance."

"Riolu! Ri riolu!" Springer cheered, Flash looking down at his friend before pumping his fists.

"He's right. By this time tomorrow, that Harvest Badge is gonna be sitting beside my other badges."

Granny let out a guffaw, "Now that's what ah like ta hear youngin'."

Flash then glanced at Applejack, "You wanna referee our match tomorrow?" This made Applejack smirk, giving him a nod in return. "Alright! You ready bud?"

"Riolu!" Springer nodded.

Our heroes arrival at Applejack and Rarity's homes have been filled with much excitement. Meeting their families and exploring Sweet Apple Acres have been quite an experience. Now Flash must prepare for his Gym battle, but will he be able to overcome Granny's might and win the coveted Harvest Badge? You'll have to stay tuned to find out.

Farmyard Throwdown

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The day of Flash's fourth Equestria Region Gym challenge had arrived. Today, Flash would be challenging Granny Smith for the chance to win the coveted Harvest Badge. "Alright!" Flash cheered as he, Springer, Twilight, Doc, Spike, Peewee, Rarity, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo all arrived at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. "Time to get this party started!" He slammed his fist into his palm, Springer mimicking his movement.

"Just be careful Flash," Twilight instantly responded, "Don't forget how powerful Granny's Pokémon are."

Doc nodded in agreement, "That Timbark of hers is way stronger than the ones you fought in the forest."

"I know. Don't worry, I've got this," he assured him as they walked into the farm, soon spotting the Apple Family standing by their barn house.

"Howdy ya'll," Granny said as she stared at Flash. "Yah ready youngin?"

"Ready and waiting," Flash replied while crossing his arms with a smirk, "I challenge you to a Gym Battle."

"And ah accept. Now come along, the battlefield's waitin fer us." They all nodded and headed over to the orchid, now noticing it was a truly sunny day, even brighter than it had been the day before.

But as they reached the arena, Flash stopped Granny. "Sorry about this, but I gotta do something before this battle." Flash reached for his belt and pulled out a Pokeball, tossing it into the air, "Hopper, come on out!"

The ball released the Pokémon, the little guy immediately cheering as he hopped into Flash's arms, "Hop! Hoppin!"

"Oh? Is that little fellah your first pick? He looks awful young." Granny asked with a raised eyebrow.

Flash shook his head in response, "No, Hopper here just hatched from his egg. He joined my team soon after, and I want him to witness a gym battle." He then turned to Twilight, "Could you hold onto him during the battle please?"

"No problem," Twilight took Hopper as Flash began to pat his head.

"Hopper, if you're gonna be part of my team, you'll need to see what a Gym Battle's like. So pay close attention, alright little buddy?"

"Hoppin," he replied, nodding as Twilight began to go to the benches...and had to ask Rarity to restrain Sweetie from grabbing and death hugging Hopper. As such, the group all sat down as Springer joined Twilight and the others, Flash having decided to not use him in this match. With this, Flash now stood on a podium opposite of Granny, Applejack walking up to the ref's spot.

Applejack then raised her arm, "The Gym Battle between the challenger Flash, and Granny Smith the Gym Leader, will now begin! Each side can use up ta three Pokémon, and the battle will end when all three of either sides' Pokémon are unable to fight. Also, only the challenger may be allowed to substitute Pokémon." She glanced at the two trainers, "Got that?"

"Got it!"

"Ah understand," Granny pulled out her first Pokeball. "Grass Pokémon are a sign that all life is connected. Plants, humans and Pokémon, they all can't exist without the other. Now ya'll see just how powerful that connection is. Pipple, take root!" She tossed the ball into the air, a blast of red energy revealing the apple-shaped Pokémon.

"Pip!"

"A Pipple?" Spike asked, "Why not use an Orcidacre?"

"I'm sure we'll find out," Twilight added before turning to Flash. "Now, which will he pick?"

"Skyler, I choose you!" Flash threw the ball up, now revealing the Wingust as it flew down to the ground.

"Wing/Pip." The two Pokémon stared each other down, the trainers doing the same.

Applejack glanced at both before nodding, "Wingust versus Pipple. Are both trainers ready?" Flash and Granny nodded, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Quick Attack!" Flash commanded barely a second after Applejack's words. Skyler instantly reacted, beating its wings as it propelled itself forward.

"Dodge it!" Granny ordered, Pipple jumping to the side just as Skyler rocketed past him.

"Wing?" Skyler gasped before looking back at his opponent in surprise.

"It's faster than it looks." Flash muttered before pointing at the Pokémon, "Alright then, use Air Cutter!"

"Wing..." Skyler flew up and pointed himself at the Pipple, "Gust, gust, gust, gust, gust!" He began to beat his wings, unleashing a barrage of air blades. Seeing this, Pipple quickly started jumping around, avoiding each attack with ease.

"How is that thing moving faster than Skyler?!" Flash asked with wide-eyes, only for Granny Smith to giggle at him.

"Ya'll can thank today's overly sunny weather. The brighter the sun, the faster the Pipple gets."

"Seriously?" Spike gasped, turning to his sister.

Twilight nodded. "It's Chlorophyll, Pipple's ability. In overly sunny weather, its speed increases."

"Meaning Flash is gonna have a tough time landing an attack," Doc added.

"Yeah!" Apple Bloom cheered, "Granny's so awesome!"

"Well, this Flash guy's no slouch either," Scootaloo pointed out. "He did get second place in the Hoof Cup."

"Hop..." Hopper muttered out as he began to show a frown, only to feel Twilight rub his head, making him look up, "Hop?"

"Don't worry, the fight has just started. Flash can do it."

Hopper stared at her, seeing the confidence in her eyes before looking back at his trainer, "Hop! Hop, hop, hoppin!"

"Ri, ri, riolu!" Springer cheered as well as Granny gave her next order.

"Time ta use the perfect move for a sunny day." She pointed her walking stick at Skyler, "Solarbeam!"

"Pip!" Pipple's head leaf began to glow, making Flash smirk.

'Solarbeam takes time to warm up. This is our chance.' "Use Steel Wing!" Skyler flew up into the air as his wings began to glow, then arched to divebomb at Pipple.

"WING!" He roared as he charged at Pipple, only to see the Grass-Type smile.

"PIPPLE!" It opened its mouth and unleashed a beam of sunlight, Skyler gasping as he tried to pull away.

"Wing!" He grunted as the Solarbeam hit his wing, making him stumble in mid-air before tasting dirt, "Gust!"

"Skyler!" Flash yelled, watching his Wingust try to pick himself up. "How?!"

"How did Solarbeam fire so quickly?" Rarity asked, remembering her battle against Rainbow and how long it took her Movine to fire that move.

"It's the sunlight," Applejack replied while pointing to the opening in the canopy. "It's as bright as it would be during a Sunny Day attack. That's why Solarbeam fired so quick."

Twilight rubbed her chin at this, "I'm starting to see why she chose to use this Pipple instead of its evolved form."

"Use Slam!" Pipple charged at the command, Skyler trying to spread his wings to escape, only to flinch as the burn on its left-wing reacted.

"Wing!" He cried as the spinning fruit Pokémon slammed into him, making him stagger back.

"Skyler!"

"Finish this!" Granny pointed her staff at Skyler again, "Magical Leaf!" Pipple's head leaf began to glow a rainbow of colors before it swung its head around, causing multiple leaves to shoot off like boomerangs.

Seeing Skyler still in no shape to evade, Flash pulled out his Pokeball and pointed it at Skyler. "Return!" The red beam flew out and hit the Wingust, pulling it back before the Magical Leaf made contact. Instead, they exploded off the ground, a small cloud of dust now forming.

Everyone else sighed at this, Sweetie then commenting, "Wow. That's Pipple's tough."

Doc nodded in agreement, "Take that speed, power and add the bright sunlight, and you've got the recipe for a majorly tough opponent."

Spike looked worried, holding Peewee extra tightly. "How's Flash supposed to beat something like that?"

"Good question," Twilight added as saw Flash stare at his Pokeball.

"Great work Skyler," he told the ball. "You rest up for later. Let the rest of the team handle this for now." He enlarged another ball and pointed it at the battlefield. "Prongs, I choose you!" He tossed the ball, opening to release the Grass-Type starter.

"Fay!" The deer Pokémon cheered as it landed on the battlefield.

Granny raised an eyebrow at this, "That's an interesting choice. What made you choose this one?"

"You'll find out. Let's go Prongs."

"Fay!" The Thawn added, now getting into a battle stance.

"Guess ah will. Ready Pipple?"

"Pip!"

"Thawn versus Pipple, battle...begin!"

"Energy Ball!" Prongs opened its mouth before the sphere of nature energy appeared, quickly shooting the orb at the Pipple.

"Dodge!" Pipple leapt to the side, the sphere blasting the dirt beside him.

"Now Body Slam!" Prongs galloped at the apple, ready to bum-rush the Pokémon.

"Dodge a-gin!" Pipple once again jumped away, but Prongs and Flash just smirked.

"Not this time. Do it Prongs!" The Thawn suddenly shifted direction, instantly smashing his head into Pipple.

"PIP!" Pipple cried as it went flying in pain, rolling on the ground next as Prongs stood tall.

"What?!" Granny gasped, only to look up to see grinning Flash. She then started chuckling, shaking her head, "Huh. Not bad at all sonny boy. Yah figured out Pipple's flaw."

"What flaw?" Spike asked, Twilight snapping her finger in response.

"Of course. Pipple's fast, but it's not agile." Everyone turned to Twilight as she continued, "During Skyler's battle, Pipple kept moving in one direction. Whenever it picked up speed, it couldn't turn unless it had to slow down. Skyler might have an issue with this, but Prongs doesn't."

"You got that right!" Flash yelled as he pointed at Pipple, "Let's go! Double Kick!"

"Fay!" Prongs galloped at the fruit Pokémon, the opponent quickly trying to jump away. But as it tried, Prongs spun around and smacked the fruit with two thrusting back legs, "THAWN!"

"PIP!" It cried as it flew back, rolling along the battlefield.

"Solarbeam!" Pipple then hopped back up, its leaf beginning to glow.

"Energy Ball!" Flash commanded, Prongs creating another orb as it tossed it at Pipple, only for the apple Pokémon to leap away.

"Pip!" it cried as the Energy Ball exploded at the ground in front of it, the force sending Pipple flying back. But as it flew into the air, it's attack finished charging. "PIPPLE!" The Solarbeam launched, rocketing down at Prongs.

"Energy Ball, again!" Prongs fired another sphere, which hit the Solarbeam and exploded. Despite this, the beam continued, causing the ground in front of Prongs to explode. But the impact of the Energy Ball had greatly weakened it, making Prongs just slightly stagger back. "Body Slam!"

"Fey!" The Thawn galloped as Pipple got close to the ground.

"Slam!"

"Pip!" Pipple started spinning, turning into a red sphere that rolled along the ground the second it touched down.

The two clashed, the force of their attacks equaling before causing them to both be knocked back, "Energy Ball/Magical Leaf!" The two launched their ranged attacks, both slamming into another, creating an explosion of smoke.

"Solarbeam!" Pipple started building up power again, but Flash just pointed at it.

"Oh no you don't! Double Kick!" Prongs raced through the cloud, shooting out of the other side before spinning around to slam both back hooves into Pipple. The little fruit Pokémon cried out as it was sent flying, only to fire the Solarbeam.

"FAY!" Prongs cried as the laser hit, pushing him back to the other side of the field.

"Now's yer chance! Synthesis!" Pipple nodded before its leaf started glowing, that glow now quickly spreading to the rest of its body.

"Not good," Twilight commented, "If Flash doesn't stop that, Pipple will be completely healed."

"Seriously?!" Spike gasped.

"Prongs!" Flash cried out as his Thawn picked himself up, "Body Slam!" Prongs went into a charge, quickly closing the distance and slamming himself into Pipple. It cried out as its Synthesis stopped, though it had regained a good third of its health. "Now Body Slam, back to back!"

"Fey!" Prongs began running in a circle around Pipple, giving it nowhere to escape.

"Solarbeam!" Pipple began building up its energy, only for Prongs to slam into it again. He then did it again, then again and again and again. It grunted with each hit, ready to hop away as soon as the laser was ready.

But as this happened, something began to change. The field suddenly grew a lot less bright, the sun's light seemingly disappearing. Everyone looked up to see a bunch of clouds now covering the sun, making Pipple's fast Solarbeam impossible.

"Dagnabit! Oh all the time fer that to happen!" Granny yelled before glaring at her Pokémon, "Ya'll gotta fire it now!"

"Double Kick!" Prongs appeared in front of Pipple again, spinning around to slam his hooves into it again.

"Pip!" Pipple flew back as Prongs jumped back to a safe distance. But at that moment, Solarbeam reached full charge. "PIPPLE!" The beam shot out, but Prongs was ready.

"Jump up!"

"Thawn!" Prongs used all its strength to leap into the air, the explosion caused by Solarbeam hitting the ground, pushing him even further.

"Now, BODY SLAM!" Gravity took its toll as it pulled Prongs back down, ready to fully bum-rush the fruit.

"Magical Leaf!" Pipple aimed its attack at Prongs as its leaf began to glow. But just as it was about to fire, the clouds moved away from the sun, the bright light now making it flinch as it felt a blast of energy in its body.

BLAM!

"FEY!" Prongs slammed his front hooves into Pipple, knocking it flying across the field. It then leapt back, landing in front of Flash as the apple Pokémon came to a stop, now showing everyone swirls in its eyes.

"Pipple's KO'd, Thawn wins!"

"Yes!" Flash yelled as the rest of his friends all cheered.

"Way to go!" Spike hollered, Springer, Hopper and Peewee letting out joyous cries.

Twilight clapped her hands at this, "Well done! Prong's maneuverability really helped him there."

Doc nodded in agreement, "But that battle still took a lot out of Prongs. Add in the damage Skyler took along with Granny having two fully rested Pokémon, and I'd say the odds are even."

"So Flash can't afford to lose focus?" Rarity asked, Big Mac nodding.

"Eeyup."

"Excellent work Pipple, ya'll did great." Granny added as she returned her Pokémon to its Pokeball before smiling at Flash. "Yer Thawn's a strong critter, ah'll give yah that."

"Thanks. We've trained hard."

"Fay," Prongs scrapped his hoof along the ground.

"Ah'm sure yah have." Granny took out another Pokeball, "So let me show yah what all that hard work could lead ta. Chitaleaf, take root!" She tossed the ball into the air, releasing a swirl of red energy to reveal a new Pokémon.

It was a deer-like Pokémon standing at around four and a half feet. Its body was mostly light green, with brown running from the end of its nose to its lower mouth and down the front of its neck to its underbelly. It was also at the end of its flank while having a pair of brown spots on its back, one on either side, along with a large brown spot on its rear. A patch of grass could be seen sprouting out of its chest, growing around its neck to form a collar while its back legs were brown, running from its knees to its hooves while its flank had a small assortment of large leaves. On its head were a pair ten-inch antlers with one or two leaves on them. The Pokémon opened its eyes before letting out a long grunt, "Leaf!"

Everyone flinched at the sight before Spike asked, "Is that what I think it is?"

Doc gulped and nodded, "if you think it's Prong's evolved form, then you're right."

While he said this, Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Chitaleaf
Category: Leaf Pokémon
Type: Grass
Info: The evolved form of Thawn. When in conflict, Chitaleaf charge at one another and lock their horns together. It's theorized that herds of Chitaleaf are led by the one with the largest horns.

"This could be bad." Flash muttered before asking Prongs, "You up for this buddy?" He let out a growl in response as he stared at his evolved form. "Alright, I trust you."

It was here that Applejack spoke up, "Thawn versus Chitaleaf. Are both trainer's ready?" They nodded, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"BODY SLAM!" They both yelled at the same time, the two deer charging before letting out a cry, both slamming into each other. As they did this, Chitaleaf instantly overpowered Prongs, knocking him back with a mighty push.

"Now use Poison Jab!" Chitaleaf's horns glowed purple before thrusting the antlers with a leap.

"Dodge it!" Prongs began jumping back, Flash then commanding, "Now, use Leech Seed!"

"Fey!" Prong's horn nubs began to glow before shooting off and flying at his evolved form, hitting it in the head and embedding a pair of seeds into its fur. Those seeds then broke open before unleashing a horde of vines, all of them wrapping around Chitaleaf.

"Chit?" It gasped, only to start flinching as the Leech Seeds flared up.

Flash smirked while Granny growled, the two quickly selecting their next moves. "Energy Ball/Seed Bomb!" Prongs formed the sphere of nature energy in front of it while Chitaleaf opened its mouth, the gullet now glowing.

"Fey/Chita!" The two launched their attacks, Chitaleaf now spitting several large orange seeds wrapped in green energy. They collided, only for the first Seed Bomb to be destroyed, causing an explosion. But as this happened, the others flew through the smoke and struck Prongs. "Thawn!"

Flash grimaced as he watched Prongs fall back, kneeling down for a second, "You okay?"

"Fey..." Prongs moaned as he picked himself up, "Thawn!"

"Alright..." Flash stared back at Chitaleaf and saw the Leech Seed flare up and sap even more energy. "We just gotta be careful. We can't overpower that thing, so let's outspeed it. Start dashing!" Prongs let out another roar before charging at his opponent.

"Keep up with it!" Granny ordered as Chitaleaf began running after Prongs. Everyone watched as the two deer Pokémon danced around each another, one barely managing to keep pace as their trainers gave commands. Granny ordered a Body Slam, but Prongs leapt away before Flash told him to use Double Kick. Prongs spun around and did so, but Chitaleaf also spun around and used one of its back legs to knock away Prong's legs before hopping back to a safe distance as the Leech Seed flared up again.

"Seed Bomb!"

"Leaf!" It launched several seeds again, these hitting Prongs as he was still off-balance from being knocked away by Chitaleaf.

"Fey!" Prongs cried out, backpedaling as Chitaleaf charged at him again.

"Poison Jab!" Chitaleaf's horns began to glow purple before jabbing them into Prong's side.

"Thawn!"

"Prongs!" Flash yelped, seeing his Pokémon now falling over. Everyone gasped at the sight, now seeing Prongs trying to get up.

"Come on Prongs!" Spike yelled as the other Pokémon cheered.

"Fay..." Prongs moaned as he got back to his feet. But as he did this, purple lightning surged around his body, making him flinch. "THAWN!"

And when the lightning faded, he fell to the ground with spirals in his eyes.

"Thawn is KO'd. Chitaleaf wins."

Everyone frowned at this, Rarity shaking her head, "Tough luck there."

"What was that lightning?" Sweetie asked.

"Poison, all brought on by the Poison Jab." Doc answered.

Twilight sighed at this. "Prongs did really well considering he was up against his evolved form. Now things are all tied up."

"Return Prongs," Flash recalled his Pokémon into his Pokeball before smiling at it. "You did great out there. Take a nice long rest."

Granny chucked next, "Yer Thawn's no slouch. Ya'll have raised it well. The fact it gave Chitaleaf such a hard time shows how well it's been trained."

"Thanks," Flash took out his next Pokémon, "But don't think I'm giving up."

"Ah'd hate it if yah did. Alright, who's next?"

"This guy. Viper, I choose you!" He tossed the ball into the air, now unleashing the Hisscor.

"Scor!"

"A Hisscor, huh? Good choice." She looked down at her Chitaleaf, "Ya'll ready?"

Chitaleaf replied with a nod, "Leaf!"

"Alright then," Applejack announced. "Hisscor versus Chitaleaf. Battle...BEGIN!"

"Seed Bomb!" Chitaleaf quickly fired off a new the barrage of high-speed seeds, but Flash just smirked.

"Not this time. Flamethrower!" Viper took a deep breath before unleashing a long stream of fire, instantly incinerating them. "Oh yeah! Now use Poison Sting!"

"Hiss..." Viper took another deep breath before unleashing a stream of poisonous needles, "SCOR!"

"Dodge it!" Chitaleaf jumped out of the way, only for the Hisscor to continue firing more Poison Stings, Chitaleaf soon managing to continuously evade them without issue.

"Flamethrower!" Viper changed from his Poison-type ranged attack to his Fire-type, blasting another stream of fire. But Chitaleaf dodged this as well, though not without getting a few singed hairs.

Eventually, Chitaleaf reached Viper as Granny Smith gave her next order. "Body Slam!"

"Leaf!" Chitaleaf pulled its front legs up before thrusting them back down. But as it did this, Viper slithered away, the hooves hitting the ground on either side of him before he wrapped his body around one.

"Alright Viper, use Bite!"

"Scor!" Viper bit into Chitaleaf's leg, causing it to cry out in pain.

"CHITALEAF!" The grass deer started thrashing around like a bucking bronco, but the Hisscor continued to keep a tight grip. It was here that the Leech Seed flared up, sapping a portion of his energy. And after a minute passed, the evolved starter finally shook Viper loose, allowing it to slip its leg out of the coil before jumping back. But as it landed on its bitten leg, it flinched at the pain.

"Alright! That'll slow Chitaleaf down!" Spike cheered, "Get'em Flash!"

"Fire Spin!" Viper leapt into the air as his tail caught fire, then flipped to flick the fireball at Chitaleaf. But despite the pain in one leg, Chitaleaf pushed himself off the ground, dodging the fireball as it exploded into a fire tornado.

"Time to take a page out of your book. Leech Seed!"

"Chit!" Chitaleaf's horns glowed before a pair of lights shot off and hit Viper before he landed, causing him to become wrapped up in the vampiric vines.

"Scor?" He asked as he looked himself over, only to flinch as his energy began to drain away. "Hisscor!"

"You're okay Viper, just tough it out! Use Flamethrower!" Flash commanded as Viper spat out another stream of fire, this one striking Chitaleaf dead-on.

"LEAF!" It cried as the flames hit, "Chita!" it yelped as he hopped around, its whole body now badly burnt.

"Get'em with Poison Jab!" Chitaleaf cut into a sprint next, galloping as it made sure to keep most of its weight off its injured leg while its horns began to glow purple.

"Counter with Fire Spin!" Viper spun around and flicked its burning tail at Chitaleaf, the fireball exploding into a flaming spiral right in front of it. Chitaleaf was unable to stop its rush, now galloping into the flames. But despite this, it went through the flaming tornado before slamming its horns into Viper.

"Scor!" He cried as he was sent flying back, slamming into the ground and rolling to a stop as Chitaleaf staggered back. They both shook their heads next, Viper picking himself up, only to then feel the draining force of the Leech Seeds. "SCOR/LEAF!"

And as the Leech Seed's effect ended...only one Pokémon stood.

"Leaf..." Chitaleaf moaned as it fell over, eyes now spirals as it tasted dirt.

"Chitaleaf is KO'd," Applejack announced. "Hisscor wins."

Everyone cheered at this, Doc now saying, "And then there was one."

"But that doesn't mean it's gonna be easy," Twilight told him. "Don't forget whose coming next."

"Its fine. You got this Flash," Spike added.

"Just stay calm," Rarity noted while the younger girls nodded.

"Chitaleaf, return." Granny replied as she recalled her Pokémon, only to stare back at Flash, "Ah admit, ya'll are a strong one. No wonder ya'll have managed to git three badges already." She then took her hand off her staff's top, revealing the Pokeball connected to it. "But ta get mah badge, ya'll need to overcome yer greatest challenge."

Flash smirked back, Viper doing the same. "Bring it on."

"Very well," she held the staff up. "Timbark," she slammed the stick into the ground, "take root!" The ball opened to unleash a swirl of red energy, soon revealing the wooden wolf.

"HAWOOOOO!" Timbark howled to the sky before glaring down at Viper. "Timbark…"

"Alright," Applejack raised her hand, "Timbark versus Hisscor. Battle...BEGIN!"

"Flamethrower!" Flash instantly ordered, Viper unleashing a stream of fire.

"Terror Root!" Timbark's eyes began to glow as it slammed its paws into the ground, causing large roots to shoot out and block the flames. The Terror Roots quickly burst into flames as Timbark retracted them back into the ground, the wood wolf charging ahead as soon as the roots disappeared, "Use Bite!"

"Tim!" Timbark thrust its mouth forward, Viper quickly trying to hop back from the crunching of the wolf's teeth. But as he tried this, the Leech Seed flared up, making him flinch right before the Timbark got a hold of him.

"Scor!" He cried in pain, Timbark's teeth now chomping down on the end of its tail.

Timbark smirked before wildly thrashing around, swinging Viper into the dirt like a ragdoll. "Tim! Bark! Tim! Bark! Tim!" He then let go as he flicked his head up, sending Viper flying.

"Dark Pulse!" Timbark began forming the dark energy beam in its mouth as Flash let out a command.

"Use Flamethrower!" Viper pointed his head down, firing a blast of fire as Timbark unleashed a barrage of dark energy rings. The two attacks collided in midair, exploding and blocking Timbark's vision enough for Viper to land without issue.

"Scor!" He flinched again as the Leech Seed flared in his side.

Seeing this, Granny gave her next order, "Terror Root!" Timbark called upon the giant roots, all firing at Viper. But as they tried to charge at the snake, Viper quickly leap away, just barely dodging the vines.

"Use Flamethrower! Aim for the base of the roots!" Viper fired another blast, the flames cutting down the roots with a single stream of fire.

"Dark Pulse!"

"Dodge it and use Fire Spin!" Viper leapt to the side as his tail lit, the Dark Pulse hitting the ground. He then flicked its tail, launching the fireball.

Timbark didn't react in time as the fireball hit the ground, exploding to form the tornado. "Bar..." it growled as the flames swirled around it, burns now covering its body.

"Oh no yah don't! Use Dark Pulse!" Timbark howled as the dark energy rings shot out of its mouth, all of them hitting the base of the tornado. The attack cut off the legs of the flames, causing the blazing vortex to fade. But when it was free, it looked up to see...nothing. "Behind you!" Timbark's trainer yelled, the wolf turning around to see the Hisscor with an open mouth.

"Flamethrower!"

"SCOR!" Viper breathed the stream of fire again, this one shooting across the field before hitting Timbark with a full blaze of fury.

"Timbark!" It whined as the flames bit into its body, the wolf starting to jump around as the fire kept pricking at its sides. But as it came to a stop to attack Viper, it suddenly ignited again, making it howl in pain before the flames disappeared.

"Alright!" Doc cheered, "Looks like Timbark got burnt."

"Now's Flash had a chance!" Spike added as the other Pokémon cheered.

"Go, darling!"

Flash pointed at Timbark with a big smirk, "Poison Sting!"

"Dodge it!" Granny yelled as Viper spat out the toxic darts, the wolf quickly dodging all but one, a single needle piercing his leg. "Its okay. Just use Terror Root!" It slammed its paws into the ground again, another barrage of large roots now shooting out from underneath Viper.

"Scor!" He cried out as the first vine threw him into the air, the second and third ones quickly swinging down and slapping him. "HISSCOR!" As this was happening, the Leech Seed flared up again.

Granny now seeing this chance, pointed at the falling Viper, who had been caught by another root that wrapped around him. "Wood Hammer!"

"Tim..." the wooden wolf crouched down as its tail began to glow, "BARK!" He shot into the air, the Terror Root swinging Viper to the wolf.

"VIPER!" Flash yelled, but it was too late. Before Viper could open his eyes, the opponent was already within reach.

"TIMBARK!" It spun and slammed its tail into the Hisscor's head, sending him rocketing to the ground at high speed.

"SCOR!" He cried before tasting dirt, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

"Viper!" All Flash and the others could do was watch as the dust cleared, revealing a limp Viper on the ground with swirls in his eyes.

"Hisscor's KO'd," Applejack pointed at the wooden wolf as it landed. "Timbark wins."

Everyone sighed at seeing this, Spike slumping in his seat, "Aww man. And just as he got that wolf burned."

Rarity nodded in agreement, "That Wood Hammer is one incredible move. It tore poor Viper apart."

Twilight rubbed her chin at that statement, "Maybe, but it's a very risky one. Since it causes recoil damage, using it too much is dangerous."

"Now Flash only has one Pokémon left to win with," Doc added.

After returning Viper, Flash smiled down at the Pokeball, "You did great bud, now take a long and well-deserved rest." He placed the Pokeball back into its holder while smiling at Granny, "You sure live up to your title as a Gym Leader. You've had me on my toes all match." Granny chuckled back as he took out one last Pokeball, "But I'm still winning that badge. Skyler, I choose you!" He tossed the ball, unleashing the bird Pokémon.

"Gust!" Skyler panted, his body a little shaky from the previous battle.

"Wingust versus Timbark. Battle...BEGIN!"

"Use Quick Attack!" Skyler leapt up and charged at the Timbark, picking up as much speed as he could.

"Terror Root!" Timbark howled as giant roots shot out around it, all swinging around wildly to act as a shield.

"Wing?" Skyler began to slow to evade the roots, barely managing to keep himself from being struck. "Wingust!" He then flew above the canopy, out of the attack's range.

Flash growled at the sight, only to point at the roots, "Use Air Cutter!"

"Wing..." Skyler pulled his wings back, "Gust, gust, gust, gust!" He rapidly beat his wings, unleashing a volley of air blades. But as they began to cut the roots, each blade seemed to only be able to cut into about a third of the vines.

"Try Steel Wing!" Skyler's wings began to glow as he slammed into the roots, now cutting out a huge chunk of the vines.

"Dark Pulse!" As Skyler flew cut his way through the last root, he suddenly found himself face to face with a stream of energy rings.

"Gust?!" His eyes went wide at the sight, the attack striking him flying back.

"Skyler!" Flash screamed as he watched the Wingust fall, just managing to recover from the attack as he flared his wings open, barely flying out of freefall.

"Wing..." he panted while flying back up. But he then heard Granny order another Terror Root attack, which made him look over his shoulder to see the roots shoot out of the ground.

"Double Team!" Everyone watched as Skyler began to evade the roots, multiple versions of him appearing all the battlefield. The Skyler flock flew in every direction, most getting swatted out of existence by the Terror Root. "Quick Attack!"

"Wing!" Skyler tried to fly around the roots while picking up speed, but the sheer amount made it impossible to pick up speed. Due to this, when he finally got past the last root, the wooden wolf saw him coming and spun around.

"Bark!" Its tail smashed into Skyler, knocking him back into the forest of roots. He would have ordered them to attack, only for the burn status to flare up, "Timbark!"

"Now's your chance! Steel Wing!" Skyler nodded and began chopping his way through the roots, reaching the Timbark as he began to recover.

"Dark Pulse!"

Skyler's eyes went wide at the sight, quickly pulling himself back as the Dark Pulse hit the ground, making it explode. "Gust!" He cried as the force pushed him away, but his wings quickly flared to stop him in midair.

Seeing this, Twilight bit her lip, "This is really bad. Skyler can't get close. If he uses Quick Attack, the Terror Roots block him. But if he uses Steel Wing, Timbark will use Dark Pulse."

"Don't be like that Twilight! There has to be some way he can win!" Spike added, the other Pokémon nodding in agreement.

"Terrot Root!" Granny ordered, Timbark unleashing another wave of large roots. This time, it was so many that they covered the entire battlefield, forcing Skyler to take to the sky.

Flash stared into the forest, unable to get even a glimpse of Timbark. He then looked up at Skyler, who was staring with obvious intimidation in his eyes. "Skyler," the Wingust looked down at him, "You can do this. I believe in you." He pointed at the forest, "We're gonna find a way to bust through those things no problem."

Granny shook her head at this, "That's a very naïve thing ta say. As a trainer, yer supposed to help yer Pokémon learn their limits."

"I know that," Flash glared back at her. "But the whole point of learning their limits is so they can bust through them, and that's what we're gonna do! Trusting in my Pokémon is never naïve. I know Skyler can find a way through those roots and I know he can beat your Timbark! No doubt about that...we're winning this!" This statement echoed through the orchid, everyone smiling at it.

But no one was smiling more than Granny Smith. "Well said Flash, well said. In that case," she pointed her cane at him. "Bring it on!"

"With pleasure. Let's do this, SKYLER!"

"WINGUST!" Skyler cheered out, Flash's words having filled him with determination.

"Quick Attack!" Skyler flew up before circling back down to divebomb the forest of roots. As he did this, he spotted a glimpse of Timbark between the roots, the sight making him feel something inside click. Not taking his eyes off that spot, Skyler charged at the forest as Timbark mentally ordered the roots. But as each one got close to Skyler, he shifted his body, making each miss by inches. As this continued, Skyler kept picking up speed, evading every attack as it got close to Timbark. And as he kept getting faster, white streaks began to appear around him.

"Dark Pulse!" Granny ordered as Skyler got passed the last root, but the bird's movement was so fast that Timbark didn't have time to register the command. Skyler dipped low to the ground before shifting his trajectory, shooting right up to tackle the wooden wolf.

"GUST/BARK!" The two cried, Skyler in joy while Timbark in pain. Timbark staggered back as Skyler retreated to the air, the Terror Roots now having retracted back into the ground.

Everyone was in shock at the sight, Apple Bloom now asking, "What was that?"

Twilight smirked in response, "Aerial Ace. Its a move that never misses." This made everyone smile, with no one smile brighter than Flash's.

"Alright Skyler!" The Wingust let out a happy chirp as he flew around. "Let's keep the momentum up. Air Cutter!" Wingust launched a new volley of air blades, the wooden wolf looking up to see attack, only for a few blades to strike him.

"Counter with Dark Pulse!" Timbark unleashed a barrage of energy rings, only for Skyler to dodge them with ease.

"Double Team!" The Wingust multiplied over the battlefield next, forcing Timbark to divide his attention as he fired several short rapid bursts at the many Skylers. And as the fakes were destroyed, the real one got up close. "Steel Wing!"

"Gust!" His glowing wings shot past the Timbark, slicing along its side as it now howled in pain. Seconds after that, the burn kicked up again, causing even more damage.

Granny frowned at this, only to point her cane at her Pokémon, "Hang on there. We ain't done yet! Terror Root!" Timbark slammed its paws into the ground, new roots flying out of the dirt. However, Wingust still had his Steel Wing activated, letting him spin around to carve the roots away.

"Aerial Ace!" Skyler flew up over the orchid before arching around, now divebombing again at Timbark.

"Dark Pulse!" Timbark fired another barrage of rings, but Skyler spiraled around the attack, evading the blast with ease. "Not good. Timbark, block that attack with Wood Hammer!" Timbark leapt into the air as Skyler reached the ground and shot up, white streaks appearing around him.

Its tail glowed green before it spun ahead, slamming the Wood Hammer into the Aerial Ace. The force of the two attacks seemed to freeze the two in place for several seconds, both glaring at each another. "Bar/Wing..."

But as they did this, the backlash soon unleashed itself, pushing both away. The two went skidding across the ground from the blow, making them slide up to their trainers. In mere seconds, they both hopped back up, ready to stare down each other. They were both panting, their legs shivering in pain. That is, till-

"TIMBARK!" The wooden wolf cried out as the burn flared up again, sapping the last of its strength. And as the flames dispersed, Timbark fell to the floor as its eyes were replaced with swirls.

Applejack looked it over and nodded, "Timbark is KO'd, so Wingust's the winner! All three of Granny Smith's Pokémon are down for the count, which means the winner of the match is Flash Sentry!"

"YES!" Flash exclaimed as all of his Pokémon cheered.

"HE DID IT!" The four young teens added as the others all stared clapping.

"What a marvellous turnaround!" Rarity continued.

Twilight nodded in agreement, "It happened because Flash believed in his Pokémon and they responded to his words."

"That's just how Flash rolls," Doc finished. "Fantastic match."

"Eeyup."

Flash smirked as he let both Prongs and Viper out of their Pokeballs, the two having recovered enough to stand. "We did it guys!" He told them as the three stood in a line, all shining huge smiles. "You were all awesome!"

"Gust/Fay/Scor!" They cheered before the four heard footsteps, making them turn to see Hopper jump into his trainer's arms.

"So Hopper, what did you think?"

"Hop!" The Hoppin replied, nuzzling up to his trainer next.

Flash was about to say something, but Granny Smith, Timbark and Applejack stepped up to him with the teen holding a tray with a familiar badge on it. "Congratulations Flash," Granny took the badge off. "Ya'll have shown great strength, but also shown even greater trust in yer Pokémon. Never let that trust waver and it'll take yah far." She held out Flash's prize, "This here's proof ya'll won here at the Applewood City Gym. The Harvest Badge."

Flash shined a huge grin as he took the badge, soon holding it up for all to see. "Alright! I just won...THE HARVEST BADGE!"

"RIOLU/WINGUST/THAWN/HISSCOR/HOPPIN!" his Pokémon cheered as everyone else began clapping again. Flash not putting it in his badge case alongside his other three badges.

"That makes four."

"You're halfway there," Doc added.

Flash nodded before turning to Twilight, who was already pulling out her journal to see where the next Gym was. But before she could even switch it on, Applejack spoke up. "Hey, if yer looking for yer next Gym match, why not head to Appaloosa City?"

"Appaloosa City?" The four all asked, Twilight typing the name into her journal.

"That's right," Granny replied with a nod. "Appaloosa City's got a pretty strong gym there."

"And our cousin lives there! It'll be perfect for yah!" Apple Bloom added with a big grin.

"Eeyup."

Twilight then found the city on her journal, nodding in agreement. "Its a bit far...but you're not wrong in terms of it being the closest. Looks like Appaloosa City is next."

"Nice! Appaloosa City, here we come!" Flash finished while pumping his fists...only for Hopper to hop into his arms again.

Everyone giggled at this, Twilight then suggesting to take the rest of the day off. It was here that Granny offered them all a big feast to celebrate Flash's win. And so, Flash's Applewood City Gym challenge ends in a victory. Now having obtained the coveted Harvest Badge, he and his friends set their sights on their next big challenge. One can only wonder what adventures our heroes will have on their journey to Appaloosa City. You'll just have to stay tuned to find out.

In Pokémon We Give Thanks

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Following Flash's hard-fought victory at the Applewood City Gym, our heroes are now at the Pokémon Center to decide the best route to getting to Appleoosa City. The four were at the center's cafeteria, enjoying a well-cooked breakfast while Twilight tapped her journal. And as Flash finished off his cereal, his ears caught onto a nearby television's broadcast.

"In over news, sightings have been confirmed of the escaped convict Archibald Kaito." Flash blinked at the box as it now showed an image of a man with a small beard and blue bandanna on his head. "The former gang leader was arrested five years ago after attempting to awaken a Legendary Pokémon, which sources say ended with it doing battle against another legendary. He was said to have escaped custody over a year ago while receiving treatment for an unknown illness at the Hoenn Region's top medical facility. It was believed he had succumbed to his illness due to lack of medical care. However, sightings of him have confirmed he is still alive and active somewhere in this region. Viewers are advised to not directly engage him, and to call the police should you see him."

"I got it!" said a voice, making Flash looking away from the television. It was here that Twilight showed her journal to the group, pointing at the screen. "I think I've come up with the best way to get from here to Appleoosa. You see, Appleoosa City is actually located inside an Equestrian Landmark known as the Grand Desert. It's very hard to cross due to its size and lack of water. There are only a few select areas you can find shelter, meaning you can't just go straight across it."

Doc nodded at this, "I see. If we did that, we'd probably run out of water before we even got halfway there."

Twilight snapped her fingers at his statement, "Exactly right Doc. That's why we should start here," she pointed to a spot on the edge of the desert that had a small red dot. "It's called Dodge Junction. We can start there and get everything we'll need to cross the desert, then zig-zag through it to collect water until we reach Appleoosa."

"Awesome!" Flash pounded his fists together, "Who wants to bet there'll be tons of super-strong Pokémon there?! The perfect place to train for my next battle!"

Spike then shook in his seat, letting out a loud gulp, "Are we sure that's such a good idea? I mean, what if we get lost or can't find any water?"

Twilight shook her head in response, "Don't worry Spike. If the Grand Desert was dangerous, no one would be allowed to travel over it."

"I guess...." Spike muttered while chowing down on his scrambled egg on toast. The others followed suit by finishing their breakfast, soon grabbing their bags to head outside. But as they exited the center, they all backpedaled at a new sight.

In front of them was a completely different town from yesterday. There were ribbons wrapped around the branches of every tree and bush on the streets, light strings now gracing all the street lights and buildings. Balloons in the shapes of different Pokémon faces including Pikachu, Squirtle, Cyndaquil, Treecko and others now floated over the populace, banners and kites displaying Pokémon all flying through the air.

"What's going on?" Spike asked as the rest just stared at the town.

"Is it some kind of big event going on?" Twilight added as she put her hand on her bag, ready to pull out her journal-

"It's the Pokémon Friendship Festival." They all turned to see Applejack, Rarity and the three young teens walking up to them. They were each carrying plastic bags, all of them appearing to be filled to the brim.

"What's the Pokémon Friendship Festival?" Spike responded, the younger girls giggling at his question.

"Dude, it's the best time of the year." Scootaloo chimed in.

Sweetie nodded in agreement. "It's when the trainers in town give thanks to all their Pokémon. They get them presents and gifts as a way to show how much they appreciate them and everything they do."

"And don't forget the party," Apple Bloom exclaimed, a giant grin on her face, "It's at Sweet Apple Acres and goes right inta da night! There's music, food, dancin' and at da end of da night, they set off some real swell looking fireworks! Scootaloo's right, it's da best night of da year!"

Rarity chuckled at the girls' enthusiasm. "You see darlings, one of the reasons we wanted to come back so soon was so we could celebrate the festival."

"And to get Rarity through the Everfree as quick as possible." Applejack added with a smirk, Rarity glaring back at her.

"That place was dreadful Applejack, and you know it!" Rarity grumbled before looking back at the group, "Even so, you should all come and enjoy yourselves. It'll be a great way to enjoy your last night in Applewood."

Everyone exchanged glances, only to see nothing but smiles as Flash cheered, "Heck yeah, I'm up for it! After all the hard work my Pokémon have put in lately, it's the least we can do for them. What do you guys say?"

"I'm in!" Spike added. "It sounds fun!"

Doc nodded in agreement, "Agreed. This sounds like a great way to show our Pokémon how much they mean to us."

Twilight clapped her hands at this, "I think it's an excellent idea. In fact, I'm surprised more towns don't have something like this. It could be a really great Equestria Region holiday."

Applejack tipped her hat at the comment, "That's mighty nice of yah ta say sugarcube." She then held up the bags they were carrying, "Well, we'd better git goin'. Sweet Apple Acres ain't gonna decorate itself, then ah gotta get mah presents ready for mah Pokémon."

Rarity did a small bow, "We'll see you all later then darlings. The party starts at sunset, so be sure to get there around then."

One round of short goodbyes later...

Flash spoke up first as they put away their travel bags, "Alright, the first thing we need to do is get presents for everyone."

Twilight rubbed her chin at this, "You're right...but what do we get?"

Doc raised a finger at this, "You know, I think I'll give my present a homemade feel. I bet I could come up with something great for Tockwork and the others."

"Okay, if that's your plan, me and Flash'll try just good old fashion shopping." Twilight then started scanning over her journal, gesturing Flash to look. She soon pointed to a section of the town map, "It seems this is the shopping district. We should be able to find something there."

Flash turned to Springer, who was on his shoulder, and patted his head, "Alright, you stay here bud."

"Ri?" Springer tilted his head in response.

"It won't be any fun if you know what present you're getting. That means you need to stay here while I go shopping."

"That's a good idea," Twilight added before seeing her brother raise his hand, "Yes Spike?"

"If you guys want, I can look after all your Pokémon. I promise I'll take really good care of them."

The two shared a glance, Doc then speaking up, "I'll be here working on my presents, so I can help if anything happens."

Nodding at this, the trio took out their Pokeballs.

"Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper and Hopper, come on out!"

"Higear, Tockwork and Steeledge, out you come!"

"You too Owlicious!" They tossed the balls into the air, nine swirls of red energy hitting the ground to reveal the Pokémon. They all let out their individual cries, Springer and Peewee jumping down to join the group.

Twilight adjusted her glasses with a grin, "Flash and I are going shopping for you all. So everyone be good and listen to anything Spike tells you, alright?"

They all let out cries of agreement, Spike jumping in front of them, "ALRIGHT! Let's get going guys!" He turned back to the Pokémon Center and marched inside, the Pokémon all marching behind him.

The older teens all laughed before Doc turned to the two, "We'll see you guys later."

Two nods later as the Gym Leader went inside, Flash turned to Twilight, "So, should we get going?"

"Sure." Twilight replied as they began to go for the city's shopping district. As they moved through the streets, Twilight's vision glanced over at her companion. 'Huh. This is the first time in a while Flash and I have been alone together now that I think about it. He just won his fourth badge...he's improved quite a bit.'

Twilight was pulled from her thoughts as Flash spoke up next, "What do you think you're gonna get?"

Twilight hummed before rubbing her chin, "I don't know. I guess I'll have to wait until we get there and see what the stores have."

"That makes sense." Flash responded, the two now going through the town. They first made their way through a small park, seeing a barrage of children playing with many different Pokémon. The sight made them comment that Cheese Sandwich would love to bring his Bloxx for this amount of kids. As for the Pokémon, some seemed to be trained while others were wild, not that it mattered much to the children. One group of kids were playing soccer, a Raboot accidentally kicking the ball too hard, which made it fly over the goal and land right in front of the two trainers.

They chuckled as the kids asked for the ball, Flash nodding and taking a few steps back. But as he tried to kick the sphere, he missed, losing his balance with a mighty swing. Everybody laughed at the sight of the boy falling on his butt, Twilight shaking her head before picking and throwing the ball back.

It was here that they got to the shopping district, now seeing a valley of shops and restaurants, the perfect place for gifts. Twilight gasped at the sight as she spun around, "Amazing! This place is almost as big as Canterlot's shopping district."

"Sounds good to me. I say we go and look in every single store, leave no stone unturned and stuff."

"Agreed."

And so, the two began their search, beginning in one of the larger stores. Unfortunately, it was all for show, the duo not finding a thing that they thought their Pokémon would like. They then headed to the next store, now staring at the window. "Hey, that's kind of cute." Twilight spotted a silver-colored top hat with a large feather on the side. "Hmmm...think that would look good on Owlicious?" But Flash didn't hear her, her imagination now answering her question as she imagined her Psychick with the hat...and the hat falling over his eyes. "Eh, maybe that wouldn't-"

"Hey Twilight!" She hopped in place at the sudden voice, her eyes darting around as she tried to find the voice's owner.

"Flash?"

"Up here!" She turned and now found herself looking at a life-sized Bewear toy that was sitting outside a store, Flash's head just barely showing over the top of the doll, "What do you think? I bet Springer and the others would love it."

Twilight let out an awkward giggle, "It might be the tiniest bit too big."

"Huh?" Flash blinked as he looked down at the toy, now seeing it was awkward to carry. "Yeah...you might be right."

The two continued looking around for another hour, but still found nothing they thought their Pokémon might like. "Ooh...." Twilight muttered as she spotted a very large book in a nearby window. It took all her willpower not to go in and start reading, gripping her side, "Come on, focus! You need to find something for Owlicious and Peewee, not you!"

"Hey Twilight!" She turned to Flash again, only to almost scream when she spotted some kind of mechanical monster had swallowed Flash's head. He then removed it to show it a helmet, tons of weird gadgets and doodads on it. "What do you think? This thing's apparently got night vision, X-ray and thermal vision."

Twilight rapidly blinked as she tried to reply, "Errr...when would they actually use that? I doubt they'd be allowed to wear it in a battle."

"Uh..." Flash looked down at the helmet, "Guess you got a point." He moaned as he put the doohicky back, "But what the heck am I supposed to get?!"

"That's a good question. I'm still stuck on that question myself." She then turned to another store, this one across the street. "Hmm...maybe that place can-"

"Twilight!" She looked back and saw Flash had walked to the end of the street, now pointing at a corner. "I'm gonna check down here. I'll meet you back here soon."

Before Twilight could even call out, he disappeared, making her sigh and shake her head. "Can't sit still for a minute..." As these words left her mouth, she went into the store, hoping she'd find something as her stomach was starting to get a bit on the empty side.

Meanwhile...

Back at the Pokémon Center, Doc was sitting at a table with a bunch of metal pieces littered on it. Spike and the Pokémon were all scattered around the room, the young boy now pulling a brush out of Twilight's bag. "Alright guys, its time for a brushing." This caught the attention of Springer, Hopper, Owlicious, Prongs and Peewee, the others ignoring the gesture. "Anyone who wants a good brush, get in line." The five aforementioned Pokémon all rushed over, each trying to be first. "W-w-wait!" Spike cried before he was tackled to the floor, now finding himself trapped under a Houndour pile. "Ow..."

Doc looked up and laughed at the spectacle, then over at his Pokémon. As Spike pulled himself free, he heard Doc call out. "Here!" Spike looked up to see an object flying at him, the teen now catching a cloth wrapped around a tin of polish. "Do me a favor and polish my Pokémon for me."

This caught the three Steel-Types's attention as Spike did a salute, "You got it! Everyone, line up in an orderly fashion." He saw the Pokémon were about to start shoving each other, "Anyone I see pushing gets knocked to the back of the line!" This made them all freeze in place, Spike giggling at the sight before pointing at Hopper, "You're up first."

"Hop!" Hopper cheered as he bounced into Spike's lap, the teen getting to work. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience, soon crying as Spike declared it to be done. After a little convincing, he bounced out as the others began their turns, first being Owlicious, then Springer and Prongs. But when Peewee stepped up, Spike saw the expectant look on the dragon's face, "Peewee...you know what happens every time we try this. Your scales are too hard that they'll break the brush."

"Terra..." he moaned before turning away, Spike frowning at the sight.

"Peewee..." Spike muttered before crossing his arms, only for a bulb to shine in his brain, "Oh yeah!" He then got up and went to Twilight's bags, "Here Peewee, Twilight should still have some Poke-Muffs for you."

"Terragon!" he cheered as Spike pulled out the treats, soon consuming as Spike got to work on Doc's Pokémon.

Meanwhile...again.

Flash sighed as he walked out of what felt like the hundredth store, still finding nothing. "Awww man. There's gotta be something that Springer and the others would want. But what?! Why is this so hard?!" His thoughts were broken by the sound of grumbling from his stomach, causing him to moan as he gripped his gut. "And now I'm hungry."

It was here he headed back from where he came, now seeing Twilight walk out of the store she had go into before, only now she was carrying a bag. "Hey Flash."

"Hey, you get something?"

"Yup," Twilight nodded while holding up the bag. "Something they'd both really like. Though I think I might need to add a little extra detail for...you know, the personal touch."

"That's cool."

"What about you?" This statement caused Flash to look away, "I'm guessing that's a no."

"I'm sorry! I just...I couldn't find anything, then my stomach started telling me I needed to take my brain off searching for it."

Twilight giggled at this, now pointing at a nearby café. "What say we fill our stomachs and then see if we can't find you something for the others."

"Sounds good to me. It'll be easier to search on a full stomach." But as they stepped into the restaurant, his heart almost stopped at a loud popping sound now embracing the café.

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

Flash raised an eyebrow as one of the waitresses walked up to him, "You have the distinct honor of being our one-millionth customer."

"Wait...what?!"

The waitress turned to the other customers, "Give this young lad a round of applause." Everyone and their Pokémon did so as a waiter came up holding a small box.

"To commemorate this special occasion, please accept this gift."

"For me?" Flash pointed at himself, but took the box anyway. "Uh...thank you." Everyone clapped again, Flash and Twilight glancing at each other before taking their seats and gave their orders. "Huh. I never thought I'd be the one getting a gift."

Twilight nodded in agreement as she looked down at the box, "What did they give you?" Flash undid the tape and opened the box, revealing a long roll of pink ribbon with a purple glass object inside. "Wow. That's really pretty." She took the marble out and saw the front came off, removing it to see some kind of gel-like material. "Hmm...I think you could carve a shape into this."

"That's cool..." Flash closed the box and let out a moan, "But it still doesn't help me come up with anything to get the others." He put his head on the table, "Am I that bad of a trainer for not knowing what my Pokémon would want?"

Twilight shook her head, "No. It just means you know what they wouldn't like. If you were a bad trainer, you would have picked the first thing that caught your eye and not given it a second's thought."

"Like a giant cuddly toy or a weird helmet?"

Twilight giggled at that. "They probably would have liked those things...you know, if you didn't have the issue of travelling with it."

"Yeah...you might be right."

"Springer and the others will love anything you choose." He looked up at her, "All they care about is that the gift comes from you."

"You really think so?"

Twilight nodded in response. "Sure. What would make you happy if you got a gift?"

"Make me happy? Does it matter?"

"Of course. After all, they're your Pokémon. The reason you guys work so well together is because of how similar you are. Not that they're all exactly like you, but you have just enough in common for it to be noticeable. So, what would make you happy if you got a gift?"

Flash hummed as he thought this over, "What would make me happy?" His brain began to turn as the waitress came up with their order, his eyes going wide. "That's it!" Everyone turned to him with a raised eyebrow, only to see him munch down his sandwich and one-shot his milkshake. "I know what I can get them!" He then cut into a sprint, instantly leaving the café.

"Flash!"

"I'll meet you at Sweet Apple Acres later!" With that, he was out of the restaurant and running down the street.

Twilight just blinked at his seat, only to stare at her food before eating it at a much slower rate. Once she was done, she gave the staff her thanks and headed out to return to the Pokémon Center. And as she made the trip, she couldn't help but wonder what Flash's gift plan was.

And as for Flash, he kept running as fast as he could, eventually making his way to the very edge of the city. Beyond that point was the forest, not a part of Sweet Apple Acres, but it was what he was looking for, "Alright..." he cracked his knuckles, "Let's do this thing!"

Meanwhile...one more time!

Back at the Pokémon Center, everyone had enjoyed their Poke-Muffs and were now relaxing. They knew they were all going to a big party tonight, so they wanted to be rested up. Owlicious was especially close to falling asleep when he heard the doors open and his trainer's voice following it, "I'm back!"

"Psy!" Owlicious cheered as he took to the air, flying over to his trainer's arm.

"Hey you! How's it going? Was Spike good in taking care of you?" Twilight asked while scratching behind his ear.

Spike and Doc both chuckled at the sight, only for Doc to ask, "Where's Flash?"

Twilight giggled while adjusting her glasses. "He's still looking for a present, but I think he's got an idea on what he wants to get them." She put Owlicious down with the rest of the Pokémon, "So did anything happen while we were gone?"

Doc shook his head, "No. Spike did a great job keeping everyone happy and well behaved."

"That's great. I'm proud of you Spike." She started patting her brother's head, only to see a big frown on his face, "What's wrong?"

"Well...it's just...I kinda want to give everyone a present too. Do I have to be a trainer to give one?"

Twilight shined a big smile before placing a hand on his shoulder, "Of course not. I'm sure the Pokémon will love whatever you give them, as long as it's from you." As if to highlight this fact, Springer, Peewee, Hopper and Owlicious all surrounded him.

"Ri, riolu!"

"Terra!"

"Hoppin, hop!"

"Psy!"

"Aww...thanks guys." He started scratching Peewee, only for a bulb to shine over his head, "Hey, I know what I can do! I'll make a drawing of you guys! Something super cool, showing how awesome you all are!" This statement got a loud cheer from all the Pokémon, Spike quickly running over to his bag and pulling out a large piece of paper and several different colored pencils. "Alright everyone, get into a pose you'd like idolized!" They all did so, the Pokémon Center suddenly getting filled with a bunch of life-like Pokémon statues as Spike began to work his magic.

Twilight and Doc both chuckled at the sight, Twilight now sitting down at the table Doc's project was on. Twilight opened her shopping bag and took out her presents, glad Spike was distracting Owlicious and Peewee so they didn't see their gifts. She also took out some decorations she had gotten at the store, the objects making her sigh, "I've spent way too long with Rarity. I would have never done this before..."

"Eh, you shouldn't be ashamed. If you're putting extras to your gift, it shows you care even more." Doc commented as he spun a screwdriver in his hand, "Speaking of which, I'd better be getting this finished as well."

Back in the forest, Flash was also hard at work. He was foraging through a pile of bushes, branches sticking on his back as his clothes were now covered in dirt along with several scratches now gracing his arms and face. He sighed while wiping his brow, "Maybe I should find just a little bit more...."

It was here that he heard the sounds of trees rustling, making him turn to see something jump out of the bushes. It was a duck-shaped Pokémon, carrying a large leek in its wing. "Far," it squawked out while turning to stare at Flash. The trainer just stood there, his mouth unable to move. But as he did this, the bird gave him a peace sign...then ran away.

"Wait!" Flash cried, reaching for his belt. However, as he gripped the piece of clothing, he then remembered he had left his Pokeballs at the Pokémon Center. "Aw man! You gotta be kidding me! Just when I see a cool Pokémon to catch..." His head and shoulders slumped next, only to smack the sides of his face, "No! Don't let that get you down Flash! You've got an important job to do. You can catch Pokémon later..."

With that, he turned back to the bushes...only to see two more birds with leeks beyond the foliage. Before he could say anything, they both cut into a sprint, making him moan out, "Oh, come on!"

Several hours later...

It was time. Everyone was now heading to Sweet Apple Acres. The teens were going in their own small group, Twilight leading the troop with Doc carrying Spike's present while Spike had Flash's bag. It was here that the farm came into view, now marveling at the sight. The whole place was decorated, lights wrapped around the fences and in the trees along with tables filled with food and stacks of presents. And apples. Lots of apples everywhere.

"Wow..." Twilight whispered, "I can't believe they set this up in just one day."

"Naw, it ain't that special. We've just had a lotta practice in doin' it." They turned to see Applejack and Rarity walking up.

"Well it looks great," Doc replied.

The girls did a set of nods before Rarity asked, "Where's Flash?"

"I'm here!" They all spun around to the voice, now seeing the teen trudging to them with a large sack hoisted over his back. "Sorry! It took a while to get everything I needed. I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Applejack shook her head, "Naw, ya'll just in time."

"Great."

"So Flash, what did yah get?"

"You'll have to wait and find out." He laughed as Springer and Hopper ran up to him, the Hoppin jumping onto Flash's shoulder and nuzzling his face. They all giggled at the sight, the group soon going over to the present table and placed their gifts onto it, making sure to connect a card with their names in case they got mixed up with one another.

Once done, they turned to a small stage where Granny and Big Mac were standing. "Greeting ya'll!" The Gym Leader yelled as everyone else cheered back. "Today is the day we give thanks ta the Pokémon that help us in our day ta day life. This world we live in would be a much darker place without them in it. Whilst we humans see ourselves as the dominant race, we never would'a gotten this far without our Pokémon companions."

Everyone who heard this all smiled or hugged their Pokémon. Flash himself couldn't help but think back to the times he had met and made friends with all of his Pokémon. The time he met Springer after Shining had caught him, catching Skyler and helping him learn to fly. He also remembered Riptide, who had followed him with amazing determination while he won over Prongs due to helping him see how well humans and Pokémon work together. There was also catching Viper, working together with the snake to save everyone when they were poisoned. And finally, finding Hopper's egg and hatching the little guy.

Granny then tapped her cane on the stage, "Now, let's show our Pokémon how much we love'em by showin' them the night of their lives! Who's with me?!"

"YEAH!!!"

And so, the festival began, everyone now partying it up like no tomorrow. It was an act that would make Pinkie Pie proud, everyone having fun. There was an area where someone was playing a fiddle, many people and Pokémon dancing to the music. Several stands were set up, each with a different game or food available to enjoy. "Step right up, step right up, hit the egg and win a prize!" The stand vendor pointed to a line of six sticks about ten feet away, each having a large egg on it, which had been decorated to look like an Exeggcute. "Each egg you knock over gets you a point. The more points you win, the better the prize you get."

"Awesome!" Spike took a turn, being given six balls to throw. He looked up at the prizes, which went from a lollipop to a cool looking paintball gun, which would need for a perfect score to win. "Here goes!" He tossed the first ball...only to miss. "Aw man!" He looked at the next best prize, which was a collection of stuffed Pokémon plushs. "Next one!" He threw the ball and missed again, "Noo!" He kept doing this until he only had one ball left, huffing as he threw it without even looking.

"Winner!"

"Huh?" He looked back up and saw he had actually hit the egg, "Seriously?" He was presented with a lollipop, which he took and began to enjoy despite having a grumpy look on his face.

In another area of the farm, Twilight and Flash were staring down at a jar of Poke-Beans. If they could guess the exact number, they'd win the jar. "I'm gonna say...six hundred and eight-no nine." He wrote that total down next to his name, Twilight giggling at guess.

"I doubt its that. The average size of the Poke-Bean is one point five centimeters. Divide the jar's size by that and we're talking...seven hundred and fifty-three Poke-Beans." She wrote that down, Flash rolling his eyes at her answer.

Doc was over by a large bucket, which had several apples bobbing in it. He took a deep breath and dunked his head in, trying to grasp an apple with his mouth, only to gasp as he quickly came up for air. As he started panting, his eyes darted over to see a Zweilous and its trainer step up to the bucket before one of the heads dipped into the water. Doc saw the other head take deep breaths while the other stayed under the water, eventually coming up with two apples in its mouth. Everyone cheered as the trainer took one of the apples and gave it to the other head, Doc pouting as he crossed his arms. "That's cheating."

Eventually, the clock rang and Granny walked back up onto stage. "Alright, ya'll, it's almost time to exchange gifts. But first, it's time to announce da winner of da Poke-Bean jar." Mac handed her the clipboard with all the names on it, the older woman taking a minute to look them over. "Da exact number is seven hundred and fifty-three Poke-Beans, which uh...well ah'll be! We got someone who got tha exact number! The winner is...Twilight Sparkle!"

Twilight shined a smug smile as she walked up on stage to collect her prize, everyone clapping at the sight before Granny spoke up again, "Now, it's gift time! Everyone head to da gift table and get yours."

Everyone did so, all forming an orderly crowd around the table. Spike was first, taking a big tube before pulling out the picture inside, "Check it out!" He unfurled it to show a giant drawn poster, each showing their Pokémon in the poses they had been in before. Springer was in the center of the poster, looking like he was leaping off of the paper while thrusting an Aura Sphere in his right paw. The others were all around him, each one using one of their moves like Aqua Tail, Energy Ball, Flamethrower, Steel Wing, Peck, Incinerate and over moves. The whole thing looked action-packed, like something you would see on an action movie poster. "Looks just like you guys, right?" The Pokémon all gave their own cheers in return, the teens chuckling at the sight.

After this, the Pokémon split up to see what their trainers had gotten them. "Here you go," Twilight placed two boxes in front of Owlicious and Peewee. The two ripped the paper off, Peewee with his claws and Owlicious with his beak, Twilight laughing at the gesture, "What do you think?"

"Psy!" Owlicious gasped as he stared at his present, seeing it was a red bowtie with many different colored sequins sawn into it, giving it a very glittery appeal.

"I thought you'd like it." Twilight took the bowtie and put it on the Psychick, "And...perfect!"

Twilight then turned to Peewee, who was staring down at his present. It was a red hairbrush with his name written on it in sequins, the Terragon tilting his head, "Terra?"

Twilight smiled as she picked up the brush. "I know you really like getting brushed, but you usually end up ripping the brushes, so I got this one just for you." She turned it over and showed a bunch of metal bristles. "The store owner said this one's made perfectly for hard scales like yours. They're made from the discarded metal of Steel-type Pokémon, which make them super strong and very thin, the perfect combo for you."

She then brushed the instrument down the Terragon's back, making him purr at the enjoyable sensation. "Terra..." he sighed before looking up at Twilight, "wagon!" He jumped up and rubbed his head into Twilight's cheek, making her laugh as Spike took the brush and started the job he had denied him earlier.

Over with Doc and his Pokémon, he was showing them what looked like a toy designed after the outside of Doc's Gym, which was painted blue with a large wide-up key on the top. The three just blinked at it, Doc now taking the key out of the top, "Check it out," he put the key into the front of the box and turned it. "Once it's wound up, the box can open." He did so, the box opening and folding out to reveal a large stage like object.

"Gear/Tock/Steel," they all gasped as music began to play, now noticing little figures of themselves on the stage, spinning on a wheel so they each got a moment at the front.

"It's a Time Turner Toy Music Box. You like it?" The three gave their cries of joy, all soon dancing at the music.

Meanwhile, Flash dropped the sack in front of his Pokémon, now undoing the top. His Pokémon went star-eyed at the sight before them, now seeing a mountain of berries. "There you go, freshly handpicked berries. I think I managed to get at least one of each, so enjoy."

"RIO/WING/SPARN/FAY/SCOR/HOP!" The six cheered before munching on the delicious treats, each finding the ones they really liked. Viper and Wingust were enjoying the spicy berries like Tomato, Spelon, and Liechi while Riptide gorged himself on Pamtre and Ganlon. Springer and Prongs were enjoying the sweet berries, like Watmel and Salac, while Hopper seemed to prefer the bitter Belue and Apicot berries.

Flash laughed at the sight, happy to see the giant smiles on all their faces. Now happy he had found the perfect gift, he started looking at the other trainers. They were all still giving gifts, looks of love and happiness on every face. Rarity and her Pokémon were all hugging after she put on the many accessories she had got them, Applejack now buried under her Pokémon after they tackled her into a hug. Even Granny was giving her Pokémon a bunch of gifts, Flash a little amazed to see Timbark smiling.

The next hour was filled with nothing but happiness, cheering and fun, the berry mountain having been completely decimated. Flash laughed again at the sight of his Pokémon, the six all laying down with remarkably large stomachs. "Looks like they liked their gifts," Flash looked up to see Twilight and Spike walking up with their Pokémon.

"Yup. Thanks for giving me the idea."

Twilight did a small smiling nod, but before she could say anything, a loud boom echoed throughout the air. Turning around, the now saw that the night sky was filled with an array of beautiful lights. "FIREWORKS!" Spike cheered, everyone doing the same as they were captivated at the sight.

No one said anything more as they watched the show with unequalled interest, the display lasting another hour or so. And as the last few rocket flew into the sky, Flash turned to one person in particular. "Twilight..." She turned to see him holding out a familiar-looking box, "Here. I wanted you to have something from me."

"Huh? What for?" Twilight asked, only for Flash to point to his Pokémon, the group still watching the fireworks.

"I never would have come up with what to get everyone without your help." He then suddenly started to look very sheepish, scratching the back of his head as he held the box out. "So uh...this is just my way of saying thanks. I hope you like it."

Twilight gasped at this, quickly taking the box and holding it close to her heart. "Thank you Flash, I'll always treasure it."

The two stared at each for a few more seconds before looking back at the fireworks display, huge smiles on their faces. A bond between a trainer and their Pokémon is like nothing the world has ever seen, but the bond between friends is just as powerful. Now, our heroes can set their sights on Appleoosa City and Flash's next Equestria Region Gym Challenge, as the journey continues.

The Prince of the Forest Returns

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"Tackle!"

"Hoppin!" Hopper roared as he charged at Prongs.

"Fey!" The Thawn casually said as he effortlessly leapt to the side, dodging the weak attack.

Our heroes are on the road again, their destination being Dodge Junction so that they could head into the Grand Desert before making their way to Appleoosa City. They had been travelling for several days before taking a break on the edge of a small forest, Flash feeling it was time to get some proper training in for his newest teammate. "Now use Tail Whip!" Hopper spun around before shaking his stubby tail at his opponent, Prongs staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Now use Tackle!" Hopper charged with a leap into the air, only for Prongs to spin and slap Hopper with his tail.

THUNK!

Hopper smacked his body into a tree, his form slumping down to the grass. "Ooh!" Everyone flinched as they saw the Pokémon eat dirt, Spike commenting, "That had to hurt."

Twilight nodded in agreement before turning to Flash, "Maybe that's enough for today."

Flash sighed at her suggestion, but as he looked down at his Pokémon, swirls in his eyes, he sighed again. "Yeah...alright. Return Hopper." He held up the Pokeball, unleashing a red beam that sucked Hopper back into the safety of the sphere. Flash then turned to Prongs, "Thanks bud. I know holding back isn't your thing, so I'm glad you didn't overdo it."

"Fey," Prongs nodded, knowing how he needed to hold back with Hopper. Flash had chose him due to his history with protecting a forest and its Pokémon, remembering how newborns were so fragile at the start. And with the training out of the way, Prongs, Springer and Peewee went off to play while Flash moved over to the others, which had set up their lunch table.

"Give Hopper time," Twilight told him as he sat down. "You just need to be patient."

"She's right," Doc added as he started cooking their lunch. "There's a reason the term 'baby steps' exist."

"I know...though I might need to work on teaching Hopper some new moves. Tackle, Tail Whip and Screech won't be enough to win a battle." He pulled out his Pokedex and brought up Hoppin's data page, going into learnable moves. "Let's see what he can learn..." Flash's face cringed up as he began scrolling down the list...and hitting the bottom almost instantly. "Or not. This might be a challenge..."

Meanwhile...

The Pokémon were having the time of their lives, Riolu now swinging from some vines. "Riolu! Rio ri!" he cheered as he did a spin after hopping off a vine, snagging the next one with a giggle in his voice. But as he jumped off another branch rope, he then landed next to Prongs.

That is, till he let out a yelp as the ground under him suddenly sunk in, "Riolu!"

"Fey/Terra!" Prongs and Peewee both laughed, Springer growling as he picked himself up and started patting his behind.

"Ri..." He let out a small sigh, only to suddenly go stiff as his ears flared up. "Ri?" his eyes started to dart around, the other two staring at him. But as they did this, the Riolu suddenly sprinted into the treeline, Prongs and Peewee sharing a glance before running after the Pokémon.

"Lunch is ready," Doc announced.

"Alright," Flash turned towards the forest, "GUYS! FOOD IS READY!" But as his words echoed into the trees...nothing happened. "Guys?" A few more seconds passed, making him look back at his friends with a big frown before yelling at the forest again, "GUYS!"

"That's not good." Spike commented, only for Twilight to bonk him on the head.

"Don't say that Spike. They've probably just gone too far and can't hear us."

"Yeah...you're probably right." Flash added as his friends got up from the table. "Let's go find 'em."

Back to the Pokémon...

Prongs and Peewee were in full sprint, just barely keeping up with Springer. And as they ran through the forest, they soon came to a stop as Springer suddenly hopped into an opening. It was here that they found a Bellsprout and a Budew, the two Grass-Types now locked in 'battle'. At least, a battle between the two pulling a large plum. The three newcomers stared at the fight, all turning their heads to the side and raising an eyebrow as they watched the scuffle.

Eventually, both Pokémon lost their balance and fell back, the plum rolling over to the trio. Springer was about to speak up, only for Prongs to pick up the piece the fruit. The two glared at him as they picked themselves up, only for Prongs to put the plum down...and slam his hoof in it. The blow split it in half, Prongs nudging both parts to the two.

"Fey! Fey, thawn!" Prongs said as he pointed at both, the two doing small nods before chowing down on the fruit.

"Bell/Dew!" They cheered as they finished, both showing giant smiles at Prongs. Prongs was about to reply, only for his stomach to start growling, Springer's and Peewee's doing the same. The three all frowned, about to go back to the campsite.

"Dew! Budew!" Budew exclaimed as it pointed to a nearby tree, the trio looking up to see a bunch of plums in the branches.

"Bell!" Bellsprout added as it fired a Razor Leaf...only to miss every piece of fruit. "Bell..."

Prongs shook his head at this, walking up and patting the Grass-Type's head before going up to the tree, spinning around and slamming his hooves in the tree. "Thawn!" he roared as the plums fell to the ground, the sight making the others lick their lips at the approaching feast.

But as more plums began to fall, Springer's ears suddenly shot up. "RIO!" he yelled as he quickly grabbed Peewee, pointing at the others as he commanded, "Rio, Riolu!"

"Fey!" Thawn replied as he grabbed Bellsprout and Budew, only for a barrage of missile-like objects to fly right out of the treeline. The deer quickly hopped around, explosions littering the area as Springer dove into a bush.

And as the attack ceased, the smoke clouds started to fade as plums now fell in the basket full. The group stared at the sight, Prongs asking, "Fey, thawn fey?"

"Riolu…" Riolu responded, pointing to the cloud as a shadow began to appear inside. A sudden green spiked vine swung through the dust, destroying the cloud to reveal the perpetrator. It was roundish silver and green disc-shaped Pokémon with three vines as legs, its body covered in spikes.

"Ferrothorn…" he hissed as it began picking up the plums in its long feeler tipped vines and throwing them into its mouth.

"FEY!" Prongs yelled as it gave the two little ones to Peewee before hopping into the area, "Fey thawn!"

"Rothorn!" It said back, giving him a 'come at me' gesture.

"THAWN!" Prongs roared as he charged at the monster, only for the opponent to throw a glowing pink vine into him. "FEY!" he cried, slamming him flying back.

"Ri!" Springer yelped as he got ready to hop in.

"Fey!" Prongs barked back as he picked himself up, "Fey, thawn!"

Springer was about to reply, but he then turned back to forest, now sensing something else. "Springer!" his trainer called out as he walked into the treeline, having been directed by the explosion noise.

"Riolu! Rio ri!" Springer replied as he pointed at the battle, Flash looking up at the Ferrothorn.

"What the heck is that?!"

"It's a Ferrothorn!" Twilight gasped, "But what's one doing here?!"

"Uh...causing trouble?" Spike guessed as they watched Prongs growl at the monster.

"Ferro!" It roared as it pointed its feelers at Prongs, the spikes glowing before firing at the deer.

"That's Pin Missle!" Twilight cried.

"Dodge it!" Prongs began to jump all over the field, the Pin Missiles exploding all over the forest floor. "Now use Energy Ball!"

"Fey..." Prongs created the sphere of nature energy, Ferrothorn swinging its vines around its body in response. "ON!" The Energy Ball launched itself, but Ferrothorn's entire body glowed silver before it made contact.

Doc growled at the sight, "Not good. It just used Iron Defense."

"Then we'll hit it with a move that can break iron! Use Double Kick!" Prongs sprinted at the still Ferrothorn before spinning around, thrusting his back hooves into the creature. The blow sent it flying into a tree, but as it smacked the pillar of lumbar, the Ferrothorn uncoiled its vines, looking perfectly fine. "Dang it." Prongs also growled, only to jump back when Ferrothorn threw another pink glowing vine at him.

"Now it's using Power Whip!" Twilight added, only to see it fire another Pin Missle.

Prongs tried to evade all the shots, but the onslaught was just too much. Several of the projectiles slammed into his back, exploding as it made Prongs stagger backward. "THAWN!" it cried as Ferrothorn use a back vine and swing up to a branch, pulling itself up while starting to laugh.

"Ferro ferro ferro..."

"Grrr…we'll teach you to laugh at us!" Flash barked as he pointed at the Pokémon. "Energy Ball!" Prongs nodded before firing another Energy Ball at Ferrothorn, but the metal plant Pokémon simply swang over to another branch, easily dodging the blow. "Again! Rapid-fire!"

"FAY!" Prongs began launching one Energy Ball after another into the trees, Ferrothorn simply leaping branch to branch as it avoided every shot.

"Thorn!" It roared as it leapt off into one branch, one of its feelers now glowing pink. "FERROTHORN!" He thrust the appendage, the vine smacking Prongs in the face.

"THAWN!" He yelped as he fell back, just barely managing to get his hooves under him and skidding to a stop. "Fey..." he panted as Ferrothorn landed in front of him.

Spike gulped at the sight, "That Ferrothorn's fast."

"And strong. Prongs is gonna have trouble finding a way to beat it." Twilight turned to Flash, "Maybe switch to another Pokémon. Viper could probably take it down in one shot."

Flash bit his lip at the suggestion, but Prongs glared back at him, making Flash nod, "Sorry, but I've got to trust him. Leech Seed!" Prong's horn nubs began to glow before shooting off, the metal plant raising its feelers in response as it launched a Pin Missile.

The two attacks met in midair, the Pin Missile's numbers being too much as it overpowered the Leech Seed before raining down on Prongs. "Fey!" He cried as he was bombarded by the attacks.

Ferrothorn then recalled its vines, now balancing on a spike before spinning around, turning into a spinning top. "Ferroth!"

Doc's eyes went wide, "That's Gyro Ball! You gotta get Prongs out of there!"

"Energy Ball!" Prongs tossed the sphere at the spinning Ferrothorn, only for it to somehow circle around it before flying off and hitting a random tree. "What the heck?!"

"What just happened?" Spike asked, Twilight and Doc gulping at the sight.

"It's the spinning. It's creating an air cushion around Ferrothorn that redirecting the Energy Ball, just like a tornado."

But before Flash could ask how to stop it, Ferrothorn charged as it spun like a top. Flash let out a yelp as he screamed, "Uh...Energy Ball!" Prongs started firing the spheres at Ferrothorn, but each one deflected as it got closer.

"Ferroth!" It roared, Prongs beginning to jump back to avoid it.

"Double Kick!" Flash commanded, everyone watching as Prongs spun around and performed the twin kicks. But as they struck Ferrothorn, the top instantly knocked him away, smacking Prongs into a tree.

"FEY!" Prongs cried as he hit the tree, slumping down with spirals in his eyes a second later. "Thawn..."

"Prongs!" Flash yelped as he ran up to his Pokémon, holding his head before glaring back at the Ferrothorn. The Pokémon had stopped spinning, now laughing at the trainer as Flash growled, "You'll pay for this."

"Ferro ferro ferro..." it chuckled, dangling its vines while laughing.

"FERROTHORN!" yelled a new voice, making everyone turn to see a man in ranger gear walk into the area. He had orange skin and green spiky hair, his eyes glaring at the Grass Steel-type, "Not again..." Ferrothorn just smirked before leaping up into a tree and swinging away. And as it vanished into the trees, the man sighed, "Ugh...what am I gonna do with that thing?" He then turned to the others, seeing Flash carrying Prongs in his arms. "Sorry about that Ferrothorn. Please, come with me. My place isn't too far from here, and you can treat him there."

One transition to a wooden hut in the forest...

The old man was a ranger, his name being Tomar as he introduced himself to the teens. And as he unlocked the hut, he walked inside as everyone waited outside. As they did this, they all started to see the many eyes around them staring at them through the trees. "This is creepy," Spike commented, only for Bellsprout and Budew to walk up and let out several cries, the sounds echoing through trees.

A few minutes later, the owners of the eyes stepped into the clearing, revealing themselves to be a bunch of Grass-Type Pokémon. Oddish, Gloom, Weepinbell, Paras, Sunkern, Sunflora, Seedot, Nuzleaf, Shroomish, Roselia, Cottenee, Petilil, Sewaddle and Swadloon all gathered around them.

"So many Grass-types," Twilight whispered.

"That's the whole point of this sanctuary," they turned to see Tomar walk out with several Oran Berries in his hands.

"Sanctuary?" Doc asked, Tomar kneeling down next to Flash and holding out one of the berries.

"Yes. This forest has been in my family for generations. Many Grass-types like to make their home here. It has become a safe haven for them to live in peace, somewhere they can all live with no need of worry about losing it." He then looked away, "At least, that's what it was supposed to be..."

"Fey," they looked down at Prongs, his eyes opening as he chewed on an Oran Berry.

"Hey bud, how ya feeling?" Prong's answer was a growl, Flash sighing as he rubbed his head.

"I know. I get ya..."

"Bell!" they both turned to the voice, now seeing Bellsprout as it walked up to the two. Flash then helped Prongs to his feet as other Grass-types walked up to the deer, Prongs kneeling down and talking to the group.

Everyone smiled as they watched Prongs enjoy the Grass-type's company, Springer and Peewee joining in as they all started playing. "Wow," Tomar commented with crossed arms, "It's rare for the Grass-types to accept a new one into the group so quickly."

Flash chuckled at the sight, "That's Prongs for you."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "There's a reason he's known as the prince of the forest."

Both Tomar and Doc turned to her in confusion, the others quickly explaining the events surrounding how Flash met Prongs. "Amazing," Tomar said before turning back to Prongs, now seeing him run around with a few smaller Pokémon on his back, "I sure wish we had someone like that here. Then maybe Ferrothorn wouldn't be such a problem."

"What was with that thing anyways?"

"I wish I knew. It just showed up one day and started making trouble." He let out a long sigh, "This forest used to be such a peaceful place till he showed up. I don't know why, but that beast just appeared and started attacking and stealing from any Pokémon in came across. Everyone was too scared to stand up, so it always got away with it. Eventually, its greed began to spread. Fearing their food would get taken, the others have all started hoarding whatever food they get their hands on." Everyone turned back to the Pokémon, seeing them looking perfectly happy together. "It may not look it, but they're all worried about not having enough food. If something isn't done, that Ferrothorn might push everyone out of the forest."

"So why don't you do something?"

Tomar sighed again, "I'm not a trainer. I don't have any Pokémon that could stand up to that thing."

Flash's eyes narrowed at his response, the others all frowning as Flash stepped up and said, "Then I'll stop it."

"Flash, that thing just beat up Prongs. Don't you think you're jumping in the fire too early here?" Twilight asked with a tilt of the head. "Then again, if you use Viper-"

Flash shook his head, "No way. I know someone who will wanna beat that thing more."

"Fey!" his Thawn replied as he seemingly teleported to Flash's side, nodding.

"Flash..." Twilight replied, "Prongs didn't stand a chance against Ferrothorn."

"That's fine. We'll just train, and next time it won't stand a chance!"

Twilight wanted to facepalm, grumbling as she shook her head, "Flash...training isn't enough. I don't know if you noticed, but that thing is smart. Ferrothorn's Gryo Ball made Prong's moves useless. And don't think Leech Seed will help, as I suspect it could shake that off too."

Flash just shrugged in response, "Eh, we'll figure something out. Ready to start training bud?"

"Fey!" Prongs replied, scraping his hoof along the floor and puffing air out his nose. "THAWN!"

"That's the spirit!" Flash cheered before gesturing to Springer to follow, "Come on, let's figure something out."

As they watched him walk away, Tomar turned to the others, "Kid sure volunteered instantly, didn't he? Do you think he can beat Ferrothorn?"

"Eh, don't sweat it," Spike threw him a thumbs up. "Flash does this kind of thing all the time."

Twilight sighed before rubbing the temple of her nose, "That's definitely true. Once he sets his sights on something, he doesn't stop until he's done it."

Doc patted her shoulder, "Don't worry so much Twilight. Yes, I know you want to suggest Viper as he would be a better candidate, but you know Flash will say no."

"I know. He just needs to understand strategy better. After all, he needs a way to break that Ferrothorn's defense."

"True..." Doc rubbed his chin, "Then again...maybe that could work."

"What could work?" Twilight asked, only for Doc to walk over to Flash.

"Flash! I think I have an idea to help Prongs win this."

Flash turned to him, ready to give Prongs some orders before responding, "What's the plan?"

"Simple. It's obvious from the last battle that Prongs lacks the power to get past Ferrothorn's armored shell. That means we need to find a way to up his power, and I know exactly how to do it without going full power training."

"How's that?"

"We get Prongs to evolve." This statement left everyone speechless, Flash raising both eyebrows in response, "It's simple. When a Pokémon evolves, it gains a large increase in all its stats. It also gains the ability to learn moves it couldn't learn, which is something a Chitaleaf could truly give Prongs the advantage he needs."

"Fey..." Prongs backpedaled at the suggestion, only to stare at the ground in surprise.

"Oh yeah!" Spike added, "Remember how strong Granny Smith's Chitaleaf was? If Prongs became one, he'd be supercharged!"

"Maybe..." Twilight hummed, "But once a Pokémon evolves, there's no going back. Prongs would never be a Thawn again." She looked down at the Pokémon in question, "We shouldn't have the right to force that change on Prongs if he doesn't want too."

"That's dumb." Spike barked back, "I mean, come on! Don't you want your Pokémon to be more powerful?!"

Twilight shook her head, "Not exactly. Remember the circumstances around Springer?"

"What are you...oh. Right." Spike glanced away, "Sorry, I forgot about that."

Flash opened his mouth, ready to say how on board he was for the idea...only to shut it. Humming at the statement, he patted on the Thawn's head as he asked, "Twilight's right. Prongs...what do you want to do?"

"Fey?" Prongs looked up, a sad frown on his face.

"It's your choice. If you want to evolve, I'll help in any way I can. But if you don't want to evolve, then that's alright too. So what's it gonna be? Do you want to evolve?" Everyone stared down at Prongs, the deer gulping at all the looks. But as he did this, he let out a sigh, only to nod, "You do want to evolve?"

"Fey," Prongs shook his head no.

"You don't want to evolve?" Spike asked, Prongs shaking his head. "Make up your mind!"

"Hold on Spike. I don't think that's what he means." Doc chimed in, a smirk on his face, "Are you saying you don't want to evolve yet?" Prongs smiled and nodded, Twilight and Flash catching on.

"Ah. I guess that makes sense." Twilight commented, only to feel her brother nudge her.

"Well I don't! What's going on?! Does he wanna evolve or not?!"

"Prongs is saying he doesn't want to evolve until he's ready." Flash replied before turning back to the grass deer, "You wanna prove you're ready to evolve before you do it, don't you? And I bet beating Ferrothorn is just the ticket."

"Thawn!"

"I like that attitude. Evolving's cool, but it's more worth it if you've earned it." Prongs nodded again, "Then let's get training. We'll beat Ferrothorn as we are. Like Twilight said, we've just gotta fight smarter rather than harder. You with me?"

"THAWN!"

"At least he's learning." Twilight added as Flash and Prongs left to go find a place to train. The next few hours whizzed by, Doc and Twilight returning to their previous campsite to bring their stuff to the cabin while Flash and Prongs trained. Meanwhile, Tomar asked the forest Pokémon to gather as much food as possible and bring it here, knowing that there was no way Ferrothorn would be able to resist that much food in one place.

Eventually, night time came with everyone going to bed except Flash, Prongs and Springer.

"Riolu!" Springer threw a Drain Punch at Prongs, the deer using his powerful legs to leap up and over to evade. Over the last few hours, they had been focusing on increasing Prong's legs muscles, all so that he could jump higher. If Ferrothorn tried jumping up into the trees, Prongs would be ready to follow him.

"Alright, let's take a break for a few minutes." The two nodded and moved over to Flash as he leaned against the cabin and slid down to take a seat. Once there, he began patting Prongs's head, "You're doing great. No doubt Ferrothorn won't stand a chance against you."

"Fey!" Prongs nodded.

"You know, I'm proud of you for not taking the easy way to win." Flash added while looking up at the sky. "You're right in that evolution shouldn't be a shortcut. It should be a reward for working hard."

"Thawn..."

"And you know, it's probably better this way. Doc said that evolving pumps up your stats. So the stronger you are when you evolve, the more power you get." The two Pokémon then sat down beside him, the teen chuckling in response, "You know, it kinda reminds me of a story my gran used to tell me. Ya wanna hear it?" The two Pokémon turned to him, both nodding, "You see, it's set in the Galar Region. There was once a knight who wanted to be the best, but had no skill in battle. He then found a magic sword that would always grant its wielder victory. With it, he defeated foe after foe until he was considered the best. But then one day, another knight discovered the secret of his sword and tricked him into a duel."

"Ri?"

"Before their duel, the challenger switched the magic sword with one that looked identical. The first knight didn't know the difference and went into the battle. But because he had relied so much on the magic sword, he never learned how to really fight. So he was defeated and cut down, his opponent having no trouble achieving victory." They both stared up at their trainer, wondering what he was getting at. "The moral of the story is that having power can take you far, but without the knowledge of how to use that power, then it's worthless to you. Power that is earned will always overpower something that is given or taken."

The two smiled and nodded, Prongs getting up before pointing at the training ground, "Fey! Fey, thawn!"

"You wanna continue?"

"Thawn!"

"Nice. You ready Springer?"

"Ri riolu!" Springer cheered as he hopped to his feet, his paws consumed in a blue aura flame.

"Alright, let's get back to work."

The next morning...

Everyone was squirming as they stood outside the cabin, all of them waiting for Ferrothorn to show up. The berries had been hidden inside the cabin, which was locked up in case something went wrong with the plan. And as they waited, the Pokémon in question suddenly leapt out of the trees and landed on the edge of the treeline. The forest Pokémon all shivered at the sight, quickly hiding in the bushes as Tomar walked in front of the group.

"Ferrothorn, you have to leave. You've done nothing but cause trouble since you got here, so leave and don't come back!"

Ferrothorn just laughed at his statement, as if asking what would happen if it didn't. "Fey! Fey thawn!" Prongs yelled in response as he walked up next, the Ferrothorn's laughter now increasing.

"We'll show you," Flash growled as he stepped up to Prongs. "We won't let you bully anyone anymore! You ready Prongs?"

"Fey!" Prongs nodded, glaring at the Ferrothorn as the other stopped laughing. Everyone watched as an intense staredown followed, now waiting for the first move to be thrown.

"Ferroth!" Ferrothorn suddenly leaped into the air as its feeler spikes began glowing white, pointing them at Prongs, "THORN!" The spikes shot off, Prongs quickly hopping back just in time to miss the Pin Missle.

"Energy Ball!" The grass deer opened its mouth, nature energy now building a sphere inside.

"Fay...ON!" He launched the attack, Ferrothorn not able to evade due to still being in the air. As such, it instead wrapped its vines around its body.

"Thorn!" It began glowing silver, it's entire being going as hard as iron as the Energy Ball collided and exploded. "Ferrorth!" It was blasted back to the treeline, only to extend its vines to wrap around a nearby branch to break its fall.

"Fay..." Prongs growled, narrowing his eyes at the recovery.

"Fire another Energy Ball!" Prongs nodded before firing another Energy Ball at Ferrothorn, but the metal plant Pokémon simply swang to another branch with ease. "Again! Back to back!"

"FAY!" Prongs began launching one Energy Ball after another into the trees, Ferrothorn simply hopping around branch to branch. It was here it started swinging deeper into the forest, Prongs and the others following after it.

Eventually, it came to a stop as it swung around the trunk of a tree. "Thorn!" It leapt up next as one of its feelers glowed pink. "FERROTH!" He thrust the appendage forward, the Power Whip moving so fast that it struck Prongs instantly.

"THAWN!" He yelped as he fell back, just barely managing to get his hooves under him as he skidded to a stop. "Fey..." he panted as Ferrothorn landed in front of him.

"This isn't going so well," Doc commented.

"It's going just like their last battle," Spike added. "What's Flash thinking?"

"It's like he hasn't learned anything at all," Tomar finished.

Twilight bit her lip at the statement, only to stare at the Ferrothorn. Despite its minimal facial expressions it could make...it looked cocky in her eyes. Glancing back at Flash, she saw that Flash was still wearing the same face since the start of the battle, one of deep concertation. "Wait...maybe that's what Flash's plan is. Maybe he's repeating it to make Ferrothorn think he hasn't changed."

"What do mean?" Doc asked, only for his attention to be pulled back to the battle by Ferrothorn's outcry.

"THORN!" It pulled its vines in so that only the feelers could be seen, then started spinning like a top on its bottom spikes.

The Gyro Ball was heading straight for Prongs...only for Flash's face to change to a smirk.

"We got 'em! Use Bounce!" To everyone's surprise, Prongs suddenly leapt a good fifteen to twenty feet off the ground. Everyone stared up at the Pokémon, Ferrothorn now stuck as he tried to look up while spinning. But as he did this, Prongs flew right over him.

"Thorn?" It called out as it kept going, slamming into a tree with a resounding crash. "Rothorn!" It cried as the top half of the oak pillar fell over on top of it, Prongs landing gracefully a few feet away.

"Thawn."

"Alright!" Flash cheered, "Way to go Prongs!"

"What just happened?" Spike asked, Twilight shining a big smile as she gave the answer.

"Prongs must have learned Bounce."

Doc chuckled at the sight, "Looks like all that training paid off. Fantastic!"

"I'll say," Tomar added as the Pokémon all started cheering. But that joy was short-lived as the fallen tree began to move, the group turning to see Ferrothorn lift the tree and throw it away.

"Now Prongs!" Flash ordered, "Leech Seed!"

"Fay!" Prong's horn nubs began glowing before firing a barrage of seeds, all of them landing on the still-recovering Ferrothorn.

"Ferrorth?" It said before the vines flew out of the seeds, wrapping around before the attack activated, making it cry out as its energy was drained.

"Yes! Now, use Body Slam!"

"Thawn!" Prongs galloped in response, Ferrothorn still reeling from the Leech Seed. But at the very last moment, it opened its eyes and saw the Thawn coming.

"Roth!" It threw its vines up and caught the nearby branch, pulling itself up just in time avoid Prong's attack. Once it was upon the branch, it pointed its other two vines at Prongs before launching a Pin Missle down on him.

"Dodge it!" Prongs began jumping around the field, the projectiles exploding all around him. Everyone else cried out as they ducked and covered, the Pin Missles reforming the field into a crater filled mess. But standing between the craters was Prongs, who was panting as Ferrothorn jumped down.

"Roth!" It pulled its vines in and started spinning once again, forming a top that sped towards Prongs.

"Use Bounce again!" Prongs leapt over Ferrothorn again, the spinning Grass-type flying under him towards another tree. Everyone smiled at this, only for shock to cover their faces as they saw Ferrothorn suddenly disappear into the ground.

"WHAT?!" They all yelped before the top suddenly shot out of the ground, now spinning in the opposite direction.

"Prongs, look out!"

But Flash's warning came too late, Prongs landing just as the top reached him. "FEY!" He cried as the spinning Pokémon slammed into him, sending him flying into a tree as Ferrothorn stopped spinning. As he did, the Leech Seed flared up, draining him again.

"What happened?" Spike asked, only for Twilight to gasp.

"The craters!" Everyone stared at the field, now seeing that Ferrothorn had used the craters to spin back around and change its trajectory. Now if Prongs leapt over it, it'd just use them to shift direction without losing any speed.

"Ferrothorn!" It pointed its feelers at Prongs before launching another PIn Missle.

Prongs opened his eyes just in time to see them coming, "Get out of there!"

The deer quickly leapt to the side, only to be hit by the end of an explosion. "Fey!" He grunted as he staggered back, Ferrothorn now preparing to use another Gyro Ball. Prongs saw this, but his legs began to trip as he tried to recover.

"Just use Energy Ball!" Prongs fired the sphere at the spinning monster, but the air cushion from Ferrothorn's speeding spin simply knocked it away before it slammed into the Thawn.

"FEY!" He flew back and crashed into a tree, sliding down as Ferrothorn hopped into one of the craters.

"You okay?" Flash asked, now seeing Prongs try to pick himself up while Ferrothorn started to circle the edge of the crater. "Come on, you're stronger than him! Don't forget, you've got something to fight for!"

Flash's words made Prongs turn to see the Grass Pokémon all cheering for him, all alongside his old friends as they did the same.

"THORN!" Ferrothorn roared as it hopped out of the crater, the sight making Prongs pump all his energy into his legs and leap back against the tree.

"Fey!" He felt his back hooves hit the bark before thrusting forward, using it as a springboard to fly over his spinning opponent.

"Thorn!" It cried in shock, feeling itself begin to carve into the tree before stopping when it was only a third of the way in. "Feroth!" It turned to Prongs, who landed behind it with a smirk on his face.

"Alright Prongs, use Energy Ball!" The Thawn fired the nature orb at Ferrothorn, the Pokémon responding by using Iron Defense. "Now Bounce!" Prongs began hopping forward, getting higher with each bounce as Ferrothorn used its back vine to reach up and grab a branch to pull itself up. "GO!"

"FEY!" Prongs bounced as high as he could, heading right for Ferrothorn. However, the monster met his attack with Power Whip, the two meeting and ricocheting off one another. Prongs fell back, stumbling to the ground while Ferrothorn's feeler flew back into his face.

"FEY/THORN!" The two flinched at the impact, Ferrothorn losing grasp of the branch before crashing as well.

"Now! While it's defenses is down, use Energy Ball!"

"Fey!" Prongs launched the attack, aiming right where Ferrothorn would land. But the Grass and Steel-type recovered quicker then expected, pulling its vines in before spinning. And as it touched down, the Energy Ball reached, only to bounce off the air around it.

"Dang it!" Flash growled as he saw the attack fly away,"Come on...that move's gotta have a weakness." He watched as Ferrothorn spun at Prongs, who kept jumping from side to side to avoid it while the spinning top used the craters to move around. As it did, Flash stared at the top...only to notice something that was barely spinning at all. "That's it!" He exclaimed as Ferrothorn got closer. "Prongs, jump straight up!"

"Fey?" Prongs yelped, only to hop straight up. "THAWN!" He yelled as Ferrothorn flew under him, ready to jump into another crater.

"Energy Ball, straight down!" Prongs quickly formed the sphere before shooting it downward, reaching Ferrothorn's head. And as it struck, a sudden explosion occurred on impact.

"FERROTHORN!" It cried as it began to wobble, only for it crash right into the crater.

"Wow! What just happened?!" Spike asked with a dropped jaw.

Twilight clapped her hands, "Of course! It's just like a tornado! The wind is always weakest...at the eye of the storm."

"Brilliant!" Tomar cheered as the others all gave their own cries of happiness.

"Come on Flash, keep the momentum up." Doc added.

Flash nodded as Prongs landed in front of him, seeing Ferrothorn start to pick itself up. "This ends now. Bounce!" Prongs began bouncing along the ground, picking up speed as Ferrothron got up. As it did this, it then tossed a Power Whip his way.

"Fey!" Prongs jumped back to avoid it, landing near a tree.

"Keep using Bounce with the trees!" Prongs nodded again before using the tree as a springboard, leaping off and over Ferrothorn before reaching another tree and bouncing off that one. This kept up, Prongs jumping tree to tree while picking up as much speed as possible.

Ferrothorn tried to keep up, trying to fire a Pin Missle...only for his eyes to start spinning. Every time it caught sight of him, Prongs jumped someplace else. "Roth, roth, roth, roth?" Ferrothorn yelped as he kept turning around, trying to keep focus...only for spirals to appear in his eyes as he began to get dizzy.

"NOW!" Flash yelled as Prongs leapt right above Ferrothorn. "BODY SLAM!"

"FEY!" Prongs flew down with all the speed he had picked up, gravity doing the rest as he slammed all four hooves into Ferrothorn's face. "THAWN!"

"FERROTHORN!" It cried as it flew back from the blow, slamming into the tree it had carved into before and breaking through it. Everyone watched as the tree fell down on the Ferrothorn with a loud crash, making the ground shake as Prongs landed in front of Flash.

They watched as Ferrothorn began to pull itself up again...only to flop over with spirals in its eyes. "Feroth…"

Everyone sighed in relief, right before Spike cheered, "ALRIGHT!" The rest of the forest Pokémon did the same, all running to gather around Prongs and congratulate him.

Flash fell to a sitting position, his heart racing a mile a minute. He then noticed someone step up beside him, looking up to see Twilight and Tomar, "You did great. That counter you came up with for the Gyro Ball was brilliant."

"Thanks," Flash panted, "I had no idea if it was gonna work. Guess I got lucky."

"There was no luck in that," Tomar assured him. He would have said more, but at that moment, the forest Pokémon ran past them and returned a minute later carrying a bunch of berries.

"Bell!" Bellsprout cheered as he held an Oran Berry up for Prongs.

"Fey," he replied before taking a bite. But as he finished it off, movement in the corner of his eye made him turn to see Ferrothorn beginning to get up.

"Not again..." Spike moaned while the others got ready to fight. But as they did this, Prongs got up...and grabbed an Oran Berry before walking over to his fallen foe.

"Prongs!" Flash exclaimed as he was about to run over to him, but Tomar grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

Everyone watched as Prongs got within striking distance of Ferrothorn, the two staring at one another for several long seconds, only for the Thawn to drop the Oran Berry before kicking it over to him. "Fey," he added as Ferrothorn's gaze shifted between the two.

Ferrothorn glared at him for a long while...only to lean down and take the berry, chomping on it slowly. As it did this, Tomar stepped in front of Prongs, "You see? There's enough for everyone. You don't need to force anyone to give you anything." He took another berry and held it out to the Pokémon, "We'll be happy to share as long as you play nice." The rest of the forest Pokémon did the same, each offering Ferrothorn a berry.

After a few seconds, the Grass Steel-Type smiled before taking each offered berry and eating it. "Feroth..." The rest of the Pokémon cheered as they started climbing on the Ferrothorn, who didn't seem to mind as it started playing with them by using is feelers to gently lift them up and spin them around.

Everyone else laughed at this, glad Ferrothorn had calmed down. It was here Flash stepped up to Prongs, crouching down to pat him on the head. "You did it Prongs. Showing Ferrothorn kindness when it was down really helped it see that being all tough on your own isn't always the way." The two looked into each other's eye, "I'm proud of you."

"Fey..." Prongs shined a big smile, only for his eyes to suddenly go wide. Before Flash could ask what was wrong, Prong's entire body was engulfed by a white light.

Flash gasped as he pulled back a few inches, "Prongs?" Everyone watched as the Thawn grew bigger, a pair of sharp spikes growing out of his head. And as the light stopped, Prong revealed himself in a new form. His body was now mostly light green, brown running from the end of its nose to its lower mouth and down the front of its neck to its underbelly. It was also at the end of his flank while having a pair of brown spots on his back, one on either side, along with a large brown spot on his rear. A patch of grass could be seen sprouting out of his chest, growing around his neck to form a collar while his back legs were brown, running from his knees to his hooves while his flank had a small assortment of large leaves. On his head were a pair ten-inch antlers, both with one or two leaves on them.

The newly evolved Pokémon opened his eyes and looked over himself, "Leaf?"

"Prongs..." Flash whispered out, "You evolved!" Prongs looked back at his trainer, only to cheer as the Chitaleaf leapt into his arms. "PRONGS/LEAF!" The two laughed as they hugged, everyone else rushing over to congratulate them.

"Riolu!" Springer leapt up onto Prong's back. "Rio ri!"

"Chita!" Prongs exclaimed back.

"Congrats Prongs," Doc added, "I knew you were close to evolving."

It was here that Spike spoke up, "But I thought Prongs didn't wanna evolve."

Twilight shook her head, "No Spike, he wanted to earn his evolution." She then started to scratch behind Prong's ear, "and I'd say he's more than proven he has. You're more than ready to move on to the next stage of your training, as I suspect you had already reached the very limits of what you could have learned as a Thawn."

"Leaf!" Prongs cheered as he hugged Flash again. The two began laughing as the others joined in, all celebrating Prong's new chapter in his life. And as the celebrations continued, Prongs knew he was looking forward to seeing how that chapter played out.

Time passed as Tomar directed the heroes to the edge of the forest, he and the many forest Pokémon standing behind the treeline as the others stood beyond it with smiles on their faces. "Thank you for helping," he told them before patting Ferrothorn on the head. "Ferrothorn has agreed to become my partner, and together we can work to keep this sanctuary safe from any trouble that might show up."

"That's great," Flash added before smirking at the Pokémon in question. "You be good and play nice. We don't wanna have to come back remind you not to be a bully."

"Feroth..." it nodded before turning to Prongs, now holding out one of his feelers, which Prongs took with his hoof and shook.

"Well, we'd better get going." The others all waved goodbye, Tomar and the Pokémon doing the same as the teens began to leave the Grass Sanctuary. The unexpected trespassing on the land had brought many advantages, including helping stop the issue alongside helping Prongs reaffirm his own self-worth. Now that Prongs had earned his evolution, Flash's team has now grown in even more power. And with that, the journey continues.

The Summer of Adventure

View Online

A bright flash of light flooded the area, two adults clad in camping gear walking onto a small stage. Within a snap of a finger, the duo turned around, now revealing Professor Celestia and Professor Luna as they both waved at a camera.

Both: "Hello there."

Celestia: "I'm Professor Celestia."

Luna: "And I'm Professor Luna. My sister and I both work here in the Equestria Region, helping trainers with their journeys."

Celestia: "But we don't always have time to help every trainer. That's why we would like you to come to the Pokémon Summer Camp, located at Camp Everfree!"

Luna: "Come learn things about Pokémon you'd never thought possible and meet trainers you might not have the chance to meet!"

Celestia: "It's seven days you'll never forget! So come along and let us help you be the best, like no one ever was!"

They both got closer to the camera, giant grins on their faces as they waved.

Both: "We hope to see you there!"

Several days later...

"There it is!" Spike cheered as he pointed at a wooden arch with the words 'Camp Everfree' written on it.

Twilight clapped at the sight, the group now walking under the sign as they got a better look at the camp. It was situated in the middle of a large forest between a giant lake and a small mountain. It had two large open areas, one with several different buildings and a battlefield, while the other had several identical cabins. "This is gonna be great. A whole week of learning as much as we can about Pokémon. Plus, we get to see the professors again!"

"And not just them," they all turned to see Sunset Shimmer standing nearby. She was carrying a clipboard and wearing a pink and white t-shirt with a small logo on it. "Hey everyone. Ready to enjoy what could possibly be the best week of your lives?"

"You know it," Flash replied while pumping his fists. "So, what are you doing here? Camping like us?"

Sunset shook her head in response, "No, I'm just helping the professor with all the finer details. Don't worry, I'll still get to have fun with the rest of you." They all smiled back as Sunset marked off their names. "You know, there's a few other trainers that have shown up that I think you might know."

"Really? Who?"

"GUYS!" The group spun around to see a familiar cotton candy haired girl running over, a massive smile on her face.

"Pinkie!" They all cheered as she leapt over and threw her arms around the four, pulling them into a big hug. As she pulled away, they noticed she was wearing a similar t-shirt to Sunset, only her's was sleeveless with a lighter pink color.

"It's so great to see you all!" She exclaimed, confetti firing out of her hair.

"It's great to see you too," Twilight replied with a small giggle. But as she did, she noticed a small Pokémon floating towards them. It looked like it was made of milk, small blobs bobbing up and down as it blinked at them with white-colored eyes. "Is that a-"

"My newest teammate!" Pinkie interrupted as she took the Pokémon in her arms. "Meet Milcery!"

"Wow..." the guys all said while Twilight's jaw dropped.

"But...but they're only supposed to live in the Galar Region." Twilight responded as she slowly pointed at the Pokémon, "Where did you find one?!"

"Well..."

A few days ago...

Pinkie was currently staring at her Gumigator, the little gator now sitting on a bench as she growled at it, "No Gummy, you're not allowed to have Jiggly's Pokemuffs! I told you, you need to stop being so greedy."

The gator didn't respond, just staring back with wide eyes.

"Oh Gummy..." Pinkie's hair drooped down before she pulled him into a hug, "I'm sorry. I'm not angry, I'm not." She pulled the hug away and stared directly into his eyes, "I just don't want you to get fat."

"Milcery." said a sudden voice, Pinkie turning to the voice. There, she saw the Pokémon floating right by her. "Mil?"

"Oh hello, I'm Pinkie! Who are you?"

The Present...

"And that's how we met. Any questions?" Pinkie responded, her grin getting even bigger as Twilight's eyes shrunk at her explanation.

"But...but that's...how did you-you just met Milcery randomly?! It shouldn't be in the Equestria region!" Twilight exclaimed, pointing at the Milcery again. "They're not native!"

"They aren't?" Pinkie and Milcery exchanged a glance, only to both shrug, "Huh. That's weird."

"That's...what...augh!" Twilight yelped as she rubbed the sides of her head, the others trying to suppress their laughter.

But before Twilight could say anything else, a new voice caught everyone's attention. "Hey! What's up guys?!" They turned around to the voice, now seeing a familiar rainbow-haired girl walking up alongside a pink-haired girl. "Long time no see." Rainbow Dash responded as she walked up with a red version of Sunset's t-shirt.

"It's so lovely to see you all," Fluttershy added, showing a small smile. She was wearing a sleeveless version of the top with a green trim.

"It's great to see you too. Though uh...anyone else here?"

"Well of course there is." A new voice spoke up, making them now see Trixie walk up to the group, the teen wearing a purple version of Fluttershy's shirt that had a yellow line running across it. It was here that everyone also noticed a Pokémon on her shoulder, the creature appearing to be a pink sphere with legs half-hidden under a load of blue hair with a pink hat on top.

Once again, Twilight's eyes went wide. "Is that a Hatenna?" Trixie nodded, "Where'd you get that?!"

"Professor Luna gave it to me as a gift for finishing my training. She had it especially sent over from the Galar Region."

"That makes more sense." Twilight whispered, her eyes slowly narrowing as she stared back at Pinkie. However, the party-loving girl didn't notice, now pulling a Pokemuff out of her hair before chowing down on the treat.

"So, is this everyone?" Doc asked, only to see nothing but frowns in response. "What? Was it something I said?"

"I think they're reacting to him." Flash replied as he pointed to another person, Doc soon frowning as well as Flash continued, "Lightning...what's he doing here?!"

The trainer was walking by the group, wearing a black version of everyone else's t-shirts. He didn't even look at the teens, a dark glare on his face as he kept making him way through the camp.

"What are the professors thinking letting him be here?!" Twilight asked, Sunset sighing in response.

"They can't exactly refuse anyone who wants to come. Plus, they said they were doing it as a favour for someone they know."

"Eh, just count yourself lucky," Rainbow hissed with crossed arms, "At least you aren't stuck with him in your cabin."

"Cabin?"

Sunset then spoke up to explain, "The camp has several cabins that act as teams. It's four to a cabin, and there are points awarded to the cabins for good behaviour and other acts that are deemed reward worthy. At the end of the week, whichever cabin has the most points wins, and gets their picture hung up in the hall of fame." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card, which she held out to Twilight, "This is your cabin."

Twilight took the card and saw it was a blue rock, "A sapphire? I mean, I'm assuming this is one, though technically sapphires aren't just blue. They can be pink, purple, yellow-"

"Yeah, but they're mostly blue." They spun around again, this time seeing an older teen with light brown skin and dark green hair and wearing a red shirt. He was also wearing brown shorts and a hat. "That's why they're named after the ancient Hoenn word sapphirus."

Twilight adjusted her glasses at the statement, "Huh. You certainly know your ancient Hoenn."

The teen shrugged in response, "It's a hobby." He then held out his hand, "Name's Timber Spruce."

"Twilight Sparkle," she shook his hand before turning to the others. "This is my brother Spike."

"What's up," he waved before pointing at the Terragon. "This is Peewee."

"Terra!"

"I'm Flash Sentry," the blue-haired teen spoke up before gesturing to his Riolu partner. "And this is Springer."

"Ri."

"And you can call me Doc."

"Nice to meet you all." Timber then pointed to a cabin, "You might wanna all get changed before orientation. Come on, I'll show you the way." Everyone followed him, Timber showing them to a cabin with the same image on Twilight's card. "Here we are, Sapphire Cabin. The best of all the cabins."

"Really?" Twilight asked, "Why's that?"

Timber turned to give her a smirk, "Because you're in it."

"Oh..." Twilight's face turned bright red, Spike raising an eyebrow at the sight while Doc chuckled at the interaction. At the same time, Flash rolled his eyes as Twilight then asked, "Wait...do you say that about every cabin?"

"Not exactly." Timber turned to the next cabin, a bulky white-skinned teen just now walking out. He rushed over to lean on his shoulder, "You're in the Ruby Cabin?" The teen nodded. "Ha! That's the worst one!"

"What?! Aw man!" The bulky teen gasped, now beginning to sulk.

Timber chuckled, "I'm just jokin', buddy. Ruby Cabin is great." Once the teen left, Timber turned back with a smirk. "See? Now, be sure to be in the student hall in thirty minutes." He winked at Twilight with a gun salute, "Catcha later." He then turned and walked away, Twilight still bright red as she waved at him.

Flash continued to roll his eyes, "That's a guy that tries way too hard to be cool."

Twilight let out a giggle, "I guess you'd be the expert in that field."

Flash nodded in response. "That's right. So of course-" His eyes shot open, soon turning to glare at her. "Hey!" The other all laughed as they entered the cabin, which was a simple room with a pair of bunkbeds that lead to another room that Doc checked to be the bathroom. There were four wardrobes and upon looking inside, multiple versions of each of the camp t-shirts everyone else was wearing.

Thirty minutes later, they all stepped outside wearing the t-shirts they had chosen. Flash was now wearing a blue variant of Rainbow's shirts, coupled with a pair of cyan shorts. Twilight had a blue version of Timber's shirt, with purple shorts that had rhinestones on them. Doc was wearing a brown version of Timber's shirt with dark blue shorts and Spike had a purple version of Flash's shirt on with green shorts.

It was here that they headed over to the largest building in the camp, now noticing that everyone else and their Pokémon were gathering there as well. Once inside, they found the room was filled with square tables that had a plack in the middle showing different images of stones. They found the sapphire table and sat down, Flash now seeing the other groups.

Lightning, Trixie, Rainbow and Fluttershy were at the diamond table, while Pinkie was sitting beside the bulky teen on the ruby table with a boy that had yellow skin and blue hair and a girl with light green skin, dark green hair and wearing a straw hat.

Five minutes later, Timber came out of the backroom followed by a pink-skinned woman with pink hair. Celestia and Luna came out next, followed by Sunset, which was carrying a large box. "Welcome," Celestia said once she was on stage. "I'm so glad to see so many young trainers here, all ready to learn and grow in many amazing ways while making new friends along the way." She then turned to Timber and the woman. "First, let's all give a big thanks to Timber Spruce and Gloriosa Daisy for allowing us the have the camp here on their land." Everyone clapped as Gloriosa shined a big grin while Timber just showed a smirk.

Luna spoke up next. "Over the next few days, you'll be interacting with Pokémon of all different shapes and sizes. And as you learn, you'll also gain points for your individual cabins. At the end of the week, whoever has the most points will get their picture in the camp's hall of fame."

Celestia leaned in to continue, "So, to start the camp off right, let's start with some introductions. And what better way to introduce yourself than with a battle." This got a round of applause from all the campers, only for Celestia to flash her hand, "Hold on. To make things interesting, you won't be using your Pokémon." Sunset took this moment to put down the box from earlier. "Instead, you'll be randomly picking a Pokémon from this box."

Luna nodded. "Battling with a Pokémon you have little experience with is a good way to help you learn to adapt."

Gloriosa stepped up and clapped her hands, "Alright everyone, please head outside and form an orderly que to get your Pokémon."

Everyone did so, some being a little less orderly than others. Flash and his friends were all at the back of the line, watching as people got their selected Pokémon before moving over to let them out of the ball. Some were basic Pokémon like Nidorina, Abra and Pidgeotto, while others were less commonplace like Ursaring, Beartic and Ambipom.

And when Lightning got his Pokémon, everyone laughed when they saw he had gotten a Lallaby. But as they did this, Lightning showed a dark glare, "What is this?!"

"Lal?" Lallaby tilted its head in confusion, Lightning now glaring at the professors.

"You can't be serious."

"This is the Pokémon you chose," Celestia told him.

"I can tell just by looking at this thing that its worthless!" Lightning crossing his arms, "Give me another one."

Lallaby's eyes began to tear up at the words, Luna growling at his response, "That's enough. You have no right to insult that Pokémon-"

"That isn't a Pokémon." Lightning interrupted as he pointed at the now crying pocket monster, "Its worthless. I'm not competing with it."

"A real trainer could win with any Pokémon," Luna barked back.

"Don't be ridiculous. A real trainer wouldn't do something to stupid." Lightning returned the Lallaby to its ball and threw it at the professor, "I refuse. Just put that in the trash where it belongs."

Luna growled as she put the ball back in the box, glaring at her sister next, "Why is he here again?"

"You know exactly why Luna." Celestia replied before sighing, "Now...about our current situation, we no longer have an even number of trainers."

"I'll battle," they all turned to Timber as he walked up to the box. "I'll take his place and use one of the Pokémon in the box. Whoever was supposed to battle that guy can battle me instead."

"That works. Thank you, Timber."

"No prob," he shot her a gun wink before moving over to the back of the line. "What's up, little man?" He asked Flash, who just huffed at being called 'little'. The two watched as the line kept going until it finally reached them and their friends.

"Come on out!" Twilight cheered as she tossed her selected Pokeball, which turned out to be a Psychic Fairy ballerina.

"Kirlia!" it exclaimed with a pirouette.

"Aww...you're so cute."

Doc was next, deciding to dig to the very bottom of the box before pulling out a ball. "Let's see who I've got," he held the ball out, unleashing a tall green mantis looking Pokémon with blade arms.

"Scyther!" It roared while slicing its arms through the air.

"My turn!" Spike grabbed a ball and tossed it into the air, revealing a puffy pig monkey Pokémon with an angry look on its face. "Cool!"

"Primeape!" It barked, throwing a few quick jabs into the air.

The rest all picked their Pokémon, getting mixed results. Rainbow got a Delcatty, sighing as she had hoped to get something more 'awesome'. Pinkie got a Lickitung, who greeted her by covering her in slobber. Fluttershy got a Luxray, who's tough exterior she quickly broke through with a belly rub. Finally, Trixie got a Krookodile, who seemed to enjoy trying to make himself look cool.

"Alright, my turn." Flash reached for a ball and opened it, "Come on out." A swirl of red energy fired out of the orb, now revealing a red rock covered in holes. "Huh?" Flash crouched down before poking the rock, "Hello? Anyone in there?" Everyone else heard this and stared at the sight, watching as the rock shook before something popped out one of the holes.

"Shuck?" A yellow worm-like Pokémon popped its head out, staring up at him.

"It's a Shuckle," Twilight told Flash.

"Ouch!" Timber seemed to flinch, "Too bad for you. Looks like you're this year's unlucky one."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see, this isn't the first time Camp Everfree's done this kind of thing, and every time we do, we use the same bunch of Pokémon. Whenever that Shuckle gets picked, the one who picked it loses big time. Basically, that Shuckle's never won a battle." Flash turned to the Shuckle, who retreated back into its shell from Timber's words. "Sorry kid," Timber shrugged his shoulders. "Guess some Pokémon just aren't meant to battle."

Flash turned to glare at Timber, "No way. Any Pokémon can battle once it's been properly trained."

"You're not the first trainer to say that, but it won't help. Probably best to just bow out and save Shuckle the pain and you the humiliation." Flash's glare turned to full-on scowl, Timber shrugging. "Just trying to help."

"Can it!" Flash picked Shuckle up, "I'll show you. Tomorrow. You and me. Battle."

Timber raised an eyebrow before smirking, "Alright. Challenge accepted." He reached down and grabbed a ball, unleashing another Pokémon.

"Poli?" A green toad Pokémon looked up at him before clapping and hopping from side to side.

"Looks like it's Shuckle verses Politoad." Timber turned to him, "May the best trainer win."

"Don't worry," Flash placed Shuckle under his arm. "I will." With that, he did an about-turn before marching off.

Once that was done, Celestia looked at all the trainers and their selected Pokémon. "Alright campers, you have the rest of the day to get to know your new friends. Tomorrow is when the battles will take place, and you'll show off how well you can work with them." Everyone nodded and went off to different parts of the camp, though most headed into the main hall so they could use the machines to see what moves their Pokémon knew.

Twilight was at the lake, standing on the pier with Kirlia. "Isn't this view amazing?"

"Kirlia..." it nodded while enjoying the light of the sun as it shimmered on the lake.

"It is a pretty amazing sight." Twilight yelped as she spun around, losing her balance and almost falling off the pier. But before she could do this, an arm stretched out and grabbed her. As she was pulled up, she looked up to see Timber smiling at her. "I know I'm charming, but you don't have to fall for me."

Twilight blushed again as Timber pulled her back over the edge. "Thanks." She whispered before looking away, "So...what are you doing here?"

Timber smirked before turning to pat Politoad's head, "Where else would I hang with my new buddy?"

"Politoad!" The frog clapped before leaping into the water, enjoying the feel of the lake. Kirlia stared at Politoad as it surfaced, the frog smiling up at her before gesturing her to come in.

The ballerina looked a little nervous, turning to look up at Twilight, "Go on. I'll be right here if anything happens." This made her shy Pokémon now before using her psychic powers to float onto the water, dancing across the surface as Twilight and Timber watched. They then turned, only to blush as they looked away.

Meanwhile, Flash, Springer and Shuckle were over at the gazebo as Flash watched Timber and Twilight now start talking. "I'll show him." He placed Shuckle on the floor and pulled out his Pokedex, "Let's see what moves this little guy can do." He scanned it and frowned as he saw Shuckle's only moves were Iron Defence, Endure and Rock Throw. "That's...not a lot to work with. Guess this is why he's having a problem battling." He looked back at the shell, "Guess I'll start by getting you out of that shell."

"Hello?" He knocked on the shell, looking inside one of the holes. "Can you please come out? I promise I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna be friends." The teen waited several seconds, Springer poking the shell as well. It was here that the little worm's head poked out, "Hey there." He held out a hand, "See? I'm a friend." But as he said this, the sound of laughter hit Flash's ears, making him look up to see Twilight and Timber giggling, reflexively making him scowl.

"Shuck!" Shuckle cried as he saw Flash's angry face, pulling its head back inside.

"No! Wait!" Flash let out a groan as he flopped back onto his seat. "Hang on there little guy, I-"

"Problem?" Flash hopped in place as he turned to a sudden voice, now seeing Sunset leaning against the edge of the gazebo, arms crossed.

"Don't do that!" Flash moaned, making Sunset laugh as she sat down and began to scratch behind Springer's ears. As she did this, her eyes darted to Twilight and Timber.

"You know, jealousy isn't a good look on you."

Flash blinked at her, "What are you talking about?"

"Seriously?!" Sunset deadpanned before gesturing to the other two, "You're not jealous about that over there?"

"Oh him?" Flash replied while pointing at Timber, "You can't be serious."

"I'm talking about what he's doing with Twilight, moron." Sunset responded while rolling her eyes, "Twilight's always around you, always watching you and paying attention to you and your training. It's understandable that you'd get a little jealous of someone else taking all her attention."

"I am not jealous of him."

"Keep telling yourself that," she patted him on the shoulder before standing up. "And I hate to break it to you, but you trying to help that Shuckle there while acting like that isn't gonna help. Both with him and Twilight. Do yourself a favor and concentrate on that first."

Before Flash could say anything, Sunset walked away, making Flash slump over. "Darn it..."

"Riolu." Springer added as he patted Flash's side.

"I know buddy." Flash looked back down at Shuckle, the Pokémon still hiding in the shell. "Darn...I really need some help here. Guess I rely on asking Twilight for help too much."

It wasn't long until the rest of the camp began training their Pokémon, all getting a good understanding of their Pokémon. Doc learned his Scyther was a fan of moving fast, so he adapted a quick hit and run strategy combined with sharp targeted strikes. Spike found that his Primeape got more powerful the angrier it got, but knew getting too angry would make him sloppy and careless. As for Twilight, she and Kirlia quickly got into sync, focusing on an eversion strategy revolving around using Kirlia's dancer-like grace and agility.

The only one who wasn't able to do any training was Flash, who still couldn't get his Shuckle to come out of its shell. Soon enough, nighttime arrived and everyone returned to their cabins. Flash was the first in bed, sleeping on the top bunk above Doc while his friends had just finished preparing to get to sleep.

"This is great!" Spike said as he climbed onto the other top bunk. "I can't wait to see how well me and Primeape do tomorrow!"

"This camp is pretty exciting," Doc added as he got into bed. "We've just arrived and already we're learning so much. Not to mention we're making a lot of great new friends."

Twilight nodded as she brushed her hair. "I know. Timber's so great." Her face started to turn slightly red, "He knows so much about so many things. Not just Pokémon, but ancient languages, science, music...it's too bad he can't pursue any of them full time."

"Why not?" Spike asked.

"He has to help his sister run the camp. But if that wasn't an issue, I'm sure he'd already have all the badges needed to compete in the Equestria League."

"I'm sure he would," Flash grumbled, Twilight turning to glare at Flash.

"Just because you can't bond with your Pokémon doesn't mean you should take it out on Timber. He hasn't done anything to you."

Flash turned to glare back, "He insulted Shuckle to his face."

"He was just stating the facts. I would hardly call what he said about Shuckle insults."

Flash rolled his eyes at this, "Of course you'd agree with him."

"Excuse me?!" Twilight barked back.

"You said the same thing about Riptide when we found out about his special attacks aren't as strong as they should be. You told me to give up on him and get another Pokémon." Flash leaned down with an ever-increasing frown, "What do you say about that now?!"

Twilight looked away at that, "Okay, I'll admit that Riptide has come a long way compared to what the Pokedex said, and part of that is because you believed in him, but...what if it's different this time?"

"Why would that matter? Are you saying I don't believe in Shuckle enough?!"

"I didn't say that!" Twilight almost yelled, "I'm saying Riptide wanted to get stronger, and Shuckle might not want too!"

Flash then squinted his eyes as he continued to glare at her, "But you knew Riptide wanted to get stronger and you still said that. Does that mean you still don't believe in him because the Pokedex said so?"

"That's...well...no." Twilight stuttered, her brain showing a little steam, "I mean, Riptide's nature is still...wait, that's not the point! That Shuckle's different because Timber said it is and I bet the Pokedex said the same!"

"Tch. Of course." Flash growled as he rolled back around, "Figures you would go with a machine and the guy that insulted Shuckle."

"Flash!" Twilight yelled, but the trainer didn't respond. Seeing this, she rolled into her bed, grumbling, "Jerk."

Doc and Spike both shared a frown, gulping at the sight before silently going to bed. They had a feeling this was gonna a be a long time problem.

Midnight...

As the moon reached its apex, movement could be seen in the sapphire cabin. The door opened before Flash's head popped out and looked around, seeing nobody around before tiptoeing out and running over to the woods. Once far enough away, he took out the Pokeball and held it out. It opened up to unleash Shuckle, who was still inside its shell.

"Hey Shuckle," Flash sat down and leaned against a tree. "You awake?" He looked inside the holes and after a few seconds, saw a pair of eyes looking out at him. "Listen, I uh..." he looked away in near shame, "I'm sorry about before. I guess I was just frustrated and I scared you because of it." He sighed as he looked up into the sky. "I don't know what it is about that guy, but...he just gets under my skin. And what he said about you just made me want to show him up even more."

Shuckle didn't say anything, just blinking as Flash continued.

"I get you probably don't like battling, and I'm fine with that. But what Timber said about you not having what it takes to battle if you wanted to, it just...set me off." He looked back at Shuckle, now seeing a pair of eyes that were a little closer to the hole. "If you don't wanna battle, I won't make you. I'll swallow my pride and forfeit. But I'd still like to become friends with you before I have to give you back, so that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna tell you all about me and the adventures I've had."

And that's what Flash did. As the night went on, Flash told Shuckle about everything that had happened to him since starting his journey. As he did, Shuckle's head slowly got out, soon showing its full noodlehead. "And then, Prongs evolved into Chitaleaf. It was awesome." Flash smiled as he looked down at Shuckle, slowly reaching out and gently placing his hand on its head. When Shuckle didn't flinch or move, his smile increased as he started petting it.

"Shuck..." it sighed happily at Flash's patting.

"You see, I'm not someone you need to fear. I love Pokémon."

"Shuckle." Shuckle slowly crawled onto Flash's lap, the teen chuckling as he continued to pet him.

"You know, I didn't get an answer about the battle tomorrow." Shuckle looked up at him, "Do you want me to forfeit." He then saw Shuckle look down, almost in shame. "Are you sure? I won't be mad if you say you don't want to battle." Shuckle looked up at him, their eyes meeting. "You don't want to forfeit?" Shuckle nodded, "But you're scared to battle?" Shuckle nodded again.

Flash hummed, rubbing his chin before looking back down at him, "Can you show me how you use Rock Throw?" Shuckle nodded before crawling off Flash's lap and turning to a tree.

"Shuck..." it tensed up and raised its tentacle as white lights appeared around it. "Shuckle!" It swung its tentacle at the tree, the lights flying off and slamming into the tree.

"Oh? Can you fire that move from inside your shell?" Shuckle looked up at him with wide eyes, quickly shaking his head. This made him sigh, "Alright..." He smiled down at Shuckle. "Don't worry. We'll find a way...but we'll need to start training now."

"Shuckle!"

The next morning...

"Scyther, use False Swipe!"

"Scy!" The mantis Pokémon slashed at a Machoke, knocking it back but unable to make it fall.

"YEAH!" A bulky teen cheered, "Power-Up Punch!"

Machoke began to charge with a glowing fist as Doc yelled, "Double Team!" Scyther suddenly multiplied into an army of ten, one of them disappearing as Machoke punched it. "Now, Aerial Ace!"

"SCYTHER!" Its blades began to shine before zipping through the air, its blades now swinging upward at Machoke.

"CHOKE!" It cried before falling back, spirals appearing in its eyes.

Sunset, who was acting as ref, spoke up, "Bulk from the Ruby Cabin's Pokémon is unable to battle. Sapphire Cabin's Time Turner is the winner and earns two points!"

Everyone clapped as Doc and Bulk returned to their groups. The entire camp had come out to battle as soon as they had finished breakfast, soon finding the pointing system to be easy to follow. Winning earned you two points while a draw got you one point, but losing meant no points at all. Doc and Bulk were one of the first to battle, Spike versus Trixie being next.

"Mega Punch!" Primeape slammed its fist into Trixie's Krookadile.

"Krook!" It cried as it fell down, spirals appearing in its eyes.

"Trixie from the Diamond Cabin's Pokémon is unable to battle. Sapphire Cabin's Spike is the winner and earns two points."

"Slam!" Pinkie yelled while spinning around, her Lickitung spitting out its tongue as it swung it down on Rainbow's Delcatty.

"Substitute!" As the tongue slammed into it, Delcatty burst into smoke as the real one appeared above the Lickitung. "Fury Swipe!" Its claws shined as it then rapidly slashed into the tongue monster.

"Licki!" It yelped as it fell back, swirls appearing in its eyes.

"Pinkie from the Pearl Cabin's Pokémon is unable to battle. Diamond Cabin's Rainbow Dash is the winner and earns two points."

"Charge Beam!" Fluttershy ordered, her Luxray letting out a roar as lightning surged around it.

"Get ready to dodge!" Twilight told Kirlia, the Pokémon nodding as Luxray fired the laser. Seeing this, she did a ballet leap out of the way. "Now, Magical Leaf!" Kirlia raised its hands above its head, only for a multitude of glowing green leaves to appear in its hands.

"Kirlia!" it yelled as it fired the leaves at the electric-type.

"Lux!" Luxray cried as the leaves slammed into it, making it stagger back.

"Oh dear," Fluttershy gasped.

"Now, use Draining Kiss!" Kirlia leapt ahead, spinning as it was about to reach Luxray.

And as Kirlia went in to kiss Luxray on the cheek, Fluttershy cried out, "Use Discharge!"

"LUXRAY!" The lightning lynx unleashed a burst of energy as Kirlia's lips made contact, its energy being drained away as the Psychic Fairy-type was electrocuted.

And once the lightning came to a stop, they both staggered away from one another before falling to the dirt with swirls in their eyes. "It's a tie! Both Twilight from the Sapphire Cabin and Fluttershy from the Diamond Cabin will receive one point."

"Great work girls," Doc told the two after they returned their Pokémon and moved over to their group.

"Yeah, Fluttershy!" Rainbow tapped her friend on the back a little harder than needed. "You did great out there!"

"Oh...thanks." Fluttershy muttered out with a small blush.

"You all did great!" They turned to see Timber walking over to them. "With two wins and a draw, Sapphire Cabin's at the top of the leaderboard." He pointed to the board and saw their cabin was at the top with five points. "Its too bad your lead's gonna be taken though."

"Why is that?" Twilight asked with a tilted head.

"Isn't it obvious? Your friend Flash doesn't stand a chance of winning."

"Where is Flash anyway?" Trixie added.

"No idea," Spike replied with a shrug. "He wasn't at the cabin when we woke up, and he wasn't at breakfast." Everyone turned to Springer, who was sitting down beside Peewee, wordlessly asking him where Flash was.

"Ri?" Springer shrugged, not knowing either.

"Hmmm....he probably got up early," Doc told them. "Likely so he could try and get Shuckle out of its shell."

Timber let out a laugh, "Well, he might have well as just slept in. No way that Shuckle's gonna get over its fear in one night."

"Alright," Celestia said as the current battle ended. "Only one camper left. Flash Sentry!" There was no response, making her frown. "Flash!" Again, no response. "Last chance! If you're not here, then you forfeit your chance to battle."

Timber put his arms behind his head. "He's probably too embarrassed to show his face. Too bad. A small part of me actually hoped he'd find a way to get Shuckle to battle. Looks like I was wrong."

"You weren't!" Everyone turned to the voice, now seeing Flash run up to Celestia and Luna. "Sorry I'm late. I didn't miss my turn, did I?" The sister's shared a look, Luna nodding before Celestia looked back at him.

"No, you can still battle."

"Alright!" Flash turned to Timber, "Ready to lose?"

"We'll see about that." The two moved over to their ends of the field, Timber already letting Politoad out. "Alright kid, let's see what you managed to do. Though I will say, you best just give up."

Flash smirked back, "Not a chance." He pulled out the Pokeball, "Shuckle, I choose you!" The ball flew into the air, unleashing the mould Pokémon as it popped out of its shell.

"Shuckle!" It roared, making Timber almost backpedal.

"No way..."

"It's come out of its shell," Gloriosa gasped.

Sunset stepped between them. "The battle between Flash of the Sapphire Cabin and Timber is about to begin. This'll be a one on one battle with no substitutions and the battle will be over when one of either side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Do both trainers understand?" They nodded, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Water Gun!" Timber commanded without a second's hesitation.

"Poli!" Politoad took a deep breath in before spitting out a stream of high-pressure water.

"Iron Defense!" Flash ordered.

"Shuck!" Shuckle pulled itself back into its shell before it began to glow, the water slamming into it. Put despite the pressure, the shell remained stationary.

"Do it again!" Flash ordered, Shuckle's shell once again glowing.

"Trying to up its defense, huh?" Timber smirked, "That won't be enough. Politoad, Rock Smash!"

"Poli!" Politoad bounced ahead with a glowing fist, quickly getting within striking distance of the Rock Bug-Type.

"Endure!" As Politoad threw its punch, two of Shuckle's tentacles flew out of the shell and wrapped around its wrist to stop it a few inches from the shell.

"Poli?"

"What?!" Timber yelped.

"Throw it away, then use Iron Defense!" Shuckle's shell spun around, dragging Poitoad around one thousand and eighty degrees before letting go, sending the toad flying as its shell began to glow again.

Everyone went wide-eyed at this, none more so then Timber and Gloriosa. "Shuckle's never done this well in a battle," the female sibling gasped, "We usually have to call the match because Shuckle wouldn't come out of its shell."

"The same could be said for this battle," Celestia told her. "Flash has just found a way to stay in this while keeping Shuckle safe."

"Impressive," Luna added.

Timber smirked, "Not bad kid, but I know for a fact Shuckle needs to stick its head out its shell to use Rock Throw. That's its only offensive move, and without that, there's no way you can win."

"Is that true Timber?" Twilight asked, Timber nodding with an ever-increasing smirk.

"Oh yes." Timber pointed to himself, "I've even checked Shuckle with a Pokedex, I know he can't do anything else."

"Wow...Timber sure is prepared." Twilight gasped, her face turning red again.

"Oh yeah? You got a dex with you right now?" Flash barked back with a low glare.

Timber just shrugged, "No, but I don't need it. I've-"

"Then watch this!" Flash interrupted as he pointed at Politoad, who was still recovering from the throw. "Rock Blast!"

"Wait, what?!" Timber yelped as Shuckle's shell began to spin, all the holes glowing. Then, as one of the holes pointed at Politoad, a glowing white projectile shot out and slammed into Politoad.

"TOAD!" It cried as it fell back, only for another rock to shoot out of the shell when another hole pointed at it. This continued, the shell launching a rock whenever one of its holes aimed at Politoad.

"He taught it a new move?!" Timber gasped, only to start growling, "That won't save you! Use Bounce!" Politoad started hopping around the battlefield, evading the rocks as it got close to Shuckle.

"Iron Defense!" Shuckle's shell glowed again as Politoad slammed its foot into it, making it skid backward until it came to a stop in front of Flash. "Again!"

Timber rolled his eyes. "I'll admit your defense is probably insane right now, but it won't be enough to protect from this next move." He pointed at Politoad, "Hydro Pump!"

"Poli," Politoad looked like he was about to use Water Gun, "TOAD!" This time, the water shot out in an even more powerful stream, this one slamming into Shuckle's shell like a rocket.

"Shuckle!" It moaned as it was bombarded by the water.

"Rock Blast!" Shuckle's shell began to slowly spin as it launched the rocks into the water, cutting through it and lowering the power, only to turn to dust before they got close to Politoad.

Everyone in the audience frowned at the sight as the Hydro Pump came to an end. "This is bad," Rainbow sighed. "He can't get a good hit off."

Doc nodded. "Shuckle are meant to be walls, best used with moves like Toxic or other slow-burn moves. It's not meant to give off great amounts of damage."

Trixie moaned, "So what's he supposed to do?"

Twilight sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. Pokémon stats don't lie, and that means Timber has all the advantages. Timber is going to win this."

Timber then pointed to himself, "Give it up kid. I admit it, Shuckle's doing way better than it has in the past, but its just not enough for that Pokémon to win on their own."

Flash let out a low growl, "You little...we're gonna win and our new move will give us the power we need to do it!"

"Don't bluff. Your Rock Blast is good, but with Shuckle's tiny attack stat-"

"I'm not talking about Rock Blast," Flash interrupted, "I'm talking about our other new move. Shuckle, Power Trick!"

"Shuckle!" It roared as its head and tentacles popped out of its shell, right before its whole body glowed a multitude of colors.

Timber, Gloriosa, Twilight, Doc, Sunset and the professors all went wide-eyed, Twilight gasping, "He actually managed to teach Shuckle that move?"

"What's Power Trick?" Spike asked her, but Flash's next order stopped her from explaining.

"Rock Blast!" They all turned to see Shuckle draw back into its shell before spinning, the holes once again glowing. But this time, the rocks that shot out were larger and moving way faster, the first instantly striking Politoad.

"TOAD!" It cried out as a new barrage of rocks struck, knocking it backward.

"Wow!" Rainbow added, "That Rock Blast went from meek to macho in a second."

"That's the power of Power Trick," Doc replied. "It's a move that switches the user's Attack and Defense. Shuckle's already has a super high Defense stat, and with it now being powered up by Iron Defense, it has been switched with its Attack stat."

Everyone's eyes went wide hearing this as Pinkie spoke up, "But that means-"

"Shuckle has enough power to take down any opponent with a single hit," Flash called out as Shuckle kept firing Rock Blast. Politoad was trying to dodge, but the rocks were too fast and it kept getting hit or scratched.

"Flash still needs to be careful," Twilight countered, "Now that Shuckle's low Attack stat has become its Defense, it's a glass cannon. One hit will be all it takes."

"Flash must know this," Doc told her. "I'm sure he has a strategy."

"Use Rock Smash!" Timber ordered, Politoad now managing to get close to Shuckle as its fist began to glow.

"Power Trick!" Flash ordered again, Shuckle's shell glowing. Seconds after the light finished, Politoad's fist slammed into it, skidding Shuckle back. "Again!" As it skidded, it's shell glowed the rainbow as its two states switched again. "Rock Blast!"

"So that's his plan," Timber realized as the rock barrage began again.

"Brilliant!" Doc clapped, "Flash is going to keep switching Shuckle's Attack and Defense whenever he switches from being on the offensive to the defensive."

"Smart," Rainbow added.

"GO FLASH!" Pinkie cheered.

Twilight just shook her head though, "Its not bad, but I don't think its enough."

"Bounce!" Politoad began hopping around, still getting scratched by the edges of the rocks as they hit it. But even so, it still got closer to Shuckle as it prepared its foot.

"Power Trick!" Shuckle stopped the Rock Blast before glowing, doing so seconds before Politoad slammed its foot into it. "Now Endure!" As the foot slammed into the hard shell, its tentacles flew out and wrapped around Politoad's leg before spinning around, tossing the opponent away. "Power Trick!" Once again, Shuckle glowed a rainbow of colors as Politoad hit the ground. "Now, Iron Defense!" The shell glowed again, only this time it was a single silver color. "Again!" It did so again, "One more time!"

"What's he doing?" Spike asked.

Doc hummed, "I think..."

The professors smiled as Luna commented, "Smart choice."

"Rock Smash!" Politoad rushed ahead as Shuckle finished its fourth Iron Defense.

"Power Trick!" Shuckle glowed, switching its Attack and Defense stats again. Seconds later, Politoad slammed its fist into the shell, sending it flying back.

"Shuck!" It cried out as it skidded to a stop, then started spinning as he knew what Flash would order next.

"Rock Blast!" It started firing the rocks, these not as big or as fast as the barrage raining down on Politoad.

"Poli, poli, poli, Politoad!" It cried while leaping around, only to get hit on the head. "Toad!"

"Of course!" Doc clapped again, "Fantastic!"

"What'd he do?" Trixie asked, Doc turning with a big grin.

"Flash used Iron Defense to increase the Defense that was once its Attack. So that way, once Power Trick switched them back, Shuckle would have its super high Defense and now its Attack stat would be raised to a reasonable level."

Everyone else caught on as he said this, Spike cheering, "Alright! Go Flash!"

"Do it!" Rainbow yelled.

"You can do it!" Fluttershy clapped.

"You haven't beaten me yet!" Timber told Flash, "Hydro Pump!" Politoad fired the high powered water stream, the liquid instantly powderizing the rocks before hitting Shuckle.

"Shuck!" It cried as it tried to stay where it was, throwing its tentacles out and slamming them into the ground to keep it in place. "Shuckle!"

"You can do it Shuckle!" Flash told him, "I believe in you!"

"Give it up kid, you've lost!" Timber told him as Hydro Pump ended. "There's one thing you overlooked with this plan."

"What's that?!"

"While all those attacks Shuckle took were when its Defense power was high, they still hit it and Shuckle took damage. Even if it's only a little bit of damage, all those hits add up."

Flash's eyes went wide, only to narrow as he yelled, "Doesn't matter, we'll just go for broke! Power Trick!"

"Shuck!" the Rock Bug-type's shell glowed, its stats switching around before it started spinning as Flash called out a Rock Blast. "Shuckle!" The barrage began flying out, back to being at max power.

"Rock Smash!" Politoad jumped from side to side, dodging most of the big rocks while still getting scratched by the smaller ones as it got closer. "Uppercut!" Politoad's fist glowed as it threw an upward punch into Shuckle's shell.

"SHUCKLE!" It screamed as it went flying into the air, Flash and everyone else going wide-eyed at the sight.

"Shuckle!" Flash cried, Timber smirking as he gave his next order.

"Bounce!" Flash looked down as he saw Politoad hop into the air, flying toward Shuckle with increasing speed.

"Power Trick!" Shuckle pulled itself back into its shell as it glowed, right as Politoad got in range.

Time seemed to slow down as Politoad and Shuckle reached the same hight, Politoad rolling before raising its foot. "Poli...TOAD!" It slammed its foot into the top of the shell, smacking it back into the ground.

"SHUCKLE!" Flash screamed, seeing Shuckle flying toward him. Before he could react, the shell slammed into him, knocking him back.

"FLASH!" Everyone yelled as they saw this, rushing over as he lay on the ground moaning.

"Ow..."

"You okay?" Rainbow asked, Flash sitting up and rubbing his head.

"I'm fine...that just really hurt." he assured them, only to look down at the Pokémon in his arms. "Shuckle, you alright?" He didn't get a response, making him tap the shell, "You okay? Please say something."

Eventually, Shuckle's head popped out and collapsed onto his chest. "Shuckle..." it moaned with spirals in its eyes.

Sunset sighed and shook her head, "Shuckle's unable to battle. Timber and Politoad are the winners."

"Looks like I'm still right." Timber added before high-fiving Politoad. "Well done buddy."

Flash let out a moan, "I can't believe we lost. Even after all that hard training..."

"I wouldn't be so depressed." Celestia added as she walked up to him, "You may not have won, but it's remarkable how well you did considering what you had to work with." Flash looked up at her, the professor patting him on the shoulder. "Sometimes losing can be an even better learning experience than winning, as long as you're willing to learn from it, and I think you've leaned a lot from this. For that, I'm awarding your cabin one point." Flash's eyes went wide at this, only for Celestia to frown, "However, I'm going to have to take away five points."

"WHAT!?" The four and their Pokémon yelled, turning to see Luna move their team name to the bottom of the board. "Why?" Flash asked, only for Celestia to give him a stern look.

"You think you can go out after curfew, then stay out all night and not get punished?" Flash's eyes shrunk, now seeing his friends all glare at him. The teen began to shrink under their gaze as Timber and Gloriosa stepped up to him.

"You did pretty well kid," Timber told him. "Even I'll admit, I was wrong. Shuckle's not just a fighter, he's a seriously awesome fighter."

"I agree," Gloriosa took Shuckle into her arms. "Thank you for helping him find his courage."

Flash said nothing as Gloriosa took Shuckle's Pokeball and returned him before everyone else said goodbye to their new friends and returned them. As Twilight gave back Kirlia, she began to talk to Timber, "You really are a great trainer. The way you and Politoad battled was so good it was almost scary."

Timber shined a huge grin as he placed his arms behind his head, "Well, I can't take all the credit. Just...ninety percent. Politoad sure pulled its own weight as an awesome Pokémon for an equally awesome trainer."

Twilight laughed at this, causing Flash to growl as he walked away. As he did this, Gloriosa walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, "Don't take it the wrong way. My brother is always like that. And...again, thank you for helping Shuckle."

Flash did a small nod, "Thanks...and its no problem. I was glad to become friends with him."

Our heroes first two days of the Pokémon Summer Camp had gotten off to an exciting start with friends new and old all around. But with another six days to go, who knows what else is in store for our heroes. You'll have to stay tuned to find out.

Twilight's Egg-celent Adventure

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It's day two of the Pokémon Summer Camp.

With the battles officially over, it was time to begin the day's true lesson. Everyone was excited to see what it would be, mainly due to Professor Celestia, Luna and Sunset leaving the campers at the main hall. And as they sat there, everyone was discussing what the activity could be.

"Maybe we're having another Pokémon battle," Spike suggested first.

Twilight shook her head, "I don't think so, as battles aren't the only part of being a trainer. Professor Celestia wouldn't want us to focus on just that one aspect. Though that being said, I'm not sure what it could be...perhaps an essay?" Her eyes shined at her own suggestion, crossing her fingers as she repeated, "Oh, please let it be an essay!"

The others all laughed until they heard a grumbling noise, the table turning to its cause, that being Flash, "Sorry. Missed breakfast."

"Well, it's your own fault," Doc grumbled as they all looked away from him.

Flash let out a long sigh, "Seriously?! How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?!"

Twilight did a small cough as she reached into her shorts and pulled out a note pad and pen, looking it over before saying, "Three hundred and six."

"Oh..." Flash blinked at the strangely specific number, "And how many times have I-"

"Two hundred and seventeen."

"Okay. Sorry."

"Eighteen," Spike counted.

"Sorry."

"Nineteen."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry."

"Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two." This continued for several long minutes, the many tables now turning as they heard them do this.

"Sorry."

"Three hundred and four."

"Sorry."

"Three hundred and five."

"Sorry."

"Three hundred and six."

Twilight let out a giggle as she ticked her notepad one last time. "Alright, that's-"

"Three hundred and six," Spike finished with Twilight nodding.

Doc laughed at this, "I think we can consider the matter closed."

"Thanks..."

Twilight giggled before rolling her eyes, "Well, we couldn't stay mad at you forever, even if that was your fault. Just don't lose us any more points, and try to earn as many as you can to make up for it."

"Will do. I'll be on my best behavior." Springer laughed as Flash saluted, the teen trying to do a big grin, only to slump over as his stomach growled again. "Ugh..." He then looked up, only to glance away as he now saw a certain green-haired teen walking up to the table.

"Hey Sapphires, looking forward to what's coming next?"

"What is coming next?" Spike asked him, only for the teen to tap his nose.

"Sorry, but that'd ruin the surprise. All I can tell you is that you'll definitely love it."

"Thanks Timber," Twilight added with a huge grin before Celestia, Luna and Sunset stepped back into the room. Luna and Sunset were carefully pushing a long cart with a white sheet covering it.

"Hello everyone," Celestia placed the two white boxes she was carrying on the table next to her. "I'm sure you're all wondering what we're doing next. Well let me tell you, it'll be a truly eggs-quisite experience." At that, Luna and Sunset slowly removed the sheet of the cart to reveal a bunch of Pokémon eggs in special cases. Everyone gasped at the sight, each egg having a different color and pattern on it. But as they looked at them, they then saw a card in front of each egg.

Celestia giggled as she saw the many awestruck faces before speaking up, "As a trainer, it's your responsibility to care for your Pokémon and make sure all their needs are tended too. And no time is that responsibility more important than when caring for a Pokémon egg and its hatching. As such, today you'll be doing just that." She gestured to the eggs. "These eggs are from many different regions, including Sinnoh, Galar, Alola and even here in the Equestria Region. They've each been selected due to how close they are to hatching, as each one is speculated to hatch either today or tomorrow. As such, each table will work together to care for an egg and the Pokémon that hatches from it, and once it's hatched, one of your group may be allowed to keep it."

This statement got everyone excited, Flash cheering, "Awesome! Talk about the perfect assignment!" He placed his arms behind his head as he sat back in his chair, "Given my own skills with Pokémon egg care, this should be a walk in the park."

"Really?" Timber asked with a raised eyebrow, "You've already raised an egg?"

"No he didn't." Twilight interjected, making Flash glare at her, "He had an egg for ten seconds before it hatched. That doesn't count as egg care Flash."

Flash's face deflated at this, Celestia speaking up before he could rebuttal. "Alright..." she opened the two boxes and took out a card, "Time to decide which group gets which egg. Emerald group will get...egg six." That group stood up and walked over to the cart, Luna giving them a case that had a light brown egg with dark brown stripes on it.

This continued for the next few minutes, Celestia pulling a table and egg number out of the boxes. Pinkie's table received a red egg with a bunch of Ts covering it, while Rainbow's table got a blue egg covered in lightning bolts. "Next up," Celestia pulled out another piece of paper. "Sapphire group," Flash and the others all stood up as Celestia announced, "Will be getting egg three."

They moved over to the table as Luna held up an egg that was white with pink and blue cloud patterns on the top and bottom. "Here you go," she held the container out as Twilight took it. "This one's supposed to be a really special one." She gave them a shushing gesture as they returned to their table, Celestia continuing the distribution.

Once they sat back down, Twilight carefully removed the glass, the four now all staring at the egg. "So what do you think it could be?" Spike asked first.

Twilight hummed at her brother's question. "It could be anything. Luna said it was special, so I doubt it'll be something you just find about anywhere."

"I bet it'll be something super awesome," Flash added, "Maybe a cool Electric-type, like an Electivire!"

Doc rolled his eyes at this, "I won't be an Electivire. It might be an Elekid, but it won't hatch into a fully evolved Pokémon."

Flash gave him a glare, "Alright smarty pants, what do you want it to evolve into?"

Doc put his finger to his chin, "Hmm...I've always been a big fan of Steelix and Aggron. So I'd love it to be either an Onix or Aron."

"Well..." Twilight slowly pulled the egg toward her, "We'll just have to take really good care of it so it wants to hatch as fast as possible. That's the only way to find out." They all nodded in agreement as the last egg was given away and the groups headed out of the building.

And as she carried the egg, Twilight couldn't help but smile as she felt the sunlight hit the egg, making it shine. It was here that they passed by a gazebo, now spotting the Diamond Group. Fluttershy and Rainbow were sitting on the floor, the egg on Fluttershy's lap as she showed Rainbow the best way to polish it. "So, its like this?" She placed the cloth on the egg's surface and slowly wiped it in a small circular motion.

"That's right," Fluttershy nodded. "Just remember to be very gentle and to not do it too fast."

"Got it..." Rainbow muttered as Trixie just watched, her Hatenna stumbling over and also using its hair like a cloth.

"That's right," she told it. "Do it gently..."

"Hat," it cheered as it continued.

"You guys already look like you're doing great," Twilight told them. "I bet that egg's gonna hatch into a very happy Pokémon."

"Thanks," Rainbow replied before turning to the last member of their group. "I just wish someone would pull their own weight."

They all turned to Lightning, the teen sitting at the back of the gazebo while looking away. "I've got better things to do than sit around looking after a stupid egg."

"Like what?" Flash asked with a deadpan glare, "Sitting around and trying to act all brooding? Yeah, that's a way better way to spend your time."

"Shut up loser," Lightning growled.

Twilight's eyes narrowed at this, "You do realise if you don't help, you won't get the chance to keep whatever hatches from the egg."

"So?! Why would I want such a weak Pokémon?!"

"You don't know if it'll be weak," Spike countered.

"It's a baby, of course it'll be weak. Even if it hatches into something known for being strong, it'll still take ages to get to that point. It's better to catch Pokémon that are already strong then hatching them. That's the same as worthless." Lightning then got up and began to walk off, "I'm not interested in worthless Pokémon."

Everyone growled at the sight, only to turn their back to the eggs, Twilight taking theirs out and doing the same as the others by polishing it. And as they did this, time began to pass, the teens all talking about what had happened since they had seen each other last. It was an hour later when Flash started going over how his last gym battle went when something new began to happen: The Diamond group's egg was now glowing.

"Did you see that?" Rainbow asked.

Trixie nodded. "I sure did. It's about to hatch."

"Alright!" Rainbow cheered, Fluttershy immediately shushing her.

"If we're too loud, it might not want to come out." She placed the egg on the cushion that had been in the case, everyone continuing to watch it pulse with light. "Come on little one, there's a whole wide world out here, waiting to say hello to you."

Everyone blinked as the light stopped pulsing, now being a constant shine before it slowly changed from orange to blue. Then, in the blink of an eye, it exploded off the egg before it's contents fell onto the cushion. And as the light faded, everyone saw that it was a blue ball of feathers, slowly uncurling itself as Rainbow let out a gasp, "No way! I can't believe it!"

The hatching finished unfurling as it fully revealed itself. It was a bird Pokémon that had a blue body with a yellow streak starting below its chin that ran down the front of its neck to its chest, then down its body until it reached its tail. The tail was blue with yellow tips while its wings were also mainly blue, but some of its inner feathers were yellow with a zigzag pattern that mimicked lightning. Its head was also blue, but it had a V-shaped line of yellow feathers that started at the center of its forehead and went up to the top of its head. Finally, it had a fully yellow beak, and its size was halfway between a Chickling and a Wingust.

Twilight's eyes went wide as she asked, "Is that a...Wondor?"

"You bet it is!" Rainbow cheered as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Wondor
Category: Marvel Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Info: A show-off by nature, it loves flying in synchronized flocks to perform aerial feats. Equestrians have dubbed these Pokémon the Wonderbolts after one was said to have flown so fast, it created a sonic boom.

"I can't believe the egg we got was a Wondor egg!" Rainbow squealed with stars in her eyes, "I've always wanted one of my own, and now I've got the chance!" She reached out with her finger, ready to scratch Wondor's head. "Hey little guy," it turned to her and tilted its head. "Nice to meet-YOWWW!" She cried as the Wondor nipped her finger.

Everyone laughed at this, watching Rainbow begin to suck on her finger as she glared at Wondor. As that happened, Flash looked back at his Pokedex and raised an eyebrow, "Hey, wait a minute...this says Wondor are supposed to be over six and a half feet tall." He glanced back at the newly hatched Pokémon, "I wouldn't call that six and a half feet."

"That's it's final average height." Everyone turned to see Timber walking up, Twilight and him sharing a smile as he got closer. "Think of how big a Wondor's egg would need to be to fit a fully grown one in it. Would you want to have to lay something that big?

Flash looked away, "I guess not."

Timber crouched down and scratched the Wondor. "Just watch. This time next week, this little guy will be three times the size, and he'll be fully grown by the next week."

"Wow..." Twilight gasped, "You really know your stuff."

"Thanks," Timber shined a grin before looking down at her egg, "Though uh...it doesn't look like your egg's gonna be hatching anytime soon."

"Really?"

Timber nodded before holding his hand out and placing it on the egg. "Yeah. We've done this egg thing a few times here and...well, you just get a feel for it. I'd say yours won't hatch until at least tomorrow."

Twilight sighed, only to hold the egg close to her chest, "That's alright. I'll let it hatch at its own pace. As long as it's safe and happy, then I can wait to meet it."

Before anyone could say anything else, their attention was then taken back to Wondor, the newly hatched Pokémon now spreading its wings as it started hopping up and down. "What's it doing?" Trixie asked.

"I think it's trying to fly," Doc replied.

"Eager little thing, isn't it?" Spike added, Peewee jumping off his head and landing beside Wondor. "Hey, that's a good idea. Help show him how it works buddy." They watched as Peewee spoke to Wondor, showing it his wings before slowly flapping.

"Dor?" Wondor tried to mimic it, beating its wings up and down.

"Looking good," Spike responded while giving Peewee a thumbs up.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Rainbow barked in before turning to Fluttershy and Trixie, "Aren't we the ones who are supposed to help it?!"

The two shared a glance before Fluttershy replied, "You're right," Fluttershy turned to the others. "I'm sorry, but I hope you don't think we're being ungrateful if you would have Peewee stop so we can train Wondor."

"No, you're right." Twilight answered while shaking her head. "If anything, we should be sorry for butting in." She turned to Peewee, who nodded and hopped back onto Spike's shoulder.

Wondor looked upset at the loss of its teacher, only for Rainbow to lean down in front of it, "Don't worry little guy, we'll have you flying through the air in no time."

"I guess Rainbow would be the best person to teach a Flying-type how to fly," Flash added as they watched Rainbow take out a Pokeball.

"Alright Fletchinder, come on out." The ball opened to reveal a red, grey and black Flying-type bird.

"Fletchinder!" It roared while spreading its wings, beating them once and pushing itself into the air.

"Fletchinder, I want you to help us teach Wondor how to fly. Think you can do that?" Fletchinder nodded before turning to Wondor, speaking in its own language while demonstrating its wings. Once that was done, Rainbow picked it up and held it out while Wondor beat its wings. She then let it go as everyone watched it hover for a moment, only for gravity to take hold. But before it could crash, Rainbow caught the bird, soon helping it back up.

They kept this up for an hour, Wondor managing to stay aviated a little longer with each try. During that time, several more eggs hatched, including the Emerald group who got a Swinub, and the Ruby group getting a Throh.

"Hey guys!" Pinkie cheered as she skipped over to them, "You having as much fun as my group?" They all looked over to see Bulk showing Throh the basics behind weight lifting. Pinkie then turned back to see Wondor jump out of Rainbow's arms and fly a good teen feet before losing his groove, Flechinder managing to catch it on its back. "Wow-wee! You've almost got yours to fly!"

"Almost," Rainbow replied before rubbing her chin in thought, "What we need is some kind of target for him, like something he can fly to instead of trying a distance."

Timber hummed at his, turning to the forest. "I know, why don't we all go for a hike in the woods? Wondor can practice flying from one tree branch to the next, and I'll show you all the sights around here. What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea," Twilight nodded as she stood up, only to see how high the sun was, "But won't lunch be soon?"

Flash's eyes went wide hearing this, grabbing his stomach as he tried to hide its growling. As he did this, Timber checked his watch, "Well, it won't be for another hour. If we hurry, we can grab some food and head out. I know a great place to go for a picnic."

Everyone agreeing to do this, Timber went off to tell his sister while the others gathered what they needed for the picnic. As he returned, he told them that Gloriosa agreed to it as long as he extended the offer to the rest of the camp. Soon making an announcement, several other campers agreed, including Sunset. It wasn't long till everyone was trekking through the woods while following Timber, the teen knowing the area quite well as he took them up a route that allowed them to see many woodland Pokémon.

But as they did this, Rainbow, Trixie and Fluttershy were focusing on Wondor, watching as it flew from one branch to another. "You can do it!" The rainbow-haired girl cheered as it took flight and flew forward fifteen feet, aiming for the branch she had pointed out. Once it landed, the three Diamond girls clapped as Wondor waved its wings around happily.

Timber then came to a stop, gesturing everyone else to do the same before moving over to a tree and studying it. "What's the matter?" Twilight asked, Timber stepping aside to let her see. "Are those...claw marks?" The tree had three large gashes in the bark, which went so deep that she was surprised the thing hadn't fallen.

"They're a warning," Timber explained before turning to the rest of the group and pointed to the lumber. "Word to the wise, if you see a tree with these markings, don't go past it. If you do, you'll find yourself getting attacked by a very territorial Pokémon."

Everyone gulped at hearing this, Timber gesturing them to go to different path. As they went down it, they soon found themselves at a large U shaped cove, with a waterfall and pond on the far side. It was covered in rocks of varying sizes, the perfect place for a picnic. The campers all began sitting down on the rocks, some like Flash, Trixie and Pinkie letting out their Water-types so they could play in the pond. Once that was done, the trainers took out their lunches, some noticing how many sandwiches Flash had packed as they raised an eyebrow at the sight of him devouring them one by one. He was halfway through his third one when he noticed everyone staring at him, "What?" He asked after swallowing.

"Nothing," they all said before digging into their own lunches. And as Twilight was halfway through her own sandwich, she noticed a smell coming from the left and stared at Flash. "Is that an...onion sandwich?"

"With ham," Flash turned to her as he gulped down the meal, "Why?" Twilight had to lean back and cough at Flash's onion breath, quickly getting up and walking off with her lunch. Flash raised an eyebrow at this, breathing into his hand and sniffing, but found no issue. He then turned to Springer, "It's not that bad, is it?" Springer leaned in as Flash huffed on him, the Riolu's eyes going wide as he staggered back while covering his nose.

Tears appeared in his eyes, "Rio!"

"Oh, grow up," Flash pouted before taking another bite of his lunch.

Twilight then took her seat next to the pond, watching the water trickle down the falls. She smiled as she placed the egg case down by her feet before eating her lunch, watching the falls as the sun's rays hit the waterfall, the mist given off from the water hitting the pool to cause a rainbow to appear. She gasped at the sight, amazed at the shining light coming off the falls.

Seeing the view, she picked up the egg and held it up at the sight. "Isn't it pretty? See how the light shines off the water, refracting it in a way that they merge into an array of different colors. If you come out, you'll be able to see it with your own eyes." But as she said this, the egg remained still. Sighing, she put the egg to her chest, "Its alright, no need to rush. Take your time."

"You're really good with that thing," she turned to see Timber walking up to her. "You ever look after a Pokémon egg before?"

Twilight shook her head in response, "No, but I used to watch the younger Pokémon at Professor Celestia's lab. One egg is nothing next to a bunch of rowdy Pokémon that have a tendency to play too hard or get into fights." Timber chuckled at as he heard this, sitting down beside her as the two watched the waterfall.

"I gotta say, I'm jealous of you all. Getting to go out and see the world, meet new Pokémon and trainers everyday...sounds like so much fun."

"Well, this place isn't too bad. I mean, just look around." She then gestured at the beautiful scenery all around them. "I'd love to be able to see something like this every day."

"Trust me, it gets old after a while." He pointed to the rainbow, "Even that gets a little mundane if you see it enough times." He then let out a long sigh, "I'd love to go out on my own journey, never knowing what the next day might bring."

Twilight showed a small frown at this, "Have you thought about...maybe talking to your sister about it? I'm sure if she saw how much you wanted to go out on a journey, she'd support you."

"Maybe...but that would mean she would have to run this place all on her own. I couldn't ask that of her." He sighed again. "That's how its always been. My parents, my sister, they always put the camp before anything else. I just wish that...just once, they would put me first. I know that's selfish to say, but that's just how I feel."

Twilight didn't say anything else, only to look away as a sudden outcry from the picnic to get her attention. The two turned to see a Pokémon hatch, this one being a Spheal, which the team instantly ran over to the pond so it could enjoy its natural habitat. This took most people's attention, combined with Rainbow's group finally getting Wondor to achieve somewhat sustained flight.

This led to everyone watching as Rainbow and Fletchinder began to teach it some different flying tricks, such as loops and barrel rolls. They all continued to watch this spectacle until Timber called out for them to start heading back to camp, Gloriosa having made a strict deadline for how long they could be out in the woods.

As they returned to the camp, they got there just before the deadline. Once back, Gloriosa issued them all into the main hall, and showed off several other activities the campers and their Pokémon could enjoy. This included a Pokémon quiz, which Twilight nailed with ease, earning their group a huge amount of points. After that was several arts and crafts projects that included making clay sculptures of one of their Pokémon or carving wooden dolls for them.

During this time, most of the remaining eggs hatched, the only one not being Sapphire Group's, which wasn't even twitching. "How much longer is it gonna be?" Spike asked, sitting on his bed as they all prepared to go to sleep.

"They did say it was possible for the egg to hatch tomorrow," Doc noted as he came out of the bathroom. "Guess ours is the only one that wants to wait until then."

Twilight nodded as she stared down at the egg on her bedside table. "Timber did say it probably wouldn't hatch until tomorrow. He has been doing this a while, so if anyone would know, it's him."

"I'd say he was just guessing," Flash instantly replied while turning away on his bed, "Bet you anything he mentally flipped a coin and said it was gonna hatch tomorrow. If he had said it would hatch today, he'd be very embarrassed right now."

"Well, he didn't say today Flash." Twilight countered with an almost glare, "He said tomorrow, and it looks like he was right."

"I usually am." They all turned to see Timber standing at the door, shining a big smirk, "Evening all," he turned to Flash. "Do your cabin a favor and stay inside tonight. My sister's gonna be checking on the cabins later to make sure."

Flash just let out a grunt and turned away.

Timber then turned to Twilight with a smile before looking at the egg, "Still no sign that it'll hatch?"

Twilight shook her head before opening the case and picking up the egg off of the cushion. It was here she noticed the particular sparkle shine off the egg's surface again. "No...but I'm sure it'll hatch by tomorrow."

"Unless it decides to hatch during the night," Spike added. "That'd be a bummer. We'll sleep right through it."

"I think the light would probably wake us up," Doc told him. "Though I would prefer to not have to watch it while I'm half asleep."

"Well, it's not like you can ask the egg to not hatch until tomorrow," Flash commented, only to for Timber to chuckle at his response, "What?!"

"Actually you might." Everyone turned to him, Flash glaring as Timber now wore a huge smirk, "There's a theory that an egg that's close to hatching is actually aware of their surroundings outside of its egg. There was one case several years ago about a Larvitar that hatched with an erratic fear of humans due to poachers who attacked its home when it was an egg."

"I think I remember reading about that," Twilight added as she stared down at the egg, "Maybe if we get it to go to sleep inside the egg, it won't hatch."

"That's a good idea." Timber replied, making Twilight blush.

"But how does that work?" Flash countered, "You gonna sing it a lullaby?"

"Not a bad idea." Twilight responded as she took a small breath before putting the egg to her chest. Memories of a song that her mother always used to sing to her when she was younger began to give its lyrics to her mind as she began to sing.

Hush now, quiet it now, it's time to lay your sleepy head.
Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed.

Hush now, quiet now, close your sleepy eyes.
Hush now, quiet now, my how time sure flies.

Everyone smiled at the song, Flash finally showing a small grin as they all began to remember their own childhoods as she continued.

Drifting, drifting off to sleep the day's excitement behind you.
Drifting, drifting off to sleep let the joy of dreamland find you.

Spike began to yawn as he and Peewee slowly drifted off to sleep, Flash chuckling at the sight before looking down to see Springer was also beginning to curl himself up and nod off.

Hush now, quiet now, lay your sleepy head.
Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to beeeeeeed.

Twilight sighed as she finished singing, her hands rubbing the egg the entire time. The gentle snoozing coming from above her made her smile, turning to see Timber shining a huge smile. "Wow, you're an amazing singer." Twilight's blush returned, Timber chuckling at her reaction, "Well, I'd better get the rest of my rounds done. Night."

"Night," Twilight and Doc said while Flash turned away again, giving a lazy wave. Timber switched off the lights and stepped outside, the campers all going to sleep as Twilight placed the egg back into its case and didn't take her eyes off it as she got under the covers. She couldn't help but smile as she saw a small shine come off the egg, even in the darkness. Carefully, she reached out and patted the case, "Good night." With that, she took off her glasses and gently drifted off to sleep.

The next morning...

The occupants of the Sapphire and Diamond Cabins, minus Lightning, were now walking out of the mess hall after enjoying a hearty meal. As they did this, they heard a voice yell out, "Circle Throw, YEAH!" The group turned to see Bulk and Throh battling against the newly hatched Swinub and the trainer leading it, their vision now soon seeing multiple other battles going on.

"Morning all," they spun around to see Celestia, Luna and Sunset walking up from the side of the building. "Planning to get a battle under your belts?"

"Are we allowed do battle with them?" Rainbow asked while pointing to Wondor as it perched on her shoulder. The hatchling had grown a good few inches overnight, but it was still a long way off from full size.

"Of course," Luna replied with a nod, "If they want to, there's nothing stopping them. With so many newly hatched Pokémon around, it's the perfect way to give everyone an equal chance to train."

"Huh...if that's the case," Rainbow shined a huge grin and turned to her friends, "Let's get this party started! Who wants to battle?" She started to look around, only to see all the newly hatched Pokémon now in battle, except for Twilight's, which was still in its egg, "Well, that's lame."

Flash then pointed to himself, "I'll battle you."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow, "But your egg hasn't hatched?"

"I know," Flash pulled out another Pokeball. "But I've got another Pokémon that just hatched not too long ago. He hasn't been able to get much battle experience before now, so this'll be perfect. Hopper, come on out!" The ball opened and unleashed a blast of energy to reveal Flash's Hoppin.

"Hop!" he exclaimed as he leapt into Flash's arms.

"Oh, how adorable!" Fluttershy squealed before leaning in and scratching Hopper's chin.

The others giggled at this before Flash asked, "So, you in?"

Rainbow turned to Wondor, who nodded back before she replied, "We're in."

A few minutes later, they all moved over to an empty area with Sunset again acting as ref. "Alright guys, you both ready?" They nodded. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

Rainbow pointed forwards, "Peck!" Wondor quickly took to the air and circled around before divebombing at Hopper as its beak began to glow.

"Screech!" Flash commanded as he plugged his ears, Hopper now taking a deep breath.

"HOPPIN!" The little ball of fur unleashed a powerful scream, hitting the flying Wondor, making him flinch before crashing from the sudden attack to the ears.

"Ouch," Rainbow flinched as she watched Wondor skid across the ground. "Ooookay, let's try something else. Wing Attack!" Wondor picked itself up before turning to Hopper, its wings beginning to glow.

"Wondor!" It charged at the Hoppin, ready to slap it with its wing.

"Tackle!" Flash countered, Hopper bouncing before throwing his body at Wondor. The two clashed, both being knocked back before skidding on the ground again. "Tail Whip!" Hopper jumped back up and began wagging his tail, making Wondor raise an eyebrow.

As this was happening, Timber and Gloriosa walked up to the others, "Morning everyone, are we having fun?"

"You bet," Spike replied, "Rainbow and Flash are testing out their newest Pokémon's skills."

"Wonder how well that's going?" Timber turned to see Wondor pecking at Hopper's backside, the grounded Pokémon running away while being unable to escape the flyer's pursuit. "Could be better for Flash."

Spike shook his head, "Flash is just getting his momentum going. Keep watching."

Timber raised an eyebrow at this, only to see Flash give his next order, "Screech!" Hopper bounced to the side, Wondor's beak piercing the ground and getting stuck. As this happened, the Hoppin let out another super loud scream, making Wondor flinch. "Now, use Tackle!"

As Wondor finally pulled its beak out, it then felt itself get slammed into the side. "Dor!" It cried as it stumbled over, only to spread his wings and took to the air.

"Alright, time for the big guns." Rainbow pointed at Hopper, "Crush Claw!" Wondor's talons glowed red as it divebombed at Hopper, spinning around to kick at him with its claws. Hopper managed to jump out of the way, Wondor spinning around and slashing at him with its other talons. "Wing Attack!" Its wings then began to glow, this attack slapping Hopper in the head.

"Pin!" He cried as it went flying back.

"You okay?" Flash asked Hopper as it quickly spun back onto its feet, the Pokémon nodding as it glared back at Wondor.

But as Flash was about to do another command, Twilight looked down at the egg in her hands, only to see a large flicker of light. Going wide-eyed, she put the case down and took off the glass, "Its happening..." She stared at the egg as the light began to pulse, making her yell, "GUYS! ITS HAPPENING!"

Flash and Rainbow turned to her, only for Flash to say, "Time out." Rainbow nodded in response before the two and their Pokémon rushed over to the group now surrounding Twilight, who placed the egg down on the ground while the light continued to pulse.

"Come on..." Twilight shined a kind smile at the egg. "You can do it. Come on out and say hello."

Everyone watched as the light stopped pulsing, now being a constant shine before slowly changing from orange to blue.

"Here it comes..." Spike commented while his body was now practically vibrating.

"Terra."

Doc nodded, "Any second now."

Then, in the blink of an eye, the light exploded off the egg before it's contents fell into the cushion. Everyone stared down at the newly born life, all raising an eyebrow when they saw the new sight. On the cushion laid a ball of purple and blue fur. "Huh? What is it?" Flash asked, only for the ball to start moving. A hoofed leg then poked out of the ball, which had what appeared to be a purple legwarmer around it, followed by another with two more after it.

The four legs reached out to place themselves on the ground before shakily trying to lift the rest of its body up, only to fall under the weight. Luckily, Twilight managed to catch it, "Careful." This seemed to make the ball go stiff before the front and bottom half curled off the rest of it and formed a tail like construct on the back. This revealed a cloudy white body along with a pointy black spike with a white ring on it. The part of the ball that the spike was connected to moved up until it stood at about a foot high, only to start looking from left to right with more haste each time.

Twilight let out a giggle before reaching out her hand, putting it in the fur before a very equine face came out of the fur along with the spike, now showing it to be a singular horn. "Hello there."

"Taa?" The Pokémon cried before slowly opening its eyes. They appeared unfocused at first, but slowly began to lock onto Twilight's face, "Nee?"

Everyone else went 'awww' at the sight, Sunset instantly recognizing the species, "Well I'll be, its a Galarian Ponyta."

"Oh my goodness," Fluttershy had hearts in her eyes, "It's so cute!" The Ponyta slowly pulled its gaze away from Twilight to look at the rest, only to swing its mane around so that it would hide its face. "Oh?"

"Maybe we should step back," Doc suggested before everyone but Twilight did so.

She held out her hand again, "It's okay. We're not gonna hurt you." Ponyta's eyes peeked out from behind its mane, almost as if it was studying Twilight. "That's right. Don't be scared."

"Taa," Ponyta slowly leaned over and sniffed her hand, its body shaking as it did so.

"What's it doing?" Spike asked in a whisper.

"I guess it's still wary of everything around it," Doc replied, "But it seems to almost recognize Twilight."

"How? Didn't just hatch?"

Timber hummed before snapping his fingers, "Twilight," she turned to him, "Sing to it like you did last night." Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, only to turn back to Ponyta singing the same song from last night.

Ponyta's eyes grew wide at the song, a smile creeping onto its face with tears in its eyes. And as Twilight said the last line, it leapt forward. "PONYTA!" Twilight caught it as the Ponyta pressed itself into her body, everyone else smiling as they watched her hug it.

"Well, I guess it's no mystery who'll be keeping it."

"No problem there." Spike added.

Flash nodded, then turned to Timber. "I guess that whole 'seeing things while still in the egg' was real then."

Timber shrugged. "Seeing out of the egg's still a mystery, but I guess this proves Ponyta could hear while still in the egg. If that's the case, of course it would recognize Twilight's voice."

Twilight pulled away and smiled down at the Ponyta, who's horn was beginning to give off a light glow as it tried to hug her again. The shine instantly made Twilight think of the glow from the egg, her brain now clicking several pieces in place. "Shine."

"What?" Flash asked, Twilight turning to him.

"That's her name. Shine."

"Good name," Timber told her.

"I like it," Spike added.

Doc nodded in agreement, "Very fitting."

Twilight stood back up, still holding Shine in her arms as she moved back to the group. "These are my friends, and they can be your friends too." Shine slowly looked up at them, only to shake like crazy, but she wasn't hiding behind her mane this time.

Timber was the first to step up, "Hey there." He reached out to touch it, only for Ponyta to pull back in fear. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." He tried again, but Shine pulled back her head again. "Oookay. Guess it doesn't like other humans yet."

"No, you're being too intimidating." Flash commented, making Timber glare at him.

"How am I being intimidating?!"

"You're trying to skip steps with it. Here, watch the master." Flash kneeled down, putting himself at eye level, "Hey there." Shine just shook in response, but Flash stayed perfectly still until Shine stopped shaking, "Here," He slowly lifted his hand, only to keep it frozen in place, "Don't be afraid." Shine blinked at the sight, its head slowly leaning out and sniffing the fingers. It then laid its head on Flash's hand, Flash smirking before patting it on the head.

"See? That easy." Flash responded before gesturing to Springer. The Riolu hopped onto his shoulders, Hopper doing the same as they both said hello. Shine instantly replied, showing a big smile at both Pokémon.

Timber gave him a glare, only for Fluttershy to now kneel down and greet the Ponyta. The others soon followed, Rainbow having a bit tougher time due to her more intimidating nature. Spike and Doc were able to pet it after a minute or so, while Gloriosa and Sunset were able to pet it just a bit sooner.

It wasn't long till the Ponyta was comfortable with everyone, but it wouldn't leave Twilight's arms. It was clear the glasses-wearing trainer was who she wanted to be with, Celestia watching the exchange just a bit away. A giant smile was on her face as she watched her student bond with the Pokémon, quietly admitting Twilight had truly had grown a great deal since leaving home.

But as she watched this, she now knew the new question was how much more she would grow from here. Only time would tell.

The Kindest Trainer in Everfree

View Online

It was still the third day of the Pokémon Summer Camp.

This day was made to be spent training the newly hatched Pokémon, teaching them about battles or whatever else the trainer felt they should learn. But one trainer wasn't helping with the hatchlings.

"Spark!" Lightning ordered as Chimplug slammed an electrified fist into a tree. As he watched this, he let out a long sigh, "Ugh...why am I here?!" He put his hand to his face, gripping it as he growled, "Gramps...why did you tell me this stupid place would make me a better trainer?! There's nothing here... it's just a stupid waste of time."

He leaned against a tree, the memory of watching the Wondor hatch going through his head. He could sense that the Pokémon could grow up into something, but he also knew he could train three of his Pokémon in the time it would take the Wondor to get up to snuff. As such, he decided to just focus on training.

"Again! Your power is nowhere near enough!"

"Chim!" the Pokémon smacked the tree with his fist again, this blow showing the same amount of damage as last time.

"Again!" Lightning yelled, "You're still weak!"

But as he commanded this, a shadow began to shift behind him. Hearing some bushes rustle, Lightning turned to noise, quickly barking, "Huh?!" And as he said that word, the shadow suddenly loomed over him, "WHOA!"

"Tackle!" Flash ordered as Hopper slammed into Wondor, knocking into the bird's wings to keep him grounded.

"Peck!" Rainbow yelled, the newly hatched Flying-type smacking Hopper back with its beak.

Over at the sidelines, everyone was watching the battle, Twilight sitting and holding her newest family member. "See Shine?" she told the Galarian Ponyta. "This is a battle."

"Taa?" She blinked at the sight of Hopper trying to avoid Wondor's thrusting beak.

"Most Pokémon do this with trainers," Twilight continued as she rubbed the pony's mane, "But you don't have to if you don't want to. You should still learn about it, since there may come a time you won't have a choice."

"Nee..." the newly hatched Pokémon neighed softly, soon looking around as the battle continued. She had enjoyed the Pokémon food they had given her, along with playing with Twilight and Flash's Pokémon until she got tired.

Now, she was watching as Flash and Rainbow restarted their battle, ten minutes now passing as either side hadn't given an inch. As this happened, Fluttershy sat down next to Twilight and reached over to scratch Shine behind the ear. She had Angel on her lap and Seabreeze in her hair, having let them out to play with Shine after she had hatched. But as she did this, the corner of her eye suddenly saw Springer's ears shot up, "Hmm? What's wrong Springer?"

"Ri?" Springer stood up, everyone else catching on to his movement.

"Springer?" Flash asked, only to see the Riolu run away. "Springer!" He and Hopper ran after him, everyone else doing the same until they reached the cabins, now seeing the Riolu come to a stop, "Springer, what's going on?!"

Springer didn't need to answer, as he just pointed at the woods, everyone soon seeing someone stagger out of trees in front of them. "Lightning!" They yelled as they ran up to him, seeing the trainer covered in scratches while clutching a knocked out Chimplug in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Doc asked as he tried to reach out to help him, but Lightning swatted his arm away.

"Back off," he growled, "I don't need your help."

"Stop being stubborn," Rainbow countered, "You're obviously hurt."

"I'm fine! Shut up, you..." his words began to drain out as he staggered over, Doc and Flash quickly grabbing him before he almost fell over. Chimplug was about to fall next, but Rainbow instantly snatched him away.

"What's going on?" Celestia asked as everyone turned to see the professor walking up to the group. Twilight pointed at Lightning in response, she, Luna, Timber and Gloriosa now seeing him and going wide-eyed, "Sweet Arceus." She turned to Gloriosa, "Get the first aid kit."

She nodded and ran off as they gathered around him, Rainbow giving Chimplug to the professors for treatment. Once Gloriosa returned, she started bandaging Lightning up while Timber sprayed Chimplug with a Super Potion. As they did this, they asked Lightning what had happened.

"We were training in the woods when something leapt out and attacked us. Whatever it was, it was fast and it was strong. It took Chimplug down before I could give an order, then attacked me before I could get another Pokémon."

"That sounds awful," Fluttershy whimpered out, "What could have done this?"

"Grizzor," Timber instantly replied as he finished healing Chimplug.

"Grizzor?"

Gloriosa let out a long sigh, "It lives in these woods, and is very territorial. If anything, Pokémon or trainer, gets to close to it's home, it'll attack without a second's thought."

"Whoa..." Flash replied while pulling out his Pokedex and typing the name in, getting an image of the Pokémon in question. It was a hulking bear-like Pokémon standing on all fours. Its body was a mix of blue and white and it had armoured shoulder pads and gauntlets on its front legs, each with three large claws coming out of them.

Name: Grizzor
Category: Grizzly Pokémon
Type: Normal
Info: The evolved form of Abearab. Its body is clearly massive and its fangs and claws conceal lethal potential. Although its appearance is ferocious, it possesses a kind spirit.

"It doesn't sound kind," Trixie commented.

"It sounds super scary," Pinkie added with a big frown.

A bulb went off in Twilight's head at this, turning to Timber, "That's the Pokémon that made the claw marks in those trees, isn't it?"

Timber nodded back, "We'd like to get rid of it, but Grizzor's den isn't on our land. As such, we don't have a legal precedent to demand it's removal."

"Why don't you just catch it?" Flash asked, Timber shaking his head in response.

"I've tried once."

"Me too," Gloriosa added, "It's just too strong. We have no Pokémon that can take it on."

"Well, it better watch out then," Lightning growled. "Once I'm healed up, I'm catching that Grizzor."

"Well, you're not healed up yet." Luna responded as she helped him up, "Come along, you need your rest."

The professor then escorted the angry trainer, Chimplug returned to his Pokeball as they went back to the Diamond cabin. As for Celestia, Timber and Gloriosa, they went back to their work, leaving the group as they told them to go back to being with the newly hatched Pokémon. And once they were gone, Rainbow turned to the others with a big cocky grin. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

Flash pumped his fist, "Oh yeah."

The others quickly caught on, Twilight shaking her head, "Flash, Rainbow...no."

"What?" Flash asked as he turned to her, only to see Twilight crossing her arms. "Oh, come on!"

"We are NOT going on a wild Zangoose chase after a very dangerous Pokémon."

"She's right Flash," Doc added, "You saw what that thing did to Lightning."

"Well, we're not Lightning," Rainbow barked back as she pointed at herself, "I'm going. Who's with me?"

"I'm in," Flash instantly replied while returning Hopper to his Pokeball.

"I'll go too," Trixie continued with Pinkie stepping up to her side.

"I'm in!"

Spike shined a huge grin, only to feel Twilight his the back of his collar, "No Spike."

"But Twilight-"

"No."

"Anyone else?" Rainbow asked, turning to Fluttershy next, "How about it Shy?"

"Oh, um...I don't know." Fluttershy responded as she hid behind her hair, "I-I-I think this is a bad idea. If it wants to be left alone, maybe we should do that."

"But it would be a crime to not catch something that strong," Rainbow countered, only to see Fluttershy shake her head.

"Not every Pokémon wants to be caught. If this Grizzor wants to stay wild, we should respect its wishes."

This got a nod from Twilight and Doc, but Flash shook his head, "Well if we don't catch it, Lightning probably will, and I doubt anyone would want that. Catching this thing would do the Grizzor a favour, plus it'd help out the camp."

Twilight just glared at him in response, "But even Timber and Gloriosa couldn't catch it. You guys might be biting off more than you can chew." She picked up Shine and hugged her up to her chest, "And I'm not risking her or my brother on a silly Pokémon hunt."

"Well, I'm going," Rainbow turned to the forest before starting to march in, only to turn back to the others, "Do us a favour and don't rat us out."

The rest nodded, Flash following Rainbow with Pinkie and Trixie doing the same. Seeing this, Twilight let out a long sigh, "Fine. I won't tell anyone if they don't ask me. But if they do, I'm not lying for you."

"That's fine. We'll be back before you know it." Rainbow replied, the four soon disappearing into the woods. Letting out another long sigh, Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose under her glasses. "Those guys are gonna get themselves killed."

Fluttershy bit her lip at Twilight's statement, only for Seabreeze to suddenly fly out of her hair, "Seabreeze?"

"Breeze! Breezie breeze bree!" he yelled, making Fluttershy lean back before looking down at Angel, the rabbit staring at her before nodding.

"Oh...alright."

"Fluttershy?" Twilight asked while tilting her head. "What's wrong?"

"I...I'm going with them. Hopefully, I can calm the Grizzor down if it gets angry."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Doc added with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Fluttershy sighed while shaking her head, "But I have too. Rainbow is always way too reckless."

With that, she ran into the woods, the others unable to say anything in time to change her mind.

Deep in the forest beneath a large old tree, a certain Grizzly Pokémon was laying in a hole inside the pillar of lumber. It was the Grizzor, the bear now snacking on a pile of berries it had been gathering before it's tussle with Lightning. It devoured the berries in a few fell scoops, its claws gripping all of them with ease.

"Grizz...zor zor," he said as he smacked his lips before licking his claws of the berry juice. "Grizzzz…"

And as it finished the last one, it slumped over, closing its eyes as it wanted to go into the realm of sleep. But this wouldn't last, as it quickly lifted his head back up, sniffing the air next, "Zoooooor," it growled before picking itself up, "Grizzor!"

Its roar means only one thing. There was someone or something in its territory.

Meanwhile...

"Found it!" Flash called out as the others ran over, now seeing some clawed up trees.

They had started to find more of these markings as they made their way further into the forest, Rainbow shining a huge grin at the sight, "We're getting closer! That thing's den's gotta be around here somewhere." Flash and Pinkie nodded while Fluttershy and Trixie remained silent behind them. "Remember everyone, that thing could be anywhere, so we should stay alert."

"Okey-dokey-loki!" Pinkie exclaimed as she skipped through the forest, only to come to a sudden stop, "Say uh...what's the plan for when you do find it?"

"My plan is standing right there," Flash replied while pointing to Springer, the Riolu smirking and giving a thumbs up.

"And my plan's right here," Rainbow took out a Pokeball and opened it up, soon summoning a humanoid bird with red, white, green and orange feathers.

"Ha!" It cheered while posing, "Loo...cha!"

"Cool. Nice Hawlucha." Trixie added as she instantly observed that the little guy was a performer by nature. She would have said more, only for everyone to start hearing a rustling sound in the distance. Coming to a stop, Fluttershy quickly hid behind Trixie.

"I-I-Is it here?!"

"Springer?" Flash asked while looking down at the Riolu, the Pokémon now closing his eyes and scanning the area. It did sense something getting closer, but he could only shake his head. "Nothing?"

"Ri...riolu," Springer replied with a shrug.

"Well, if that's the case-" Flash tried to say, only for something to shoot out of the bush in front of them. "Whoa!" he yelled, only to see it was a Linoone run out and then hop into another bush.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, the group unable to stop themselves from smiling at the situation. But as they did this, Springer's ears suddenly shot up.

"RIOLU!" Springer cried as he quickly tackled Flash into the girls, knocking them all over. Before they could even remotely ask or react to why he had done this, a powerful laser suddenly shot above their heads. The sound of trees falling from the beam came next, making the group scramble to their feet.

"Whoa...thanks buddy," Flash added, the others about to say the same-

"GRIZZOR!" roared the bear as he landed in front of the group, the ground shaking on impact.

Everyone quickly got into a battle stance, staring at the beast as it growled at them, "So...this is it."

Pinkie tilted her head at the sight, "It's not as big as I thought it'd be."

The Grizzor's eyes narrowed at this, its form slowly lifting up to stand on its back legs. It was here that they saw it stood above ten feet tall as it roared again, "GRIZZOR!"

"I take that back!" Pinkie screamed, zipping behind Fluttershy before Fluttershy slipped behind her.

"Grizzor, I challenge you!" Rainbow yelled, her voice slightly trembling as she ran up to the front of the group.

"Ha!" Hawlucha added before hopping in front of Rainbow.

"Brick Break!" Its wing glowed as it leapt at Grizzor, ready to slam it with super effective damage.

"Zor!" It roared as its claws began to glow white, swinging to meet Hawlucha's attack in mid-air. They pushed for several seconds, only to smack Hawlucha away with ease. And as the bird landed, Grizzor opened its mouth before electricity began to spark in its teeth.

"That's Thunder Fang!" Trixie screamed as she pointed at the bear, Grizzor then surging forward to bite into Hawlucha's wing, making it cry out before Grizzor swung its head around, letting go a second later.

"X-Scissor!" Rainbow ordered, Hawlucha spinning in the air before crossing its arms. It quickly swooped down at the bear, slashing the air in an X shape as it hit Grizzor.

"Zor!" It flinched, staggering back.

"Now, Flying Press!" Hawlucha leapt over to a nearby tree and jumped onto its branch.

"Haa!" It leapt off the twig and spread its wings, white energy appearing around it as it began to divebomb the Grizzor.

The bear Pokémon growled as it looked up at the bird, quickly opening its mouth as light appeared inside it. Fluttershy saw this and gasped, "Look out!"

"GRIZZOR!" A Hyper Beam flew out of the mouth, hitting Hawlucha point-blank. The blow instantly sent him flying, slamming into a tree.

"CHA!" It cried as it slumped over, falling to the ground with a thud with spirals in its eyes.

"Hawlucha!" Rainbow cried as she ran over to the bird, Flash and Springer stepping up next.

"Our turn. Get ready Springer!"

"Ri!" Springer yelled before getting into a pre-running pose.

"Extreme Speed!" Green lightning crackled around Springer before he shot off, disappearing and reappearing in front of Grizzor. Springer started by swinging a high-speed kick into its chest, followed by several more hits all around its body.

But this wasn't enough, as Grizzor lifted his claws before they started glowing red, "Grizzor!" he roared as it started slashing wildly, Springer quickly stepping back at high speed. As he did this, Springer kept easily punching Grizzor after every few claw swipes. This continued for a minute, Springer jumping around and slamming Grizzor while evading its attacks.

However, as the tenth blow happened, Grizzor stopped swinging his claws. Smirking at this, Springer continued to do a punching barrage thanks to Extreme Speed, not noticing Grizzor closing his eyes. This sight made Flash gasp, "Springer! Watch out!"

"Ri?" Springer muttered as he did another punch, his head swiftly looking up to see Grizzor glare down him with two raised claws.

"GRIZZOR!" it screeched, Springer quickly hopping back, only to for Grizzor to appear behind him. "GRIZZ!"

WHAM!

The Grizzor slammed its Crush Claw into Springer, sending the Riolu flying back. "Ri!" Springer cried as he rolled along the ground, managing to jump back to his feet, "Rio?"

"How'd he do that?" Pinkie asked, Flash growling at the sight.

"He anticipated where Springer was gonna be."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, "Springer was unknowingly attacking in a pattern. Grizzor just found the pattern."

"That's not good," Rainbow gulped, Grizzor now charging while using Thunder Fang.

"Double Team!" Springer swiftly multiplied himself as Grizzor bit into one of them, making it disappear. Grizzor blinked at the sight, seeing the Springer army prepare to charge as Flash gave the order, "Drain Punch!"

The Riolu all charged, their fists glowing as the Grizzor stared at the Pokémon. His nose then began to sniff, the bear soon turning around to slash its Crush Claw at one of the clones. "RI!" Springer yelped as he was knocked back, the fakes all disappearing as they did.

"No way!" Flash yelled, "How'd it find him?!"

"It sniffed him out," Fluttershy responded, "The Double Team Springer don't have scents, but the real one did."

Flash gulped as he watched Springer get up, making him bite his lip as he pointed at the Grizzor, "Aura Sphere!" Springer jumped up and formed the orb in his paw while Grizzor's mouth started to glow.

"RI/GRIZZ!" The two launched their attacks, Aura Sphere meeting the Hyper Beam. The two pushed at one another for a second, only for the Hyper Beam to overpower the Aura Sphere, sending both at Springer. "RIOLU!"

"Springer!" Flash screamed as he saw Springer go flying, quickly catching him before he could hit anything. Looking down at his partner, he went wide-eyed as he saw injuries cover his entire body. "Not good." He looked back at Grizzor, now seeing a red-eyed glare on the bear's face. Knowing the only reason they hadn't been shredded because Grizzor needed to recharge, he turned and yelled, "RUN!"

The girls did not need to argue, all of them sprinting through the forest as the Grizzly Pokémon waited for his body to move again. And as ten seconds passed, he launched another Hyper Beam, the laser striking a tree near the running group, making them all scream as the lumber exploded.

Back at the camp, Twilight, Spike and Doc were all playing with Shine. Right now, they were helping her learn to control her psychic abilities, starting with levitating a rubber ball.

"Okay, are you ready?"

"Nee..." Shine nodded while focusing on the ball, her horn soon being enveloped by a yellow light. The ball was the same, the sphere slowly hovering off of Twilight's hand.

"That's it," Twilight calmly said, "Don't push yourself. Just see how long you can hold it for." Shine nodded again as she tried to keep focus, only for a tinge of pain to strike her head. The glow disappeared in this instance, dropping the ball into Twilight's hand.

"Ta..."

"That's okay. You're doing great." Twilight replied while reaching out to scratch her behind the ear, "Good girl."

"Let's see...a good fifteen seconds," Doc added while staring at his pocket watch. "Five seconds more than last time."

"Awesome!" Spike cheered, Peewee, doing the same.

"It sure is." They all turned to see Timber, a huge smirk on his face, "You're doing great showing Shine the ropes."

"Thanks," Twilight told him with a blush on her face, "We still have a long way to go, but she's making progress."

Timber nodded, only to rub his chin in thought, "Hey, where's Flash and the rest of the Diamond Cabin?"

This made Twilight do a long gulp, knowing she wouldn't cover for them, but she also knew Timber could probably figure things out pretty quickly. However, as he asked this, a sudden rustling sound caught their attention. They all turned to it, now seeing their friends come out of the trees as Flash yelled, "Guys!"

Doc crossed his arms as he spotted Springer, "Well...I'm guessing you found it then."

"Yeah..." Rainbow panted while nodding.

"And?"

"That thing was a monster," Pinkie replied with a giant gulp, "It took out two Pokémon it was weak too without breaking a sweat."

Trixie nodded in agreement, "No wonder you've been having so many problems with it."

Timber raised an eyebrow, "Wait...you didn't go looking for Grizzor, did you?"

Flash sighed, "Yes...and you're right. That thing's incredible. It's not just strong, it's smart too."

Timber sighed while rolling his eyes, "I told you guys to stay clear of it. What would have happened if the four of you had gotten hurt?"

They were about to reply, only for Rainbow to say, "Four?" She turned around, now seeing a certain person missing, "Wait...where's Fluttershy?"

Meanwhile...

Fluttershy sighed as she leaned against a tree, panting heavily as her legs felt like jelly, causing her to slide down the pillar of lumber. She looked down at Angel, "Oh dear...that was scary. Are you okay Angel?"

"Bun," the Bunnop nodded before Fluttershy twiddled with her hair.

"Seabreeze?" The Breezie popped out of her hair, doing a quick nod as well.

"Bre."

"That's good," Fluttershy added before taking a deep breath. Her eyes started to dart around next, the sights making her bite her lip, "Oh no...I got separated, didn't I? This is bad. I don't know which way the camp is."

She started to pant, causing Seabreeze to roll his eyes. "Breezie!" He yelled, Fluttershy looking back at him. "Breeze, bre, Breezie!"

Fluttershy's breath slowly steadied as she nodded, "You're right, panicking isn't gonna help. We need to find a way back to camp." This was followed by a loud grumbling, the cause making her glance down at her Bunnop, "Angel? Are you hungry?" Angel nodded while rubbing his stomach. "I'm sorry, I don't have anything to give you." This made Angel frown before jumping out of Fluttershy's arms, hopping over to a nearby tree. "Angel?"

"Bun!" Angel leapt into the air before slamming his foot into the tree, making it shake.

Fluttershy looked up at the tree's branches, blinking as she responded, "I don't think this tree has any fruit in it." Angel didn't listen and kept hitting the tree, making it shake more and more. But as he hit it, something suddenly dropped into the dirt in front of Fluttershy, The girl gulped at the thing, "Oh...hello mister Kakuna." She quickly turned to her Bunnop, "Angel! Stop hitting that tree!"

The bunny turned to his trainer, now seeing the Pokémon staring at him. A deep glare came from the Cocoon Pokémon, Fluttershy quickly walking in front of the rabbit, "Um...mister Kakuna, I'm really sorry. We didn't mean to disturb you."

"Ka..." it hissed, only for a crack to appear on the front of its body. Fluttershy's eyes shrunk as the bug's body was suddenly consumed in light, sounds of cracks gracing the forest next. And as the light faded, Fluttershy did the biggest gulp she could do as a new Pokémon appeared in the Kakuna's place.

"Beedrill..." Fluttershy gasped as the newly evolved hornet flew up to her eye level, "Um...Mister Beedrill? Please be calm. It was an accident, and we're really sorry and-"

The Beedrill just let out a hiss, sparking its drill hands as it glared at the teen. Before she could say another word, it charged at her, only for Seabreeze to leap out of her hair, "Breeze!" it roared as it beat its wings, a gust of green wind now hitting the bug back. Seeing this, Angel hopped into action, performing a Jump Kick right into the Beedrill.

"Bun!" he yelled as his feet smacked Beedrill into the tree they had been resting in, instantly knocking it out.

Fluttershy let out a long gasp of relief as she saw the bug twitch on the ground, "Oh dear..." she glanced down at her Pokémon, "Thank you, you two." They both nodded at her, only for the trio's ears to suddenly hear something new. Now all looking up, their eyes shrunk as they now saw a horde of Kakuna and Beedrill in the branches.

"Oh no...RUN!" the trainer screamed before grabbing her Pokémon, sprinting into the forest as the Beedrill began to give chase.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST LEFT FLUTTERSHY!" Twilight screamed at the four trainers, all cowering as she towered over them with death glares.

"We didn't leave her," Rainbow squeaked out, "We just...got separated."

"And you didn't notice until now?! Are you kidding me?!" Twilight screeched, only for Celestia to come and place a hand on her shoulder.

"That's enough Twilight. Blaming them won't fix anything."

Twilight glanced at her mentor, a sigh soon following, "You're right." She turned back to the four, now seeing Flash stand up and walk away, "Where are you going?"

"To find Fluttershy. I'm gonna have Springer find her." He looked down at his Riolu, the Pokémon doing a small nod, "Thanks bud. Sorry for putting this on you."

"Ri!"

"Hang on. I'm going with you," Timber spoked up, Flash trying not to glare at him as he continued, "I know these woods like the back of my hand, so I know where all the dangerous Pokémon are. The Kakuna should be evolving around about now, and that's not something you should face."

Twilight crossed her arms and added, "Listen to him, Flash. You'll just be reckless and get lost."

Flash sighed and looked away, "Fine."

"I'm going too," Rainbow added. "It was my idea that got her lost, plus she's my best friend." Flash nodded while Twilight, Doc, Spike, Pinkie and Trixie all gave their agreement to go too.

Twilight then picked up Shine and handed her to Sunset. "You mind looking after her? I don't want her going in there."

"Of course," Sunset replied as she took her.

"We should start at the last area you saw her. We might be able to find some tracks to follow." Timber said as he pulled out a Pokeball, "Come out Breloom!"

The ball opened before the mushroom kangaroo appeared, "Brell, Breloom!"

"Oh wow! What a great Pokémon!" Twilight cheered, Timber shining a huge grin in response.

"But of course. He's the best, because he was trained by the best."

Twilight nodded, "he'll definitely help against that Grizzor!"

The rest rolled their eyes at the sight, Flash turning and gesturing them to follow, "Come on, we gotta get going."

Fluttershy was not in good shape. She was running on fumes, and the Beedrill were just feet away. And as she ran, she soon found herself at the edge of a large cliff, her eyes shrinking as she saw she about ten feet from the ground. Turning around next, she now saw a full swarm of Beedrill.

"BZZZZ!" the horde buzzed as they all stared at her.

She did a large gulp, tears beginning to appear in her eyes, "Please don't hurt us. It was an accident." The Beedrill either didn't understand or didn't care, for in that moment, one charged with its stingers primed. "NO!"

"GRIZZOR!" roared a new voice, a new Pokémon appearing and smacking the Beedrill away with ease as it landed in front of Fluttershy.

"Grizzor?" Fluttershy whispered, her eyes growing as she saw the bear stood over her and faced the swarm.

Several of horde began to buzz at this, all readying their Twineedle attacks, but Grizzor growled back as its claws began to glow. The bugs charged next, only for Grizzor to knock back a bunch with one Slash attack. Seeing this, the rest stayed back as their rear stingers began to glow purple. Seconds later, they started firing purple energy darts while Grizzor's claws changed to a red colour, swinging the paw next. The swipe summoned a wave of air, the wind smacking the Poison Stings back to their launchers. Grizzor then ran up and sunk its electrified teeth into one, biting down so hard that it caused lightning to spark around its body, zapping the rest of bugs around him.

"Amazing..." Fluttershy gasped as she saw the Grizzor knock away another group, "He's...he's beating the whole swarm."

"BZZZZ!" roared another Beedrill, making Fluttershy let out an 'eep' before turning around. It was a Beedrill that had dodged the Grizzor, its arm stinger glowing purple as it charged at the teen.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed, her instincts kicking in and making her spin around to shield Angel and Seabreeze. She expected to feel an excruciating pain in her back, but instead-

"GRIZZOR!" She looked back at the sound of the roar, gasping again as she now saw Grizzor standing between her and the Beedrill, its stinger stabbing into its gut. "Zor!" It flinched as Beedrill pulled back, its large body falling to the side as it began to pant.

"Grizzor!" She cried as she ran over to him, now seeing a purple blush appear over Grizzor's face. "Poison..."

A buzzing sound came next, making her turn again to see the Beedrill staring at her, its stingers shining.

"Mach Punch!" yelled a voice, a long arm extending to slam into the Beedrill. The bug was sent flying, hitting the cliffside before slumping over.

Fluttershy looked back at the arm and saw it retract, now seeing the Breloom it belonged too with her friends behind it. "FLUTTERSHY!" They all screamed as they reached her, all coming to a halt, Timber whispering, "Fluttershy, you need to move away...slowly."

"It's okay," she replied while looking back at Grizzor. "He...saved me. And he's hurt."

The others all exchanged glances, Spike asking, "What do we do?"

"We have to get it back to camp," Fluttershy responded, putting her hands to together in a praying motion. "Please...he saved me."

Hesitation was on every face, Timber grimacing, "Alright. We keep antidotes at the camp for emergencies."

He then pulled out a Pokeball, but Fluttershy waved her hands in front of the Pokémon. "No! We can't catch it!"

"Why not?" Rainbow asked while raising an eyebrow, "How are we supposed to move it without catching it?"

"I don't know, but it wouldn't be right." She looked back at Grizzor, "He saved me. Him being caught because of me wouldn't be right. He wants to stay wild, and it wouldn't be right to force him to be caught when he can't fight back."

Everyone looked at each other again, sighs following as Timber put away the ball, "Alright...but how are we supposed to get him back to the camp?"

"Simple," Flash said before moving over to grab Grizzor's paw. He then hoisted it up onto his back, the others quickly catching on as they all grabbed a piece and slowly lifted him up, the group struggling to hold up the weight of the half-ton bear Pokémon.

Twilight growled at Flash, "Simple, huh?"

"I said it was simple, not easy." With that, they all began to stroll through the woods while carrying the giant Grizzly.

By the time they got back at the camp, everyone had heard about Fluttershy's disappearance and were waiting for their return. However, they did not expect the sight of a giant, dangerous Pokémon coming along. "Timber!" Gloriosa spoke up, "What are you doing with that thing?!"

"It's hurt," Timber replied as they slowly placed Grizzor on the ground, soon explaining what had happened before turning back to Fluttershy, "Just keep it calm while I go get an antidote."

Nodding, Fluttershy sat down beside the Pokémon, "It's okay. We'll get you healed soon." Grizzor tried to reply, only for its face to scrunch up in pain. Seeing this, Fluttershy let out a whimper, "Oh...this is all my fault."

"It's not just your fault," Flash told her. "You were only there because of us."

Rainbow nodded in agreement, "We're as much to blame as you are."

Another pained gasp came out next, making them all look back down at Grizzor. "Come on...where is Timber with that antidote?!" Twilight asked while tapping her foot, only to feel something by her feet. She glanced down and saw Shine staring at Grizzor. "It's okay," she said as she leaned down and petted her. "We'll help him."

Shine then stepped closer to Grizzor, staring it in the eye. "Taa?" She said before her horn began to glow, soon unleashing a wave of different coloured lights, all of them spreading around Grizzor.

"What's going on?" Spike asked, Sunset chuckling at the sight.

"Pastel Veil. A Galarian Ponyta's ability."

They all watched as the light was absorbed into Grizzor, its breathing soon getting easier while the purple blush disappeared. "She healed the poison..." Doc gasped while Twilight kneeled down and pulled Shine into a hug.

"Oh, you good girl!"

"Nee!" She neighed happily, returning the hug. As they embraced, everyone else watched the Grizzor try to pick itself up, only to fall back. He let out a giant breath of pain, gasping as he laid there.

"You have to rest," Fluttershy responded while patting his head. "Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to you. Just don't push yourself."

Grizzor opened its eyes to stare up at Fluttershy, eventually breathing an exhausted sigh before closing its eyes. Everyone smiled at the sight, now seeing Fluttershy calm him with such ease. But as this happened, Flash caught something in the corner of his eye, making him turn and smack something out of the air. Hearing the sound, everyone spun around and saw that Flash had slapped a Pokeball away.

The ball flew back to its owner, who caught it as Flash asked. "What are you doing Lightning?!"

"What does it look like?! I'm trying to catch a Pokémon I want! That's what a trainer does!" He threw the ball, Flash deflecting this one with a kick. "HEY! Stop getting in my way!"

"You stop it!" Fluttershy said as she stood up and spread her arms, "He doesn't want to get caught."

"Like that actually matters." Lightning replied with rolling his eyes, "Get out of my way." He grumbled as he reached out to push her away, only for Angel and Seabreeze to hop in front of her, the rest of the group soon following.

"That's enough," Twilight added.

"You can't catch Grizzor like this," Rainbow continued.

"Seriously?! It's weakened, making it the perfect time to catch it."

"You didn't weaken it," Flash growled back. "That doesn't give you the right to try and catch it."

"Ugh...you're so pathetic." Lightning grumbled as he almost facepalmed, "You're just jealous I'm attempting it before you could. As far as I'm aware, it's always been first come, first serve. Now...get out of my way loser, that Grizzor belongs to me." They all glared at him, now seeing Lightning reaching for his Pokémon as the others did the same.

But as they did this, Celestia and Luna walked up to the group, "Enough!" the multi-coloured haired professor told them, "This argument stops now."

"No one's catching that Grizzor while it's in that state," Luna added.

"You can't do that!" Lightning barked back, "I will have that Grizzor! That kind of power...it deserves to be mine, and you can't stop me!"

"But I can," Gloriosa said as she stepped in front of Lightning. "This is my land, and on it, what I say goes. So if I say no one's allowed to catch Grizzor while it's here, then that's that. Understand?"

Lightning grit his teeth, only to pull out a Pokeball anyways, "I will have that Pokémon. I deserve to have something that powerful."

Gloriosa wasn't fazed as the rest watched with wide eyes and glares, "I'll kick you out of camp if you don't listen."

Hearing this, Lightning just let out a laugh, "HA! That's the best news I've heard all day!" He leaned up to her face with a smirk, "That Grizzor is mine. Get out of my way."

Everyone went wide-eyed at this, only for Celestia to grab Lightning's shoulder, "If that's the case, listen to me Lightning." The teen turned to glare at her, but her face didn't change as she said, "If you catch the Grizzor in that state, you will be kicked out of camp...and you know what other consequences you will face. I will make them happen."

She could feel his shoulder tense up at her, quickly shrugging it off before turning around, "Fine...you win." Everyone could only blink as they saw Lightning suddenly give up, only for him to glare back at the group, "But the second that thing's out of the camp, it's fair game. Got it?!"

Celestia shook her head at this, but Gloriosa did a small nod, "That's fair. However, you need to leave and let us help the Grizzor in peace. Now."

"Tch." Lightning grumbled as he slowly walked away, everyone released a breath they had been holding.

"Oh...thank you, Miss Gloriosa. And you too Professor Celestia." Fluttershy said, the two turning with smiles and nods.

"Don't sweat it." Gloriosa replied before frowning at the Grizzor, "But you're gonna need to keep an eye on him. If he starts acting up, I'll have no choice but to lift the catching ban so no one gets hurt."

"Don't worry," Fluttershy knelt back down and continued to stroke him, "I'll make sure he behaves. As long as nobody does anything to upset him, I think he'll be fine." Grizzor said nothing, cracking its eyes open enough to look at her. The rest saw the bear stare at her, smiles on all their faces as they saw the confusion on his expression.

Hours soon passed with everyone off doing their own thing, Fluttershy remaining by Grizzor's side the whole time. The girl had Angel and Seabreeze watch over him, helping her make sure Grizzor was relaxed. "How's that?" She asked while gently pulling a comb through his fur, Grizzor letting out a near purr at the sensation. She had just unknotted a bit of fur that had been annoying him for a while, his claws too big to get it undone. "That's it...just relax while I finish up. Angel, Seabreeze, how's his claws?" The two were currently washing and filing the claws, both saluting in response, "Great work."

Grizzor was amazed that she was willing to do this for him, remembering that all other humans would just try to catch him and nothing more. However, she had done nothing but care for him, including her Pokémon. That and he loved the care she was giving his fur.

"You're so hairy," Fluttershy giggled as she continued to comb him. "Hairy, hairy, hair-E, ha-E, ha-ree...Harry." She patted his head as she asked, "Is it okay if I call you that? If it isn't, just say so." Grizzor didn't respond, just letting out a long sigh of relief as he felt the comb grace his fur, "Okay Harry. It's nice to meet you. I'm Fluttershy, and that's Angel and Seabreeze." The two waved at him while working, Harry saying nothing back as he continued to relax.

Dinner time came next, Fluttershy starting to get hungry despite not wanting to leave Harry. Luckily, her friends showed up with some food for them all. "Here you go," Twilight said while handing her a plate of tacos and a large bowl of Pokémon food.

"Thank you," she took the bowl first and placed it in front of Harry. "Here you go."

"Zor," Harry did a small nod before digging in, Angel and Seabreeze getting their own bowls while Fluttershy dug into the tacos.

"Thank you all so much," she replied as she finished her first taco.

"No problem," Twilight told her before glancing at Harry. "How's he doing?"

"He's fine. He should be ready to leave by tomorrow." As soon as she said that, a giant frown appeared on her face, everyone seeing the despair on her face.

Flash then nudged her side, "You know...you could always catch him." Fluttershy turned to him with wide eyes, "Fluttershy, it's clear you don't want him to go."

Fluttershy quickly shook her head. "Oh, I couldn't do that!" She turned to pat Harry, "It...it wouldn't be right. He wants to stay wild, and I have no right to take that from him." She turned to Springer, Peewee, Shine and her Pokémon. "Some Pokémon might want to be caught and trained, but I'm sure there are just as many out there that want to stay wild. Maybe they want to live in one place, or don't feel ready to be caught...not every Pokémon wants to stay caught, like Harry." She began rubbing Harry's head, "I just wish other trainers saw that. I wish there was somewhere a Pokémon could go where they could live without worry about being caught...a place they can live out their lives in peace."

Everyone couldn't help but smile at her wish, seeing she had a truly kind personality. She wanted a Pokémon sanctuary that was free of all human touch, a true paradise.

A few hours later...

The sun was about to set. Fluttershy was now filling a bowl for Harry to drink out of, pushing it in front of him as he started licking at it. As she did this, Celestia and Gloriosa walked up to her. "Fluttershy," the professor said, "It's time you got to bed."

Fluttershy turned to the duo, a huge frown on her face, "Um...can I stay out tonight, please?!" The two exchanged glances, blinking before looking back at her, now giving a pleading look, "l can stay right here, so it's not like you won't know where I am. Please, I don't want to leave Harry alone."

They both sighed, the pleading look enough to make Celestia say, "Very well."

"I'll come out to check on you," Gloriosa then handed Fluttershy a bunch of blankets she had been carrying. "Here. These should keep you warm."

Fluttershy gave her thanks while taking them, throwing one of the blankets over Harry. Once that was done, she laid against him while Angel and Seabreeze got into her lap and hair. Harry opened his eyes and stared at her, seeing the girl wrap the other blanket around her before snuggling up against his fur with Angel and Seabreeze cuddling into her.

"Good night Angel."

"Bun."

"Good night Seabreeze."

"Bre."

She then looked up at the Grizzor with a huge smile, "Good night Harry." He just grunted as she closed her eyes, the girl instantly falling asleep. But as he saw she had drifted off, his eyes noticed that all three were shivering. The cold of the night was too much for a few blankets.

Sighing and not sure why he was doing this, he shifted around until his leg was wrapped around her body and pulled her close. None of them woke up as he pulled them under his head, Harry using it and his claw to keep them warm as he laid his head over her. The shivering soon stopped as Harry closed his eyes, feeling an unusual amount of comfort in the girl's presence.

Meanwhile, Fluttershy began to dream. She dreamt of a beautiful paradise where any wild Pokémon could live in peace, free from the threat of being captured. And one of the Pokémon there was Harry, who was happily snoozing away while other Pokémon played. It was a good dream.

The next morning...

The sun's rays began to shine over the treeline, the light hitting Fluttershy's face as it slowly drew her out of the land of slumber. She rubbed her eyes before glancing up, doing a small yawn as she said, "Harry?" The girl began to blink, soon spinning around as she saw the Grizzor was nowhere in sight, "Harry?!" She quickly got up, accidentally knocking Angel and Seabreeze out of their sleep. Her heart started to beat rapidly, only to calm down as she spun around and saw the bear sitting under a tree.

"Harry!" she exclaimed as she ran over to him, the Grizzly Pokémon just turning to her with a low breath, "Harry...are you leaving?" He nodded, standing up and showing that his wounds were almost completely gone. "Oh...I understand." She stared at the ground as she said this, unable to look at her new friend in heartache.

The Sapphire and Diamond campers soon walked up, all a few feet away with only Lightning not being there. "You really think Harry's gonna leave?" Spike whispered to the others, "I thought he and Fluttershy became friends."

"Maybe..." Twilight patted his shoulder, "But it's still his decision."

Flash nodded, only to turn to see something in the corner of his eye. It was Lightning, the teen heavily breathing as he stood near the edge of the closest cabin. There was a look of pure anger on his face, obviously furious that he had to wait to capture Harry.

Everyone saw where Flash was glaring, soon following his vision before Doc let out a sigh, "That's not good. As soon as he leaves, Harry's gonna be in danger."

"But he beat Lightning once," Trixie pointed out before Twilight shook her head.

"That was when he took Lightning by surprise. Lightning won't make it easy this time."

"So what do we do?" Rainbow whispered.

"Nothing," Doc replied while shaking his head, "This is something only Fluttershy can do. If she wants to protect Harry, she needs to catch him herself."

Everyone turned back to Fluttershy, now seeing the girl and the Grizzor stare at one another. But as she did this, she spoke up, "Please...please...stay safe out there." They all sighed, some wanting to scream at her to catch him. But instead, she simply reached out and patted Harry on the head, "Goodbye."

"Grizz," Harry nodded before turning away, Fluttershy staring at the ground in response. Slowly, Harry walked away, his feet dragging him to the camp's border. As he did this, Lightning's face turned into a savage grin, drooling at the sight of the powerful Pokémon about to leave camp.

But as he got within inches of the trees, a voice called out, "PLEASE STAY WITH ME!" Harry stopped as all eyes turned to Fluttershy, her head now up with fire in her eyes. Harry just blinked at her, the girl trying to speak up with as much determination as she could muster, "Please don't go. I...I want you to stay with me." Harry stayed perfectly still, not responding as she continued, "I...I know I'm not too strong, but I...I want to get stronger. I want to be able to protect those that can't protect themselves, to build a place where any Pokémon can be safe from being caught until they're ready to take on the world." Her eyes were now trying to fight back tears as she continued, "But I know that'll make it a target for poachers and other trainers who don't respect what I want the sanctuary to be about. So please..." she took out a Pokeball and held it forward. "Help me grow strong enough to protect the paradise I want to build."

Everyone watched as Grizzor stared at Fluttershy and the Pokeball, then turning to stare at the forest before looking back. This shift continued to happen, Harry looking between the two. And as a few minutes passed, he just stared at the forest for almost a full minute before turning back to Fluttershy.

The bear stared down at her, a long breath coming out before slowly walking over. The ground slightly shifted as they watched him move, his footsteps loud and booming...yet there was a kind look to his face. And then he leaned down...and pressed his nose on the ball.

Everyone gasped as the sphere opened before unleashing a blast of red energy that enveloped the Grizzly Pokémon, sucking him inside. The ball then snapped shut and dinged in an instant.

"What the heck?!" Lightning screeched, his voice booming and grabbing everyone's attention, all except Fluttershy.

"Harry..." she squeaked out as she broke out into tears, soon wiping them away, "Oh...thank you."

But before she could say anything else, several loud footsteps made her look up and see Lightning stomping up to her, "Release that Grizzor right now!" He yelled, everyone else getting ready to intervene, "A weakling like you has no right to a strong Pokémon like that!"

Everyone turned to Fluttershy, ready to see her start crying, only for her to glare at Lightning and bark back, "No! Harry chose me!"

Lightning almost backpedalled at her response, only to start growling, "It's just confused! It needs to be with a strong trainer that truly understands it's power, like me!"

Fluttershy stomped her feet next, glaring at the teen, "You're wrong! Harry's strong because he chose me!"

Lightning looked like he was about to start laughing, "Oh yeah?! How could it be strong by picking a spineless twig like you?! You don't have the faintest idea of how to control that thing!"

"I don't want to control Harry! Pokémon aren't weapons or tools for us to do with as we please. They're our friends, our partners." She looked down at her Pokeball. "You're right, I probably don't know how to use Harry's power the best way right now. But...but I'll learn," she glared up at Lightning. "I'll work hard until I can understand Harry's battling style and know exactly how he wants to fight, because a real trainer changes their style to match their Pokémon's way of fighting, not force their Pokémon to fight their way! That's what bullies do, like you!"

Lightning's face turned pure red in anger, reaching for his Pokeballs as he yelled, "Why you little-"

"ENOUGH!" The two turned to see Celestia and Luna walking up, both glaring at Lightning, "Harry made his choice and we have to honour it. You will not ruin this great moment by saying something out of line Lightning, understood?!"

Everyone turned to the teen, his whole body tensing in anger before spinning around. He didn't say a word as he walked away, the professors sighing at the sight. But as they did this, Pinkie suddenly leapt over and threw her arms around Fluttershy's neck, "FLUTTERSHY! That was amazing!"

Fluttershy gently laughed, "Thanks." Pinkie jumped off while the others started to compliment her.

"You were awesome Fluttershy!" Rainbow cheered, "You managed to catch a super-strong Pokémon, and stand up to Lightning! Respect!" Everyone else nodded in agreement, all giving their own congratulations.

As they did this, Angel and Seabreeze appeared on her shoulder and head. She then held the Pokeball up to them, "Angel, Seabreeze, we have a new family member."

"Bun!" Angel cheered.

"Breeze..." Seabreeze added while patting the orb.

Fluttershy smiled rubbing the ball, wondering what Harry was thinking about inside. She had finally decided on her dream and knew that to achieve it, she needed to get stronger. It would be hard, but with Harry by her side, it would be a bit easier.

Pokémon and humans can connect in many different ways. Sometimes through battle, but other ways like a shared dream. And now, Harry the Grizzor was connected to Fluttershy through a shared dream of building a sanctuary for all Pokémon that don't wish to be caught. Only time will tell how that connection will grow, as the journey continues.

The Guardian of the Lake

View Online

It was now day four of the Pokémon Summer Camp, and everyone was finishing their breakfast in the mess hall. And as the last camper finished their meal, Celestia clapped her hands to get their attention. "Morning everyone. Now that we're all fed and ready for the day, let me tell you what today's activity will be." In that moment, Timber, Luna and Sunset walked in carrying a bunch of fishing equipment, "Today, we'll be enjoying getting to know some Water-type Pokémon."

Everyone cheered at this, Gloriosa now continuing, "On the far side of the lake, multiple Water-types live there, and today you'll be fishing for them. The Pokémon are all aware of our activities and are fine with you fishing them, but you must refrain from catching any Pokémon."

"What?! Then what's the point?!" Lightning yelled, only to get nothing but shakes of the head from the professors.

"The point is to study the Pokémon you catch, Lightning." Celestia replied, her tone slightly dropping at the last bit, "Each of you will be required to write an essay about the Pokémon you catch, detailing their habits, diet and any other quirks you learn about them." A series of groans could now be heard, with the exception of a squee from one camper, who now had stars in her eyes, "And the higher grade you get on the essay, the more points you'll get for your cabin."

A few sighs followed this, everyone turning to see the nearby board that showed the points of all the cabins. So far, Ruby Cabin was in first with Sapphire in second, followed by Diamond.

"Alright!" Flash cheered as he stood up, "What are we waiting for?! Let's get out there and do some fish-er, research!"

This statement was met with many cheers, Luna giggling as she held up a box of fishing rods, "Very well, everyone get in line for a rod."

"And there's no need to push," Sunset added. "There's plenty for everyone."

It wasn't long till everyone had a rod, Celestia speaking up as the line shrunk, "I'm sure you all remember the flyers saying swimwear was advised. Well, now you know why. Anyone who wants to swim with the Pokémon they catch is welcome too, just so long as you don't forget about your report while having fun." Everyone nodded and headed off to the cabins, exiting a few minutes later dressed in swimwear.

The Sapphire Cabin were all dressed in the usual swimwear, the boys still wearing their camp shirts until they actually needed to get in the water. As for Rainbow, she was dressed in a black top with colors running down the front and pink shorts. Standing next to her was Fluttershy, who was in a black, green and yellow scuba suit. Trixie came out wearing a blue bikini with a star on the front and had a sarong around her waist. Pinkie then hopped up to the rest, wearing a one-piece similar to Twilight's except it was pink.

Once together, the group headed off to the lake, now seeing the rest of the campers. They saw Celestia and Luna, who both were wearing one-piece suits that were the same color as their usual clothes with their own sarongs that had their emblems on them. Sunset was wearing a black bikini with a fire-themed skirt on, and Timber was clothed in a white shirt and red shorts and had replaced his normal hat with a sports cap while Gloriosa was wearing a green variant of Celestia and Luna's clothes.

"Alright everyone, you all ready?" Gloriosa yelled, the campers all nodding in response, "Then let's head out!"

One walk to the lake later...

"Aw yeah, I can't wait!" Rainbow cheered as she skipped in front of the others, "Just watch, my catch is gonna be the biggest one! Heck, I might catch a Wailord!"

Twilight rolled her eyes at this, "Rainbow, there isn't a Wailord in this lake."

"How do you know?!"

"Because if there was, it'd fill the whole lake and not even be completely submerged."

"Whatever, nerd." Rainbow moaned before pointing to herself, "I'm still gonna catch the best one!"

"Not if I catch it first," Flash added. "And if my first isn't the best, I'll just keep fishing until I find something really cool."

"Actually, you can't." They all turned to see Timber and Sunset walk up to them, Timber chuckling as he explained, "Celestia forgot to mention that you can only catch one Pokémon, and whatever it is, you have to do your report on it."

"Seriously?!" Spike yelped, "But what if we get something super lame?!"

"There's no such thing as a super lame Pokémon," Timber told him. "Well, maybe a Pyukumuku or a Pincurchin, but you won't find any of those in a lake."

Doc nodded in agreement. "We'll just have to wait and see what we get. Who knows, maybe we'll get something really rare."

"Trixie's gonna catch herself the most beautiful Water-type in the whole lake."

"I just hope what I catch isn't too scary," Fluttershy muttered out, "I mean...what if I catch a Sharpedo or a Tentacruel?!"

"Oh relax," Pinkie told her while skipping along with Gummy munching on her hair. "If something like that shows up, we'll look after you. Besides, your new friend could beat any of them, no problem."

"That's right Fluttershy." Twilight added, "Harry has Thunder Fang. That'll beat any Water-Type around here with ease."

"Oh...yeah, I guess that's true," Fluttershy whispered as she looked down at the Pokeballs in her bag. "I just hope it doesn't come to that."

It was here that they got to the lake, the campers now already seeing several Pokémon swimming atop the surface of the water. Celestia then told everyone to pick a spot and get to fishing, Twilight getting her line ready first. "Swish and flick!" she said, using a technique she had read about for how to properly cast. The teen watched as the line flew through the air before hitting the water about a good fifteen feet away.

"Nice cast," Timber told her. "You're a real natural."

Her face started to show a red sheen, "I'm...really just a novice. But I've read a lot about fishing."

"Well, they must be very good books, because you're practically an expert." Twilight's blush intensified at this, the two giggling as the rest blankly stared at their banter.

As for Flash, he was rolling his eyes before casting his own line. But as he did this, a bulb appeared in his head, "Oh yeah..." Flash reached for his belt and pulled out two Pokeballs, everyone seeing this as he summoned Riptide and Hopper.

"Spar?"

"Hop?" The two looked up at Flash, the teen giving them a big grin.

"What are you doing?" Doc asked next.

"This is the perfect chance to get Hopper used to swimming. We haven't been anywhere near a lake since he hatched, and I haven't had time to do it before." Flash turned to Riptide, "Mind teaching Hopper how to swim? Since he's not a Water-type, I'm not sure if it's built into him."

"Tore," Riptide nodded before jumping into the lake. When his head popped back up, he gestured for Hopper to do the same.

"Hop..." Hopper muttered as he stared at the water, doing a small gulp.

"Ri," Springer then patted him on the head before stepping into the water. Seeing two of his friends do it, Hopper slowly bounced in, his body instantly floating like a lure.

"That's so cute," Pinkie commented as they watched him start to Growlithe paddle through the water. Everyone else giggled as Twilight pulled out her Pokeball.

"Shine, come on out." The ball opened and unleashed the Galarian Ponyta, who looked up at her trainer curiously. "Shine, do you want to learn to swim?" Shine gave her an odd look before turning to the lake, jumping in and swimming around without issue. "Oh. Guess you already know how to swim."

Hopper then saw Shine effortlessly swim past him, the Hoppin growling before thrashing his tiny legs around to try and pick up speed. As they watched this, Spike said, "Wow, Shine's good."

"Well, she's not really swimming," Doc added. "It's more like she's trotting along the lake's shallows. Equine Pokémon can't hold their breath though, so it'll be dangerous if she goes too far out."

Spike was about to reply, only to feel a tug on his line, "Whoa!" He turned back to the water, quickly reeling his line, "I think I got something!" Everyone watched as he pulled the line, fighting it for a minute until the Pokémon finally shot out of the water.

"Gold!" A blue blur fell in front of the teen, revealing a humanoid duck Pokémon with a red gem on its head. "Gold, duck!" It then posed like a model on a swimsuit magazine.

The others all laughed at its actions before Doc got his own bite, pulling an Octillery out of the water. This was followed by Fluttershy getting a Kingdra, and Rainbow getting a Buizel. Next was Trixie, who wasn't too happy when she caught a Relicanth, made even worse when Twilight got a Finneon.

"Uh...I think I got a big one!" Pinkie announced as she pulled on the line, Gummy popping out of her hair to help pull on the rod with his mouth.

"Do you need some help?" Doc asked, only to get a shake of the head from Pinkie.

"No! I think I...almost...got...whoa!" Pinkie yelped as she gave one last tug, a giant splash following this. Everyone gasped as a huge shadow flew out of the water, the Pokémon soon landing in front of Pinkie.

"Dew!"

"Quag!"

"Osha!"

Three Pokémon now stood before the group, the first being a Dewpider, then a Quagsire and finally an Oshawott. Everyone blinked at the sight, only for Pinkie to shine a huge grin and cheered, "YAY! I caught three Pokémon!"

"Dew/Quag/Osha!" The trio exclaimed, Pinkie leaping at them and giving one big hug. The party girl started laughing next as the Quagsire opened its giant goofy mouth, gnawing on her hair like Gummy while Oshawott started patting its shell like a drum as a cheer.

As this happened, Timber whispered to Twilight, "Did she just catch three Pokémon with one line and one piece of bait... which also includes an Oshawott that I've never seen at this lake before?!"

"I uh...yes?" Twilight tried to say, her head now showing steam come off it. She then pointed at Pinkie's new friends as she spoke up, "Um...Pinkie?"

"Yeah Twilight?"

"How...did you do that?"

"Do what?" Pinkie asked back, only for another splash to come from the lake. Everyone turned to the sound, just in time for a shadow to hop out of the water before landing on Pinkie's head.

"Shell!" yelled the Pokémon, showing itself to be a Shellder.

"Oh cool! I didn't even have to fish for that one!" Pinkie cheered before grabbing the Pokémon and putting it on the ground, "Hello there!"

"Shell!" Shellder replied before blowing a big raspberry with its giant cartoonish tongue.

Pinkie just laughed at this, "HA! Nice to meet you too!"

Everyone was now like Twilight, dumbfounded as she started to play with the four Pokémon. Twilight was the first to stop watching her, gripping her head as she whispered, "Ignore it Twilight. Don't question it...especially since there's no way an Oshawott would be here due to it not being native to Equestria...or the fact that Shellder come from the ocean. Just...ignore it."

And as the shock wore off from everyone else, Sunset went up to Pinkie and told her she would have to pick one of them for assignment. She agreed to use Dewpider, as it came out first, though decided to play with the other three as well. This was followed with Celestia and Luna coming over to question how this happened, Luna later declaring that Pinkie should be a test subject over random Pokémon encounters...which Celestia said 'no' to her.

It was here that Flash became the only one left who had yet to catch anything. "Come on..." he muttered as he pulled back his line to throw it for the fourth time, "I gotta catch something..."

Some commotion made him turn to see Lightning, the only camper who hadn't changed into swimwear, pull a Barraskewda out of the lake. The look on his face showed he was happy with the Pokémon he had gotten, making Flash. "Ugh...even he's good with what he got. Darn it..." He looked back at his line, "Why is nothing bite-hmm?" The teen suddenly felt a tug, making him smile, "Yes! Come to me!"

He quickly started pulling, finding whatever he had on the line to not be really resisting. "Must be something small. Come here, little guy!" He then did one last pull, only to go wide-eyed to see to a Pokémon come flying out of the water...and stay suspended on Flash's line.

"Clauncher," said a blue pistol shrimp Pokémon as it hung from Flash's line.

"Hey, cool." Flash chuckled as he looked it over, "No doubt you'll be an awesome Pokémon to do my report on."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Flash turned to Timber as he continued, "That Clauncher's lived in this lake a long time, and I've never seen it do anything noteworthy before."

"What?!" Flash glanced back at the shrimp, the Pokémon hopping off the line and landing before scuttling over to a nearby rock. Once on it, the little Water-type laid down and just stared at the lake. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Sorry buddy, that's just the way things go." Timber said with a shrug, "I'm sure you'll be able to write a half-decent essay on it using your Pokedex, because trust me, like on the Shuckle, you'll want to give up on that one." With that, he walked away, Flash glaring daggers at the teen before looking back at the Clauncher, which just yawned in his face.

"Aw, crap...I'm in trouble." He moaned as he sat down, sighing as he spun around to see everyone else enjoying their Pokémon.

"Aw yeah!" Spike cheered as he posed with Golduck, the two laughing as Peewee tried to do the same.

"Buwee!" Buizel punched and kicked a nearby tree before spinning around to slap it with its tail.

"Awesome," Rainbow clapped, "Show me what else you got!"

Fluttershy laughed as she watched Kingdra zip around the lake at top speed. Its movements were beyond graceful, as if it was true royalty. "Aren't you precious," she commented as Kingdra swam over to her. She then reached out and petted it on the head.

"King!" It cheered before diving back down, Fluttershy leaning over as she watched it descend. But before she could say anything, the Pokémon sprang out of the water and pushed her onto its back, the girl letting out an 'eep' before the Kingdra helped her get comfortable. Before long she was laughing, cheering as the Pokémon gave her ride above the water.

"So you can't breathe unless you're underwater?" Pinkie asked Dewpider, the water spider nodding in response. "And you need to make a bubble of water whenever you go on land?" Dewpider nodded again, Pinkie giggling. "That sounds like so much fun! How big can you make it?" Dewpider jumped into the water and started making the bubble bigger, Quagsire and Oshawott clapping at the sight. "Wow wee!" Pinkie pulled a balloon out of her hair and started blowing it up until it was bigger than Dewpider's. "Can you make it this big?" Dewpider increased the size again, Pinkie blowing her balloon up even more. The two kept blowing up their bubbles until they were both about four feet in diameter, only to-

POP!

Both balloons burst, Pinkie and Dewpider flinching before letting out a laugh. Pinkie then hopped into the lake with the spider, Gummy falling into the water with her. The gator started to float aimlessly in the lake, gently bouncing off whatever it hit, which was mainly Shellder as it kept trying to get a reaction from the gator.

"Hmm," Trixie hummed while watching the Relicanth lazily swim around. "You aren't the prettiest Pokémon in the world, that's for sure." Relicanth said nothing, "but if you've lived since the dawn of time, then I guess you're doing something right. However, would it kill you to try a little form over function?" Again, Relicanth said nothing.

"Wow..." Doc said as he watched Octillery shoot out its ink and use it to make an image in the water, "Impressive." he then took out a camera, only for the ink to disperse. "At least I now have a record of it. I have to admit, you're quite the artist."

"Till..." it responded, Doc not sure if it was smiling.

"Two point six inches," Twilight whistled as she put the measuring tape away. "That's almost twice the average size. You're a big one." She picked up her notepad and wrote the findings down, now picturing the size of the essay she would be able to write with this much information. Ten pages, maybe more.

"Not bad!" Lightning laughed as he watched Barraskewda zip through the water. "If you were actually useful out of the water, I'd be tempted to break the rules and try to catch you." He then noticed a Magikarp swimming close to Barraskewda, but the long predator fish spun around, smacking it away with its propeller tail, "HA! Good one!"

Flash rolled his eyes as he turned back to Clauncher, leaning down as he poked the shrimp...but it wouldn't respond. "Augh!" He yelled as he threw himself back, now laying on the ground, "You gotta be kidding me! Something or someone has it out for me at this camp!"

As this happened, Springer continued to watch Riptide show Hopper how to swim. There were a few issues, such as Riptide and Hopper having completely different body types, but Sparanitor was slowly making headway with him. "Spar..." Riptide nodded as Hopper was trying to do the Butterfree stroke.

"Hop," Hopper huffed as he tried to keep his nose and mouth above the water.

Meanwhile, Shine was now going up to her trainer, her mane and tail now waterlogged. "Nee!" She neighed while shaking her entire body, sending water everywhere.

"Ah!" Twilight laughed as the water splashed her, "Shine!" The Ponyta just wagged her tail at her, Twilight seeing this and sighing as she shook her head. "Well, at least you didn't get my notebook." She then saw her Pokémon shine its horn, now seeing the liquid in the lake shift and float, "Shine? What are you-"

She came to a stop as she now saw a large sphere of water float out of the water before beginning to reshape itself. First, it took the shape of its creator and became a Ponyta made of water, only to become like Hopper, Harry, Springer, Riptide and Finneon. Everyone gasped at this, Celestia walking up and saying, "Very impressive."

"So lame," Lightning whispered, nobody hearing him except the Barraskeda. The fish then sunk under the surface before surfacing with a rock, spinning to hit with its tail. "HA!" he laughed as the rock flew through the water shape, destroying it an instant. Everyone glared at the two, Shine beginning to tear up until Twilight comforted her. "Nice shot!" he told it, the fish replying swimming over and smacking the Magikarp from before again.

"What a jerk," Flash growled his ears heard a new noise. He then turned to the lake, now seeing a Poliwag surface up with some seaweed on its head.

"Polly!" It leapt up onto the rock and placed the seaweed in front of Clauncher. The pistol shrimp nodded at Poliwag and gave what Flash assumed was its thanks before digging in, Poliwag smiling before diving back under the water.

"Seriously?! Are you so lazy that you have other Pokémon bring you food?!" Flash moaned, Clauncher saying nothing as it ate its meal, burping once it was finished. "Unbelievable..." He stared at the other campers, seeing most now swimming with their Pokémon while Doc handed out rebreathers. "Well if you're not gonna do anything, I guess there's no point in watching you." He then moved over and took a rebreather from the Gym Leader.

"Let's get going!" Spike cheered as he put his rebreather on and dived in with Golduck. The others all laughed as they leapt into the lake, those with a rebreather able to enjoy themselves as they swam to the very bottom. Fluttershy was still riding atop Kingdra while Rainbow and Trixie both held onto their Pokémon and were pulled along. Dewpider had tied its webbing around Pinkie's waist and was pulling her along, Gummy being pulled down as well due to holding onto her hair along with Shellder biting his tail. Oshawott and Quagsire were swimming side by side with Pinkie, all three giggling. It was here that Flash grabbed onto Riptide after giving rebreathers to Springer and Hopper, who held onto him as they went under.

The rest were simply swimming around, watching as the many Pokémon enjoyed themselves. Some Pokémon were eating from a large patch of seaweed, others scratching themselves against what would usually be very sharp rocks while the rest appeared to be working on keeping their underwater homes neat and tidy. Everyone marvelled at the sight before starting to have some real fun. Some of the campers decided to have a race, Spike, Rainbow and even Fluttershy competing. They all started at one side of the lake as Pinkie pulled a flag out from her hair, waving it down as everyone began to shoot across the lake.

Flash, Twilight and Doc all cheered as they watched their friends fly through the water at high speed, eventually reaching the far end before turning for a return trip. Rainbow and Buizel were in the lead with Spike and Golduck in close second, Fluttershy and Kingdra a little behind him with others bringing up the rear. Golduck was swimming like a human, Twilight having told them that it was actually rumoured that humans first learned to swim by mimicking a Golduck's style, pumping its arms and legs as fast as it could go. Meanwhile, Buizel was swimming dolphin style while spinning the split ends of its tail like a propeller while Kingdra was flapping its back wing as fast as it could to push itself through the water. While this happened, Spike, Rainbow and Fluttershy were holding on for dear life since the rules were both human and Pokémon had to be at the finish line to win.

Golduck eventually caught up with Buizel, the two glancing at one another before pushing themselves even harder. The finish line was in sight, both glaring as they kept bursting blasts of speed. And as they got closer, both thrust their hands to touch the finish line-

"GOLD/BWEE!" They both cheered as they went past the line, both thinking they had won before glaring at each other. But before they could start arguing, Fluttershy and Kingdra swam up, Fluttershy touching the side and smiling.

"KINGDRA!" It cheered, making the other two glance at it in confusion. That was until Pinkie pointed at something with her flag, the two turning to both Spike and Rainbow floating about ten feet away with spirals in their eyes. Everyone laughed as both blushed, now knowing why they lost.

As this happened, Flash noticed movement to his side, now seeing Clauncher return to the water. The little guy swam down to the bottom of the lake where the seaweed was, floating about halfway up one of the lengths and cutting it off. 'Looks like you're not lazy enough after all.' But then he noticed Clauncher wasn't eating the seaweed, instead swimming up to where the Magikarp was from before. He also spotted Barraskeda in the seaweed, eating away at the grass while the rest of the Pokémon stayed clear. All except Clauncher, who Flash noticed it was staying clear of as well.

He was then pulled out of his thoughts as someone patted his shoulder, Flash turning to see Twilight behind him. She pointed up, nodding as they both went up to surface before taking off their rebreathers.

"What's up?" Flash asked as they swam back to the edge.

"We need to get our essays done," she gestured to the rest of the campers, the two now seeing everyone getting out. Sighing at this, Twilight then asked, "Something wrong?"

"I still don't know what to write," he groaned as he pointed at the rock Clauncher had now returned to, "I doubt saying he's a lazy loather would get me a good grade."

"No, I guess not," Twilight added.

Flash sighed as he leaned back and floated in the water, "I'm gonna stay in here for a little longer."

"Alright..." Twilight pulled herself out of the lake, "Just don't leave it to the last minute. Having a bad essay isn't as bad as having no essay at all."

Flash nodded before laying back again, Twilight now going back to her stuff while coming over to the others that were also writing their essays. As they did this, Trixie spoke up first, "What's a good word to describe something that's able to survive no matter where it is?"

"Um...how about, indomitable?" Twilight replied while rubbing her chin, Trixie giving her thanks while writing the word down, though she had a feeling she had spelt it wrong.

After a while, some of the campers finished their essays and ran back to the lake. Most didn't care that their papers weren't exactly masterful pieces of art that the professors would lecture about, and that was fine with them. Flash just sighed at this sight, unable to believe they had finished their projects while he hadn't even started his. He then stared at his Pokémon, seeing Riptide still helping Hopper with his swimming. "Well...at least someone in my team is getting something done today."

Meanwhile, Lightning was writing his own essay with his feet in the water. It was here that he felt something around his ankles, making him look down to see Magikarp again. "Get lost," he swiped his feet through the water, trying to push it away, but the fish Pokémon wasn't deterred and started pecking at his feet. "I said, GET LOST!" He gave Magikarp a proper boot, sending it flying and splashing into the water a good ten meters away.

"LIGHTNING!" He turned to see a seething Celestia staring down at him, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"What?! I told it to go away, and it didn't listen to me. Not my fault it's too dumb to understand."

"And that gives you the right to kick it?!"

"Who cares what happens to it? It's just a worthless fish. Heck, check your Pokedex and it'll say the same thing."

Celestia wanted to yell, but then sighed before lowering her tone, "Even if that's the case, you still have no right to do what you did!"

"Oh please." Lightning replied while rolling his eyes before turning back to the water, now seeing Magikarp pull itself above the water before flailing around. "See?! It can't even swim right!"

But as those words left his mouth, a bright light began to consume the lake. Everyone blinking at the source, they saw it was the Magikarp, who's body then exploded with a bright light. The others paled as they saw the small fish grew into a more serpentine shape, now becoming over six meters long before revealing a blue sea-serpent Pokémon with an angry look on its face. "GYARADOS!" Celestia screamed, the campers all trying to swim back to shore.

"Everyone watch out!" Luna added as she now saw the newly evolved Pokémon raise its tail before slamming it into the water, causing a wave to spread across the lake.

"MOVE!" Timber yelled as he turned to run, everyone else doing the same as the water slammed into the shore. Several campers were knocked over by the wave, the pressure knocking Lightning off his feet and into some bushes. Flash and his Pokémon were also flung into the air, all of them flying out of the water.

"Blaugh!" he coughed as he kissed dirt, spitting out some water as his Pokémon laid beside him, "You guys okay?"

"Riolu..." Springer moaned as he picked himself up.

"Riptide? Hopper?" The two gave their own groans to signify they were okay, though both a little rattled by the experience. A loud growl made them all turn to see the Gyarados glaring down at them, Flash quickly pushing his still woozy Pokémon behind him.

"FLASH!" He heard Twilight scream as Gyarados opened its mouth, a light appearing inside.

Flash closed his eyes and braced himself for the incoming attack, crossing his arms over his face. But as he waited...."GYAAAAA!" His eyes shot open at the sound of Gyarados's pained screams, making him now see the giant snake go flying back as something clonked it on the head.

"Huh?" Flash yelped as he saw a figure land in front of him, "Clauncher?" The pistol shrimp Pokémon stood in a battle-ready stance, its eyes now narrowed.

Gyarados shot back out of the water, a roar following as a large bubble of water appeared in its mouth. "That's Hydro Pump!" Twilight cried out.

"Claunch!" Clauncher opened its giant claw as a ball of multicoloured energy formed within before firing it at Gyarados's water attack. The shrimp's attack reshaped into a multicoloured dragon-shaped beam of energy, which struck the Hydro Pump and carved its way down the middle before exploding into Gyarados's face.

"GYAAAAA!" The atrocious Pokémon screamed as it fell back again, Clauncher leaping in the water in response.

"Clauncher! Where are you-" Flash tried to say, only to see Clauncher leap out of the water as its giant claw became wrapped in a spiral of water. As Gyarados opened its eyes, it suddenly found the claw smacking its head, pushing it fully down into the lake before the shrimp followed the giant sea snake.

Without thinking, Flash grabbed his rebreather and dived into the lake. "FLASH!" He heard the others yell but kept swimming, reaching the bottom before seeing the battle continue. His eyes were fully wide as he saw the pistol shrimp swim circles around Gyarados, slamming its Crabhammer attack into the Pokémon repeatedly.

It was here that the Gyarados unleashed a Hyper Beam at the shrimp, only for Clauncher to summon a protective bubble, blocking the attack before firing another Dragon Pulse at its opponent. Gyarados roared again after taking the attack, its body now thrashing around while stirring up the water. Above the water, everyone gasped at seeing the water become so harsh, wondering if Flash was okay.

And as Clauncher struggled to keep itself from being blown away, Flash cried out as he fully smacked away, Clauncher glancing back to see him being caught in the attack. Seeing this, he curled himself, causing him to be sent flying back. He quickly caught up with Flash before swimming again, Flash now coming to a stop as Clauncher pushed into his back.

While this happened, Gyarados stopped using Thrash, his energy spent as he started panting. Now seeing a chance, Clauncher got out from behind Flash at shot at him at high speed. Gyarados quickly countered with another Hyper Beam, but Clauncher just used Protect, shutting down the attack with ease. And as his barrier dropped, he zipped in and sucker-punched Gyarados with another Crabhammer.

The blow slammed the sea-serpent to the bottom of the lake, Clauncher swimming after him as a giant bubble appeared between his pincers. Clauncher then aimed at Gyarados and launched the bubble with enough force that it caused the water around to ripple. The bubble then struck Gyarados, hitting so hard that it was sent into the ground before being rocketed back up to the surface, its form soon flying out of the lake. Everyone was gasping at the sight, the bubble exploding with an ear-shattering pop as it unleashed shockwaves that ripped into Gyarados's body.

Gyarados then fell back into the lake, crashing with a tremendous splash, knocking a rain of water down on the awestruck group of campers. The serpent soon reappeared on the water's surface, swirls in its eyes. Flash and Cluancher came up next, Flash taking off his rebreather before commenting, "Wow. That...was awesome."

"FLASH!" He turned to see his friends on the edge of the lake, "Are you okay?"

"Okay? I'm better than ever!" He turned to Clauncher, "You're the most awesome Pokémon in this whole lake! I can't believe you just effortlessly took down one of the strongest Water-types ever!" Clauncher just smirked back as everyone turned to Gyarados.

Gloriosa sighed as they walked over to the part of the lake closest to the Gyarados. "I was afraid this might happen. That Magikarp always found itself on the receiving end of other Pokémon's tricks. I had a feeling all the anger it felt would explode one day."

"So what are we gonna do?" Timber asked. "Even if it calms down, there's no way this lake can support a Gyarados and the other Pokémon."

Gloriosa nodded, taking out a Pokeball. "I agree. We only got one choice now." She tossed the ball at the sea-serpent before it opened up and sucked the Gyarados inside, the ball dropping into the water. But before it could sink, Clauncher swam over and took it in its claw before giving it to her, "Thank you, Clauncher."

"Hey!" They turned to Lightning coming out of the bushes, having now woken up from being hit point-blank from the Gyarados. "You said we couldn't catch any of these Pokémon!"

"I said you couldn't catch any of them," Gloriosa countered as she put the ball away. "My land, my rules. Besides, I'm not keeping it. Once I find somewhere it can stay, I'll release it back into the wild." Lightning opened his mouth to respond, but she quickly beat him to the punch, "What, did you plan to try and catch it? You do realize that the whole reason Gyarados went on a rampage was because of you! You'd honestly think I would let you have a super-strong Pokémon that only evolved because you were bullying it?!"

"If it's strong, then I deserve it." Lightning replied as he pointed at the camp's owner, "Hand it over. Only I can handle that kind of power."

"Dream on," Gloriosa barked back. "And since you don't seem to care that you almost got your campmates killed, you need to be severally punished." Lightning rolled his eyes and shrugged, but before he could say anything, she then said, "Since you obviously don't care about the point system, I won't punish your cabin by taking any. Instead, you can help make the camp dinner tonight, and do all the washing up." She turned to Celesia, "Sound fair?"

"More than fair," Celestia responded, turning to glare at Lightning as she continued, "And don't try to get out of this. You know exactly who I'll talk to about this if you do."

Lightning clenched his hands into fists, growling as he glared at the professors. While this was happening, Flash was explaining what he had seen underwater, "Then Clauncher used Protect to get in close and sock Gyarados in the face before using Water Pulse to blast it. You saw the rest."

"Amazing..." Twilight said in awe before looking down at Clauncher. "I know Clauncher has the Mega Launcher ability, which increases the power of pulse attacks, but...that's incredible. This little guy must have some true strength." Everyone else looked back at Clauncher, now seeing it was back to relaxing.

"What's it doing?" Spike asked, "After something like that, it's just going back to sleep?" They then noticed the other lake Pokémon coming over to give their thanks while also putting down pieces of food. "Hey, don't do that. He's strong enough to get his own food."

"I don't think that's it." Timber told him. "After seeing how much stronger it is, they probably want to keep it happy so it doesn't do to them what it did the Gyarados."

Everyone gulped at this, all except Flash. Instead, he thought about the fight and how Clauncher had saved him twice from the Gyarados. "No...I don't think it's like that. If they really fear him, they would leave him alone."

"That doesn't make sense." Timber replied, "I mean, look at how powerful he was. They'd have to fear him."

Flash gives him a flat stare, "You're not looking at this right, Clauncher is...is..." a bulb suddenly went off in his head. "That's it!"

Before anyone could say anything, Flash zipped away, going to a backpack and pulling out a piece of paper and pencil. Everyone's eyes went wide as he began to rapidly write on it, only to instantly finish his work just a few minutes later:

Clauncher. When I first met this Pokémon, I thought he was nothing more than a lazy good for nothing who let others do things for it. But as I got to know it better, I realised something: Clauncher wasn't being lazy, he was conserving his energy. He was making sure he was well rested so that if something happened, he would be able to react and fix it without issue. He's the lake's protector, the keeper of the peace. When a problem occurs, he's there to solve it in the best way possible. Sometimes it's through diplomatic means, while other times through force. Clauncher, despite his size, is the strongest Pokémon in this lake, but he doesn't use his power to do whatever he wants.

"No, Clauncher keeps his power to himself until the time he needs it. Other Pokémon are willing to feed him, not out of fear, but out of respect and thanks for keeping their home a safe place to live. He is the guardian of the lake." As Flash finished reading aloud his essay, his ears were suddenly filled with cheers and clapping.

He smiled as he looked out at the mess hall, everyone enjoying hearing the many essays as they ate. Celestia then gave the teen a firm nod, "Excellent work Flash," She took his essay as she said this, "You truly managed to understand Clauncher's feelings and get a good grasp of its character."

"Thanks. It was hard to understand at first, but when I got to know him better, things just seemed to...you know, click."

"Well, you've certainly earned this grade." She handed him the essay back, a large red A in the corner with a plus sign next to it.

"Check it out guys," he slapped the paper down. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"That's fantastic," Doc commented, "You sure earned it."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "With this, we'll have enough points to overtake the Ruby Cabin."

"Alright!" Spike arm pumped, "Camp hall of fame, here we come!" He grabbed a hotdog off his plate and snarfed it down, only to shine a big grin, "Who's up for seconds?"

"Sure," the others all replied before heading over to the food station. They placed all their plates on the washing pile and got new ones even though they were getting the exact same thing as before.

As for why they were doing this, it was due to Lightning being in the kitchen, scrubbing a pile of plates. A low, almost deadly glare was on his face, his hands slowly putting each on a draining board as Timber watched him while eating a hamburger.

"Keep going." Timber commented as he finished his burger. "If I find a single spot on one of those, you're washing it again."

"Yeah yeah...shut up." Lightning grumbled as he washed another plate.

Meanwhile...

Over at the lake, Clauncher was relaxing at the bottom, his eyes shifting around as he saw the rest of the lake Pokémon enjoying themselves.

They knew that even though he looked calm, he wasn't focusing on them. Clauncher's eyes were for viewing everything, focused on every aspect as he readied himself to jump into any situation possible. After all, he was the Guardian of the Lake.

A Night of Fright

View Online

Midnight.

All was quiet at Camp Everfree, the students all exhausted from their day spent in the lake. Up in the sky, the moon shined brightly as it came close to its apex, ready for the tomorrow full moon.

As this happened, halfway up the mountain close to the camp was the ruins of an ancient shrine. It was a stone platform with several broken pillars of differing heights, and in its centre was a small stone building in disrepair. A bunch of Chopmunk and Munkarve were hanging around here, all enjoying a midnight snack of berries as the clouds moved aside to reveal the almost full moon.

And as the light of the moon shone down, shadows began to slowly weave and wobble around the shrine before a black mass began to form, taking humanoid shape as it floated out of the night's darkness. It then began to hiss, a pair of purple glowing eyes appearing as it stared at the Chopmunk and Munkarve before a low growl followed.

The hiss caught the group's attention, making them turn from their snacks to see the shadowy figure standing there. Its purple gaze now glared at them, a look of hatred and anger in its eyes. The figure's growl then turned into a mighty roar before leaping at the group, the Chopmunk and Munkarve all screaming as it struck.

A few minutes later, the figure was back on the shrine's roof, staring up at the moon. Hissing at the sight, it took a deep breath, feeling the moon's rays as the moon began its journey to fullness tomorrow.

The next morning...

We once again find our heroes in the mess hall, enjoying another well-cooked meal while waiting for the professors to show up. The Sapphire Cabin were all enjoying their breakfast more than anyone, all four looking over at the board and seeing who was on top.

"That hall of fame place is all ours," Spike commented while scarfing down another spoonful of cereal.

"Don't be so sure," Twilight added, "There's still three more days before the end of camp. Who knows what'll happen before the last day."

"Nah..." Flash responded after slurping up some milk, "We've got this. Hall of fame's in the bag."

Twilight rolled her eyes before hearing the professors walked inside, Celestia speaking up, "Morning everyone, I'm sure you're all wondering what we have planned for today." A series of nods met her question, "Well the answer to that is...nothing." Everyone shared some glances, making her chuckle as she pointed to Luna, "Allow my sister to explain it to you."

"Thank you sister," Luna added while turning to the campers. "You're all here to learn to better interact with Pokémon, but tell me...do all Pokémon stay out during the day?" Another wave of murmurs followed this question, "The answer is no. Not all Pokémon have the same schedule as us. In fact, many Pokémon sleep during the day and come out at night. These are what are known as nocturnal Pokémon, and it's what we're going to be studying today."

Gloriosa stepped up next, pointing to the window and towards the mountain. "Halfway up that mountain is an ancient shrine which has been there since before my family owned this land. That will be your objective."

Luna then showed them around golden coin with a Pokeball symbol on it. "This medallion is your target. I'll be placing a box of them at the ruins. You'll be in groups of two, and your objective will be to get to the shrine and return here with a medallion. Each team will be timed, and the faster you get back here, the more points you'll earn for your cabin. Does everybody understand?" Every head in the room nodded, "Very good. The event will begin at seven, so spend the rest of the day selecting your partners and resting up for it. Once you have a partner, come see me and I will write you down on my clipboard."

Everyone nodded again and got up to head out of the camp, the Sapphire Cabin also leaving while talking about the task, "This sounds to me like a test of courage," Doc commented, "Going into the unknown in the dead of night? Sounds like a test of resolve."

"Oh please," Flash added as they reached a nearby gazebo, "After everything we've been through, this'll be a cakewalk."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Flash rolled his eyes at the voice as they turned to see Timber walking up with Sunset, "After all, tonight is a full moon."

Sunset and the Sapphire Campers all raised an eyebrow before Spike asked, "What's so special about a full moon?"

"Well, the ruins we're going to have a legend around them. It's said that a long time ago, an evil creature attacked the people and Pokémon of this land, but then during a full moon, a mighty wizard tricked the creature into going to the shrine and sealed it away for all eternity. However, the spell had a small flaw. On the nights leading up to the full moon, the creature can retake a physical form that's cloaked in shadows, and when the moon is full, the creature is completely free until the sun rises."

He shined a big smirk as he looked at their reactions, Spike and Peewee showing pure fear while holding each other tight. Sunset and Doc both appeared wary, while Twilight was fascinated. But for Flash, he just rolled his eyes again, "Yeah...nice story and all, but I doubt it's true. It's probably just some story the people who made the shrine came up with to stop trespassers."

"You might be right..." Timber chuckled while shrugging, "Guess we'll find out tonight," he then turned to Twilight with a big smile, "Say...wanna be my partner for it?"

This question made everyone go wide-eyed, Twilight's face going full-blush mode as she squeaked out, "Me?!"

"Sure. The whole thing sounds like fun and I can't think of anyone else to enjoy it with."

"You can't do that." Flash instantly said, Twilight turning to pout at him, "We're supposed to be in pairs. If you join in, someone's gonna be left without a partner."

"That's fine," Sunset added as she raised her hand. "I wanna have a go at this too. Wanna be my partner Flash?"

"Oh." Flash turned to see Twilight giving an oblivious dreamy smile to Timber, making him glance back at Sunset, "Sure, why not?"

"Good." Sunset nodded before asking, "Though...what are your plans for the rest of the day? We have quite a lot of waiting time."

Flash took out a five Pokeballs, "I have an idea." He released the five, Springer cheering as they landed in front of their trainer, "Alright guys, for the rest of the day, have as much fun as you want. You haven't gotten the chance to spread your legs, wings...and whatever Viper has, so enjoy!"

"Ri/Gust/Spar/Leaf/Scor/Hop!" They all exclaimed before running off, ready to have some fun.

"Good idea Flash," Doc took out his Pokémon: Higear, Tockwork and Steeledge all appearing while Twilight took out her Pokeballs.

"Come on out!" Owlicious and Shine appeared, Owlicious flying off with the others while Shine hopped into Twilight's lap. Hopper also leapt into Flash's lap, the trainer laughing as he scratched him behind the ear.

Timber smirked as he watched the Pokémon playing, seeing other campers doing the same as the whole place started to become overrun. "Well, this is gonna be a fun day." He turned back to Twilight, "I've got work to do, so I'll see you later."

"Alright. I'll let Luna know we're a team." Timber nodded and walked off with a salute.

"Later."

"Later..." Twilight waved back, squealing as she started clapping, "Oh, this is gonna be great! Me and Timber in the forest, talking about different Pokémon habitats and physiology. It'll be great!"

Everybody smiled at Twilight's excitement, all except Flash as he rolled his eyes, "Ugh..."

Twilight heard this and turned to him, "What?!"

"Nothing," Flash replied while continuing to scratch Hopper behind the ear.

"You know, you could learn something from Timber."

"Like what? Insult every Pokémon I try to befriend here?"

"He did not insult-"

"He did! In fact, I bet you nothing that he still looks down on Shuckle and Clauncher!"

Twilight let out a huff, "Hmph! You're just jealous because he's smarter than you."

"Oh please. Book smarts mean nothing too good old fashioned training."

"You just think that because you're reckless. Heck, ever since we got here, you've been acting like a spoiled brat whenever Timber's around."

"Well, what about you?" Flash put Hopper down and stood up, "Ever since we met him, you've been acting like a giggling schoolgirl whenever he says anything that's not even funny."

Twilight growled as she stood up as well, staring Flash down, "I guess you'd be the expert on laughing at things that aren't funny." Both Hopper and Shine tried to hide behind Doc and Sunset's legs as this continued, "Timber's a mature adult. He doesn't spend all his free time being childish."

"Guys..." Doc spoke up, "Let's not say something we'll regret."

"I can be mature when I wanna be," Flash barked back. "I just don't need to have it on twenty-four seven, unlike you. You know, if you learned to relax a bit more, maybe you wouldn't be such a buzzkill all the time!"

"If I wasn't a buzzkill, you wouldn't be here right now! You'd probably still be trying to find out how to get from Canterlot to Trottingham, only to find yourself in Fillydelphia."

"Hey, I can find my way around perfectly fine."

"Then why am I always the one planning out our journey routes?!"

"Because you're a bossy know-it-all that thinks the world will implode if she doesn't plan out every little thing in fine detail."

"You wouldn't last a week without me there."

"I spent a week travelling from my hometown to Canterlot without you, and I was perfectly fine!"

"Well, I could have gotten you there in three days."

"Yeah right."

Twilight growled as she vibrated in anger. "You...JERK!"

"I'm a jerk?!" Flash yelled before pointing at her, "You know what, if Timber's so great, then why don't you travel with him from now on?!"

"Maybe I will!" Twilight screeched, marching away as Shine followed after her.

"Twilight!" Spike cried as he saw his sister disappear into the camp, Flash walking away in the opposite direction. "Flash!"

"Don't walk away from a fight angry," Doc called out.

Sunset just sighed and facepalmed, "Those two are impossible."

Spike then turned to Doc and Sunset, "You don't really think they'll stop travelling together, do you?"

"I hope not," Doc replied, crossing his arms while shaking his head, "Though considering how they've been lately, I'm not sure. Flash has especially been negative recently, and the activities we've been doing here at camp has not helped." He turned to Spike, "I suspect we both don't want them to split, right?" Spike nodded, "Then we have to find a way to fix this before it's too late."

"Good luck with that," Sunset sighed before walking off, "I'll try to get Flash to apologize during the hike."

They nodded and went to find Twilight, only to find the worst results. Over the next few hours, Flash and Twilight both refused to even be in the same room, Flash choosing to be in the cabin while Twilight sat near the lake to read. During both lunch and dinner, they sat at different tables with their backs to one another.

Eventually, seven o'clock came, the many campers now getting ready after changing into warmer clothes for the chilly night. Flash came out of their cabin dressed in his normal clothes, Springer and Hopper running after him. Skylar, Riptide, Prongs and Viper were fast asleep in the cabin, having tuckered themselves out during the day. Owlicious had also fallen asleep, strange for a nocturnal Pokémon, which made Flash suspect Twilight would only be taking Shine.

"Hey!" He turned to see Sunset in her usual clothes, her Geckolar Ray, sitting on her shoulder. "Ready to get going?"

"Sure," Flash responded as they both went to where Celestia, Luna and Gloriosa were waiting. Several other groups arrived, Flash seeing the other pairs. Doc and Spike were together, Rainbow and Fluttershy also a team while Pinkie was with Bulk. Flash felt sorry for Trixie when he saw she was with Lightning, who was most likely doing this because nobody could tell him he couldn't catch anything around here. And then there was Twilight and Timber, both laughing at whatever unfunny thing Timber had just said. Everyone was dressed in their normal attire, Timber wearing yellowish-brown pants, with an open red button-up shirt over a white t-shirt under a sleeveless jacket.

"Alright everyone," they all turned to Luna, "It's reaching seven, so it's time to start the event. There are several checkpoints between here and the shrine, each located on the maps you'll be provided with. Every one of them has a marker you can use to stamp the card you'll be given. The more marks you have, the more extra points you'll be awarded when you return. Is that understood?" Everyone nodded, "Good."

Celestia spoke up next. "Now, each team will leave the camp five minutes apart with the exact time written down so we know who took the least amount of minutes. Remember, this is about learning to deal with Pokémon. Being the quickest doesn't matter."

"Maybe, but it doesn't hurt either." Rainbow added as Celestia ordered everyone to line up, Flash and Sunset standing behind Twilight and Timber.

"Hey," Sunset said as they turned to her, "Good luck you two."

Twilight shined a smile, "Thanks."

"Not that we'll need it," Timber smirked, Flash rolling his eyes. Twilight saw this and growled, her eyes narrowing as she turned away, soon walking up to Luna.

"Okay," Luna responded while staring at her watch, "Go." Twilight and Timber headed off into the forest, Twilight glancing back at Flash one last time before running off.

At that moment, Spike and Doc were already deep into the forest. Spike had Peewee out while Doc had Steeledge, the older teen looking over the map, "Alright, the first checkpoint should be around here somewhere.

"Awesome! Does it say where?"

"It says on an old oak tree." The two then looked up, now seeing a tree that was three times larger than the others and almost twice the height.

"Yes!" Spike cheered, now spotting a stamp hanging from a nail on a string. He quickly stamped his card, which had eight boxes on it. He pressed the stamp into the first box, which showed an image of a Murkrow. "Sweet!"

"Brilliant!" Doc nodded before raising an eyebrow. "Wonder why it's got a Murkrow on it?" The answer came when a loud squawk caught their attention, making them look up to see a Murkrow glaring at them.

"Oh...hi there." Spike gulped, seeing the bird's wings glowing for an attack.

"Don't worry, I've got this." Doc responded as he pulled out a small bag, opening it to reveal an array of food pellets. "Hey, you hungry?" He placed the bag on the ground and stepped away, the Murkrow flying down to eat while they made their getaway.

"Nice one Doc!" Spike gave him and thumbs up while Peewee squawked in agreement.

"Thanks," Doc showed him several more bags, "I've got loads more, so we shouldn't have any more trouble."

Meanwhile...

Fluttershy and Rainbow were at a different stamp, this one stationed outside a cave heading down into the mountain. "One down," Rainbow remarked as she put the stamp to the card, "Nice."

Fluttershy shivered as she clutched Angel and stared at the cave, "Oh gosh...I hope nothing scary is in there."

"Relax. If anything tries to get the jump on us, I'll handle it." It was at that moment something flew out of the cave and clipped her ear, "YAH!" She jumped away, turning to see a Zubat. She then heard giggling, "Not funny Fluttershy."

"It is a little."

At the same time, Twilight and Timber had reached a checkpoint. They marked the card, getting a Morelull before looking up to see Morelull lighting up the forest.

"Beautiful..." she whispered.

"Sure is...But I can think of something more beautiful." Twilight turned to see he was looking at her, her face going red before looking away while playing with her ponytail.

"We should...er...get to the next checkpoint." She started walking off, "We're uh...making good time." Shine followed after her, Timber and his Breloom close behind.

"She's perfect." Timber whispered as he continued to watch her awkwardness.

While this was going on, Flash groaned as he stared at his map, "This is nuts. I'm sure the stamp should be right here."

Sunset just shook her head, "Here, just let me see the map-"

"No. I can do it." Flash grumbled as he jerked away, "I'm not useless, you know."

"So that's it. Trying to prove yourself to Twilight, huh?"

"I'm not proving anything to anyone," Flash growled as he started to walk away, not looking up from the map.

"Flash, look out!" He looked up, only for a Shuppet to appear right in his face.

"Aaah!" He yelped before falling back, the Shuppet others laughing as the ghost then flew away. "Ugh...give me a break."

Lightning and Trixie both groaned as they walked along the path, Chimplug and Hattarna following behind them. Trixie was trying to find the next stamp, showing Lightning the map, "Is this a left or a right?" However, there was no response, Lightning to busy staring up at the trees. "Hello?"

"Be quiet," he hissed. "I'm trying to find some actually decent Pokémon." But as he spotted a Starider hanging from a webline on a tree, he simply growled. "Useless."

He then stormed off, Trixie muttering under her breath, "Not as useless as you're being."

A little while later, Pinkie, Bulk, Milcry and Throh were sitting at the tree their stamp was at.

They hadn't intended to stay, but the Kricketot living there had started playing a beautiful melody, making them want to listen, "This music is so fun to listen too," Pinkie cheered while Milcry floated around with a smile on its face.

"YEAH!" Bulk yelled, "It's so manly!" Throh let out a cry of agreement, the four just listening as the music lulled them into a state of relaxation.

At the same time...

Twilight, Timber and their Pokémon had come across another stamp, both looking up from the map as Twilight said, "That could be a problem." She then pointed at a Skullimor lying on the stump the stamp was on, almost about to doze off.

"No problem," Timber smirked as he reached for it. "I'll just be careful not to-" He didn't finish as Skullimor spun around and lashed out, trying to bite his fingers off. "Yeehee," he yelped while pulling his hand back, the skeletal Pokémon now slithering up to full height and spreading its wings.

"Skull!"

Breloom got into a fighting stance, only for Twilight to jump in, "Please wait. We're sorry we bothered you." She pointed at the stamp, "We just need that thing you're sleeping next too. Once we have it, we won't bother you again." Skullimor just growled at her, only to turn and fly away into the forest, Twilight waving as he left, "Thank you."

Timber smirked as she used the stamp, "Nice one. You certainly handled that with skull." Twilight turned to him, blinking before letting out a laugh.

And once the laugh ended, she replied, "I'm really glad I met you."

"Thanks," Timber responded while rubbing the back of his head. He then took a deep breath, Twilight noticing his gesture.

"You okay?"

Timber looked away as he replied, "Well...I talked to Gloriosa last night. I told her that I wanna leave the camp and go on a journey, trying to collect badges."

"Oh? What did she say?"

Timber looked back with a big grin, "She asked why I was bothering to ask her. Apparently, I never needed her permission to go on my own journey...so I'm leaving as soon as this camp session is over."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you!" Twilight exclaimed before a bulb went off in her head, "Hey, why don't you travel with us? We're heading to Appleoosa City for Flash's next Gym battle. You could make your debut there."

Timber shook his head in response, "No, I'll need to head to Canterlot first."

"Oh...yeah. That's right. You need to register for the league there." Timber nodded. "So, I guess we can't travel together."

Timber rubbed the back of his neck as he continued, "Actually, I...I want...well-"

Twilight raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Timber took a deep breath before looking Twilight right in the eye, "I want you to come with me." Twilight's eyes went wide, a slight blush on her face, "Think about it. You and me, travelling around the Equestria region together. It'll be great."

"But...but my friends-"

"They can come if they want," Timber interrupted. "I guess your brother would have to come, and I'm okay with that."

"But what about Doc and Flash?" She added, "If we go back to Canterlot, that would mean Flash would lose months of time just to get back to where he is now."

"Well...I guess that's his decision to make." Timber hummed with a shrug, "He can come with us, or go on his own." He then placed a hand on Twilight's shoulder, "Come on Twilight. If we travelled together, nothing would be able to stop us. There's so much you could teach me and I could teach you. So, what do you say?"

Twilight glanced away, Shine seeing the mixed emotions on her face. The Ponyta quickly went up and rubbed her head into her leg, Twilight picking her up and stroking her mane, "I...I need to think about it."

"Alright." He turned around with a big grin, "Well, I'm leaving the day after camp ends. Do you think you'll have your answer then?"

"Um...yeah. Probably." Timber nodded with a confident smile, walking away as Twilight looked down at her new Pokémon, "Oh Shine, what am I gonna do?" Shine just neighed as she rubbed her head into Twilight's chin, Twilight giving her a hug next. "Thank you."

She let out a sigh as she continued to follow Timber, thinking back to what happened earlier today, "Should I leave? I know Spike would be sad but...would Flash even care?"

Flash and Sunset were getting close to the shrine themselves, only one stamp left for them. "I think we're making pretty good time," Sunset told him. "You actually are pretty good with a map, when you're holding it the right way up."

"Whatever..." Flash grumbled, Springer and Hopper frowning at the angry expression on their trainer's face.

Sunset shook her head and sighed, "Flash, you need to get over this grumpy mood. Don't let your anger at Twilight ruin everyone else's fun."

"I'm not angry at her," he growled, sighing a little later, "I'm just...worried I might have ruined our friendship." This made Sunset raise an eyebrow in surprise as he continued, "After the fight, I realized I was acting like a jerk. I don't know why Timber gets to me...probably cause he keeps insulting Pokémon I try to befriend, but...seeing her fawn over him made me mad. Now...I get the feeling she's gonna be gone, and...that's it. I lose a friend, especially if she doesn't want to hear me say sorry."

Sunset shook her head again, giggling as she saw a now very vulnerable Flash as she put a hand on his shoulder, "Flash, she's your friend. If you're sincere about your apology, she'll accept it. She'll definitely not want to stop being your friend. Trust me."

He looked back at her, a tiny smile on his face, "Yeah...you're right. I hope. Thanks Sunset."

"Anytime. Now come on, we're still racing the rest of the camp, remember?" Flash nodded back before they cut into a sprint for the shrine.

Twilight and Timber had now come across a small staircase, Timber smirking at the sight, "Alright, we're finally here." He and Breloom started to ascend, Twilight and Shine following at a much slower pace. Twilight's mind was a muddled mess now, only for Shine to rub her neck, making her look up to see she had just got to the top of the stairs.

"Amazing," she whispered as she saw the shrine and the ruins around it.

"I know, right?" Timber smirked as he moved over to a wooden box stationed on the steps, reaching down to pull out one of the medallions. "Looks like we're the first ones here," he turned to Twilight with a huge grin, "See? When we work together, there's nothing we can't do. Just more proof how awesome we would be travelling together."

"Yeah...I guess." Twilight added in the most confident tone she could muster.

"So," Timber sauntered over to her, "wanna head back to camp? Or do you wanna stick around and check out the ruins a bit more?" Twilight didn't want to reply, but then she saw Shine excitedly running around the place.

"Maybe for a few minutes."

"Sounds good. Let's explore." Timber added with a confident smile, turning away before gesturing to the teen, "Come on, let's check out the shrine."

But as he did this, the clouds above them parted, showing the moon. The moon's light then began to shine down, casting a shadow for the shrine. Like the night before, the shadows began to weave and wobble, Shine coming to a stop as it sensed something, a cold dark emotion. A sinister dread washed over her, making her feel an unmistakable sensation: Pure evil. "Nee!" She cried before running over to Twilight and jumping into her arms.

"Shine?" Twilight saw Shine was now shivering, the girl quickly rubbing her mane to calm her, "What's wrong?"

Timber turned to her, only to notice Breloom start to sweat, "What's the matter?"

Breloom turned to the shrine, he and Twilight following, only to go wide-eyed. From out of the shrine's shadow came a figure shrouded in darkness, a pair of shining purple eyes glowing from its head. "What the heck?" Timber whispered, Twilight now feeling Shine trying to hide its face in her chest. "It...it can't be."

"Oh no," Twilight muttered as the figure fully emerged from the shadows, glaring down with a unfriendly growl, "Timber...what do we do?"

The figure began to float over, Timber quickly yelling, "Mach Punch!" Breloom charged with a glowing fist, but the Pokémon didn't react. Instead, Breloom flew right through the figure.

"Brell?" Breloom yelped as he turned and tried to punch again, only to go through the creature again.

"What the-" Timber tried to say, but the figure then summoned a sphere of dark energy in front of it.

"Shadow Ball?" Twilight asked as the sphere was sent at Breloom, hitting the Grass Fighting-type with an explosion.

"BRELOOM!" He screamed as he was sent flying back, slamming into the shrine wall before slumping over with spirals in its eyes.

"What?!" Timber yelped, unable to believe that Breloom was knocked out with one hit. He then saw the figure turn to them, his heart beginning to pound as he slowly shifted back. "AAAAAAHHH!" Timber cried as he ran to the stairs, going past Twilight as the figure sank into the ground and shot across the ruins. It shot past Timber before ascending back up between Timber and the stairs. Timber tried to come to a stop, only for the figure to smack its leg into the teen's chest.

"TIMBER!" Twilight screamed as she watched Timber be sent flying back, slamming and rolling on the ground before hitting the shrine beside Breloom. He then let out a moan, showing he was still conscious. A looming presence made her turn back to see the figure getting closer, the shadows slowly starting to fade in the moonlight. "What...what are you?"

She got her answer when the shadows vanished, revealing a humanoid Pokémon wearing a clown costume. It stood at about eight and a half feet tall, wearing a red coat, green pants and yellow boots. Its face was completely white, though you could only see the bottom part while its top half was covered in a black and white mask. On the waist of its coat was a golden heart-shaped symbol while on its shoulders were a pair of skull markings designed to simulate the spade symbol. A golden diamond could be seen on each cuff of its coat sleeves, and the club symbol could be seen on its knees. It had a white frilly collar around its neck and orange hair sticking out the back of its head. On its back were a quartet of swords that formed an X, with the scabbard having a pair of blue scarf-like ribbons coming off it. The Pokémon swung its arms around before letting out a mighty roar. "DOOM!"

Twilight gasped as she staggered back, "A Piedoom..."

"Piedoom..." the ghost clown growled as it reached back and pulled two of its swords out. Twilight could barely backpedal as the Piedoom began to move again, Shine now staring at the monstrous before narrowing her eyes.

"Nee!" She cried while shaking, her instincts kicking in as she fired a Psybeam at the monster. But as the attack struck, it went right through the Piedoom's chest.

"That's right...Piedoom is Dark and Ghost-type," Twilight whispered, her hand quickly going down to reach for a Pokeball, "I need Owlicious." she then felt nothing, making her gulp as she then remembered she left him at the camp. "Oh no..."

Piedoom's sword blades started glowing purple before it swung them at Twilight, the girl screaming as she barely managed to jump back to avoid the Night Slash. She then tossed Shine away as she yelled, "RUN!"

"NEE!" Shine yelped as she stumbled over, quickly trying to get to her hooves.

"I said run!" Twilight screamed, only for Piedoom to swipe at her again. This time it nicked her bowtie, making her gasp as the Piedoom raised its sword again.

"Pied!" Piedoom swung its blade through the air, this time unleashing a wave of energy. Twilight gasped and sidestepped the attack, which flew past her and destroyed a pillar behind her. "Doom!" Before she could react, Piedoom thrust its hand, unleashing a Dark Pulse. The attack struck Twilight's stomach, the blow knocking her back with a loud screech of pain.

"TWILIGHT/NEE!" Timber and Shine screamed as she hit the pillar and fell over, the pillar collapsing onto Twilight, "NO!"

Twilight moaned as she opened her eyes, only to feel a pressure on her foot. She looked down and gasped, now seeing it was fully trapped under the rubble of the pillar.

"Piedoom." She turned to glance up, now seeing a smirking Piedoom staring at her.

"Nee!" Shine cried, telling it to getaway. But Piedoom didn't listen, instead raising his sword again. Shine's eyes shrunk at the sight, pure panic settling in as she knew her Psybeam wouldn't work. And as Piedoom inched closer to Twilight, she suddenly felt a warmth spreading through her body. The flames burned into her horn, making her yell out, "NEE!"

The outburst caught everyone's attention, making them all turn to her to see a fireball appear above her horn before spinning to form a circle of fire. "Shine?"

"Nee..." her horn ignited again, pointing it through the fire circle, "TAA!" Suddenly, a stream of fire shot out her horn and through the circle, the Piedoom crossing his swords at the incoming attack. The blades blocked the flames, but it still flinched at the heat.

"Was that...Mystical Fire?" Twilight gasped, only to see Piedoom cut the flames down, showing little harm to his body. Shine's ears drooped at the sight, Twilight yelling again, "No! Shine!" She turned to Timber, "Save her!"

Timber nodded as he was about to get up, only for Piedoom to fire a Night Slash right into the ground before him. "AAAAHHHH!" he screamed, the teen falling over as his body froze up on the spot.

"Timber!" Twilight yelled, but it was no use. He wouldn't move, and Shine was the same as Piedoom raised its sword at her. "No...GET AWAY!"

"AURA SPHERE!" Piedoom quickly hopped back at the sudden order, a blue sphere of energy whizzing by its face as it dodged it.

Twilight turned to the source, now seeing Flash, Springer and Hopper at the top of the stairs, "Yo ugly! Back away from the Ponyta!" Flash barked, making Piedoom glare at him, "I'm guessing you're the creature in that legend we heard about. Heh...you don't look so tough."

"Flash?! What are you doing here?" Twilight yelped, Flash turning to her.

"Nevermind that. You okay?" Twilight just gave him a cringed frown, Flash nodding in response, "I understand. Let me kick ugly's butt here then I'll help you. Sunset's already going to get help after we heard your earlier scream."

"Wha-Flash, you have to get out of here!" Twilight yelled back, "That thing...it's too strong! Take Shine and go!"

"No way." Flash instantly replied, pumping his fists, "I'm not leaving without you."

"But-"

"Forget it Twilight! I don't abandon my friends!" Flash added, making Twilight shrink back at his words as he looked back at the Piedoom, "Let's go! Extreme Speed!"

"RIOLU!" Springer shot forward as green lightning surged around his body, flying with a kick at the Piedoom...only to go right through him, "Rio?" He gasped, quickly landing and skidding his feet.

"It's a Ghost-type!" Twilight yelled, "Fighting and Normal moves won't work!"

Flash's eyes went wide at this, looking down at Springer and Hopper, "Not good. I'll have to use Sky-" He didn't finish that sentence as he patted his empty side, "Shoot! I left everyone else back at the camp!"

He then saw Piedoom charge, quickly reacting by grabbing Hopper. The two rolled to the side, dodging Piedoom's sword as Springer yelled, "RIOLU!" The Riolu used Double Team, multiple Springers now running around the Piedoom in a circle. Growling at the sight, Piedoom started firing several Shadow Balls.

And as this happened, Flash ran over to Twilight, Hopper walking beside him. "You okay?" He asked as he started working to lift the rocks off of her.

"I...I don't know," Twilight flinched as she felt the pressure being removed off her foot. "But I don't think I can walk."

"Okay. Well, let's get this stuff off you first." Flash hissed as he grabbed another rock.

As he did this, Twilight just shook her head, "Flash, don't worry about me. Go help Shine get out of here."

"I'm not...leaving...you..." he grunted as he pushed another rock out of the way, "Besides, Hopper is gonna help Shine."

She turned to the Ponyta, now seeing Hopper by Shine's side. "Hop!" he exclaimed as he tried to make Shine move, but the Pokémon was scared stiff, unable to move. And as he did this, the Piedoom sunk into the ground, everyone seeing this as a portal opened up inside the bedrock.

Several seconds passed after this, the ghost's entire being completely vanishing along with the portal. "Is...is it gone?" Twilight asked, the Springer copies disappearing at the sight of danger disappearing.

Flash blinked at the sight, only to feel a shiver down his spine. He then looked up, now seeing a new portal appear above his Pokémon, "SPRINGER!" he yelled, but it was too late. The Piedoom descended, smacking the Riolu in the back of the head.

"RIO!" He cried as he went flying back, slamming into the ground while kissing dirt.

"SPRINGER!" Both Flash and Twilight screamed, turning back to Piedoom as it drew its swords again, the Pokémon now glaring at Shine and Hopper, the pony shaking while Hopper hopped in front of Shine with a growl.

"Get away from them!" Flash yelled, tossing a small rock at Piedoom. It felt the pebble tap its side, making it turn to the trainer. The Piedoom's deadly gaze fixed itself on him, causing a shiver of terror to run through Flash's whole body. But as he felt this, Flash took a deep breath and said, "I...I won't let you hurt them! Come on!" He held his arms out, "I'm right here!"

That was all Piedoom needed, pointing its swords at the teen, "FLASH!" Twilight screamed as she watched him jump back, barely dodging the first blade slash, only to sidestep the second. But as he did this, the back of his left heel hit a rock, making him fall back.

"Oof!" he yelped, now hitting the ground with a thud. He then looked up, now seeing Piedoom lift his sword over the teen.

"Hoppin!" Hopper cried, instincts kicking in as it sprinted at the clown, knowing it had to save his trainer. Its body leapt into the air, reaching Piedoom's wrist, biting down on it with full force.

"DOOM!" The ghost clown roared as it dropped its sword and start swinging its arm around, trying to dislodge Hopper. As it did this, Flash got up and picked up the sword, glaring back up at the monster, "Piedoom!" It flicked its arm down, Hopper letting go.

"HEY!" Piedoom turned around, now seeing Flash running at him with sword in hand. The oversized weapon was beyond heavy, Flash barely managing to swing it at the ghost. Piedoom quickly countered with the other sword, blocking the blade despite Flash's blow making him slightly stagger back. It then drew another one of its two remaining swords, soon dashing at Flash as the trainer tried to block his attack.

Seeing this, Hopper leapt at the Piedoom, biting its foot. Piedoom let out a cry of pain, Flash taking the opening to swing the sword at the clown, only for it to be blocked again. The clown then shook Hopper off its leg, quickly swinging at Flash again, this blow knocking Flash back.

"GYAH!" Flash cried as he fell over, the sword flying out of his hand. He then saw Piedoom pick up the sword, now starting to go after the trainer as he tried to get back up...only for his strength to leave him. The sight of the monster was too much, instead crawling backwards before he felt his back hit a pillar.

"FLASH!" Twilight yelled, really trying to pull her leg out despite the pain. Hopper had also recovered from the kick and saw Flash was in trouble, rushing while letting out a cry. But Piedoom heard this and spun around, firing a Dark Pulse that hit him head-on.

"HOP!" He screamed as he was smacked back, rolling on the ground until stopping right by Twilight.

"HOPPER!" Both trainers gasped, Twilight now trying to reach out to him.

Piedoom then turned back to Flash, its sword pointed right at his chest. Flash stared at the clown, only for one thing to go through his head. If he was gonna go, he wasn't gonna give this thing the satisfaction of seeing him scared. Instead, he glared at Piedoom and said, "Do it." Piedoom smirked back before pulling his sword back, ready to slice the human in half. But at the blade began to fall down-

"DOOM" it yelped as it was knocked back, the teen now seeing a blur fly around him.

"Skylar!" He cheered, the bird landing right by its trainer.

"Gust," he nodded back as Piedoom picked itself up. But as it did this, a jet of fire, water and sphere of green energy came flying at it, knocking it back as a trio of starter Pokémon appeared on the top of the stairs.

"Guys!" Flash yelled as he saw his team, only to see more people appear at the staircase's top.

Celestia, Luna, Gloriosa and Sunset were leading the campers into the ruin, the older woman glaring at Piedoom. "Get away from our campers!" Celestia roared as her Suncess leapt into the fray while in its Solar Flare Forme. "Dazzling Gleam!"

"Sun!" Its body was surrounded in a sphere of rainbow color, its form charging into the Ghost-type before it could react.

"Pied!" It cried while falling back, Primoon, Ray and a Roserade they guessed was Gloriosa's now running at the clown as Flash's Pokémon ran over to check on him.

"Flame Burst!"

"Moon Burst!"

"Magical Leaf!" The three launched their attacks, Piedoom drawing its last sword to defend itself. As this happened, Spike, Doc, Rainbow and Fluttershy now appeared, all running over to Twilight.

"You okay?" Her brother asked as Doc and Rainbow worked to get the rocks off her.

"I'm fine," Twilight replied as the last rock was lifted. But as she tried to get up, she let out a cry of pain, "Augh!" She started to fall over, Rainbow catching her as she stumbled over.

Fluttershy saw Twilight's leg, now seeing that it wasn't broken, but badly bruised and swelling. "We have to get her back to camp." She turned to her Grizzor, "Harry, please help me." He nodded and got down, allowing the others to lift Twilight onto his back.

"Thank you," she told the Bear Pokémon before looking around, "Wait...where's Shine?"

"Here," she turned to Flash, the Ponyta in his arms. She then remembered she was holding Hopper, the two smiling while swapping Pokémon before looking back at the battle.

"Doom!" Piedoom dodged one of Primoon's Moon Burst and landed on the shrine's roof. It was here that Timber's feet started to work again, quickly running to his sister.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking him over and seeing he was mostly unhurt.

"I'm...I'm fine." Timber turned back to look up at the Piedoom, another wave of fear overtaking him as he started to backpedal.

Piedoom then looked down, now staring at the fallen Springer. A grin shined on his face, forming a Shadow Ball in his hands as Flash yelled, "SPRINGER!"

"FLASH!" Everyone screamed as they saw the trainer leapt at his Pokémon, quickly covering the Riolu with his body. But as the Shadow Ball was about to hit him-

"Charge Beam!" A blast of electrical energy shot out of nowhere, striking the Shadow Ball. An explosion followed this, knocking it back as the others turned to see Lightning and Chimplug. On the trainer's face was a vicious grin, "You...you're strong!" He pumped his fists, "Now that's more like it! You're mine!"

"Chim!" Chimplug roared, electricity now pouring out of its body.

Piedoom turned to glare at the trainer, only to start shifting into the shadow of the shrine. Seeing this, Lightning yelled, "Hey! Where are you going?! Don't you dare run, you coward!"

But his words fell on deaf ears. Instead, the monster submerged into the ground, disappearing into the shadows. The ruins were silent as everyone stared at the sight...only for nothing to happen. Piedoom was gone.

"Where'd it go?" Spike asked.

"I think..." Celestia hummed before crossing her arms, "I think it went back to wherever it goes when sealed. It must have thought it couldn't beat so many of us."

"Oh, come on!" Lightning growled, "What is up with this camp when it comes to strong Pokémon?! Why do I keep not getting them?!"

"Lightning..." he turned to see Flash walking over with Springer in his arms, "You...saved me."

Lightning said nothing as he turned away, "whatever." With that, he walked off towards the stairs.

The rest of the camp soon followed his lead, the event being called off as they all returned to camp. Once there, Twilight, Timber and Flash told everyone what had happened while getting patched up. "There," Sunset said as she finished wrapping Twilight's leg up. "You should be okay. There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage, as long as you stay off it for a day or two."

"Thanks," Twilight replied before Shine suddenly jumped into her lap, curling up as she started petting her head.

"Say, what is it with you hurting your ankle?" Pinkie asked with a playful grin, "How many times is this now?"

"Only the second," Twilight responded, "And given the life of a trainer, that's a good number to have."

"You're fine too," Gloriosa told Timber while rubbing a disinfectant onto his arms.

Flash didn't have any injuries, but Luna still wanted to check him over while Fluttershy worked to treat Springer and Hopper. As she did this, Flash pulled out his Pokedex and typed in the Pokémon they had just been fighting.

Name: Piedoom
Category: Phantom Clown Pokémon
Type: Ghost/Dark
Info: The evolved form of Jesterror. It is a strange-looking and elusive Pokemon that is completely shrouded in mystery. It wields a quartet of swords, which it juggles without fear.

"Talk about freaky..." he shuddered before turning to stare at the nearby mountain, "You think it's safe to stay here? What if it comes back for some revenge?"

"I doubt that," Gloriosa replied, "Like the legend states, it can't leave the area of the shrine. And since it can only come out during a full moon, it shouldn't cause us any problems once the sun comes up." She then turned to glare at the mountain as well, "Still, I'm not gonna let anyone go anywhere near that shrine. It's better the simply let the sleeping spirit remain undisturbed."

Luna turned to Celestia, "An investigation should probably be done though."

"Maybe..." Celestia hummed, "Though I fear what might happen if we do. Further activity in the shrine may cause whatever's sealing the creature there to be undone. We may end up freeing Piedoom permanently. If investigations are to be done, they must be done with the utmost care."

Flash then moved over to Springer and Hopper, the two pouting as the stinging of the Super Potion bit into the skin. "You two alright?" They both nodded, trying their best to not move their aching bodies. "Good," he reached over and patted both heads, "Glad you're alright. You both did great against something you had a major disadvantage against."

"Hey Flash," He turned to see Twilight had hopped over to him. Gloriosa had gotten her a pair of crutches, allowing her to hobble over to the teen, "I...I just wanted to say...thanks. You didn't have to save me and Shine but, you put your life on the line for us. Even after I said all those horrible things to you."

Flash just shook his head, "Twilight...you don't need to thank me for trying to save you. It's something any decent human being would do. And even if I didn't have to...you're my friend. Doesn't matter how annoying you can be, I'll always be ready to help you when you need it."

The two both smiled, now forgetting about their previous argument. Nothing else was said as Flash returned to the cabin as Gloriosa helped Twilight with her crutches. And as she sat down while the camp manager checked her leg, she suddenly remembered Timber's earlier offer. Memories of today flashed through her head next, remembering what happened with Flash and the Pidoom encounter, making her sit back as she whispered, "Oh...what do I do? What should I do?"

Camp Town Races

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Only two days remained of the Pokémon Summer Camp, everyone now in the mess hall while eating away as they waited to hear what the day's activity would be. There was only one camper not eating, this one too busy having her injury examined by Gloriosa.

"How does this feel?" she asked as she squeezed Twilight's foot.

"Ow!" Twilight winced, Gloriosa nodding.

"As I thought." She looked up at Twilight, "I'm afraid I can't allow you to participate in today's event. You need to stay off that foot until at least early tonight."

"Seriously? Are...are you sure?"

"Yes. On any other day, I'd let you participate. However, today's event is one that would cause serious problems if you took part."

"What's today's event that makes that impossible?"

Before Gloriosa could answer, Celestia walked into the mess hall with Luna and Sunset. The last two were pushing a sheet covered board into the room. "Good morning everyone, I hope you're all well rested after last night's activities. You'll need a lot of energy for today's event." Luna and Sunset took off the sheet, revealing the board had a map on it. "The Pokémon Triathlon." This got several cheers, Rainbow's being the loudest due to her love of racing as Celestia continued, "Each of you will select one of your Pokémon to do the race with you, though no Pokémon that can only move through flight." This made Rainbow deflate into her seat, knowing her Pokémon would have trouble with that rule, "At the start of the race, everyone will be given a puzzle they must solve. Once they hand that puzzle in, they will be permitted to select a random Pokémon that they must ride through the forest to where Luna will be waiting."

"So it's like the first day," Doc added.

Trixie shook her head, "Kinda, but the puzzle thing might be what decides the whole race."

Luna nodded as she stepped up to continue, pointing at a section of the map near the lake, "I'll be waiting right here. Once you arrive, you will be given a second puzzle to complete before getting to select a Water-type that you'll use to cross the lake to where Sunset will be waiting."

"So that'll be like the fourth day on the lake," Pinkie cheered, "This'll be so much fun!"

Sunset then pointed to a section of the map nobody had gone to before. "This will be where you get off. Once here, all you have to do is get to the finish line and answer a simple true or false question." She turned to the campers, seeing nothing but frowns before grinning, "Oh, and by the way, did I forget to mention there's an obstacle course between me and the finish line?"

Everyone started to cheer again, Celestia smiling at their enthusiasm, "Since this is a race, points will be awarded. First place will receive fifty points, second place thirty points, third place twenty points and everyone else will be awarded ten points. Do you all understand?"

Everyone nodded back, the group turning to the leaderboard. It showed that the Sapphire Cabin was in front with Diamond close behind and Ruby after that. But if all of the Diamond or Ruby campers took first, second and third place, they would take the lead. As such, everyone glared at the Sapphire Table, making Spike shrink in his seat, "Anyone else suddenly feeling very paranoid?" Flash, Twilight and Doc raised their hands.

Celestia then clapped her hands, getting everyone's attention, "Alright everyone, the event will start after lunch. That'll give you time to select which Pokémon you wish to work with you, and brush up on your Pokémon trivia. That's all for now."

Hearing this, everyone got up and headed out into the camp. "It's too bad you're not gonna get to race," Spike told his sister. "With your brains, you'd sail through all those quizzes."

Twilight sighed in response, "Maybe...but with this leg, all those physical challenges would be impossible."

Doc nodded in agreement. "Either way, we have our work cut out for us. Unless Flash, Spike and I get first, second and third place, it's likely we could lose our lead."

"Then that's what we'll do," Flash added while pumping his fists, "We need to pick a Pokémon that would help with the race."

"Well my only choice is Peewee," Spike said while his Terragon happily roared.

Doc hummed at this, "Since we'll be riding Pokémon and flight is out of the question, I'll have to use Higear."

"Makes sense," Twilight then turned to Flash. "What about you? You can't exactly use Springer or Hopper, their still recovering due to...you know, Piedoom."

"Yeah...I was thinking about that." Flash pulled out his other four Pokeballs, putting Skyler's away instantly. His mind going over all their movesets, a grin shined on his face as he put two away, "I choose you...Viper!" The Pokeball opened and unleashed the fire snake, the Pokémon looking up at him curiously. "Hey Viper, mind helping me win this race?"

Viper raised an eyebrow before quickly nodding, "Scor!"

"Alright! First place, here I come!" He then turned to the other two, "Though that being said, with Twilight out, it's up to us to try twice as hard." The other two nodded, only to hear a roar of laughter, making to spin around to see Lightning and Chimplug standing a way off. "What?"

"The fact you think you're gonna win. Dream on, because I'm taking first place."

"You?" Twilight asked with raised eyebrows, "I'm surprised you even care."

"Yeah," Doc added while nodding, "I figured you'd see this kind of thing as a waste of time."

"Actually, this is exactly what I was hoping this stupid camp would be about. Ways to test myself and see what holes I have in my Pokémon knowledge. This will certainly help me figure out what I need to improve on. Besides," he let out another laugh before pointing at Flash, "I also get to beat you worthless losers again!"

Flash growled back, "You're gonna be the loser!"

"Don't be absurd. Remember what happened last night? You're just a weakling." Lightning remarked before spinning around and walking away, "Later losers."

"You..." Flash hissed, only for Doc to grab his shoulder.

"Stop. He's not worth it right now." Doc said as Flash turned back to him, "We need to think about what we have to do about this race. With one member out, we're at a serious disadvantage."

Flash let out a long sigh, "Yeah...I know. I just hate that guy." It was here that they all heard a cough, all turning to see Timber walking up to them. "Uh...can we help you?" He asked slowly, his tone showing he was not in the mood to deal with him.

"No...but I can help you." Timber replied with a smirk, "I can race in Twilight's place."

"How?" Spike asked while tilting his head. "I mean, sure you can so the physical stuff, but what about the quizzes?"

"We could ask if anyone has a Teleport knowing Pokémon we could borrow. She could warp to the next quiz site and get to work as soon as I get there."

"I doubt that would work," Doc responded while shaking his head, pointing at the camp as there was still some glares, "I'm pretty sure no one wants to help us right now."

"Then what do we do?" Twilight asked, Doc humming before snapping his fingers.

"I got it!"

One transition to the cabin later...

Twilight and Timber watched as Doc pulled out a pair of glasses that looked like Twilight's. "Here we are," he placed the glasses on Timber's head while taking Twilight's journal, now fiddling with it for a minute.

"So...what exactly do these do?" Timber asked, trying to adjust them to be more comfortable.

"Just a second," he replied while pressing several buttons. "And...there."

He then handed the journal to Twilight, the girl now seeing an image of her on the bed. She raised an eyebrow before catching on, glancing at Timber and seeing him looking at her. "Could you look around?" He tilted his head in confusion before turning around, Twilight now seeing the image move on the screen. She now saw Doc, then Springer and Hopper asleep on Flash's bed before going back to her. "I get it. It's a camera."

"Yup. It'll show you everything Timber sees and hears. And with this," Doc took out a box, opening it to reveal a hearing aid with a small microphone. "Timber will be able to hear you."

"Cool," Timber added as Doc took the glasses off him.

"I'm gonna go show these to Celestia and see if she's okay with you taking Twilight's place." The two nodded as Doc ran out the door, only for Flash to appear right in front of the cabin, "Where have you been?"

"Checking out the competition," Flash replied, "Though mainly seeing who's picking what Pokémon for the race."

"Good idea, but I've gotta go see Celestia." He then continued to go on his way, Flash about to go back into the cabin. But as he stepped up to the door and reached for the handle, Timber's voice made him stop.

"So, you made a decision?" Flash raised an eyebrow at the question.

"No," Twilight's voice replied, "Not yet."

"Well, you've gotta pick soon. Do you want to stay with Flash or start traveling with me?"

Flash's eyes went wide. "No way," he whispered.

"It's a big decision. Just...please give me some more time."

"Alright. Well, there's a bonfire barbecue after the race. Think you'll have a decision by then?"

"I...I think so." she said in a low, almost stuttering tone.

"Alright." And as these words left Timber's mouth, Flash could hear the sound of footsteps, making him run around the cabin. He quickly side-stepped around the cabin's walls, seeing Timber walk away before looking into a nearby window.

There, he saw Twilight slumping over on the bed, stroking Shine with a huge frown on her face, "Oh Shine...I don't know what to do."

Flash grimaced at the sight, seeing how obviously torn she was over the decision. He looked away next, feeling a knot tighten in his stomach, "Twilight...you're gonna leave, aren't ya?"

The teen started to walk away, sighing as he muttered out, "And its all my fault. I'm a total jerk, aren't I?"

An hour or so later...

The time came for the race to begin. All the campers had gathered at the starting line, a bunch of tables with Celestia and Gloriosa sitting at one with a box of Pokeballs and a stack of paper booklets. Flash turned to see his competition, seeing Lightning had Chimplug, Rainbow had Hawlucha, Fluttershy had Angel, Pinkie had Milcry (Which could technically fly, but due to its tiny size, Celestia allowed it) and Trixie had Hatenna. Spike and Doc had Higear and Peewee while Timber was with Shine, who didn't look so happy to be racing with him.

Celestia had accepted the idea of Timber filling in for Twilight, she and Gloriosa moving around to hand out the booklets. After everyone had a booklet and pencil in hand, the professor spoke up, "Alright, is everyone ready?" They all nodded, each one sharing a determined stare. They were gonna win, no matter what. "Then let's get this race started. Three...two...one...BEGIN!"

Everyone opened their books, seeing it was filled with a bunch of Pokémon images on one side of the page. There were seven Pokémon, a Bonsly, Pawniard, Gothorita, Kingsect, Ghouwail, Pyroar and Jumpluff. On the other side were eighteen symbols, which they realized where Pokémon types. It instantly clicked what they had to do, all grabbing their pencils.

In her cabin, Twilight saw this and started talking into the microphone. "Okay Timber, here's what you do. First, draw a line from Bonsly to the Rock-type symbol."

"Got it," Timber whispered while everyone else also got to work.

"Pawniard," Flash scratched his head with his pencil. "I know it's a Steel-Type, but isn't it also a Dark-type?" Viper slid up his leg to look over the sheet, staring down at the picture of the chess piece Pokémon.

"Scor," he turned to Flash and nodded, "hiss."

"You think it is?" Flash asked back, "Good enough for me."

Trixie smirked as she drew a line from Gothorita too the Psychic symbol. She knew most people would mistake it for a Dark-type, but she knew better since she was practically a Psychic-type expert. Besides, she remembered back to Twilight's battle in the Hoof Cup. Only an idiot would forget about that.

"Gothorita," Rainbow chuckled to herself, "Dark-type."

Everyone else kept working, only for Timber to get up first, "Here you go."

He gave Celestia the book, the professor scanning it over before nodding. "Excellent work," she gestured to the box on the table. "You may now select a Pokémon to ride."

Timber pulled out a Pokeball. "Alright, come on out!" He tossed the ball up, revealing a large wolf creature with fire patterns covering its body. "An Arcanine! Awesome!" He picked up Shine and hopped onto the Arcanine, the wolf letting out a howl before running off.

While that happened, Flash, Doc, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Trixie all handing in their books, Celestia and Gloriosa both nodding as they read through them. "Good," Flash moved over to the box. "Excellent," Doc did the same. "Try again," Rainbow pouted as she took her test back.

"All correct," Gloriosa said to Fluttershy before turning to Trixie. "Yours too."

"Here's mine," Flash took out a Pokeball and opened it up, revealing a Gogoat, which he and Viper quickly mounted to ride. The rest soon followed, Doc riding a Stantler with Higear holding onto his back, Fluttershy and Angel riding a Togekiss and Trixie being carried by a Ninjask.

Over in the forest, Timber smirked as he, Shine and Arcanine raced through the trees. Shine sat in front of him, feeling semi-motion sickness as Arcanine's movements made her bounce up and down. Timber didn't seem to notice, just looking ahead with a big grin, "This thing's as good as mine." He then remembered who was listening, "I mean yours."

"Don't count the others out just yet," Twilight told him while Springer and Hopper barked into the microphone. Timber was about to speak up to say everything was fine, only for him to look back and see Flash on Gogoat.

"Didn't think you'd be seeing me, did you?" Flash yelled while keeping an eye on Viper, the Hisscor wrapped around his wrist. He then looked back as well, now seeing the rest starting to get close.

Rainbow had managed to get her answers right and was now riding a Rhyhorn with her Hawlucha, while just behind her was Spike, who was piggybacking on a Grattle. Other trainers were following close behind, all on their own ride Pokémon. Flash then turned back to Timber, patting Gogoat as he said, "Let's go Gogoat! I know you can do it!" Gogoat nodded at this, pumping its legs as hard as it could.

Timber growled at this, "Come on Arcanine, get the lead out!" Arcanine started to push itself more, but Flash and Gogoat keep up right behind him.

"Don't think you guys are getting there first!" Rainbow barked from behind before pointing at them, "Let's ride Rhyhorn!" The rhino Pokémon roared, now picking up speed as well.

"Let's do this Stantler!" Doc yelled.

"Don't push yourself," Fluttershy told Togekiss. "Just fly as fast as you can without hurting yourself."

"Go, go, go, go Grattle!" Spike cheered.

"Trixie's coming up fast!" The girl roared as Ninjask zipped up to everyone else's side.

That is, till the ground beside them broke apart, something now flying out, "WHEEEE!" Pinkie cheered, riding on the back of a Burroworm as it flew back into the ground, The girl disappearing into the dirt with it.

"What the-Burroworms aren't riding Pokémon!" Timber yelped, only for Flash and Twilight to shake their heads at the same time before saying in unison.

"That's Pinkie for ya." Before Timber could reply, something shot past the two from above, both glancing up before glaring at the new sight. "Lightning..."

Lightning was standing atop a Magnazone as it flew ahead of them, not even holding onto it while Chimplug was gripping the antenna on the top. He just laughed as he looked back at the group, "Told you I don't lose. Even a silly game like this is nothing compared to me." Magnazone then shot ahead as Lightning shined a giant smirk, "Later, losers."

Everyone glared at him, everyone now yelling, "LET'S GO!"

Luna was silently waiting as she saw Lightning and Magnazone flying over. Frowning at the sight, the teen jumped off and returned the Magnazone without even a thank you before dropping it back in the box. "Alright, what's next?" Luna sighed before handing him a box, the trainer opening it to see a bunch of pieces, "A jigsaw?"

"On it is a Pokémon. Your task is to tell me what this Pokémon evolves from." Lightning rolled his eyes, grumbling as he sat down at a table. Flash and Timber were next to arrive, thanking their Pokémon before returning them and being given the same puzzle. Pinkie was next, surprising Luna as she suddenly shot out the ground, followed by the rest of the campers.

Soon, everyone was working on the puzzle, Rainbow growling as she tried to jam a piece into a bit it didn't fit into, "Ragh! Who has the patience for something like this?" She then heard happy humming, turning to see Fluttershy and Angel happily playing with the puzzle.

Flash and Timber were working at a steady pace, both managing to get the entire border finished. It was here that Flash started to notice that most middle pieces were black and gray, but there were also several brown, green and pink pieces. His eyes went wide as he put the pink pieces together, noticing a kind of ribbon before making the ribbon even longer. "This is..." He quickly scrapped the pieces into the box before hopping over to Luna, whispering into her ear.

Timber looked up as he heard Luna say, "That's correct." He went wide-eyed as Flash went over to a new box, "You may now take one Flash."

"How did he-"

"Timber," Twilight's voice called out, "Don't worry about what he's doing. Focus on the puzzle." Timber grumbled as he went back to work, Flash now taking out a Pokeball.

"Here we go!" He tossed it into the air, revealing a large Samurott. "Awesome!"

Luna then handed Flash something that looked like a laser pointer. "Here's your next task: Please look out towards the lake." Flash turned and saw several floating platforms that each had a pole with different colored targets on them. "Riding your Water-type, you must swim around the lake and use this to hit the targets. Yellow targets are one point, blue targets are three points and red targets are five points. Once you have twenty-five points, you can move over to where Sunset is. Also, you can only hit a target once. Understand?"

"Got it." Flash replied, everyone else having been listening while they worked.

Flash then hopped onto Samurott before feeling Viper shiver around his arm. He looked down and patted the snake's head, "Don't worry little buddy, I won't let you get wet. Promise." Viper looked up and nodded with a small smile. "Alright, let's win this thing!"

As Samurott slowly stepped into the water, the rest were still on the puzzle. Twilight wasn't having much luck, though mainly because since Timber seemed to be having trouble following her orders. "No, not there. A little to the left." She watched him move the piece, "There." He placed the piece in, Twilight humming as she rubbed her chin. "That part looks like a wing...mostly black and gray with bits of pink, green and brown." She let out a gasp, "No wonder Flash knew what it was! Timber, I know the answer."

Luna watched as Timber got up and headed over, Rainbow doing the same. As for her, she had figured out after seeing Fluttershy finish the entire puzzle, that being an image of a male and female Unfezant.

"Oh, what a lovely picture." Fluttershy chimed in before starting to put the pieces away. "Let's clean this up Angel."

"Bun."

Timber then gave Luna the earpiece as Twilight said, "Tranquill."

"Correct," Luna replied, giving Timber the earpiece and laser pointer.

"How did Flash know what it was?" Timber asked as he and Rainbow reached into the Pokeball box, grabbing one while moving over to the lake.

"His grandmother's a Flying-type expert. He grew up around tons of them. He could probably tell you what a Flying-type was by an outline."

"Makes sense," he then spun the ball in his hand, "But that doesn't mean he'll win."

Meanwhile...

Flash, Viper and Samurott had now gotten seven points, the number being shown on the pointer's side. The pointer only had a range of about a meter, meaning he had to get quite close to hit it.

"Hold on Viper!" He told him as he leaned over to point his laser at a blue target, pressing the button to fire and hitting it dead center. "Got it!" The number on the side turned to ten, but before Flash could pull himself back up, Samurott swerved to dodge something that must have been under the water. "WHOA!" Flash yelped as he almost fell in, only to look up and see that Viper had grabbed onto Samurott's horn with his mouth while his tail was wrapped around Flash's wrist.

"Scor!" He moaned before pulling Flash back up, the teen sighing in relief.

"Thanks Viper!" Viper let out a cheer as Samurott sped back up, only for something to zip right past them.

"Excuse me!" Timber said as he shot past Flash on a Walrein.

"What the heck?" Flash yelled as he saw Timber swim ahead, making him look back to see the others. Rainbow was riding a Seapent and Fluttershy was on a Kelpool. Spike was behind them, riding a Piercish while Doc was atop a Tentacruel. Pinkie was atop a Lapras and Trixie was on a Milotic while Lightning was bringing up the rear, riding on a slow-moving Wishcash.

"Come on!" He told it while hitting a one point target, "Can't you pick up the pace?!"

"Cash..." it sighed, only to let out a groan as Lightning kicked its side.

Flash shook his head before looking back at Timber, now seeing him hit two one point targets and a three-pointer. "We gotta catch up. Come on Samurott!" The seal otter Pokémon roared before charging ahead, Flash hitting those same targets while the others followed.

The lake soon became a frenzy of Pokémon riding trainers, all shooting lasers all over the place. On the Walrein, Shine was having trouble staying still as Timber pulled the Water-type around. She kept shivering, knowing that if she fell off, she wouldn't have a good time, this being doubled when Timber grumbled, "Hey, stop squirming. You'll fall." Shine just whimpered, looking away as it wished for Twilight to be here.

As this happened, Twilight saw Timber look over at Flash, now seeing he had almost fallen off again before Flash looked down at Viper, "You okay bud?"

"Scor!" she heard Viper reply.

"If we're going too fast, just tell me."

"There," she then heard Timber say, turning to see Timber take his arm off of Shine and fire the pointer at the target.

"Nee!" Shine cried, now feeling herself before grabbing hold of Walrein's hair with her teeth.

"Timber!" He heard Twilight yell through his ear, "Is Shine alright?! I think I heard her crying!"

"She's fine," Timber instantly replied, not even looking as he hit the next target, getting to twenty-five. "Got it." He then put the pointer in his pocket as Shine pulled herself back into a seated position before he looked down for Twilight to see, "See? She's fine." Shine looked up at him with a frown, Twilight seeing this on the monitor.

Several others had also collected the necessary points and headed over to where Sunset should be. This included Flash, Rainbow, Trixie, Pinkie and even Lightning, all arriving at the edge of the lake as they saw their final obstacle. Sunset was standing next to a table with a box and several envelopes. Behind her were three sets of obstacles, the first being a pair of wooden contraptions filled with swing logs hanging over some foam. After that was some kind of large pool, filled with mud that had several platforms in it, along with the last obstacle, which was a giant rock-climbing wall.

"Hey everyone," Sunset added as she held out the box for them to place their Pokémon into. "Now it's time for the final question of the race." She held out an envelope for each of them to take, most ripping them open to see the question.

Pikachu evolves into Raichu by learning the move Volt Tackle.

Under the question was a red box and a green box, everyone quickly grabbing a pencil off the table so they could give their answer. "Alright," Sunset added as she pointed at the rock climbing wall, "You just need to be the first to reach the finish line with the correct answer." She turned back to the others as they stood there, as if to wait for her approval. "What are you waiting for?! Get over there and win!"

"Alright!" Rainbow cheered as she ran ahead, Hawlucha right behind her. "Victory is mine!" she yelled as she grabbed the first log, only for it to spin around, making her lose balance and fall down. "WHOA!" She cried, slamming into the padding as Hawlucha glided down after her. "Ow..."

Lightning was up next, jumping onto the first one and holding it till the swinging stopped. Chimplug jumped on next, swinging to the other side with ease as Lightning slowly followed after him. Pinkie and Trixie both moved over to the other bridge and jumped on it, both swinging around as Pinkie cheered, "Whee!" As she did this, Trixie held on for dear life, Pinkie's swinging making the others logs spin around.

While this happened, Celestia, Luna and Gloriosa arrived beside Sunset to watch the race. The rest of the camp also arrived, handing in their Pokémon and receiving the question before starting the first obstacle. Some quickly got over it, while others found themselves stuck halfway across. "Augh!" Spike yelped as he fell onto the mat, Doc and Fluttershy falling down next to him.

Flash and Timber both stared at the obstacle, both having held back as they saw how the logs moved. They then both nodded before sharing a glance, the duo quickly jumping on and off the logs with ease. Everyone watched as they zipped past everyone, both Shine and Viper holding onto their shoulders as they finished the first obstacle.

They then saw the lake of mud, several campers already trying to pass it. Lightning was halfway across, Trixie about a third of the way while several others were on one of the first few platforms or stuck in the mud with their Pokémon. Twilight watched as the racers kept hopping on platforms, several falling while others continued to float. Flash then leapt onto one of them, only to sink. The sight made Twilight nod, "I've got the path."

"Which ones are safe?" Timber asked, Twilight quickly instructing him as he started his path as Lightning reached the other side.

"Ha!" He and Chimplug laughed as they ran over to the rock wall, "This race is mine!"

Timber continued to jump from platform to platform, following Twilight's directions for stable footing. "This next one's a big jump," she told him as he landed.

"Got it!" He replied, crouching down and springing towards it.

"Look out!" He glanced back, Trixie suddenly appearing as both collided in midair. Shine then leapt off Timber before they hit, landing on the stable platform while he and Trixie fell into the mud. She giggled at the sight as Timber, Trixie and Hatenna broke the surface of the mud.

"Timber?" Twilight tried to contact him, now seeing only mud on the monitor, "Can you hear me?"

"Help!" She heard Trixie cry, "It's sticky and slippery at the same time! This is torture!"

"Timber?" She kept yelling out, "Are you and Shine alright?"

As for Timber, he didn't hear Twilight's question due to his earpiece now being sunk into the mud. "Dang it!" He growled before turning to see Flash about to leave the lake of mud. He was jumping from one platform to another, not staying on long enough to find out if it was steady or not. "I'm not losing to him!" With that, he started to pull himself through the mud.

While this happened, Flash then started to lose his balance on a platform, "Whoa! no, no, no!" He began to fall back, only for a bulb to shine in his head, "Viper, Flamethrower!" Viper pointed his head to the mud and unleashed the fire attack, superheating it seconds before Flash landed on it. Flash closed his eyes, expecting his idea to fail...only to feel solid ground. Gasping at the feeling, he hopped up to see that the Flamethrower had evaporated the water in the mud, turning it into a solid lump of earth. "YES! Let's keep going Viper!"

"Scor!" Viper cheered as it used Flamethrower to create a solid path of dirt for Flash to run across.

"Is that allowed?" Sunset asked, everyone's jaws dropping at the sight.

Celestia did a small nod, "No rule against it. This is the kind of teamwork I was hoping to see from everyone."

Flash was now to the other side of the mud pool, spotting Timber and Shine getting close as well. He sprinted to the rock wall next, looking up to see two others already climbing. One was a camper he didn't know and the other...was Lightning.

"I'm not done yet." Flash grabbed a line, quickly attaching it before starting his climb. As he did this, a loud cry followed as he saw the camper he didn't know begin to fall, the line catching the individual next. "Looks like I still got a chance for second place. Here I come!"

As Flash began his ascent, Lightning looked down and laughed, "Idiots, this race is mine." He then looked back at the wall, reaching for another handle. Quickly pulling up, he tried to find a place for his foot...and found nothing, "Urgh..."

While he did this, Timber was now strapping himself in with Shine on his shoulder as Flash started to get closer to Lightning. Timber quickly zipped up as well, both seeing Lightning now finding nothing to grip. And as Lightning put his foot on what felt like a flat peg, his foot slipped out, making him fall, "Blaugh!" he yelped, falling down a few feet, Flash and Timber seeing him descend.

Flash and Timber both smirked at the sight, soon pushing themselves to climb higher. Flash was now ahead, but Timber was much taller, letting him easily climb. As they did this, Rainbow had also started up the wall, zipping past Lightning as she ascended at a breakneck pace.

Down below, everyone had stopped to watch them, all cheering at their own pace. "Come on Flash!" Spike cheered.

"You got this!" Doc added.

Twilight frowned as she watched from the cabin, unable to tell Timber anything. Thankfully, the camera was still working, allowing her to see and hear everything...but she couldn't decide who to cheer for. Her heart was beating super fast as she whispered, "Come on..."

Flash and Timber now both had the top within arms reach, both getting a hand on the edge and pulling themselves up. And as they did this, Shine leapt off Timber's shoulder while he put his foot on the handle. But as he did this, the mud on his foot began to make him slip, "AAAHHH!" he yelped as he began to plummet, only to feel something grab his arm, "Huh?!"

He looked up next, now seeing Flash leaning over the edge. His left arm was clutching Timber's while his right was holding onto Viper as he bit into the foam floor. The teen winced as he worked to pull Timber up. "What are you doing?! I don't need your help!"

"Shut up!" Flash groaned, "You've come...too far...to fail." He continued to pull until Timber was high enough, the teen grabbing the ledge before pulling himself up. The two then started to pant, Viper gasping as well as they sat atop the wall.

"Now that's sportsmanship!" Celestia cheered.

Luna nodded in agreement, "There aren't many who'd risk losing to help the opponent."

"Go Flash!" Sunset yelled.

In her cabin, Twilight's eyes were as wide as dinner plates as she heard Timber ask, "Why did you help me?"

The camera then turned to Flash as he was getting out of his harness, "It didn't seem fair to let you fall."

"What?!"

"The only reason you slipped was because of the mud, which was someone else's mistake. It didn't seem fair that you lose just because of that." He then stood up, "I play to win, but I also play fairly. I don't wanna win because my opponent got an unfair advantage." Timber just glared at him as he continued, "Don't get me wrong, if you'd fallen into the mud by your own fault, I would have let you fall. But since you didn't, I couldn't let you." Flash looked away next, sighing. "Listen, I need you to promise me something."

"What?!" Flash turned back with a long stare.

"I know you asked Twilight to travel with you after camp." This made not only Timber to go wide-eyed, but also Viper, Springer, Hopper and especially Twilight. Springer and Hopper turned to stare at Twilight as she continued to listen, "And I know it's very likely she'll say yes. I mean, why wouldn't she? You two have tons in common, and...I've been a real jerk to her recently." He started to scratch the back of his head as he continued, "Look, I just want you to promise that you'll do better than me and look after her...and Spike since he'll have to go with her."

"Of course I'm gonna-"

"So you can't freeze up again, not like last night." This made Twilight raise an eyebrow, Timber's eyes shrinking at the same time, "I saw what happened. Twilight needed you, and you froze up. You can't let that happen again."

"Alright."

Flash then did a small nod, "Don't get the wrong idea, I don't think Twilight's weak and needs protecting all the time. Heck, she's saved me just as much as I've saved her. But one day the two of you will face something Twilight can't face alone, and that's just a fact of being a trainer. When that happens, no matter how scary the situation, you can't freeze up. Because if something happens to Twilight, Spike or any of their Pokémon because you were too scared to help them, you'll have to answer to me." He kneeled down and stared Timber right in the eye, "You thought Piedoom was scary? That'll be nothing compared to what I'll do to you, understand?" Twilight watched Timber nod, Flash standing back up.

"You uh...you must really care about her."

Flash turned around, grumbling as he replied, "Yeah...I do. Its not easy admitting it, but Twilight's the only reason I've gotten this far. I'm not smart like her, and I can't think like her when it comes to basic trainer stuff. I...I wouldn't be half the trainer I am today without her there to help me." Flash let out a long sigh, turning back to Timber with a small smile, "Every time I did something stupid, she was there to pull me back when I went overboard." he then pulled an envelope out of his pocket, "The only reason I was able to answer this question is because of a lecture on evolution she thought I slept through. She's taught me a lot...and I hope I taught her at least a little."

Something inside Twilight seemed to crack at hearing that, making her slump over on her bed. She could feel her eyes water as she thought about her journey so far. She remembered how Flash had taught her how to battle, making sure not to judge a Pokémon over what could be read in a Pokedex. Twilight then turned to Springer and Hopper, both blinking at her as she remembered how she could now be a true trainer thanks to Flash.

"Flash..." she whispered, taking off her glasses as she wiped her eyes, "I'm the real jerk, aren't I?"

While she said this, she then heard Flash say, "Anyways, let's end this race before Rainbow gets up here...and then probably Lightning." They both looked over the edge, now seeing the girl with Hawlucha climbing beside her.

"Ready to race?"

"Yeah." Timber replied as the turned to the finish line, which was a long hallway with a red line in front of a ball pit. Once ready, they counted down. "Three...two...ONE!" They both charged ahead, Shine galloping alongside them before passing them with ease, leaping into the pool despite needing both Pokémon and trainer passing the line before being declared the winner.

And as this happened, both pumped their legs and got closer, the line getting within inches before the duo leapt into the air. Time seemed to slow down as they crossed the line, speeding back up as the fell into the ball pit. The four then surfaced, only to exchange glances as they both said, "Who won?"

"Yahoo!" They turned to see Rainbow jump past the finish line and into the pit, Hawlucha behind her. She quickly surfaced and cheered, "Third place! Who got first?!"

A little later...

With the first three places taken, everyone else worked to reach the finish line. And as soon as the last racer passed the finish line, everyone gathered around Celestia as she and Luna showed them a computer. She also took the envelopes from Flash, Timber and Rainbow, Timber's luckily not getting destroyed by the mud due to the envelope being made of plastic. She opened them up and did a small nod, "Well, the three of you were all correct." She showed three cards with a tick in the red box, "The answer is false." Several campers mumbled to each other, likely due to ticking true in their box.

Luna stepped up next, "Everyone will receive ten points for completing the race. Rainbow Dash will receive twenty points for her cabin." She then turned to Flash and Timber. "Since you're both competing for the same cabin, it doesn't really matter who won. But if you want to know-"

"WHO WON?!" The two yelled, making Luna backpedal.

"Oookay..." she pressed a button on the computer, now showing a video of Flash and Timber running toward the finish line. "The first one to completely clear the line is the winner." The video froze and started moving one frame a second, the two onscreen jumping as the camera zoomed in. Everyone watched closely as they flew over the line, but then the final freeze-frame remained on screen to show one of the two's feet completely clear of the line.

"YES!" Timber exclaimed, "I WON!"

Flash let out a long sigh, slumping over as he saw he had lost to Timber yet again. But as he did this, he turned to see Twilight limping over on crutches with Springer and Hopper beside her. "Hey there!" She said, Shine quickly running over to her, "Did I hear that right? Did you win Timber?"

Timber shined a huge grin, "You know it. You...are welcome."

Twilight then turned to Flash, "You did great too. Pretty amazing how you were able to get that Unfenzent question so fast."

"Thanks," Flash replied, only to raise an eyebrow, "Wait, how did you know about that? You weren't at the lake." She smirked before taking Timber's sunglasses off and pointing both at it and her journal. Flash blinked till he saw his face on the screen, making his eyes go wide before taking the glasses and putting them on. "Wait...THIS THING HAS A CAMERA!?"

"That's right," Twilight responded while shutting the journal.

"So that means..."

"I heard everything Timber heard, including your little talk on the rock wall." Flash moaned as crouched down, curling up into a ball to everyone's confusion.

"Okay," Celestia slowly said as she clapped her hands, "Anyways, I'm proud of you all. No matter what position you came in, you all showed great skill and fortitude. You should all be proud of yourselves."

Everyone began cheering, Gloriosa stepping up next, "Now, I'm sure you all want to get out of those muddy and sweat-soaked clothes. So when we get back to camp, everyone should get cleaned up before the big bonfire barbeque."

Everyone started cheering again, all running back to the camp to get changed.

The sun was setting as the camp's Fire-types lit the many bonfires littered among the camp. Everyone was dressed in their normal clothes and eating a selection of food from the tables that had been set up near one of the bonfires.

"Haha!" Spike yelled while playing tag with Pinkie and several of their Pokémon, "Can't catch me!"

"We'll see about that," Pinkie added as she, Springer and Milcry advanced on the rest. Once caught, the loser would be tickled until they couldn't take anymore.

As this happened, Flash was loading his plate with a hotdog, a hamburger and some onion rings. He licked his lips as he went to find somewhere to sit, only to spot something that made him freeze up. It was Twilight and Timber, both laughing and looking like they were having a good time just a ways off. The sight made him put his plate down, making him walk away to the furthest bonfire from the camp.

"Guess that's it, huh?" he said to himself before staring down at his food, "Oh well."

One small meal later, he put his plate away before going back to the bonfire, staring at the flames with the longest stare possible. And as he did this, a voice spoke up, "Hey, mind if I sit here?"

He turned to see Twilight, only to look back at the fire, "Um...sure." She moved over to sit beside him on the log, the two sitting in silence for almost a full minute. "How's your leg?" He then asked, noticing Twilight wasn't using the crutches anymore.

"It's okay," she replied while looking down at her bandaged leg. "Gloriosa was right about me needing to stay off it. By tomorrow, it should be good as new." Flash nodded and began to stare at the fire again, making Twilight break the silence this time, "That um...that race was certainly crazy. All those puzzles and obstacles. If Timber hadn't been doing the physical stuff, I probably wouldn't have done as well as he did."

"Maybe."

She frowned as she saw how low toned his replies were, making her then say, "You know...you did really well too. Not with just the physical stuff, but with the Pokémon knowledge too."

"Yeah...but uh...you know, I had a pretty good teacher over that stuff."

Twilight just giggled at that, "What would you do without me?"

"Guess I'll find out soon enough." Twilight tilted her head in confusion, "With you and Spike heading back to Canterlot with Timber, it'll just be me and...maybe Doc if he doesn't decide to go with you."

"Flash...what are you talking about?"

"Don't be coy Twilight," Flash replied, giving her a stern glare, "You know that I know about you and Timber. And I know you want to go with him...so yeah." He then let out a long sigh, "And uh...about what happened before with our argument...I'm sorry. I was a real jerk."

"Flash-"

"And I know you hate me now, but-"

"FLASH!" he turned to her outburst, only to see a face that screamed: 'I know something you don't know.'

"What?"

"All you know is that Timber asked me to go with him." She looked away and stared at the flames of the bonfire. "Just because he asked, it doesn't mean I said yes."

"Wait...are you saying...but I saw you two-"

Twilight just shook her head, "I was telling Timber I was going to stay with you."

Flash's eyes went wide as his heart practically stopped. "But...why? You two have so much in common and-"

"You're right. We do have a lot in common." Twilight interrupted as she now stared up at the sky, "But then I remembered something. I remembered that Celestia wanted me to travel with you so I could learn about the world. But I realize now it wasn't just the world she wanted me to learn from." She turned back to smile at him, "She wanted me to learn from you too."

"Me?"

Twilight nodded in response, "Flash, the two of us are very different people. We have some common interests, but in the grand scheme of things, we're complete opposites." She looked back at the fire. "I've always followed my head and used logic, while you've always followed your heart and used your instincts. Both approaches are okay, but relying squarely on them alone isn't a good idea." She turned back to him. "During our travels together, I've learned to trust my instincts and not become restricted by following a plan perfectly. And you-"

"Learned to think ahead and form a strategy instead of taking things as they come?" Flash guessed, getting a nod from Twilight.

"Yeah...well, you at least try to." Twilight replied, giggling as Flash rolled his eyes.

"I uh...I guess we have learned from each other."

"Which is why I'm staying with you. Because if I go with Timber, I won't learn anything. I'll stagnate and never be able to reach my true potential." She then stared directly in his eyes, "Plus, you're my friend. Traveling with you has been the best experience I've ever had....and I don't want it to end."

Flash looked away as he whispered out, "Yeah...same here." And as he glanced back at her, he noticed that the bowtie Twilight would wear that had been cut by Piedoom was now replaced with a pink ribbon that was tied into a bow and had a marble in the center. "Hey...is that-"

Twilight giggled as she placed a hand on it, "Yeah, it's the present you gave me. Take a closer look." Flash squinted his eyes as he stared at the marble, now seeing an image carved into it. It was her emblem, carved into one side next to a diagonal line that ran down the middle with his emblem carved into the remaining space.

Flash stared at it in amazement before looking up at her, seeing her blush as she held it. "I've decided that...I'm gonna wear this as a reminder of everything I've learned since the day I met you."

"Twilight..." he muttered out, only for his body to suddenly start moving. Before he could do anything, he pulled her into a hug, Twilight gasping before returning it as well. No words came out of either mouth as they ended the hug, staring at each other despite not knowing why they weren't looking away.

It was here that Flash knew that he may have lost the race, but he had won something even better in return.

Unfortunately, the moment would not last as they heard Spike yell, "HEY GUYS!" they turned to the teen, seeing Springer, Shine, Peewee and Hopper with him. "There you are! Come on, they're about to light some lanterns!"

The two teens laughed at his excitement before getting up, following him to help the rest of the camp light the lanterns. It wasn't long till they were standing by the edge of the lake as the lanterns were released, everyone watching them fly up and light up the sky.

Watching the beautiful lights dance around the horizon, everyone began to look back on everything they had been through during the camp. It felt like they had been there for weeks instead of just a few days, knowing they wouldn't forget their time at Camp Everfree.

Flash and Twilight more than anyone wouldn't forget, knowing that the two had truly grown thanks to this camp. They both turned and smiled, completely unaware that something within them had just sparked. Only one day remained for the camp, and our heroes were gonna enjoy it just as much as every other day. That was a promise.

Aiming for the Hall of Fame

View Online

It was an extraordinarily sunny day, the perfect weather for the final day of the Pokémon Summer Camp. The week had come and gone, everyone now looking forward the camp's final event. And like the many other days, the event started in the mess hall, the campers all enjoying their final meal at Camp Everfree.

The morning had already been an interesting one, as everyone woke up to find someone had stuck large Pokémon face stickers on the front of their camp shirts. Some figured it was a prank, though most didn't mind, as they liked the Pokémon they were given. At the same time, the Sapphire Cabin were all smugly eating their breakfast, knowing that the other teams had lost their chance of catching up.

"Do the scrambled eggs taste better when victory is assured?" Spike asked as he scooped the eggs into his mouth, a crumb of the food now falling on the image of a Garchomp head on his shirt.

"Don't get cocky Spike," Twilight replied as she gulped down her drink. Her shirt had a picture of Shine's head on it, which she particularly liked as she continued, "The universe has a sick sense of humor. We get boastful, and it might do something to make us lose."

"Sounding a little skeptical, aren't we?" Doc asked, his short sporting a Higear sticker.

Flash rubbed his mouth with a napkin as he added, "Knowing our luck, she's not wrong." His shirt had a Riolu on it.

"He's got a point." They turned to Sunset, now seeing she had a Cyndaquil on her shirt. "Who knows what Professor Celestia has decided for your final event. Just know all the camp has their eyes on you."

It was here they stared at the rest of the hall, seeing nothing but stares back except Pinkie, who was too busy making a sculpture of the Skitty on her shirt. As she did this, Celestia, Luna, Gloriosa and Timber walked into the room, Luna and Timber pushing a sheet covered whiteboard. "Morning campers!" Celestia called out. "It's been a fun week with lots of amazing memories made, and I'm sure you're wondering what we're doing on the final day. Well, let me show you." She pulled the sheet off the board, revealing a giant set of brackets. "It's a Double Battle tournament."

This got a bunch of cheers from everyone as Luna spoke up next, "Your cabins will split into two groups of two, with each trainer picking a single Pokémon to use throughout the entire thing."

"We were gonna have points," Celestia added before pointing to the scoreboard. "But the only way the Sapphire Team would lose is if beating them earned the winners a hundred extra points."

"Ha!" Spike laughed, only to get a bonk on the head from Twilight.

"Quiet Spike!"

Celestia then tapped the board with a pointer, "So we've decided on another way of doing this. If one of the Sapphire Team makes it to the finals and wins the whole thing, then they'll be entered into the hall of fame." She pointed over to a wall of the mess hall, everyone turning to see many pictures littering it. They all had the images of four people, all smiling at the camera with many different Pokémon around them. "However, if both teams should lose, half their points will be given to the winners of the tournament." The Sapphire Team all went wide-eyed at hearing this, Celestia giggling at their expressions, "You okay with that, or do you simply want to have a normal tournament with no stakes?"

Flash quickly answered back, "Oh, we're in!" He yelled, the others soon nodding.

"Excellent!" Celestia replied with a clap. "If that's the case, the tournament will begin in one hour. Select your teams and which Pokémon you'll be battling against."

Everyone nodded and headed out of the mess hall, Rainbow cheering as the Rookidee on her shirt crumpled up, "Aw yeah! Hall of fame, here we come!"

"Don't think it'll be so easy," Flash told her. "We're not gonna just sit by and let you take our points."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "If you want to beat us, then you'll need to work for it."

Trixie, who had a Slowpoke on her shirt, shook her head, "Oh, we will. Trixie will look forward to beating whichever of you she faces."

"But won't one of you be partnered with Lightning?" Spike asked, with everyone turning to see the teen walk past them while pulling off the Toxel image on his shirt. The three Diamond girls gulped before Rainbow and Fluttershy raised a hand.

"NOT IT!"

"Not-dang it!" Trixie cried, glaring at the two next. "Seriously?!"

"What?! You know we all can't get along with that guy!" Rainbow responded, Fluttershy doing a small bow next.

"We're sorry Trixie."

Trixie's face scrunched up in anger, only to let out a long sigh, "Yeah...I know. Come on, we need to figure something out with him."

The trio soon left, Flash turning to his friends as he asked, "So...who's battling with who?"

"That's a good question," Twilight hummed. "I think its best the one with the most battle experience partners with the one with the least. That'll help make a balanced team."

"Well then," Doc patted Spike's shoulder. "Looks like it's you and me."

"AWESOME!" Spike cheered, Flash then turning to Twilight.

"So that means it's you and me together," he added while giving her a thumbs up. "Who you picking to fight?"

Twilight did a small nod back before saying, "For me, I'll use-" She didn't get to finish as a red light shot out from behind her, hitting the ground to reveal her Ponyta. "Shine?"

"Nee!" She cried, quickly running in front of her and staring up at her with puppy dog eyes, "Nee taa!"

"What's up?"

"I think she wants to battle," Flash responded as Shine then did a large nod, kicking her front hooves up against Twilight's legs.

"But...are you sure Shine? You're still newly-hatched."

"Nee!" Shine yelled, hugging her legs as she kept nodding.

"I think that's a yes." Flash added as he kneeled down and patted Shine's mane, "Heck, this'll be a good experience for her. Plus, she won't be alone. She'll have whoever I pick."

Twilight stared at her Ponyta, only to let out a long sigh before nodding again, "Okay, let's do it." Shine neighed a happy neigh, jumping around just like Hopper does at times. "Now we just need to decide who Flash is gonna use."

Flash scratched the side of his head as he replied, "Well...since you're using Shine, I guess using Hopper's out. Using two newly hatched Pokémon might not be the best of strategies."

"So who are you gonna use?" Spike asked before another person walked up to them.

"It'll need to be someone strong," they all turned to the voice, seeing a semi-angry looking Timber. "After all, you might end up facing me and my sister."

"You're competing?" Twilight asked, Timber nodding back.

"They needed another team to make the bracket work."

Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "I'm starting to think you only opened this camp so you can have some playmates."

Twilight giggled at this, Timber rolling his eyes as he replied, "Anyways, we're gonna go all out and win the whole thing. After all, this battle will also be marking the start of my own Pokémon journey. Just watch," he pointed at his shirt with his thumb. "You'll be seeing this a lot in the future."

"A Trubbish?" Spike asked, Timber looking down and seeing a Trubbish sticker on his shirt. "You're promoting the Trash Bag Pokémon?"

"No!" He pulled the sticker off to show the Camp Everfree emblem on his shirt. "This! I'll be wearing this shirt my whole journey, helping to spread knowledge of my camp far and wide! And when I'm a famous Pokémon Trainer, people will see it and flock to Camp Everfree to learn the same way I did." He then turned around, slightly glaring at them as he walked off, "See you at the battle."

Once he was gone, Flash turned to Twilight, "He seems to be taking the rejection pretty well." Twilight rolled her eyes in response, Spike and Doc exchanging confused glances as Flash thought back to Timber and Gloriosa's Pokémon. He then nodded and pulled out a Pokeball. "And now I know who I'm using."

A little bit of time later...

The tournament was now about to happen, Flash looking at the competition. It was here that he saw Rainbow was with Fluttershy, Trixie was with Lightning and Pinkie was with Bulk. Trixie did not look happy, a low flat stare on her face while Lightning had what could only be called a viscous impatient grin on his face. At the same time, Pinkie was dancing, Gummy bobbing up and down while holding onto her hair.

"Okay!" Celestia commented after writing the teams into the bracket, having used a draw to decide who went where. "Is everyone ready to battle?" Everyone nodded. "The first few rounds will have two battles occurring side by side." She pointed at the top corner of the board. "So it'll be Timber and Gloriosa against Rainbow and Fluttershy as well as..." She pointed to the bottom corner of the board, "Flash and Twilight against Pinkie and Bulk."

The four teams nodded and moved over to the marked out battlefields, Sunset moving to the middle as referee. The rest gathered around the two fields, watching in excitement as Pinkie cheered, "YAY! This is gonna be so much fun!"

"YEAH!" Bulk added.

Sunset raised a hand, "Now, will both teams please send out your Pokémon?" They all nodded and did so, pulling out their Pokeballs.

"Shine!"

"Bloxx!"

"Viper!"

"Throh!"

"I CHOOSE YOU!" They tossed the balls onto the field, revealing the four Pokémon. The Hisscor and Ponyta stood side by side, staring down the two larger opponents.

"Flash is using Viper again?" Spike asked, Doc humming in thought as he turned to the other battlefield to see Timber and Gloriosa unleash Breloom and Roserade against Harry and Tank.

"Are both trainers ready?" Sunset asked, the two team nodding as their Pokémon got into battle positions. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Flamethrower!" Flash order first, Viper unleashing a fire stream at the two humanoid Pokémon.

"Block Buster!" Pinkie countered, Bloxx's arms reforming into cannons as it fired building blocks at the flames, blocking the attack.

"Focus Energy!" Bulk commanded, Throh flexing its muscles as it started glowing.

"Brick Break!" Bloxx charged at Viper, his fist glowing before swiping at the snake. But as it did this, Viper hopped away as Shine galloped at Throh.

"Psybeam!" Shine's horn fired a multicolored light, hitting the oni as he finished using Focus Energy.

"THROH!" It cried, the super effective damage making him flinch.

"Throh!" Bulk cried, his jaw dropping at the sight of the attack.

"Bloxx, help Throh! Knock-Off!" The building blocks gorilla turned to Shine, its fist glowing purple.

"Bloxx!" It roared as it thrust its fist, smacking Shine's side.

"Nee!" It flinched as it was knocked back just as a certain snake jumped above the gorilla.

"Fire Spin!" Flash ordered, Viper flicking its tail to unleash a fireball at Bloxx, striking the unsuspecting Pokémon before forming a fire tornado around it.

"Bloxx!" It cried, the heat burning its body.

"Bloxx!" Pinkie screamed, Bulk pointing at the snake landing away from the now flamin gorilla.

"Use Circle Throw!" Throh charged at the falling Viper, only for the snake to turn and glare at the oni.

"Poison Sting!"

"SCOR!" Viper unleashed a barrage of toxic needles, the attack striking Throh back with ease.

"Throh!" it yelped as a purple blush appeared under its nose.

"Psybeam!" Twilight ordered, Shine unleashing another blast that struck Throh in the side.

"THROH!" It cried as it started wobble backwards, Bloxx now breaking out of the Fire Spin.

"Throh? You okay?" Throh was about to reply, only for the Poison to surge and zap it. "THROH!" Bulk cried while watching him fall, hitting the dirt with swirls in its eyes.

"Throh's unable to battle," Sunset announced, Flash and Twilight doing a quick high five.

"We ain't done yet!" Pinkie told them while pointing at the duo. "Bloxx, Giga Impact!"

Bloxx began to bum-rush at the two, its body being wrapped in light as the ground shook with each step. Flash and Twilight nodded at each other, both knowing what to do next as the pointed at the ground. "Flamethrower/Mystical Fire!" The two unleashed their fire attacks, hitting the dirt in front of Bloxx that caused an explosion. Bloxx then went through the pillar of smoke that had just formed, only to find nothing on the other side.

"To your left!" Pinkie yelped, "No, your right! Your...both sides!" Bloxx swished his head back and forth, now seeing both opponents on either side.

"Flamethrower/Mystical Fire!" The two fired their attacks again, Bloxx holding up his fists and forming shields that blocked the flames. But as this happened, the shields began to slowly melt, making him cry out in pain.

"Now Twilight!"

"Psybeam!" Shine unleashed the psychic blast, hitting Bloxx right in the face as the shield began to drop.

"BLOXX!" It cried in pain, only to flop over with swirls in its eyes.

"Bloxx!" Pinkie screamed.

"Bloxx is unable to battle," Sunset announced. "Both Pinkie and Bulk's Pokémon are unable to battle. The winners are Flash and Twilight!"

"YES!" Flash and Twilight high-fived, everyone else cheering at their victory.

"Awwww..." Pinkie moved over to Bloxx and held him up while Bulk did the same with Throh. "Don't worry Bloxx, you did great."

"YEAH! You were AWESOME!" He then looked up at Flash and Twilight and smiled, "YOU TWO BETTER WIN THIS!" The two nodded before an explosion from the other field made them turn around, now seeing the other battle still going.

"Mach Punch!" Breloom launched its fist at Tank's underside.

"Tore!" He cried as he began to fall, Harry quickly charging at Breloom.

"Use...Hyper Beam!" Fluttershy commanded, Harry opening its mouth to unleash the laser at Breloom, only for Roserade to leap in front of him.

"Protect!" She crossed her arm as a bubble of energy appeared around them, blocking the attack. And once the beam finished, the forcefield disappeared as Breloom bum-rushed the bear.

"Gotta take that thing down before it can move again. Mach Punch, rapid-fire!" Both Breloom's fists glowed as it unleashed a barrage of attacks on the frozen bear Pokémon. Harry flinched with each hit, Fluttershy going wide-eyed.

"Get out of there!"

"He can't," Gloriosa told her. "He's reeling from the use of Hyper Beam. You should be more careful using that move." Fluttershy gasped at her mistake, Rainbow shaking her head as she gave her next order.

"Stone Edge!" Two blue energy rings appeared around Tank before morphing into rings of stone, soon throwing them at Breloom while Roserade leapt over them.

"Magical Leaf!" Gloriosa ordered.

"Rose..." Roserade began spinning like a top, "ROSERADE!" From out of the tornado came a volley of multicolored leaves that struck the rocks before they could hit Breloom. And even when the last rock was destroyed, the leaves kept coming and started hitting Tank.

"Tore!" He started to fall right as Harry felt his paralysis disappear.

"ZOR!" He roared as he jumped onto his back feet, dodging the hundredth Mach Punch.

"Crush Claw!" His claws began to glow red as he tried to swipe at Breloom, only for the Pokémon to leap back.

"Mach Punch on Torpeller!" Breloom launched its attack, its arm extending past the Grizzor and hitting Torpeller in the undershell.

"TORE!" He cried once again, falling to the ground as spirals appeared in its eyes.

"TANK!" Rainbow yelped as Luna gave the announcement.

Fluttershy gasped at this, Gloriosa quickly reacting to her distraction, "Weather Ball!" They all turned to Roserade as she leapt into the air, raising her flower hands as a fireball formed between them.

"What the heck?!" Was all Spike could say before Roserade sent the fireball flying with a mighty cry, moving so fast that Harry couldn't react.

"ZOR!" He roared as the fire exploded around him, the attack lasting several seconds until fading to reveal a highly charred Harry. "Grizzor..." he finished before falling with swirls in his eyes.

"HARRY!" Fluttershy screamed, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Grizzor is unable to battle," Luna announced. "Both of Rainbow and Fluttershy's Pokémon are unable to battle. Timber and Gloriosa win."

Everyone cheered for the two teams, Spike turning to Doc as he asked, "How did a Grass-type use a Fire-type attack?"

"That's Weather Ball. It's a move that changes type based on the weather." He looked up at the sun, shining brightly high in the sky. "And with the sun so bright, Weather Ball morphed into a Fire-type attack."

Twilight crossed her arm at this, "Those two are good."

"Yeah...but we'll be better." Flash added, Twilight nodding in agreement.

As this happened, they turned to see Lightning, the trainer glaring at Fluttershy with a look of pure anger and hatred. At the same time, they also saw Timber and Glorisa sighing in relief, talking about how they couldn't believe they could beat Harry due to past events. And as they said this, they could see Lightning was about to go and insult Fluttershy, Luna coming to the rescue as she pulled Lightning away for his first match.

And so, the tournament continued. Many rounds took place, quickly narrowing down the teams.

"Seviper and Zangoose are unable to battle," Luna announced. "The winners are Lightning and Trixie."

"Spikorn and Instick are unable to battle," Sunset added. "The winners are Spike and Doc."

"Muk and Volbeat are unable to battle," Luna commented. "The winners are Flash and Twilight."

"Lycanroc and Sandslash are unable to battle," Sunset announced. "The winners are Timber and Gloriosa."

It kept going, the teams slowly getting dwindled down. And as this happened, a match between Doc and Spike versus Lightning and Trixie happened, which ended very quickly. "Steeledge and Terragon are unable to battle," Luna said as she rose her hands, "The winners are Lightning and Trixie."

"No!" Spike cried as cradled Peewee in his arms, Doc sighing while returning his Higear. Trixie walked over to tell them sorry about her violent partner while Lightning just turned away with a happy grin on his face. It was obvious where who the remaining teams were starting to be.

"Sneasel and Heracross are unable to battle," Sunset announced while raising a hand, "The winners moving onto the finals are Flash and Twilight."

"ALRIGHT!" The two cheered as their Pokémon jumped up and down, both happy in their victory. Viper was especially tired, having had to take the brunt of that last battle. It wasn't Shine's fault, their opponents being types she had difficulty with, but he had to put some serious effort into getting the final outcome.

"We're just one match away from winning the whole thing," Twilight added, Flash nodding before turning to the other semi-final match. It was here they saw Breloom and Roserade facing off against Chimplug and Wizentice.

"Charge Beam!" Chimplug rose its tail up and pointed it at Breloom as lightning surged around him, shooting a blast of electricity out of the plugged tail.

"Stand firm!" Timber ordered, Breloom crossing its arms as the lightning struck. The Grass-type barely felt anything, causing Lightning to growl.

"Psyshock on Breloom!" He then heard Trixie order Wizentice, the wizard dodging Roserade's Magical Leaf attack as it raised its staff, orbs of blue and purple energy appearing around its tip.

"WIZ!" It tossed the trio at Breloom, pushing it back a few inches.

"Seed Bomb!" The mushroom kangaroo fired a projectile seed, the other two quickly hopping back to dodge the seeds.

This distraction gave Lightning the perfect opening to attack, only for him to instead yell at Trixie, "Hey! Stop butting in!"

Trixie spun her head back at him, "What are you talking about?! This is a tag battle! We're supposed to help each other!"

"I don't need anyone's help, especially some loser! Just stay back and let a real trainer show you how it's done!"

"Real trainer?! I am a real trainer!" Everyone in the audience sighed, unable to believe those two had made it that far as Trixie continued, "I'm the one with the type advantage! You should be the one supporting me!"

"PLUG/ZENT!" The two turned back to see Breloom slam into Chimplug with a Mach Punch while Roserade used Weather Ball on Wizentice.

"See what you just did?!" Lightning barked back, this time Trixie ignoring him as she glared back at Gloriosa.

"Magical Leaf!" she commanded, Trixie quickly pointing at her Pokémon.

"Oh no you don't! Double Team!" Wizentice suddenly multiplied, the copies appearing all over the field as Roserade launched her attack. It hit one of them, making it fade as Roserade and Breloom gasped at the new sight.

"Now's your chance," Trixie told Lightning.

"Don't tell me what to do. Thunder Wave!"

"Wait, not that move-" she tried to say, only for Chimplug to leap up and thrust its tail into the ground, unleashing a wave of electrical energy across the field.

"Protect!" Gloriosa ordered as Roserade formed the shield around her and Breloom, the lightning bouncing off the shield while the rest hit many Wizentice.

"WIZ!" He cried as he was electrified, his fakes disappearing as Trixie glared at Lightning.

"You idiot!"

Lightning didn't even look at her as he shrugged, "Not my fault your Wizentice can't dodge."

"Poison Jab!" She turned back to the battle to see Breloom leap out of the shield, throwing an extended arm at Wizentice's gut, injecting him with poison.

"WIZ!" He yelped, having been unable to dodge due to the paralysis. The force of the attack then knocked him over, swirls now in his eyes.

"Wizentice is unable to battle," Luna announced.

"NO!" Trixie cried, Lightning almost forming a grin.

"At least now you can't get in my way." He pointed at Roserade, "Spark!" Chimplug ran across the field, fists sparking as it threw a punch at Roserade.

"Weather Ball!" The fireball formed in her hands before she tossed it at Chimplug, who was forced to use his Spark to hit the sphere away.

"Seed Bomb!" Several projectiles immediately hit Chimplug's side, knocking him down.

"CHIM!"

"Get up!" Lightning roared, Chimplug trying to follow the order.

"Weather Ball/Mach Punch!" Roserade launched the fireball in Chimplug's direction, Breloom thrusting its fist into the flame. This caused his fist to ignite as it raced toward Chimplug, quickly hitting the monkey just as it got back on its feet.

"Chim-"

KA-BOOM!

An explosion followed this, forming a cloud that consumed Chimplug. And as the smoke faded, it revealed Chimplug on his back with spirals in his eyes. "Chimplug is unable to battle," Luna said as she pointed at two certain trainers, "Both Trixie and Lightning's Pokémon are unable to battle. The winners moving onto the finals are Timber and Gloriosa."

"Blast it!" Lightning growled as he returned Chimplug and glared at Trixie, "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?!" Trixie barked back as she picked Wizentice up, "How is it my fault?!"

"If you'd stayed out of my way like I told you-"

"If you had just let me help-"

"I don't need anyone's help, especially a pathetic loser like you!" Lightning roared, only for Luna to walk in front of the teen.

"Enough. You lost, and that gives you no right to insult my student."

He leaned up to her, a bloodshot glare coming from his eyes, "She's the reason this battle went wrong. That gives me every right to insult her. She deserves it."

"You are the reason you lost." Luna replied with a blank, emotionless stare, "And you will not-"

"Oh, shut up." Lightning interrupted, Celestia walking up as well.

"That is enough Lightning. If you have nothing good to say-"

"You shut it too. I'm done here." Lightning growled as he turned and pointed at Celestia, "And if you're thinking of telling that old coot on me, tell him this: I'll be seeing him soon. He's gonna pay for making me waste my time in this dump!"

The teen then spun around and marched away, everyone blinking at the sight as Flash commented, "I bet that guy was just the most popular kid growing up."

"You okay?" Twilight asked Trixie as she patted her shoulder, the magician nodding back while clutching Wizentice.

"Yeah, though it's annoying that I couldn't get to the finals. Trixie was looking forward to finally crushing you." Twilight giggled back, doing a small nod in agreement.

They then turned to Gloriosa and Timber, both feeding their Pokémon berries to help them recover. "This is gonna be a tricky battle." Flash added as he turned to Twilight, "You okay with Shine going into that?"

"Yeah...I think it'll be okay." Twilight replied as Luna helped Trixie get to the camp's medical cabin, "We just...can't be reckless in this battle. One wrong move is all it's gonna take for them to get the upper hand."

"Eh, don't worry about it." Flash pointed to himself with a confident grin, "I'll be staying laser-focused." He then felt Viper slither up onto his shoulder, "You ready bud?"

"SCOR!" Viper replied, quickly looking down at Shine as he told her he was impressed due to her just being a few days old, "Scor, hiss, Hisscor."

"Nee taa!" Shine cheered, happy with the encouragement.

And as this happened, the final round began. Flash, Twilight and their Pokémon stood on one side of the field while Timber, Gloriosa and their Pokémon stood opposite. Flash and Twilight had let out their other Pokémon to watch and cheer, all now standing on the sidelines. "Come on guys!" Spike yelled, "One win is all we need for the hall of fame!"

"You can do this!" Doc added.

"RIO/HOP/WING/TORE/LEAF/HOO!" The others all finished.

Flash and Twilight nodded, Flash then raising an eyebrow as a thought entered his head, "Wait...what happens if we lose?"

Twilight went wide-eyed at his question before turning to Timber, "He's got a point. Who gets our points if we lose?"

"Hmmm..." Timber hummed before shining a big grin, "I know! Just for fun, we'll give your points to the lowest ranking cabin."

Twilight and Flash hopped at this, only to smirk as Flash replied, "Sounds good to me! Bring it on!"

"Alright everyone," Celestia spoke up, everyone turning to her, "It's time for the final match. Are both teams ready?" They nodded, Viper, Shine, Breloom and Roserade stepping out onto the battlefield as Luna raised her arms as ref.

"Very well, battle...BEGIN!"

"Mach Punch!" Timber ordered, Breloom rushing ahead with a glowing fist.

"Flamethrower!" Viper countered with a stream of fire, making Breloom quickly hop over the flames, only to feel a singe of pain as the tips of the fire touched him.

"Brell," it flinched as it hopped back over to Roserade.

Gloriosa turned to her brother, "Don't be so reckless Timber, that Hisscor's fast. Not only that, with his typing, one hit is all he'll need to take us down. We have to be smart."

"Yeah yeah, alright." Timber grumbled, his eyes fully glaring at Flash.

Twilight then turned to Flash. "Leave defense to us. You work on doing the damage."

"You got it!" Flash added as he pumped his fists, "Let's do this!"

"Mystical Fire!" Shine's horn ignited as she drew a fire circle before shooting a blast of flames at Breloom.

"Protect!" Gloriosa ordered, Roserade jumping in front of Breloom as its protective sphere appeared around her. This blocked the Mystical Fire, drawing Shine's attention as Breloom jumped over the forcefield.

"Seed Bomb!"

"Brell...LOOM!" Breloom unleashed a single high-speed projectile at Shine, only for Viper to leap next to her.

"Poison Sting!" Viper began spitting the poisonous needles, striking the seed before causing a midair explosion.

"Why didn't Flash use Flamethrower?" Spike asked, Doc humming at the question.

"I think he's hoping to keep that move until he thinks he has a chance to hit either Breloom or Roserade. Using it too much could exhaust Viper's fire supply."

"Flash is fighting smart," Rainbow commented next.

Sunset chuckled at this, "Guess Twilight's rubbing off on him."

Shine and Roserade's attacks soon ended as Viper and Breloom rest from theirs, only for Twilight to command, "Psybeam on Breloom!"

"Nee!" Shine pointed at the mushroom kangaroo as her horn glowed, "TAA!" The multicolored beam of light shot out, Roserade quickly running in front of him.

"Magical Leaf!"

"ROSEREADE!" She spun around as a volley of leaves fired out at Shine's attack. But as it did this, the Psybeam cut through the leaves, smacking Roserade's stomach. "Rose!" She cried as she stumbled back from the strike.

"Yes!" Trixie cheered "That's gotta do some damage!"

Doc nodded in agreement, "Indeed. Roserade's part Poison-type, which are weak against Psychic attacks."

"And with Viper's Fire-typing, Flash and Twilight have the advantage." Flash's Pokémon all cheered at this, but Doc then frowned as he saw Roserade after being hit.

"That may be true, but Roserade and Breloom are probably at a higher level than Viper, and definitely higher than Shine. That makes this match more even than it looks."

"Use Poison Jab!" Timber ordered, Breloom charging at Shine with a now purple fist.

"Use Bite Viper!" Flash countered, Viper jumped at the approaching opponent.

"Scor!" Viper opened its mouth, only to miss as Breloom side-stepped him before rushing at Shine again.

"Mystical Fire!"

"Nee!" Shine unleashed the fire attack, Breloom using its Poison Jab to block it. It flinched as the flames bit into it, soon pushing through as it reached the Ponyta.

"Brell!" He thrust his fist into her, Shine crying out as she was sent hurtling backward.

"Shine!" Twilight cried, Gloriosa quickly pointing at Viper in this moment.

"Weather Ball!" Flash and Viper turned back to Roserade, now seeing her summon an fireball in its hands.

"ROSERADE!" She tossed the sphere at Viper, Flash quickly commanding a counter move.

"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed a volley of fire, striking the sphere of flames. But as this happened, Roserade leaped through the following explosion.

"Natural Gift!" Roserade thrust its rose hands forward, a spiral of water shooting out as it hit Viper head-on.

"SCOR!" He yelped, flying back before rolling on the dirt.

"What the heck?! What just happened?" Rainbow asked. "Did that thing just use a Water-type attack?!"

"That's not good. It's Natural Gift," Doc said while biting his lip. "It's a move that changes based on the last berry that the user ate."

"That's right," Gloriosa added with a giant grin, "I fed Roserade a Passho Berry before the battle, turning Natural Gift into a Water-type attack."

"Not good," Flash gulped before hearing Timber give an order.

"Use another Poison Jab!" He turned to see Breloom running at Shine, unable to do anything as Viper was still getting up.

"Twilight-"

"We're okay. Shine, dodge it!" As Breloom got within striking distance, Shine's eyes shot open before leaping to the side, dodging the right jab from the Pokémon. "Nice work Shine. Now use Tackle!"

"Nee!" Shine slammed its body into Breloom, sending it staggering back...only for everyone to gasp as yellow lightning began to spark around Shine. "TAA!"

"Shine!" Twilight cried again.

"Paralysis?! How?!" Flash asked, Twilight now mentally kicking herself as she spoke up.

"Of course...Breloom's ability is Effect Spore! It was triggered when Shine made contact."

Timber let out a low laugh, "I thought you were smarter than that Twilight, but now I've got you! Use Double-Edge!" Breloom began to bum-rush Shine, his body glowing as the Paralysis flared up on the Ponyta.

"Not a chance! Viper, help Shine by using Fire Spin!" Viper nodded and ignited his tail, flicking it at the charging Breloom. A tornado of fire instantly formed, blazing the mushroom kangaroo.

"Brell!" He cried out as the heat consumed him.

"Breloom!" Timber yelled.

"Roserade, Natural Gift!"

"ROSE!" Roserade pointed its two flower hands at the tornado and Viper, both unleashing a spiral of water.

"Scor!" Viper roared as it leaped away, avoiding the water as the other part of the attack extinguished the tornado, freeing a panting Breloom.

Twilight saw this and pointed at Breloom, "Shine, use Psybeam!"

The Galarian Ponyta unleashed another multicolored blast, only for Timber to yell out a command, "Seed Bomb!" Breloom fired the high-speed projectile at the beam, but the counter only slowed down the laser. Seeing this, the blast struck Breloom back, making it yell out in pain.

"BRELL!" it yelped, stumbling back as it felt the super-effective damage.

At the same time, Flash pointed at Roserade as he yelled, "Fire Spin!" Viper flicked its tail, launching a fireball at the Grass-type.

"Dodge it!" Roserade leapt to the side, evading the fireball and following fiery vortex.

"Fire Spins, back to back!" Viper started flicking his tail repeatedly, almost dancing as he launched multiple fireballs at Roserade. But she countered his dance with her own, evading each one as she got closer to Viper.

"Now, Natural Gift!"

"Flamethrower!" Viper and Roserade both unleashed their attacks, the two meeting as they caused a cloud of steam to form. The two continued to push at one another, neither seeming to be willing to give.

"Psybeam!" Twilight cried as Shine unleashed another blast at Breloom, who this time chose to dodge it.

"Seed Bomb!" He spat the attack at Shine, hitting her square in the face.

"Taa!" She cried as she staggered back, Breloom smirking as he pulled his fist back.

"Mach Punch!" It thrust the fist forward, its arm extending to draw near to Shine. But as it did this, it shot past her, only to turn to Viper.

"Viper, get out of there!" Viper heard his trainer's voice as it saw the fist coming, jumping back to avoid it at the last second.

"NOW!" Flash heard Gloriosa command, looking back to see Roserade unleash another water spout, smacking Viper as he dodged Breloom.

"SCOR!" He cried as the water struck him, Viper falling to the ground as steam came off him.

"VIPER!"

"NEE!" Shine screamed, seeing her partner fall at the attack.

"Double-Edge!" Before she could even react, Breloom slammed into her, sending her flying back.

"SHINE!" Twilight yelled, everyone else not daring to look as she hit the ground. Breloom and Roserade moved to stand side by side as they looked down at their weakened opponents, both trying to get up.

"Looks like we win again," Timber told his sister with a giant grin. "Don't know why they even bother."

Gloriosa nodded in agreement, "Roserade, put them out of their misery! Magical Leaf!" Roserade pulled her arms back, ready to fire.

"Shine, you gotta use Mystical Fire!" But as Shine tried to get back to her feet, the paralysis sparked again, making her clinch up. "SHINE!" She screamed, now seeing the multicolored leaves fly at her.

"VIPER!" Flash yelled while Shine shut her eyes, bracing for the attack.

But as it came...she never felt it. Instead, her ears heard another cry, "Scor!" Her eyes creaked open to see Viper standing in front of her, having fully blocked the Magical Leaf attack with his body.

"Nee?" Viper looked back and nodded, making the Ponyta go wide-eyed.

"Nice," Rainbow added, "Talk about being loyal."

Doc nodded in agreement, "Hard to believe that's the same Hisscor we met the first time. It was so selfish back then...guess that's just Flash's influence."

Flash pumped his fists at this, "You shouldn't count your Chicklings before they hatch. We're far from being beat." Twilight nodded while Timber just rolled his eyes.

"You guys should really do the smart thing and give up. Save your Pokémon the damage." He then pointed at Flash, "You'll never beat our strategies, especially a primate like you."

However, Flash's face didn't change. Instead, it beamed with confidence as Twilight did the same before speaking up, "You know Timber, I used to think a lot like you. Guess that's why I got along with you and it made me forget everything I've learned since meeting Flash." She shot Flash a quick smile while reaching up to touch her new bow, "And it's the same thing you need to learn."

"Oh yeah?! What's that?!" Timber growled, "What could I possibly learn from him?!"

"That as a trainer, you can't always be up here." She patted her head. "Sometimes, you've got to ignore what your brain is telling you and listen to your heart. And right now, my heart is telling me that giving up right now would be even worse than losing."

Flash nodded in agreement, "I never give up. Even if I know I'm gonna lose, I won't run away. Because by giving up, you'll never be able to push past your limits." Viper slowly picked himself back up as he continued, "As long as you never give up, there's always a chance you can turn things around."

"SCOR!" Viper roared in agreement.

"I don't care if that makes us fools or idiots or whatever you wanna call us. I don't quit, and neither do any of my Pokémon!" Flash's Pokémon all roared in agreement, Flash then pointing at Timber, "Viper, let's show Timber what happens when you never give up."

"Gladly!" was what they would have heard Viper say if they could understand him. He then stood to full height and let out a mighty hiss, "SCOR!"

And as he did this, his entire body suddenly exploded with light. Everyone gasped at the sight, watching as Viper's body began to grow and change, the only one not surprised being Flash as the light soon faded. It was here that it revealed a new Pokémon, this one being roughly five feet in length with a body that was red, yellow and black. The top half of its body was crimson red, its lower jaw being yellow. There was also a dark yellow line running from its jaw to down the front of its body and towards the end of its tail where three yellow orbs could be seen stacked on one another, each one a bit bigger than the one on top. It had a pair of large fangs sticking out of its mouth, ones that looked like they could bite through anything. As for the sides of its neck, it had three black spots with one long black spot of about five inches on the very back of its length.

It opened its eyes, smiling as flames shot out of the black spots, forming both fire spines down the back and sides of its neck to give it a cobra look. "HACKER!"

"Wow..." Spike whispered, "Viper just...evolved."

Doc nodded, "Yes. It evolved into an Anahakka."

Flash pulled out his Pokedex as a huge grin graced his face.

Name: Anahakka
Category: Boa Pokémon
Type: Fire/Poison
Info: The evolved form of Hisscor. This Pokémon has two internal sacks, one for fire and one for poison, which it can switch between in an instant, allowing it to either burn or poison their foe depending on the need.

"Alright!" Flash cheered, only to go wide-eyed as the Pokedex showed another bit of data, "Wait...no way! A new move!"

"Hack!" Viper nodded before turning to Shine, asking if she was ready. Shine did a small nod and neigh, encouraged by the evolution.

"Don't think evolving's gonna help you!" Timber barked back.

"We have no intention of losing," Gloriosa added before snapping her fingers, "Roserade, Natural Gift!"

"ROSERADE!" She yelled before unleashing the water attack.

"Flamethrower!" Flash ordered, Viper taking a deep breath.

"Hak...CARRRR!" He unleashed a burst of fire, this one pushing the water back while forming a steam cloud.

"Rose?!" She yelped, now seeing the flames get closer.

"Breloom, Mach Punch!" Breloom leapt above Roserade, extending its arm with a glowing fist.

"Not this time! Shine, Mystical Fire!"

"Nee!" Her horn glowed as she drew the circle of fire, "TAA!" She shot the flames through it, the fireball hitting Breloom's arm before it could hit Viper, making it cry out in pain.

"Again!" Shine unleashed another fireball as Breloom retracted its arm, hitting him dead center of his chest.

"BRELL!" He cried as he fell down, hitting the ground beside Roserade.

"Rade!" She turned to see her partner, only to look back as her Natural Gift was about to go out. Seeing that Viper was about to turn his flame attack to Breloom, the Pokémon began to panic.

"Psybeam!" Twilight told Shine, who nodded and tried to use the attack, only for lightning to spark around her body.

"Now's our chance! Protect!" Roserade formed the protective shield around it and Breloom, giving him time to pick himself back up. As this happened, Shine unleashed her Psybeam, only for it to bounce off the force field...and make it dissipate.

"Nice one Shine!" Flash added as he pointed at his opponents, "Time to try out our new move! Viper, Flame Wheel!"

"Ana!" He roared before leaping, spinning forward while biting onto the tip of his tail, flames now igniting around his neck. "Hacker!" The spinning serpent's body became wrapped in flames, morphing into a flaming wheel that hit the ground and spun at Roserade at high speed.

"Rose!" Roserade yelped, now staring at the incoming attack. "Roserade!"

"Protect again!" Gloriosa ordered, Roserade trying to form the shield, only for it to flicker. And as Viper's attack struck the shield, it shattered, the flames buring right into the Pokémon.

"ROSE!" She cried as she was now burned and grinded at the same time. This lasted a good few seconds, only for Viper to spin around and head back to Shine as Roserade fell over, spirals now in her eyes, "Roserade..."

"ROSERADE!" Gloriosa cried out, Timber growling as Breloom picked itself up.

"Roserade is unable to battle!" Luna yelled.

"Alright!" Flash and Twilight high fived, now seeing Breloom and Timber glare at them as Gloriosa return Roserade.

"Don't think you've got us beat!" Timber roared, "I won't go down easily!"

"It'd be no fun if you did," Flash replied before pointing at Breloom, "Poison Sting!"

"Hack...CARRRR!" Viper unleashed a barrage of toxic darts, Breloom quickly sidestepping in response.

"Psybeam!" Twilight ordered, Shine's beam hitting Breloom's side, only for her Paralysis to spark out again.

"Now! Use Poison Jab!" Breloom fired its fist at the Ponyta, Viper jumping in front of her.

"CARRRR!" He yelped as the fist hit his head, only for the Poison-type attack to barely affect him.

"Bite!" Viper lunged at the arm before it could retract, his fangs almost crunching into him. Breloom cried out as it pulled its arm back, Viper coming along before wrapping his extra-long body around the arm.

"Breeeel!" It kept crying, swinging its arm around.

"And there's our opening! Psybeam!" She unleashed another blast at Breloom, Viper letting go as the attack struck the kangaroo.

"BRELL!" Breloom yelped as it was zapped, Viper biting onto his tail as Flash nodded.

"I like you're thinking Viper, Flame Wheel!" Breloom then spun around to see Viper morph into a flaming buzzsaw, gulping at the sight as Timber yelled out a command.

"Poison Jab!" Breloom's fist glowed purple as he threw it at the wheel, the two pushing each other for a few seconds. But as they fought, Viper's Flame Wheel took over, slamming into the kangaroo.

"BRELL!" He fell back as Viper hopped back, landing by Shine with a huge grin. They both smiled at one another, their trainers doing the same.

"You wanna do the honors?" Flash asked, Twilight nodding.

"Let's do it together!" they looked back at the battle. "MYSTICAL FIRE!"

"FLAMETHROWER!" Shine carved the circle of fire as Viper breathed in, both shooting fire as it rocketed at Breloom.

Breloom could only stare at the flames, unable to move as it began to scream, "BRELOOM!" Fire devoured him, the flames lasting a good thirty seconds before disappearing, revealing a swaying Breloom. "Brell..." he fell face first, smacking the ground with spirals in his eyes, "Loom..."

"Breloom is unable to battle!" Luna announced before pointing at Flash and Twilight, "Both Timber and Gloriosa's Pokémon are unable to battle, the winners are Flash and Twilight!"

"ALRIGHT!" The two cheered, high-fiving as the rest of the camp cheered. Flash then turned to his newly Pokémon, "Great work Viper!"

"Congratulations on evolving!" Twilight added.

"Car!" he hissed with a big grin.

"Guys!" They turned to see Spike, Doc and all their Pokémon running up, "You did it! Hall of fame! Hall of fame! Hall of fame!" The Pokémon all gathered around Viper, all marvelling at the sight of him as he showed off his new body.

Celestia and Luna clapped at this, moving over to the Sapphire Cabin, "Well done you four. You've all shown a lot of grit and determination over this last week, and now you've earned the honor of being entered into the camp hall of fame."

"Thank you professor," Twilight added as with a bow as Luna pulled out her camera.

Celestia then turned to the rest of the camp. "Despite not winning, you've all done well during this camp. May the memories and friendships you've made this week remain with you till the end of your days. Remember, no memory is a bad memory if you're able to grow from it." Everyone else cheered in agreement as Luna prepared to take a picture of the Sapphire Cabin.

"Say cheese!" Everyone and their Pokémon grouped up, all with big smiles on their faces.

"CHEESE!"

With that, a bright flash of light signified the capturing of the image.

Some time later...

It was now time for everyone to head home. Almost all the campers had already left, including Lightning who had been the first to get out without saying a word. Now all that was left was the Sapphire Cabin, the rest of Diamond Cabin and Pinkie. Celestia, Luna and Sunset were also there, along with Timber and Gloriosa.

"Well, I guess this is it." Celestia started with a giant grin, "I hope you all had a fun time here."

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow replied, "This was the best week ever!"

"It was fun, fun, FUN!" Pinkie cheering while jumping up and down. Fluttershy did a silent nod in agreement, mostly happy about getting to meet and capture Harry.

"Trixie feels she's learned a lot here," she added, "Hopefully Trixie'll be able to put what she's learned here to good effect soon."

"I'm sure you will," Luna responded, patting her student's shoulder.

"Don't forget to keep in contact," Sunsets said next, "I wanna hear all about everything you guys are getting up too."

"We will," Doc replied, nodding at the same time.

"But it might take a while to find something as fun as this place has been." Spike added.

Gloriosa giggled at this, happy to see that so many people had enjoyed her camp. "I hope I can see you here again one day."

"So do we," Twilight replied before turning to Timber. "Well, I guess this is it."

Timber did a low nod, "I guess. Here's hoping we meet again someday."

Twilight shined a small smile in response, "I'm sure we will. After all, you and Flash are both gonna be in the Pokémon League. We can all meet there."

"Yeah...you're right," Timber then turned to Flash and held out his hand, "Keep them safe."

Flash stared down at it for a moment, only to shake it, "I will. I'll see you at the league."

"You'd better," Timber finished, the rest all turning away. With that, everyone left the camp, Flash, Twilight, Spike, Doc, Pinkie, Trixie, Rainbow and Fluttershy all trekking down the trail before splitting into trekked different groups. Pinkie chose to go with Trixie while Rainbow and Fluttershy headed off on their own, leaving the four as they all happily sighed.

"This really was a great time," Twilight commented. "I'm glad we came."

"Yeah, same here." Flash added as he looked back at his friends, "And what made it so great was getting to do it with you guys." They all nodded in agreement. Nothing was better than sharing an amazing experience with those you hold close. And our heroes had many more experiences to share on their journey, Dodge Junction and the Grand Desert being their next target before arriving at Appaloosa.

But as they walked into the horizon, back at the camp's wall now hung the many pictures of previous camps. Within now sat a new image, one of the Sapphire Cabin and all their Pokémon, forever immortalized in the camp's legacy.

A Friendship Rekindled

View Online

With the Pokémon Summer Camp having come to an end, the heroes were now on their way to Dodge Junction and the Grand Desert. They had been travelling for several days, just now leaving the forest as they all smiled at a new sight.

"There it is!" Spike cheered as he pointed at a Pokémon Center in the distance, the building just beyond a hill. They then saw an arrangement of small mountains just past it, showing that the Grand Desert wasn't too far away. The group quickly ran down the hill next, getting to the mini-hospital in no time.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center," Nurse Redheart announced as they entered the building, "What can I do for you today?"

"Can you take a look at our Pokémon?" Doc asked as everyone took out their Pokeballs, Redheart nodding as her Wigglytuff placed two Pokeball trays on the table. Flash loaded all of his onto one with Twilight and Doc putting theirs on the other while Springer and Peewee followed Wigglytuff into the back room.

The group soon sat down around a table as Flash asked, "So how far do we have until we reach Dodge Junction?"

"Not far," Twilight replied while showing them a map. "The quickest route cuts through a small town on the other side of the mountain. Once there, it's a straight route to Dodge Junction."

"Then the Grand Desert..." Flash added with a giant smile.

"Flash, you've got some serious issues." Spike barked back, "You're almost addicted to going the most dangerous route wherever we travel!"

Flash rolled his eyes at this, "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I mean, it's not like I'm always leading us into danger."

"Ghastly Gorge, Underground Tunnel, Everfree Forest...need I go on?!"

Twilight shook her head, "Spike, it's not like it's always Flash who does that. I plan the routes, remember? Besides, we're the ones that go along with it regardless of the danger."

Doc nodded in agreement, making Spike sigh and slump over, "You're all crazy..."

But before anyone could counter the teen, the center's doors swung open as a trio of trainers ran in, "NURSE REDHEART!" They all turned to see the trainer's carrying Pokémon that were covered in burn marks. "PLEASE HELP!"

Redheart let out a long sigh, "Oh no, not again." She switched on her radio, "Wigglytuff, we have three more for the burn ward."

"Wiggly!" scratched a voice back on the radio, the Pokémon soon appearing with a line of wheel beds. Each trainer placed their Pokémon on them, the nurse soon helping push them back to the ward.

Seeing this, Flash and the others decided to follow, gasping as they entered the burn ward. Inside was a room filled with Pokémon, all with burn marks covering them. There were Sandshrew, Tyrogue, Vigaroth, Luxio, Purrloin and many more, trainers all sitting beside them in worry.

"What happened here?" Spike asked, only for Nurse Redheart to walk in with some bandages and Burn Heal.

"Trouble is what happened. It's been going on for over two weeks now," the nurse replied as she began to patch up the newest patient, "Recently, a Blazard has taken refuge up in the mountains. Whenever it sees another Pokémon, trained or wild, it attacks without warning."

"That's horrible," Twilight commented as Flash pulled out his Pokedex and typed the name into it, an image appearing on the screen.

It was around 4 feet tall lizard-like Pokémon, it's head appearing similar to a Lizash's though its snout was longer with its cheek fins pointed to the back of its head. The creature stood at around four and a half feet in height, standing slightly hunched over. The body was mostly orange, but its lower jaw, cheek fins, the front of its neck, chest, stomach and the underside of its tail were light yellow. Its hands and feet appeared to be wrapped in yellow gloves and boots, though they had holes that allowed its claws to stick out. The monster also had a bright red kit shape on its forehead, shoulders and knees while its orange ears were long and sharp with bright red tips along with its tail.

Name: Blazard
Category: Flame Lizard Pokémon
Type: Fire
Info: The evolved form of Lizash. Blazard uses a magnesium flame, which can reach temperatures of up to three thousand °C. They can usually be found in mountainous areas where they can mine the magnesium needed.

"Looks tough," Flash added while putting the dex away, "But nothing I can't handle."

They all turned to the teen as Twilight asked, "Flash...what do you mean by that?"

"I'm thinking we go find this thing and stop it before it causes any more problems. Maybe one of us could even catch it."

"Seriously?!" Spike yelped, "Again with running headfirst into danger?!"

"That's the only direction I travel," Flash responded, smirking before leaning against a wall, "Besides, you don't have to come if you don't want to. You guys just stay here and prepare a victory party for me when I get back."

Twilight rolled her eyes at this, "Don't think I'm letting you go off alone. You'll need someone to pull your butt out of the fire, possibly literally." Flash did a small shrug in response as Twilight pushed her glasses up, "But let's be smart about this. We'll talk to the other trainers first, see what they can tell us about this thing. The more we know about it, the better chance we'll have of beating it." Flash nodded in agreement, the two beginning to question them while Spike and Doc stood there.

Spike turned to the older teen, "What do you think about all this?"

Doc shook his head, "I'm not sure. I think there's something not quite right about this. It just feels...off."

It was here that Flash and Twilight finished their questions, now knowing that Blazard could use Fire Punch, Flame Burst, Dragon Breath and Iron Tail. They walked into the main hall next as Wigglytuff pushed a cart out with their Pokémon on it. "Hey, bud!" Flash told Springer as he hopped off the cart, "Enjoy your rest?"

"Riolu ri!"

"Good, cause I'm gonna need you at full strength." Springer tilted his head at this, "You see buddy, there's a big bully that needs taking care off." He took the rest of his Pokeballs and looked down at them, "You guys ready for a battle?" He felt each of his Pokeballs wiggle in his grasp, the Pokémon inside ready for whatever was to come.

"Rio ri!" Springer cheered as Flash leaned down and patted his head.

"Thanks bud! Now, let's go find us a Blazard!" The two ran out of the center in a full sprint, the others following suit. As they did this, a teen with light purple skin and red hair while wearing a mainly red jacket and black pants walked out of the center as well.

He sighed as he watched them leave, slowly following as he said, "Blazard..."

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the base of the mountain, quickly beginning their climb up to the last area the Blazard was last seen at. Flash, Twilight, Spike and their Pokémon were on the lookout for the Blazard while Doc was tinkering with Twilight's journal.

"Be ready for anything," Flash told them. "That Blazard could jump out at any moment."

"We know," Twilight added. "We'll likely only have a second between it appearing and attacking, so we can't get careless."

"Isn't trying to find a dangerous Pokémon already being careless?! Maybe it'd be better if-"

"I knew it!" They heard Doc exclaim, the group turning to him as stared at the journal.

"What's up?" Flash asked before Doc showed them the journal.

"Its just like I thought! These mountains don't contain any magnesium." Twilight gasped at this, but Flash and Spike just stared blankly at him, making Doc sigh, "Blazard uses magnesium to create fire, but this mountain doesn't have any. Why would it live somewhere that doesn't have its natural source of fire ignition?"

"Huh...guess you got a point." Flash added as he scratched his head, "Why would it be here if it can't use its main source of power?"

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought before looking back at the forest that they had just came out of, "Maybe it goes into the woods to eat nuts or avocados? That could help his magnesium intake."

Doc shook his head, "No, as the number of nuts or avocados it would need to consume to use its flame would be insane."

"Then why would it stay here?" Spike asked, all of them shrugging in response.

But as they did this, Springer's ears flared up as his eyes went wide. "RIOLU!" He spun around and formed an Aura Sphere, tossing it upward as a fireball shot out of nowhere, slamming into the orb. Everyone covered their eyes as the attacks exploded, forming a cloud and shockwave that almost pushed them off their feet.

"Whoa! What was that?!" Flash yelled as they all looked up, now seeing the Blazard atop a higher ledge. "There it is!" Flash yelled before pulling out a Pokeball, "Riptide, I choose you!" He tossed the ball into the air, opening to reveal Flash's Spranitor.

"Tore!" He roared as he landed in front of him.

"Nice choice," Twilight added. It was then that Blazard leapt off the ledge and landed a few feet away, getting into a battle stance as it stared Riptide down.

Flash pointed ahead and ordered, "Water Gun!" Riptide unleashed a stream of water, only for flames to ignite inside Blazard's mouth.

"Blaze!" It spat out a fireball, the flames colliding with Water Gun before cutting through the water, creating a blast of steam. Seeing this, Riptide leapt out of the way, the Flame Burst hitting the ground into an explosion of fire.

"Whoa!" Spike yelped as they all worked to dodge the embers, "What the heck was that?! How'd that beat Riptide's Water Gun?!"

Doc began to backpedal as he answered, "At three thousand degrees, even water would have a hard time putting out flames like that." They turned back to Blazard, watching it raise both fists as it breathed fire on them, making a pair of fire fists.

"We're not done yet! Rock Smash!" Riptide raced at the monsters as his legs started to glow, jumping at the Blazard as it threw a punch. The two attacks collided, quickly pushing bock back as Riptide spun like a top, ready to use his other leg as Blazard used his other fist.

Everyone watched as the two turned into a blur, throwing punches and kicks in rapid succession until Riptide was finally smacked backward,"Spran!"

"Aqua Tail!" Flash countered, Riptide's tail now consumed in a spiral of water. Blazard immediately responded as its tail glowed silver, spinning as Riptide did a front flip. Both tails smashed into each other, knocking both back again. But as this happened, Riptide landed with ease as Blazard staggered back.

"Flash, it's off-balance! Keep pushing!" Twilight yelled, Flash nodding back before covering his ears.

"Echoed Voice!" Riptide took a deep breath before letting out a mighty cry, spreading across the field as it slashed Blazard's large ears.

"Zard!" It cried as it stuck its fists in its ears.

"Now, Water Gun!" Riptide stopped screaming before unleashing another stream of water.

The fire-lizard opened its eyes at this moment, now seeing the water coming, "Blaze!" It thrust its hands out, blocking the water while still feeling the sting. It slowly pushed him back, only for blue and white flames to appear in its mouth. "Blaze...ZARD!" It roared as it fired the flames, burning right through the water as before overwhelming Riptide.

"Look out!" Flash tried to say, but it was too late. The Dragonbreath consumed Riptide, knocking him back with a scream.

"Tore!" He cried, Flash catching him before he could hit anything.

"You okay?" He asked, Riptide doing a low weak nod, "You did good," he took out Riptide's Pokeball. "Take a break." He returned him before saying, "Those fire attacks are tough. I need someone who's pretty much immune to them. Viper, I choose you!" He tossed a new ball into the air, unleashing his newly evolved fire snake.

"Carrr!" Viper hissed, ready for battle.

"Zard!" Blazard roared again as it ignited another Dragonbreath in its mouth.

"Flamethrower!" Viper fired a blast of flames, both attacking's meeting before coming to a standstill. And as the fire slowly died for both, Flash ordered, "Flame Wheel!" Viper leapt and bit his tail, spinning into a flaming steamroller.

Blazard breathed fire in its fists in response, then catching the wheel before stopping it in its tracks. The two pushed at one another for several seconds, only for Blazard to push Viper back. "Hack!" He cried as he broke out of the flames, landing in front of Flash as well. Blazard then sucked up some breath, the others getting ready for the flames before-

"BLAZARD!" Everyone turned to a new voice, now seeing someone running up the path.

"Heath Burns?" Doc asked, recognizing him as the opponent he faced in the Hoof Cup. "What is he doing here?"

"Wait..." Twilight looked back at the Blazard, the beast stopping its attack to look at the incoming trainer. She then spun back to yell at Heath, "Is that your Lizash?!"

Heath came to a stop, his gaze still on the monster as he replied, "Yes."

Everyone went wide-eyed before Flash yelled, "What the heck?! You've just been letting that thing attack a bunch of people?!"

"Of course not!" Heath barked back before walking in front of the group, "Blazard, this has to stop." Blazard growled as Heath reach for his belt and pulled out a Pokeball, "See? It's fixed. You can come back now."

"ZARD!" Blazard fired a Flame Burst back, Heath's eyes going wide until he felt someone tackle him.

"Look out!" They hit the ground as the fireball exploded, embers flying everywhere. And as this happened, Heath looked up to now see Blazard was gone.

"No!" Heath picked himself up as he yelled, "BLAZARD! Come back!"

Everyone exchanged glances as he kept yelling into the distance, Doc then asking, "Heath...what's going on?"

Heath looked back at them, only to let out a long sigh.

A little amount of time later...

Back at the Pokémon Center, the five were all sitting around a table in the cafeteria as they listened to Heath's story, Springer, Peewee and Viper also there.

"It happened about two and a half weeks ago. After the Hoof Cup, my Pokémon and I all went on a training journey. We spent days training, pushing ourselves as much as we could....then it happened."

Two and a half weeks ago...

"Flame Burst!"

"ASH!" Lizash fired another fireball, this one striking a Crawlder. The rock beetle cried out as it fell back from the blow, giving Lizash an opening.

"Now, Iron Tail!" Lizard spun around as its fluffy tail began to glow.

"Liz...ASH!" He slammed it into Crawlder, sending it flying.

"YES! Way to go!" Heath cheered as Lizard turned and let out a happy bark. He then hopped into Heath's hands, both now cheering before Lizard's body started to glow, "Whoa!" he yelped, accidentally dropping Lizard.

Seconds later, its form morphed into a humanoid appearance as it revealed Blazard. Heath let out a laugh at this, running up to hug him, "Awesome! Congratulations Blazard!"

"Zard!" It roared, unleashing a burst of fire that set Heath's shoulder on fire.

"Hey!" He pulled back and started patting the flames, "Watch where you're breathing!"

"We kept training after that, but something was different."

"Gligar!" The Fly Scorpion Pokémon soared at the two, Blazard just missing the Steel Wing it was using.

"Flame Burst!" It heard Heath order, raising an eyebrow before looking back at Gligar. Then to Heath's surprise, Blazard breathed fire onto its fist. "Wait, what are you doing?!" Blazard leapt up and smashed its fist into the Gligar's chest.

The Pokémon screamed in pain as it was thrown back, unable to glide as it collapsed.

"What the heck?!" Heath yelped, "Was that Fire Punch? Why'd you use that?! I mean, it's cool you learned a new move but, you shouldn't have used it without me telling you!"

Blazard just growled back, turning to see Gligar picking itself up.

"I figured it was just a one-time thing, but then it kept happening. He would use a different attack from the one I asked for, then remain in place to take an attack when I told him to dodge. Then, it happened..."

"Icy Wind!" Blazard leapt to the side, avoiding the freezing air from the opponent's Stompice.

"Fire Punch!" Blazard ran while igniting its fist, smacking the Stompiceback. But as it did this, Blazard suddenly breathed, flames appearing in its mouth.

"What are you-wait!" Heath yelled, but it was too late.

"BLAZE!" It launched a Flame Burst, an explosion soon following as it struck the Stompice head-on.

Stompice cried out as it fell to its feet, the opponent barking back, "Hey, you can't do that! Your Pokémon's supposed to wait until you give an order!"

"I know...I'm sorry." he turned to Blazard. "You can't keep doing this Blazard. You have to listen to me." Blazard growled back before looking back at Stompice, seeing it was getting back up.

"Zard!" It then slammed a Fire Punch into it again.

"Pice!" It screamed, only for Blazard to hit it again and again.

"What are you doing?" The opponent yelled, "Stop that crazy thing!"

"Blazard, return!" Heath responded as he pulled out his Pokeball, the red light hitting Blazard in the back, sucking it into the ball. But before Heath could relax, the ball opened as Blazard appeared again.

"Zard!" Blazard roared as it charged at Stompice again, Heath returning him before he could hit Stompice. But like before, it broke out and tried to attack as Heath kept recalling it.

"You're Blazard's nuts!" The opponent barked as he returned his Stompice and ran off, right when Blazard broke out once again. But seeing the opponent was gone, Blazard turned to glare at Heath.

"What is wrong with you?" He asked, pointing at Blazard's defiance. "You need to listen to me!"

"Zard!" Blazard growled as Heath held out the Pokeball.

"You're staying in here until you learn to listen to me again!" But before he could return Blazard, flames appeared in its mouth.

"BLAZE!" It fired a Flame Burst at Heath, who leapt away with wide-eyes. The force of the blast knocked him off his feet, the Pokeball flying out of his hand and slamming against a rock.

He moaned as he picked himself up, turning to glare at Blazard, "You're in big trouble now!" Blazard said nothing before running away, going to a mountain in the distance. "Wait!" He reached out and grabbed the Pokeball off the ground, pointing it at Blazard, "Return!"

But no red light appeared.

"What?!" He yelped as he looked down at the Pokeball, now seeing it covered in several large cracks, three inside mirrors now broken. "Oh no..."

The Present...

"After that, reports kept coming in of trainers and Pokémon being attacked by Blazard." Heath looked down in shame, tears about to appear as everyone else just shared glances.

"I can't believe Blazard would do that to you," Flash said.

Spike nodded in agreement, "Yeah. He seemed so obedient during the Hoof Cup."

"He was," Heath replied as he slumped over, "This didn't start happening until after he evolved."

"That makes sense," Doc added as Spike and Flash tilted their heads at him, "It's not unheard of for a Pokémon's personality to shift after evolution."

"Really?" Spike asked.

Twilight nodded this time. "Of course. Evolution can be a seriously stressful process. Every cell in a Pokémon's body is being rewritten, including brain cells. It makes sense that the Pokémon they become would have a slightly different personality. I mean, think about Riptide. After he evolved, he became much more mature than when he was an Aquana."

Doc then turned to Heath, "You said your Pokeball was damaged?" Heath nodded, "How badly?"

"Pretty badly," he took out the Pokeball, everyone now seeing it looked like it was in perfect shape, "I had it fixed and figured this would all end when it did. But...well you saw what happened."

"So that's it," Doc muttered as he asked Heath to explain the repairs, only for Doc to sigh, "Sorry to sound harsh Heath, but Blazard isn't your Pokémon anymore." This made everyone go wide-eyed, Doc crossing his arms, "My apologies, but you needed to know."

"But...what do you mean? How is he not my Pokémon anymore?"

"If a Pokeball takes enough damage, the link it has to the Pokémon can be broken. That's why Blazard won't listen to you. As far as it's concerned, it's been released."

Heath shrunk in his seat, his face blank as the words sunk in. "I...I can't believe this." The others saw tears start to apper in his eyes, Twilight moving over to pat his shoulder.

"It'll be okay."

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Flash added as he patted the other shoulder, "If Blazard's wild again, you can just catch him again. Then you guys can work through your issues." The others all nodded again, "And we'll help you do it, right guys?"

"You bet."

"We're in."

"We won't stop until you and Blazard are back together." Heath showed a small smile before looking down at Springer, Viper and Peewee, all giving him nods.

"Oh...thank you."

"No problem," Flash felt something slither up his leg, looking down to see Viper. His tail was wagging, making Flash chuckle, "Brings back memories, huh? Don't worry, we'll help him."

But as he said this, a barrage of loud voices suddenly rang out from the main room. "What's that?!" Twilight asked, the group turning to see a group of trainers running to the center's entrance.

They got up and followed the group, now seeing it was the many trainers and Pokémon that Blazard had attacked from before. "Hey, what's going on?!" Spike yelled at the crowd, one of the trainers turning to them.

"We're gonna go find that Blazard and take it down!"

"All of you?!" Doc added.

"Better chance of finally stopping that thing," another said. "I'm hoping to also catch it!" This made Heath's eyes go wide before he turned to rush out the Center, Flash and the others following suit.

"Heath, where're you going?!"

"I have to find Blazard before that mob does! If someone else catches him, I'll lose him forever!" Heath screamed as he kept running, the others starting to pick up the pace.

But as they ran, Twilight pointed out something, "Wait...we don't know where Blazard is right now!"

A bulb went off in Flash's head, pulling out a Pokeball. "Skyler, I choose you!" He tossed the Pokeball into the air, releasing the Flying-type.

"Wingust!" He took to the skies, Twilight and Doc pulling out their Pokeballs.

"Owlicious/Steeledge, GO!" They unleashed their Flying-types, the three turning to their trainers as Flash showed them his Pokedex.

"We need you to find this Pokémon!" The three saw the image and nodded before flying up, the others now reaching teh mountain. They began their search, twenty minutes of no luck soon passing before Heath started resorting to simply screaming Blazard's name to the echoing mountain.

"BLAZARD!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Please, answer me!"

But there was no response, causing him to sigh.

"Don't worry," Flash told him. "We'll keep looking until we find him."

Heath just shook his head, tears about to appear again as he moaned, "Even if we do, would it matter?" The others exchanged glances, looking back to see despair filling his face, "Blazard isn't the same Pokémon I knew. He isn't Lizash, the Pokémon I met so long ago."

The Past...

"Here you go son," Heath's dad said as he handed him a Pokeball.

"Cool!" The ten-year-old cheered as he opened the ball, unleashing the Lizash. The fire-lizard shook its head before looking up at Heath, a giant smile on the kid's face. "Wow!" He crouched so they were at eye level, "Hey there, I'm Heath." Lizash tilted his head in response, "So, wanna be friends?"

"Ash!" It responded as it jumped up into his arms, knocking the kid onto his butt but making him laugh all the same.

The Present...

"We were never apart after that. We played, ate, slept...we did everything together. We were best friends....but-" tears started to flow down his face, "But my friend is gone now. He turned into something I don't even recognize."

"What are you saying?" Doc asked with a bit of fear in his voice.

"I'm saying that maybe...maybe I shouldn't try and catch Blazard. Maybe I...maybe I should just leave him here."

"You can't do that!" Flash instantly replied, "Even if he's different, he's still your friend! He's still your Pokémon!"

"Is he really?!" Heath barked back, "Didn't you see how he was! He doesn't seem to remember anything!"

"That's just the evolution," Twilight replied, "As I said, the process can have a toll on the Pokémon. Its memories are still in there, but they're just...buried. You just need to find a way to get it to remember."

"But he's so...different now!"

Flash shook his head, "Maybe...but that's not an excuse to stop being friends. Everyone might change, and that's fine. I'm not the same person I was ten years ago, and I'm betting you're not the same person you were when you first met Lizash. You've changed since then." He pointed at the teen, "That means Blazard changed too."

Heath tried to respond, only to sigh, "I...I guess you're right."

Twilight did a small nod, "And Lizash stayed with you that whole time, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

Doc pointed at him, "Do you think it's fair to leave him now that he's changed?"

"I...no," Heath looked away as he replied, "But it's like he's a stranger again."

"Then its time to get to know him again!" Spike added, "Maybe your old friendship is over, but there's nothing stopping you from forming a new friendship."

Flash nodded in agreement, "You don't have to forget about who he used to be. Just-"

"Don't let it blind me to who he is now," Heath finished with the others nodding. Heath sighed again as the words sank into his heart, memories of everything he and Lizash had been through flowing through his mind. "Yeah...I should-"

KABOOM!

Everyone turned to the sound of an explosion, now seeing a large smoke cloud fill the sky. "That's Blazard!" Heath screamed as he ran in that direction, the others following.

A few minutes ago...

Steeledge was now doing another circle around the mountain, only to see a bright light appear on the side. "Ledge?" he turned to the sight, only to see a fireball soar up to him. Quickly shifting his wings, he flew backward as it tried to dodge the flames, only for the embers to explode and sear his metal wings. "STEEL!" He screamed as he looked down at the source of the attack, now seeing Blazard as it fired another Flame Burst.

At the same time, the heroes were running at the sound of the loud bangs, only for another group to yell, "The beast is attacking again!" One of the trainers roared, "Let's show it why you shouldn't pick on others!" Everyone else screamed in agreement, following in angry mob form.

While this happened, Heath and the others were getting close to the peak, now seeing Steeledge fly around while trying to avoid the Flame Bursts. "There he is!" Heath yelled as he doubled the pace as Skyler and Owlicious flew down beside them.

"Skyler, go help Steeledge!"

"You too Owlicious!" They both nodded and flew off, quickly getting up to Steeledge.

"Zard!" It unleashed another Dragonbreath, the three countering as the Skyler and Steeledge started beating their wings, firing an Air Cutter. The blades of winds slipped past the fire, only for the lizard to turn and smack the wind with an Iron Tail. As that happened, Owlicious fired a Confusion attack, Blazard sidestepping before firing another Flame Burst. But as the flames began to reach the owl, Skyler grabbed Owlicious, pulling him out of the way of the fireball.

"Blaze..." it took a deep breath as flames ignited in its mouth again.

"Blazard!" The flames died as it turned to see its former trainer running up, "Please, stop this." He tried to step closer, only for Blazard to step back and growl. "Blazard...there's a mob of trainers coming to attack you. You're strong, but not that strong." He pulled out the Pokeball, "Please...come back to me. I don't want to lose you."

Blazard just stared at him for a few seconds, the others watching as they both stared at each other. But before Blazard could give a reply, a bolt of lightning flew down at them. "Zard!" It leapt back, just avoiding the attack as it hit the ground.

"Blazard!" Heath cried, seeing the fire-lizard begin to run off. The others then turned around, now seeing that the attack came from the mob's Luxio.

"Don't let it get away!" One of them yelled.

Flash turned to Heath, "Go get your friend back. We'll hold them off." He nodded and ran off as Flash looked down at Viper, "Go with him, he might need help." Viper nodded before following Heath, the others turning to the mob. "Sorry, you're not getting past us."

This made them go wide-eyed as one roared, "What?! Why are you helping that thing?!"

"Call it a favor to a friend." Flash added as Springer stood in front of him.

"You're either with us or against us," another trainer yelled before their Sandshrew used Rollout.

"Springer, Extreme Speed!" Flash ordered, the Riolu becoming surrounded by blue energy before kicking the Ground-type away.

"SAND!" It cried as it flew back, its trainer catching it as the other Pokémon took its place.

"Sucker Punch!" A trainer ordered her Purrloin.

"Slash!" Another commanded his Vigoroth.

"Bullet Punch!" The third yelled at his Tyrogue.

"Drill Peck!" Steeledge began to spin and morphed into a drill at the three, slamming into them in one fell swoop.

"Discharge!" A girl screeched at their Luxio, the monster beginning to spark.

"Confusion!" Twilight ordered Owlicious.

"Incinerate!" Spike pointed at the Luxio, Peewee jumping off his shoulder as they both fired their attacks, knocking back the electric lynx with ease.

The four saw their first opponents fall, only for several more to appear, Flash looking back at the way Heath went, "Come on...we can't do this forever."

Heath and Viper ran down the trail, the snake on Heath's shoulder as they came close to a full rotation of the mountain. "Blazard!" The fire-lizard looked back, growling as flames appeared in its mouth.

"ZARD!" It fired a Flame Burst, Viper leaping off Heath's shoulder.

"CARRR!" He unleashed a Flamethrower, hitting the fireball before safely exploding between them. As it did this, the trainers down below looked up at the explosion.

"There it is! It's getting away!" one yelled.

"Not happening," the Sandshrew's trainer added before turning to their Pokémon, "Use Rock Slide!" Sandshrew ran to the edge of the mountain side, letting out a cry as blue lights appeared around it, the others gasping.

"Steeledge, use Steel Wing now!" It flew at the Pokémon with glowing wings, but it was too late. Sandshrew launched the lights down the cliff before getting hit. The light faded to show a bunch of large rocks, all knocking more rocks free above Blazard as it turned into a full-on natural rock slide.

"Blazard, get out of there!" Heath screamed as Blazard didn't listen, instead using Iron to knock the rocks away. But as they came down, they soon overwhelmed him.

"Zard!" It cried out as the first rock slammed into him, followed by a tidal-wave of others, "BLAZARD!"

"NOOO!" Heath cried as he watched the landslide push Blazard over the ledge. And when the last rock fell over the side, Heath saw a pair of claws gripping the edge, "Hang on!" He ran over as fast as he could, cracking sounds catching his ears, showing that the side of the mountain was about to give away.

"Zard!" Blazard screamed as he began to fall, only to feel something grip its tail, "Zard?" Looking back up, Blazard saw Heath leaning over the edge, holding its tail.

He grunted under the weight, groaning as he said, "Blazard...hurry! Climb...back...up." Blazard just blinked at him, feeling his body start to slip despite's Heath's grip. The sounds of rocks cracking began to show itself, making Blazard's brain go into overdrive as it saw Heath risk his life to save him.

Viper slithered over and grabbed onto Heath's jacket with his teeth, trying to pull him back up. As this happened, the below battlers were now staring at the sight, the Purrloin trainer yelling, "What the-why's he helping that jerk?!"

Twilight glared back at her, "First off, any good trainer would do that to a Pokémon they didn't like. Secondly, they're friends!"

"He's friends with that monster?!"

"Yes." Flash added with crossed arms, "And he's gonna save him. Just watch."

"Come on!" Heath told Blazard, "CLIMB!"

More of the ledge began to crumble away, Blazard curling up to reach out a claw, "Zard." Heath grabbed his claw, letting go of the tail as Blazard used its legs to dig into the nearby rock.

"That's it! Come on buddy," he and Viper pulled, while Blazard pushed with his legs. The fire-lizard was getting close to the top of the ledge, only for the rock to break apart.

"CARRR!" Viper cried, the sudden jerk making him lose his grip, causing both to fall over the side. "Anahakka!"

"AAAAHHH/ZARD!" The two screamed as they fell over the edge, everyone gasping at the sight.

"STEELEDGE/SKYLER/OWLICIOUS/PEEWEE!" The four trainers ordered, their flying Pokémon flying after them.

And as they fell, Heath pulled Blazard close, "Hold on Blazard. I promise I'll protect you." Blazard just stared at him, unable to respond before looking down to see the ground coming up fast.

Time began to crawl at this moment, Blazard's life flashing through his eyes. It remembered the first time it met Heath on his birthday, Heath being the first thing Lizash saw coming out of the Pokeball. The two bonding almost instantly. It then remembered playing with him, the two friends running around like idiots and laughing the whole time, soon going through memories of their first battle together. More memories came to mind, none of them about before Heath came into his life or when he had abandoned him. How could it have forgotten all those times, the best moments of its life?

Blazard's arms wrapped around Heath as it buried its face into his chest, wanting to say he was sorry. And as the ground was about to hit them...it didn't.

"Huh/Zard?" The two opened their eyes, both now seeing they were hovering inches above the dirt. They then looked up to see the three Flying-types holding onto their feet/tail, all smiling before letting go. The two then hit the ground, yelping in pain before looking up at the birds as Heath said, "Thanks," Blazard saying the same thing.

"Heath!" He looked past the Pokémon, the other trainers barely in hearing range as they continued, "Are you okay?"

"We're fine! Just a little windswept."

"Okay! We're coming to you!" Heath nodded before getting up and going over to Blazard, the monster panting as it rested its back against the wall of the mountain.

"You okay?" Blazard didn't say anything, just looking away with a frown on its face. "Blazard." It slowly turned to its former trainer, only to see Heath get down into a praying stance with his head on the ground. "I...I'm sorry."

"Zard?"

"I'm sorry I treated you like you were still Lizash. I understand now. You're not the same Pokémon you were before." Blazard just blinked at him as Heath started to get up, "You've changed and that's not a bad thing. I just...I just didn't take the time to realize it. But I want to now. I want to reforge our friendship."

"Zard..." Blazard barely responded as Heath continued to stare at the ground.

"And I've realised I'm not the same person you knew when we first met. I think that evolving helped you realize that I've changed too." He then looked up and stared Blazard right in the eye, "But that doesn't mean we still can't be friends. So please, at least give me the chance to know you again...and you can get to know me." Tears began to roll out of his eyes, "Things can't go back to how they were before but...but that doesn't mean we can't be together anymore."

A full minute passed after that, Blazard just staring at him before tears began to go down his face. "Blaze!" he cried as he jumped into Heath's lap, pulling him into a hug.

"Blazard!" Heath cheered, both embracing each other for another minute until Heath pulled back. "Thank you. Blazard, will you become my friend again?" Blazard nodded back, only to hug him again.

Flash and his friends were still running down the mountain, the rest of the mob following they reached the spot Heath and Blazard had fallen. And as they came around the corner, they saw the two staring at one another before Heath held up the Pokeball. They came to a stop as they saw Blazard lift up his claw and tap it, the ball opening before sucking it inside, slamming it shut before dinging.

Flash let out a laugh as he ran up fits, "You guys made up?"

"Yeah..." Heath replied while nodding, "Thanks to what you said, I was able to get through to him." He smiled down at the Pokeball, "Now I'm ready to start again." He then turned back to the mob, only to bow, "Everyone...as Blazard's trainer, I'm sorry for everything that happened. I promise this won't happen again."

The mob all growled...only to sigh as they saw nothing could be done. One then said, "Well, be sure it doesn't! Get out of here!" With that, the crowd turned to walk away.

And as they left, Heath let Blazard back out.

"Zard?"

Heath crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder, "Good to have you back bud." Blazard nodded in agreement, Doc speaking up next.

"You know, Blazard's evolution might have also changed how it battles. That might have been part of the trouble, giving it orders that went against its own nature."

"Really?" He turned to Blazard, seeing him nod to confirm that, "So that means battling's off the table until we're back in sync."

Flash shook his head, "No, that means you guys need to battle more. That's the only way you're gonna learn how Blazard works now." He turned to the others, "Am I right?" They all nodded, Flash now feeling something poking his leg. He looked down to see Viper, wagging his tail, "You wanna battle?"

"Carrr!"

Flash nodded before turning to Heath, "What do you say?"

Heath and Blazard both smiled as they took positions, "Bring it on!"

Some time later...

Once the battle ended, the heroes said their goodbyes to Heath as they headed off. The sun was beginning to set now, the group now finding themselves reaching the other side of the mountain with the small town half a day away. After this, it was a straight shot to Dodge Junction.

And as they walked, Twilight noticed Spike had a frown on his face. "What's up?"

Spike turned to her, "What you guys said about people changing...does that mean they could change into someone their friends don't wanna be friends with anymore?" Everyone looked at each other, all frowning as Spike continued, "And what about our Pokémon? What if they evolve and start acting like Blazard was?"

Flash shook his head and patted him on the shoulder, "People change Spike, that's just a way of life. But if you're true friends, that shouldn't matter."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "Like Heath did, your friends changing means you just have to get to know them all over again."

"And if you're true friends, then them changing shouldn't matter." Doc finished, "As long as those changes aren't something that could lead to them getting hurt or hurting others, understand?"

Spike smiled back and nodded, "Yeah, I understand." Everyone else than continued to head down the road, all looking forward to their next adventure and how it would help them grow and change for the better. As the journey continues.

Author's Notes:

This chapter really hit me in the feels. So this chapter goes over what happens when a Pokeball gets damaged, something the anime's only briefly touched upon.

We also got a Charmeleon/Piloswine homage, going over why I think some Pokemon become disobedient to their trainers. The anime was trying to explain that it's a matter of experience with Charmeleon, which is meant to reflect the games, but I don't think so. The reason didn't hit me until I watched the 13th doctor's first episode, that pokemon evolution is just like Time Lord regeneration. A rapid change into something completely different, with every cell in the Pokemon's body being rewritten. That includes brain cell, which explains the shift in personality.

All in all, hope you enjoyed.

Pokemon

Name: Blazard
Design: Charmeleon's body with Super Special Oaka's head
Name: Blaze and Lizard
Pronounced: Ber-lay-zard

Racing Towards Your True Potential

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"Tackle!"

"Hop!" Hopper roared as he slammed into Shine, knocking her back. The Galarian Ponyta grunted as she pushed her hooves into the ground, coming to a skidding halt as she glared back at her opponent, now seeing him and his trainer run down the road.

"Come on Shine!" Twilight called as she ran past her.

"Nee!" Shine replied as she continued to gallop forward, trying to catch up to the two. Behind them, Springer, Doc, Spike and Peewee were following at a lighter pace. The group were continuing their journey to Dodge Junction and at the moment, Flash and Twilight were getting their two newest teammates a little battle experience as they headed down the road. Both being fairly newly hatched, they were the perfect training partners.

"Mystical Fire!" Twilight ordered, Shine unleashing a fireball at the retreating Hoppin. The Pokémon easily dodged the flames, hopping around as Flash pointed at the Ponyta.

"Bite!" Hopper leapt at Shine, only for her to spin around, making Hopper sink his teeth into her overly soft tail.

"Nee!" Shine cheered as she began to spin like a top, making Hopper to quickly let go, flying up before Flash caught him. He then had moving spirals in his eyes, making everyone laugh.

"Alright, I think that's enough. We're almost at the town now." Doc announced as everyone turned to see the next town just down the road, all nodding as Flash put the recovering Hopper back on the ground. "Those two are getting better."

"Yeah, they are." Twilight knelt down to pat Shine's head. "That move with your tail was ingenious. Just remember to think outside the box." Shine nodded with a happy cheer.

"I'm surprised that Bite attack didn't hurt," Spike said as they continued walking down the road with Shine and Hopper running off ahead.

Twilight then reached down and pinched the tip of his hair. "Does that hurt?"

"No."

"Well that's pretty much what happened to Shine. If Hopper had tried to pull on her tail, then it would have hurt. All Hopper did was get a taste of Ponyta tail hair."

"Huh. Wonder what that tastes like?" Flash asked, humming as he stared at her rainbow tail, "Sure looks like cotton candy..."

Twilight gave him a deadpan glare, "Don't."

Flash rolled his eyes, "I was joking."

Shine heard this and also began to wonder, Hopper raising an eyebrow as he watched Shine begin to run in a circle, doing five rotations before stopping to show her tail in her mouth. Hopper then asked how she did that in their language, Shine replying with the word, 'talent'.

Hopper laughed before trying to do the same, soon spinning around before falling over in dizziness, making Shine laugh. She then turned to see that the town's entrance was just up ahead, letting out a happy neigh before running ahead. Hopper followed quickly, the world already stopped spinning for him.

"Don't go too far you two," Twilight called out.

Flash turned to his partner, "Springer, you mind keeping an eye on them?"

"Ri!" Springer nodded as he ran off after them.

As he ran, the Pokémon got to the town, quickly finding themselves under a crowd of people. About to get lost, Hopper grabbed Shine's tail, soon finding himself pulled along as she danced into the group of legs. At the same time, Springer got to the crowd...only to lose both as he felt a barrage of auras from the crowd cover the duo.

"Nee!" Shine cheered as she kept dancing around, only to bonk into something. She let out a yelp as she fell onto her flank, "Taa!" Hopper was dislodged from her tail from the blow, making him stumble as she used her hoof to rub her head before looking up at what she had hit.

It was a large blue and yellow wolf Pokémon, which turned and growled at her. The Ponyta's eyes went wide, now noticing she had hit the Pokémon with her horn, now remembering Twilight telling her to be careful with it while running.

"Trick!" The wolf barked, slowly getting closer as she shuffled back on her flank.

But as this happened, Hopper jumped between the two, "Hop!" he roared, "Hop, hoppin!" The two were now inches from one another's face, lightning sparking between them.

"Manectric!" They all turned to a new voice, all soon seeing a boy with light blue skin and dark purple hair that had a light purple streak running from one temple to the other. He was wearing a purple sports top and dark blue running shorts. He then stomped his foot at Hopper, "What are you two doing with my racer?!"

"Shine!" yelled another voice, making them turn again, this time seeing their friends running up to them.

Flash was at the front of the pack, calling out, "Hopper! Is something the matter?"

The teen pointed at him. "Yes, actually. Your Pokémon attacked mine! What, trying to take me out before the race even starts?! That's low!"

Everyone raised an eyebrow at him, Twilight trying to speak up, "Look, I don't know what happened, but I'm sure Shine and Hopper didn't try and hurt your Manectric on purpose." She turned to Shine, "Is that right?" Shine nodded, "See?"

"Yeah, likely story. Look, if you wanna win, why not get a real racer instead of trying sabotage!"

"We have zero idea what you're talking about," Doc replied with a deadpan stare, "If we want to win what?"

The teen raised an eyebrow, only to respond, "So, you're not here for the race?" He stared down at Hopper and laughed, "Makes sense. No way anyone could win with a dinky little shrimp like that on their team."

"What did you just say?!" Flash barked back, the teen shrugging back with a huge smirk.

"That's enough Track!" yelled another voice, everyone turning to see a late aged man walking up. He had orange skin and bright red skullet with yellow streaks along with an red goatee hanging down from his chin. An equally old looking Arcanine was walking beside him, glaring at Manectric. "Don't go causing any trouble before the big race. You wouldn't want to do something that would get you kicked out, would you?"

Track rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He turned around, "See you around losers. Maybe you'll wanna come over tomorrow. Then you can see what a real Pokémon looks like in action." With that, he marched off, Manectric giving Hopper a smrik before fainting a bite that made Hopper leap back. He then laughed and ran off after his trainer.

"What a jerk," Spike said once they were both gone.

The old man sighed and shook his head, "Unfortunately, he has the skills to warrant that cocky attitude."

"Skills for what? We have no idea what he was even talking about." Doc asked, making the man raise an eyebrow.

"So you really don't know?" They all nodded, "Then I'll explain. First of, my name's Speed Demon." He pointed his walking stick at Arcanine, "And this here's my trusty companion." Arcanine let out a mighty howl.

"I'm Flash," he waved before pointing to his Pokémon. "And this is Springer and Hopper."

"My name's Twilight and this is Shine," she neighed as her trainer pointed to the youngest member of their group. "And this is my brother."

"Spike," he gestured to the Terragon on his shoulder, "And this is Peewee."

"And you can call me Doc." Speed nodded before directing them through the town, eventually arriving at his house. Inside, they found the walls covered in shelves that held large trophies and photos, most showing a younger Speed with either a Growlithe or a younger Arcanine, the two standing on a podium holding the trophies.

"Wow...you won all these?!"

Speed nodded in response, "Back in my youth, Arcanine and I were the best Shoot Racers in Equestria."

"Shoot Racer?" Flash asked as they all sat down, Speed beginning to make drinks.

"A Shoot Race is when a Pokémon races around a course with a laser strapped to its back. The trainer controls the laser and uses it to hit targets that decrease their final time. I was a top notch racer, travelling all around the Equestria Region to hold my title. Mine is still the longest undefeated streak of all time: Fifty back to back wins. Seemed a good number to retire on."

"That's awesome!" Spike cheered, the others all nodding in agreement as Speed brought their drinks over.

"So that guy, he was a racer too?"

"Yes," Speed sighed as he sat down, "Track Starr. A very skilled young man. His Manectric is probably one of the fastest of its species. Together, they've won forty nine Shoot Races back to back."

"Forty nine?" Twilight asked, "So he's just one win away from matching your record?"

"Yes," Speed got back up before moving over to a window. "And this town's having a race tomorrow. The course is a little outside the town, and it's gonna be quite a challenging one. He's purposely waited for this race so I can be there to watch him win and take my record."

"What a jerk," Spike commented while Speed shrugged.

"Oh, nothing lasts forever. My record's stood for fifteen years. No doubt I'll have a place set aside for me when someone has the brilliant idea to make a Shoot Racing hall of fame."

Hopper's eyes went wide at this, remembering Track's words about him. He growled at the memory, Shine turning and nudging him, "Nee?" He glanced at Shine, seeing a worried look on her face, only for Springer and the others to also notice.

"What's up Hopper?" Flash asked, Hopper turning to him before narrowing his eyes.

"Hop!" Hopper jumped into his lap and stared right into his eyes.

Flash saw a blaze of fire in those eyes, "Wait...do you...wanna race?" Hopper nodded vigorously, the others going wide-eyed at this. "Are you sure? If this is about what Track said, you should just ignore him."

"I agree," Twilight added, "You don't need to prove anything to him. You're an amazing Pokémon."

"HOP!" Hoppin roared back, growling at their words. Flash stared at his Pokémon, now seeing what he meant. He knew Hopper was having problems recently, unable to learn many moves except Bite from the Piedoom fight, which didn't amount to much. He even struggled against other baby Pokémon, including Shine who could already take on more experienced Pokémon thanks to the last camp battle.

"Hop! Hoppin!" He pushed into Flash's chest, the trainer chuckling at the determination in his eyes.

"You really want to do this, don't you?" He nodded again, "Alright." He stood up, holding Hopper up above his head. "If that's what you want, then I'm in. Tomorrow, we're taking down Track's high score."

Everyone shared a glance, knowing where this was going as Doc added, "Welp, if that's what you're gonna do, we'll help any way we can."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "I already have an idea. I'm sure if we go over the track, we'll be able to find a way to help Hopper make up for his lack of speed."

"There is," Speed said next, everyone turning to him, "The track isn't just a race course, it's an obstacle course as well. Speed isn't the only factor, and don't forget about the targets. With them, you don't have to be the fastest to be first."

Flash blinked at this, "Say Speed, you think you could help us train for the race tomorrow?"

Speed let out a laugh, "Of course. I'm always happy to help anyone who's interested in the sport." He moved over to the door, "Let's get started."

A little later...

As the soon as the sun began to set, Track and Manectric were now heading to the Pokémon Center after their last big training session before tomorrow, "This is it Manectric. Everything we've been working for comes down to tomorrow. You ready?"

"Trick!" The lightning wolf barked as the two passed by Speed's house.

Track shined a big malicious grin, "Just wait old man. Tomorrow, your legacy ends." But as he said that, his ears now heard a volley of noise around the back of the house. "What the?" They moved around the building, now seeing several familiar people.

"That's it!" Speed yelled as Hopper dodged one of Riptide's Water Guns, "Always be aware of your surroundings." Hopper jumped up to avoid an Energy Ball from Prongs, only to get slammed by Skyler's Steel Wing.

"Hop!" He cried as he hit the ground, rolling away to avoid Shine's Psybeam before jumping back as Viper's Flamethrower hit the ground.

"That's the way Hopper!" Flash cheered, "Keep this up and we'll win that race tomorrow no problem!"

The others all cheered as well as Track glared at the sight, Manetric following him as he started to walk away, "So, that little twerp is competing tomorrow after all." Manectric growled at this, "Relax. There's no way they could beat us. We've been training for years, and they're just a bunch of scrubs. No doubt we'll cream them."

"NET!" Manectric howled, "Net trick!"

The next morning...

The entire town was almost deserted, everyone now at the racetrack just outside the village. It was a large dirt path with one area on either side, one side being a large bleacher, where the audience were all sitting to wait for the start of the race. Twilight, Shine, Doc, Spike, Speed and all of Flash's Pokémon were sitting there, ready to watch the race.

On the other side of the path was a fenced off section, this one showing off multiple square booths, each racer standing in front of them. There was also a megascreen there, multiple drones flying around to capture the action. "There we go," Flash said as he finished strapping what looked like a laser tag gun on a stick to Hopper's back. "How's that feel?" Hopper did a few test movements before nodding, "Good."

Flash then turned to see the rest of the competition, now seeing a Persian, Granbull, Delcatty, Glameow, Blitzle and many more Pokémon. There was even a Forretress. The group were all wearing the same laser device he was, everyone stretching themselves in preparation.

"Well well well." They turned to see Track and Manectric marching over to them, Manectric wearing the device on his back. "I thought you weren't racing?"

"We weren't," Flash replied while shrugging, "But Hopper decided he wanted to after hearing about it."

"He must like getting humiliated then. With those stubby little legs, I'd be surprised if he even crossed the finish line before the sun sets." Flash glared at him as he walked off, Manectric giving Hopper a smug look before following.

Flash looked down at Hopper, who was staring at his legs. He knelt down and patted his head, "Hey, don't listen to him. Remember what Speed said. You don't need to be fast to be first." Hopper smiled and nodded back. "Good. Now, let's get ready to race, alright?"

In that moment, the megascreen switched on to show the face of a familiar looking man wearing a leather jacket and shades. "What's up my peeps! Present Mic here to give you the full shooting race rundown! Time to take a look at the course!" The screen changed to show four different areas. The first was a path filled with rocks, the second being a lake, while the third was a small gorge and the last one was the same as the first. "Our racing Pokémon will be working their way through these harsh environments and along the way, their trainers will be blasting at over forty targets that cover the track. For every target they hit, five seconds will be removed from their final time. To win this, both trainer and Pokémon must be fast, sharp and ready for whatever comes. And for the one that manages to get across the finish line first or hit enough targets to lower you time, your prize will be this!"

The screen changed to show a pyramid of boxes, "A year's supply of high quality Pokémon food!" The Pokémon all seeing this licked their lips, tons of tails wagging at the sight.

And as they cheered at the food, the screen changed back to Mic, "Now trainers, time to get in your booths. YEAH!"

The trainers all walked inside their booths, finding a chair in front of a computer with a joystick between the two. Flash moved up to the chair, seeing a strange looking visor sitting on it. (Imagine the Hacker's Memory visor) He sat down while putting it on, the machine activating as it connected to the camera on Hopper's laser. The visor now showed the back of Hopper's head, a microphone coming down from the side. "You hear me Hopper? I can see what you see, but I need to know if you can hear me. Turn to your right if you can hear me." Hopper did so, "Perfect."

As they tested the equipment, Spike and the others started to cheer, "Come on Hopper!"

"Do your best out there!" Twilight added.

"This won't be easy," Speed told them. "Almost all of his opponents are fast footed Pokémon."

Doc shook his head, "Maybe, but it's like you said before. He doesn't need to be the fastest to be first." Speed nodded in agreement, Shine and the rest of Flash's Pokémon beginning to cheer.

Hopper could feel nervous drips of sweat go down his face, not helping that Manectric was right next to him. But as he stood there, he tried to steel his nerves, ready to win as Present Mic spoke up.

Mic: "Looks like everyone's ready to rock! YEAAAAH! So let's get this party started. In three."

Audience: "Two!"

All: "ONE!"

Mic: "GOOOOOO!!!"

A loud beeping sound echoed through the arena, the Pokémon all blasting off the starting line as it went.

Mic: "And they're off! It looks like Manectric has taken an early lead, but Blitzle and Delcatty aren't far behind. Bringing up the rear are Hoppin and Forretress!"

Up on the megascreen, it showed Hopper and Forretress at the back of the pack. The others all grimacing at the growing gap between the two and the rest of the group. "Don't worry," Speed told them. "This race has only just started."

Back at the race, Hopper was bouncing as fast as he could, but he was quickly showing it was gonna be difficult. However, he wasn't the slowest racer.

"For...tress. For...tress," the steel bug panted as it bounced along the ground. It wasn't able to bounce as far as Hopper, so it was falling behind.

Mic: "It looks like Manectric is gonna be the first to reach the first obstacle: The rock field! Getting around them at high speed will be tricky, but let's not forget the first round of targets is in there. Will they slow down to allow the trainer to hit them?"

Manectric strode down the road with a large cloud of dust behind it, only to slow down as it saw boulders of varying sizes cover the ground, blocking the way. "Trick..."

"My time to shine," Track smirked as he put his hand on the joystick. He carefully turned it from left to right, making the laser and camera turn with it. "There!" He saw the first target and fired, hitting a bullseye. He laughed as he lifted his visor, looking at the computer to see his name move to the top of the leader-board. "Aw yeah!" he put it back on and started firing at more targets as the other Pokémon entered the field.

The others were now slowing down as well, mainly to keep themselves from crashing into the rocks as their trainers started shooting the targets. This allowed Hopper and Forretress to catch up, both leaping up onto the closest tall rocks before bouncing over to another one.

Mic: "Wow! Those two sure are making up the distance. Ingenious!"

"Yeah!" Spike cheered while the others clapped.

"I told you," Speed added, "Hopper might not be fast on his feet, but his jumping ability will make getting over the obstacles easy." To show his point, Hopper reached the other Pokémon right as Manectric got close to the end of the field. "Now it's up to Flash."

Back in the booth...

"I should have played more video games," Flash grumbled as he tried to fire at the targets, his laser barely hitting two targets while missing the rest. "Dang it!" Flash then saw that Hopper was now at the end of the field, getting to second place with Forretress right behind him.

Manectric still held the lead, now halfway towards the second obstacle. Track smirked, seeing his was still at the top of the points board, "At this rate, victory is mine." He then looked at the screen and saw Hopper and Forretress leave the rock field, "You gotta be kidding me! How could that little twerp be in second place?!"

It was here that Manectric reached the second obstacle, the lake. It was about eighteen meters wide, being covered in stone pillars that came up above the water to act as a crossings. There were also ten wooden platforms spread out across the lake, each one having a target on it. "Trick!" Manectric yelled as it jumped onto the closest platform before leaping over to another, only to suddenly find itself wobbling from side to side.

Mic: "Uh oh, looks like Manectric's found out the hard way that not every platform is stable."

Manectric equally spread its weight and used its claws to dig into the rock, allowing the platform to balance. But as it did this, it became unable to move a muscle in fear of falling into the drink. Hopper smirked at the sight, he and Forretress getting in view of the lake. However, this quickly changed when Blitzle and Persian shot past them, Glameow being next with Granbull behind it as they all passed Hopper and Forretress.

Manectric was still stuck, unable to properly move unless he wanted to sink. Track growled at the sight, spotting a target float by before firing. The lightning wolf's hesitation allowed the others the chance to get ahead of him, Blitzle jumping onto another platform only for it to dip under the water, making him slip and dip his back half into the lake whilst holding onto the rock with its front hooves. Seeing this made Persian hesitate, Glameow doing the same as Granbull found his weight making balance difficult.

But as this happened, Hopper didn't have any issue. "Hoppin!" He cheered as he bounced onto an unstable platform, only for it to barely move due to his little weight.

Mic: "AMAZING! Hoppin's really showing some skill, hopping from one platform to another with ease. He's taken the lead!"

This made Hopper's friends all scream in joy, waving flags around with his face on it with some doing a little dance.

"YES!" Flash cheered as he hit the fifth target they passed. Three more and they would pass Track's score. "Great work Hopper!"

"Hop!" He responded back, Manectric growling at the sight as it watched Hopper get away. The rest of the group were slowly beginning to get their balance as well, Forretress needing to cross at a much slower pace.

Mic: "As Hoppin reaches the other side of the lake, Flash is just one point away from leveling-there it is! Flash is now equal with Track's points and Hoppin has cleared the lake! He's now heading to the third obstacle, the canyon."

Track was growling now, seeing Manectric was now in last place while the others were halfway across. "Manectric, if you don't-" A bulb shattered in his mind, "I got an idea. Manectric, use Charge Beam. Aim for the platforms around you." Manectric did as instructed, launching the thunderbolt out of its mouth. This made the platforms rock side to side, making Track grumble, "Not that one."

Mic: "Of course! Manectric is using its Charge Beam to see which platform's safe to stand on."

Twilight turned to Speed, "Is that allowed?"

"As long as he doesn't hit one of the other racers, yes." They all watched as Manectric now leapt onto another platform, Forretress reaching the other side of the lake before following after Hopper. "Hopefully, his lead will be enough to help him win this."

Mic: "Now at the front of the pack, Hoppin has reached the canyon!"

"Hop, pin. Hop, pin. Hop, pin. Hop, pin," Hopper panted as he bounced along the ground, now arriving at the canyon. It was more of an underground tunnel, which had a large crack running along the top to let in the light. A large hole lead to a small slope leading into the canyon. "Pin..." he gulped at the encroaching darkness.

"Don't worry Hopper, I'll be with you the hole time. This camera's supposed to have night vision, so I'll see what you can't."

"Hop," Hopper nodded before heading down the slope into the cave, the darkness already covering his vision. As for Flash, he now saw that the targets were all hanging from the ceiling.

Mic: "In the canyon, racers will need to get up high for their trainers to get in range of the targets."

"No problem!" Flash said as Hopper bounced into the darkness, the visor switching to show night vision. "Alright, the first target's right ahead of you. There's a large rock under it that you can use."

"HOP!" He yelled, leaping onto the rock before bouncing into the air. Once at the top of his arc, he heard the laser move before Flash fired.

"Got it! Nice one Hopper!" He added as Hopper landed, Flash now giving him directions as they continued.

But despite being in first, Flash knew they were far from being victorious. Every time Flash's points increased, Track's points went up as well. He had stayed at the lake to build points, believing his Pokémon had the speed to catch up later. And as Hopper reached the halfway mark of the canyon, Forretress arrived at the entrance and carefully slid down until it reached the bottom. There, it started jumping up and down so its trainer could hit the targets. But as about a minute passed, the rest of the pack arrived and ran inside the tunnel.

Then it happened.

Forretress was a third of the way inside, leaping up again so its trainer could hit the target. But as it flew down, it didn't notice Blitzle and Delcatty in the cave's darkness, landing onto both and pinning them into the dirt. Delcatty let out a high-pitched meow while Blitzle neighed out in pain, the lightning bolt shaped horn on its head suddenly beginning to glow. Before they could react, Blitzle unleashed a Discharge attack, zapping Forretress, Delcatty and a few other Pokémon that had been unlucky enough to get too close.

"FOR!" Forretress cried in pain, only to start glowing as well. The light filled the canyon, catching every non-zapped Pokémon's attention as they realized what was about to happen.

"MOVE!" Flash told Hopper, the little one double-timing it toward the exit as they decided to forget about the targets. He just reached the slope leading up to the cave mouth when-

KABOOM!

Everyone gasped at the sight, now seeing the cave completely collapse in on itself.

Mic: "HOLY MAGIKARP! Forretress's explosion attack has caused a cave-in, burying the racers!"

Hopper's friends all went wide-eyed, jaw-dropping as they saw a blast of smoke cover the canyon area. Shine began to whimper out as Twilight held her close, everyone staring at the megascreen as they saw the smoke begin to clear. But as it did this, one Pokémon emerged from the fog.

"YES!" They all cheered, seeing Hopper bouncing along the road again. It appeared that the force of the explosion had thrown Hopper out of the cave.

Mic: "Looks like the little guy is safe and ready to win. And don't worry about the rest of the racers folks, their equipment all have monitors to show us their conditions. They're all fine, if a little bruised. But it looks like Hoppin's now running unopposed-WAIT! What's that?!"

Everyone watched as the screen changed back to the caved-in canyon. Running at high speed atop the rocks that were once the canyon's roof, Manectric was zooming ahead.

Mic: "Now that's what I'm talking about! The race is back on, as it looks like Manectric's previous fall behind was a blessing in disguise! It was saved from being buried, and is now making up the distance. But with the targets all buried, it won't be able to get any more points this round."

"That's fine," Track said from within his booth, glancing at the board to see he was one point ahead of Flash. "If that little twerp is the only one left, this race is mine."

As he said this, Hopper was starting to pant as he continued down the road, his little legs now feeling some scrapes and scratches from the explosion. He could feel true pressure in his feet now, sweat dripping down his head. But as he continued to hop along, a burst of speed suddenly shot past him.

"Hop?!" he yelped, only to see Manectric run ahead.

"Later loser!" Manectric said in its own language before adding an extra burst of speed, a gust of wind flying out from the charge, smacking Hopper in the face with enough force to send him flying back.

"HOP!" He cried as he hit the dirt with his back, making him bounce back before slumping to a stop. He felt his exhaustion consume him, making him let out a weak whine, "Hop..."

"Hopper, you okay?" Flash asked as he saw Hoppin slowly begin to pick himself up, seeing the fleeing image of his opponent get further away. Once he was back on his feet, Hopper started to run again, bouncing as hard as he could...only to see he could not catch up to Manectric now. The sight made Flash frown, taking a deep breath before slowly saying into the microphone, "Hopper, it's okay. You don't have to push yourself. You've already done more than anyone expected of you. No matter what, you've made me proud."

Back on the track, Hopper shined the biggest smile at those words. Happiness was showing on his face as he yelled out, "Hoppin!" He then began to hop more and more, feeling his physical limits fade away as the memories of his friends made him forget his aching muscles and lack of breath. He knew they would always be there for him, his efforts not going to waste as he roared, "HOP!"

Mic: "Now that's a thing of beauty. Despite knowing he has almost no hope of victory, Hoppin refuses to call it quits. A true sportsmon!"

Flash pulled his visor off and stared at the screen, seeing the drone lock on Hopper. He saw the look on his face, one he had learned from Flash, Springer and the rest of their team. The look that said, 'I'll never give up'.

It was here that he remembered something he had said back at the summer camp. 'Win or lose, both are better than giving up before it's over'. Flash shined a huge grin at this, glad Hopper had taken that to heart. "Go bud! Keep going until you win!"

And as those words left Flash's mouth, his friends were cheering the same statements.

"You can do it!" Twilight almost screamed.

"WIN THIS!" Spike yelled.

"We believe in you!" Doc added.

Speed nodded in agreement, "Dig deep and find the strength you need!"

"RIO/GUST/TORE/LEAF/CARRR/WAGON/TAA!"

Despite being well out of earshot, Hopper could hear his friends' cries of support. His body tightened as he felt the feeling of not giving up, knowing that no matter what, he wouldn't lose. He wouldn't let his friends down. "HOPPIN!" Hopper screamed before his body was suddenly consumed by a white light.

Everyone gasped at the sight, Hopper's glowing body slowly beginning to shift and morph as he bounced along. Halfway through the change, the hopping stopped as the new figure began running on a pair of newly grown legs. And as this happened, the light faded to show a new being. This new Pokémon was like a small T-Rex covered in purple and white fur. Its nose, hands, feet, chest and the tip of its fuzzy tail were white while the rest of it was light purple. The Pokémon also had a pair of pointed ears that had two black stripes on them and ended with a black tip. On its back were a pair of tiny black bat-wings, far to small to allow it flight, and on its forehead was the dragon marking Hopper previously had. The new Pokémon opened its eyes, which were now laser-focused, "RUSH!"

Twilight gasped as she muttered out, "Hopper just-"

"Evolved into Velocirush!" Speed finished.

Mic: "WOW! Can you believe it!? Hoppin has evolved into Velocirush, right in the middle of the race!"

In his booth, Flash almost dropped his visor as he stared at the image on his screen before taking out his Pokedex.

Name: Velocirush
Category: High-Speed Pokémon
Type: Normal
Info: The evolved form of Hoppin. Its powerful leg muscles allow it to reach speeds of sixty miles per hour. The wings on its back are too small for flight, and are instead used to make turning at high speed easier.

"Awesome!" Flash cheered before putting his visor back on, the laser now back online and attached to Hopper's back. "Hopper, you're amazing!"

"Rush!" He heard Hopper roar, turning to focus on Manectric.

"That's my partner! Let's win this!"

"VELOCIRUSH!" Hopper exclaimed, suddenly going from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. His new legs blasted him ahead, his body morphing into a purple blur with a trail of dust shooting out behind him.

Mic: "Holy Tauros! Talk about acceleration! Velocirush is tearing down the track, quickly closing the distance between it and Manectric!"

"That is fast!" Spike added, the Pokémon all cheering Hopper on.

Doc shook his head, "That's not just his natural speed Spike. Seems evolving has made Hopper learn Quick Attack."

Speed nodded again, "This is match just got a whole lot closer."

In his booth, Track turned his scanner around. He then saw Hopper coming up fast, making him growl, "I won't lose this." He spun around, now seeing the final load of targets coming up, then looked at the points board one more time. "I'm one ahead. I get 'em all, I win!"

And when they reached the target area, Hopper was only a few feet behind them. Track spotted the first target and fired, only for Flash to hit it as well. The two began to hitting every target, staying at the same numbers as Manectric held the lead.

But then they drew close to a tight turn. Manectric growled at this, making it slow down to avoid losing control. And as it did this, it looked to see Hopper do the same...only for Hopper's wings to twitch and shift. The sight made Manectric yelp, "Trick?" He now saw Hopper move like a mighty ostrich, his wings stabilizing him as he curved around the corner.

The two Pokémon were now neck and neck as they entered another long stretch of road, Manectric accelerating as soon as it cleared the bend, only to find It was unable to retake the lead. Instead, they were side by side, now seeing another rock field ahead. Flash and Track quickly directed their Pokémon to take different approaches for the boulders, Manectric slowing down as Hopper simply leapt up and hopped up onto the rocks with ease as his wings helped him stay level.

Mic: "AMAZING! Both Pokémon are getting through the obstacles in their own unique way, but which one will prove the superior technique?!"

The two continued to make their way through and as they reached the end, Flash and Track both spotting the final target atop the very last rock. Both Pokémon quickly made their way, the trainers' screen shaking rapidly as they took aim. And as they got in range and leapt past it, they fired.

Lasers flew at the target as the Pokémon zipped by, only for one to find its mark. Flash and Track turned to the score, both going wide-eyed as they saw only one had changed. And they weren't the only ones noticing this.

Mic: "YOW! Track missed while Flash got it. Now their points are all tied up and twenty-nine a piece. It's up to the Pokémon now, the first one cross the line is taking the win!"

Flash and Track both pulled off their visors and ran out their pods, running over to the track as they went over to the divider. It was here that they turned to see a pair of dust clouds approaching.

"Come on!" Flash yelled.

"Get the lead out!" Track roared.

Hopper and Manectric were still neck and neck, both using Quick Attack to push their bodies to the limit. The goal got closer and closer, the race only seconds from ending. Everyone around the two was in slow motion, the cheers sounding deep and slow as a lot of the audience were hovering in an air mid-jump.

Hopper took this moment to look over at Flash, seeing the biggest grin he had ever seen on his face. He then glanced over at his friends, seeing all of them smiling with pride. It was at this moment that he knew what it meant to be Flash's Pokémon. No matter what happened now, Hopper wouldn't be ashamed. He took one final moment to glance at Menectric, who was also staring at him, before focusing back on the finish line.

Back in real-time, everyone watched as the two Pokémon blasted past them and through the finish line before both coming to a skidding halt.

Mic: "IT'S OVER! A photo finish!"

"So who won?!" Track screamed, "Tell us!"

Everyone stared at the megascreen as it showed the frozen image of Hopper and Manectric from above. They were only a few inches away from the finish line, the video moving one frame a second as the two got closer. It then zoomed up on the two's snouts as they got within inches of the line, only to show one of them going over it.

Mic: "WE HAVE A WINNER! Taking first place in this year's Shoot Race, HOPPER!"

"YES!" Flash roared as he jumped up into the air, his friends all cheering at the top of their voices. At the same time, Track slumped over, completely devastated at the event.

As this happened, Hopper stared at the image of him on screen, the word 'winner' now underneath him. "Vel..." he whispered.

"HOPPER!" He turned to see his trainer jump over the barrier, running over to him. "You won!" He screamed in his mad dash.

Hopper couldn't help but smile at his trainer's smile, breaking out into tears as he ran to him. "RUSH!" Hopper leapt into Flash's arms, pulling him into a hug.

"You're amazing." He pulled away and put him on the ground, giving him a proper look over. "And you evolved! You look so cool now." Hopper blushed at the compliment, his tail wagging as Flash began to hug him again.

While this happened, Track moved over to Manectric. The lightning wolf looked sad at its loss, Track placing a hand on his head. "You did great buddy. They were just a little faster, that's all." Manectric went up and nuzzled into his trainer's chest, Track patting his head now, "Its okay, I'm not mad." Track then turned to Flash and Hopper, the two glancing at him, "You were great," he moved over and held out a hand. "I'm not so arrogant that I can't admit someone's a worthy foe."

Flash shook the hand with a smile, "Same." Hopper then walked over to Manectric, the Electric-type expecting him to gloat. But instead, Hopper held out one of his new hands, Manectric blinking at it before deciding to shake it. The two former foes now felt true mutual respect for the other, formed from going all out against one another.

"FLASH!" They turned to see Flash's friends running up, the Pokémon gathering around Hopper while the others moved over to Flash. "YOU WERE AWESOME!" Spike yelled, stars sparkling in his eyes.

"I can't believe Hopper evolved," Twilight added. "And so quickly after hatching."

Flash shined a huge grin, turning to see the rest of his Pokémon cheering on Hopper over his evolution. Shine then became fascinated with his tail, Hopper smirking before spinning around and getting it in his mouth. Shine cheered at this, clapping her front hooves together.

Speed laughed at the sight, "It seems to me that he was drawing from a different source of strength, which allowed him to evolve."

"A different source?" Doc asked, Speed chuckling at their confusion.

"Legends speak of Hoppin and their evolved forms. It's said that they can draw power from those around them. The more friends they have, the faster they can grow in strength in order to protect them."

Everyone looked back at Hopper, about to wonder about what that meant about Hopper, only for Present Mic to rush over with several reporters. They grabbed Flash and Hopper, pulling them to the winner's circle to be presented a trophy and a year's supply of Pokémon food. They felt a little cheated when they saw the amount and realized the year's supply only covered one Pokémon, but it would sure put less strain on their wallets for a while.

And after many photos, questions and even a few offers for endorsements, everyone left the race area. The group were now at the outskirts of town, Speed, Track and their Pokémon there to see them off. "Well," Speed commented as he used his walking stick to point down the road, "This path should lead you straight to Dodge Junction."

"Thanks. Well, we'd better be off then."

"Sure," Track nodded before turning to Flash and Hopper. "But you two better be here next year. I'm gonna settle the score."

Flash pumped his fists, "You can count on us."

"Rush!" Hopper barked in agreement.

Speed laughed back, "You know, you two have a lot of promise as racers. Ever considered making a career out of it?"

Flash shook his head, "Thanks, but no thanks. Maybe someday I'll take more interest in the sport, but right now I just wanna focus on being the strongest trainer I can be."

"Rush," Hopper added, wagging his tail in agreement.

"If that's what you want," Speed replied before doing a small nod, "But if you ever change your mind, I'll be here waiting to help train you." The others nodded back before heading off, Manectric and Arcanine howling as they walked off while waving back at the town.

What was meant to be a quick pitstop evolved into a high speed race that resulted in Hopper's further growth. Now a Velocirush, one can only wonder what'll happen next for the no longer tiny Pokémon. As the journey continues.

The Last Roundup

View Online

Our story opens with Flash, Springer and his newly evolved Hopper running down the road. The three had just got to the top of a hill, smiles on their faces as they now glanced down at their destination: Dodge Junction.

The town didn't look like much, appearing as something you would see in an old western movie. The houses were simple, all wooden and built in a bottle pattern. The first six houses after the entrance were set up in a straight line of two rows of three, built side by side in perfect parallel. After that, the positioning of the houses became curved, forming a circle, showing there were only two other exits out of town. The first exit was to the left, leading to a path that led to a large orchard filled with trees that had pink leaves. As for the other, you would need to go straight, this exit going right into the Grand Desert.

Flash stared at the long, endless land in front of him. True to its name, it was grand, as sand covered the horizon. No matter how hard Flash tried, he couldn't see to the other side, his memory now trying to think back to one of Twilight's lectures. All he could remember was useless factoids, only for a faint memory to ping, telling him that the average person could only see approximately three of four miles away. That face made him sigh, knowing that the journey into the desert was going to be long since he couldn't see anything but sand.

After all, somewhere in the center of that desert was Appaloosa City, the location of the next Pokémon Gym Challenge.

"We're almost there..." Flash commented while Springer and Hopper both smiled.

"Flash!" He turned around to see his friends now coming up the hill, all looking winded as they reached him, "Did you...have to...run off...like that?!" Twilight gasped, bent over and holding her stomach.

Flash just laughed back, "Sorry. Guess I got a little overexcited. But since Hopper can run so fast now, he really wants to cut loose."

"Rush!" Hopper barked happily, running in place so fast he started kicking up dust.

"Okay, that's fair." Doc coughed as he waved the dust away, "But at least give us a heads up next time."

Flash gave another apology as Spike stared out at the desert, "So that's where we're heading?"

"Yup," Twilight replied as they headed down, "It might look barren, but it's filled with many oases that we can rest at. We'll get everything we need here and head out tomorrow. I already have a map loaded to my journal that'll have us zigzag to multiple water sources. Luckily, we won't be having any WiFi issues either."

They then arrived at the town's entrance, soon seeing a shop a feet buildings away. "There. We'll need to buy some extra water bottles, maybe some masks and goggles in case of a sandstorm and possibly more."

"Alright, let's get to shopping." Doc added as they went into the store. They soon found out that it was a rental shop, allowing them to borrow equipment and give it back to a sister store in either Appaloosa or on the other far side of the desert. The group then bought extra bottles, goggles and masks, but also got water purification tablets, candles, loud whistles, post-it notes and a series of balloons that came with a small bottle of helium.

By the time they exited the store, their bags felt much heavier. "You sure we need all this stuff?" Spike grunted, fearing he was gonna have back issues by the end of this trip.

Doc chuckled and shook is head, "It's better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it."

Spike was about to retort, only for a new voice to speak up, "He's right you know." They all turned to see a man who was roughly Professor Celestia's age with red eyes, gray skin and black hair. He was wearing a white shirt with a red vest and tie under a black jacket with black pants. "Many foolish travellers have gone into that desert, only to meet their ends due to being unprepared."

Twilight let out a gasp before smiling, "Oh my goodness! Mr. Sombra!" she ran over as her smile increased, "It's so nice to see you again. I haven't seen you since we met at the Bales Town Library!"

"Agreed. And its good to see you too, young miss," Sombra nodded before turning to the boys. "These your friends?" Twilight quickly responded by introducing them all, the boys giving their names with a wave. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Sombra."

Doc's eyes went wide at hearing this. "As in Sombra, the famous entrepreneur and business man? Investor and partial owner of over a hundred business in Equestria?"

"It just hit a hundred and fifty," Sombra chuckled before winking, "And yes, I'm that Sombra."

"Wow..." everyone whispered, Spike then asking, "So what are you doing out here?" He then turned around, making sure not to offend anyone around before adding, "I don't think there's a lot of places you'd want to invest in around here."

"There is one. I own a share in the Cherry Hill Ranch," he pointed over to the exit leading to the forest of pink trees. "Me and the owner meet up every year to go over the books and discuss what can be done to improve things and increase profits."

"Cherry Hill Ranch?" Flash asked.

"Think of it like Sweet Apple Acres, only their main source of income are cherries instead of apples." Twilight replied while pulling out her journal, "Not only that, but they also make a wide array of cherry based treats that they send all over Equestria. Bakewell Tarts, scones, jams, cakes..." Flash, Spike and their Pokémon all started to drool, their stomachs declaring mutiny on the rest of their bodies to take control. "Oh, and their famous dish known as the...cherry-changa?"

"Cherry what?" Doc asked, Sombra laughing at their reaction.

"Mashed up cherries in a tortilla that's deep fried, made with or without orange zest and silver almonds and topped with powered sugar. It's one of the sweetest treats you'll ever enjoy, and its something I look forward too every time I come."

Spike let out a mindless moan as he imagined it, turning to his sister. "Can we go?! Please?!"

"I don't know," Twilight replied, showing a big frown. "It'd be rude to just walk up there and ask to make us a bunch of different stuff."

"Oh please," Sombra told her with a wave. "You'd be welcomed with open arms. Cherry Jubilee is one of the most hospitable women I've ever met in the Equestria Region. Come, you can be my guests." He turned around and started to walk away, Spike and the Pokémon letting out excited laughs as they followed.

"Oh well," Flash shrugged before following.

"If he's offering," Doc did the same with Twilight sighing.

"Alright..."

They all headed down the road, now finding that Cherry Hill Ranch was up a hill. And as they arrived outside of the orchard, Sombra showed a confused look on his face. "That's odd," he checked his watch. "We're on time and Cherry's never tardy."

"Maybe she got busy making all those delicious desserts and lost track of time," Spike suggested with a lick of his lips. The five and their Pokémon walked into the ranch, only to find...no one around.

"Does this highly profitable farm seem a little...understaffed?" Doc asked.

Twilight nodded in agreement, "Yeah. No workers...not even any Pokémon that might be working."

"The ranch is mainly human run," Sombra added, "How strange...why aren't they here?"

"Well it's not like they have any reason to be," Flash responded, everyone turning to him as he pointed at the farm, "Look at the trees." They followed his finger, now seeing the pink trees didn't have a single cherry left in the foliage. They were completely bare.

Sombra did a long gulp, "Now I'm worried."

"Why?" Twilight asked.

"Every year that I come, it's right before they start picking the cherries. It's like clockwork. If the trees are empty right now, that can only mean two things. One, they picked them early, which isn't a good sign...or two, something else has picked them." Everyone grew tense at the words, knowing they might not like the answer. "Let's head to the ranch house. There should be someone inside to tell us what's going on."

The others nodded and followed him through the orchard. But as they got about halfway into the walk, Peewee's head went up and sniffed the air, "What's up bud?" Spike asked, Peewee answering by jumping off his shoulder and flying off. "Peewee! Come back!" He quickly ran after him, the others following until they found him staring at a tree stump.

They all blinked at another sight as they got there, seeing a plate of cherries on the piece of wood. The cherries were both red and yellow, just sitting there, waiting for anyone to take. "What the heck?" Flash asked.

"How strange," Sombra commented as they all gathered around it. The stump was surrounded by a loud of tall grass, which went halfway to their knees as they entered it. "Why would Cherry leave a plate of perfectly good product just sitting here?"

"Eh, who cares," Spike licked his lips before he, Peewee, Hopper and Springer reached for them. "Let's just enjoy-" But as he got close to the plate, Sombra went wide-eyed as he saw something in the grass.

"Spike, NO!" He tried to stop him, but it was too later. Spike grabbed a cherry, only to hear a loud clinking noise. Before they could react, a large net snatched them, quickly pulling them up into the air. A second later, they were dangling from one of the tree branches while trapped within the large net.

"Great..." Twilight moaned, "This is what you get for thinking with your stomach."

"Sorry," Spike responded.

"Let's just get out of this thing," Flash added, "Springer, Hopper, can either of you get us out?" The two started to bit/chew out of the rope, only to find it to be a slow process.

"I could have Peewee burn through the net," Spike suggested.

"No! That'd set the whole thing on fire!" Doc barked back. "And burn us to a crisp in the process!"

"Oh."

"Let's just stay calm," Sombra told them. "We'll find a way out. We just have to-"

"I gotcha, yah flithy varmits!" They heard a female voice cry, making them look down to see a woman with cream colored skin and hair that was two different shades of red. She had a mole on her left cheek and was wearing a green summer dress that had the image of two cherries on the side. The woman was running up to the net with a look of glee on her face, only for it to vanish as she saw her capture

"Hello Ms. Jubilee," Sombra said through the net, the woman looking like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Mr. Sombra!" She rushed over with a knife, cutting the rope soon after, "Ah'm so sorry." She then cut the bottom, making everyone fall into a painful heap as Jubilee winced. "Sorry a-geen."

Sombra picked himself up as he responded, "Jubilee, what's going on? Where is everyone? Why are the trees all bare?"

"Oh Mr. Sombra, it's just awful. The whole ranch is infested."

"Infested by what?" Flash asked as he and his friends picked themselves up. Jubilee opened her mouth to respond, only for a loud bang and whizzing noise to fill the air. Everyone turned to the source and saw a flare shoot up from a short distance away, Jubilee gasping.

"They're back!" She began to run off, the others giving chase after her. It wasn't long till they got to where the flare came from, now seeing a bunch of men running around while carrying buckets of cherries. But it was what was chasing them that caught their attention.

"Instick!" Twilight cried, everyone seeing hundreds of the stick insect Pokémon scurrying about the place. Some were chasing the workers while others were in the trees, snacking on the few berries that were left.

"No!" Jubilee screamed, seeing her livelhood being stolen.

"We have to do something!" Twilight cried.

"I'm on it," Flash pulled out a Pokeball. "A quick Flamethrower should scare them off."

"NO!" Jubilee yelled as she swung her arms in front of the teen, "You can't! This area is so dry, a single ember could turn into a raging wildfire before we could hope to stop it!"

Flash growled at this, putting the ball away. "Alright, then we'll do this the hard way. Springer, Hopper, Extreme Speed and Quick Attack!" The two shot ahead, Springer's body sparking with blue lightning while using his momentum to knock the Instick away. Springer punched and kicked the Bug-types while Hopper slammed them with his tail, the two making quick work of the swarm.

The two swept through the orchard, knocking the Instick into one large huddle. And once the last one was knocked into the pile, the two landed on either side before spinning around it. This caused a tornado to form, throwing the Instick into the air and blasting them out of the orchard. Once they were all gone, Springer and Hopper came to a stop and started panting.

"Nice work guys," Flash told them, patting both on the head.

"That won't stop'em," Jubilee added. "They'll be back, either tomorrow or the next day."

"I assume this the infestation you were talking about," Sombra asked.

Jubilee nodded in response, "Yes. It's been happening for the last few days now." She turned around gestured to the group to follow, "Come with me to the house. Ah'll explain everything there." The others nodded and followed, introducing themselves as they arrived at the ranch house as they saw the workers they had saved entering a barn with large buckets in hand.

Once inside, she led them to a table and sat down before pulling a large jug of pink liquid from her fridge. "Cherryade?" Everyone nodded at the offer, Jubilee pouring each a glass.

"So what exactly is going on here?" Sombra asked first.

"Ah wish ah knew," Jubilee grumbled as she sat down. "We've always seen the odd Instick every now and then around this time of year. We never minded them resting here or enjoying the odd cherry or two...but a few days ago, they started swarming the place. They'd come from the desert, gobble up a whole section of the orchard, then leave until the next day. If this keeps up, ah won't have enough cherries to sell. Cherry Hill Ranch will be doomed."

"That's awful," Twilight whispered.

"Why don't you stop them?" Flash asked, Cherry shaking her head in response.

"Ah'm a business women. Ah've never been in a Pokémon battle before, and none of mah workers own any kind of Pokémon. Even if ah called for some to come help, by the time they git here, the trees would be bearer than an Grizzor."

Sombra sighed while rubbing his chin, "This isn't good. We need to stop them before they destroy the ranch."

"So what do we do?" Doc asked, Sombra standing up to look out the window.

"We find them and end this," he replied before turning to Jubilee. "You still have that jeep?" She nodded, "Good. We'll head out tomorrow and find where they're staying."

"Then what?" Flash asked.

"Then, we drive them away and make sure they never come back."

The others almost went wide-eyed at that, Jubilee replying, "Don't yah think that's a little extreme?"

"You want to save your ranch, don't you? This is how we do it." Jubilee shrunk back at the question, making Sombra shake his head, "Ms. Jubilee...this is the way the Pokémon World works. For centuries, humans had to live in fear of Pokémon. They were so powerful and we were just...weak. All we could do was bow to their whims, praying they wouldn't see fit to destroy us. Because of this, we humans invented Pokeballs so mankind would have the power to claim Pokémon as their own. Now, we're able to reshape the world the way we see. And those with the strongest Pokémon have the most say about how that world is shaped." He turned back to them, "That is how our world works. Remember that."

Everyone exchanged glances at this, frowns on each face. The lecture made them squirm, the viewpoint being a bit too dark for the group. Flash was biting his lip at this, knowing he saw Pokémon as partners and family. But despite this, Flash stood up and declared, "Alright, we'll help you out."

"We will?" Spike asked, Flash nodding back.

"Ms. Jubilee's in trouble, and we need to help her. Besides, who knows what'll happen to Equestria if the ranch goes under."

"He's right," Doc added, "We should help."

Sombra shined a confident grin, "Excellent. We'll head out first thing tomorrow. You all might want to get an early night."

Jubilee sighed as she stood up, "Come along, ah'll show you to the guest rooms. If ya'll gonna help, might as well let yah stay the night." Everyone nodded and followed Ms. Jubilee, Sombra remaining in the kitchen.

"We're really gonna help drive them away?" Spike asked the others.

"Hopefully not," Twilight replied, "First, we have to see if we can find out why the Instick are attacking. Something must have changed for them to act like that."

"I just don't want get into an argument with Sombra," Doc finished. "He's not someone you wanna cross." Spike nodded back, all doing a small glance back at Sombra.

That night...

As the sun set below the desert's horizon, the temperature began to drop. Many nocturnal Pokémon chose this moment to come out, most preferring the cooler atmosphere alongside the safety of the shadows. This did not include the Instick, who were scurrying across the sand while hoping to get home. They were all groaning after being dropped by that tornado, their hunger draining their strength.

Now they were limping across the desert, seeing their home just a little ways away. It was a large collection of cherry trees, a bit smaller than Jubilee's orchard. They scuttled up to the trees' branches, not going any further than the first tree of the outer line.

It wasn't long till they started to go to sleep, knowing they would have a long journey tomorrow. But as they did this, the sound of heavy footsteps suddenly rang out. They all opened their eyes and looked down at the forest floor, seeing a bulky figure hidden by the darkness trod through the trees.

The figure stopped and glared up at them, the Instick all trying to camouflage themselves into the trees while staying perfectly still. A long growl escaped the being's breath, only to walk away, its shadow disappearing into the forest.

Seeing the threat gone, the Instick all sighed in relief, soon drifting to sleep as they tried to keep watch from the looming monster that had just left.

The next morning...

As soon as the sun was up, the group were climbing into Jubilee's jeep before heading into the desert, everyone armed with binoculars while looking out at the endless sandy environment.

"Anything?" Twilight asked the others.

"Nope, nothing yet."

"Nothing on my side too," Spike added.

"None on mine-wait! I think I see something." Doc announced as everyone turned to him, now seeing a speck of pink in the distance. "Think that might be it?"

"Its worth checking out," Sombra said before turning to nod at Jubilee. She quickly spun the jeep's steering wheel, soon speeding toward the pink speck. It wasn't long till they arrived, finding it to be a small cheery orchard in the middle of the desert.

They soon park up in front of the trees, getting out of the jeep as Twilight whispered, "Amazing..."

"How the heck can a cherry orchard grow in the middle of a desert?" Spike asked, Jubilee giggling.

"Ah recon ah can gander a guess. Mah family's ranch started when mah great great gran-gran wandered into this here desert. She was on a pilgrimage, trying to discover what to do with her life. Then one day, a great sandstorm blew away her food, water and tent, leaving her stranded with no idea how to get home. That's when she eyeballed a bunch of trees in the distance, though she thought it was a mirage. Even so, she chose to follow it and eventually found a desert spring, surrounded by several cherry trees. She stayed there and ate the fruit, drank from the lake and regained her strength. Once she was ready to head home, she took the seeds from the cherries she had eaten and planted half of 'em before taking the other half with her. Those cherries grew into mah families ranch, and it looks like the ones she planted grew into this."

"Amazing," Twilight repeated before looking down at the sand, now noticing how damp it was. "That spring must be strong if it can hydrate the sand enough to allow these plants to grow."

"It would also explain why the Instick are determined to eat your cherries," Doc added. "If this is where they live, they must be used to only eating cherries."

"But why take mah cherries when they've got their own?" Jubilee asked.

"You could always ask them," Flash responded as they pointed up at the trees, everyone else looking up too see a swarm of Instick in the branches.

The stick insect Pokémon where all glaring at them, only for Sombra to yell out, "Instick! Why have you been attacking the Cherry Hill Ranch? You've obviously lived here long enough to grow accustomed to the fruit's flavor, so why leave a place that's safe and well stocked with food to steal from Ms Jubilee?" The Instick said nothing, just long glares. "Answer me!"

It was then that one of the Instick jumped down, gesturing to follow before walking away. Blinking at the sight, Spike turned to others, "What's it doing?"

"Maybe it's showing us why they're all doing this," Twilight replied, "Maybe something happened so they can't get food here anymore."

"That would explain why this place is so bare," Doc added as he pointed at the trees, all of them devoid of the fruit. "Come on, let's follow it."

All nodding, they followed after the Instick, soon going into the forest. And after five minutes or so passed, the Instick came to a stop, the others doing the same. "Stick," it pointed ahead, the others going ahead, only to find themselves in a clearing with a small oasis spring. The water inside looked pure, the many bushes around it showing great health. Beside the lake was a large pile of red and yellow cherries, all seemingly picked from that very forest.

"I don't get it," Spike commented, "What are we supposed to be looking at?"

"Not sure," Doc continued, "Something must have-"

"POUND!" They all flinched at the sudden yell, the group jumping into the safety of the trees as a being came out of the back of the cherry pile. The group blinked at the new sight, seeing it to be a Pokémon that looked eerily similar to one they had seen before.

It was a four and a half foot tall humanoid with orange skin. The monster had a bald round head with a large black curved horn coming out of its forehead with a bunch of smaller spikes running down its behind to give it a mohawk appearance. The skin around its eyes were black while its wrists, hands, feet and ankles appeared to be wrapped in white bandages that went all the way up to its knees and elbows. The final distinguishing part of it were the black sleeveless hooded jacket it wore, which had an orange trim around the hood, shoulders and zipper.

"POUND!" It roared, everyone quickly realising it was actually yawning. The Pokémon began to stretch its body, rubbing its eyes and even scratching its butt.

"What is that thing?" Jubilee asked as they hid behind the trees.

"It looks like a Scrapow," Spike added.

"That's because it's Scrapow's evolved form," Doc finished as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Scrapound
Category: Street Fighter Pokémon
Type: Fighting/Dark
Info: The evolved form of Scrapow. They test their strength through all out battle royales. They're well known for fighting dirty in order to win, caring nothing of honor or respect.

"Why do we keep finding this Pokémon family in places they're not supposed to be?" Twilight hissed, only for Flash to shake his head.

"We'll worry about that later," Flash put his Pokedex away. "It's clear this thing's the cause of the Instick attacking the ranch." Scrapound took this moment to grab a handful of cherries and throw them in its mouth. "It's stolen their home and all their food."

"That's horrible," Jubilee whispered, "That's what's been happening to those Instick? Why would that varmit being do this?"

"That's just the way the world works," Sombra replied, sighing with crossed arms, "The strong take from the weak. Then the weak can either try to fight back and be defeated, or find a way to live with the change that occur."

The others frowned at his response, only for Flash to stand up with a long glare at Scrapound, "Or option C: Someone else who's strong can help the weak." Flash then walked into the clearing and yelled, "Hey, Scrapound!" The Dark Fighting-type turned to him, "You need to go! This isn't your home, so get lost before I'm forced to make you!"

"Scrap?" Scrapound raised an eyebrow, only to start laughing before turning to sit back against the cherry pile.

Flash growled before pointing at it, "Get him Springer!" The Riolu shot out of the trees, using Extreme Speed to zip right up to the creature. Scrapound opened an eye and saw him coming, watching as Springer spun forward to deal a flying side kick. But before it could land, Scrapound leapt to the side, making Springer land into the pile of cherries.

"Scrap," Scrapound chuckled as he got to his feet, Springer growling as he pulled himself out of the pile.

"Alright bud, use Aura Sphere!" Springer jumped to his feet and began forming the orb in his hands. But before he could finish, Scrapound suddenly shot forward and slammed him in the gut.

"Ri!" He cried as he was sent flying back, slamming into a nearby tree.

"SPRINGER!" Flash yelled in shock, the others gasping.

"That was Sucker Punch!" Doc commented.

"Come on Springer!" Twilight called out, "Get up!" As the Riolu worked to pick himself up, Scrapound walked over while cracking his knuckles. He lifted the hood up over its head, showing it was ready to get serious.

"Loss!" Hopper ran up as it took a deep breath, Flash nodding in response.

"Alright Hopper, use Screech!" Everyone covered their ears as Hopper readied his mouth.

"VELOCIRUSH!" He unleashed a powerful scream that hit Scrapound, making him stagger back while trying to cover his ears.

"Now, Drain Punch and Quick Attack!" The two ran forward, Hopper faster than Springer, ready to launch their attacks on the disorientated Scrapound. But as Hopper got close, Scrapound's eyes opened and he raised his arms, crossing them to block Hopper's high-speed headbutt. This pushed him away before side-stepping Springer's Drain Punch.

"Screech and Drain Punch!" Hopper prepared to let out another scream, only for Scrapound to spin around with a left purple glowing punch. The hand chopped into Hopper's throat, making him cry out as he was sent backward. Scrapound smirked before spinning again, throwing another Sucker Punch.

The attack connected with Springer's Drain Punch, the force knocking both back a good distance as Hopper picked himself up. "Rush..." he said weakly before trying to use Screech, only for a sudden pain in his throat made him wince in pain, making him clutch his neck.

"That's not good."

"Scrapound's Throat Chop stopped Velocirush from using Screech," Sombra commented, rubbing his chin at the sight. As he watched, he stared at Flash, seeing the determination on his face. His mind raced as he watched Flash help his Pokémon up, 'I don't understand. Why is he doing this? He doesn't owe the Instick anything...weren't we just going to get rid of the Instick?'

"Come on guys!" Flash told his Pokémon, "We can't let this bully get the better of us." The two Pokémon got back into their fighting stances, but Scrapound just let out a yawn. The next thing they knew, Scrapound shot over to Hopper and hit him with another Sucker Punch.

"RUSH!" He was sent flying back, hitting another tree as Scrapound turned toward Springer.

"Aura Sphere!" Springer tossed the orb at the Scrapound as it started charging, but Scrapound just backhanded the attack before it reached Springer.

The Riolu didn't have time to react as his opponent's whole body tensed up. "Scrap..." in a fraction of a second, Scrapound unleashed a barrage of quick and deadly attacks. "Pound, pound, pound, pound, pound, pound, pound, pound!"

"RIOLU!" Springer cried as the onslaught overwhelmed him.

"SPRINGER!" Flash cried as he watched Scrapound stop his flailing attacks before spinning around and smashing its foot into Springer's stomach, sending him flying backward. Flash quickly got behind him, catching the Riolu, only to flown back as well.

"Augh!" He cried as he landed on his butt, not caring for the pain as he looked down at his partner, "You okay bud?"

"Ri..." Springer moaned in a half-conscious way, Flash frowning as he looked over and saw Hopper was no better.

"Scrap!" He turned back to see Scrapound punching his fist into his hand with a sinister smile on his face.

"Flash, get out of there!" Twilight cried as Scrapound ran at him with another Sucker Punch ready.

"FLASH!" Everyone screamed as Flash turned away from Scrapound, clutching Springer in an attempt to protect him.

And as he waited for pain...it never came.

"POUND!" Flash spun back around, seeing Scrapound fall back with a yelp. The cause of the sudden attack then landed between him and Flash, the teen looking up and gasping at the sight.

It was a Pokémon that was humanoid in shape, looking like a walking suit of dark gray and black armor, standing at around six feet in height. The armor was also covered in red spikes, coming out of its shoulders, arms, legs and knees. The metal around its fingers were also red, while a black leather cape was connected to the back of his shoulder pads and went down to just above its feet. It's head was encased in a helmet that covered all but its eyes, which were red with green in place of white while a purple smoke came out of the sides. The helmet also had five spikes coming out the top, one large red one on the front with two smaller ones on either side of it.

Before Flash could ask where it came from, Sombra stepped out in front of him with a Pokeball in hand. "You're strong, but you still have a lot to learn." He turned back to the Pokémon, "Let's go Tyrandark!"

"Ty!" It roared as it got into a fighting stance, it red claws primed to attack as Flash ran over to the others with Springer.

"Talk about fast," Spike whispered. "Sombra called that thing out before any of us even noticed he moved."

"And he's using a Tyrandark," Doc added with a long gulp, "That's not a easy Pokémon to train." Hearing this, Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Tyrandark
Category: Shadow Tyrant Pokémon
Type: Dark
Info: This mysterious Pokémon has power over shadows and can somehow control them, allowing its Shadusk minions to have more of an advantage in battle.

"Wow...." Flash gasped as everyone watched the two humanoid Pokémon stared each other down, Sombra and Tyrandark looking calm while Scrapound growled.

"Scrap!" It charged, ready to use another Sucker Punch on Tyrandark. But the shadow tyrant's cape suddenly came to life, wrapping around its body like a cocoon as it stepped out of the sun's light and into the shadow of a nearby tree. Scrapound threw its fist forward, only to find it phase through Tyrandark. This was followed by its whole body, Scrapound hitting the ground behind Tyrandark.

"What happened?" Spike asked, Tyrandark unwrapping itself and turning to Scrapound.

"Shadow Cloak," Doc explained. "Tyrandark's ability. As long as it's not in any source of light, Physical Attacks have more chance of missing. It's a move best used at night or in dark areas like caves."

"Shadow Claw!" Sombra commanded, Tyrandark flicking its cape off it as its hands became surrounded by a blackish purple aura.

"Ty..." it shot ahead and slashed at Scrapound before it could react, "DARK!" Scrapound let out a mighty cry of pain as its back was struck. Tyrandark raised both its claws as they glowed in the shadowy aura, only to start slashing repeatedly at its opponent.

Sombra smiled at Scrapound's pained expressions, the others looked almost concerned by how much glee he was taking in it. Scrapound eventually managed to jump away from Tyrandark, rolling into the light and staying there. "Think we won't fight just because we won't have Shadow Cloak?" Sombra asked before laughing, "Tyrandark." The armored Pokémon ran ahead, Scrapound preparing a Sucker Punch. "Haze!" Before it could do anything, Tyrandark's cape wrapped around it again before it exploded into a cloud of black smoke.

It filled the clearing, blocking out the sun and darkening the area. Scrapound looked around in almost fear, his hands growing purple as it began to swing wildly. But all he hit was the air, no matter how much he tried.

"Sucker Punch!" Sombra ordered, the Scrapound hearing this and quickly trying to use Throat Chop. Unfortunately, all he felt was a powerful force slam into his face.

"Scrap!" He cried as he staggered back, only to feel something hit him from another angle. Again and again he was hit from any and all directions, the time between hits shortening until Scrapound simply felt one continuous assault.

"SCRAP!" He screamed as he swung a Sucker Punch, feeling it connect. "Pound!" he cheered, only to feel something grip his fist. "Scrap?"

The Haze then vanished, revealing Tyrandark standing there while clutching his fist in an outstretched arm. "Dark.." it hissed as it glared at him. Scrapound suddenly felt his eyes shrink as he stared at Tyrandark's eyes, now seeing no mercy or kindness within the one in front of him. Instead, the eyes in front of him were of one thing...the eyes of a monster.

"Let's end this," Sombra whispered as Tyrandark pulled Scrapound up before slamming a foot into its gut. The force sent Scrapound flying into a tree, the pile of lumbar collapsing into the ground with the Pokémon. "Good. Finish this with Phantom-"

"STOP!" Sombra and Tyrandark froze before turning to see Cherry Jubilee step out of the trees. "That's enough."

She walked past them and went to Scrapound, the beaten Pokémon cracking its eyes open to see her staring at him. But before he could react, she kneeled down and pulled a cloth out of her dress pocket before cleaning the Pokémon up, "Scrap?"

"Ah think ya'll have been through enough to learn yer lesson," she told him. "It's clear as candy yah like cherries, ain't that right?" Scrapound slowly nodded back. "Well, what if ah told yah there was a way yah could get all the cherries yah could eat without needing to take it away from the Insticks' home." This made Scrapound go wide-eyed, the others quickly realizing what she was planning to do, "Ah can always use a worker with quick feet and a strong back. So what would yah say to coming to live back at Cherry Hill Ranch?" Scrapound blinked at her, tilting his head as she continued, "Not only would yah get to have cherries, but ya'll would be part of a family that'll look out for yah. Yah wouldn't just be some bully who steals his food anymore. Yah could have a home."

Scrapound didn't seem so happy about the idea due to sounding like work, only to turn and see Tyrandark glaring at him with crossed arms. Fear consumed him next, making him shiver before turning back to Cherry and picking himself up. "Scrap..."

"Careful," she told him as she helped support his weight. Once he was back on his feet, she then asked, "Well?" Scrapound nodded back, making her smile, "Splendid." She turned back to Sombra, "Looks like everything turned out fine and dandy."

Sombra mimicked his Pokémon, crossing his arms as he asked, "Are you sure you can trust this creature? What's there to stop it from turning against you once I leave? You should at least catch it."

"Ah don't see why ah have ta," she turned to pat Scrapound's shoulder. "Once he gets a taste of cherries he's earned, he'll be hooked for life."

The others stepped out next, and they weren't the only ones. Instick had been watching from the trees, and upon seeing Scrapound beaten into submission, the braver members jumped out of the trees and rushed over to the pile of berries. They started enjoying the fruit, more soon coming out to join them.

"Looks like they're happy," Spike commented.

"Wouldn't you if you'd just gotten your home back?" Twilight added.

Doc nodded in agreement before looking up at the trees, seeing how so few cherries were left. "Hope they don't go through that pile too quickly. If they do, they'll run through their food source before new ones grow."

But the Instick didn't seem to realize this and kept eating, the pile soon vanishing. "Oh boy," Jubilee groaned as she saw they were done. "Don't tell me they're still hungry. Ah can't take another-"

Her voice stopped as the Instick all let out a unified cry, only for all of them to start glowing. "Wow..." everyone whispered as they watched the stick insects transform, the light quickly fading to reveal their evolved forms.

"VINE!" The Movine cried in unison, all spreading their wings to take flight. As this happened, everyone watched in awe as they flew into the sky.

"Where are they going?" Flash asked.

"Wherever they want," Sombra answered.

"So there was no reason for us to take this place back?" Spike added.

"Maybe...or maybe not." Sombra responded as the others turned to him in confusion, "Maybe one day they'll come back here. When it's time to lay their eggs, they'll most likely return to this spot. When those eggs hatch, their children will stay here until they're ready to evolve and the circle will begin again." Everyone smiled as they continued to watch the Movine disappear into the sky, off to find a new place they can call home.

A Little Later...

Once the group returned to the ranch, Jubilee showed Scrapound what tasks he would be expected to do. The Dark Fighting-type quickly got to work, helping the workers unload the buckets of cherries they had managed to save.

Scrapound actually found the work wasn't so bad, his higher strength allowing him to move twice as much on his own then two workers could move together. "Great work," Jubilee commented as she carried a large tray of cherry products before holding out a bowl of cherries. "And as promised, all the berries yah can eat." Scrapound licked its lips and put the last crate on the back of the truck before taking the bowl.

As soon as the first cherry hit its lips, he groaned in satisfaction, "Pound..."

"Glad you like it. Keep it up and ya'll get to enjoy more." Scrapound nodded and kept eating, Jubilee moving over to the ranch house as the others sat around a picnic table. "Here yah go ya'll." She placed the tray down, everyone reaching out for some cherry centered foods. Flash took a few scones and a glass of milk while Doc was enjoying a large bakewell tart and Twilight and Spike had chosen some cherry jam sandwiches. They also had a cherry-changa each, the lot taking a bite and moaning at the flavor while the Pokémon enjoyed bowls of berries.

"This is great," Flash complimented.

"Yeah," Twilight nodded before turning to Jubilee, "Thank you for making this."

"Mah pleasure. After all the trouble ya'll went through to help me, it's only right ah return the favor. Now dig in. Ya'll are gonna need yer strength if ya'll wanna cross the Grand Desert." They all nodded and continued to enjoy their lunch.

A few minutes later, their attention was drawn to the sound of a phone ringing. Everyone turned to Sombra as he pulled out the device, "Excuse me a moment." He got up and headed out the room, answering once he was out of ear shot. "Report."

"Sir, we've found it."

Sombra shined a huge smile as he replied, "Excellent work Doom Raizer."

Inside the Grand Desert...

Near one of the larger mountains of the desert, which was surrounded by huge all terrain camper vans and tents, a group of people that were all wearing the same thing were running around. Their clothes made it impossible to tell if they were male of female, all of them wearing a black hooded cloak over a gray shirt along with black pants and black boots. The hood concealed all but their mouths, and on the left peck of their shirts, a large S was printed on them.

From out of one of the vans came a bulky looking man, wearing clothes similar to the others except he wore a cape in place of a hood. He was a man with bright red hair and scars covering his body, his hand up to his mouth as talked into a phone, "Don't praise me to soon. We've found the entrance, but most of it is still buried. Uncovering it without causing the place to collapse is gonna take a little longer."

"Just makes sure it's done," Sombra voice replied, "Once inside, the Heart Fragment will be ours. What do you intend to do if someone finds you?"

The man chuckled in response, "Don't worry, my newest toy will keep them thoroughly occupied. I'll call back once we're inside." With that, he cut the call before turning to the mountain. A piece of the mountain's face appeared to have been chipped away at the bottom, revealing to what appeared to be a large stone door. However, only a small fragment of the door was uncovered, the rest still hidden behind rock, "Keep digging!" He ordered as the many grunts ran around him, "For the glory of Team Shadow!"

"FOR THE GLORY OF TEAM SHADOW!" The grunts all yelled in unison.

The Desert Bandits

View Online

The Grand Desert, one of Equestria's greatest landmarks. On point with the Ghastly Gorge and Everfree Forest, it was a terrain that should only be tackled by the bravest and best trainers in the region....or a bunch of idiots who don't know when to say no to a situation.

"It's so hot!" Spike moaned as he and his friends trudged through the sand on their way to Appaloosa City and Flash's next Gym Challenge. After leaving Dodge Junction, the four teens had begun their journey into the sandpit, now walking after their new friend Cherry Jubilee had given them a ride through the first few miles of the desert in her jeep. She had also given each a hat they could use to keep the sun out of their eyes, the boys getting basic baseball caps while Twilight got a large sun hat.

"Quit complaining," Twilight told her brother while pushing the side of the hat up. "You don't see Peewee moaning." She pointed up at the Terragon, the dragon flying around with a happy smile on his face.

"That's because he's cold blooded," Spike grumbled as he took off his hat and wiped his brow.

"You could take off your hoodie." Flash added, as he had taken off his jacket and tied it around his waist, the bottom of it hanging just above his shoes. "Besides, it won't be as bad as this everyday."

"No...it could be worse." Doc sighed as he wiped his forehead.

Spike groaned as he looked ahead, now seeing a large rocky area coming up. "We're not seriously gonna be going over there, are we?"

"Its necessary and part of our path," Twilight replied, "The sun is too close to the horizon now. We need a place to camp, as we are NOT going through the desert at night." She then turned to the young teen, "Unless you'd rather camp in the sand."

"I hate sand," Spike moaned as he scratched his backside, feeling a few grains of it in the back of his shirt. "It's coarse, rough and irritating...and it gets everywhere."

"Wow. You sound like a robot." Flash added, only to get a nudge from Spike.

"Stop it you two. Let's just pick up the pace so we're not sleeping in the sand," Twilight chimed in as they headed for the rocks. This seemed to make Spike shut up, the group soon reaching the area as the sun began to kiss the horizon.

They had their Flying-types carry Flash up to the top of the largest, flattest rock they could find, which allowed him to drop a rope ladder down to the others. After reaching on the top, Twilight spoke up, "Alright, let's get to work while we've still got light." Flash and Spike nodded and got to work on the tents, Doc preparing the meal while Twilight set out a blanket she pulled out of Flash's bag before preparing the Pokémon food.

"Done," Flash said once the tent was securely nailed into the rock.

"Same here." Twilight added as she filled the last bowl with the food.

"Food's ready!" Doc held up a large pan of beans before decanting them into bowls.

"Alright everybody!" Flash took out his four Pokeballs, "Come on out!" He tossed them into the air, letting out Riptide, Prongs, Viper and Hopper, the four landing beside Springer and Skyler.

"Grubs up!" Twilight let out Shine, who quickly galloped over to Twilight's leg.

"Dinner time for sixteen!" Doc called out Higear and Tockwork, knowing they couldn't eat but didn't want to leave them out.

It was here that dinner began, the sun not completely set as they had Viper start a campfire. The group sat around it while eating, everyone enjoying the peace and quiet around them. "This is great," Flash said as he scooped a spoonful of beans. "I feel like we're in one of those old westerns my gran loves to watch."

Spike was the first to finish his meal along with Peewee, turning to the others. "So what do we do now? Horror stories? Singalong?"

"Clean up and go to bed," Twilight deadpanned as she took a long gulp of water. "We're waking up at sunrise tomorrow, so we need to get a good night's sleep."

"Aw man..." Spike moaned again, slumping over.

"Think of it like this Spike, the earlier we wake up, the more distance we can walk. And the more distance we make up, the faster we'll get out of here."

"Guess you've got a point Doc," Spike added, the others quickly finishing their meal before Flash and Twilight headed back down into the sandy area, carrying the bowls with them. Learning a trick from Ms. Jubilee, in order to save water, you could instead clean the bowls by filling them with sand that you scrape along the sides. After a few minutes, they emptied the sand out and filled them with the smallest amount of water to get the last bits of sand out.

Once all the pots were clean, they headed back up, now seeing everyone getting ready to fall asleep. Twilight went into her and Spike's tent, Shine following her while Flash headed inside his and Doc's tent. All the other Pokémon had opted to sleep under the stars, the group gathering to get a spot on the blanket they had eaten on.

Despite what Twilight had said, Flash wasn't feel particularly tired right now, so he decided to kill some time doing one of his favourite hobbies: Polishing his badges. He pulled out the case, opening it up to stare at the four badges he had earned. He couldn't help but smile at them, flashing back to the battles he had won. They weren't just a valuable piece of metal, they were the proof of his connection to his Pokémon. Proof of the bond of trust they all had, which had allowed them to be victorious.

Flash spent the next half hour carefully cleaning them, soon getting to the Harvest Badge. And as he finished wiping it, he felt himself begin to yawn. Putting the badge back in the case, he put it in his bag before placing it besides himself as he sat back and began to drift off to sleep.

Hours began to pass, the moon now high in the sky while everyone was fast asleep. The trainers were all in their tents while the Pokémon huddled together on the blanket, asleep and snoring up a storm. But as they slumbered, a new figure entered the scene. Down below on the sand, a pair of red and green eyes opened on the sandy surface. Around them was an almost puddle like splodge of shadow, even darker than the rest of the shadows around it.

The splodge and eyes began to fly across the sand, all towards the rock the group was camping on. There, it began to slip up to the top, quickly moving past the Pokémon before staring at the tents. Reaching Flash and Doc's tent first, it looked up and saw it was zipped shut, only for a single hand to phase out of the dark puddle. It was covered in a thin black mist, showing the fingers to be stick-like. The being then grasped the zipper, slowly undoing it before slipping inside. It was here that it saw Flash, snoring away with his throat fully visible. And with swift motion, the fingers reached out...and thrust forward.

The next morning...

As the sun ascended above the horizon and hit everyone's faces, the Pokémon began to open their eyes and pull themselves out of the huddle before starting to stretch. While this happened, one of the tents opened to reveal Twilight and Shine. The two had almost identical hair, Shine floating her trainer a brush so she could straighten hers out.

"Thanks," she said as she got to work. "Come on guys, time to get up." This got a moan from Spike as he and Peewee crawled out of the tent, Twilight turning to the other and raising an eyebrow at the open front. "That's odd. Guys, why is your tent open?"

Inside the tent, Doc sat up and yawned before turning to Flash, "Flash, its morning." Flash didn't respond, to teen laying face down with his back turned. "Flash?" He reached over and shook him, only to get no response. Doc then reached over and flicked Flash's ear.

"Ow!" Flash moaned as he sat up, rubbing his ear before glaring at his tent mate. "What was that for?!"

"Time to get up," Doc replied as he got out of the tent. "Come on."

"Right..." Flash rubbed his ear while thoughtlessly reaching over to his bag. But as he did this...he felt nothing. Blinking at the event, he turned around, only to yell out, "AAAAAHHHHH!"

Everyone turned to the tent, all tensing at the sound of their friend's scream. Flash then staggered out of the tent, a look of pure horror on his face. "My...my bag! It's gone!"

They all exchanged glances, now seeing Flash hop back into the tent to search for it. "Hold on there Flash, calm down." Twilight added as she walked over to him, "Where was the last place you had it?"

Flash turned back to her, "I was polishing my badges before I went to bed. Once I was done, I put them in my bag and put it right beside me. When I woke up, it was gone!"

"Wait...does that mean your badges are gone too?" Spike asked, Flash rapidly nodding in response. His Pokémon then all let out a yelp, knowing what that meant in terms on their symbols of hard work.

"Now we have to find it," Doc continued, "But if it's not here, then someone or something must have taken it in the night."

"That would explain why your tent was open." Twilight commented, Doc nodding as he was about to say the same thing.

"But who could have done it?" Spike asked, "And how are we supposed to find them?"

"Simple," Doc moved over to the edge of the rock. "One of the beautiful things about being surrounded by sand, it makes tracking thieves easy." He began to climb down the rope ladder while the others began to pack up the campsite. However, without Flash's bag, they didn't have anywhere to put the blanket, making Twilight attempt to stuff it in her bag when they heard Doc's voice. "Uh...guys? We've got a problem."

Flash, Twilight, Spike and their Pokémon all climbed down as Doc continued, "Whoever took Flash's bag, they didn't leave any tracks."

"You sure?" Flash asked, Doc nodding.

"Yup. I completely circled it. The only tracks around this rock are ours."

"So what does that mean?" Spike asked next.

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought, "It means that whoever took Flash's bag has some method of travel that doesn't acquire it to touch the sand. Either flight, teleporting or some other way. Basically, Flash's bag was taken by either a Pokémon, or someone commanding a Pokémon."

"Great..." Flash moaned as he slumped down and hung his head, "Who knows which way they went. And if they did fly or teleport, they could be anywhere in Equestria by now."

"Ri..." Springer added as he moved over to hug Flash's leg. The trainer patted his head, now seeing the rest of his Pokémon join the hug as well.

All but Hopper, the Velocirush frowning at the sight. He knew he hadn't helped acquire any of those badges, his only memory being him seeing Flash happy when they won the Harvest Badge. However, as this happened...his nose twitched. He felt something, something very familiar as it entranced his nose.

A scent.

"Rush?" He sniffed the air, turning around to follow the smell, only to see it come from the sand. "Velo!" he gasped before spinning around and starting to jump up and down, "Loss, loss. Loss-E-rush!" The others turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"What's up Hopper?" Flash asked as he started to his Pokémon lean down and sniff the ground.

He then gestured for them to follow, Spike asking, "What's he doing?"

Doc was now trying to shove the blanket into his bag before he looked up and saw what Hopper was doing, "Hmmm...perhaps Hopper picked up the bag's scent."

"Bags have scents?"

"It must be Flash's scent. He's always carrying it, so it must have picked up his smell. That's what Hopper's following."

"Then they what are we waiting for? Lead the way buddy!" Flash added, his Pokémon cheering. The sight made Hopper wag his tail before sniffing the sand again.

Flash then returned his Pokémon as Hopper got the trail again, quickly running after it. "Rush!"

"Let's go!" Flash called back as he ran ahead, everyone there wanting to remind him that they still had their bags weighing them down. However, Flash just kept following after Hopper, soon seeing he was running toward a large desert mountain in the distance. Glaring at the sight, he pumped his hands, "I'm coming for you, you stinking thief!"

Within the mountain the group was heading for was a giant rock that was filled with holes. These holes turn into to tunnels that were either made by natural means or Pokémon. And down the tunnel was a square chamber, which held a young teen snoring away in a sleeping bag inside a tent. His skin was grayish blue while his hair was a bluish purple, styled in a way that made it cover half his face. Laying beside him was a pile of different bags, each a random color or design.

The teen let out a yawn as he sat up, rubbing his eyes before reaching into one of the bags to pull out a candy bar. Getting out of the tent next while eating the bar, he heard footsteps and turned to see a Pokémon come out of a tunnel. The creature was roughly three and a half foot tall, humanoid in appearance but covered in a black mist. There were only two solid looking parts of its body, the first being a piece of grey armor around its chest that the mist seemed to be flowing out of while the second was a large red horn coming out of its forehead. It's feet were similar to a bird's, with three claws coming out of the front and one coming out the back. Its eyes were red with green irises that had a green mist coming out of the sides.

"Morning Shadusk," he chuckled while sitting down by an electric lantern that he had switched on. He then spotted a black backpack in the Pokémon's claw. "Another successful night?"

"Dusk..." Shadusk nodded as it gave him the bag before sitting down on the other side of the lantern.

"Alright...let's see what we got here." the teen added as he opened the bag, "Hmmm...got a bit of food, some water bottles. Nothing really-" He came to a stop as he pulled out a certain item, "Is this?" He began to fiddle with a rectangular black vinyl leather case with a Pokeball symbol on the front along with a zip lock. He unzipped it and went wide-eyed, now seeing four shiny objects inside. "It is!"

"Shade?" Shadusk asked while tilting his head in confusion.

"Its a badge case with four badges in it! Whoever you pinched this off of must have been a really good trainer!" He closed the case and zipped it back up. "This is great! With this, we'll be on easy street. They'll be trainers looking to pay through the nose for just one of these. Selling all four will mean we never have to steal another thing ever again."

"Dusk..." Shadusk replied, trying to smile despite the teen not being able to see his mouth.

"Great work Shadusk. Now, let's get packed up. We're not gonna find a buyer in this desert." Shadusk nodded and was about to help, only to get a sudden bad thought, making him go and poke the teen's leg, "What?" Shadusk began speaking and miming out what it was trying to say, the teen barely getting it before looking back at the badge case, "You talking about the one you stole these from?" It nodded, the teen shaking his head with a smile in response. "Relax..." he patted its head, "There's no way they'll find us. If you stayed in the shadows like normal, there won't be any tracks for them to follow. We're safe."

Shadusk let out a little sigh, "Dusk..." he muttered, hoping he was just being paranoid.

Meanwhile...

Flash and Springer had been following Hopper for almost half an hour now. The Velocirush had been moving fast, but made sure to hold back enough for the others to keep sight of him. But now Hopper was coming to a stop, allowing them to catch up.

"What's wrong?" Flash asked, "Did you lose the scent?"

"Rush!" Hopper shook his head before pointing at something on the sand, Flash and Springer going wide-eyed at the sight.

"Footprints?" Flash asked as the others caught up, now seeing that the prints seemed to appear completely out of nowhere.

"I don't get it, did whoever make them teleport here?" Spike commented with a tilted head.

Twilight shook her head, "I don't think so. If they did, then they wouldn't have left a trail."

Doc kneeled down to look over the evidence, humming at the sight, "Hmm...I think it was a Flying-type that took Flash's bag. It probably landed here and began to walk." They followed the prints, only to see they lead to the mountain from earlier, "It must be in there."

They all followed the footprints, Hopper confirming the scent before locking out a new smell. It wasn't long till they got to the mountain's base, now seeing the many holes covering it. The sight made it look like swiss cheese, the sand stopping at the base, which included the tracks.

"You got a lock on 'em Hopper?" Flash asked, the Velocirush sniffing the ground before nodding and rushing down one of the holes.

"RUSH!" He roared, jumping up and down. The others blinked at the dark hole, unable to see anything inside.

"Is this gonna be a good idea?" Spike asked. "Remember what happened the last time we went into a tunnel."

"We'll be careful," Doc assured him as he took off his bag, pulling out a blanket before tying a rope around the cloth with a hooped pin. He then nailed them to a rock, tugging the rope next. "There. We should be able to find our way out when we're done."

"That's what you said last time," Spike grumbled, only to get a nudge from Twilight.

Flash then turned to Springer, "Can you sense anyone?" The Riolu reached out with his aura, the wave flying through the tunnels, only for his ears to flare up.

"Ri!" Springer opened his eyes and jumped into the tunnel.

"Hey!" Flash and Hopper yelled, both following after him.

"Wait up!" Twilight called, the others soon chasing them.

While this happened, the thieves were continuing to pack up. "Almost done," the teen said while folding his tent. As he did this, Shadusk stood by one of the tunnel entrances. It was here that it heard something: Echoing voices flying down the tunnels. The teen looked up as his ears also heard them, a look of panic starting to appear on his face. "May...maybe it's just a bunch of spelunkers who haven't had their bags stolen." Shadusk turned to him, only to point at the tunnel. "Right. You keep them busy while I finish up. Just be careful."

Shadusk nodded before going into the tunnel, the lantern's slowly going away as he got further in. And as he got away from the light, the strange Pokémon seemed to melt into the ground. Soon it was a puddle of shadows with red and green eyes, the puddle beginning to shift into the darkness as the teen double-timed it with the packing.

And as the Pokémon kept shuffling through the cave, on the other end was Doc, who was pulling out a Pokeball, "Tockwork, come out and use Flash!"

"Tock," Tockwork's face completely illuminated at the command, filling the dark tunnel with light.

"There. Now we can see." Doc commented as he put the ball away.

"Good thinking," Twilight turned back to the way they had came, now seeing the outside light about to fade. They were at the bottom of a slope leading upward, both Springer and Hopper confirming the thieves were up there. "Be on guard everyone. If they find out we're here, they might attack without a second's thought."

The others nodded as they slowly made their way, eyes focused straight ahead. But as they did this, they didn't pay to the tunnel's ceiling, not seeing a pair of eyes glaring down. Shadusk narrowed his focus at the eight, trying to figure out which move to use.

"Dusk..." he whispered as a claw came out of the puddle.

"Vel?" Hopper yelped before looking up, a scent catching his nose. He blinked at the ceiling, only to see a purple light to sudden appear, the light quickly charging as it revealed itself to be a black energy sphere with purple lightning sparking around it. "RUSH!" He yelled, seeing the orb now head straight for Twilight.

It was here that everyone else saw the attack coming, unable to react except for Hopper. The beast tackled the spectacled girl, making her cry out, "Augh!" She then hit the stone floor, the sphere now hitting the Velocirush.

"Hopper!" Flash yelled, only to see the ball pop after hitting his Pokémon, no damage being done. "Huh?!"

"That was Shadow Ball," Doc commented as Flash helped Twilight up, "No wonder Hopper wasn't damaged. Ghost-type attacks won't hurt a Normal-type like him."

"But where'd it come from?" Spike asked, everyone turning to the attack's origin, only to see nothing. Springer then shot out a wave of aura, but could only get a hint of something. The being kept jumping away before he could get a lock on it.

However, Hopper's nose caught on faster, making him spin around to see the eyes now shifting across the wall. "RUSH!" he yelled, pointing at the creature. But as everyone tried to follow him, the figure was already gone.

"Whatever this is, it's too fast," Twilight commented.

"Not for Hopper," Flash added as the Velocirush continued to follow the eyes as they shifted places. "Quick Attack!" Hopper quickly raced up to the eyes, hopping ahead of the creature before stomping down on it.

"DUSK!" They heard their opponent cry, everyone looking down to now see the eyes. Hopper's foot was pressed into the puddle, the creature trying to escape, but to no avail. Tockwork then turned its glowing face onto the puddle, the light seemingly burning away the shadows, revealing Shadusk as Hopper pinned it with his foot on its chest.

"What is that thing?" Spike yelped as he and Peewee backpedaled from the sight.

"A Shadusk!" Doc answered, "I see, that explains how it could hide so easily."

Flash felt a twinge of remembrance at that name, making him pull out his Pokedex.

Name: Shadusk
Category: Shadow Pokémon
Type: Dark
Info: This mysterious Pokémon can disappear into any shadow close to it. Its sneaks up on its victims and strikes with its deadly claws before taking refuge back into the shadows.

"Wait...didn't Tyrandark's entry mention these things?"

Twilight nodded in response, "Yes. Shadusk evolve into Tyrandark."

This made Flash go wide-eyed, almost squirming as he remembered Sombra's Tyrandark, knowing what a threat it could be. But as he looked back at the squirming Pokémon Hopper had pinned, it didn't feel like that much of a threat. "Hey! Why'd you take my bag?" Shadusk said nothing, "Where is it?!" Shadusk continued to say nothing, instead scrapping its hands along the ground.

"DUSK!" He then tossed the dirt it had pulled off the ground into Hopper's eyes.

"RUSH!" Hopper accidently loosened his grip, allowing Shadusk to push him off and jump back to its feet.

"Don't let it back in the shadows!" Doc yelled, only for Shadusk to leap out of Tockwork's light, melting back into the ground.

It quickly shot down the tunnel, making Flash order, "Don't let it get away!" He and Springer ran after it, the others soon following as they made their way down the cave.

Back in the chamber, the teen was now trying to shove his tent into his bag, "Come on! Get in there!"

"Dusk!" He turned to see Shadusk shift up to him.

"Shadusk, please tell me you managed to drive those guys away." Shadusk didn't reply, instead reaching to grab his arm along with Flash's bag before trying to pull them both to one of the tunnels. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"They're in here!" yelled a voice, making them turn to previous tunnel to now see Flash and Springer run out of the corridor. Flash growled as he glared at the teen, now seeing his bag in Shadusk's hand. "Hey! You thieves! That's my bag!"

The teen's eyes shrunk at this, panic settling in as he stuttered out, "I...I don't know what you're talking about. This is my bag."

"Don't play dumb," Doc added as he walked into the chamber, now pointing at the other bags nearby, "Looks like you got a nice little racket going here. How many other people have you stolen from?"

"I haven't stolen anything."

"Right..." Spike continued with crossed arms, "Because that frilly pink bag over there is totally yours."

"And you must be incredibly strong if you're able to carry that many bags at once," Twilight finished as she finished the now group of glares at the teen.

He began to backpedal, gulping as he stuttered out, "I...I...we...I."

"I'll say this only once," Flash did one long stomp forward, "Give me back my bag and badges and we won't do anything drastic."

He watched as the boy took the bag from Shadusk, expecting him to hand it over...only to put it on his back. "No. These are mine now."

This made Flash's eyes narrow in angry, "What gives you the right to take my things?! Especially my badges....do you have any idea how hard I worked to get them?!"

"If they're so special, you should have kept a closer eye on them! Besides, selling these badges will mean I'll never have to steal again!"

This got everyone to growl at him, Spike yelling, "If you wanna sell badges so badly, why don't you go win your own and sell them?!" Peewee let out a hiss in agreement.

"Oh please. Like we could ever win a badge." Everyone raised an eyebrow at this as he continued, "Shadusk's no fighter. He's way too weak. If we tried to battle, we'd lose in less than a minute." Shadusk looked down in shame as he continued, "We didn't have any other choice. We don't have any place to call home, or any way to survive without stealing." He gripped the strap of the bag, "But selling these badges will give us a real chance to live our best life." He took a step backward, "So I'm not letting you have them. They may be trophies to you, but they're our only shot at a better life Besides, you can always just ask the gyms to replace them."

"I'm not replacing them!" Flash almost yelled, "Those badges aren't just trophies or some fancy trinket you can ask for a spare of. Each of those badges holds a special memory I made with my Pokémon! They're the proof of our hard work, of our dedication to get stronger and of the friendship we forged in the battles we won them in! They're irreplaceable!" He then pointed at the Shadusk, "Maybe you'd understand that if you actually cared for your Shadusk."

"I care about him!"

Twilight rolled her eyes at this, "Oh please, you just called him a weakling. If you really cared about him, you'd believe in him and help him grow stronger."

"No wonder he feels like he needs to steal," Doc went on. "You've shot his confidence down so much he doesn't think he can do anything else."

"SHUT UP!"

"No, you shut up and listen. Give me back my badges or else." The teen said nothing, "Fine. Springer, Hopper, get him!" Hopper was the first to react, running forward to tackle him. But before he could, Shadusk leapt in front of the teen.

"Dusk!" Shadusk tried to slash at him, purple energy wrapping around its claws. But Hopper just took the attack with no issue, giving Hopper an opening.

"Bite!" Hopper snapped at Shadusk, who barely managed to dodge before trying to use Shadow Claw again. "Tail Whip!" Hopper spun around and blocked the attack with his tail, only to spin again to smack tail into Shadusk. No damage was taken from the attack, but it made him stagger back, lowering his guard.

"Quick Attack!" Hopper quickly slammed his head into Shadusk's chest.

"DUSK!" It cried as it flew back, hitting a wall next to one of the tunnels before slumping over. The teen gasped before running over to him, seeing the spirals in his eyes.

He began to shake him before turning to the others, "You see?!" He put the bag on his back before picking Shadusk up, "I told you Shadusk wasn't strong enough to battle. One move is all it took."

"Well maybe if you trained it better," Doc replied, everyone now advancing on the teen as he started to backpedal.

"Just give us my bag and nothing else has to happen." Flash added, expecting the teen to relent...only to run away, quickly going down a nearby tunnel. "HEY!" They quickly followed after him, Tockwork lighting the path ahead.

The teen had no idea where he was going, the cave too dark to see. Instead, he just hugged the wall as he ran, turning any corner he felt. Springer and Hopper were both able to follow him, allowing them to catch up.

But as this happened, the teen turned a corner and saw a light up ahead. Seeing that it could be outside, he ran toward it as fast as he could. And as he felt the fresh air embrace his face, he was about to let out a cheer...only for the ground under him to stop existing.

"WHOA!" He yelped as he pulled himself to a stop, finding he was on the edge of a high ledge near the top of the mountain. In all that running, he hadn't noticed he had been travelling higher up the mountain.

He looked down over the edge, seeing nothing but a long drop. He pulled back before a strong wind blew into him, so strong that it threatened to make him lose balance. The teen turned back to run down the way he came, only to come to a halt as he saw a certain thing blocking the tunnel.

"It's over," Flash said as his friends kept the exit blocked. "Nowhere else to run."

The teen shivered like a leaf at this, only to move over to the edge, "Not yet," he took the bag off and hung it over the side, Shadusk secured under his other arm. "Let me go, or I drop it." This made everyone freeze for a second as he continued, "If I can't have it, nobody can."

And as his threat left his mouth, he expected Flash to start panicking...only to see Flash just glare at him and say, "Go on then. Drop it."

"What?"

"There's nothing in that bag that'll break that I can't replace, so go ahead."

"But your badges-"

"Will be fine," Doc interrupted in a deadpan tone, "The case they're in is highly padded. They won't get a scratch."

"Besides," Flash took out a Pokeball, "I've got a pretty fast Flying-type. Even if you drop it, he'll be able to get my bag before it hits anything."

The teen's face screamed frustration now, glaring back and forth between the group and the bottom of the cliff. His mind told him two things: Either give up or attempt one last crazy idea to try and get away.

But before he could make a decision, a powerful gust of wind flew past the mountain. It buffeted the teen, pushing him back before staggering over the edge, "Whoa!" He yelped as began to fall, the others gasping at the sight of him tipping over the edge. "Augh!"

Flash quickly ran up to the edge, reaching out a hand to grab him...only to get the bag. He soon found himself being pulled to the ground, gripping the bag's strap with all his might as gravity tried to take the thief. As for the teen, he felt himself come to a sudden stop, the jiggling from the force of the halt making Shadusk come lose. This made the Shadow Pokémon begin to fall, only for the teen to catch him with his leg.

"AAAHHH!" He cried, feeling himself get stretched out from both sides.

"Hold on!" Flash yelled.

"I...I don't think I can." He looked down at Shadusk, knowing there was no way he could hold him and the bag with just one hand. "Oh no..."

The others then got to edge, seeing the teen was vastly out of reach. They then grabbed hold of Flash and tried to pull him up, but soon found the trio's weight to be too much. "Urgh...this is bad. We can't lift them!" Twilight grunted out.

"What do we do?" Spike added.

"Just keep trying!" Flash responded as he felt his arm strain more and more.

As this happened, Shadusk began to open his eyes. His mind showed nothing but a blurry image, only for his eyes to slowly go wide-eyed as he saw he was now staring at the ground that was over a hundred feet away. "SHADUSK!"

The teen looked down with a small smile, "Shadusk! You're awake!" Shadusk looked up at him, shivering at the new sight of his trainer hanging on to the edge by a literal bag. "Hurry! You need to climb up me!"

Shadusk nodded and began to bend so he could grab the teen's arm, but to no avail. Instead, all he could do was flop over, "Dusk..."

"It's no good," Twilight added, "He can't pull himself up."

"There has to be something we can do." Flash grumbled as his fingers continued to yell at him in pain.

"If only Shadusk could melt into the side of the cliff," Doc responded, knowing that Shadusk could only do that when it was in darkness. But as he tried to think of something else, he noticed the rolled up blanket hanging out the side of the bag that was fluttering in the wind. "Wait...that could work."

"What could work?" Twilight looked back to see Doc pull the blanket out, turning to Spike.

"Peewee, I need your help." The Terragon blinked at the trainer, only for Doc to pull out a Pokeball. "Steeledge, come on out." The ball opened to reveal the metal bird, which took to the skies. "Steeledge and Peewee," he opened out the blanket. "Use this to keep Shadusk out of the sunlight."

They both nodded, Twilight gasping, "That's brilliant!" The two flyers then grabbed the top of the blanket in their claws and took to the air. They slowly flew down until they were at level with Shadusk, dropping the blanket in front of him, blocking out the light of the sun.

"Dusk?" He blinked his eyes open, slowly melting into the blanket.

"Use that to can melt into the rock!" Doc yelled down at him, Shadusk nodding back as it reached out to the cliffside, slipping into the rock next. Once fully merged, Shadusk began to climb up while Peewee and Steeledge flew with him to make the blanket keep blocking the sunlight.

Once Shadusk got up to his trainer's arms, it reached out and slowly helped pull him up. This extra bit of help was what they needed, now pulling the teen closer to the edge. Soon enough, the teen was close enough that they could grab his wrists, allowing them to pull him and the bag right back up. This also freed up Steeledge and Peewee, the two dropping the blanket before flying down to grab him by the back of the teen's shirt. And with one finally pull, everyone managed to yank the teen over the edge. As soon as he was safe, they all jumped away from the edge, all in fear of another strong wind.

The teen panted and curled up on the ground, his entire life having flashed before his eyes. Once he got his breathing under control, he looked up at the group, "You saved me...us. Why? After what we did."

Flash slumped over, panting as well before glaring up at the teen, "You might be a criminal, but even you don't deserve that."

The teen's face shrunk at that, a huge frown on his face. "A criminal? But I...I...I don't want that."

"What?" Doc asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't want to be remembered as a criminal."

"Well, you don't have much choice. You're a thief!" Spike barked at him, Peewee adding a bark in as well.

"Yes, he does have a choice." They all looked at Flash, the teen standing back up. "You can start over and make things right. It's never to late to turn over a new leaf." He then pointed down at the teen, "But first, you have to make up for what you've done."

"What do you mean?"

"You've done a lot of bad things. You stole all those bags and possibly left people with no way to survive out here." He gestured out at the desert, "You can't start your life over until you've made up for all that."

"How?"

Twilight stood up next, "Well first, you should probably return those bags. I'm sure if you talk to someone in Dodge Junction, they'll be able to locate the bags' owners."

"But they'll arrest me."

"That's what you get for doing something like this." Doc chimed in next, the statement making the teen want to shrink down even more. Shadusk then moved over and put a hand on his shoulder, making him turn and blink at his friend. The sight of his Pokémon now made him realize what would happen to it next after he got arrested.

"O-o-okay." he shakily stood up, "But can you all do something for me?" The others all raised an eyebrow at this, only to see him bow, "Please...look after Shadusk!" Everyone hopped in place at this, surprise on his face. "He deserves better than me! And maybe...maybe with one of you, he'll become strong enough to actually win a fight."

Everyone shared a glance next, speechless at the sudden proposal. But before they could even reply-

"DUSK!" They looked down and saw Shadusk shaking his head. "Dusk, dusk, Shadusk!" He wrapped his arms around the teen's leg, holding him as tightly as he could.

Smiles were on all the faces but the teen's as Twilight remarked, "I don't think he wants to leave your side."

"But...but I'm going to jail!"

"And I think he's willing to wait," Doc replied, chuckling as he saw the teen stare down at his Pokémon.

"You...you really wanna stay...with me?" Shadusk nodded, "even though I might be locked up for a long time." Again, he nodded. The teen couldn't help but start to tear up, pulling Shadusk into a hug. "Thank you..."

A little later...

The group returned to the thieves hideout to retrieve all the bags, though not before Flash spent ten minutes making sure his badges were safe. They pulled him along before he could go full 'my precious', everyone finally getting back into the desert.

"You sure you're gonna be able to make it to Dodge Junction on your own?" Doc asked, the teen and Shadusk nodding back.

"Yes. We've already wasted enough of your time. You guys keep heading to Appaloosa." He held out a hand. "And the next time we meet, I'll be on the straight and narrow."

"Good to know," Flash replied before shaking his hand. Shadusk did the same with Springer and Hopper before the two turned around, walking away into the horizon to turn over a new leaf.

"Are we sure letting them go off on their own is a good idea?" Spike asked. "What if he was lying about turning himself in?"

"I don't think he was," Flash added before looking down at Springer, "What do you think bud?" Springer nodded, knowing he didn't sense any deception in their auras.

"Everyone deserves a second chance," Twilight told Spike while patting his shoulder, "We just have to trust they make the right decision."

Doc nodded in agreement, "And if they do fall back into old habits, we'll be there to set them straight."

"Okay...I guess so." Spike finished before looking back up at his friends, "So are we gonna get going too?"

"Yup," Flash pointed in the direction of Appaloosa. "Let's get going! We wanna find a good place to set up camp, don't we?" The others nodded before following him, all running into the desert for their next pitstop. It had been a truly taxing day, but thankfully they had managed to help someone change their life for the better. Hopefully, the rest of their adventure in the Grand Desert would be less exhausting, but only time would tell, as the journey continues

Spike's Little Friend

View Online

Midnight.

The moon was high in the sky above the Grand Desert as it floated over, where we find a large building situated atop a small mountain.

From out of the darkness floated a hot-air balloon with two rotors on the side. Inside the basket were a trio of familiar criminals: Big Score, Rickashay and Boulder. Score was busy steering the balloon while the other two looked down at the building. "Is that it?" Rickashay asked.

"Yes," Score nodded. "In there is the mother-load we've been looking for. Now get harnessed up." Rickashay gulped as he stared over at the harness Boulder was carrying, which had a flimsy looking rope attached to it.

A few minutes later, Rickashay was being dangled down towards the building by Boulder. They were aiming for a glass dome in the center of the roof, Rickashay landing carefully without making a sound. He then saw he was now looked inside and saw he was staring at some kind of indoor jungle, filled with trees and plants notyou wouldn't usually found in a desert.

"What am I looking for?" He asked over the radio.

"Something rare and easy to carry."

"Alright..." he pulled out some glass cutting equipment and cut a circle. Once that was done, he lowered himself into the jungle, now seeing many different Pokémon he had'd never seen before. Each looked like they would bring in the big bucks, only for him to turn and see an orange stegosaurus-like creature that was fast asleep. It's lower mouth and stomach were light orange while the rest of its body was a dark orange. It had three sets of stone plate like spikes coming out of its back, starting at its shoulder blades before working their way down. It had a similar plate like spike on its forehead, with the end of its tail having a pair of cone-like stone spikes. "Steg," it snored in its sleep, "go...late."

"Jackpot. Send it down." Another rope lowered that he quickly tied around the Pokémon's stomach, Rickashay then pulling himself back up to the roof to widen the hole so the Pokémon would fit. "Alright, bring us up." Both he and the Pokémon began to ascendbe lift upwards, Rickashay reaching the basket first while the Pokémon went through the hole.

Once it was above the building, Score hit the rotors for them to fly away, "Great job boys. ," he smiled. "Our new friend will surely fetch a high price for the right bidder."

"Too bad we can't keep him," Rickashay commentedsaid while looking down at the Pokémon. "He's kinda cute." It was then he noticed something that made him worry. "Err, guys. I think it's waking up." The others looked down and saw the Pokémon begin to twitch.

The Pokémon was a Stegolate, the being flickering its eyes open while stretching its body. "Steg?" it moaned as its eyes began to focus, only to go wide-eyed as it saw it was now suspended a hundred feet into the air, "LATE!" He began to squirm, swinging himself side to side.

"Hey! Calm down!" Score yelled, only to see the plates on the Pokémon’s back start to glow white, "Uh-oh." Before anything else could be said, light shot off the plates, forming sharp stones that went flying everywhere. One stone then hit the rope, making Stegolate start to fall. "NO!"

"Mon overboard!" Rickashay cried, now seeing that their prize was about to get out of their trap. But as they did this, they saw it was too late, as Stegolate fell over and dropped right into a desert river...only to get washed away. “Well, at least it didn’t hit the ground and go splat.”

"Shut up!" Score barked, "We need to get down there now!"

"Err...boss." Score turned to Boulder and saw he was looking up at the balloon. Following his gaze, they now saw that the stones had punctured the balloon.

"Oh, come on!" was all Score could say before their balloon was sent flying in the opposite direction. They all cried out as they shot into the horizon, disappearing with a speck of light.

The next day...

Continuing their journey through the Grand Desert, the heroes were now at one of the oases littered throughout the sandy wasteland. It was being fed by a small river, a branch of a larger river that flowed near the edge of the desert.

The river fed a large lake, the group now arriving at the pond just in time for lunch. Quickly refilling their water bottles, Doc then started cooking, making some boiled egg sandwiches for lunch while Spike and Flash set the table and Twilight took the job of putting out their Pokémon food

"Ah..." she sighed after guzzling down half her bottle's worth of water. “That’s so refreshing.”

"Agreed," Flash added while he and Springer took some big gulps. He then turned to the rest of their Pokémon, now seeing that almost all of them were drinking out of the lake. The only ones not doing so were Higear, Tockwork, Viper and Hopper. Everyone except Hopper made sense, Flash spotting his Velocirush pacing around in the sand.

"Huh?" Flash moved over and saw he had a stick in his mouth, which he was moving through the sand. He and Springer looked over his shoulder as he asked, "What yah do-in?" He sang playfully, surprising Hopper before trying to hide his creation. "Come on Hopper. If you wanna draw something, we won't mock you for it."

Springer nodded in agreement, Hopper then seeing it was okay. He moved aside to show them the drawing, Flash and Springer raising an eyebrow as they saw nothing but a bunch of squiggly lines which made up absolutely no image whatsoever.

"Errrrr," Flash and Springer shared a glance, only to give Hopper a small smile, "It's great. Quite a masterpiece, don't you think bud?"

"Ri," Springer added as he nodded several times, making Hopper shine a big smile.

"Alright, almost done..." Doc commented as he removed the eggs from the boiling water. “Now they just need some peeling and slicing. Hey Spike?" the teen turned to him, "Mind emptying out this water?"

"Sure," Spike moved over and took the pan over to the lake. Peewee saw him coming and flew up onto his shoulder, watching as he tipped the boiling water into the lake. As the hot and cold waters met, steam escaped, making Peewee use his wings to fan them away. "Thanks," he told the Terragon while standing back up.

But as he did this, he gasped at a new sight. Floating down the water of the river and about to fall into the lake, was a large orange lump. He at first thought it was a rock, only to notice it had an arm.

"Is that..." Peewee didn't wait for him to finish, flying off his shoulder and getting over to the ‘rock’. Turning it around, Spike gasped before yelling, "GUYS!" The others glanced over, only to see him jump into the water, wading through it as quick as he could. He and Peewee soon started pushing the rock up onto the shore as the others ran up to the water.

"Is that what I think it is?" Flash asked the others, the group nodding in agreement as they saw a Pokémon they had all seen before.

"It is," Twilight replied, "It's a Stegolate."

"But what was it doing in the river?" Doc added while scratching his head in confusion.

"You think it's wild?" Flash asked, Twilight humming while tilting her head.

"That would be extremely rare."

"Guys, we've got bigger issues right now." Spike commented as he pointed to the pained look on Stegolate’s face.

"He’s right. Stegolate is weak against water," Doc placed a hand on its head. "Being in that for who knows how long can't have been good for it. We need to dry it off and heat it up."

"We'll get some towels," Twilight added, Flash and Springer running back to their bags.

"There's gotta be something we can do to make this quicker." Spike continued, “He’s ice cold.”

It was then that Peewee jumped off his shoulder. "Terra," he landed at Stegolate's side before breathing in. "Rag...GONE!" He fired a burst of fire into Stegolate's side.

"Peewee!"

"No, that’s good." Doc interrupted, "Stegolate's strong against fire. This should evaporate some of the water and heat him up." Spike nodded back at Peewee, soon telling him to keep it up. "Once he's completely dry, we should cover him in sand to keep the heat in."

The others returned with towels that they used to dry it off, Viper helping out with using his fire to heat Stegolate up while the others began to cover him in sand. While they did that, Doc checked him over and found no other injuries, saying that once he was dried and warm, Stegolate would be fine.

Half an hour after Spike found him, Stegolate's eyes began to open. "Steg?" He moaned as he started blinking, only to hear another voice.

"He's waking up." Stegolate turned to the voice and found Spike kneeling down beside him, "Hey there."

Stegolate stared at him for several long seconds before going wide-eyed, "Steg!" He leapt out of the sand and jumped onto two feet, growling as Spike and Peewee backpedaled.

"Whoa!" Spike raised his hands defensively, "Hey, we're not gonna hurt you."

"Spike!" He glanced back at Twilight, "Step away...sloooowly." Spike nodded before slowly stepping backward, soon getting away as Springer and Hopper stepped up to Peewee and started talking to Stegolate. They tried to explain the people weren't dangerous, telling him that they had saved him from the lake.

Stegolate raised an eyebrow at this, slowly turning to the humans. They all gave smiles back, the Plate Pokémon biting his lip as he tried to figure out what to do. It's thoughts were then interrupted by a grumbling sound, making it frown and clutch its stomach.

"Looks like it's hungry," Twilight giggled.

"I got it!" Spike added as he ran over to their food supplies, quickly pulling out a certain can. He then put the pellets in his hand before slowly walking up to Stegolate.

"Spike!" Twilight loudly whispered.

"I'm fine," Spike stopped a few feet from Stegolate before sitting on the sand. "Here. I'm sure you'll like this. It's Rock-type flavored." He remained still, waiting for Stegolate. The fossil Pokémon started by sniffing the air, only to slowly walk up. It was a long process, but it eventually got within range and reached out to take a pellet.

It didn't hesitate in eating it, nibbling it down in seconds before taking another from Spike.

"Wow..." Twilight commented, "Didn't think it would take to the Pokémon food so quickly."

"Must think it's really tasty," Flash added.

"Maybe..." Doc hummed as Stegolate kept eating.

"There you go," Spike decided to take a chance and slowly reached out with his other hand. Stegolate was so focused that it didn't notice until Spike finally patted its head. It stiffened up for a second, only to relax as it saw Spike’s smile.

"Steg..."

Spike chuckled back, "Nice to meet you. I’m Spike." Stegolate soon began to open up to the others, joining them as they ate quickly went back to their lunch. It wasn’t till they were finished, the group then doing a small play session. "Tag!" Spike booped Stegolate on the nose before they all ran off, "You're it!"

"Steg!" It cheered before chasing after them, its large size allowing it to keep up, only to stumble over due to his size as well.

The older trainers all grinned at the sight, except for Doc as he rubbed his chin in thought, "I don’t understand...where could it have come from? Stegolate have been extinct for millions of years."

Twilight hummed in agreement, "It's not the first time a prehistoric Pokémon that was thought to be extinct has been found in the wild. Relicanth is nicknamed the living fossil and there's even stories from Kanto about an Aerodactyl being seen at a dig sight. It's possible this Stegolate has been in hiding until now."

"So what should we do with it?" Flash asked next, the trio now seeing the fossil Pokémon tackling Spike to the ground, laughing as the two wrestled. "It looks like the two of them are getting along pretty well though."

"Alright..." Spike turned away from the others and covered his eyes, "One, two, three..." He kept counting while the Pokémon ran, trying to find some place to hide.

"Steg..." Stegolate looked behind a rock and found Springer, Hopper and Peewee hiding there with no room for him. He then got behind a sand dune and saw Prongs and Shine. Riptide had dived into the lake, though that wasn't really an option for him. He then heard Spike getting close to the number and panicked, rushing over to the first hiding spot he could find.

"Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen! Ready or not, here I come!" He spun around and almost burst out laughing when he saw Stegolate standing behind a very thin tree that in no way hid him. He decided to be nice and started looking for the others. "Found you!" He told Springer, Peewee and Hopper. "Nice try!" He said while jumping on the sand dune Prongs and Shine were behind. "Gotcha!" He pointed into the lake, Riptide's fin currently sticking out of the surface.

"Now..." Spike began to aimlessly walk about, "Where is Stegolate?" The fossil Pokémon tried to stifle a laugh as Spike walked with his back to the tree. "Wow, he must be a master of hiding. Could he be under this rock?" He lifted the small rock up, "Nope. Could he be in this bush?" He moved over to some tall grass beside the tree, "Nope again. Well maybe he's...HERE!" He jumped at Stegolate and tackled him to the ground, the two rolling in the sand. Stegolate then played dirty and dropped its head onto Spike's stomach, pushing the wind out of him. "Oof!" He yelped, only to find Stegolate now licking him. "Ew!" He managed to roll out from under him and stood up, trying to wipe the slobber off. "Gross." Stegolate and the others laughed as Peewee and Hopper walked over, Peewee landing on Stegolate's head while Hopper sniffed Spike and huffed at the smell.

"Hey," they turned to Flash as he pointed out at the desert, "What's that?" They followed his gaze and saw a cloud of dust moving towards them.

"Is that a sandstorm?" Twilight asked as she ran over to her bag, only for Doc to pull out a pair of binoculars.

"It’s not a sandstorm. Looks like someone's coming."

"Who?" Flash asked, Doc squinting as he stared at the giant dust cloud. But as the cloud got closer, Doc saw it was a pickup truck. And when the pickup got within a hundred feet, it swerved to the side and slid along the sand to a stop. As it did this, two people in sand masks stood up and lifted a pair of bazookas onto their shoulders.

"Move!" Flash yelled as everyone scattered as the bazookas began to fire. A green bubble came out of the guns, both shots hitting Flash and Springer. "WHOA!" Flash yelled as the bubble encased his feet before solidifying, causing him to trip and land face first into the sand.

"RIOLU!" He turned to see Sprnger also trapped, everything except his head, paws and tail now stuck within the green amber.

"What is this stuff?" Flash asked before hearing other cries for help. He then turned to see his friends all getting hit with the green goop, some in their own cocoons while others shared them.

Spike gasped as he saw Viper and Riptide get shot before watching one of the bazooka turn to point at Stegolate. "NO!" He tried to jump in front of the fossil Pokémon, but it was too late. He too was snagged in the green goop, Peewee getting his feet struck as well.

The teen then grabbed a rock and tried to break the cocoon, Hopper doing the same using Quick Attack. "Oh no, you don't!" The shooter fired again, hitting both against the cocoon, soon sticking all four together.

"SPIKE!" Twilight yelled as she tried to move, only to find everything but her head and lower legs were trapped.

"Why are you doing this?" Doc added, having been stuck to a rock. The shooters laughed as the driver got out of the car, taking off his mask to reveal their foe.

"SCORE?!" They all yelled, Rickashay and Boulder removing their masks as well.

"Should have known it was you guys," Twilight growled, "What is this stuff?!"

"Just a little something I've been working on on the side," Score told them before moving over to Spike and the others. "Now if you don't mind, we'll be taking our Stegolate now."

"Your Stegolate?!"

"Of course. This little guy's been with us since day one." Score then reached out his hand, only to pull it back as Stegolate tried to bite him.

"Doesn't seem to like you very much," Flash added.

"Not my problem," Score turned to Boulder. "Load 'em up." He nodded and moved over, his strength being shown off as he lifted the four with ease. "We'll work on getting rid of the surplus later."

"SPIKE!" Everyone yelled as they tried to break free, but it rock was just too strong. All they could do was watch as their friends were loaded onto the pickup.

"Love to stay and chat," Score commented as they got into the pickup, "But I got places to be, Pokémon to sell. You get the idea." With that, the car raced off. "Ta-ta!"

"SPIKE!" Everyone screamed as the car drove off in a cloud of dust.

"Come on! We gotta get free now!" Flash told everyone.

"Spike...no." Twilight whispered.

An hour later...

The car continued to roll down the desert, the criminals lazily drinking some water while their captives remained in the back. "Come on..." Spike moaned as he tried to pull himself free, the others doing the same...but the green amber refused to budge. "There's gotta be some way out of this. They wouldn't use it if they couldn't get you out of it."

"Rush..." Hopper groaned, his nose now developing an itch that he couldn't scratch.

"Terra," Peewee swung his tail over and scrapped it against Hopper's nose.

"Rush...rush..." he sighed in relief before giving his thanks.

"Come on guys, focus! We can't let them do whatever they're planning to do with Stegolate." The fossil Pokémon let out a whine at this, making Spike look up at him, "Don't worry, we won't let them have you. If I could just get one hand free..." He tried to wiggle, hoping to break the part holding his hand...only to feel something."Wait...this is-" He glanced at his hand and wiggled his fingers, seeing and feeling them move a little. The goop around them had softened.

"Come on Spike...think like Twilight." he muttered, only to feel something warm, “Huh?” He looked up at the sun, now seeing it was heating down on his hand, the goop softening that part. “That’s it!” He turned to the others, "We need to heat this stuff up. Peewee, try using Incinerate. Err...maybe lower your power so you don't catch their attention."

"Terra," Peewee nodded before looking at his feet, “WAGON!”

"Shhh!" Spike hushed him, "Keep going, but be quiet.” He then looked down at his feet, only to shine a grin, "Nice. This'll work too."

Inside the pickup, Score and his goons were arguing, "I said no," Score turned the radio to a classical station. "My truck, my station."

"Oh come on," Rickashay turned it to some pop music, "This song's great."

"I have to listen to that annoying tune every time we walk down the street. The movie wasn't even that good." Boulder said nothing as the two argued, instead wishing he could play his mix-tape.

It was then that a loud banging could be heard, making Score growl, "What's going on?"

"Might be the tire," Rickashay replied before pulling the pickup to a stop. "We must have hit a rock." They all got out, only to soon see a massive gash in one of the wheels. "Shouldn't be too hard to fix. Boulder, get the spare."

Boulder nodded and moved over to the back of the truck, his eyes glancing at their captives. "Huh?" He now saw Stegolate standing there alone in the amber, Spike, Hopper and Peewee now gone.

"Surprise!" Spike jumped out from around the truck, the goop bazooka balanced on his shoulder. Before Boulder could react, Spike pulled the trigger, firing several loads at the thug. Within seconds, the bulky man was encased in the green rock-like substance.

"What in the-" Score didn't get to finish as something shot out from around the truck, sweeping both his and Rickashay's feet out. "AUGH!" they yelped before seeing Hopper standing above them, only to turn to see Spike with the bazooka. "No, wait!" Spike responded with another bazooka shot, the two now trapped within the amber. "Gaaah!" Score then tried to pull himself free, growling as he glared at the teen. "Let...us...out of here!"

"Not a chance," Spike replied before turning to Hopper, "Nice work with the tire."

"Rush," Hopper cheered.

Spike then turned to Peewee, the dragon now working on getting Stegolate out, "How's it coming bud?"

"Terra," he flew up before taking a deep breath. "TERRAGON!" He launch a large burst of fire that struck the amber, making it explode off Stegolate.

"Steg!" The fossil Pokémon cheered before jumping off the pickup.

"Sweet!" he dropped the bazookas and pointed at them, "You mind?"

"Stegolate!" he roared as he happily stomped on the weapons, crushing them in an instant.

"Hey!" Score yelled, "You'll pay for that!"

"Send me a bill," Spike replied while spitting out his tongue, "Come on guys, let's get out of here."

"This isn't over!" Score barked as the group began to run away, "That Stegolate will be ours!" He then moaned as he dropped his head backward. "I knew I shouldn't have had that second Mountain Dewott."

"WINGUST!" Skyler yelled as he, Steeledge and Owlicious flew above the desert.

He then flew down and landed in front of his trainer, "Find anything?" Flash asked, only to get a shake of the head. Twilight had figured out the secret to escape the goo and thanks to Viper, they were out in no time.

"Gust..."

"Please look again," Twilight replied, "This time, try expanding your search radius."

"We're counting on you guys." Skyler nodded and flew back into the air. Once he was gone, Flash turned to Twilight. "We'll find them. Don't worry."

"I know..." Twilight nodded before turning to the tire tracks. "Luckily, those guys chose the dumbest mode of transport to use as a desert getaway vehicle."

"Let's just hope we find them before they start being clever," Doc added as they continued following the tracks.

Spike and his friends had been running as fast as they could for an hour, the group now getting tired and thirsty, "Aw man..." he moaned, now feeling a headache coming on, "There's gotta be somewhere we can get water."

Hopper and Peewee were also getting thirsty, both feeling weaker by the second. Stegolate saw this and sighed, knowing he was the reason they had been separated from their friends. "Steg..." he then closed his eyes and dug his feet deep into the ground.

Spike saw this and turned to him, "What are you doing?" Stegolate said nothing, only to suddenly shoot his eyes open.

"Steg!" He roared before running away, surprising Spike and the others.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Spike yelled as they chased after him. A few minutes later, Stegolate suddenly came to a stop, now staring at a large flat rock the size of a large mansion. "What the-why did you bring us here?"

"Rush?" Hopper's ears twitched, making him smile before he started climbing. "Loss!"

"Hopper?" Spike watched as he and Peewee headed upwared, soon deciding to follow. Stegolate did the same, all quickly going up the flat rock, "So why are we-" He stopped when the trickling sound of water caught his ears, making him turn to the source, "Is that?"

He now saw a small spring dripping out of the tip of a sharp rock, the liquid rolling down the other side of the rock. "RUSH/TERRA!" The two Pokémon cheered as they stated their thirst at the fountain, Spike doing the same by cupping his hand under the water.

He drank his fill before filling his hand again, this time splashing it onto his face, "Ahh!" A satisfied smile appeared on his face before he turned to Stegolate. "Thanks bud," he patted his head next, "You're awesome. In fact...you know what? I'm gonna ask Twilight to catch you." Stegolate raised an eyebrow at this, "Then she can keep you for me until I'm old enough to be your trainer. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Stegolate just blinked at him, only to give him a smile, "Steg!" He began to rub his nose into Spike's cheek, the teen laughing as he hugged his head.

"That settles it then," Spike chuckled, "You and I will be together forever!"

"Hold it right there!" Spike froze as something blocked out the sun, making him look up to see the criminals in a rotor steered balloon. "Your little legs can only carry you so far!" Score announced as they pulled out their Pokeballs. "Now hand over our Stegolate!"

"No way! Stegolate's gonna travel with me!" He turned to his new friend, "Stay back and we'll protect you." Stegolate nodded and got behind him as Peewee and Hopper jumped in.

"Oh please. Jesterror!"

"Stompice!"

"Spikorn!" They threw their Pokeballs into the air and unleashed their Pokémon, all of them getting into a battle stance.

"Jest/Stomp/Corn!"

"Night Slash!" Jesterror charged at the command, glowing purple clawed hands flying out of its sleeves.

"Dragonbreath!" Spike ordered Peewee, the Terragon unleashing a stream of blue fire at the clown Pokémon. Seeing it coming, Jesterror swung his arms to cut the attack with his Night Slash. "Now Hopper, Bite!"

"Rush!" Hopper quickly zipped ahead, shortening the gap between them before biting down on Jesterror's arm.

"Jest!" It cried in pain.

"Ice Beam!" Stompice unleashed a bolt of blue lightning at Hopper, only for Peewee to fly up and shield him.

"Incinerate!"

"TERRAGON!" He launched a fire rocket at the bolt, meeting in midair before creating an explosion.

"Rock Rush!" Spikorn suddenly charged through the explosion’s dust cloud, slamming into Peewee with a mighty blow.

"PEEWEE!" Spike cried as his best friend was smacked away. While this happened, Jesterror had now pulled itself free of Hopper's mouth.

"Dark Pulse!" The ghost clown threw its hands forward, unleashing a steam of dark rings that slammed into Hopper.

"RUSH!" Hopper yelled as he was knocked back, Spike's distraction not allowing him to give an order. He staggered to his feet as Peewee pulled himself up from the rock he was knocked into.

"Ice Beam/Rock Blast!" Stompice and Spikorn launched their attacks at the two, Ice Beam hitting Peewee while Hopper got slammed by the rocks.

"Slash!" In the blink of an eye, the ghost clown shot past the two while swinging its claws. And as the split second passed, Peewee and Hopper fell to the floor defeated.

"NO!" Spike yelled, the criminal's laughter making both him and Stegolate look back up in fear.

"HA!" Score cheered as they returned their Pokémon. "To the victor goes the spoils!" Rickashay pulled out a joystick controller pressed a button, causing the bottom of the basket to open before a large metal ring shot out that was connected to a metal cable. The cable extended and the ring shot at Spike and Stegolate's direction.

"RUN!" Spike told Stegolate, pushing him to run in the other direction. Stegolate complied and tried to run, only for the ring to shoot past Spike, "NO!" The ring reached Stegolate instantly, managing to hoop itself over his head, neck and chest before stopping at his stomach. It was then the ring suddenly shrank down, now fitting tightly around Stegolate, making it impossible to get off.

"NOW!" Score yelled, hitting the button that retracted the cable.

"STEG!" Stegolate could do nothing as it was pulled backward, now getting lifted into the air.

"STEGOLATE!" Spike used all his strength to leap up and grab the cable, tightening his arms around it. "Let...him...GO!" He started to pull, but it was no use. No matter how hard he tried, the metal wouldn't budge.

"All your doing is hurting yourself," Score commented while shaking his head, "Not even Stegolate's spikes could cut through that." He turned to Rickashay, "Get rid of him."

"On it." Rickashay grabbed the control joystick and started moving it side to side. This made the cable shake and jostle Spike around.

"WHOOOOOA!" Spike yelled as he tried to hold on, his fingers starting to lessen their grip. Peewee and Hopper awoke just in time to see this, both yelling in fear as they saw Spike let go. "NOOOOO!" He screamed as he fell, the ground now a hundred feet down.

"TERRA/RUSH!"

"STEG!" Stegolate screamed as it started using Stone Edge on the metal, only for the rocks to bounce off.

"HA!" Score laughed, "You should learn your type match ups. Steel resists rock."

Stegolate looked back down at Spike, only to feel something snap, "STEG!" It roared before its entire body exploded with light.

"WHAT?!" The criminals yelped as Stegolate began to rapidly grow, shattering the ring instantly before falling.

And as it fell while still growing, it reached Spike and seemed to wrap its body around him. Seconds later, the two slammed into the ground, kicking up a massive dust cloud.

"Terra/Rush!" Peewee and Velocirush ran to the dust cloud, the smoke soon fading to reveal a Pokémon that was so giant they needed to crane their neck upward to fully see as it rolled off its back to stand up.

It was ten times bigger than Stegolate, its body now mostly green. The back of its neck, feet, back and tail tip were all dark green while the rest was a light green with orange stripes covering it. On its head was a black plated helmet with a long black horn sticking out the front and it’s back was dark green while being covered in five lines of black metal blades and the tip of its tail had four cone-like spikes sticking out of it. "Steg..." it opened its eyes before looking down.

On the ground, Spike now opened his eyes to see the giant Pokémon staring down at him with a giant smile on its normally intimidating face, "Steg...Stegolate?"

"Steg," it nodded, "Stegoliath."

"You evolved!" Spike gasped before standing up and petting his nose horn. "What did you call yourself? Stegoliath?" It nodded again, "Cool name." Hopper and Peewee cheered at this, Hopper staring at it in awe while Peewee went to Spike and rubbed his head against him in joy that he was safe.

Meanwhile...

The sound of an alarm beeped within a jeep that was drifting through the desert, two men inside gasping at the noise. "It evolved!" one yelped as he started pressing buttons on the device.

"We have to hurry!" the other one said as he twisted the jeep's wheel. "Keep looking! He has to be around here somewhere!"

"I know." the first one replied, pulling out some binoculars as he started out at the endless sand dunes. "Oh...I hope he's okay."

Back at the action...

Spike smiled at his not so little friend, only for Score's voice to yell out, "HEY!" They turned to see the balloon descending again, "What do you think you're doing?! Do you know how expensive those capture devices are?!"

"Don't care!" Spike barked back, Stegoliath now walking in front of Spike.

"Oh, you'll care alright!" He turned to Rickashay, "Do it."

"It's done!" He pressed the button, causing the bottom of the basket to open again, several more capture rings extending out.

"STEGOLIATH!" The metal spikes on its back glowed before they all shot off, striking the cables and shredding them to pieces.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Score screeched, now throwing out his Pokeballs with the others doing the same, unleashing their Pokémon. "Get them!" The three charged as Stegoliath stood still while a new spike popped out of its back.

"Let's show them not to mess with us," Spike exclaimed as he climbed up onto Stegoliath's neck.

"Rock Rush!" Spikorn accelerated ahead and reached the target first, Stegoliath's nose horn glowing before swinging it at the fellow Rock-type. The two horns clashed like swords, pushing at one another until Stegoliath overpowered Spikorn, knocking it back before hooking its horn under the stone beetle.

"STEG!" It catapulted Spikorn into the air, Jesterror and Stompice now reaching the Pokémon.

"Ice Shard!" Stompice fired a chunk of ice at Stegoliath, who spun around and hit it with its tail. The shard was sent flying back, slamming into Stompice. The Ice-type cried as it fell back, its body suddenly freezing in place.

"TERROR!" Jesterror prepared to slash his leg, but Stegoliath raised its foot, making Jesterror trip and fall under it.

"GOLIATH!" It stomped down on Jesterror hard, making the ground shake. And when the shaking stopped, it pulled its foot away to reveal a highly flattered and unconscious Jesterror laying on the ground. "Steg!" He spun around and struck Jesterror with his tail, sending the ghost clown flying into Stompice. The impact shattered the ice, knocking both into Spikorn before being thrown up to the balloon.

"WOW!" The three yelped as their Pokémon slammed into them, making the balloon rock.

"Oh yeah!" Spike cheered before patting Stegoliath's head, "You're so awesome!" He then pointed at the balloon, "Now finish them off!"

Score moaned as he picked himself up, holding his head. "STEG!" He looked back down, only to see Stegoliath pointing its spines in their direction.

"Oh, come on," he groaned as a single spine shot off and pierced the balloon. "NOT AGAIN!" He screamed as the air escaped, sending the balloon flying until there was nothing but a speck in the sky.

"YEAH!" Spike exclaimed while Hopper and Peewee jumped up and down, "You're so strong!"

"Steg!" Stegoliath added.

"SPIKE!" They all turned to a new voice, now seeing their friends climbing to the top of the mountain, "Spike, I'm so glad you're-" Twilight stopped as she now saw the giant dinosaur he was sitting on, Flash and Doc being just as surprised, "Is that-"

"Yeah!" Spike cheered, "Stegolate evolved! Isn’t it awesome?!"

"It’s amazing," Doc replied, "it's a Stegoliath now."

Flash then took out his Pokedex.

Name: Stegoliath
Category: Iron Spine Pokémon
Type: Rock/Steel
Info: The evolved form of Stegolate. These mighty ancient Pokemon's rock-like spines have molded into a strong metal. In battle, they can launch these spines at their opponents.

They all watched as Spike ride Stegoliath around the rock, both of them laughing. "Twilight," Stegoliath turned to her and lowered his head so Spike could slide down his nose, "Please catch him for me." Twilight went wide-eyed, looking back up at the giant pocket monster.

"I...I don't know." The thought of Spike one day owning something so powerful gave her chills. “I mean, Stegoliath is really big and-”

"Hey," Flash put a hand on her shoulder, "Why not? He's shown he can take care of it."

"I think this would be good for him too," Doc added.

"Ri/Rush/Terra!" Springer, Hopper and Peewee all continued as well, Twilight frowning at their added approval.

Letting out a sigh, she took out a Pokeball, "Alright...but you're taking care of it."

"I know, I know!" Spike shook his head with vigor, before petting Stegoliath, "You and me will be together from now on!" Stegoliath let out a cheer in response, only to see Twilight enlarge the Pokeball.

Twilight threw the ball, "Go Pokeball!" The sphere sailed through the air before hitting Stegoliath's head, only to bounce off without opening. "Huh?"

Flash and Doc were just as shocked, Spike now picking up the ball and looking it over, "What happened?" He turned to Twilight, "is it broken?"

Twilight shook her head, "No, it's not." She moved over to place a hand on his head, a sad look on her face. "I'm afraid that Stegoliath already has a trainer." Now it was Spike's turn to be shocked, turning to Stegoliath. But before he could say anything, a car horn made them turn around to see a jeep arrive at the bottom of the rock.

"Stegoliath!" One of the people in the jeep yell, now getting out of the car and running to the rock.

"Steg!" Stegoliath cheered before moving to the edge, beginning to climb down towards them. The others followed, now seeing Stegoliath run over and hug the new people.

"It's so good to see you again," one said as he petted its head.

"And look how big you've gotten," the other added.

"Who are you guys?" Flash asked, the scientists turning to them.

"Sorry. We probably should introduce ourselves. We're both scientists from the Pokémon Fossil Research Lab."

"We're part of a number of different labs, scattered in regions all over the world."

"I see," Doc replied while crossing his arms, "That explains it. I thought it was strange to find a wild Stegolate."

Spike quickly put the pieces together and turned to Stegoliath, "So that means...you're the research lab's Pokémon." Stegoliath nodded with a happy bark. This confirmation caused Spike's heart to almost break, the young boy barely listening as the scientists and his friends talked.

"I see..." one of them replied, "So you four took it upon yourself to look after Stegoliath."

Twilight giggled before putting a hand on Spike's shoulder, "All the praise should go to my brother. He's the one who found and took care of him."

The scientists nodded back, "You have our thanks." One of them took out a Pokeball and returned Stegoliath, Spike gasping as he watched his new friend vanish. Once he was gone, the scientists then said, "As thanks, why don't we show you our research lab and you can see where Stegoliath lives."

"Awesome!" Flash added before turning to Spike, "Bet that'll be fun."

Doc nodded in agreement, "There's gotta be a ton of interesting Pokémon to see there."

However, Twilight saw the stoic look on Spike's face, knowing he was holding back from crying. She placed her hand on his shoulder again, "Spike." He turned to look at her, "Let's all go welcome Stegoliath home."

Spike took a deep breath before nodding, "Okay." After that, everything was a blur for Spike. One minute they were at the base of a cliff, the next thing he knew, they were standing outside the building Stegoliath called home.

"Wow..." Flash breathed as they got out of the car, "It's huge."

Doc turned to one of the scientists, "So this is where you restore fossils into Pokémon?"

"Yes. It's a good place for the lab since if they go wild, there's not much they can destroy before we can calm them down. Now, follow me."

They quickly followed, soon finding themselves inside an indoor jungle. "Incredible," Twilight gasped as they started to look around. A bunch of Aerodactyl and Archeops were flying overhead while Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, Lileep and Cradily were hanging around the water. Many other revived Pokémon could be seen as they walked through, now seeing the full environment inside.

Flash laughed at the sight, "It's like we stepped through a time portal and ended up in the past."

"And over here is where our Stegolate and Stegoliath live." The scientist pointed to an area, now seeing the Pokémon in question feasting on berries along with leaves and grass.

"So they're all Stegoliath's friends," Twilight added as she then saw Spike start to perk up as he saw the other Stegolates.

"That's right," the scientist took out the Pokeball. "Come out Stegoliath!" He threw the ball, summoning the ancient Pokémon as it landed with a loud thud.

He opened his eyes and gasped at the sight of his friends, "STEG!" The rest of the Stegolate and Stegoliath smiled back as he stomped over, Spike amazed at how happy Stegoliath was.

"Wow...they all look really happy to be back together."

"Of course," the scientist responded, "They were revived into a strange new world, completely different from the one they knew. The only thing they recognise is each other, so of course they'd grow close. They're practically family."

"Family?" Spike whispered, Twilight leaning down and patting his head.

"Spike, I think it's time to say goodbye." Flash and Doc nodded in agreement, soon helping him to go over and get Stegoliath’s attention. It might have only been a day, but it felt more like a lifetime for Spike. The memories of saving, healing and playing with him now going through Spike’s head.

Tears leaked out of Spike's eyes, the young boy hiding his face in his sleeve to wipe them away. But as he did, footsteps caught his attention and made him look up to see Stegoliath staring at him. As the others stepped back to give them some space, Stegoliath brought its head down and rubbed his horn against Spike's cheek.

"I'm really gonna miss you," he told his new friend as he reached out with both hands and petted him. "But I know you belong here with your friends."

"Steg?" Stegoliath asked with a tilted head.

Spike pulled away and turned to the scientists. "Please, take care of him."

"We will," the scientist nodded.

"We promise."

Spike began to walk away next, only to feel heavy footsteps behind him. This made him turn to see Stegoliath following him. "No! You need to stay here!" Stegoliath turned its head, still not getting it. "You belong here, at the lab. So don't follow me!" He turned to run off, Stegoliath not following him this time. He kept running until he reached Twilight, who he hugged and hid his face in her stomach.

"Oh Spike..." she patted her brother's head. "You're doing the right thing."

"I know." Spike pulled away as more tears began to fall before looking back at Stegoliath, who was still staring at him despite remaining where he was. "Goodbye Stegoliath. I'll...I'll never forget you!"

Stegoliath nodded, now appearing to finally understand. Spike and the others gave one last goodbye before turning to leave the laboratory. And as they did, Spike seemed to realise something. In the world of Pokémon, there are hellos in life and goodbyes as well. And so, with fond memories of Stegolate and Stegoliath etched into Spike's young heart forever, the heroes bid a fond farewell to the Pokémon Fossil Research Lab.

"Take care Stegoliath," Spike whispered as they left the building. "I'll come back and see you again some day..." He knew Stegoliath couldn't hear him, but Spike felt the giant Pokémon knew he would say that.

"Steg," Stegoliath replied to the question he didn't hear.

As the journey continues...

Team Shadow Strikes PT1

View Online

The Grand Desert...

Within the dunes of the desert, several people were now chipping away at the giant mountain face. A good portion of the rock face had been removed, revealing a set of hidden large double doors. Staring at the doors was a bulky cape wearing man with crossed arms as he watched the others carefully remove another rock. As they did this, a person in a lab coat walked up, "Commander Doom Raizer."

"What is it egghead?"

The man showed him a tablet, "We've finished the x-ray of the doors and have a clear idea of what it looks like." Doom let out a long sigh as he stared at the device, seeing many patterns on the fully uncovered doors. Symbols of the Legendary Beasts, the Golems, and the Swords of Justice were being shown, making him raise an eyebrow, "Based on our scans, once we uncover the door, we'll need to deactivate the lock before opening it."

"I see. How long will it take to do that?"

"From what our scans tell us, it's a puzzle lock. Without actually seeing it in person, we won't know how long it'll take to complete."

Doom shook his head, "Fine. Keep me posted." The scientist nodded before returning to work, Doom continuing to stare at the door. But as he did this, he felt a tingle go down his spine, making him turn around. He could something watching him...only to see nothing.

But his instincts weren't wrong. A mile or so away over a sand hill, a figure stood while looking through a pair of binoculars. They were dressed in a sand colored cloak with a hood covering his head, growling at the sight, "Dang it," a male voice spoke. "They've almost finished digging it out." They lowered the binoculars to show their face was covered in a black scarf and black goggles. "But what could they want in there?"

But as they said these words, the figure suddenly leapt away as a Shadow Ball struck the sand hill beside. Rolling along the grainy ground next, the figure slid to their knees before looking up at their attacker. It looked like a Skullimor, but it was twice as big and wore a purple helmet that covered all but its face. A few feet down its neck was a pair of purple metal arms that had silver scorpion claws. Its bat wings were twice as big as Skullimor, and on the tip of its spine-like tail was a purple sphere with a glowing yellow stinger.

A series of laughs followed this as he turned to see Doom now approaching with a group of grunts, "Hello there. If you had called ahead, I would have put out sandwiches."

"Funny," the figure stood up, "What are you doing out here?"

"Just a little archaeological expedition," Doom pulled out a Pokeball. "But it's a shame you won't get to see the whole thing. Scrapummel!" He tossed the ball into the air, "GO!"

The ball opened to reveal a Scrapound, only it was taller and bulkier. Now standing at six and a half feet, its upper arms and legs were covered in white scar-like marks. The large horn on its head was now long and curved, being connected to a second smaller horn that curved in the opposite direction to give it a crescent moon shape. The wrappings around its hands, wrists, feet and ankles were now black and the leather jacket had no hood and instead had spikes running down its head that were longer and claw-like. "SCRAP!" It roared, raising its arms with a mighty yell.

The grunts also pulled out their own Pokeballs. "Skullimor/Frillace/Shadusk, GO!" Soon, the figure found himself staring down an army of Pokémon with Scrapummel at the helm.

"SCRAP!" It charged first, the others following behind. It swung a fist at the figure, the person evading the attack before delivering a stomp kick to its stomach. He then dodged several Shadow Balls, Sludge Bombs and Sucker Punches before kicking and punching the Pokémon round him.

"Skulerror!" Doom ordered, the Skullimor evolution flying up to try and sting him with its tail, but the figure side-stepped away before grabbing the tail. With a single grunt of strength, he spun Skulerror around before releasing it. The skeletal Pokémon flew over at Scrapummel as he charged again, slamming into him, knocking them off his feet.

Doom growled at this, watching as the figure took this opening to turn and run. He then saw that the person was trying to get to a hidden dirt bike, making him point at him, "Get him!" The grunts gave chase, only for the figure to spin around and sweep his leg through the sand. This allowed him to kick up some tiny rocks, sending them right into the grunt's eyes. Screams of pain followed as the figure rushed up next, a series of quick punches knocking them all out.

And as they all fell unconscious, the figure got on his bike and rode away, Doom sighting at the sight, "Another problem...eh, no matter." he turned back to the dig sight, "Whoever he is, he won't stop us form achieving our goals." Scrapummel and Skulerror came up beside him next, "Come, follow me."

A few minutes later, he returned to his command center vehicle, walking inside as his Pokémon stayed outside. Many graphs and maps of the desert covered the tables inside, Doom moving over to pull out a small device that had a single large round dial. "Let's see how much trouble he can cause with the local wildlife on a rampage." He spun the dial ninety degrees, the arrow moving through a green section into a yellow section.

Outside atop the truck, a satellite dish pointed upward before it starting letting out a great pulse of energy that shot out in all directions. Doom quickly walked out and turned to his Pokémon, "You two okay?" They nodded while placing their fingers, or claws, into their ears. "Good," he turned to the rest of the dig team, seeing them all and saw they were putting something in the Pokémon like his own just did. "Excellent. Now, let's get this thing uncovered."

The next day...

"How much longer until we reach Appaloosa?" Flash asked as the group continued to walk up another sand dune.

Twilight swiped her forehead as she squinted her eyes at her tablet, "We're still a ways off. I'd say we've reached the halfway mark between Dodge Junction and Appaloosa."

"Great..." Spike grumbled as he kicked at the ground, "More sand. Yay." The others tried not to sigh, seeing the giant frown on Spike's face due to having to say goodbye to his new friend, Stegoliath. They then seen Peewee rub his head up against Spike's cheek, but it didn't help.

"It won't be so bad Spike," Doc patted his shoulder. "You know, there's a legend surrounding this area of the desert." This made Spike look up, Flash, Twilight, Springer and Peewee also turning to him, "Any of you ever hear of the Hidden Temple?" They shook their heads. "Well, it's believed that somewhere in this desert, there's a temple that was created centuries ago. The ancient people of Equestria built it in order to hide a great treasure that's supposed to have the power to destroy the Equestria Region in the wrong hands."

"What kind of treasure?" Flash asked, Doc shrugging in response.

"Not sure. No one even knows if the Hidden Temple even really exists. It's just a legend I heard from a challenger once."

Twilight hummed at this while pushing her glasses back up, "I've never heard of that legend before. I'll need to do some research the next time we're at a Pokémon Center."

"If we ever get there," Spike took off his hat and waved it like a fan to cool himself down. "How far until we get to the next spring?"

"It's about a day and a half's walk from here. As long as nothing distracts us, we should get there in plenty of time."

Flash let out a long huff, "You just had to say that, didn't you?" Twilight looked back at him, blinking with a raised eyebrow. But before anything could be said, they all turned to Springer. The Riolu was holding his head, his face contorting in pain.

"Springer? You okay?" Flash knelt down and put a hand on his head, "Buddy?"

"Ri..." Springer moaned with his eyes shut.

"Headache?" Doc asked, Springer nodding.

"Peewee?" they turned to Spike, now seeing him holding Peewee in his arms as the Terragon did the same thing. "What's wrong? Come on, tell me."

"Both of them? That can't be good." Doc commented as he took off his bag, only to come to a stop. They all stood still at this moment, as everyone felt their feet beginning to shake.

"What's that?" Spike asked while Springer and Peewee continued to hold their heads. In that second, the ground a few hundred feet away exploded, a giant being screaming as it appeared out of a giant dust cloud.

It was a Pokémon that looked similar to a Burroworm, only it was three times the size. Its tube-like body was big enough that they could swallow a person whole, the body being split into a Y shape near the top, creating two three foot long necks that each ended in a brown serpentine head. Each head had two cone like horns made of rock coming out of the back, just above the neck. They also had another stone spine on their heads, right between their eyes while more stone spikes were sticking out their back and running down until it reached the underground.

"It's a Douburrow!" Twilight screamed as Flash pulled out his Pokedex. An image came up, showing the whole of the Douburrow that also showed its bottom, which was a pair of three foot tails with leaf shaped spines around the tips.

Name: Douburrow
Category: Double Worm Pokémon
Type: Ground
Info: The evolved form of Burroworm. Despite having two heads, it only has one brain. It is said that if you cut it in half, it will give birth to a pair of Burroworms.

The Douburrow turned both its heads at them, growling as Flash did a long gulp, "That can't be good." Douburrow then put both its heads together before shooting back into the ground, a ground trail appearing as it headed towards the group.

"Move!" Doc ordered as they all leapt to the side, right before Douburrow shot out of the ground. "Steeledge!" He tossed a Pokeball into the air, unleashing his Flying Steel-type.

"Ledge!" It took flight, only to suddenly flinch in pain and lose altitude.

"Steeledge?" Doc yelped as Steeledge slumped over, allowing Douburrow the chance to attack it. The rock horns on its heads glowed before light shot at Steeledge, fading to reveal a pair of large pointed rocks. "Dodge it!" Doc yelled, but Steeledge either didn't hear or was in too much pain to comply.

"LEDGE!" He cried as the rocks slammed into him, making him fall over, Doc yelling his name.

"Bud, use Aura Sphere!" Flash commanded as he pointed at the monster, Springer trying to form an orb, only for his aura to sputter out. "Not good...." Flash turned back to Douburrow before pulling out a Pokeball. "Riptide, I choose you!" He tossed it into the air, unleashing his Spranitor, "Use Water Gun."

"Spran!" He roared before taking a deep breath, only to stop as he clutched his head in pain.

"Riptide too?! What's going on?!"

Twilight grimaced at the sight, "Something's causing our Pokémon severe pain." She then pointed at Douburrow, "And I'm betting it's not just our Pokémon."

"Whatever's hurting our Pokémon is also making Douburrow go nuts?!" Flash asked with a raised eyebrow, only to go wide-eyed as Douburrow let out a mighty roar as it's body began to glow orange, the ground now shaking again.

"Now what?" Spike whined as he grabbed onto Twilight's leg, the girl holding him tight.

"Everyone hold on!"

KABOOM!

The ground exploded, everyone being thrown in different directions. And they tumbled over from the blow, all were quickly buried by an avalanche of sand. Flash's entire bottom half was instantly trapped, the teen unable to move as his Pokémon fell beside him. He quickly pulled out his Pokeballs to return them, only to her Twilight scream, "FLASH!"

"DUB!" was what he heard Douburrow scream, making him look up to see a cloaked figure sucker punch the left head. The force knocked it flying, pulling its other head back with it.

"What the-" Flash yelped as he watched as the figure landed in front of him and pulled out a Pokeball, "Dude, don't! Pokémon-"

"Galladin!" The figure tossed the ball, "Stand strong!" The ball opened and in a flash of red light, the Gallant Knight Pokémon appeared.

"Wait...that's-" Twilight gasped as she saw the Pokémon stood in front of the Douburrow.

And as Douburrow picked itself back up, Galladin charged at the monster as the worm's horns started glowing, firing rocks at its opponent. "Iron Defense!" Galladin raised both arms as they shined, the rock slamming into the shielded gauntlets and shattering without leaving a scratch. "Now, Sacred Sword!" From the shield and Galladin's wrists, a pair of long glowing light blue blades shot out.

"Gall!" Galladin leapt into the air, aiming for the space between the two necks as it spun like a drill, only to warp up to the neck. In that one second, a pair of white slashes of light hitting the necks.

"BURROW!" It cried in pain as Galladin landed behind it, sliding along the sand. As it did this, the figure pulled out a Pokeball.

"Alright," he enlarged the ball, "GO POKEBALL!" He tossed the sphere at the Douburrow, bouncing off one head before opening and sucking up the beast inside. It landed and wobbled back and forth, only to let out a small ding. This made the figure sigh before picking the ball up. "Good, one less Pokémon in pain."

He then turned to Springer and Riptide, seeing them still holding their heads. The figure leaned down, making Flash ask, "Hey! What are you doing?!"

The person didn't answer as he reached Springer, kneeling down and patting him on the head. Springer looked up and went wide-eyed, "Don't worry, I'm here to help." He pulled something out of his pockets and placed them in Springer's ears, pain instantly fading off of the Riolu's face.

"What the-" Flash muttered out as he saw the figure do the same with Riptide, the water lizard now shining a small smile as the pain faded.

"Can't stay out of trouble, can you?" The person said as he offered a hand to Flash next, the teem taking it as the figure pulled his out of the sand.

Once he was back on his feet, Flash mumbled out, "Uh...thanks. But um-who are you?"

"SHINY!" They both turned to see Twilight, Spike, Doc and their Pokémon run over, Twilight throwing her arms and pulling the figure in a hug.

"Good to see you Twily," the figure replied as he hugged her back.

"Wait..." Flash whispered as his eyes went wide next as the figure pulled his scarf and goggles off to reveal a face they all knew, "SHINING ARMOR?!"

"Good to see you all," Shining chuckled before noticing Peewee and Steeledge's pained looks. He reached into his pockets and pulled out four strange pieces of cotton. "Put these in their ears. It'll stop the pain." Spike and Doc nodded, doing as they were told, the Pokémon soon brightening up.

"What are you doing out here?" Twilight asked her brother, only to see a giant frown appear on his face.

"I came because a group of very bad people are causing trouble here in the Grand Desert, and you just saw the consequences."

Everyone's eyes went wide, Flash yelling, "Seriously?! Who are they?!"

Shining did a slight stare at the group, only to sigh as he answered, "I...I guess you might as well know. It's a group you guys have had a run in with before," he turned to Doc. "Team Shadow." Doc's eyes went wide as the others just blinked at this response, only for Shining to continue, "I believe you've already met one of their highest members. Chrysalis."

Now everyone's eyes were large, Twilight adding, "You mean that woman who attacked the Fillydelphia Gym?"

Shining did a small nod, "They call themselves Team Shadow, a group that's been causing major issues all over the Equestria Region. They've been working to make money to fund their schemes all over Equestria, anything from high scale theft to pick-pocketing."

Flash raised a hand, "Wait...does that mean Chrysalis is here?"

Shining shook his head at this, "No, it's another high ranking member leading this group. His name's Doom Raizer."

"I think I've heard of him," Doc hummed while tapping his chin, "If I remember correctly, he was a top ranking trainer who many thought would one day take the title of champion, only to lose in the Equestria League final round ten years ago."

Shining nodded again, "It was that battle that changed him. He started to change his strategies, mainly him training his Pokémon mercilessly and had them be savages in battle, even having his Pokémon continue to attack the opponent after they were knocked out. The Equestria League was forced to ban him from all official tournaments, which angered him to the point where he went on a rampage. Eventually, the champion came in and defeated him. He was locked up after that, only to escape a few years ago...and now it looks like he joined Team Shadow."

"He sounds horrible," Twilight muttered out while crossing her arms.

"Maybe, but he's also strong. His Scrapummel is well trained."

"Scrapummel?" Flash took out his Pokedex and typed in the name, the image coming up with the information.

Name: Scrapummel
Category: Street Fighter Pokémon
Type: Fighting/Dark
Info: The evolved form of Scrapound. It unleashes powerful punches and kicks against its opponents. Scientists have measured the strength of its punches, showing them to be strong enough to break through five inches of solid steel.

"That's scary..." Spike added with a long gulp.

Doc turned back to Shining. "But why are Team Shadow here? And what does it have to do with the pain our Pokémon were in?"

Shining sighed and shook his head, "Team Shadow have found the Hidden Temple."

Everyone's eyes went wide at this, Twilight asking, "So it's not just a legend?"

"No, it's real...and they've managed to find it." Shining growled as his eyes narrowed, "That's why I'm here. I heard rumors of Team Shadow being spotted in the Grand Desert, so I came to investigate....only to find out they found the temple. Not only that, they're close to completely unearthing the entrance. Unfortunately, I got careless and they spotted me before I could make a plan to stop them, which made them take precautions to keep me busy."

"What precautions?" Spike asked, only for Shining to point at Peewee. "Wait...you're saying they're the ones that gave Peewee and the others headaches and made that Douburrow go nuts?"

Shining nodded yet again, "Another rumor that appears to be true. Team Shadow have been developing a device used to emit a soundwave only Pokémon can hear, one that causes great irritation. Think of it like...nails on a chalkboard." Everyone shuddered at that, "Exactly. Guess they figured I'd be too busy with the rampaging Pokémon to bother them."

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I already called officer Hard Case." Shining answered as he turned around, his face morphing to one filled with anger, "But by the time he gets here with the manpower needed to capture Team Shadow, they might already be gone and a lot of Pokémon will continue to get hurt unless I stop that machine."

Twilight walked around him, seeing her brother's face. It was a look she knew all too well, knowing it was one that meant one thing: He was about to do something stupid but didn't care what happened to him. "Shining...you can't seriously think you can take on all those trainers by yourself. Sure, you're strong, but even you have your limits."

"I have to do this Twily. It's my responsibility to protect Equestria from any and all threats. That's the role I agreed to when I became champion. Even if it's a hundred to one, its my job."

Twilight turned to her friends, seeing the worried look on her face. They quickly exchanged glances, soon giving her three big smirks. Seeing this, she turned back to her brother, "Alright Shining...but we're coming with you." Shining spun around and stared at her with wide eyes, Twilight quickly adding, "And before you say anything, this isn't up for debate. You need help and we're the only ones here. If you want to stand any chance of stopping them, let us come with you."

"Yeah!" Flash added, "Besides, I'm not just gonna sit back and let Team Shadow get away with this. They're going down for causing so many Pokémon pain."

"I'm a Gym Leader," Doc chimed in while pointing at himself, "It's as much my responsibility to deal with issues like this as it is yours."

Shining opened his mouth to counter, only for Spike to come over and pull his leg, "And before you say no, we're a lot stronger than you think. Trust us."

The champion's eyes darted around, now seeing nothing but determined glares from the rest. And as he saw Twilight's look of confidence, he let out a long sigh, "Alright...you can come. But you have to follow my orders to a T, and if it looks like things are getting to dangerous, you guys get out of there. Understand?" The others nodded in agreement, "Then let's get going. But first," he reached into his pocket and pulled out several more pieces of cotton. "You'll need to protect all of your Pokémon."

Back at the dig sight, Ground Pokémon of multiple types were now working on uncovering the door. Sandslash were being used to shuffle away the sand while Excadrill were cutting through the rocks. Diggersby were also there, all of them carrying away the debris to some nearby trucks.

While this happened, Doom and his Scrapummel were watching the digging scene, though his Pokémon was mainly just stretching out its muscles. They watched as several Excadrill leapt at a large piece of rock, all trying to drill into it...only to bounce off in pain a few seconds later. "Drill!" They all grunted as they fell over, Doom sighing at the sight.

"Sir," a scientist spoke up, "Our scans show that section of rock has a ton of iron in it. Getting through it won't be easy."

Doom just shook his head before pointing at his Scrapummel. "Use Rock Smash!"

The Fighting Dark-type smirked before running at the rock with a glowing fist, "Pum...MEL!" He slammed his fist into the rock, cracks quickly covering the boulder before collapsing into a pile of rubble.

Wide eyes were on all the scientists and Pokémon, gasping as Doom turned back and glared at them, "Stop gawking! Get back to work!" They rapidly nodded back, Doom growling as he went back to his tent. Pulling out a tablet, he skimmed over some aerial images of the desert, swiping his hand to keep changing the screen, "Looks like no one's around...yet." He pressed a button on the tablet. "Skulerror. If you and the Skullimor see anything even remotely out of the ordinary, attack without hesitation."

"Skull..." Skulerror replied into the microphone attached to it. It and the Skullimor were circling the dig sight area, all keeping an eye out for anything strange.

But as they were creatures of the night, daytime surveillance wasn't really their forte, missing a group passing by that were now hiding behind a huge rock. And as the group walked away, Shining whispered, "Alright, they're gone."

He and the others stepped out, Flash scanning the Skulerror as it flew away.

Name: Skulerror
Category: Terror Pokémon
Type: Ghost/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Skullimor. It leads hordes of Skullimor in the hunt for their next victim. It is said that this Pokémon feeds off your fear and if no one is scared of it, it will become weak and powerless.

"What's with Team Shadow and using all these creepy Pokémon?" Spike asked.

Shining did a small shrug, "They probably think if people are scared, they'll be easier to beat."

"Well I'm not scared," Flash chimed in as he put away his Pokedex, only for Shining to pull the back of his shirt.

"Don't be reckless. These aren't just a bunch of thugs, they're experienced trainers. If they see you, they won't hesitate to attack, and if they're under Doom Raizer's command, they'll likely be just as aggressive. We've gotta be smart."

"So what do we do?"

"We try and be as stealthy as possible. Get in, find Doom and take him down before anyone else can react. We cut off the head. and the body will fall."

"But you said Doom was super strong," Spike pointed out.

"He is, but I'm no slouch either. Galladin and I can handle him. You guys focus on keeping the grunts off us until he's beaten. Understand?" They nodded, "Good. Then let's go." He started to tiptoed out of the cover of the rock, the others following as they approached the area of the dig sight before pointing at a large rock, "See that? The temple's under it, dug into the rock itself."

Twilight then pointed to the almost completely uncovered door, "Is that the entrance?"

"Yeah, and it looks like we don't have much time left before they finish unearthing it." He then took out some binoculars, "This isn't good..."

"You see Doom?"

"Not yet. He won't be far from that door though." He lowered the binoculars and began to slide down a nearby slope, "Come on." The others slid down as well, all trying to stay as quiet as possible. But as they made their way down into the hole, they passed by a metal sphere with two red lenses sticking out of the sand. It was painted the same color as the desert, a silent beep following as the group went past the orb.

And as they reached the bottom, the group quickly ran over to one of the large trucks, pinning themselves against the vehicle before Shining glanced around it and saw Doom in his binoculars, "Alright, target sighted."

"Now what?" Flash asked.

"Now we-" Shining didn't finish as his ears twitched, making him turn and gasp. "MOVE!" He grabbed both Twilight and Spike by the wrist and pulled them away from the truck, Flash and Doc managing to jump away as a Shadow Ball hit the truck. The force of the attack knocked them all down, Shining rolling to his knees before looking up to see Skulerror and the Skullimor flying above them. "Not good. They know we're here!"

"Shining, let us handles those things." Twilight added as she picked herself up. "You need to focus on Doom."

"Are you sure?" Shining asked, Twilight nodding in response while pulling out a Pokeball.

"Positive. Owlicious, let's go!" She tossed the ball, unleashing her Psychick as it took to the sky, "Confusion!"

"Hoo!" Owlicious's eyes glowed before shooting out a blue beam of light, smacking a Skullimor out of the skies.

"Go Peewee!" Spike turned to his Terragon, who nodded and took to the skies. "Use Dragonbreath!"

"Ter...WAGON!" He unleashed a burst of blue fire at another Skullimor, the flying skull instantly consumed by the flames.

"Skyler!" Flash threw his Pokeball into the air, "I choose you!"

"Steeledge, go!" The two Flying-types flew up to join the fight as both trainers gave their orders. "Steel Wing!" The two birds flew past several Skullimor, slashing them with ease.

Twilight took this moment to turn to the others, "Go get Doom Raizer. Spike and I will handle these guys."

"Alright," Shining nodded as he gestured to Flash and Doc, "Let's go."

They quickly threw their Pokeballs over to Twilight and Spike as they began to follow Shining, "Skyler, follow Twilight's instructions if she gives you any!"

"You too Steeledge!"

"Gust/Ledge," the two nodded as they continued to do battle against the Skullimor. All the while, Skulerror was watching with intrigue.

As this happened, the boys ran through the site, the three seeing grunts running at them with Frillace, Shadusk, Sandslash and Diggersby. They were also carrying rifles that Shining recognized as taser blasters. "Galladin," he took out his Pokeball as the grunts aimed their weapons, "Use Iron Defense!"

He threw ball and unleashed his ace Pokémon, the Gallant Knight raising his shielded gauntlets as it blocked all the blasters. Yellow bullets bounced off his shields, exploding into discharges of lightning upon contact. "Gall..." Galladin hissed as the felt not a bit of damage, Shining pointing at the grunts next.

"Slash!" Galladin unsheathed his blades and sliced the barrels of the rifles in a split second, making them all gasp at the sudden loss of their weapons.

"No way!" A grunt cried before Shining ran up and threw a punch into his gut. "AUGH!" Shining didn't stop there, using a series of different punches and kicks to beat his way through the grunts.

As this happened, Springer let over his trainer and formed an Aura Sphere in his paws, "Rio...LU!" the orb hit the ground, exploding with a blast of force that knocked back a group of Shadusk, Sandslash and Diggersby.

"Nice bud!" Flash pulled out four other Pokeballs, "Riptide, Prongs, Viper and Hopper, I choose you!"

"Higear and Tockwork, go!" They threw the Pokeballs, unleashing six Pokémon that landed in front of Springer as three Frillace charged at the group. "Bullet Punch and Gear Grind!" Higear threw his gear like hands at two of the Frillace, knocking them back while Tockwork stumbled forward and punched the third.

Flash smirked until he saw the other Pokémon getting up, "Let's go guys!"

"RI/TORE/LEAF/CAR/RUSH!" His Pokémon roared as they charged, the opponents doing the same.

"Extreme Speed!" Springer was surrounded by the blue lightning as he zipped up to the enemies first, striking them instantly. The blow knocked them off balance, allowing the others an opening, "Now, use Aqua Tail, Energy Ball, Flame Wheel and Quick Attack!"

Riptide pirouetted, slamming his tail into two of the Sandslash while Prongs launched an orb of nature energy at a Diggersby. At the same time, Viper hit the other as a flaming wheel while Hopper zigzagged around the Shadusk, the Dark-types trying to hit him, but continuing to miss.

"RUSH!" Hopper then headbutted one in the back, knocking it into the second and distracting the third long enough for Springer to reach him.

"Drain Punch!" The Shadusk now found itself getting sucker punched by the Riolu, its energy being absorbed in one blow. "Yes!" Flash then saw that Shining had finished knocking out the grunts, the teen now yelling at him, "Keep going! We'll take these guys down!"

Shining nodded and ran off, Galladin by his side as Flash turned back to the battle and saw Doc had the Frillace under control. "Overclock and Gyro Ball!" Tockwork's arm gears spun while Higear summoned a sphere, Tockwork then using a lariat on two of them while Higear struck the other.

Flash turned back to his own battle and saw one of the Diggersby swinging its bicep arms at Springer. "Double Team!" Springer suddenly multiplied in dozens of copies, Diggersby hitting one of the fakes, "Now, Aura Sphere Barrage!" Each Springer clone created a smaller than normal Aura Sphere and then thrusted them into Diggersby.

Multiple small explosions knocked the Pokémon back, the clones vanishing as Flash pointed at the other part of the battle, "Rock Smash, Bounce, Poison Sting and Bite!" Riptide leapt as his legs began to glow, the water lizard swinging them into a Shadusk's chest. Prongs then jumped up before crashing down on a Sandslash, pinning it as Viper launched multiple poisonous darts at a Diggersby while Hopper ran up and bit another.

Flash nodded at his Pokémon, grinning as he pointed ahead, "Let's keep going! We can win this!"

Shining and Galladin were in full sprint, making sure to disarm any grunts that got between them and their destination. But as Doom came into view as he stood in front of the stone covered doors as the Excadrill worked to unearth it, the champion suddenly felt a shiver down his spine. He then noticed the sun go away, making him look up to see Scrapummel falling down.

"PUMMEL!" It roared as it raised both fists above its head, Shining and Galladin leaping back as the fists smashed the ground, a massive cloud appearing as the earth shook from its strike. Shining and Galladin started to backpedal at the sight, only to now hear the sound of laughing.

Inside the cloud came out Doom, a shining grin on his face as he pointed at Shining, "So you were the champion all along. That explains a lot, though the clothing did throw me off a bit."

"Well, you know us celebrities." Shining stood up and threw off his cloak, "Can't go anywhere without getting mobbed unless we wear a disguise."

"Too true."

"Doom Raizer, we can do this one of two ways. You can either give up and we can sit down with tea and biscuits while you tell me everything about your organization, including the name of your mysterious leader, or I can take you down the hard way and get the information the even harder way. So...what's it gonna be?"

Doom let out a might roar of a laughter before shooting him a smirk, "I'll go with option C: Scrapummel lives up to his name and pummels you into submission. Then I'll take the rest of your little friends down before doing what I came here to do. Scrapummel, use Rock Smash!"

Scrapummel sprinted ahead with a glowing fist, Galladin jumping in front of Shining. "Iron Defense!" The shields began to glow as Scrapummel struck them, the two Pokémon unmoving despite the force of the impact. "Alright, we'll do this the hard way. Sacred Sword!" Galladin leapt back and unsheathed its blades before he slashed at Scrapummel, the street fighter grunting at the pain.

"Throat Chop!" Scrapummel spun around and aimed a karate chop at Galladin's neck, only for him to quickly raise his shield to block.

"Slash!" Galladin slashed at him again, this time hitting the opponent's shoulder.

"Payback!" Scrapummel staggered back as it began to glow, the Fighting Dark-type roaring as it flexed its body and unleashed an energy wave at Galladin.

"Din!" He grunted as he staggered back from the blow.

"Now, Close Combat!" The Gallant Knight now saw Scrapummel charging, ready to unleash an all out attack on him.

"Iron Defense!" He raised his shields just in time to block the attack, the force of the barrage of blows now battering his defenses. "Come on Galladin! We're not gonna let them beat us!"

"Sky Drop! Air Cutter!"

"Dragonbreath! Drill Peck!" The four Pokémon unleashed their attacks, Owlicious flying up to a Skullimor and grabbing its spine-like tail before spinning and tossing it downward. While this happened, Skyler and Peewee fired their long range attacks, striking several down as Steeledge shot into the last few in a drill-like fashion.

But as they did this, more seemed to appear. "Geez lousie! How many of these things are there?!"

"We just have to keep pushing Spike," Twilight added as the Skulerror leapt into the battle. "Confusion!" Owlicious fired the psychic beam at it, only for Skulerror's claws to glow white, blocking the attack with ease.

"SKULL!" It swung them through the air in an X formation, striking Owlicious with a deadly chop.

"Hoo!" the owl cried as it was sent back, Peewee catching him as Skyler and Steeledge attacked, both trying to use Steel Wing as Skulerror blocked both with its claws.

"Skull!" Its hollow eyes glowed red before shooting out a beam that struck the two in their heads, both Flying-types flinching before weird ducks began to circle their heads.

"Oh no! It knows Confuse Ray!" Twilight gasped as she now saw Skulerror shoot a Shadow Ball at Steeledge before thrusting its tail stinger into Skyler, the stinger glowing purple with bubbles of that color coming off it.

"WING/LEDGE!" They both cried as they were struck, both falling in unison. Skulerror then turned to Peewee and Owlicious, the Psychick taking to the air again as the flying skeleton charged down.

"Peck!" Owlicious's beak extended as it pecked at Skulerror, only for the attack to just bounce off the monster.

"Skull!" It then tried to impale him with Poison Jab, Owlicious quickly dodging with a flap of wings as Peewee flew up behind the creature.

"Bite!" He snapped his teeth down the monster's tail, Skulerror yelping in pain from the blow. But before the pain could settle in, he quickly spun around and whipped its tail, knocking Peewee off with a single strike. And as this happened, he fired a Confuse Ray, smacking Peewee in the face. "No!"

"Confusion!" Twilight told Owlicious, the Psychick picking itself up out of the sand before firing the blue beam at it. But Skulerror raised its claws to block before firing an X-Scissor, hitting Owlicious with enough force that it blasted him right out of the sand. "Owlicious!" Twilight screamed as Skulerror zipped down, quickly wrapping its tail around him. "No!"

"Hoo!" He cried in pain, feeling Skulerror tighten its grip on him while holding its claws and tail close to his face.

"Let him go!"

"Slash!"

"Rock Smash!" Galladin and Scrapummel charged at one another, slashing and punching in rapid succession. Scrapummel's bounced off the armor, causing small dents while Galladin's blades continued to nick him all over. Eventually, Galladin forwent counterattacking and instead stepped back to make Scrapummel over extend a punch, making him lose balance.

"Night Slash!" Galladin side stepped as his blade began to turn purple.

"Din!" He swung the blade at Scrapummel's leg, making him cry out in pain as it was no longer able to support his weight.

"Scrap!" He fell to his knees as Galladin jumped back, raising its shields again.

"We're not going down this easily! Scrapummel, Close Combat!" Scrapummel pushed itself back to its feet, flinching in pain before kicking off the ground at the Galladin.

"Iron Defense!" The knight Pokémon began to block the all out attack, waiting for the chance to counter. And as the attack continued, Galladin then side-stepped another attack, knocking Scrapummel off balance again before slamming his shield into its stomach.

"SCRAP!" It cried, staggering back before flinching as it stepped on its injured leg.

"End this now! SACRED SWORD!" Galladin summoned both blades and they began to glow blue, the knight charging as he brought them together.

"Galla...DIN!" He spun around and slashed Scrapummel with both blades at once, the street fighter screaming as it was thrown backwards.

"No!" Doom almost roared, "Get up! We will not lose!"

"Scrap..." Scrapummel slowly moaned as it started to shakily get up to its feet, his body wobbling. Doom shined a huge grin at this, only to go wide-eyed as Scrapummel flinched it pain again. "Scrap..." it whimpered as it fell to its knees before hitting the ground face first, his eyes now replaced by spirals.

"What?! How?!" Doom gasped as he saw his Pokémon now kiss the sand, the commander then turning to glare at Shining as Galladin, "This isn't over."

As he said this, an assortment of pained cries made them look over to see Flash, Doc and their Pokémon standing over a pile of defeated Team Shadow Pokémon.

Shining turned back with a big grin, "I think it is."

Doom could feel sweat now pour down his face, his eyes shrinking at the sight before him. But as he began to backpedal, a loud crashing sound made them all turn toward the temple. And as they stared at it, the last pieces of rock for the doorway fell apart as the Excadrill broke out of the rubble.

The temple entrance was now completely open, all eyes now wide-eyed at the new sight. However, Doom saw the awe in Shining's eyes, quickly returning Scrapummel before pulling out a radio, "No, it isn't. Execute full power to the soundwave generator!"

Meanwhile...

Twilight was continuing to watch as Owlicious was being squeezed by Skulerror, her brain frying itself to try and come up with a way to save him. But as this happened, Skulerror suddenly rapidly blinked, only to release the Psychick before flying off.

"What just happened?" Spike asked as Twilight ran over to pick Owlicious up.

"You okay?"

"Hoo..." he weakly replied.

"Twilight!" Spike then yelled, making her look up see the Skullimors get hit by some Pokeball beams before disappearing.

"Come on! Now's our chance!" Twilight added as she, Spike and the Pokémon ran to the temple, spotting Flash, Doc and their Pokémon a ways off. As they got closer, they saw Shadow Grunts returning their Pokémon despite some still being able to battle. "What's happening?!"

"I don't know," Flash shrugged. "Maybe they're giving up." They then watched as the grunts began to run off, Fash now asking, "Shining, what's happening?"

Doom chuckled as he spoke into his radio, "What's happening is you've all lost. Do it."

And as they were about to ask what he meant, a single grunt that had been hiding away in the van holding the soundwave device now approached the machine. Hearing Doom's command, he spun the dial until it was all the way in the red. The satellite dish reactivated, unleashing faster and more powerful soundwaves that hit the Pokémon almost instantly.

"RIO!" Springer screamed as he clutched his head, the rest of their Pokémon doing the same as they all fell to the ground.

"Springer!" Flash ran to his side, only to go wide-eyed as he saw the rest of his friends riving in agony.

"Peewee!"

"Tockwork, Higear, Steeledge!"

"Owlicious, please be alright..."

Even Galladin was on its knees, clutching his head. Shining placed a hand on his shoulder, "Galladin, be strong." He then looked up and saw the grunts now coming back with new guns, Doom just laughing as the Pokémon continued to scream. The sight made Shining yell out, "Stop this Doom!"

"I don't think so." Doom then gestured to a grunt as they gave him one of the guns, which he pointed at the champion, "Shining Armor, we can do this one of two ways. You can either return your Pokémon to the safety of their Pokeballs and surrender, or continue to watch them in pain until their heads explode. What'll it be?"

Shining's eyes shifted between the many armed grunts and their Pokémon, growling as he pulled out his Pokeball, "Do it guys," the others turned to him and saw Galladin return to its ball, the group following his order until only one was left.

"Sorry Springer," Flash enlarged his Premier Ball, Springer turning and yelling out at his trainer before holding his head again.

"Ri! Ri riolu!"

But Flash didn't listen, instead returning the Riolu to his Pokeball. Once he was inside, Flash followed Doom's order and dropped it in the sand as a grunt picked it and the other Pokeballs up as the group all had their hands up. Team Shadow had won.

Team Shadow Strikes PT2

View Online

Canterlot City, five years ago...

The sun had set, delving the city in darkness. Many of the citizens were fast asleep, the only lights in the city being street lamps. But as the night covered the buildings, a singular light shined in the black void. It was at the Sparkle household, the source of the light being the bedroom of one Twilight Sparkle.

A ten year old Twilight Sparkle was sitting at her desk, eagerly scratching her pencil on a long piece of paper. She was currently working on her notes for an essay Professor Celestia had asked her to write, dictating the differences in Pokémon egg groups. Her work was tireless, doing everything she could to get her masterpiece done on time. Of course, the fact that she had two weeks to complete it was entirely lost on her, but that didn't matter.

And as she did this, her work was suddenly interrupted when she heard a loud clattering sound outside her window, "Huh?" She turned to the glass, only to see nothing. Shrugging, she looked back down to her paper, only to hear another bit of noise, "What is that?" She got up and opened the window, her eyes glancing around in the darkness, "Hello?"

But as she said this, a strong gust of wind blew into the room, lifting her notes into the air. Twilight gasped at the sight, quickly trying to grabs the paper...but it was too late. The pile was sucked out of the window, making her go wide-eyed. "Shoot!" She put some clothes on over her pyjamas, spinning to leave the room. And as she grabbed the doorknob-

"Hoo." Twilight spun back around, gasping as she now saw a Psychick on her desk, some rolled up paper sitting in its beak.

The Pokémon and Twilight stared at one another for a few seconds, only for the Psychick to drop the paper. It then turned back to the window and spread its wings, Twilight reflexively yelling, "Wait! Don't go!" The Psychick's head spun around, raising an eyebrow as she slowly moved over to it, "Don't be afraid." She shined a small smile, "Thank you for returning my notes."

"Hoo," his body moved around to line up with his head. "Hoo, Hoohoooo." It was here that another gust blew into the room, causing Psychick to shiver.

"Gosh, it's cold tonight." Twilight added as she shook as well, only for a bulb to shine over her head. "Say, would you like to stay in here and keep me company while I work?"

"Hoo," he did a small nod before flying onto a nearby bookcase. Twilight giggled before getting back to work, the bird soon flapping down to watch was she was writing. She had the feeling this was gonna be the start of a beautiful friendship.

The Present...

"Twilight...Twilight!" The girl's eyes flickered open at the sound of her name, making her try to stretch out her arms...only to feel her body tighten.

"What?" She looked down next, now seeing she was tied up. A long coil of rope was constricted around her, pinning her arms to her side while her wrists were tied behind her back. Her ankles were also tied together, making it impossible to move.

"Good, you're awake." She glanced over to see her brother and friends sitting in a line beside her, all tied up the same way.

"What happened?"

"We've been captured by team Shadow," Shining answered as Twilight started to stare at their surroundings, now seeing they were in a square room made entirely out of metal, most likely the back of the truck as it was shaking as well.

"Right...I remember now," Twilight muttered as she shook her head, "They used that weird sound system to hurt our Pokémon." A gasp escaped her mouth next as she tried to feel for her Pokeballs, her tied up hands making it difficult.

"They're not there," Flash added, "We already checked. All our Pokeballs are gone." Twilight's eyes went wide in horror.

"What?! But that means Owlicious, Shine and Peewee...oh no! We've gotta get out of here!"

"Twilight, calm down!" Shining yelled, making Twilight look over at him, "I know you're worried, I'm worried about my Pokémon too. But panicking isn't gonna help us. We need to stay calm and think careful about what we can do."

"But what can we do?" Spike muttered out, "We've already tried untying ourselves and that didn't work."

Doc grumbled in agreement, "Those grunts sure know how to tie a knot. There's no way we can get out of these."

"For now, let's not think about what we can't do, and focus on what we can." The others nodded and began moving around, Shining tumbling over to where he assumed the doors were. He knew two or three guards were likely stationed outside, making him whisper, "And then there's Doom. I have to stop him."

Meanwhile...

Doom was now in front of the temple, staring up at the giant doors. They were exactly like the image he had been shown before, three squares on each door with another three connected to both with splits down the middle. Each square had the image of a Legendary Pokémon inside of them, the left squares having a Raikou, Regice and Virizion on them, the right ones having Entei, Registeel, and Terrakion and the middle ones having Suicune, Regirock and Cobalion.

The sight made him shine a giant grin, knowing the door must have took a long time to carve. He knew the sight meant one thing: He was close to his objective. That is, till he heard one of his scientists deny him.

"What do you mean you can't get it open?!"

"We're trying sir!" a scientist grunt whimpered out, "But the lock mechanism is highly advanced despite how long ago it was created."

"Can't you just force it open?"

"If we do that, the entire temple would collapse in on itself. We need to unlock it the correct way, which will be difficult."

Doom let out a long groan, now seeing what he meant. It was a stone tablet that was almost as tall as Doom, the top having a square outline with several stone tiles set in an eight by eight formation. Each tile had a different shape, including one that was missing, allowing Doom see a L-shaped line there that connected to the tiles above and to the right of the missing section.

"Hmmm..." he grabbed the tile to the right and pushed it to the left, finding it move easily and fill the space, only to show a new empty space. This one was an upside down T-shape, connecting the tiles above and to the side. "It's a puzzle."

"That's right, sir. We believe that the tiles need to be moved to certain spots in order to open the door, with the lines coming together to make a picture."

"So by solving the puzzle, you open the doors."

"Exactly. But that's the issue," Doom turned back to him with a long glare, "None of us are able to solve it." Doom then looked away, now seeing several scientists taking pictures of the puzzle while running them through several image processing apps. "I'm sorry, but puzzle solving wasn't part of our job needs."

Doom shook his head and sighed, "Just tell me when you've figured it out." The scientist nodded and walked away as a grunt now walked up.

"Sir, the prisoners are all awake."

Doom shined a big grin. "Good. Nothing like a little mocking the weak to improve my mood."

"You got it?" Flash asked Doc, both now back to back as the Gym Leader was trying to use his tied up hands to untie Flash.

"Almost," he replied as he felt the end of the knot in his fingers, "I think this is it." He pulled on the end, only for Flash to yelp out in pain. "Sorry," he let go, only to pull on another bit of rope and get the same reaction. "Sorry."

"Ow...maybe this isn't gonna work."

"I agree. It's too dark, and having my own hands tied is not helping."

The others sighed at this, only for their ears to perk up as they now heard sounds of locks being messed with. Turning to the noise, they flinched when the doors flew open and light shined inside. Squinting at the sight, they now saw a certain shadow cover the area as it walked in.

"Morning everyone," he laughed, "Comfortable?"

"Let us go!" Spike yelled as he tried to get up, only to be pushed back by a boot to his chest. "Augh!" The others called out his name as they tried to shuffl over to him, Doom laughing as his Skulerror lowered itself into the truck and crawled along the ceiling.

"You don't seem to understand the situation you're in right now. You...are my captives. You do as I say or things will get bad for you."

Flash glared back at him, "You don't scare us! You might have us tied up, but we're gonna get out!"

Doom kept laughing as he crouched down to his eye level, "And how is a weakling you going to do that?" He didn't blink as he waited for a response, the two remaining silent until Flash looked away. "That's what I thought. Just behave and nothing too bad will happen to you...or your Pokémon."

Doom then stood up and gestured to outside the box, now seeing two grunts standing just outside the truck. One was holding a device they assumed was the controlled the soundwave machine while the other carried a metal briefcase. That grunt opened it, now showing eighteen Pokeballs inside.

"Some of the Pokémon in here a pretty rare, especially yours...champion. I'm sure it'll go for a high price. Enough to fund Team Shadow for a good while." The four trainers all growled at him, the image making Doom laugh. "Oh please, stop trying to be intimidating, its not working. Just behave and wait until we're finished what we're doing here. Do that and when we leave, we won't take your Pokémon with us when we leave you behind...probably. We'll at least need to get rid of yours champion. Can't have you interfering with our goals."

Everyone kept growling, only for Twilight to yell out, "Why are even doing this?!" He slowly turned towards Twilight as she continued, "You unearthed an archaeological sight, attacked people without provocation and sent Pokémon wild with pain, all just so you can get your hands on some artifact you're not even sure exists?!"

Doom stared at her for several seconds, only to walk over lean down with a grin, "Oh, it exists. And with it, our leader will change this world for the better."

"Leader?"

"Team Shadow's mysterious leader," Shining grumbled, "Not much is known about him, but there are plenty of rumors. One even talks about how he was found by Pokémon as a baby and was raised by them."

"That's ridiculous," Spike added. "Nobody could be raised by Pokémon."

"He was," Doom replied as he stood up, "That little rumor is true...but he also lost his family when a group of stronger Pokémon came into their territory." He turned around, now staring at the temple in the distance, "That day he learned Team Shadow's greatest philosophy, that might makes right. Only the strong survive in this world, which is why he strives to be the strongest. That way, the world can be bent to his whim."

"You really think the world will bow to you because you're strong?"

"Of course," Doom looked back at the group with an even bigger smile, "And when we have the artifact, the strongest Pokémon in the world will be ours to command."

"There's more to this world than just being strong," Shining instantly replied.

"Oh really?" Doom turned to him. "Remind me, you're considered one of the most influential people in Equestria, am I right? But that's only because you're champion, and you're only champion because you were strong enough to take the title from the previous one. Your strength earned you the respect you have now. That's the same way we will gain control over everything."

"Then what?" Twilight asked next. "Even if you that over Equestria, what then?"

Doom let out a cackle, "Then the rest of the world will follow. Eventually, Team Shadow will be the ultimate authority." Twilight glared at him, the rest giving the same looks. Seeing this, Doom shook his head, "Oh stop it. We're doing this for everyone's good. There are far worse people out there, allowed to do what they want because weak people manage to Sneasel their way into power. When our leader stands at the top, our world can finally live in absolute peace. That's why we're doing this. That's who we are: The good guys."

"You're nothing but a lunatic," Doom froze before slowly turning to glare at Shining Armor as he continued, "Criminals like you always try to make your actions sound noble. Just admit it, you're only doing it because you like it. Isn't that right?"

Doom let out a hiss as he slammed his foot into Shining's chest, making him grunt as he was pushed into the box's wall. "Don't think you're so great and pure, champion. Sometimes, extremes need to be made for the greater good."

Shining coughed out in pain despite the smile now adorning his face, "That's the kinda justification those who know they're in the wrong tell themselves." Doom growled before turning to jump out of the truck, slamming the doors shut.

"Now what?" Spike asked.

"I'm not sure," Shining sighed as he picked himself up. "While they have our Pokémon, we can't hope to try an escape."

Doom stomped back to the temple, seeing the scientists still working on the lock. "Well?!" The scientists froze at his roar, most trying not to turn and look at him.

"I-I-I...I'm sorry s-s-sir. W-w-we're trying every possible algorithm, b-b-but nothing's working."

"Idiots!" He pulled out a Pokeball, "Forget this. Scrapummel!" He tossed it into the air, summoning the jacket wearing monster, "Rip those doors open!"

"NO!" The scientist screamed, jumping in front of them. "Sir, you know what'll happen! You might not have it now, but you'll never get it if you collapse the temple on top of it!"

Doom let out a roar of frustration, looking down at puzzle and seeing they hadn't even moved a single piece yet. "Enough! There has to be someone here who can do this!"

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry sir, but we're trying our best-"

"SHUT UP! JUST GET IT DONE NOW!" Doom yelled before turning around, hissing as he started to make his way back to his truck, "I'm surrounded by imbeciles..." He slumped down in a chair by the vehicle, only for a bulb to shine in his head, "Hmm....I wonder."

"Grrrr!" Flash grunted as his teeth gripped the rope around Twilight's wrists. "Mmrph!" Flash then opened his mouth and began to spit, "Blaugh! Yuck...stupid rope."

"Just give it up Flash." Twilight sighed while shaking her head, "It's not gonna work."

"Well we gotta do something!" Flash barked back, "It's not like they're just gonna open the doors and let us out!"

KER-THUNK!

They turned to the sound, now seeing a pair of grunts open the doors, "Come on, you're getting out of here."

The five exchanged glances before they were suddenly untied, only for the grunts to put blasters to their backs before taking them out of the truck. After that, they were led over to Doom with his Scrapummel and Skulerror. A big grin was on his face, making them all growl as Shining asked, "What do you want?"

"Why, your help of course." This made them all go wide-eyed as he pointed at the temple, "You're going to help me open these doors. In return, I'll let you keep your Pokémon when we're done." A moment silence followed this, only to see more glares, "Well?"

"You can't be serious. We can't trust you to keep your word!" Shining replied.

"That's right! What's stopping you from changing your mind once we've helped you?" Twilight added.

"Don't think you can treat us like kids," Flash finished, "We're not idiots."

Doom sighed, shaking his head. "You try to be reasonable. I guess the weak will always be stupid. Alright..." the grunt holding the Pokeball case ran up to him. Opening it up, Doom traced his fingers over the balls before taking one out. "We'll do this the hard way."

He opened the ball, soon revealing Owlicious. "Hoo?" He asked as he started to look around, only for Skulerror to suddenly wrap his tail around him. "HOOOOO!"

"NO!" Twilight screamed, only for a pair of grunts to grab her ropes, "Let him go!"

"Oh, I will," Doom chuckled as he shined a big grin, "But not before you help me open those doors."

Twilight's eyes shifted between the two, now seeing Skulerror tighten its grip around the owl before bringing its claws up to her Pokémon's neck. The sight made her let out a long sigh, "Okay! Okay...I'll do it."

"Excellent. Get to work." Doom laughed as he gestured for the grunts to keep the others pinned. As this happened, he, Twilight, Scrapummel, Skulerror and Owlicious moved to the doors while Shining began to glance around, now seeing a grunt holding a controller.

"Here it is," Doom chimed in as he showed her the puzzle. "Figure this out and unlock the doors...or else."

Twilight sighed, glancing over at Owlicious as Skulerror chuckled at her, "Hold on," she whispered before looking over the tiles. Adjusting her glasses, she did a long sigh before her brain began to work. "Let's see here..."

With that, she began to work on the riddle. She started with the left side and top, shifting the sliding tiles from the edge. After about a minute, she managed to make the top line and left side fit perfectly. Doom saw this, making him massively grin as she started the process over again, soon getting another L-shaped line done. And as she did this, the image began to take form, now showing the picture of Alicormony and Dischaos. The two's bodies were angled so their faces and tails touched, forming a heart-shape between them.

And as the last tile were slid into place, the image started glowing a blue light. That light spread to the rest of the door, the patterns now glowing before the doors started moving backwards. Everyone watched in awe as the temple opened up, revealing a short tunnel with a downward stone staircase.

"Finally!" Doom laughed as he and Scrapummel began to walk up to the doorway before looking back at Twilight. "I thank you. Now..." Twilight felt a grunt grab her, "Tie them all back up and put them in the truck."

"What about our Pokémon?" Twilight yelled as she glanced over at Owlicious, still seeing Skulerror holding him tightly.

"Be good and I'll keep my promise...maybe." Doom cackled before he and Scrapummel walked into the temple, disappearing into the darkness.

"Let's go!" A grunt holding Shining told him. But as he began to pull on the champion, he suddenly found an elbow slam in to his gut. "Blaugh!"

The others turned to this, only to see Shining tackle a nearby grunt to the ground, rolling off him while grabbing his stun gun. Before they could react, Flash and Doc followed Shining's lead and thrusted their elbows into their holder's guts, knocking them away. Spike then scooped some sand with his feet, closing his eyes before kicking them upward. The sand hit the grunt's face, making him yelp as Spike got free.

While that happened, Shining fired an electric bullet right at Skulerror, "Skull!" It cried, its grip on Owlicious instantly loosening.

"Hoo!" Owlicious roared as he got free, taking to the skies as it flew over to its owners.

"Stop them!" One grunt ordered, another nodding as it put its hand on the soundwave controller.

"Oh no you don't!" Flash roared as he tackled the grunt, the controller flying out of his hands. He then pushed Flash off him, quickly grabbing the controller again, only for Flash to grab hold of it as well. Both now held a side, beginning a tug of war as Shining, Spike and Doc tried to fight off the other grunts.

Seeing the commotion, Twilight looked up at her Pokémon and yelled, "Owlicious, use Confusion on these three!"

"Hoo!" The Psychick fired off its psychic beam, the grunts around her all now clutching their heads in pain.

"Let's see how you like getting your heads assaulted," Twilight mocked before going over to the door puzzle, quickly shifting several pieces around. "Gotta keep that monster locked till we get rid of these goons." The door began to shut again, leaving the grunts leaderless as she turned back to the battle, now seeing Owlicious descend to her level, "Good work-look out!"

On instinct, he leapt to the side just in time to dodge a Poison Jab from Skulerror. The flying skeleton hissed as it started to chase after him, trying to grab him in its claws. "Hoo!" the owl yelped, spinning around as he dodged a few more swipes.

While this happened, Flash was still trying to get the controller, both pulling at the device as Shining kept knocking out grunts with the electrogun. He then spotted the grunt holding a certain familiar box, quickly sniping him with one shot. "Augh!" he screamed before falling over, Shining instantly dashing to the case as the other grunts tried to chase him.

"I got you guys," he grabbed the case and opened it up, the grunts now throwing Pokeballs at him. Seeing this, he grabbed the first ball he recognized. "GO!" He tossed it up, unleashing a Pokémon that looked like a hulking dinosaur with a spiked back and wrecking ball tail.

"ANKYLOAD!" It roared as it landed, causing the ground to shake.

Flash and the others looked away from their fights and saw the Ankyload standing in front of Shining, gasping as Flash spoke up, "Wait, is that-"

"The Ankyload that evolved from the Armadiload Professor Luna revived?!" Doc finished as the grunts let out their Pokémon, revealing a bunch of Skullimor, Diggersby and Shadusk.

"Spike Cannon!" The spikes on Ankyload's back glowed before firing, hitting all opponents except a few of the Skullimor as they flew above the shot line. "Now, use Tail Hammer!" It charged as its tail began to glow, Ankyload spinning around to slam it into the Diggersby and Shadusk, sending them flying as Shining pulled out a Premier Ball. "Springer!"

The ball opened before the Riolu escaped, "Riolu?"

"Go help Flash!" Springer spun around and saw Flash still fighting the grunt for the controller. Nodding at the sight, he went into Extreme Speed, zigzagging around the crowd of grunts while forming an Aura Sphere.

"Rio!" He roared as he fired the orb.

Flash saw this and gave the controller one last strong tug, pulling it into the path of the orb. "What?!" The grunt yelped as he turned to see the Aura Sphere coming right for the controller, only for it strike the device, making it explode, "NO!"

"Nice one bud!" Flash cheered, Springer shining a thumbs up. "Now we don't have to worry about the sound thingy."

It was here that several more grunts ran up, all pulling out Pokeballs as they summoned some several Excadrill, Skullimor and Frillace.

"GUYS!" Everyone turned to Shining and watched him throw every single Pokeball into the air, unleashing all their Pokémon.

"Gust/Tore/Leaf/Car/Rush/Wagon/Gear/Tock/Ledge/Nee!" Everyone's Pokémon roared as they appeared, all turning and running up to their trainers. Peewee, Skyler and Steeledge reached them first, all keeping the flyers at bay while the others began to battle any enemy they could find.

The only one who wasn't fighting was Shine, the Ponyta simply trying to get to her trainer, only to find her path blocked by a Shadusk. "Dusk!" It raised its glowing claws, only for Hopper to slam into him.

"Rush!" Hopper roared as the Shadusk was knocked away, making Shine smile. But as she did this, she saw a Diggersby about to charge at him with its giant ears.

"Nee!" She fired a Psybeam at it, blasting it away. Hopper then told Shine he was going to help her get to her trainer, both now in hot pursuit to Twilight.

As for the trainer, she and Owlicious were continuing to battle against the Skulerror. "Confusion!" Owlicious fired its psychic beam again, but Skulerror blocked it with its glowing claws.

"Skull!" It swung them in a X formation, Owlicious barely dodging it.

"This isn't good," Twilight muttered, seeing Confusion and Peck had little to no effect on her enemy while also noticing Skulerror was to big to use Sky Drop on. "Owlicious can't beat this thing."

"Nee!" She turned to see Shine and Hopper race to her side, the Ponyta leaping into her arms.

"I'm okay," she assured her. "But Owlicious…" They all turned to see Owlicious dodge another Poison Jab, only to get hit by a X-Scissor.

"Hoo!" He cried as he was smacked into the dirt, Skulerror now preparing to hit him with another Poison Jab.

"Hopper!" Twilight called out, the Velocirush zipping ahead to intercept. "Use Bite!"

"Rush!" He quickly chomped down on the Skulerror's tail, making it yelp out in pain.

"SKULL!" It cried out as it tried to fly away, only to pick up Hopper in the process. "Lerror!" It began to flick its tail around, but Hopper continued to remain firmly latched on. "Skull!" It wagged its tail up in front of it now, allowing it to see Hopper as its eyes began to glow red.

Next thing Hopper knew, a beam of red light shot out and struck his head. "RUSH!" He cried out in surprise, accidently letting go before gravity sent it back to the earth. Luckily, the sand cushioned his fall, summoning a dust cloud before the Pokémon began to pick itself up.

"Hopper?" Twilight saw the Velocirush turn to her, his eyes now very unfocused.

"Rush!" He growled at them before charging, attempting to bite Twilight and Shine, but the trainer was able to jump out of the way.

"He's confused!" she yelled as Hopper charged at him again, "Owlicious, help us!" The Psychick quickly pecked his head, making him look up and try to bite the owl, but he kept himself out of the Pokémon's range. "That's good. Keep him busy until the confusion wears off."

Skulerror saw this and smirked as its eyes began to glow red again, now firing two Confuse Rays. The first struck Owlicious and the second being Shine, the two suddenly freezing as the effects sunk in. "Guys!" Twilight screamed before feeling Shine begin to struggle in her arms, forcing her to drop the Ponyta as she started running around with a look of fear in her eyes.

"Nee!" To her, the usually comforting image of her trainer/mother was now distorted into an image of a dark monster with sharp teeth and claws. "NEE!" She started firing Psybeam attacks in every direction, Twilight crying out as she leapt back from the attack.

Owlicious was just the same, "HOO!" it cried, closing its eyes while putting its wings over its face.

Skulerror laughed at the sight as it began to fly over the area, "SKULL!" He roared, the other Skullimor now hearing his instructions. One by one, their eyes all began to glow before they started launching a barrage of Confuse Rays down at their opponents.

"Leaf!" Prongs was the first to be hit, causing him to stagger as his eyes became unfocused.

"Gear!" Higear cried as he was hit next.

"Carrr!" Viper grunted, the both now becoming befuddled.

"Oh no...don't let those beams hit you!" Shining yelled, the Pokémon all doing their best to dodge...only for all of them to be struck.

"Gust/Ledge/Wagon!" Skyler, Steeledge and Peewee cried as they fell from the attack, the confusion now settling in.

"Spran!" Riptide dodged a Confuse Ray before slamming an Excadrill with his Aqua Tail, only to get side struck by a Diggersby. "Tore!" He yelped as he rolled on the ground, allowing a Skullimor to hit him. "Nee!"

"Gear!" Higear attempted to use its Gear Grind to protect itself, the gears blocking two attacks before a third struck, "High!"

"Psyshock!" Doc ordered, Tockwork raising its gun arm to fire the blasts. The shots struck several Skullimor, knocking them down like flies before one hit him with a Confuse Ray.

"Tock!" Tockwork fell to its knees as the Confuse Ray began to mess with it's systems.

Springer jumped from side to side, doing anything he could to not get struck. "Ri, ri, ri, riolu!" He back-flipped over a Shadusk that was trying to attack from behind, causing it to be struck by the Confuse Ray. He formed an Aura Sphere as he landed, which he thrust into the Shadusk's back. But as it dropped with spirals in its eyes, Springer found himself surrounded by a circle of Skullimor.

"RIOLU!" he screamed as five Confuse Rays hit him at once.

Shining had just knocked down another grunt when he saw his Ankyload get hit, its size making it an easy target. "No! Return!" He recalled the Pokémon into its Pokeball, only to see the others now being succumbed to the confusion's effects. Springer, Prongs, Viper and Steeledge all became aggressive, trying to attack anything that came into view while Peewee, Riptide, Skyler and Higear all started clinching in fear.

"Shine! You have to stop!" Twilight yelled as she dodged another Psybeam, Shine firing blasts everywhere in fear. She then saw Hopper charging at Shine, gasping at the sight, "Look out!" Shine fired another Psybeam, knocking Hopper flying back. "No no no..." She turned to her other Pokémon, "Owlicious, you have to wake up! I need you!"

Owlicious heard this and opened his eyes, only to see a terrifying image where Twilight stood. "HOO!"

He shut the eyes tightly again, making Twilight grimace, "Please! You have to-look out!" she screamed as the Skulerror flew down and clutched its tail around the owl's neck.

"HOO!" He cried as Skulerror raised him into the air. He turned his head around, only to scream as he now stared at Skulerror's face, which had become even more scary due to the confusion.

"Skull..." Skulerror raised its tail, glowing purple with a Poison Jab.

"NOOOOO!" Twilight screamed, suddenly going into a sprint before leaping at Skulerror, knocking it down and losing its grip on Owlicious. The owl fell to the side as Twilight tried to keep Skulerror pinned. "Owlicious, you're stronger than this confusion! Please, don't let it or your fear make you lose sight of that!"

Hitting the dirt made Owlicious feel a certain tingle in this head, allowing him to hear Twilight's words. But as he opened his eyes, he went wide-eyed as he once again saw the scary images.

"Skull!" Skulerror roared as it pulled up its tail and wrapped it around Twilight, flicking her off of him.

"Augh!" She cried as she flung away, her body rolling across the ground before landing near Owlicious. She let out a long moan as she slowly opened her eyes, now seeing him still cower in fear. "Owlicious," she pulled him into her arms, the owl thrashing out....only for her to hold him closer, "I'm here. I'll protect you."

Owlicious heard the voice and slowly opened his eyes, still seeing the scary figure. But Twilight's voice kept coming from it, causing the image to slowly change as his eyes came into focus.

"I'll protect you."

And as those words went into his ears, the image stabilised and showed his trainer looking down at him. "Hoo..." he calmly hooted before seeing Skulerror floating up with a raised tail, "HOO!" On instinct, he leapt out of her arms and flew straight for the monster. The words he heard Twilight say before echoed in his head as he charged, knowing she was right. "HOOOOO!" He roared as a blue aura appeared around his outline, making Twilight and Skulerror go wide-eyed.

He then beat his wings and sent the light off of him, the attack instantly striking Skulerror. The attack exploded in his face, making him cry out, "SKULL!"

But as this happened, the light morphed into a shockwave that flew in every direction, hitting everyone in the vicinity. This included the confused Pokémon, whose confusion status seemed to vanish as soon as the wave passed them. "Ri?" Springer yelped as he looked down at himself, blinking before flexing paws, "Riolu?"

"What just happened?" Spike asked as Peewee hugged him, the teen now seeing him back to normal.

"Owlicious just used Mind Force," Doc added with wide eyes, "It's a Psychic attack that damages an opponent, but also removes mental status conditions of any nearby Pokémon like confusion, sleep or infatuation."

"Talk about great timing," Flash cheered as he kicked a grunt's rifle out of his hands before knocking him away. His Pokémon followed suit, all resuming the giant battle.

"Ankyload!" Shining threw his Pokeball, summoning his dinosaur Pokémon as the fear of confusion vanished. "Let's finish this!" The Pokémon let out a long roar as he began swatting away the grunts' Pokémon, Doc and Spike following suit with their own commands. As this happened, Shining turning to Twilight with a big grin, "Great work sis! But learning that moves does more than just get rid of the confusion."

"Skull..." Skulerror moaned as it picked itself up, growling at Owlicious as the bird got into a battle ready position.

"Right! Let's do this!" Twilight said as she pointed at the monster, Shine and Hopper now moving to her side.

"Hoo...HOOOOO!" Owlicious roared, only for his entire body to explode with light. This caught everyone's attention, making them turn to see Owlicious grow larger, only to fade into something new. It looked like the Psychick, though it now stood at about Doc's height. Its wings were much larger, so large that they looked like they could wrap around it like a cloak. The owl still had the almost cream colored circles around its eyes, but now also had a ring of dark brown feathers circling the edges and were connected by a line of dark brown feathers above its beak that made it look like it was wearing glasses. Finally, it had a large bushy monobrow of white feathers above its eyes that were shaped like an M. The new Pokémon spread its large wings and let out a mighty squawk. "OWLOLAR!"

Everyone gasped at the sight, Twilight fully wide-eyed as she almost fell to her knees, "Owlicious...you evolved." she whispered, "Of course. Learning Mind Force let's you evolve. So now you're an Owlolar."

"Lar!" Owlicious nodded before spreading his larger wings. With one great beat, he took to the skies, Skulerror joining him in the air as the two stared each other down.

"Confusion!" Owlicious unleashed the blue beam, Skulerror raising its claws in defense. But as the blast struck, the force slammed the Skulerror back.

"LAR!" Owlicious roared as he charged at the monster, Twilight ordering Peck as his beak extended in a glowing light.

Skulerror growled back as it fired a Shadow Ball back, only for Owlicious to easily dodge it before stabbing his beak. "Skull!"

"Now use Sky Drop!" Owlicious then grabbed Skulerror's tail before flying upward, spinning like a top before swinging Skulerror downward. "Mystical Fire!"

"Nee!" Shine's horn ignited before she drew a flaming circle in the air, "TAA!" She fired a burst of fire through the circle, the flames striking Skulerror.

"Skull!" Skulerror cried as it then hit the ground as Hopper charged in and bit its tail. "SKULL!" It yelped, Hopper letting go and jumping back before it could retaliate. Skulerror then fired a Confuse Ray, hitting Hopper's head.

"Rush!" He cried as the confusion began to sink in.

"Oh no you don't! Mind Force!"

"Owlolar!" Owlicious's body glowed before he beat his wings, sending the light at Skulerror.

"Skull!" It turned to the blast before crossing its glowing claws, unleashing an X-Scissor to block the attack. But as the blast was defended against, the shockwave flew across the area and cured Hopper again.

At the same time, the rest of Twilight's friends were now turning the tables. Confusion now no longer a problem, they ripped through the grunts' ranks with ease.

"Aura Sphere!"

"Ri!" Springer slammed the orb into a Diggersby, knocking it back as Peewee, Skyler and Steeledge knocked out the last of the Skullimor.

"Let's see how you like this!" Shining told a grunt he had just tied up. He then turned to see the rest of the army now being incapacitated, all now being tied up by Flash or Doc while Spike took their Pokeballs and returned the knocked out Pokémon.

All that was left was Skulerror, who Twilight was still fighting, "Psybeam and Confusion!" Her Pokémon fired the blasts at the monster, who tried to block them with a Shadow Ball. But the Psybeam struck down the ball, only for the Confusion to fly through the smoke and hit it.

"SKULL!" It cried as it fell to the ground again. And as it tried to pick itself up, it saw the others gather around Twilight.

"You okay?" Shining asked, Twilight nodding back.

"I'm fine," she turned to her partner. "We're all fine, thanks to Owlicious."

While she said this, Flash took this moment to scan the Owlolar with his Pokedex.

Name: Owlolar
Category: Scholar Pokémon
Type: Psychic/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Psychick. With its powerful mind, it never forgets something. Its more powerful wings allow it to travel further distances, helping in its aim to spread knowledge and learning throughout the world.

"Awesome!" Flash cheered, only for his ears to shiver as a loud roar came from Skulerror. Everyone turned to see it hiss as it slowly took to the sky with a blood red glare in its eyes.

"Don't give it a chance! Long range attacks!" Shining told the others, the group nodding before giving their commands.

"Air Cutter, Water Gun, Energy Ball and Flamethrower!"

"Gear Grind, Psyshock and Air Cutter!"

"Mystical Fire!"

"Dragonbreath!" The nine attacks flew up at Skulerror, who began firing rapid fire Shadow Balls in return. But as it blocked the barrage, the Dragonbreath, Mystical Fire and Water Gun got through.

"Skull!" It cried as it felt the attacks, trying everything it could to keep itself in the air. However, as it did this, Owlicious suddenly appeared above it with a deadly glare in its eyes.

"Mind Force!" Skulerror thrust its claws at him in response, but it was too later. With one mighty beat of his wings, the light shot of the owl's body and hit Skulerror point blank.

"SKULL!" It screamed over the explosion, the shockwave spreading over the field and pushing it into the dirt. A pillar sand followed as it landed, kicking up a cloud of dust as well.

Seeing this, Owlicious flew back down to the others as Twilight said, "Wow...you're amazing Owlicious!"

"Lar!" He cheered back, only for them all to turn and see the cloud fade, showing Skulerror picking itself up.

"You gotta be kidding! How much can that thing take?!" Spike yelped in response.

"Skull..." it hissed weakly as it tried to take to the air. But as it leapt up, its wings gave out, making it fall over before swirls appeared in its eyes. "Error..."

Everyone sighed in relief with Spike falling to his butt, "We did it."

"Not yet," Shining pointed at the temple. "We still have to stop Doom."

"Why don't we just leave him in there?" Flash asked. "He can't escape, so let's just keep him locked inside until Hard Case gets here."

Shining sighed and shook his head, "I wish it was that simple. Unfortunately, I don't know what that supposed treasure really is down there, and if he gets his hands on it, who knows what might happen. We have to stop him before he gets the chance." He turned to Twilight, "Open it up."

Twilight nodded and moved over to the puzzle, beginning to shift the pieces around until it remade the image of Alicormony and Dischaos. And as the last piece was put in, the doors began to open. Shining turned to Ankyload, patting his side. "Stay here and guard the entrance. If anyone except us tries to get out, stop 'em."

"Load!" It roared back before the others ran inside.

"Owlicious, stay here and help Ankyload."

"You too Tockwork and Higear."

"Skyler, Prongs and Viper, you guys keep watch too."

"Hoo/Tock/Gear/Gust/Leaf/Car!" The six of them replied as they stood by the doorway, all giving saluting gestures.

Doom and Scrapummel were calmly strolling down a staircase, about to reach the bottom as they now saw a new large set of doors.

"Scrapummel." It nodded and pushed the doors open, its strength barely able to push them aside. And as the doors began to shift, Doom let out a long happy sigh, "Finally..." he walked in as his Pokémon followed, only for his smile to suddenly vanish. "What?"

The chamber he had arrived in was empty. No artifact or anything. Instead, three statues stood in the middle of a round room, all made of stone...and they resembled Suicune, Entei and Raikou.

"What? But...how?! It should be here! Where is it?!" He yelled as he ran to the middle of the room. But as he did this, he saw another door on the other side of the room, making him smile again, "Ah. Guess this place is bigger than it looks. Come Scrapummel, let's-" He turned to his Pokémon, only to see him show a grimace on his face. "Scrapummel? What's wrong?"

The sound of cracking stone suddenly hit his ears next, Doom now seeing light suddenly began to cover the statues. Glowing light began to consume all three, only for the rocks to fall to the ground...revealing all three beasts in their true forms.

And before he could say anything, they turned to Doom and pounced.

Team Shadow Strikes PT3

View Online

Years ago.

"Sucker Punch!" Scrapound swung a left hook into an Ambipom, sending it flying into a cage fence before slumping over. The crowd all cheered as Doom entered the cage, he and Scrapound basking in the glory of the underground Pokémon battle.

"YES!" Doom roared, "I am the strongest!"

"Are you?" Doom turned to the sound of the sudden voice, making him now see a well dressed man step up to the cage. "Do you know that for sure?"

"What's it to you, Mankey suit?" he barked back, only to start blinking. His eyes started to go wide as he stared at the person's face, now seeing it was Sombra, one of the richest men in Equestria.

Sombra pulled out a Pokeball, "If you're so sure you're the best, then prove it in battle." From out of the Pokeball came Sombra's Tyrandark, the creature lifting and standing itself above Doom and Scrapound. "Or do you only want to test yourself against no talent trainers a child could defeat?"

Doom growled at this, "Oh, I'll test myself alright." He pointed at Sombra's Pokémon, "Go Scrapound! Beat him to a pulp!"

Five minutes later...

"SCRAP!" Scrapound was slammed into a wall by Tyrandark's Shadow Claw, hitting the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"No...no way," Doom gasped, falling to his knees in shock.

"You are strong, but you still lack the raw power needed to be truly unbeatable." Sombra commented as he walked up and held out a hand, "But I can help you with that." Doom raised an eyebrow as Sombra continued, "I know you've been looking for a way to get stronger ever since you escaped prison. Join me and you'll find the strength you need to defeat anyone who messes with you." They remained still for a few seconds, only for Doom to take his hand and was pulled up to his feet.

"Show me."

"Welcome to Team Shadow."

The Present...

Having defeated the many grunts of Team Shadow, Flash, Shining and the rest were now running down a long set of stairs. As they did this, Doc spoke up, "Hey Shining," The champion looked back at the gym leader, "That Ankyload of yours, where'd you get it?"

Shining shined a big grin, "You should know where I got it from. You recognized it, didn't you?"

"So it's really the Ankyload Professor Luna caught?" Spike asked.

Twilight let out a gasp, "Wait...she said she was gonna find someone who could train it to control its brute strength. That was you?"

"Yup. It took a lot of work, but now Ankyload can switch between using one hundred percent of its power to just one percent of its power."

"Awesome!" Spike cheered, Flash wanting to do the same. However, all he could do was stare at Shining as he run in front of the group, now seeing the champion's back. He felt tiny compared to him, the sight making Flash just go wide-eyed.

But before he could say anything, the group got to the bottom of the stone stairwell. It was here they found themselves in front of a large set of doors, Spike asking, "Is this it?"

"Maybe," Shining moved up and began to push on them, the others following suit. A minute or so later, a small gap began to appear, allowing them inside. And as they walked in, a series of torches suddenly lit up inside, illuminating the place. They now found themselves in a round chamber that had three statues inside.

"This is...Suicune," Twilight whispered as she and Shine walked up to the statue.

"There's Entei and Raikou too," Doc commented as he went up to the others, "They're amazing. The attention to detail is like nothing I've ever seen. It's almost like they're the real Pokémon."

"That might be true, but Doom ain't here." Shining added as he turned to see a set of doors on the back wall. "He must have gone further in. Let's get going." The others nodded in agreement as they went up to the doors.

But as they tried to push or pull it open, the doors refused to budge. "Come on!" Flash groaned as he gave one last push. "Darn it! Did Doom barricade these things or something?!"

"Possibly. Everyone, step back." Shining ordered as he pulled out a Pokeball. "Hate to do this, but come out and use Sacred Sword." He tossed the ball into the air, unleashing the knight Pokémon.

"Din," Galladin landed before staring the doors. He raised a shining sword, only to come to a stop as the room started to glow as well. "Gall?"

The sound of cracking stones happened next, making them all turn to see cracks appearing on the statues. "What the-"

"Did we somehow damage priceless statues?" Spike asked as the cracks spread across their entire body.

Before anyone could answer, the rocks broke off to reveal the beast's true forms beneath. Everyone and their Pokémon staggered back in shock next, the three legendary beasts slowly moving around until their eyes met with the trainers.

"They're...alive?" Twilight whispered.

"And they don't look happy," Flash gulped as the trio growled at them, only for all three to leap off their pedestals.

"MOVE!" Shining yelled as everyone split up, the three slamming the ground before circling around the room.

"CUNE!" Suicune roared as a barrage of bubbles shot out of its mouth, the attack heading for Flash, Springer and Hopper.

"WHOA!" Flash yelped as he and his Pokémon leapt away.

"TAY!/KOO!" Entei and Raikou roared as they unleashed a Flamethrower and Discharge attacks, the others dodging the bolts and flames.

"Use Slash!" Shining ordered, Galladin charging at Raikou. In response, the beast turned and blocked the shining sword with its now glowing tail.

"Aqua Tail!" Flash told Riptide, the Spranitor nodding as it leapt with a tail engulfed in a spiral of water.

"TORE!" He slammed his tail into Entei's head, the Legendary Pokémon flinching from the blow.

"Dragonbreath!"

"Psybeam!"

"Drill Peck!" Peewee and Shine unleashed their long range attacks, both striking Entei while Steeledge flew up and swooped down at Volcano Pokémon as it spun its beak like a drill, piercing Entei's side.

"Drain Punch and Quick Attack!" Springer and Hopper charged at Suicune, Hopper leaping around to distract the beast as Springer zipped up to Suicune's side before slamming his glowing green fist into it.

"Sui!" It cried out as it staggered back.

It was here that Raikou's entire body began to be surrounded in lightning, Twilight gasping, "That's Wild Charge!" The Legendary Beast then charged at Galladin, Shining ordering him to use Iron Defense.

"DIN!" His shields started glowing as Raikou slammed into them, pushing him back a few inches before he pushed back, making Raikou loose his footing.

"Now use Night Slash!" Galladin's blade began to glow purple, the knight spinning around before dealing a powerful slashing blow to the Thunder Pokémon.

As this blow happened, the Raikou roared out as it, Suicune and Entei all leapt back. They all group up next, their eyes glowing yellow before a rainbow colored beam of light shot out of their headsets.

"They're using Extrasensory!" Twilight yelled out, Galladin quickly jumping up in front of everyone before using Iron Defense to block the triple attack.

"DIN!" It cried, the Psychic-type attack pushing him back.

"He needs help!" Flash added, Twilight, Doc and Spike nodding in agreement as Steeledge grabbed Shine and lifted her into the air with Peewee.

"Air Slash/Psybeam/Dragonbreath!" The three launched their long range attacks, the Air Slash hitting Suicune while the Psybeam hit Entei and the Dragonbreath hit Raikou. The blows stopped the Extrasensory, only for Springer, Hopper and Riptide to charge up to them.

"Aura Sphere, Quick Attack and Aqua Tail!" The three launched their attacks into the trio, Springer thrusting Aura Sphere right into Suicune's face while Hopper body slammed Raikou in the chest and Riptide smashed is water covered tail up into Entei's chin.

The three staggered back in pain, Galladin charging up with a shining blade. "Sacred Sword!" Before the three could react, Galladin slashed them with a single strike, smacking all three into the back wall before falling over with a single thud.

And as they slumped over, everyone sighed in relief as Flash said, "That...was crazy."

"Yeah." Spike added with a nod, "But they kinda went down a lot easier then you'd think Legendary Pokémon would go down."

"Those weren't the real Entei, Raikou and Suicune," Shining replied as he pointed at the downed opponents. Before they could reply, all of them began to dematerialise into thin air, only to reappear on their podiums as stones statues. And once they stopped glowing, the back room doors opened up on their own.

"What just happened?" Twilight asked.

"It must be some kind of defense mechanism," Doc commented as he stared back at the statues, "In order to get through the doors, you need to beat these. Fascinating. How did someone create this?"

"Wait...does that mean Doom manged to beat them like we did?" Spike asked next.

"It's the only logical explanation," Shining responded as he ran over to the doors, "Come on. For all we know, there's a time limit on how long the doors remain open." The others nodded and followed, all soon leaving the room.

And as the last one disappeared, a certain figure leapt down from the roof of the stairwell, laughing as he did this, "Too easy. I'll just let you guys do all the hard work while I reap the benefits." Doom then ran up to the doors, slowly tiptoeing to the top of the stairs to see the group was now already running down the staircase.

The group had now hit the bottom, seeing an new set of doors. Shining then turned back to the group, "Get ready. I got a feeling there's another fight coming."

"You think there might be some more defense statues?" Twilight asked, which Shining nodded in response.

"There's no might about it." Shining turned back to the door. "Remember back at the entrance? The carvings on the doors?"

Twilight's eye went wide at this, "Suicune, Raikou and Entei were carved into the doors."

"Exactly. But they were only three of nine, which means..." Shining added before pushing the doors, the others helping him. But as they got in, the darkened chamber was suddenly lit up again. And as they did this, they saw three new statues, these depicting Regirock, Registeel and Regice with another set of doors stationed behind the statues.

"So now we gotta beat these things?" Spike yelped, his question instantly being answered when the three statues began to glow. "Why'd I even asked?"

Everyone got into a battle stance in response, the trio of Pokémon now fulling revealed as they lumbered off their podiums before clumsily charging at them.

Flash pointed at Registeel, "Drain Punch!"

"RI!" Springer leapt with a glowing green fist at the fake Pokémon, the Steel-type staggering back from the blow while the other two Regis turned to the Riolu.

"Sacred Sword!"

"Steel Wing!" Galladin and Steeledge sprinted at two of the golems, Galladin slashing at Regice while Steeledge did the same with Regirock.

Registeel picked itself up as it began to glow, light flying off and spiralling into an orb between its fingers. "That's Ancient Power!" Twilight announced while pointing at the Pokémon, "Mystical Fire!"

"Incinerate!" Shine and Peewee shot their flame attacks at the orb, making it explode.

"Quick Attack!" Hopper zipped through the explosion, slamming himself into Registeel. But as it struck, the Pokémon yelped as he bounced off the Steel-Type.

"Rush," Hopper cried while holding his head in pain.

"Not good," Flash growled before pointing at Regirock, "Aqua Tail!"

"Tore!" Riptide spun around as his tail was engulfed by water, smacking the Rock Pokémon with a single strike.

At the same time, Galladin continued to slash at Regice using Sacred Sword, the Ice-type unable to put up any kind of defense. As for Springer, he was using his high speed to run rings around Registeel before leaping onto it's round metal head. Registeel tried to reach up and grab him, but Springer just slammed an extra large Aura Sphere into the Steel-type's head, making fall back.

And as it fell over, Peewee and Shine unleashed a Mystical Fire Incinerate combo, the flames consuming the metal titan in a fiery blaze. The creature was now sent flying, hitting the wall before slumping over with its eyes now no longer glowing.

"One down!" Flash cheered as Steeledge dodged Regirock's large stone fists. "Riptide, help him with Water Gun!"

Riptide fired the water stream into Regirock's face, making it stagger back. Seeing this, Doc yelled, "One last time!" Steeledge launched its final Steel Wing at Regirock, knocking it down as its eyes began to stop glowing.

"Finish this!" Shining ordered as Galladin stopped its quick low damaging slashes before focusing all its power into one final slash.

"Galla..." He charged while holding both its blades together, "DIN!" With one mighty swipe, Regice was knocked back as well, joining the rest of the golems on the floor as its eyes stopped glowing.

Everyone sighed in relief as the guardians returned to being statues on their podiums. The doors opened next, the group running to the stone frames as Shining took the lead.

"Great work team. We're one step closer to Doom."

They began to descend the stairway as Doc commented, "I'm surprised he was able to get this far on his own. His Scrapummel must be tough."

"It is, but he might have a harder time getting past the final guardians. They're Fighting-types, which will make it difficult for his Scrapummel."

And as he said this, Flash saw Hopper staring down as they continued to run, "You okay bud?" He looked up at him, a big frown on his face. "What's wrong? Is it about your battle with Registeel?"

"Rush..." Hopper whined as he looked away.

Twilight grimaced at this sight as she commented, "Its no surprise, it was going against a highly defensive Pokémon. Though I guess most of Hopper's moves don't really have...what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Umpth?" Spike replied, Twilight nodding.

"The moves he has are good, just not great against something like a Steel-Type."

Hopper let out a low whimper at that, Flash reacting by reaching down and patting his head. "Don't worry. When this is over, we'll work on teaching you something that'll have more 'umpth'." Hopper looked back up, his frown shaking in response. And as this happened, Shine and Springer spoke up as well, trying to give him some reassurance.

"Here we are," Shining announced as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Another pair of double doors awaited them, everyone taking a deep breath before pushing the doors. And as they opened, Shining took the lead as he said, "Alright...let's do this."

As if on que, the torches around the room lit up to reveal the statues of Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion. The sight made Spike yell, "Bring it on! We're not afraid of you!" The statues immediately started to crack, all of them being engulfed in light as their true forms began to appear.

"Don't let them have the chance to attack!" Shining yelled as he pointed at Terrakion. "Sacred Sword!"

Terrakion turned to charging Galladin, its body glowing with a brown aura before a curved horn made of golden energy extended out of its forehead. "It's using Sacred Sword too!" Twilight commented as Galladin and Terrakion's attacks clashed, the two now pushing in unison.

"TORE!" Riptide roared as he ran in next.

"Aqua Tail!" He leapt at Terrakion, tried to slam his water soaked tail at it. However, the bull horse creature just leapt back, evading the attack while Galladin staggered from the sudden change.

"Air Slash!" Doc ordered while pointing at Virizion. Steeledge flew up and unleashed a barrage of air blades.

"RAI!" Virizion glowed as it used Protect, blocking the attack with a giant forcefield. And as the barrier vanished, the pink leaves on her neck began to glow as she swung her head around. Doing so sent a bunch of rainbow colored leaves flying at Steeledge like shurikens.

"Steel Wing!" Steeledge's wings glowed as it began to cut the Magical Leaf attack out of the air, the armored bird then circling around. "Drill Peck!" He began to spin, morphing into the drill as it charged at Virizion. But as it did this, a green version of Terrakion's horn appeared on her head.

"ZION!" She swung it and met the Drill Peck head-on, the two pushing just like the other battle. However, as this happened, Peewee flew above them and took a deep breath.

"Incinerate!"

"WAGON!" Peewee fired his flaming missile at Virizion, burning up the grass deer's back.

"ZION!" She screamed, letting Steeledge push through her attack, smacking her to the ground with another mighty blow.

As this happened, Springer, Hopper and Shine were facing off against Cobalion. "Psybeam!" Twilight ordered as Shine fired a psychic blast from her horn, the beam hitting Cobalion's head, making it stagger back. Seeing this, Springer and Hopper charged in full sprint.

"Quick Attack and Drain Punch!" Hopper slammed into Cobalion first, only to bounce off him like Registeel.

However, it was here that Springer leapt over him and thrusted his fist into the Fighting Steel-type. "CO!" It cried as it fell back, its body glowing blue before a white energy horn shot out of its forehead. "LEON!" It swung the blade around and struck Springer, knocking him back.

"Ri!" Springer yelped as he hit the ground before spinning around and landing back on his face.

"Mystical Fire!" Twilight commanded next.

"Nee..." Shine carved the circle of fire before shooting a fireball through it, "TAA!" The fire rocket shot at Cobalion, the Sword of Justice just charging through the exploding flames before jumping on top of Shine.

"LEON!" It slashed its hooves down in an X formation, the attack smacking Shine into the dirt.

"Rush!" Hopper roared as Flash ordered him to use Bite, the Velocirush biting down on Cobalion's leg. However, the deer just flinched before shaking him off.

As this happened, Flash's eyes were shifting between Cobalion and Terrakion, now watching Hopper dodge a strike from Cobalion while Riptide leapt into the air above Terrakion. "Rock Smash!" Riptide spun around before delivering a glowing axe kick to Terrakion's head as Galladin got behind it.

"Sacred Sword!" He tried to slash at Terrakion, only for a bunch of sharp rocks to suddenly appear around it. "Iron Defense!" He raised his shield to block the rocks, Riptide using his Water Gun to blast them away.

It was then that the Terrakion's horns glowed green before it charged, Megahorn ready to do some serious damage. But as this happened, Galladin summoned his blades as one glowed white while the other glowed purple. It started slashing at Terrakion with intense force, the powerhouse Sword of Justice roaring as it tired to push back.

"Tore!" Riptide fired another Water Gun, hitting Terrakion right in the face next.

"Drill Peck/Wing Attack!" Steeledge and Peewee charged in unison, Peewee's wings glowing while Steeledge spun into an air drill.

"ZION!" Virizion roared as it fired a barrage of Magical Leaves, Peewee dodging the wind while the attack just bounced off the spinning Steeledge. Virizion then used it Protect, the barrier appearing as Peewee pulled up before hitting it while Steeledge slammed into shield.

"Ledge!" He grunted as he tried to cut through, but the barrier held as his drill began to vanish. And as the shield began to go away, Peewee dive-bombed Virizion, slashing her neck with his wing.

"Way to go Peewee!" Spike cheered, only to hear a loud cry of pain.

"RUSH!" They all turned to see Hopper get slashed by Cobalion's Sacred Sword.

"Hopper!" Flash yelped before turning to Springer, "Extreme Speed!"

Springer's body began to spark with blue lightning as he roared, "RIOLU!" He then disappeared into a blue light that began to circle Cobalion, making its eyes shift around as Hopper tried to get up.

"Psybeam!" Shine fired her attack as it Cobalion's chest, allowing Springer to slam the side of its head with a kick.

Hopper growled at the sight, "RUSH!" He then raced forward, wanting to use Quick Attack again.

"Hopper, wait!" He heard his trainer cry, but picked up speed anyways.

"RUSH!" He leapt at Cobalion, hitting him with everything he had...only to bounce off again. "Loss..." he groaned as he landed, only for Cobalion to spin around and raise its back hooves.

"LEON!" He thrust them down, slamming into the Velocirush with tremendous force.

The attack hit its mark, knocking Hopper flying across the room. "RUSH!" he screamed as he hit the back wall, only to fall over into a heap.

"Hopper!" Flash yelled, only to hear a cry of pain from Riptide, making him look back to see Terrakion trying to crush the Spranitor under its hoof.

"Tore!" He grunted while trying to lift the hoof off his stomach.

"Water Gun!" Riptide unleashed the stream of water on command, smacking Terrakion's face. The attack made it grunt and backpedal, Riptide jumping away as Flash turned back to Cobalion, now seeing Springer dodge a Sacred Sword attack from him.

While this happened, Hopper let out a groan as it got up, now seeing Springer and Shine continuing to fight against Cobalion. It used Double Kick to knock Springer away before he could use Drain Punch, then dodged a Mystical Fire before using X-Scissor on Shine.

"Nee!" She cried as she fell back, her body now rolling on the ground.

"Shine!" Twilight screamed as she saw Cobalion now gallop forward while creating his Sacred Sword. "NO!"

She then felt a powerful gust of wind shoot past her, Hopper jumping in front of Shine. "RUSH!" he roared, instincts kicking in as it swung its tail upward to meet Cobalion's Sacred Sword.

"Hopper!" Flash yelled as he saw his Pokémon about to take on the attack, only to see the tail suddenly knock the horn back. "What?!" he yelped, everyone mirroring their surprise as they saw a new sight. Hopper's tail...was glowing.

"That's Iron Tail!" Twilight gasped.

"Iron Tail?" Flash's shock turned to awe as he cheered, "Alright Hopper! You learned Iron Tail!"

"Rush!" Hopper added as he turned to Shine, seeing her pick herself up with a small smile.

"LEON!" They turned back to see Cobalion pick itself up, Springer hopping to the other two's side as the opponent charged at him.

"Psybeam!" Shine unleashed her rainbow blast as Flash's Pokémon leapt over her attack, the beam hitting Cobalion as he summoned is Sacred Sword.

"Iron Tail!" Hopper spun down his glowing tail in midair onto Cobalion's head while Springer landed and created a certain orb of spirit energy. "Aura Sphere!"

"RI!" Springer roared, smacking it into Cobalion's chest.

"LEON!" It staggered back right when Virizion tried to use its Sacred Sword on Steeledge.

"Steel Wing!" The armored bird's wings glowed as it countered the green energy horn, the two fencing as Peewee flew up above them.

"Incinerate!" Peewee spat the fireball, only for Virizion to use Protect to block the flames.

Spike and Peewee growled at the sight, only for Doc to put a hand on his shoulder. "Together!" Spike nodded before they looked back to the battle, "Air Slash/Incinerate!"

"WAGON/LEDGE!" The two fired their attacks at the same time, the Air Slash fusing with the fire, turning into a supercharged flaming arrow. It struck the forcefield, shattering it with a mighty blow before hitting Virizion, an explosion following the attack.

"VIRIZION!" It staggered back, joining Cobalion as Terrakion yelled out at Galladin.

"TEAR-RACK!" It roared as it launched a barrage of rocks at Galladin, the Pokémon countering Iron Defence while Riptide hid behind him. The rocks bounced off the shields, only for the rock attack to come to a stop.

"GALLADIN!" Shining's Pokémon roared as his armor began to slid off, everyone watching as his Armor Drop ability activated and left him with nothing but his thinnest armor. Terrakion went wide-eyed at this, only for Galladin to suddenly warp across the room, slashing him with a violent strike.

"RACK!" It screamed, falling back into its companions, the three now seeing Galladin charging while summoning its Sacred Sword. "RACK/ZION!" Terrakion and Virizion launched their Stone Edge and Magical Leaf attacks, but Galladin zigzagged past each attack with ease. Cobalion then summoned its Sacred Sword and tried to block the incoming attacker, only for Galladin to knock away the blade before slashing him with his second sword. "LEON!" It cried as it fell over, Galldin zipping right past the deer.

"RACK/ZION!" The others cried as they fell over from the next attacks, all falling beside Cobalion with swirls in their eyes.

Everyone sighed in relief, most falling to their butts in exhaustion. "Great work everyone," Shining commented with a chuckle, "That was tough, but we did it. We should be proud."

"Yeah..." Flash patted Hopper on the head, "Especially you. It's great you learned Iron Tail."

"Rush!" Hopper rubbed his head up to Flash as everyone smiled at the sight. But as they did this, the final doors opened as the guards returned to their original positions.

"Come on," Shining added as he went to the doors, now seeing yet another set of stairs.

"Seriously?!" Spike moaned, "How far down does this temple go?!"

"Its just a little more Spike." Twilight finished while patting his head, the teen letting out one last sigh before following them down the stairs.

Outside the temple, the Pokémon that had remained outside were all carefully keeping an eye out their captives. None of the enemy Pokémon had woken up yet along with the grunts that were still tied up. Skyler and Owlicious were circling the area, keeping an eye out while Tockwork and Higear guarded the grunts and dealt with anyone who started acting up. Ankyload was standing at the front of the temple, ready to stop anyone who came out if they weren't its trainer.

And as this was happening, Viper and Prongs were sitting in the sand playing noughts and crosses. "Woohoo!" The Chitaleaf cheered after drawing an O, "I win again!"

Viper growled, "That's thirty five games in a row...best of seventy one?"

Ankyload let out a low sigh as it kept Skulerror pinned under foot. Owlicious was nearby, ready to use Mind Force again, that or any of the Skullimor tried to use Confuse Ray. But as they did this, a sudden sound rang out above them.

The rhythmic sound of whirling blades caught everyone's ears now, making them look up. Skyler and Owlicious were the first to see it, now seeing a large helicopter heading over to the camp. A large S could be seen on its side it, making everyone tense up as it came to a stop over the crater.

And as it began to descend, the bottom of the vehicle suddenly opened before what looked like a satellite dish dropped out. But before anything could be done, the machine lit up.

"Here it is," Shining commented as their group got to the bottom of the staircase.

Once again, there was a large set of double doors, making Spike gulp, "Are we sure we've passed the last set of obstacles?"

"Unless the door had a bit we didn't see, yes." Shining replied as he began pushing the stone frames, the others helping him as they soon made a squeezing gap to get inside. And as they went in, they found themselves in yet another dark chamber.

The darkness was then dispelled by torches lighting the room, everyone jumping into a battle ready formation...only to find no statues. Instead, a stone table sat in the center of the room with a large stone box on it. A heart shape was carved into the stone, the sight making them blink in confusion.

"That's it?!" Flash asked. "That's what we fought so hard to get?!"

"The artifact must be inside," Twilight responded as she began to walk up to the table, only for Shining to grab her shoulder, making her look back, "Shining?"

"Something's not right. Where's Doom?"

The others went wide-eyed at his question, Doc speaking up next, "You're right. There doesn't seem to be able other way out of here, so we should have met him."

"But we couldn't have gone past him," Spike pointed out. "Unless he has a Psychic-type to teleport away."

"But the artifact is still here," Flash added. "You think he couldn't get passed the guards and had to give up?"

Shining shook his head, "No, Doom's no quitter. Even if he couldn't beat the guards, he wouldn't just give up. He'd find someway...to...oh no." The others turned to see a look of horror on Shining's face, the champion looking back at the door, "We have to get out of here! Doom is-"

But as these words left his mouth, something flew into the room. They only got a second to see what looked like some kind of thin metal canister before it exploded, unleashing a mighty flash of light along with an ear shattering bang.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Everyone screamed as they were blinded and deafened, each falling to the floor in disorientation. The ringing in their ears prevented them from hearing the laughter of Doom Raizer as he causally walked into the chamber.

"I must thank you," he chuckled as they stepped up to the table. "I was worried I was gonna have to beat all those guardians by myself, but then you decided to lend me a hand! HA!"

As he got to the box, Shining tried to pick himself up, but his legs gave out. His body and vision kept losing focus, the sight of Doom making it look like there were five Doom Raizers in front of him. Everyone watched as he fiddled the box open, a blue light now escaping the container, "Amazing." they heard him whisper as he stared at whatever was inside, only to put it into his cape. But as he did this, the entire room began shaking. "What the-"

"What's happening?" Spike yelped as he felt his balance shaking even more thanks to the shaking floor as everyone's senses began to come back.

"it must be one last defense mechanism," Twilight screamed as she pointed at the roof, the ceiling now breaking apart. "The whole temple's gonna come down!"

"Welp, that's my cue!" Doom laughed as he ran past them, looking back on last time with a huge grin, "Thanks again. You've helped Team Shadow tremendously! AHAHAHA!"

With that, he kept laughing as he ran up the stairs, the others just now getting up. "Come on," Shining grumbled as he returned Galladin while helping Twilight to her feet. The others did the same, returning everyone except Springer and Peewee as more of the roof began to fall apart.

They quickly ran through the door, the entire chamber falling to pieces seconds after they got out. A long sprint up stairs came next, rocks falling everywhere as they dodged the dropping debris. Everything was a blur as they arrived in the Swords of Justice's room, the stone statues having already been smashed by falling rubble. "Hurry!" Flash yelled, fearing the door might get buried before they reach it.

"Let's just hope Ankyload can handle Doom when he gets out." Shining added as he helped Twilight dodge another falling rock, "Come on, we gotta get out of here!"

Doom was beginning to breath a sigh of relief as he ascended the final staircase, seeing this part of temple was just starting to fall apart. But as he got closer to the exit, he knew he had to ready himself for the Pokémon probably waiting outside for him.

"Alright...let's get over-what the?" He muttered out as he went past the doors, only to see all the enemy Pokémon laid out on the ground, all crying in pain as they clutched their heads.

He also saw his grunts free along with some new ones, only to hear a loud whirling noise. Doom quickly looked up, now seeing a very familiar face with a huge smirk on her face.

"Need a lift?" Chrysalis asked before throwing a rope ladder over the edge of the vehicle.

Doom chuckled as he then saw the other grunts beginning to board the land based vehicles as they drove off, the commander moving to the ladder.

"DOOM!" yelled a voice, making him turn to see Shining and the others escape the temple.

"Guys!" Flash yelled as he ran over to his Pokémon, Springer and Peewee suddenly following their lead by clutching their ears. They then saw the satellite dish attached to the helicopter, making them all grimace. "Not again."

Doom chuckled as he watched them return their Pokémon before grabbing the ladder. "Well, this has been fun." The helicopter began to lift him as he laughed, "Later! I hope to never see you again!"

"NO!" Shining yelled as he ran up and leapt up at Doom, only to missed by just an arm's reach. At the same time, the vehicles began to drive away as well, Team Shadow escaping completely as Doom began to climb up the ladder. The group could only watch as the team of evil trainers escaped, all slumping over as they got away.

Doom then let out a long sigh as he sat down in a seat by Chrysalis, "Don't expect a thank you."

"Don't need one," she replied with crossed arms and a leg over one knee. "You just better have gotten your hands on the target." Doom shined a big grin as he reached into his cape, showing his prize as Chrysalis's eyes went wide.

Hours had passed since Team Shadow's escape, and the teens were still at the now destroyed temple. The entire entrance had collapsed in on itself, making it impossible to ever enter it again. Their Pokémon were all exhausted, most resting as the humans talked about what had happened.

"We're sorry we couldn't help you stop Team Shadow," Twilight said first as she slumped over with a huge frown.

Shining shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It's alright. Honestly, we did far better than I would have done if I'd tried to stop them alone."

"But I'm the reason they got into the temple."

"They would have found a way in eventually. Heck, Doom would have likely blown the doors in and be lucky enough not to make the place collapse." He turned back to the temple, a small frown on his face as he saddened that such a historic place had been lost. "Either way, Team Shadow can't be allowed to get away with this. They'll keep causing trouble until they're finally stopped."

Flash let out a long huff, "I just wish we knew what it was they took."

"We'll find out when Team Shadow is eventually brought down." Shining replied as he turned back to the group, "I'll be staying here for a few days until Hard Case and the authorities arrive. You guys should continue heading...where are you kids heading anyway?"

"Appaloosa City," Flash responded, "That's where I'll be getting my fifth Gym Badge."

Shining shined a big grin, "Got it. Welp, I won't hold you guys up any longer. Stay focused on your goals."

"But what about you?" Spike asked next, "You can't take down Team Shadow alone."

"I'm not gonna be alone. I'm not the only one working on stopping these criminals. The entire Pokémon League is doing what they can, including all the Gym Leaders."

The others then turned to Doc, a sheepish smile on his face, "Uh...sorry I didn't tell you guys. I didn't want to stop you from enjoying your journey because of those guys."

Twilight shook her head, "It's alright...but we can't just sit back and let Team Shadow get away with this."

Flash nodded in agreement, "And don't worry Shining, I don't plan on looking for those guys. But if we run into them again, I'm not gonna let them go so easily."

"That's the spirit!" Shining cheered, pointing at the young trainer next, "Always remember this Flash, strength alone is not enough. You need a reason to be strong in order to truly grow as a trainer."

They all nodded in agreement, knowing that this wouldn't be the last time they would run into Team Shadow. And the next time they did, things would turn out differently.

Doom and Chrysalis's helicopter was flying through some mountains now, their destination being a large skyscraper inside a valley of mountains. The range of massive hills made it impossible to see the building regularly, which had a large S emblazoned on its side.

The helicopter then landed onto the building's helipad, the two jumping out as soon as it touched down. Doom was in front, a large metal case in his hand as they got into a nearby elevator. Riding it down to the next floor, they stepped into a well decorated office with red carpets and black walls. The entire back wall was a giant window, a large desk and chair sitting in front of it.

However, no one was in the chair.

"Master?" Chrysalis asked with a raised eyebrow, only for both to hear the door behind them open up.

Spinning around, they gasped as they saw Sombra walk into the room. He was dressed in metal armor that covered all but his head, a red cape with white trim hanging from his shoulders. The man shined a huge grin as he walked passed them and asked, "What do you think?"

"Very impressive," Chrysalis replied.

Doom nodded in agreement, "Is that the finished product?"

"Just another prototype," Sombra responded as he moved around the desk and sat down, "The test run our special friend has been conducting has yielded some excellent data. I'm honestly surprised he lasted this long. Now..." he eyed the case, "Were you successful?"

Doom chuckled as he put the case on the table, Sombra pulling it over and undoing the locks, "Yes and no. I managed to get what was in the temple, but it looks like the parts of the legend talking about the divide weren't just rumors."

Sombra opened the case, a light escaping the container as he stared at his prize. "Beautiful."

Inside the case was a light blue gem about the size of Sombra's head. The shape showed it had been cut in half, but the sight still made him smile, "The Heart Fragment..."

The object was half a heart shape, a zigzag pattern running down one edge that would have another half to it. The sight made Chrysalis cross her arms in slight anger, "It's useless to us like this. We need the other half if we want our plan to succeed."

"No worries," Sombra shut the case before moving it over to a nearby trophy case. Once placed inside, he turned back to them while removing his cape and the top parts of the armor. "I have several teams working to uncover its whereabouts. One area in particular appears to be showing great promise."

"Do you want us to go lead the team in this area?" Doom asked, only to get a shake of a head in response.

"No. I want you to lay low for a while. The champion and the rest of the league will be on your case for a while, and if anyone spots you and spreads the rumor of your location, they'll be on you faster then you can say Muk. Besides..." he sat down and leaned back with a giant grin, "I have one of the best minds in Equestria working to help me uncover the location." He then switched on his computer and typed on the keyboard until it let off a ringing noise. A ringing sound followed this, making his grin grow as someone appeared on the screen, "Hello Professor Cadenza."

The woman on the screen smiled back, "Please, call me Cadance." She was a woman in her mid twenties with pink skin and hair that was a mix of pink, yellow and purple. "Now what can I do for our generous benefactor?"

"Just wondering how the dig is going."

"It's going amazingly. We think we might be close to uncovering the city's whereabouts."

"Is that so? Well, I hope you'll keep me well informed of the process."

"Of course," Cadance replied with a nod, "And I hope you'll come and visit us as soon as we find it. It's not every day you get to see a city that's been lost for over a thousand years."

"No, it isn't." Sombra chuckled, "Well, I won't keep you from your work any longer. Good luck with the rest of the dig."

"Thank you," Cadance replied as the screen turned off. Sombra then shook his head as he looked back up at his minions.

"What city is she talking about?" Doom asked.

"One of the most famous lost cities in all the world: The Crystal Empire. Home of the Equestria Region's first ruler and protector of the Crystal Heart, tasked with the duty of summoning the legendary Pokémon in times of great need."

"And that's where you think the other half will be?"

"Only one way to find out." Sombra turned to Chrysalis, "I'll want you ready to acquire it once we confirm its location." He then glanced back at Doom, "As for you, I want you working on locating the altar. I prefer to act fast as soon as we get both pieces."

"Yes master," the two nodded before turning to leave. Once they were gone, Sombra sat back and spun around to look out the window.

Our heroes encounter with Team Shadow has ended with the villains successful in their objectives. One can only wonder what dastardly schemes they have planned, and whether the Equestria Region will be able to put a stop to it.

As the journey continues.

Water Shortage

View Online

"Iron Tail!"

"RUSH!" Hopper roared as his tail began to glow, the Velocirush spinning around next.

"Tore!" Riptide leapt with his tail now wrapped in water, both tails now clashing. The two attacks now pushed each other back, the force from the blow making the sand around them swirl as the others cheered from the side.

Flash and the gang were continuing their journey to Appaloosa City and Flash's fifth Equestria Gym Challenge. Having said goodbye to Shining Armor, Flash decided to take this opportunity do a little training, this time being Hopper and Riptide doing some sparring.

"Quick Attack!" Hopper nodded as he charged, his body slightly glowing.

"Spran!" Riptide countered as he unleashed a stream of water from his mouth, though it hit the ground instead of Hopper. But as this happened, Hopper's paws struck the soaked sand, only to come to stop as the sludge made him sink. Seeing the opening, Riptide thrust a Rock Smash into the trapped Pokémon, catapulting him out of the quicksand. "Vel!" he screamed, flying over to Flash's feet.

"You okay?" He asked as he knelt down, patting Hopper on the head. He let out a moan as he got, his legs wobbling as Flash helped him stay stable. "Maybe that's enough for now." He turned to Riptide, "Nice work bud."

"Tore," he replied before the three began to move over to the others, who were all sitting in the shade of a large rock.

"Hopper's definitely getting better," Twilight added as she handed him a water bottle. "You thinking of using him in the next gym?"

"Maybe...." Flash took a swig before flipping the lid to give to Hopper. "It depends on what type of gym it is. If it's a type Hopper will have trouble with, it might not be a good idea."

"So Fighting or Ghost?" Doc noted as he took a long gulp from his water bottle.

Spike did the same thing, only for his eyes to go wide. "Uh...guys?" the others turned to him, Spike now holding his water bottle upside down. A few drops plopped out as he commented, "We might have a problem."

The others looked back at their bottles, grimacing as Twilight took out her journal. "Looks like our battle with Team Shadow made us thirstier than we thought."

"We need to find a spring and fast," Doc continued, "Before we all turn into dried up prunes."

"I'm looking now," Twilight flicked through the area, her eyes darting around, "There. And it's not too far away. About a mile and a half."

"Great!" Flash returned Hopper and grabbed his bag. "Let's get going. I'm already starting to feel a headache from the heat." The others nodded in agreement as they followed Twilight through the sandy wasteland. It was another thirty minutes before the spring finally came into view.

"Finally!" Spike cheered as they spotted some trees in the distance, he and Peewee running in a full sprint, "Last one there's a Slowpoke!"

Flash was about to race after him, only to come to a stop as he saw Riptide blankly staring at the area, "Hmm? What's up buddy?" He watched Riptide now point at the trees around the lake, Flash grimacing as he saw what he meant while Spike reached the edge.

"Bonzai!" He yelled before leaping, curling himself up before he and Peewee fell out of sight. However, a sudden cloud of dust appeared next, Spike's voice now unleashing a loud 'ouch!'. The others raced over to the edge and looked down, now seeing a Spike and Peewee sitting in a dried up crater. "Well...this sucks."

Doc let out a laugh, "This should be a good lesson to you about looking before you leap."

"Looking at what?!" Spike yelped as he picked himself up, both now beginning to climb out of the sandpit.

"Try the trees," Flash pointed to the plants, all now seeing the leaves all dried up and shriveled. "If they're in that state, the water must have dried up a while ago."

"This isn't good," Twilight looked back down at her journal. "There isn't another oasis around here for a good ten miles. There's no way we'll get there before we collapse from dehydration." The boys all gulped at her comment, Spike and Peewee's eyes shrinking as they knew they were already thirsty.

But before they could comment about it, Riptide stared down at the dried up lake as the fin on his head began to vibrate. Flash turned to his Pokémon, raising an eyebrow, "Riptide?" The Spranitor didn't respond, instead leaping down into the sandpit as he began to wander around, "Buddy? What ya doing? Anything wrong?"

Twilight hummed as she stared at the Spranitor, "Hmmm...you know, it's possible that Riptide's sensing water."

"He can do that?"

Doc did a small nod as he responded, "Many amphibious Pokémon have evolved a way to sense water, even if they can't see or smell it. It's kinda important since some have to stay wet in order to survive."

Flash took this chance to jump into the pit with Springer, both moving over to Riptide as he crawled along the ground. "Find anything Riptide?"

"Tore..." Riptide nodded before looking down at an area of the pit. "Nee..." he took a deep breath before breathing out, "Tore!" He shot out a Water Gun that hit the dried up sand, causing it to grow damp before a small puddle formed. When he stopped, the three watched the water slowly sink into the ground. "Tore!" Riptide cheered as he started digging.

"What's he doing?" Spike asked as the others walked down into the pit.

Twilight clapped her hands, "Of course! The aquafier that fed the lake must be here! If we can find it, we might be able to get the lake to start up again."

"So what are we waiting for?!" Flash added as he knelt down and started digging alongside Riptide, Springer doing the same. The others quickly followed suit, slowly starting to uncover more and more sand, the group now making a sizeable hole. Heat and exhaustion began to hit them at this moment, their throats becoming scratchy and their heads growing damp with sweat. In response, the boys took off their shirts while Twilight removed her sweater vest.

But after almost forty minutes of digging, resulting in a four foot hole, it happened. As Flash scooped some more sand into his hands, he suddenly found them growing wet as dirty water began to ooze out. "Yes!" He cheered as he watched the water begin to fill the hole, the group now turning to climb out of the now filling waterhole.

"Nice!" Twilight commented, "It should dilute once it fills the lake. We must have unblocked something that was stopping the flow." But as she said that, the water stopped raising. "What?" They then saw the water slowly begin to drain, making her yelp out, "No!"

"Now what's happening?!" Spike added, only for the group to suddenly yelp out as they felt something new. Looking down, they saw the sand under their feet shift, sucking all of them into the pit. "Whoa!" Spike yelled as he saw sank down the fastest, now feeling the pit into a quicksand-like bog. "Help!"

"Dang it, I'm stuck!" Flash grunted as he tired to pull his legs up, only to feel the sand tug him down.

"We all are!" Twilight cried out, the group now feeling the sand crawl up to their waists. Seeing this, Twilight yelled, "Quickly! Get your Pokémon out before-eep!" She felt her waist get sunk into the sand, unable to get to her Pokeballs.

"Twilight!" Flash yelled, only to see Springer whine out next.

"Ri!" Springer yelped as he and Peewee were now stuck with just their heads above the sand. Riptide wasn't far behind, his shoulders about to dip below the surface.

"Hold on!" Flash told his partner, trying to move over to the Riolu, only for both Springer and Peewee to completely sink. "NO!" He screamed, only to now feel his feet give out, the group now being sucked under the surface. "GYAH!"

Before he could react, Flash could feel his body sliding through a cloud of sand down into some kind of tunnel. He kept trying to move, but the sand kept his body restrained. The grains were now getting into his eyes and mouth, making him gag as he kept falling, only to find himself suddenly in midair.

"Huh?!" he yelped before gravity pulled him down, his voice now letting out a long scream as he heard the rest of his friends doing the same. And as they continued to descend, he closed his eyes, ready to go splat...only to feel a splash of water instead. His eyes shot open, now seeing he was in a pool of water, his friends realizing the same as they began to get back to the surface. And as their heads reached the surface, gasps and deep breaths followed as Flash asked, "Everyone okay?"

"I got sandy water in my ears," he heard Spike moan.

"I...I think we're okay," Twilight added as she squinted her eyes, soon rubbing them as she then stared at her glasses, "Thank goodness I didn't break them."

"Ri..." Springer groaned behind his trainer, Flash turning to him while seeing two more Pokémon.

"Wagon."

"Tore."

Flash let out a long sigh of relief, only to look up and see a small light come out of the ceiling, "What the heck happened?"

"We must have fallen into the cavern that was used to supply the water to the oasis," Doc answered as he scanned the ceiling, "The water must have been trapped in that tunnel until we unearthed it, which caused the ground to finally collapse with us on top of it."

"So how are we supposed to get out of here?" Spike asked as everyone now stared up at the hole.

"Maybe Steeledge or Owlicious could fly us out," Twilight suggested.

Doc shook his head, "No, the tunnel's too narrow. They won't be able to get through it with their wingspan."

"So we're stuck?" Spike finished, the others nodding.

But as they began to debate on what to do, Riptide dunked his head underwater. He then saw a tunnel just a bit under him, seeing it was more than big enough for everyone. However, he saw it was also quite dark to see anything, but he could feel a current pull him in. Knowing this would be enough to help them get through the tube, he swam back up to the surface.

"Tore!" He said as his head popped out of the water, "Spran!"

"Hmm? What's up Riptide?" Flash asked as he turned to his Pokémon, "You find something?"

"Tore!" Riptide spun around and flicked his tail at Flash. The trainer quickly caught on and grabbed it, then held his other hand out.

"Everyone hold onto each other." Seeing where this was going, the group held onto his hand as Riptide swam down. The could feel a current almost instantly ensnare them, all pulling them down the tunnel. They could feel a blast of pressure as Riptide kept pulling them along, feeling themselves swim for a long time until the tunnel started glowing green.

They then got to a temporary surface, Twilight asking, "What is that?" as they kept swimming down the pathway.

"Some kind of luminous substance?" Doc guessed as another minute passed, only to raise an eyebrow as he saw the light get closer, "Moss?"

"Luminous Moss," Twilight added as she reached up and pulled some off the roof. "It's a very rare item. It's said to increase a Pokémon's Special Defense when they're hit by a Water-type move." Everyone stared at the moss while the current continued to push them down the tunnel, the moss's quantity increasing by the second.

"Wait..." Flash muttered out as they now felt the tunnel pull them harder. Feeling the force of the pull, his eyes shrunk as he knew what was coming, "Uh oh..." he turned to the others, "We got trouble coming! Everybody hold on!"

They did as told, clutching onto the person closest to them...only for the tunnel to suddenly shift into a downward slope. Speed kept increasing as the water pulled them, all screaming as they kept clutching each other, "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" they kept yelling as they flew down the tunnel. The green moss flew past them now, making the tunnel look like something out of a sci-fi movie, only for all of them to suddenly be in midair again.

Screams kept happening as they found themselves now crashing into yet another lake. A tremendous splash happened next, the group quickly resurfacing as they all started a marathon of heavy breaths and gasps. And as they did this, they soon saw they were now in a giant cavern, one that was about a mile wide. This lake was the biggest of several, all interlinked by winding canals that ran through the cavern. Several large pillars came up from the floor and were connected to the ceiling, each pillar having light producing crystals sticking out of the sides that partly lit the cavern up. The luminous moss from before was also growing from the ceiling, helping light up the cave. There were also several more tunnels covering the walls, some on ground level while others were several feet in the air.

"Wow..." was all Spike could say.

"It's like something out of an adventure book," Twilight added.

Doc let out a long pant as he said, "Maybe...but it won't be as amazing if we can't find a way out of here."

The others grimaced at this, Riptide shrinking down in the water. Flash saw his Pokémon let out a whimper, making him turn and pat his head, "Hey, no one blames you buddy. Don't worry, we'll figure out something."

"Rio ri!" Springer added as he swam up and patted Riptide's back, the Spranitor trying to smile back. But as Springer did this, his ears suddenly sprang up, making him yelp, "Ri?"

"Springer? What's wrong? You sense something?" The others saw him spin around, his eyes darting back and forth. Flash then felt a ripple in the water, making him look down as he saw a semi-shadow swim around them, only to disappear. "That's...probably not good. We should get out of the water." The others nodded, quickly swimming to edge. But as they did this, the shadow slowly followed them, only to shoot out a blast of water out of the surface.

"HURRY!" Doc yelled as he reached the edge first. He then spun around to grab Spike and Peewee, pulling both with a mighty tug. Flash, Twilight and Springer were next while Riptide kept watching the shadow. And as he did this, he saw the shadow vanish, seeing it dive deeper into the water...only for the creature to fly straight out of the water.

Everyone gasped as the creature seemed to hover above them, a long glare on its face. It looked like a Pokémon they'd all seen before, Kelpool, but much bigger. Its body was mostly light blue, with patches of pink around its body. It had a green fin on its fish-like tail that now had a seashell design with pink running along the edges. Its seaweed like mane had pink lines running through it as well, this with the vines coming off its legs. Those legs also had pink on them, starting at the hoof and going up to halfway to its knees. It also had a pair of transparent pink fish-like fins coming off its back, looking like wings that were likely to help with swimming.

As the aquatic equine Pokémon flew through the air, it looked down at the intruders as it kept glaring at them. "Kelp..." it neighed before opening its mouth, "KELPIE!" It shot out a long steam of water, the attack coming at high speed.

"Look out!" Twilight screamed as they tried to run, only for Riptide to leap out of the water as it spun around and blocked the attack with an Aqua Tail.

"TORE!" He roared as he smacked the attack away, the water dissipating as both fell back into the lake.

"Riptide!" Flash yelled as he and Springer ran back to the edge, both not even seeing the Pokémon's shadows.

"What was that thing?" Spike asked next.

"Its a Lokelpie. But what's one doing here?" Doc responded as Flash took out his Pokedex and typed the name into the search function, the image of the Pokémon they had just saw appearing on screen.

Name: Lokelpie
Category: River Dwelling Pokémon
Type: Water/Fairy
Info: The evolved form of Kelpool. Living in giant lakes, they communicate by singing. It is said that this Pokémon served a Legendary Pokémon, who they go to whenever they hear its voice.

"But why's it attacking us?" Flash asked as he put his dex away.

"It must think we've come to cause trouble," Twilight replied as she turned and pointed to one of the pillars, "Look! What's that?" The others followed her finger, now seeing a Crawlder walk outside of the pillar.

"What's that doing here?" Doc asked before spotting several more Crawlder trying to blend in with the rocks of the cavern.

"Hey, look at that!" Spike added as he pointed at another lake. They turned to now see a Wooper's head above the surface of the lake, the Pokémon yelping before pulling itself back into the water. Everyone blinked at the sight, only to start looking around as they started to see a plethora of different Pokémon located in the cavern. Rock-types like Geodude, Roggenrola, Dwebble and the Crawlder lined the walls and floor. At the same time, the many lakes were filled with Water-types like Poliwag, Poliwhirl, Quagsire, Barboach, Whishcash, Chinchou, Lanturn, Goldeen and Seaking. There was even some grassy areas, which had Paras and Parasect. While they saw that, Woobat and Swoobat then flew above them, some hanging from the ceiling.

"It's an entire underground kingdom," Doc gasped before looking back at the lake. "And that Lokelpie must be its protector."

Flash gulped as he heard that, making him turn back to the lake as he saw two shadows dance around under the water. "Riptide..."

Down below, both were swimming around at top speed, Riptide firing with a Water Gun while Lokelpie countered with its Brine attack, its entire body becoming wrapped in water before tackling Spranitor. "Tore!" He cried as he was thrown backward, getting dangerously close to the bottom of the lake. But before he hit the floor, he spun around and landed on his feet before propelling himself upward. "Nee!" His feet glowed as he spun around to kick him, Lokelpie tensing up as he stared at the attack.

"Lock!" It roared as it dodged the attack, spinning around and slamming Riptide several times with its tail, the Spranitor flinching before getting smacked up to the water's surface. "KELPIE!" Lokelpie then launched another Brine, the water pushing him right through the surface, the Spranitor crying out in pain as he flew out of the lake.

"TORE!" He screamed as he broke through the water, making him land on the edge of the lake.

"RIPTIDE!" Flash yelled as he and Springer ran over, the trainer skidding to his knees as he caught his Pokémon in his hands. "Riptide, you okay?" the teen yelped, clutching the Pokémon in his arms. The Spranitor replied by barely opening his eyes, groaning in pain just as Lokelpie shot out of the water again.

"Lock!" it roared, Springer quickly getting in front of Flash as he got into a battle stance. A blue aura swirled around his paws, ready to strike, only for Twilight to jump between them.

"Wait!" She cried, Lokelpie's next attack stopping for a second as she continued, "Please, we're not here to cause trouble." She flashed her palms at him, the Lokelpie still growling as she then leaned down, "Listen, you probably think we came here to cause trouble, but we didn't. We're only here because of an accident. The oasis we were trying to get water from dried up, and when we tried to dig it back up, we fell down here. We haven't come to cause anyone any harm, we just need some water."

"Kel..." the River Dwelling Pokémon continued to growl, about to summon some more water.

From the side, Doc and Spike grimaced at the sight, only for a bulb to shine over Doc's head, "Twilight!" she glanced over at him, "Bring out Shine. It might listen to another equine Pokémon."

"Right, good idea!" Twilight replied before taking out her Pokeball, "Come out Shine." The ball unleashed the Galarian Ponyta, who shook her entire body before looking up at Lokelpie. The Water-type's eyes narrowed as it grumbled at its fellow equine.

The two then began to talk in their own language, none of the humans understanding any word. And after a few minutes, the two turned to Twilight before Shine ran over to jump into her arms. "So Shine," she gave Lokelpie a nervous look, "we good?"

"Lock..." it replied while doing a slow nod, still doing a small growl as it eyed each one of the group. But as it looked back at Shine, the pony nodded back at him, making it nod again. It then turned to the cavern and began to sing, the music it made causing everyone to feel soothed and relaxed.

The Pokémon felt the same way as they came out of hiding, all gathering around Lokelpie as it began to explain the situation to them. As it did this, the trainers noticed the nervous looks on the Pokémon beginning to disappear, the Wooper waddling up first, which Springer turned to took and waved, "Riolu ri."

"Wooper?" It replied while tilting its head, only to give a giant grin back. "Wooper!" It spun around and raised its tail, Springer raising a paw and high fiving it. The rest of the Pokémon quickly followed suit, a few minutes passing before Spike, Shine and Peewee were now playing tag with the ground dwelling Pokémon while Flash and Springer were swimming with the Water-types.

Doc and Twilight decided to stay a bit away, both studying the cavern as they looked over the different plant life and the light producing crystals. "Fascinating..." Twilight whispered as she tapped on the crystals. "Hmm...if I had to guess, these crystals must contain certain chemicals that mix together to make light."

"Like glow sticks," Doc added as he picked up some of the liverworts. "It's impressive that plant life could grow down here. The artificial light from the crystals must work great for their photosynthesis." He then spotted a Paras scuttling over, the gym leader smiling before holding the leaf out to it. It hissed happily before taking the leaf and munching down, the two chuckling at the Pokémon's now happy face.

As this happened, Riptide was leaning against a water side rock, watching everyone enjoying themselves. He wanted to join them, but he wasn't in the mood after that fight with Lokelpie. But as he did this, the water horse leapt out of the water and landed atop the rock he was leaning against. The two shared a look before both turning away, not saying anything to each other.

"This place is awesome!" Flash cheered as he pulled himself out of the water and walked over to the two, "No wonder you fought so hard. If I thought this place was in danger, I'd sure fight to protect it."

"Kelp..." Lokelpie added while nodding in agreement.

Flash then moved over to his stuff and grabbed a towel to dry himself off with. "Listen, I know you'd probably prefer us to not be here for too long...so you mind showing us how to get out of here?" Lokelpie raised an eyebrow at this, Flash seeing this before saying, "Well, since you've got a bunch of Rock-types in here, there must be some way to get to the surface. I doubt they came in the same way we did."

"Lock..." Lokelpie replied as it dived into the water, gesturing for them to follow. Flash, Springer and Riptide soon followed, quickly finding themselves at one of the smallest lakes on the far side of the cavern. Lokelpie then pulled itself up out of the water and pointed to a hole in the wall. "Kelpie."

Flash moved over to the hole, looking through it to see a tunnel filled with the luminous moss. The moss soon vanished a few yards in, Flash now seeing that the tunnel was curved upward about a hundred yards in. "So if we go through here, we'll eventually come out back at the surface?"

"Kelp," Lokelpie replied with a nod.

"Sweet!" Flash turned back to him, "Do you mind if we fill our water bottles before we go?" This question made Lokelpie grimace, Flash raising an eyebrow at this. "What's wrong? You seem to have plenty of water, don't you?"

Lokelpie just turned to another area of the cave, the others following its sight, only to see nothing out of the ordinary. "Is something wrong?"

"Lock..." Lokelpie dived back into the water before swimming to another canal. The others followed after it, Twilight now seeing them follow the Pokémon.

"What's the matter?" She asked once she had caught up to them.

"Well, I found us a way out," he pointed at the hole before looking back at Lokelpie as it swam. "But when I asked if we could fill our water bottles, he looked like he was worried. I think something's wrong with their water." Twilight mirrored his frown as they followed the water horse down a canal.

And as they came to a stop, the first thing they all noticed was that the ground was wet, caused by the water from the canal overflowing onto the floor. They then turned to the reason, which was a giant boulder twice as tall as the trainers, that had been jammed into a hole leading to another tunnel. The group could easily tell that the tunnel was meant to carry water out of the cave, but couldn't due to the rock.

"That's strange." Twilight commented as she moved up to the boulder, "What's this doing here?" She then looked back at cave, following the canal to see how the lake was being fed by canals connecting to other lakes, "I see..." She pointed at the waterfall feeding the large lake, "So the water comes in from there and feeds all these lakes before eventually draining out through this tunnel. That's how this cave keeps from being flooded" Lokelpie nodded. "But because of this rock, it can't drain out." Lokelpie nodded again.

"Huh. That's no problem then." He turned to Riptide, "A few Aura Spheres and Rock Smashes ought to get rid of it." Springer and Riptide nodded in unison before turning back to the rock, only for Lokelpie to jump in front of them.

"Lock!" it yelled as it shook its head.

"I don't think this rock's the problem." Twilight added as Lokelpie nodded in agreement. It then let out a loud neigh, making them blink until a Wooper and Quagsire ran over.

"Lock, Lokelpie kelp," it told the two, both nodding as Lokelpie turned to the visitors before pointing to the waterfall. "Lock," he then pointed to Wooper as the Water-type used Water Gun into the canal. "Kelpie," it shook its head before pointing to Quagsire, which it used a more powerful Water Gun into the canal.

Flash, Springer and Riptide all the just stared at this, the trainer saying, "I don't get it."

Twilight hummed at the sight, her brain quickly putting the pieces together. "I see." She pointed at the waterfall and turned to Lokelpie, "You're saying the waterfall's not producing enough water, aren't you?" Lokelpie nodded while Flash tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Twilight turned to him while pointing at the lake, "The waterfall usually produces more water than it is right now, which fills the lakes to the standard they are now. But for some reason, the water amount's gone down and can't fill the pools fast enough." She patted the boulder blocking the wall, "That must be why this rock's here. They put it there so the water wouldn't drain away, allowing the pools to stay filled." But as she said that, she turned back to the Lokelpie with a long frown, "However, that also means you'll need to unplug this hole soon, or the entire cavern will eventually be flooded."

"Kelp...." Lokelpie sighed while nodding one last time.

"But that'll mean the water will drain away," Flash added.

Twilight grit her teeth as she nodded, "That's right. It's a catch twenty two. Leave the hole blocked and the Water-types would be fine, but everyone else would be forced to eventually leave. But if the hole's unblocked, the Water-types will be in serious trouble."

Flash scratched the side of his head, turning to Doc who was on the other side of the lake, "We should tell Doc. Maybe together we can find a way to fix this."

"Agreed."

One explanation later...

"I see," Doc hummed as he rubbed his chin in thought, "That is a problem. I must say, it does explain why the oasis was dried up. The water level weakened to the point it couldn't reach the aquafier."

"So what do we do?" Spike asked next.

Doc turned to the waterfall, "We find out why the water's depleted."

"How?" Flash asked, only for Lokelpie to let out a neigh. They turned and saw it, a Quagsire, Wooper, Whishcash and several Lanturn gather together in the waterfall lake. "Uh...I think it wants us to get in."

"Alright..." Doc, Spike and Twilight quickly changed into their swimwear before getting in the water. After Doc handed out some rebreathers, Flash, Springer, Riptide and Twilight grabbed hold of Lokelpie while Spike grabbed Quagsire and Doc grabbed Whishcash.

"Now what?" Spike asked, only for the Water-types to suddenly pull them toward the waterfall. "Whoa!" One by one, each of them dived underwater, only to shoot outu of the lake and start swimming up the waterfall in a flashy sprint. Lokelpie was at the front, Whishcash and Quagsire behind it with the Lanturn and Wooper bringing up the rear.

"They're using Waterfall!" Doc gasped as they reached the top. Once there, Flash let go and grabbed hold of Riptide as they continued to swim up the slide-like tunnel. And when they reached the top of the slide, the Lanturn spaced themselves out, lighting their orbs on the end of their antenna, filling the tunnel with light. Now being able to see, the group soon found themselves returning to the chamber that they fallen into earlier.

"At least now we can see," Spike pointed out as they began to look around. The light from the tunnel they had fallen through was gone due to the sun moving. Because of this, the Lanturn were here, illuminating the area, which included a second tunnel that they all saw was where the water was coming from.

"There it is. Let's go," Flash added as Riptide pulled him and Springer up the tunnel. The others followed, soon making their way up the passageway. With every few feet, the passageway grew larger, and after a few hundred meters, they found themselves upon a new wall.

"I think we found our cause," Twilight noted as the Lanturn lit up the wall, now showing a familiar sight. It was another giant boulder blocking a passage, Flash now ducking under the water and with the Lanturn's help, he saw the entire situation. The passage floor was square shaped while the rock was round, which showed two small gaps at the bottom that allowed a limited amount of water through.

"So that's the problem," Doc commented after Flash had explained everything.

"But how did it get here?" Spike asked, Twilight humming as she took a closer look at the tunnel.

"The boulder must have been pushed down the passageway by the water flow. Best guess is that it was part of the tunnel, but water erosion caused it to break away. Now the passage has gotten too small for it to pass through, leading to it getting stuck and blocking the flow of the water."

"Gotta wonder how much water's dammed up behind this thing," Spike added as Flash knocked his fist on the rock.

"Well, know we know what we gotta do," he turned to the others. "Destroy this thing. Twilight, what do we gotta do?"

Twilight adjusted her glasses as she pointed at the rock, "Alright, first thing to do is heat it up."

"Leave that to us!" Spike cheered before patting Peewee. "Incinerate!"

"Terr..." Peewee breathed in, "WAGON!" A powerful fireball flew out of its mouth, striking the rock as its surface began to heat up.

"Now we need to cool it down," Twilight added as she turned to Lokelpie and the Water-types. "Go for it." They all nodded before firing a bunch of water attacks at the red hot surface, steam blasting off the rock as it was rapidly cooled. "Now, burn it again!"

"Incinerate!" Peewee fired another blast of flames, the Water-types doing their attacks a second later. They kept doing this again and again, heating and cooling the rock in quick succession. And as they did this, the boulder slowly began to creek and melt under the pressure. And after the eight cool down, Flash spotted a crack form on the surface.

"There!" he pointed at it while turning to Springer and Riptide, "Aura Sphere and Rock Smash!" Springer formed the energy ball before throwing at the rock, Riptide leaping while his legs began to glow.

The Aura Sphere exploded off the rock, the Spranitor's attack following right behind. "TORE!" He swung his foot and smashed it into the boulder, pieces flying off from the blow.

"Alright!" Flash cheered while looking at the others, "Again!"

"Incinerate!" Spike ordered, Peewee launching the fireball as Twilight gave her directions.

"Now! Water attacks, full force!" The Water-types launched their attacks as the fireball hit the damaged rock, super cooling it before Springer and Riptide launched their attacks again.

"RI/TORE!" Once again, the Aura Sphere exploded against the rock before Riptide's feet smashed into it, causing the crack to get bigger as shards kept flying off.

"We're almost there!" Flash added as he looked back at everyone. "One more time!"

They all nodded in response as Spike yelled, "Incinerate with everything you've got Peewee!" The Terragon took a massive breath before launching the biggest fireball he could muster, super heating the damaged rock.

Doc then turned to the Water-types, "Try and make this the strongest water pressure you can make."

"You've got this," Twilight added, all nodding as they launched their water attacks. A giant cloud of steam to form next as they all struck the boulder, Springer and Riptide now readying their attacks.

"DO IT!" Flash yelled, Springer tossing the orb into the air.

"TORE!" Riptide jumped up and this time slammed his glowing feet into the Aura Sphere. The force of the two attacks combining sent the Aura Sphere flying into the rock at twice the speed, striking the rock with a massive explosion...which made the entire tunnel start to shake.

And when everything settled down, everyone stared at the boulder, now seeing more cracks growing as Spike spoke up, "Um...should we go again?"

"No." Twilight instantly replied, her eyes squinting as she glared at the rock, "Wait..." She leaned in as she focused on the boulder's cracks, only to go wide-eyed. "Water." As she said this, a trickle of water began to seep through the cracks in the boulder, now realizing it was being pushed through from the other side. And as it did this, one crack fully broke up, a full stream coming out.

"Yes!" Flash cheered, "The boulder's breaking apart!"

"That's not good." Twilight replied, making the others turned to her, only for Doc to grimace.

"Twilight...are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She nodded back, making Doc gulp as he slowly backpedaled, Twilight doing the same as he continued, "If the only thing keeping all that water back is the rock, then when it breaks..." Everyone slowly turned back to the rock, now seeing more holes appear, horrified looks appearing on their faces as they turned away.

"RUN!" They screamed as they grabbed onto the Water-types before they began swimming as fast as they could down the tunnel, only to feel the tunnel shake again. Looking back, they now saw the boulder shatter, a tidal-wave coming next. Everyone gasped at the sight, all screaming as the wave caught up to them, "WHOA!"

And as the water shoved them down the current, all the humans were glad they got their rebreathers on as the world began to spin as the stream took them. It wasn't long till they were being slammed into the sides of the walls, only for the water to suddenly explode, the group flying over the lake, "AAAAAAHHHHH!" they screamed, only to land with a loud thud into the lake, everyone surfacing a few seconds later while gasping for air.

"Everyone okay?" Doc asked first, Spike's head now shooting out of the water.

"WOW!" He exclaimed while shaking his head, whipping his hair around. "Can we do that again?!"

"NO!" Twilight yelled before growling at Spike while he started to giggle as he saw her hair be turned into a wet rag.

They then turned to the waterfall, seeing the flow now being ten times its normal amount. As this happened, the Pokémon in the cavern began to cheer, the group smiling before getting out of the lake. Once they had dried off and changed to their normal clothes, the cavern's water system equaled out to its normal amount. Lokelpie then let them fill their water bottles up, now making sure they were ready to head back up to the surface.

"Welp, its time we got going." Flash said as they stood in front of the tunnel leading out of the cave, Lokelpie nodding back while saying thanks in its own language. "Eh, it was no problem. We're always here to help any Pokémon."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Now that the water's unblocked, everyone's better off. Your home's back to normal and the oasis should be filling back up as well."

"Everything is as it should be," Doc added before staring back at the cave, "It's too bad we can't tell anyone about this place. I'm sure lots of researchers would be interested in it."

Spike shook his head, "I think this place should stay a secret."

Twilight nodded again, "If people knew about it, it would only be a matter of time before someone would find a way to ruin it. That's almost an inevitability with humans."

"Yeah..." Flash sighed, "Better this place be left a secret. Only the Pokémon deserve to have it."

"Kelp!" Lokelpie replied before turning to Riptide. "Lock," he then held up a hoof. Riptide stared at it for a moment before smiling and holding up his fist, the two pumping before the group headed up the tunnel. As they left, they called back their goodbyes and let them echo back.

Their errand to gather water had evolved into an amazing adventure in a secret underground ecosystem. Now one can only wonder what amazing adventures await our heroes next, as the journey continues

Special Delivery

View Online

Continuing their trek through the Grand Desert towards Appaloosa City and Flash's five Equestria Gym challenge, the gang now found themselves at the base of a large mountain range. Inside were a variety of canyons, caves, and other obstacles that now stood before them.

"A mine?" Spike asked Twilight, the girl staring at her journal.

"Yup. On the other side of this range. They mine copper and other precious metals here, which they transport all over Equestria."

"And why should we care about a mine?" Flash added, "It's hardly gonna get us to Appaloosa." But as Springer nodded in agreement, they all saw a smirk appear on Twilight's lips.

"We should care, because the mine has a train line." She showed them her journal, now displaying an image of a line running from one side of the mountain to a spot in the middle of the desert. "And this train line connects the mine to our destination."

"Appaloosa," Doc finished as he read the map's index, "So all we have to do is get to this mine, and then we'll have a straight shot to Appaloosa."

"Exactly," Twilight nodded while putting her journal away.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Flash exclaimed as he started to march, "To the mine!" The others cheered as they followed, the ground soon walking into a canyon with walls almost as high as the Ghastly Gorge.

They walked for about an hour without incident, the group passing the time playing a fun game of I spy. "I spy, with my little eye..." Twilight giggled as she took her turn, "Something beginning with S."

"Sand?" Flash guessed first.

"Nope."

Doc was next, "Stone?"

"Nope."

Spike was about to guess, only for a bulb to shine in his head. One that showed an angry frown as he glared at this sister, "Hey! That's cheating."

"What?" Twilight asked, her eyes darting back and forth.

"I'm betting you're using some sciencey word nobody's probably ever heard."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Twilight replied, her eyes now refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Oh yeah?!" Spike barked before turning to Doc, "What's a scientific word for the rock around here, one beginning with S?"

Doc rubbed his chin, "Hmmm...perhaps sedimentary rock?"

The guess made them all turn to glare at Twilight, the girl now innocently whistling.

"You're disqualified," Flash told her, making Twilight now glare at him.

"On what charges?!"

"Doc guessed stone, which is just another word for rock. That counts as cheating." Twilight was about to start pouting, only for a certain individual to come to a stop. They all saw it was Springer, its ears flaring up, "Hmm? What's up bud?" As soon as Springer's ears stopped, his eyes shot open as he turned to the wall of the canyon. The rest followed his gaze, now seeing a gap in the side, hidden by the shadows.

"Ri!" Springer yelled as he ran up to the hole, the others following after him.

"Springer!" Flash yelled as he got up to the wall first, taking off his bag as he saw how narrow the gap was in order for him to fit. "Hold on..."

"Flash!" Twilight called out, "You don't know where that leads!"

"Maybe, but Springer wouldn't be going in here if something bad wasn't going down." With that, Flash continued to shuffle between the rocks. Twilight and the others exchanged glances, sighing as they soon started to follow the teen. Twilight and Doc removed their bags to get through while Spike easily got in. Peewee jumped down off his shoulder and scuttled through as Twilight did like Flash, though she was slightly smaller then him so didn't have as much issue. Doc unfortunately almost didn't fit as he tried to get inside the gap.

But as they got through the gap, they found it didn't lead into an underground tunnel. Instead, they found themselves moving to another light source and then came out on the other side of the canyon wall between a bunch of mountains. In doing so, they found themselves staring out at a field of cracks in the ground, some a few feet wide while others were so big you could fit a house inside one.

"Springer!" Flash yelled at his Riolu as it kept running, "What's wrong buddy?! You sensed something, right?!" Before Springer could turn to reply, the group got their answer when a loud scream filled the canyon. Turning toward the scream, they went wide-eyed as they now saw an old-timey wagon being pulled by a Mudsdale. Someone was sitting on the wagon, though the carriage was moving too fast to show it was as the driver continued to scream.

"STOP! PLEASE STOP!" they screeched, but the Mudsdale wouldn't listen. Instead, it kept going head-first into one of the larger canyons.

"Great scott!" Doc exclaimed as he pointed at the wagon, "They're gonna go over!"

"Come on!" Flash yelled as he began to run at the carriage, the others following suit. But as they started to sprint, they quickly came to a bad conclusion.

"We're not gonna make it!" Spike cried out.

"We're not," Doc added as he pulled out a Pokeball. "But they can! Steeledge, go!" He threw the Pokeball, unleashing the armored bird, "Go! They need your help!"

Steeledge spread its wings as it took the sky, "Ledge!" it roared as he began to charge at the cart.

"Skyler/Owlicious, GO!" Flash and Twilight yelled as they threw their Pokeballs, the two Flying-types appearing as Peewee joined them midair. The four quickly reached the cart, now seeing that the driver was pulling at the reigns, but Mudsdale refused to turn away.

"Ledge," they turned to Steeledge and saw the Steel-type point his beak at Owlicious before pointing at the driver. The owl nodded and grabbed the girl, pulling her jacket on the shoulders.

"What-" Was all she could say before she was yanked into the air, screaming in surprise as the Steeledge grabbed the reins. Skyler and Peewee then gripped the back of the cart, pulling it with all their might...but Mudsdale refused to slow down.

Steeledge looked ahead and saw the ledge coming even closer now, making the bird turned to the duo, "Ledge! Steel, ledge ledge!" he called out, both turning and nodding at the orders.

The two then released the cart, now grabbing the reins as Steeledge began using Steel Wing to cut the lines connecting Mudsdale to the wagon. As he did this, the two began to pull the reigns to the left. Mudsdale felt this and slowly turned away, the edge now getting even closer. And by the time they finally reached the gap, Mudsdale managed to turn a full ninety degrees, now running along the edge. But as it did this, the cart went completely over the side, soon beginning to drag Mudsdale back. The horse let out a scared neigh as it was yanked, Peewee and Skyler pulling with all their might as they kept him stay on the ground. Steeledge then appeared above them, letting out a roar, "Ledge!" He then sliced through the final rope, allowing the cart to fall as Mudsdale galloped away from the edge.

Once now safe from the edge, Mudsdale pulled itself to a stop as the trainers reached them. "Is everyone okay?" Twilight asked as the Pokémon flew over to their trainers, the bespectacled girl quickly looking Mudsdale over. "Alright...you don't seem injured. Just really spooked."

"Great work everyone," Doc added as he looked over the Flying-types. "You all stopped a major disaster." The Pokémon all cheered, only for the sound of a familiar voice to fill the air.

"Mudsdale!" They looked up to see Owlicious flying down with the saved girl, the trainers all gasping as they landed.

"Is that...Derpy?" Spike asked as they saw the girl hit the dirt, patting her jacket down before she ran up to the Ground-type...and began to trip on a random rock. However, before she could fall over, she quickly spun, getting her balance as she ran over to the horse.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright," she sighed in relief, Mudsdale neighing back with a nod. Derpy then patted her chest in relief before turning to her saviors, only to now let out a loud gasp, "You guys?!" She then ran over and hugged the closest of the group, who happened to be Flash. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"Whoa!" Flash yelped as he suddenly found himself stuck in an almost vice-like grip, gasping for air as he tried to calm her down by patting her head, "Uh...no problem."

"It's good to see you," Doc chimed in next as she let go of Flash, the girl backpedaling while bowing, "Just wish it was under better circumstances."

"What happened back there anyway?" Twilight asked, Derpy now blushing.

"I um...took a wrong turn. We were supposed to go left in a fork in the road, but I had us go right. But just as I realized my mistake, we found ourselves running into a Silicobra. It spat some sand and hit Mudsdale in the eye, spooking him into running wild."

"I see," Twilight replied while patting Mudsdale's snout. "Well, it looks like he wasn't hurt. Though I can't say the same for your cart."

"That's alright. All I lost was my water...though that might be an issue." Derpy reached into her bag and pulled out a box, one the others recognised as the one she had to deliver to the power station. "This is all that matters."

"Another power station delivery?" Doc asked.

"Yup," she responded while nodding, "I'm delivering it to a mine on the other side of the mountain."

"You are? That's where we're going!"

"Really?!" The others all nodded back.

"We plan on catching the train that'll take us to Appaloosa City."

Derpy gasped at Flash's statement, putting the box away as she spoke up next, "Then it's a good thing we ran into one another."

"It is?"

"Yup. The part I'm delivering is for the train. The mine hasn't been able to move their product or transport its workers for days. That's why it's very important I get this part there as soon as possible."

"Well then, why don't we all head there together," Doc chimed in, "You said you lost your water, right?"

Derpy nodded once more, "Mudsdale's gonna get dried out real quick if I can't keep him hydrated. But without him, I don't think I can make it to the mine."

"You will with us," Flash added, "And we'll keep you and that part safe, no matter what."

Derpy shined a big smile, pulling out a Pokeball in return, "Alright. Thank you again guys." she then turned to Mudsdale, "Return." The land horse returned to the ball, which Derpy shrank back down. "I'm glad he's okay. The mine owner transported him to me to help get me there. It'd be terrible if something had happened to him."

"Well, don't worry about it." Doc assured her. "We'll make sure you and Mudsdale get there."

The others were about to respond their agreements, only for Spike to speak up, "Hey, where's Swirleye? Isn't it usually with you?"

Derpy shook her head with a giggle, "Oh, she is." She took out a Pokeball, "I returned her when Mudsdale went out of control. Didn't want anything to happen to her. Though, she doesn't really go by Swirleye anymore."

With that, the Pokeball opened and unleashed a spiral of red energy. It then took shape and slowly began to vanish, revealing a purple lizard-like Pokémon. It looked like Swirleye, except it stood on two feet with a yellow underbelly and a lower jaw. The creature was about four and a half feet tall now, and had large fluffy ears on the top of its head. It's tail looked about six feet long, but it was hard to tell since it was curled up into a spiral. However, instead of having normal eyes, it had a pair of swirls. "Swirl..." it said as the others all blinked at the new sight.

"Wow," Spike gasped, "What's that Pokémon?"

"It's Swirleye evolution." Twilight added as Flash took out his Pokedex.

Doc nodded in agreement, "Yup. She's a Swirlutz now."

Name: Swirlutz
Category: Clumsy Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Info: The evolved form of Swirleye. This Pokémon can often be seen falling over. Because of this, it is used to injuries, meaning it is difficult to inflict much pain against it.

"Huh...what a weirdo," Spike said before Twilight dealt a smack to the head for that comment. She then took out her journal, now pulling up the map system.

"Alright, we'd best be getting back the way we came." They all turned around to the gap they had snuck through, causing Derpy to raise an eyebrow.

"But I was told the quickest way to the mine was the way I was going," she responded while pointing down the route.

"That's the quickest way by cart," Twilight replied while tapping the journal a few more times, "But on foot, it'll take hours that way. Our best bet is going through the mountains, as there's a small cave system not too far from here. Going through that will lead to a canyon that will spit us out right next to the mine."

Derpy nodded in agreement, following them through the gap with ease. Once back in the canyon, they made their way though the winding passages until reaching the base of a mountain. "Is this it?" Flash asked, Twilight nodding in response.

"Yup. Right up there." She pointed up, everyone following her gesture to see a hole about ten feet above them. Twilight then suggested their Flying-types help them get out, Owlicious climbing on her back. Once he was on, he flew the teen straight up the hole. Owlicious then came back down for Spike while Skyler and Steeledge tried to lift their trainers. However, the two soon realised they weren't strong enough to pick them up as Skyler couldn't even get Flash off the ground while Steeledge was only able to get Doc up a few inches. The two laughed as the Flying-types gave up, Flash returning Skyler while Doc moved over and started climbing. "Try to make sure I don't fall," he told Steeledge as Flash climbed onto Owlicious.

Once the four were up, they looked down at Derpy as Owlicious flew down to let her climb on. As she did this, Steeledge chose to grab Swirlutz and fly her up. With everyone now up in the tunnel, they turned to look into the dark cave they would have tackle next.

"Tockwork," Doc brought out his mechanical Pokémon, "Use Flash."

"Tock!" it nodded before illuminating its face. As the tunnel lit up, the group headed inside after Twilight returned Owlicious. Steeledge chose to stay out, a bit on edge after failing his trainer and wanting to help out in any way. But as they made their path through...nothing happened. Everytime they came to a turn or a fork, Twilight navigated them with ease. At several points, they found themselves outside the mountain by walking out of high up exits before moving along mountain ledges to step into another hole or travelling over stone bridges that lead them from one mountain to another.

But the calm serenity came to an end when they stepped into a round chamber with several tunnels leading into multiple directions. "So...which way do we go now?" Spike asked Twilight, his sister flicking through the journal.

"Give me a second. All these tunnels lead outside, but only one of them is a straight path to the mine."

And as Twilight continued to scan her journal, everyone else chose this moment to sit down and catch their breath. While waiting, Swirlutz moved over to one of the tunnels and looked inside. As she did, her ears picked up on a sound that made her tilt her head, "Swirl?" she turned to Tockwork. "Luts. Swirl luts luts."

"Tock?" The Clockwork Pokémon looked back at her before slowly stomping over to the tunnel, everyone else now noticing this.

"What is it Swirlutz?" Derpy asked as Tockwork pointed his glowing face down the tunnel, illuminating it to reveal the cause of the sound: Noibat.

Hundreds of Noibat lined the walls of the tunnel, and as Tockwork's light hit them, their eyes all shot open. "Uh oh," Doc gulped before turning to Tockwork, "Shut it off!"

But it was too late. The Noibat exploded off the wall, filling the chamber as each unleashed a barrage of high-pitched soundwaves from their ears.

"Augh! Make it stop!" Spike yelped as he covered his ears.

"Ledge!" Steeledge roared as he flapped up at the Noibat, using Steel Wing to cut down several bats.

Tockwork tried to follow suit and use his Psyshock attack, but Doc grabbed his gun arm and pushed it down. "No! Don't use long range attacks in here!" Everyone except Swirlutz heard this, all understanding why that one miss might bring the cave down.

"Extreme Speed!" Flash told Springer, the Riolu running ahead as lightning sparked around him.

"Riolu!" Using the acceleration, he shot up the wall before jumping off, rapidly thrusting his feet forward as he smacked down several more Noibats.

"Wing Attack!" Twilight ordered Peewee, the dragon leaping off Spike's shoulder as it began slashing at the Noibat.

And as several Noibat flew low, Derpy gave her command to Swirlutz, "Slash!" The psychic lizard charged with glowing claws, Swirlutz swinging them around like a top. But after hitting the third one, she tripped over her own foot and face-planted the ground. "Ouch!" Derpy flinched before running over to her, Steeledge and Tockwork covering her with Steel Wing and Bullet Punch.

But as this happened, the sound bats had had enough and all unleashed a Screech attack. Everyone cried out in pain, clutching their ears as Swirlutz picked herself up. Seeing her friends in pain, the Clumsy Pokémon's eyes began to glow in anger.

"No!" Derpy cried, "Don't use Psybeam!" But Swirlutz couldn't hear her over the noise, now firing the beams from her eyes. It then struck three of the Noibat, only to keep going before it struck the roof of the cave.

THOOM!

The entire mountain began to rumble as the Psybeam struck the rock, cracks appearing across the roof before rubble began to fall. "Look out!" Doc yelled, pushing Derpy and their Pokémon in one direction while Flash grabbed Twilight and Spike in order to leap down another tunnel.

And as a pile of stones began to fall around them, a cloud of dust soon formed as the shaking finally came to a stop. Coughing as the fog of dust, Flash began swatting the air as he started hearing his friends coughing as well. "Ugh...that hurt." He coughed a few more times, his eyes squinting as the dust began to vanish, "Everyone okay?"

"Ri..." Springer's voice called out through the darkness.

"Terra," Peewee chimed in next.

"Spike?" Twilight's concerned voice echoed now in the black cave void.

"I'm okay," the teen moaned. "I don't think anything landed on me. What about you guys?"

"I don't feel anything broken," Flash grumbled as he rubbed his head.

"Me too. But it's just so dark." The boys then heard a clicking noise before the tunnel was filled with a dim light, both turning to it to see Twilight's journal. The device was now illuminating both, the girl squinting at them, "Hmm...you all look fine."

It was here that Spike blinked back, only to look around as he asked, "Hey, where's Doc? And Derpy?"

"I'm sure they're fine," Flash added while dusting himself off, "I saw Doc grab the others and jump away from the rock slide."

"But what if they're not?"

Twilight then placed a hand on Spike's shoulder. "Don't worry Spike, Doc's a smart guy. He'll find a way to keep them all safe and get out of there. But us panicking isn't gonna help. Our best bet is to get to the mine and see if they can help us." Spike nodded in agreement as the group began their trek through the tunnel. "Lucky for us, this tunnel seems to be the one leading out to the mine."

"Let's just hope Doc's tunnel is one leading close to it," Flash finished as he took the lead down the passageway.

In another tunnel...

A large dust cloud covered the area as a pile of rocks seemingly wrapped around several others in an orb formation. And as the smoky fog settled, the rocks slowly began to slide away from one another before rolling to the floor, all of them falling off a blue dome-like structure that was encasing Doc, Derpy, Steeledge, Tockwork and Swirlutz.

The last bit of rubble then slid off, the orb vanishing as Swirlutz fell to the ground in exhaustion. "You okay?" Derpy asked her partner, who let out a weak moan and nod.

"Good thing she knew Protect," Doc added before looking up at the wall of rocks now blocking the exit to their tunnel. "But I don't think we're getting through there."

"Swirl..." Swirlutz moaned as she looked down at the ground.

Derpy leaned down and patter her head, "Hey, its okay. None of this was your fault." Swirlutz let out a tiny whimper at this, making Derpy sigh, "Okay, you're the one that made Tockwork wake up the Noibat and you used Psybeam to bring the place down...but you didn't do it on purpose, did you?"

"Swirl?" Swirlutz looked up and shook her head.

"Then you shouldn't feel bad. Yes, you made a mistake, but nobody was hurt."

"She's right," Doc chimed in, "I know my friends, and they won't be taken down by something like this. The only one blaming you is you." Swirlutz turned to Doc and his Pokémon now staring up the tunnel, Tockwork illuminating it. "Right now, the only thing that matters is getting out of here." They began to run down the passageway, eventually stopping and looking back at them. "You coming?"

Derpy nodded before getting up and following Doc, Swirlutz trying to do the same, only to trip and fall over. The others giggled at this while Steeledge flew over to pick her up. And as he carried Swirlutz through the cave, Doc turned to the Pokémon, "I know you feel like you messed up, but don't worry. We all make mistakes."

"Swirl..."

"He's right Swirlutz," Derpy added. "I've made tons of mistakes since we started working for the delivery firm, and I used to always feel down about them. But then I met Doc and the others, and they helped me realize that making a mistake isn't the end of the world. As long as you learn from those mistakes and work to better yourself, then making mistakes can actually be a good thing."

"Ledge!" Steeledge nodded before telling her something in their language: "Making a mistake isn't something to be ashamed of. But letting that mistake sit without trying to fix it is something to be ashamed of." Swirlutz tilted her head at this as he continued, "And you don't even have to do something big to make up for it. A few tiny things here and there can be just as worthy as one big thing."

Swirlutz nodded back, understanding what he meant. But before she could start trying to make up for what she did, Doc spoke up, "Look!" they all turned to the trainer, now seeing him point down the tunnel, a speck of light catching their attention.

Rushing up to it, Derpy being extra careful not to trip on the slanted surface, they soon found themselves stepping out of the cave and onto a ledge of a mountainside. And as they looked out, they were able to see a cluster of buildings standing at the base of a nearby mountain. Doc took out his binoculars next, staring at the mountain that was next to the buildings, seeing a giant hole in the side with a train line coming out from the town. "That's gotta be the mine."

"Great," Derpy cheered while clapping her hands, "But uh...how do we get there?"

Doc rubbed his chin in thought at this, looking between them and the mine. He was now staring at several canyons that wound around in several different directions, some heading back around the mountain they had just passed through while others joined up to form an elaborate maze that one could spends hours traversing. But among the winding tunnels, Doc spotted a single path that appeared to lead out to the desert around the mine.

"I think I found our route." he turned to Tockwork and returned him, "The first thing we need to do is get down from here." They then spun around and saw a staircase-like slope of rocks a little down the ledge that lead to the canyon they needed. "Let's go."

"Alright," Derpy added as the trio began to carefully shift over to the slope while Steeledge took to the air. A few minutes later, they found themselves at the bottom of the hill and began their trek through the canyon. With Steeledge flying above them and making sure they didn't take a wrong turn, Doc and the girls drew closer to the exit of the maze rather quickly. But as they turned to one of the final corners, Doc held up a hand, keeping them from going any further. "What's wrong?" Doc's reply was to point up at the walls of the canyon, Derpy and Swirlutz blinking as they followed his finger, only to see a barrage of holes covering the walls, "Holes?"

"Most likely nests for something," he replied, "Whatever's in there, they might not like the idea of us in their territory. We need to be careful and not make a sound."

"Okay..." Derpy whispered, "We'll follow your lead."

Doc nodded before tiptoeing, the girls slowly following behind. Luckily for them, the sand masked their footsteps, blanking the noise. But as they did this and got halfway past the holes, a powerful gust of wind suddenly shot through the canyon. The wind was so strong that it picked up a good amount of sand and threw it into the air, right in the direction of the three careful trekkers. Doc and Derpy covered their faces to keep the sand out of their eyes, Swirlutz quickly reacting and using its Protect to form a bubble around them. "Great work girl," Derpy silently said to her partner.

"Swirl," Swirlutz replied as the wind started to die down and the cloud of sand began to settle back onto the ground. And as the bubble lowered, Doc and Derpy began to dust themselves off.

"That's was close," Doc sighed as he stared up at the holes. "Looks like we haven't disturbed whoever is in there. Let's get out of here before another one picks up." Derpy and Swirlutz nodded in agreement as they continued to sneak through. But as they did this, Derpy took a deep breath through her nose.

Her jacket still had some sand on it from before Swirlutz raised its shield. As such, when she breathed in, she accidently sucked up several particles, making it react to her nasal cavity. "Ah...ah...ah..." Doc and Swirlutz turned to her, both going wide-eyed as she continued.

Doc then tried to cover her mouth...but it was too late.

"ACHOOOO!" The sneeze echoed through the canyon, bouncing off every wall and into each hole. As she finished, she slapped her hand over her mouth and looked up at the walls in fear. Doc and Swirlutz did the same, nobody daring to make a sound or move a muscle. They would soon regret not taking this chance to run as each hole was suddenly filled with twin red lights. A buzzing sound followed this before the inhabitants of the holes shot out, revealing themselves to be a very familiar insect Pokémon.

"BEEDRILL!" Derpy screamed as the hornet Pokémon began to swarm around them, each glaring at them while their stingers started to glow purple.

Doc jumped in front of Derpy as she clutched Swirlutz, ready to take the attack. But before it could make contact, Steeledge swooped down and intercepted the insects, "Ledge!" He roared as he blocked with attack with his wing, the poison doing nothing to him, before he slapped the hornet away.

"Alright Steeledge!" Doc yelled before seeing several more Beedrill charge with their stingers primed. "Air Cutter!"

"Ledge!" He squawked before rapidly beating his wings, unleashing a barrage of air blades at the approaching swarm. Knocking them back, several Beedrill now began to scratch their stingers together as they glowed. It was then that several energy swords appeared around them, all clanging against one another as the Bee Pokémon glowed.

"What are they doing?" Derpy asked before the Beedrill charged at Steeledge, their stingers crossed while glowing white.

"They just used Swords Dance and now they're using X-Scissor!" Doc yelled before turning to Steeledge, "Drill Peck!" Steeledge let out a mighty squawk as he began to spin, morphing into an air drill that flew at the swarm. It slammed into the first one head-on, knocking it away. This was followed by the second and third without issue, only for it to start slowing down. It then overpowered the fourth, but the fifth bee then pushed him back with equal strength.

Steeledge then slowed down and stopped spinning, allowing Beedrill to knock the Flying-type to the ground. "Steeledge!" Doc yelped, only to see several Beedrill charge at him before Derpy and Swirlutz jumped in front of them.

"SWIRLUTZ!" The Pokémon roared as it used Protect, forming a barrier around the trio to block the Poison Jabs.

Steeledge began to pick himself up next, now seeing the Beedrill continuously stab into Swirlutz's forcefield. "Steeledge!" he screeched as he charged with glowing wings, the Beedrill stopping their attack as they turned to him. "STEELEDGE!" Before any of them could react, the armored bird flew past them, slashing a bunch down as he soon stood between them and his friends.

"Steeledge," Doc gasped as he then saw several Beedrill charge with X-Scissor. Steeledge responded by slashing at them with Steel Wing, knocking them back before jumping into the air and unleashing a Fury Attack. However, as he did this, he could only take out one group of Beedrill before another team began to attack. The sight made Doc grimace as he commented, "There's too many of them!"

It was here that Swirlutz's Protect finally gave out, the barrier dropping and opening them for new attacks from the Beedrill. However, the Beedrill were so focused on Steeledge that they didn't notice, "Steel!" The bird cried as he slashed one Beedrill away, only to be struck by one in the back. "LEDGE!" He fell over and slid along the rocky surface, a groaned expression on his face as he came to a stop.

"Steeledge!" Doc yelped, now seeing the Beedrill begin to surround him. "No!"

Steeledge groaned while trying to pick himself up, only for one of the Beedrill to fly above him, a purple and white energy now surrounding it. Steeledge saw this and tried to move, but the other Beedrill distracted him with X-Scissor while the Giga Impact Beedrill got closer.

"NOOOOO!" Was all Doc could say before-

"SWIRLUTZ!" A beam of light shot out from behind him, striking the Giga Impact Beedrill. The hornet cried out in pain as it was knocked away from Steeledge, slamming into the wall of the canyon. This caught the rest of the Beedrill's attention, making them turn to Derpy and Swirlutz. The girl gulped while holding Swirlutz, the lizard's eyes still glowing from the Psybeam.

The Beedrill began to buzz towards them, Doc jumping between them. "Back off!" But the closest Beedrill slammed into him, knocking him off his feet, "Augh!"

"Ledge..." Steeledge groaned as he saw his trainer fall, Derpy running over to him. He then tried to pick himself up, the sight of his hurt trainer making something snap inside. Growling, he began to slowly ascend, strength surging through his legs and wings, "STEELEDGE!" He roared, his entire body suddenly exploding with light as everyone turned to the screech.

Doc's eyes slowly opened at the sight, gasping in pain as he muttered out, "Steeledge..."

And as those words left his mouth, the light faded away, revealing a new Pokémon. It looked just like Steeledge, except it was now seven foot in height. It's chest, waist, thigh and forearms were covered in thick silver metal while Its head, neck, upper arm, legs and feet were now jet black. On the back of its wrist was a red metal circle connected to a bunch of red blades that flipped around to become a pair of wings. And on its head was a silver helmet-like construct with a round circle on each temple that had three blades. The new Pokémon opened its eyes and spread its retractable wings as it let out a mighty cry, "FLITANIUM!"

"Steeledge evolved," Derpy gasped with Doc nodding.

"Yeah...into Flitanium." He watched as Flitanium leapt into the air as the Beedrill charged at him, the giant metal bird flying around them before retracting its wings as its helmet began to glow.

"FLY!" It screamed as it slammed into the first Beedrill, sending it flying before knocking away a second, third and fourth Beedrill.

"Wow/Swirl," the girls said in awe.

"That's...Iron Head," Doc commented as Flitanium took down the fifth Beedrill as it got close to the ground.

"Fly!" He spread his wings and caught the updraft, allowing him to glide down the rest of the way. He then shifted his body so his taloned feet hit the ground, allowing him to slide to a stop as the Beedrill charged at him again. "Tay!" He pulled his wings back before rapidly beating them, "NIUM!" The powerful wind blades shot out, striking several more Beedrill down before Flitanium charged ahead.

"Steel Wing!" Doc ordered, Flitanium's wings folding out while glowing. Everyone watched as the armored bird began to spin on its feet, swinging its blades around to morph into a metal tornado. Moving like a spinning top, it slashed at the Beedrill, sending them all flying back.

Derpy and Swirlutz continued to watch in awe, only for a bulb to go off in Derpy's head, "Wait!" She pulled out a Pokeball, "Mudsdale!" She threw it up, unleashing the Ground-type horse, who neighed while looking around at its many opponents. "High-Horsepower!" Mudsdale roared as its body glowed orange before it galloped forward, slamming into several Beedrill as Flitanium hovered over him.

"Drill Peck!" He once again retracted his wings as he spun around, becoming a giant air drill that slammed into several more Beedrill, knocking out all but one of them. That one was the Giga Impact Beedrill, who had just recovered from Swirlutz's attack.

The hornet buzzed as its stingers were now primed for one last attack. While this happened, Flitanium stopped spinning and stared it down. But before either of them to attack, Derpy called out. "Psybeam and Mud Slap!" The Beedrill then found itself getting pelted with mud and beams of light. It began dodging both, not noticing its main opponent now flying above him.

"Iron Head!" Flitanium circled around and tucked in his wings as he divebombed Beedrill, the hornet still not seeing it.

"FLITANIUM!" His glowing head slammed into the Bee Pokémon, both falling to the ground as a cloud of sand exploded off it. Seconds later, Flitanium flew out of the cloud as it faded to reveal an unconscious Beedrill.

"Yes!" Derpy cheered, only to gulp as she now saw the rest of the swarm beginning to come around. "Or not. Maybe we should get out of here." Mudsdale galloped over to her, gesturing to its back. "Okay," Swirlutz leapt up onto her back before she climbed onto the horse.

Doc was about to run over to them, but Flitanium suddenly flew down and grabbed his shoulders in his talons. "Whoa!" He yelped as he was lifted into the air, the trainer looking up to see his newly evolved Pokémon now soaring with no issue. "Alright! Well done Flitanium!" The bird nodded back as they flew through the canyon, Derpy and her Pokémon following right behind.

Meanwhile, at the mine...

Flash, Twilight and Spike were now standing on the platform as the train stood there. Upon arriving at the mine, they had explained what had happened to the workers there. In response, the workers told them that if Doc and Derpy didn't arrive there by sunset, they would then send a rescue team to find them. So now they just sat there, waiting to see if Doc and the others would arrive in time.

"Looks like the sun's getting close to setting," Twilight pointed out with a long sigh. "The workers will probably set out to find them soon."

"They'll be here," Flash added with confident crossed arms, "Doc's not gonna let anything stop him from getting Derpy and that part here."

"I know, but-"

"Hey, what's that?!" Spike yelled as he pointed out into the desert, Flash, Twilight, Springer and Peewee following his finger while glancing out at the sandy bowl. They then saw two shadows moving up to them, one running across the ground with the other was flying above it. The setting sun behind them made it difficult to see, only for them to gasp as they recognized who they were.

"That's Mudsdale," Twilight spoke up first.

"But then what's that?" Flash added as he pointed at the flying figure.

"Guys!" They then looked up at voice, now seeing Doc being carried in its talons, "Nice to see you made it!" The others gasped at the flyer, the being coming to stop in front of them before gently dropping Doc and then landing behind him. "What do you think?" He added while gesturing to his newly evolved Pokémon.

"Is that...Steeledge?" Spike asked while Twilight giggled.

"That's wonderful Doc! He evolved into Flitanium!" she clapped joyfully as Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Flitanium
Category: Metallic Wing Pokémon
Type: Steel/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Steeledge. Its metallic feathers are so large that in the past, Equestria's blacksmiths would gather them from Flitanium nests and craft swords out of them.

"That's awesome!" Flash cheered as Springer and Peewee moved over to marvel at Flitanium. As they did this, Mudsdale galloped up to the group.

"Hey guys," Derpy chimed in as she jumped down as several engineers from the train and mine ran up. Mudsdale galloped over to who they assumed was its owner while Derpy went over to another engineer. She reached into her bag and pulled out the box, holding it up to them. "Special delivery!"

The engineer laughed as he took the package, "Thank you! With this, the train will be back in operating shape in no time!"

And as the workers began to fix the train, Doc and Derpy explained the situation leading up to Steeledge's evolution. "And then, as Beedrill tried to use Giga Impact, Swirlutz launched a Psybeam that sent it flying!"

"That's amazing," Twilight gasped before looking down at the Psychic lizard. "Sounds like you saved the day."

"Swirl," Swirlutz replied while blushing.

"She's right," Doc nodded before looking up at Flitanium as he flew above them. "If you hadn't intervened, Steeledge would have been knocked out and he might not have evolved. You might not have done much, but you really helped us out."

Derpy crouched down and pulled Swirlutz into a hug, "You definitely made me proud." Swirlutz hugged her, the two holding onto one another as the sun completely set.

The next morning...

As the sun rose above the horizon, the train let out a might hoot as it prepared to set off. And inside the passenger car, the group was now sitting, waiting to set off. "Alright! Next stop, Appaloosa!" Spike cheered, the others doing the same as they felt the train jerk before it began to move.

Doc then turned to Derpy, "So what are you gonna do once we get to Appaloosa?"

"Well, I called my base last night and they said to stay in Appaloosa for a few days. Apparently, something's being sent there that they want me to oversee the delivery of, but they don't know when it's gonna arrive."

"So you might be waiting a few days," Twilight asked, Derpy nodding in response.

Flash shined a confident smirk at this, "Hey, maybe you'll be able to watch my Gym Battle."

Derpy showed a big grin at that, "Now that sounds fun. Okay, if the package isn't there before then, I'll watch your gym battle."

Everyone cheered at this as they sat back and enjoyed the train ride. The heroes' trip through the Grand Desert had been filled with many perils and excitement, but now it was finally coming to an end. And with Appaloosa on the horizon, Flash's next Gym challenge was close at hand.

But what kind of opponent will he be facing for his fifth Equestria Region Badge? Find out, as the journey continues.

Where the Stampalo Roam

View Online

"There it is!" Twilight announced as everyone looked out the window, eyes going wide as they saw Appaloosa City in the distance. The destination of their desert journey was finally reaching its conclusion. Joined by their friend Derpy, they blinked at the sight of now appearing large wall of rock.

"That doesn't look like a city," Spike commented, Twilight rolling her eyes before pulling out her journal, opening the map to show them an aerial image of Appaloosa. The screen showed a giant circle of stone with a single opening, a bunch of different buildings inside. Seeing the rocks as the town's defense from the desert, a waterfall could also be seen on one side of the city, originating from a rock face and formed a river that ran through the town before reaching a tunnel on the other side that fed into a river leading to the edge of the picture. At the same time, a few trees could be seen on that edge. And as the train got closer, everyone's eyes went wide as they saw a huge orchard inside the desert, surprised something like that could exist in this environment.

As they watched, Twilight adjusted her glasses while saying, "I've read that Appaloosa's always been a pretty traditional place. Focusing on the old ways of living that they first learned from the native Desert Equestrians."

"Desert Equestrians?" Flash replied, he and Springer raising an eyebrow at this.

Twilight nodded back, "When the settlers first came here, they had trouble surviving at first. But then the Desert Equestrians came and helped teach them the ways of the land, allowing them to eventually find a place to live that gave birth to Appaloosa. Since then, the descendants of the settlers and Desert Equestrians have lived in harmony together."

"Wow." Derpy chimed in, "That's amazing. Two different people in origin, finding a way to live together."

"It sure is," Doc added as they now saw the tunnel they would be going through. As the train continued to move, Doc then saw a crane on the mountain, making him say, "Huh?" He barely got a second to look before the train entered the tunnel. The mountain was so large that it took almost a whole minute to get through, the group soon seeing the town that looked exactly like it had in Twilight's journal before coming to a stop.

And as they stepped onto the station, a gentle breeze blew past them. "Nice," Flash commented as he stretched his arms, "This place feels good."

"Ri..." Springer added as he mimicked his trainer.

"Alright Twilight, which way to the gym? I'm ready for me battle!" Flash exclaimed as he slammed his fist into his palm.

Twilight shook her head while rolling her eyes, sighing next as she pulled out her journal. "Seems I still need to teach you things Flash."

"What do you mean?"

She stared back up at him, "Shouldn't you check to make sure your team's in fighting fit condition? We did just cross a large desert without stopping once at any center."

"Oh...that's a good point." Flash muttered out, slightly looking away next, "Maybe a little rest is in order."

"Not only that..." Twilight looked down at her sand riddled clothing, "I'd really like to take a bath."

The others all nodded in agreement, Twilight now guiding them to the town's Pokémon Center. As they travelled, they saw many people working and playing on the streets, mainly seeing multiple Ground-types like Sandshrew, Cacnea, Trapinch, Hippopotas, Sandile, Redog and...several of a Pokémon they had never seen before.

The Pokémon was a giant furry cow-like creature covered from head to toe in brown fur. L-shaped horns were sticking out of each side of its head, and on each was a large head set of white feathers. And as they watched them, they saw that all of them had a different number of feathers on their head. Each were doing some form of manual labor, many pulling wagons and ropes to lift objects while one was helping push the wall of a building up, keeping it in place as it was nailed together.

"What are those things?" Spike asked as Flash pulled out his Pokedex, only for a voice to call out.

"Why they're our town's pride and joy!" Everyone spun around to the voice, now seeing a man with yellow skin and hair that was a mixture of orange and cream. He wore an orange button up shirt under a brown leather vest and blue pants with brown leather boots. The man was also wearing a stetson and had a pin on his vest shaped like an apple. "Howdy partners!" He tipped his hat at the five, "Noticed ya'll were taking a shine to the Stampalo."

"Stampalo?" Derpy asked as Flash finally scanned them.

Name: Stampalo
Category: Stampede Pokémon
Type: Ground
Info: This Pokémon is so powerful that when it charges, its incredible force can cause an earthquake. The feather like appendage on its head holds a legend, that each one is earned through an act of bravery.

Everyone turned back to the man as he tipped his hat again. "Name's Braeburn. Ah noticed ya'll folks were new to town and wanted to say howdy."

"Well howdy back," Flash replied, "Name's Flash Sentry. This is my partner, Springer."

"Riolu!"

"I'm Twilight and this is my little brother."

"Spike," he pointed at the Terragon on his shoulder, "This is Peewee."

"Terra!"

"And you can call me Doc. The girl with us is Derpy."

"Very nice to meet you," she bowed. "Your home is very nice."

"That it is little missy, that it is." Braeburn chuckled. "Say, if ya'll wanna really get to see it, ah'd be happy to show ya'll around."

"You'd really do that?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, "We don't wanna be a bother."

"No bother at all. It's mah business to make sure the city gets the recognition it deserves. So, anywhere particular place ya'll wanna see?"

"Well first, we need to get to the Pokémon Center," Flash responded, "After that, I need to find the Gym so I can get my fifth badge."

"Oh?" Braeburn clenched his teeth at this, "So yer here the challenge the gym?"

"You know it," Flash nodded while Springer got into a battle stance.

"Ri riolu!"

"Well ah'm afraid ya'll are up a creek right now. Dah gyms closed today." Flash slumped over at that. "Sorry. A trainer recently came through and completely whooped the leader. They had a pretty powerful Frostoak, which took down all but one of his Pokémon. But the last one fell soon after, earning him a badge."

"Sounds harsh," Spike commented as Flash typed the name into his Pokedex.

The image of a humanoid Pokémon appeared onscreen. Their skin was snow white and they were wearing a light blue hooded cloak covered in snowflake patterns, with a light blue scarf covering its mouth and nose. It had shape fingers that looked like they could carve through ice and its legs were thin and after the knee, the skin vanished to reveal icicle like spikes with no feet.

Name: Frostoak
Category: Snow Cloak Pokémon
Type: Ice/Fighting
Info: This Pokémon lives in cold places where snow is common. The cloak it wears is a second skin it uses to defend from the cold.

"Cool..." Flash commented as Twilight rubbed her chin in thought.

She turned back to Braeburn, "I'm guessing your gym leader's a Ground-type expert?"

"That he is little missy."

"Makes sense given the Pokémon that live in this area." Doc added.

"Alright, let's get to the Center!" Braeburn spoke up as he turned to the street, "It ain't too far away." He let out a whistle and within seconds, a Mudsdale drawn carriage galloped up to them.

"Need a ride?" The driver asked as they all climbed inside.

"Pokémon Center, if yah kindly."

"No problem." Once the doors were shut, the group felt the carriage rumble, galloping through the town and over a bridge across the river. The Center was situated not far through the river, the wagon pulling up in an instant.

"Thanks again," Braeburn replied as he tipped his hat at the carriage driver.

"Always happy to help," he called back as the carriage left to pick up another passenger.

Over the next two hours, their Pokémon underwent several examinations while they all took a shower and changed into some clean clothes, their dirty ones now in the center's washroom. "Thank you for waiting," Nurse Redheart said as they all came out of the showers. "I'm happy to report that all of your Pokémon are now completely fighting fit."

"Ri!" Springer cheered as he and Peewee jumped off the table while the others picked up their Pokeballs.

"Looks like we're ready to go," Doc told the others.

"We're just waiting on Derpy," Twilight added as she pointed at Swirlutz's Pokeball still on the table.

"I'm here," Derpy called out as she ran over to them, "I just had to check in with my boss and tell him I arrived. He's gonna send a message when we get confirmation of the package I need to pick up arrives."

They all nodded back as she picked up her Pokeball, Braeburn speaking up next, "Well then, now we can get our tour underway. So, what would you like ta see first?"

"What would you suggest?" Twilight asked, only to gulp as she saw Braeburn shine a huge grin.

"Oh, Appaloosa has everything one could possibly want in a city. Come on!" Everything after that was a blur for the group, Braeburn seemingly pulling them across the city so fast that they left a cloud of dust in their wake. And when they came to a stop, they found themselves staring at a large barn full of Mudsdale and carriages. "We have horse drawn carriages." He then pointed at a group of Mudsdale standing behind art supplies, their trainers placing pencils and brushes in their mouths. "And over there are horse drawn horse drawn carriages.

"What?" Twilight yelped, only to feel herself being pulled to another sector of the city.

"And here we have the local watering hole: The Salt Block." As he said that, the doors were thrown open as an old man was suddenly sent flying out.

"That's enough salt for you!" Someone yelled from inside the building.

The other man skidded across the dirt before trying to get up, moaning out, "Can't ah at least...get a glass of water?" He then flopped over, Flash about to help him before Braeburn pulled them to another area of town.

"Here's where we have our wild west dances!" He announced while pointing into a building filled with people dancing to super quick music, Braeburn then pulling them to another building. This one showed people dancing to much slower music. "And here's where we have our mild west dances."

He grabbed them again and pulled them to one of the edges of the town, exclaiming with a giant grin, "And of course, this here is the most important part of Appaloosa!"

"A bench?!" Spike asked with spirals in his eyes.

Braeburn just laughed back, "Good one partner. No, it's our orchard of course. Situated right outside of town."

"Oh yeah," Derpy added, "We saw that when we arrived here, though we didn't really get a good look on the train."

"Well, you can't really appreciate the orchard without getting a good up close look at it." Everyone expected him to drag them to the orchard, only to whistle for another taxi carriage. "Orchard please!" The man nodded and as soon as everyone was in, the Mudsdale galloped down the street toward the opening in the rocks. And as they enjoyed the slow downed part of the journey, Braeburn continued to divulge the history of each building in the city. The journey to the exit took about an hour, but the time just flew by thanks to Braeburn's tour speak and question answering. But as they reached the exit, Doc noticed a large stone pathway built into the side of the mountain that was large enough to allow several Pokémon could go up it.

And as they got to the edge of the mountain, the orchard came into view as Braeburn got out of the wagon. "And there it is," he announced as the rest saw the valley of trees, "This orchard has stood on this land for six generations."

The group blinked at the sight, gasping at the many trees. As they did this, Doc noticed a difference in the ground below them, the gym leader now bending down to find that the sand was mixed with rather damp soil that was likely from the river that was flowing through the orchard.

"Impressive..." he commented as he now saw the trees. Apples, peaches, plums, figs, pomegranates, nectarines and apricots tree lined the ground while along the sides of the river were bushes growing grapes and strawberries.

"This place in amazing," Twilight added.

"No kidding." Spike said with a nod, "It could give Sweet Apple Acres a run for its money."

"Sweet Apple Acres?" They turned to Braeburn as he raised an eyebrow at their statement, "So you've been to mah cousin's farm?"

"Cousin's farm?" Flash asked before remembering what Applebloom had said when they decided to come here. "Wait, you're Applejack's cousin?"

"The one in the same," he tipped his hat. "Who do yah think gave her Winona? There ain't any other place than Appaloosa that you can find Redog. That and best fruits you can find."

He then walked up to a tree and pulled a peach off, throwing it over to Spike. The teen quickly caught it before taking a bite, his eyes going wide at the flavor. "Wow! This is the best peach I've ever eaten!"

"Thanks," a female voice called out, making them turn to the voice's owner, "We work really hard to keep the trees safe so they can produce the best fruit possible." They now saw the owner, which was a girl with brownish orange skin and long blonde hair. She wore a light brown top with a dark brown sash around her waist and a purple shirt with green leggings and brown boots. On her head was a headband with two feathers on it. "Hey there Braeburn. Who are they?"

"Howdy Strongheart. Just showing mah new friends around the town." He patted Flash's shoulder, "This lad is here to challenge the Gym Leader."

"Oh really?" Strongheart replied while tilting her head, a smirk appearing on her face next. "Does he know the Gym Leader's super strong and ready for whatever is thrown at him?"

"Not as a fact, but I figured he would know anyway."

Strongheart laughed at this, Doc turning to see a bunch of people wearing similar clothing to Strongheart while carrying baskets. "What's going on?" he asked, Strongheart pointing at the group of people.

"Oh, we're just about to begin the harvest."

"Really?" Derpy saw the people step away from the baskets as they placed them under the trees, "But this place is massive! It'll take forever to pick 'em all."

"You'd think so, but you'd be wrong." Strongheart replied, giggling at the same time. And before they could respond, the ground suddenly started shaking.

"Aaaah! What's going on?!" Spike yelped.

"An earthquake?!" Twilight gasped, grabbing her brother's shoulders as they both shook.

But as they did this, Braeburn and Strongheart shook their heads. "Nope. Something better!" They pointed to an area of the orchard where there weren't any trees, seeing a large straight path with a giant cloud of sand racing down the road.

"Whaaat is thaaat?" Flash asked while they slowly started to backpedal.

"Relax," Braeburn told them. "Just stay clear of that pathway and you'll be fine."

"But what is it?!" Spike screamed as Doc took out his binoculars, going wide-eyed as he saw what the cloud was.

"Stampalo." he gasped before giving Flash the binoculars, the teen now also seeing a large group of Stampalo charging at the orchard at max speed.

And as they did this, the ground around them shook, making everyone shiver in fear before seeing several people riding atop a herd of Mudsdale galloping alongside the stampede while Redog ran with them. "Holy Mankey! They're gonna crash into the trees!"

"No they won't." Strongheart replied while puffing out her chest, "My dad will keep 'em in line."

"Your dad?" Twilight asked as the stampede reached the trees. As they did this, several turned to the line of trees.

"Now!" A loud voice yelled as several of the Redog used Quick Attack, zipping past the crowd before glaring at the Stampalo. "Sandstorm!"

"REEEEED!" The pack howled before the sand below them blew into the air, forming a large cloud that took the shape of a funnel. The Stampalo saw this and screamed, turning away from the cloud and back in line on the path. Everyone then saw the Stampalo stomp down the path, many almost falling over due to the shaking. While this happened, the trees around them shook, their flexible trunks and branches shaking without breaking as the fruit began to pop off. As this happened, everyone gasped as they saw all the fruit fall into the baskets as the Stampalo began to slow down while reaching the end of the path. And when they came to a stop, every tree in the orchard was bare.

"That was awesome!" Spike cheered while Peewee roared in agreement.

"And so elegant," Twilight added while clapping her hands, "The shaking picked the orchard clear within seconds, a task that would usually take hours. And the Redog...that was amazing!"

They then turned to the entrance of the orchard, now seeing the sand cloud fade away. As they saw this happened, Braeburn commented, "Like Strongheart said, her dad knows what he's doing."

At that moment, the man who had been directing the Redog got off his Mudsdale and moved over to them. He was a large bulky man with the same skin as Strongheart, only his hair was a dark brown, almost a black color. The man was wearing traditional native clothing with a headset on his head similar to what the Stampalo wore. He gave the newcomers a low glare, Braeburn tipping his hat at him. "Great work chief. You sure gave our new friends here a show they'll never forget."

The man's focus remained on Flash and the others, "More outsiders. Are they here for one of those silly little trinkets as well?"

"Trinkets? You don't mean Gym Badges, do you?" Flash replied, the man growling in response before walking off, "What's up with him?"

"Father's not a big fan of our gym," Strongheart replied while shaking her head, "It was established about five years ago and since then, Appaloosa's been flushed with travelers."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Ya'll would think, but Chief Thunderhooves thinks it's a terrible idea." Braeburn responded with a sigh, "He thinks the outsiders will destroy the town's way of life. It also doesn't help that the town is beginning to expand."

"Wait..." Doc looked up at the top of the mountain, "Is that what those cranes I saw before are for?"

Braeburn nodded back, "The city decided that it was time to join the modern age, and the mountain's large enough to support what we're planning on building. In a few years, Appaloosa will be a bustling metropolis that can rival Canterlot, Fillydelphia and even Manehatten."

"It's an outrage!" They heard Thunderhooves yell, the man now standing beside the many Stampalo. "It's bad enough these outsiders keep coming to our home with no desire to actually learn about our way of life, but now our own people wish to abandon them."

"Father..." Strongheart grumbled while crossing her arms, "We're not abandoning the old ways. We're just trying the make life easier for our people. I'm sure our ancestors would want us to be as comfortable as possible."

"She's right sir," Braeburn added, "Heck, we don't even have a proper hospital."

"We have healers. They've served us well for many generations."

"Even the healers voted for this expansion," Strongheart countered, "They want to learn more modern medicine to help with the practices they have now."

Thunderhooves growled before turning to Braeburn. "This is all your fault! Ever since you opened that accursed gym of yours, it's done nothing but blind everyone to the true values of our people!"

"Wait...your gym?!" Flash gasped as he turned to the cowboy, "You're the gym leader?!"

Braeburn shined a tiny smile while scratching the back of his neck, "Yeah...sorry. Ah wanted to keep it a surprise. But yeah, ah'm the Gym Leader: Keeper of the Dust Badge!"

Thunderhooves growled again. "You and your gym may be destroying the old ways, but as long as I'm around, they'll survive and I'll fight this expansion to the end!"

With that, he turned to walk off while leading the Stampalo herd away. And as he left, Braeburn sighed as fell to his butt. "Ah'm not trying to destroy the old ways."

Strongheart placed a hand on his shoulder, "I know you're not. No one respects the old ways like you do."

"It's true I want the town to be more modern, but that doesn't mean I want to abandon our history. That's why I opted to build on the mountain, so the old town could stay the way it was. If only Thunderhooves could see that." As the two Appaloosians sighed at the sight, the others simply remained quiet, none sure how to help cheer Braeburn up.

Several miles away...

Thunderhooves and many other workers were now placing the Stampalo in their pens. They regularly kept them far from the city so the Stampalo could run around without causing the entire city to shake. The fencing was extra enforced so they wouldn't accidently break through it, while the ground was covered in grass thanks to the river that ran through the pen. Here the Stampalo could run wild and free, the way nature intended.

And once the Stampelo were safely penned up, all but Thunderhooves returned to the city. The chief would remain there, living in a simple tepee that his people had lived in for generations until Appaloosa was built.

But before he could rest, the man checked over every single Stampalo he could, making sure all of them were okay. But as he did this, the argument he just had kept going through his head. A long sigh left his breath, his eyes darting around as he decided to just check things quickly today. But as he did this, his eyes missed something slithering out of the sand and into the grass of the pen.

That night...

As the sun set below the mountain, Flash and friends were now getting ready for bed in the Pokémon Center. Derpy and Twilight had just walked out of the bathroom in their pajamas, seeing Flash and Spike already in their bunk-beds while Doc took the room's only single bed. "Rough day, huh?"

"It was pretty fun...until we ran into Thunderhooves." Spike sighed, the others nodding in agreement. After that event, Braeburn had been too bummed out to really give them the rest of the tour.

"At least he agreed to give you a Gym Battle tomorrow," Twilight told Flash.

"Yeah, though it won't be until the afternoon."

"True. Braeburn did say he was helping move several new construction vehicles up the mountain. That's definitely gonna take all day."

"At least it'll give you time to prepare," Doc added.

"Actually, I kinda wanna watch." Flash muttered out as he sat back, "I've always thought diggers and bulldozers were cool, but never got the chance to see ones up close."

"Maybe Braeburn will let us watch if we don't get in the way," Derpy responded, the others nodding again.

"We can always ask," Doc finished, "Now, let's get some shuteye."

At the same time...

Braeburn was now sitting on top of a mountain with his legs hanging over the side. As he watched the moon rise above the mountain and shower the city with its light, he simply sighed while wondering if building up the town was a mistake. "I thought you'd be here." He turned to see Strongheart walk up and sit down beside him, "Finished sulking yet?"

"Ah'm not sulking. Ah...ah'm just contemplating mah recent decisions as of late."

"So...sulking." Braeburn growled at her as she continued, "I hope you're not letting my father get under your skin."

"Maybe a little."

"Well get him out from under it. What we're doing isn't a bad thing, no matter what he says. Remember, you weren't the only one that agreed to this. The whole town wants to bring Appaloosa into the future. You can't hold the town back because of one stubborn fool."

Braeburn sighed and shook his head, "You're right. Thanks." He turned to her with a big grin, "I'm glad I've got you in my life."

Strongheart nodded back before hugging his arm and placing her head on his shoulder. "And I'm not going anywhere." With that, the two sat in silence to watch the moon raise higher and higher into the sky.

The next morning...

As the sun began to appear on the horizon, Chief Thunderhooves came out of his tent as he stared at the Stampalo. The Stampede Pokémon were now all slowly waking up, most taking a drink from the river or grazing on the grass. A big smile appeared on the chief's face, happy to see the peaceful nature of the Pokémon.

But as he did this, one of the Stampalo was pulling a long piece of grass out of the ground, only to see something hidden under the green weed. It blinked at the sight, now seeing a yellow and blue snake creature with tiny wings, a bubble attached to its nose that grew larger and smaller as it snoozed away. "Dunce...sparce. Dunce...sparce."

That Stampalo quickly gulped down the strand of grass, its eyes squinting as he growled at the sight. The Pokémon did not like seeing something in its home, making it roar out, "Stamp!" It then slammed its hooves into the ground, causing the ground to shake. The rumble went out like a wave, making the Dunsparce almost flip over from the sudden attack.

"Dunce?!" it yelped as it opened its eyes, only to look up and now see a large herd of Stampalo glaring down at it. "DUNCE!" It cried before turning to bounce away as fast as it could. But before it could get out of the pen, the Stampalo slammed their hooves, shaking the ground as it knocked the Pokémon flying over the fence. "DUNSPARCE!" It screamed as it crashed into the sand.

"What's happening?!" Thunderhooves asked the Stampalo, now seeing them all staring at the same spot.

He then saw the Dunsparce pull itself out of the sand before glaring at the Stampalo, its body now glowing pink. "DUNCE!" It screamed, the light shooting off as the sand around it went dark and morphed it into mud, firing the muck right into the faces of the Stampalo.

"STAMP!" They all roared, fear hitting them all as they lost their ability to see. And when Stampelo get scared, they only have one reaction: stampede. "STAMPALO!" They all began to run, the ground now shaking like crazy.

"STOP!" Thunderhooves yelled, but his words fell on deaf ears as they ran through the usually sturdy fence. The terrified Stampalo stomped out of the pen, all in a pure frenzy as the whole herd galloping off in one direction.

"Oh no," Thunderhooves gasped as he saw where they were heading. "Appaloosa, the orchard....Strongheart!" He took out a Pokeball and summoned a Mudsdale, the bulky man jumping onto its back as they both galloped after the herd.

Meanwhile...

Back in town, the teens had just arrived at the slope of the mountain, now seeing Braeburn and Strongheart. "Hey!" Flash yelled as he waved at them.

"Howdy partner! Lookin' forward to our match?"

"You bet," Flash replied, nodding as well. "But we also wanted to check out all those cool construction vehicles."

"Well you're in luck," Strongheart giggled as she pointed to the opening that lead out to the desert. "Here they come now." A whole convoy of different vehicles rolled up as if on command, all showing crane trucks, excavators, bulldozers, and rollers. The group rolled up the slope, all climbing as the everyone watched them in awe.

"Those things look so cool," Flash commented with stars in his eyes. The teen had always been a bit of a hot-rod lover, hoping to one day have his own tricked out vehicle. "How possible is it for me to drive one of those things?"

Braeburn laughed at this question, "About as possible as me catching a Groudon."

"So...fifty-fifty?" Everyone started laughing as Braeburn then flagged one of the bulldozers down. The machine came to a stop, all climbing in before going up the slope.

Once atop the mountain, everyone gasped at the sight of the desert surrounding them. "Wow..." Derpy whispered, "It's so vast."

"Tell me about it," Doc chuckled, "You should try crossing the whole thing by foot."

Derpy laughed again as they kept looking out at the desert, only to squint her eyes as she pointed at something, "Hey, what's that?"

The others followed her gaze, now seeing a moving giant cloud of dust in the far off distance. "A Sandstorm?" Twilight guessed, Braeburn and Strongheart moving over to the edge, only to go wide-eyed.

"That's no sandstorm." Strongheart gulped as she turned to Braeburn.

"Its a stampede!" The Gym Leader exclaimed as he ran over a nearby bulldozer, "Get on!" He told everyone, Strongheart jumping on first while the others clambered up as he started the engine.

They rode the machine back down the slope and out of the city, rolling their way over to the orchard as they saw the workers staring at the dust cloud. "Guys!" Strongheart yelled, "What's happening?!"

"We don't know!" one of them replied. "We were just about to head out and check on them when we saw it. But we have another issue, they're not running towards the normal path! They're gonna run into the trees!"

Everyone's eyes went wide in shock, a galloping noise now making them turn to see Thunderhooves racing up on his Mudsdale.

"Quickly everyone! The Stampalo are out of control!"

"Yeah, we noticed!" Flash yelled back.

"What happened?" Braeburn added.

"A Dunsparce snuck into their pen. When they saw it, they kicked it out and it used Secret Power on them."

"Secret Power changes depending on the place..." Twilight gasped, "In sand, it blinds the opponent. That must be why they're stampeding."

"So what do we do?" Spike asked next.

"Nothing. We will handle this," Thunderhooves told them while shaking his head, "My people have dealt with Stampalo for generations. We know how to stop them when they're in a panic." He turned to the workers. "Gather the Redog. We'll create a sandstorm wall that will scare them away from the orchard and out into the desert. Once out there, they can run wild until they calm down."

The workers nodded back and began to gather the Pokémon, only for Strongheart to see a grimace on Braeburn's face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't think it'll work," he replied, "Stampalo startle easily, but they're tougher than they think. If they've been blinded, they won't see the sandstorm, and since they're Ground-types, it won't do any damage to them."

"Nonsense," Thunderhooves scoffed as the workers returned with the Pokémon. "My people are experts when it comes to these situations. This will work. Maybe if you understood our ways, you'd see this." He turned to the approaching cloud, looking back at his daughter with an expectant face, "Strongheart! What are you waiting for?! Come help us!"

The girl stared at her father for several seconds, only to look back at Braeburn before looking back at him, "No. I trust Braeburn's judgement. If he thinks this plan won't work, then I believe him."

Thunderhooves let out a low growl, "Foolish girl, your trust in this boy will doom our people."

"No, your arrogance and refusal to accept the changing times is what will doom us. Go ahead and try it your way. If it works, then great. But if it doesn't, we'll need a backup plan." Thunderhooves didn't reply before turning and joining the team. And as he left, Strongheart turned to Braeburn. "So what's the plan?"

Braeburn's eyes shifted up to the mountain, staring at the many vehicles, "Thunderhooves is right to try and scare them away, but he's using the wrong sense." He got back in the bulldozer and started it up, the others climbing on. "Let's try something else!"

Thunderhooves and his workers were now as close as they could get to the herd, the ground now shaking like no tomorrow.

"Alright!" He pulled his Mudsdale to a stop, "Here's good everyone, get ready!" They were now between the herd and the orchard, making sure they had enough room to run away and make sure to completely circumvent the trees. "Redog!" The Ground-type dogs barked as they jumped in front of the riders. "Arrow formation!" One by one, each Redog got into a spot that took up a V-shape with the tip pointed at the Stampalo. "Time to end this. SANDSTORM!"

"REEEEED!" They howled before the sand around their feet exploded off the ground, forming one giant V-shaped wall of sand that stretched up a good fifteen meters.

Meanwhile...

Up on the mountaintop, Braeburn and the others had just arrived when the cloud appeared.

"Wow!" Spike gasped, "That thing is awesome!"

"It doesn't matter if it's awesome," Twilight added, "What matters is if it works."

"And we need to be ready for if it doesn't," Braeburn continued as he turned to the other workers. "Listen, I need every vehicle down near the orchard. We can't spare a single one." The workers nodded and got into the many vehicles, Flash and Springer climbing onto a bulldozer.

"Alright!" He clapped his hands together, "Let's do this thing. How do you start this thing?"

"You don't," Flash turned to Strongheart. "I turn the key and drive it." She pushed them out of the seat, both pouting as they had to get into another seat. And as she started it up, the many construction vehicles followed Braeburn as he drove back down the slope. While this happened, Strongheart stared at her father, sighing as she whispered, "Please be okay."

Down the mountain...

Thunderhooves shined a huge grin as he saw the Stampalo reach the sand wall. Waiting for the herd turn as soon as it hit the sand wall, he crossed his arms in confidence and looked away. But as he did this, his ears went up as he heard a loud cry.

"RED!" His head shifted back to the sand wall, the Redog's voice catching his attention. And as he did this, his eyes went wide as he saw something charge right through the sand: The Stampalo.

"No..." he whispered before seeing them all get through the wall. "RUN!" He immediately yelled, pulling his Mudsdale's reins and kicking him into high gear, his men doing the same as they began their escape. The Mudsdale were much faster than the Stampalo, quickly allowing them to get distance from the herd.

And as they rode, Thunderhooves' mind was in shambles. "No...why didn't that work?! Don't tell me...was he right?!" But as his Pokémon continued to move, he looked up to see a line of machines in the same V-shape they had had the Redog in. "What?!"

"Alright!" Braeburn yelled as he parked his dozer so there was a large gap in the tip of the V. "Once the riders are in place, we pump the engines has loud as they can go." He looked back at the others, "Everyone understand?"

"YES SIR!" They all replied, turning back to the stampede as they saw the riders get closer. But as they did this, Braeburn's eyes went wide as he saw Thunderhooves, noticing his Mudsdale was slowing down.

Braeburn wasn't the only one noticing it. Thunderhooves found the gap between him and his men growing, the herd catching up. As he rode, he remembered that he hadn't fed his Mudsdale or given it any water today, which made sure it wasn't at top form. "Please Mudsdale," he told it. "You have to go faster."

But as those words went into the Mudsdale's ears, its hooves tried to move faster...only to hit an unexpected rock sticking out of the sand. With a single blow, the horse let out a neigh of pain as it and Thunderhooves were sent tumbling to the ground.

"FATHER!" Strongheart screamed, seeing her father now crawl over to Mudsdale. "NO!"

Everyone froze as they saw the Stampalo about to run him over. But as this happened, Braeburn hopped off the bulldozer and looked back at Flash, "FLASH!" The teen blinked at him, Braeburn pointing to the seat. "Ya'll know what ta do." Flash's eyes went wide before he ran up to the vehicle as the Gym Leader pulled out a Pokeball. "Let's go, partner!" He tossed the ball, unleashing a swirl of red energy that took shape to reveal a Stampalo with more feathers than any other.

"STAMPALO!" It yelled as Braeburn leapt onto his Pokémon's back.

"Let's go!" The Stampalo roared again as it charged ahead, Braeburn holding onto its fur.

"BRAEBURN!" Strongheart screamed, now seeing him race toward the stampede. The Gym Leader raced to the cloud as fast as he could, seeing Thunderhooves return his Mudsdale before getting up and trying to escape by himself. However, he was limping, showing an injury from his fall.

Thunderhooves didn't even notice Braeburn as he got within a few feet of him, looking up to see him and Stampalo approach before racing by. They did a quick sliding turn before shooting back, Braeburn holding out a hand. "Grab on!" Thunderhooves reached out and grasped his hand before he was pulled up onto the back of Stampalo.

The non-startled stampede Pokémon seemed to be strained under the intense weight of both, but it refused to slow down as it galloped at max speed. But with each second that passed, the weighed down Pokémon's lead over its fellow Stampalo lessened.

"Come on..." Flash whispered from his bulldozer seat.

And as they continued to run, Braeburn suddenly yelled, "NOW FLASH!" The teen hopped in his seat before kicking the machine in gear, the bulldozer rolling backward as the Stampalo inched through the shortening gap. And seconds after it was through, the machine came to a stop and plugged up the hole. "DO IT!" Braeburn roared as his Stampalo pulled itself to a stop.

With that, the many vehicles revved their engines as loud as they could. The sound hit the Stampelo's ears, making them scream out before turning away from the source, splitting into two groups that ran alongside the V-shape of vehicles. And as the very last Stampalo ran past them and into the desert, Thunderhooves limped over to the machines and saw how the Stampalo and their trees were now safe. "Amazing..."

"Father!" He turned to see Strongheart run over to him, throwing her arms around his waist. "You're alright!"

"Yes," Thunderhooves patted his daughter's head before looking over at Braeburn, "Thanks to you." He let go of her before limping over to the Gym Leader, "You saved me."

Braeburn blushed and looked away while scratching the back of his head. "Well ah couldn't just leave ya'll out there."

"But you also saved my people's livelihood. Even when I insulted you."

"Of course. Because it's not just your people's livelihood. It's my people's too."

"Yes...it is." Thunderhooves sighed while nodding, "The Settlers are just as much responsible for what we've built. Of course you'd want to save it."

"That's not what he means father," Strongheart responded while walking over to Braeburn. "Appaloosa isn't just a collection of two people living together. At least, not anymore. That might be how it started, but it's not that. The last Settler and Desert Equestrian died generations ago. In their place now exists one type of person: Appaloosians."

Braeburn chuckled at her words as he spoke up, "Sir, ah know yah care about the old ways. So do ah. But there's one thing we all have to remember. When dah two people first met, dah old ways ya'll care about didn't exist. They came to be because our people worked together and forged those ways. Dah Desert Equestrians taught da Settlers to live off the land while dah Settlers taught the Desert Equestrians how to build houses and medicine that were integrated into yer healing abilities. Our people came together, and in doing so, their culture evolved into what we have now."

Thunderhooves hummed at his words, "I...suppose you're right."

"And that's what we're doing now," Strongheart added, "The world is changing father, and some of our ways can't keep up with it."

"That's the inevitability of the world," Twilight chimed in, "The world is in constant flux, and many cultures have two choices. Evolve with it, or be overtaken by time."

Flash nodded in agreement, "Heck, I bet if your ancestors were here right now, they would be proud of how you've managed to keep their ways alive....but they'd also asking why you're still using them when there's something better." Thunderhooves raised an eyebrow at this. "I mean, the only reason they used the ways you care about is because they didn't have anything better."

"He's right," Doc said next, "If they lived now with the advancements we have, I'm sure they would choose to use them instead of what they had."

"Yes...you're right." Thunderhooves turned back to Braeburn and held out his hand. "Maybe it is time Appaloosa stepped into the modern day."

"While never forgetting the honor and wisdom of our ancestors." Braeburn responded as he took Thunderhooves' hand and shook it. As this happened, everyone shined giant smiles of joy as the chief showed he would both respect the past but also make sure to respect the present and not always live in the past.

Over the next few hours, everyone worked to gather the Stampalo. The bulls tired out as they kept charging, the workers riding up to them and carefully wiping the mud from their eyes. By mid-afternoon, the last Stampalo was back in its pen.

"And...done," Braeburn panted as he hit the last nail into the wood, finishing the broken fence.

"Maybe it is time for a more...modern solution," Thunderhooves added as he patted the fence. "Perhaps one that can stand the force of a rampaging Stampalo."

"I don't think a strong enough fence has been invented," Braeburn joked, he and Thunderhooves laughing as Strongheart watched them with a big smile.

"Geez louise..." moaned another voice, Strongheart turning to see Flash and Springer sitting against the fence. "I'm wiped."

Twilight giggled at the sight, "Still up for your Gym Battle?"

"I don't think I'm up for even getting up," he groaned as Braeburn walked over.

"How about you and I have our match tomorrow then," he replied, "Then we'll both be fully rested and ready to go."

"And I'd very much like to see how a Gym Battle works," Thunderhooves added.

Flash giving both a thumbs up as he said, "I'm up for that. Tomorrow it is." With that, he slumped against the fence, snores instantly coming out of his mouth. Everyone else laughed at this, all liking the idea of taking a break and relaxing as they watched the Stampalo roam. Their arrival to Appaloosa had been an exciting one, filled with many twists and turns. Now, Flash's Gym Battle was about to happen, and one can only wonder what excitement this town has in store for the incoming battle. As the journey continues.

When the Dust Clears

View Online

The day of Flash's fifth Equestria Region Gym challenge had arrived.

After meeting Appaloosa's Gym Leader Braeburn and seeing the overwhelming might of his powerful Stampalo, Flash was beyond excited for the tough battle ahead. "Come on!" he yelled as he ran down the street, Springer running by his side while his friends dragged behind.

"Hold on Flash!" Twilight moaned, "The gym isn't going anywhere."

"I know, but I can't help it! This battle's gonna be so cool!" The others rolled their eyes, Derpy turning to the others.

"Is he normally like this?"

"Only when a battle is taking place," Spike laughed.

"He should be careful though," Doc added as Flash and Springer ran around a corner. "If he's not careful, he might-"

"AUGH!" They heard Flash cry out, causing them to turn the corner and see Flash on the ground with a barrel filed with sand. "Oww..." he moaned while rubbing his head.

"You okay?" Twilight asked as she helped him up.

"Yeah..." Flash grumbled as he turned to the barrel, "But what's this doing here?"

"Fire suppression." They turned to a new voice, now seeing Strongheart and Thunderhooves. "With how hot this place gets, plus most of the buildings are made of wood, it isn't hard to get a flame going."

Thunderhooves nodded in agreement, "Barrels of sand are kept everywhere in case one starts up. Sand is an excellent suppressant." He pointed down the street, everyone now seeing a man burning something in a bin before shoveling in some sand, sputtering the flames out.

"Cool," Flash whistled.

"So..." Strongheart turned to him, "You ready for your match?"

"You know it!" Flash cheered, "How far to the gym?"

"It's right over there." Strongheart pointed to a wall of the city, the girl soon leading them over. They now found themselves staring at a large building built into the side of the rocks. "Welcome to the Appaloosa Gym."

"Wow..." everyone gasped before the doors swung open to reveal Braeburn.

"Howdy ya'll!" he exclaimed before looking at Flash, "Ready to battle?"

"More than anything!" Flash exclaimed, "Let's do this thing!"

"Alright," Braeburn replied while nodding. He gestured them to follow as they walked in, soon finding a room that looked like a basic stadium with seats off to the side along with a large glass wall between them and the field. The field looked like a giant sandpit with a solid Pokeball podium in the center that was connected to the end of the stadium by two long concrete lines.

"Welcome to dah Appaloosa City Gym," Braeburn chuckled before turning to Flash. "Now, which of ya'll wish ta do battle with me?"

Flash stepped forward. "I, Flash Sentry, challenge you to a battle."

"And ah except. Follow me." Braeburn walked down to the field with Flash following, Strongheart taking a position on a podium in the middle.

As this happened, everyone moved up to the seats to sit down. While this happened, Derpy stared up at the glass wall, "What's this for?"

"Not sure," Doc added, "Never seen a gym with one of these before."

"It's to protect the spectators," Thunderhooves responded, but before they could ask why, Strongheart spoke up.

"The Gym Battle between the challenger Flash, and Braeburn the Gym Leader, will now begin! Each side will be allowed three Pokémon, and the battle will end when all three of either sides' Pokémon are unable to battle. In addition, only the challenger may be allowed to substitute Pokémon." She glanced at the two, "Is that understood?"

Flash and Braeburn both nodded before Braeburn pulled out a Pokeball. "Dah land, nurturing and gentle....but now ya'll see just how powerful it is as a force of nature. Giddy up, Redog!" He tossed the ball into the air, now revealing the dyed furred dog Pokémon.

"RED!" It howled before jumping around, kicking up the sand at the same time.

"A Redog, huh?" Flash commented as he remembered his battle with Winona. 'Those things are fast and if it uses Sandstorm, it'll be even faster thanks to....what did Twilight call its ability? Sand Rush? Plus it'll be next to impossible to find it unless...' He looked down at his Riolu, "You're up bud."

"Riolu!" Springer cheered before racing onto the field.

"Why isn't he using Skyler?" Spike asked, Derpy nodding in agreement. "Doesn't he have an immunity?"

"He's probably planning to use him later," Twilight replied, crossing her arms, "And I'm sure this is fitting into his strategy."

Doc nodded as well, "Springer's just as good a choice as Skyler. But even so, Braeburn's likely used to facing opponents with the type advantage. That's a challenge every Gym Leader needs to face in their own way."

"Ground is one of the most balanced types in the Pokémon world." Thunderhooves chimed in, "With just as many weaknesses, it has strengths. Braeburn understands this and will have likely found a way to protect each of his Pokémon from several of their weaknesses in someway."

They all nodded before turning back to the battlefield as Strongheart spoke up, "Redog vs Riolu. Are both trainers ready?" They and their Pokémon nodded. "Then let the Appaloosa gym battle begin...NOW!"

"Extreme Speed!" Flash yelled as Springer charged, blue lightning sparking around him as he zigzagged across the field.

"Riolu!" Springer roared as it reached Redog and swung his foot.

"Bite!" The red hound's head thrusted ahead, Springer's attack slamming into its back instead of its head as the dog's mouth clamped down on Springer's tail.

"RI/DOG!" They both cried, only for Redog to pull Springer before swinging its head backward. RIOLU!" Springer yelped as Redog began tossing him around like a rag-doll, slamming him into the ground three times before flinging him upward.

"Aura Sphere!" Springer quickly spun around and fired the blue projectile down at the dog as he fell.

"Use Dig!" Redog thrusted his body down like a drill, diving right into the sand as the Aura Sphere hit the ground. A cloud of sand kicked up from the blow, Springer landing right into the dusty fog.

"Ri!" he yelped as he squinted his eyes in the sand.

"Springer, don't panic!" Flash yelled from the side as the sandy cloud began to fade, "Try to lock onto Redog's aura!"

Springer nodded and closed his eyes, a pulse of blue energy flowing through his body. And as this happened, his eyes shot open as he yelled, "Riolu!" He quickly ducked, Redog bursting out of the sand before flying right over the Riolu.

"Dog?!" Redog gasped as he found his target ready for him.

"Drain Punch!" Springer slammed a glowing green fist into Redog's gut, the hound yelping as it was thrown flying back.

"Redog!" he yelped as he rolled on the ground.

"You okay Redog?" Braeburn asked as his Pokémon picked itself up, nodding.

"Red!"

"Good," Braeburn replied before glaring at Springer, "Time for the big guns! Sandstorm!" Redog let out a roar as the sand beneath its feet began to shake, only for a cloud of tiny stones began to surge out. The audience gasped as the battlefield was completely blocked out a second later, now seeing the glass wall getting pelted in sand.

"Now the glass makes sense," Spike commented while the others nodded in agreement.

"Gyah!" Flash groaned as he put his hand in front of his eyes, "Can't....see."

"Ri..." Springer grunted as he felt the sand start to scratch his fur.

"Bite!" Springer heard Braeburn announce, the Riolu opening his aura as he tried to track Redog. But as he did this, the energy suddenly vanished before reappearing a second later.

"RED!" The aura appeared behind him, the Riolu spinning around as Redog gripped the Pokémon in his fangs.

"Ri!"

"Drain Punch!" Flash yelled into the storm, Springer trying to counter with the move. But as he did this, the Redog released him and disappeared into the sandstorm. "Whenever Redog's close, use Drain Punch to counter whatever it throws at you."

Springer nodded as both of his fists began to glow, the Riolu closing his eyes to focus. He then felt an aura behind him, spinning and throwing a punch....only to hit nothing. He tried again as the aura reappeared by him, but the Redog just jumped back into the cloud. And as he did this, the Sandstorm kept scratching him.

'This isn't working. Gotta find a way to protect Springer,' Flash growled, only for a bulb to go off in his head, "Springer, Double Team!"

Springer howled before a bunch of Springer clones appeared around him, Redog coming to a stop as the clones began t hopping around.

"That's the way!" Twilight cheered. "Now Redog will be too busy looking for the real one while Springer only needs to focus on Redog."

"Don't be so sure," they turned to Thunderhooves. "Redog might be surprised, but it wasn't its eyes that let it find Riolu in the Sandstorm."

"What do you mean?" Derpy asked, Twilight and Doc then gasping as they understood what he meant.

"Get ready to use Aura Sphere!" Flash told the Springer army, each nodding.

"Use Bite!" Braeburn ordered as Redog leapt at the real Springer, the Riolu gasping as the dog suddenly latched onto his paws with his fangs, only to see that the hound's eyes were closed.

"RIOLU!" He cried as Redog put pressure on his Bite attack, the pain making the fake Riolus vanish.

"What?! How?!" Flash yelped.

"It's its nose." Twilight called out to Flash, "Redog can't see in the sand. It's been using its nose to track you this whole time."

"No way...." Flash gasped.

"Yes way," Braeburn cheered. "Now for the finisher! Thunder Fang!"

A bolt of lightning surged from the Redog's mouth, zapping Riolu just as the Sandstorm began to die down. As it did, Redog spun around, flinging Springer across the field. "Ri!" he yelped as he was sent rolling across the ground.

Flash growled and narrowed his eyes, biting his lips as he muttered, "I need to shift gears....Springer! Come on back bud!" The Riolu turned to him, nodding before hopping up and running over to his trainer. And as he got to Flash, the teen leaned down and patted his head, "Sorry bud, but if we keep battling like that, we're not gonna win. I gotta beat Redog with someone else."

"Ri," Springer nodded back as Flash stood up.

"A smart decision," Thunderhooves commented, "Sometimes it's better to retreat and live to fight another day, even if it feels cowardly."

"I wonder who he's gonna pick?" Spike asked next.

"Skyler, Riptide and Prongs would all be good choices," Twilight added, "But you have to take Redog's moves into account."

"Do any of his Pokémon have a way to cancel out Sandstorm?" Derpy chimed in.

"No, I don't think so." Twilight replied while shaking her head, "Especially since it has Thunder Fang as well."

'She's right. That Thunder Fang's a dangerous move. Against it, Skyler and Riptide will be in trouble. Guess that only leaves me one choice.' Flash looked down at his Pokeballs, only to enlarge one, "Prongs, I choose you!" He threw the Pokeball up, unleashing the Chitaleaf, who shook his whole body before getting into a battle stance.

"Leaf!" He roared before glaring at Redog, the hound smirking at him.

"A Grass-type, huh?" Braeburn chuckled while tipping his hat, "Alright, let's see how well yah do with it."

"Oh, I'll show you." They turned to Strongheart and nodded, the girl nodding back before raising her arms.

"Redog vs Chitaleaf. Battle...BEGIN!"

"Energy Ball!" Prongs summoned the green sphere, firing it at the Redog.

"Dig!" the dog dove into the sand, the Energy Ball exploding the ground above it.

"Prongs!" The Chitaleaf turned to its trainer, "Don't stay in one spot. Remember you battle with Winona." Prongs nodded and began to run around, zigzagging all over the place.

"Just wait..." Braeburn quietly told his Pokémon, knowing that even though it couldn't hear him, he knew it understood. "The right moment will present itself. For now, conserve your energy." Prongs kept hopping, only for Braeburn to yell, "NOW!"

"RED!" The ground beneath Prongs exploded, Redog leaping out and slamming into his underside, knocking the deer into the air.

"Prongs! Use Leech Seed!" Flash yelled, Prongs' horns glowing as a pair of lights shot off and hit Redog in the head, the lights exploding to reveal a bunch of vines wrapping around the dog. Redog looked down at the vines, only for pain to surge through its body.

"RED!" It cried as its energy drained through its body, unable to see that Prongs had landed and was now charging at him.

"Thunder Fang!" Redog turned to the deer and opened its mouth, lightning beginning to surge in his fangs.

"Bounce!" The Chitaleaf suddenly leapt over the Redog, causing it to miss as Prongs landed behind him, spinning around before tackling the dog.

"REDOG!" It cried as it was knocked into the dirt, sliding along as Prongs leapt back to a safe distance.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired another ball of nature energy at Redog, the hound about to dodge, only for the Leech Seed to flare up again. It let out a cry of pain as the ball hit him, Flash then yelling, "Use Bounce again!"

But as Prongs hopped to slam its hooves into Redog, Braeburn gave his next order. "Sandstorm!" Redog grunted in pain as it howled again, sand shooting out of the ground.

"Leaf?" Prongs yelped as the Redog disappeared into the sand as it covered the area.

"Thunder Fang!" Before Prongs could react, he was sudden tackled to the ground as a pair of electrified fangs bit into his neck.

"LEAF!" He cried as he tried to get Redog off, the Redog just staying on him till the lightning stopped to surge. And as this happened, it leapt away before disappearing into the sand.

Prongs shook his head, only to feel the sandstorm buffet him. But as it did this, the Redog tackled his side, making him stumble over before rolling and kicking the dog off him. "He's open! Energy Ball!"

"LEAF!" He roared as he shot the sphere at Redog, the dog trying to disappear into the sand...only for Leech Seed to flare.

BOOM!

"RED!" It cried before falling back, the Sandstorm dying down as everyone now saw the swirls in the pooch's eyes.

"Redog is unable to battle," Strongheart announced before turning to Prongs. "Chitaleaf is the winner."

Flash sighed in relief while the others started clapping. "Great work Flash," Doc said first.

"You too Prongs," Twilight added. "Great work."

"That was amazing," Derpy gasped, "I never knew a Gym Battle could be so intense."

"Well, you're about to see it get a whole lot tenser," Spike chuckled, "Flash is gonna keep this streak up."

"Maybe," Thunderhooves hummed as he stopped clapping, "But this was only the first battle. There's still a long way to go before victory is his."

The others nodded back as they saw Braeburn return Redog. "Great work partner," he said as the he replaced one Pokeball with another. "Now, giddy up Douburrow!" He tossed the ball up, unleashing the red energy that formed into the two headed serpentine Pokémon.

"Burrow..." the two heads hissed as they glared down at Flash.

"Douburrow," Twilight gulped while remembering the last time they fought one.

"It's huge!" Derpy gasped. "It looks like it could eat Flash's Pokémon in one bite!"

"This could be an issue," Doc added.

"Come on Flash!" Spike called out, Peewee roaring as well.

Flash held out his Pokeball. "Prongs, come on back for now." The Chitaleaf nodded as he was sucked back into the ball, Flash putting it away before looking down at Springer. "Ready to get back in there bud?"

"Ri!" Springer cheered as he ran in and took on a battle stance.

Strongheart nodded at the two before raising her arms and speaking up. "Alright, Riolu verses Douburrow. "Battle...BEGIN!"

"Start off with Dig!" Braeburn yelled, Douburrow quickly bringing its heads together before slamming them into the sand, burrowing with its tail following. Springer tensed up at the sight, scanning the ground for Douburrow's aura.

He suddenly located it in front of him, hopping back as one of Douburrow's heads shot out the ground, missing Springer completely. The Riolu smirked, only to sense the same aura coming up from behind him. "Ri?" Springer turned to see the second head shoot out, slamming into him.

"SPRINGER!" Flash gasped as he saw his partner was sent flying, only for the Riolu to land on his feet.

"Ri..." Springer growled as it turned back at the worm.

"That's the way! Now, Extreme Speed!" Springer zipped across the area, slamming a foot into one of the heads, knocking it back while the other tried to take a bite out of Springer. "Drain Punch!" Springer spun around in midair, hitting the head with his glowing fist, knocking it into the ground.

"Dragon Rage!" Braeburn yelled, both of Douburrow's heads opening as blue flames began to spew out. The head's combined together, the Riolu hopping back as the worm surged the flames at the Pokémon.

"RIOLU!" He cried out, the flames pushing him across the sand.

"Faint Attack!" As Springer picked himself up from the blow, one of Douburrow's heads charged to headbutt him. Springer crossed his arms to brace himself for the attack, only for the head to stop inches away from him.

"Ri?" Springer asked as he lowered his arms, only for the other head to suddenly slam into his side. "LU!"

The Riolu went flying, only to hear Flash yell out, "Aura Sphere!" Springer spun around as he fired the orb at Douburrow, the sphere striking the two-headed beast head on.

"DUB!" They both cried as the heads knocked back, falling over as Springer landed.

"Now use Extreme Speed, don't stay in one place!" Springer nodded as the blue lightning began to spark around him.

"RIOLU!" He body-checked the beast's left head before jumping back, bouncing around as he was about to hit the right, "Ri..." he then leapt and dealt a kick into the spot where their necks became one, the blow knocking the worm back.

"Don't falter! Dragon Rage!" Douburrow roared as it stretched its heads back before launching a barrage of blue flames, Springer hopping back as he tried to dodge the fire. And as he did this, Braeburn yelled a new command, "Now Dig!"

"BURROW!" The twenty-four foot serpent curled itself backward to dive down into the ground, disappearing completely in just a split-second. The sight made Springer shiver, feeling the ground shake as his eyes started to dart around.

"This isn't good. He's getting paranoid," Twilight commented.

Doc nodded in agreement, "This is a completely new way of fighting for him. He's never battled more than one opponent at a time before."

"So what's he gonna do?" Spike asked, only for the ground to explode beneath Springer with both Douburrow's heads slamming into him.

"RIOLU!" He yelped as he was sent into the ceiling, the blow making everyone flinch.

And as he began to fall, Douburrow split its heads as far as they could go before Braeburn gave his final order. "Smack Down!" Both mouths opened up as an orange ball of light appeared, both firing at Springer as he fell.

"Look out!" Twilight told Flash, the teen knowing he had no way of stopping them both.

"Aura Sphere, right at Douburrow!"

"RI!" Springer roared as he quickly formed the orb, throwing it down at Douburrow seconds before the twin orbs struck him. "RIOLU!" he screamed as an explosion consumed him while his Aura Sphere hit Douburrow, exploding and knocking it back while Springer hit the dirt. "Ri..." he moaned as swirls replaced his eyes.

"SPRINGER!" Everyone yelled as Strongheart raised an arm.

"Riolu is unable to continue. Douburrow is the winner."

Flash ran over to Springer and picked him up, the Riolu groaning as he opened his eyes and let out a low moan, "Hey bud. Don't worry, you did great." Springer nodded as Flash returned to his stand, putting him down before turning back to the battle.

"That Smack Down attack is tough," Spike gulped.

"And it's a good move for a Ground-type to have." Doc added, Spike and Derpy turning to him in confusion. "If that move hits a Flying-type, it cancels out their immunity to Ground-type attacks for a while."

"So Skyler's in real danger?" Derpy asked.

Thunderhooves nodded. "It makes sense that a trainer specializing in a type would try to find a way to neutralize another type's immunity to it. Remember, this battle is meant to be a test for your friend. How he overcomes an obstacle like this is a big part of that test. The question is, can your friend overcome it?"

Twilight took a deep breath, only to shine a big smile, "Flash can overcome it. He's not your ordinary trainer. Just watch."

'That Smack Down's gonna be tough to beat, plus it's practically two against one. If I'm gonna win this, I need speed and agility....that means only one choice.' Flash thought before taking out a ball, "Riptide, I choose you!" He tossed the ball next, unleashing the water lizard.

"Tore..." Riptide roared as he landed, standing at full height with his crossed arms, "Spranitor!"

"He picked Riptide?!" Spike asked, "But now he can't use Skyler!"

Twilight nodded in agreement, "He had to make a choice. Sometimes that choice means not taking what seems like the best course of action."

Strongheart spoke up. "Are both trainers ready?" Flash and Braeburn nodded, Strongheart raising her arms again. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Dragon Rage!" The two heads came together as they spat the blue fire at Riptide, the Spranitor quickly back-flipping to dodge the flames.

"Water Gun!"

"Tore!" Riptide shot a long stream of water, hitting Douburrow in the face, drenching its mouth and stopping the Dragon Rage.

"Now, Rock Smash!" Riptide's legs began to glow as he ran under the worm's head, flipping to a handstand before thrusting his arms out.

"TORE!" He propelled upward, striking Douburrow in the bottom of its chin, knocking the right head back while the other turned to it.

"Faint Attack!" It thrust the left head forward, slamming Riptide across the arena and into the glass wall.

"Ooh!" Everyone flinched as Riptid slide down the wall, Flash grimacing at the sight.

"You okay?" He asked as Riptide hit the dirt, quickly shaking itself and nodding back.

"Nee!" Riptide yelled as he quickly ran back onto the field as Douburrow's other head recovered. The two Pokémon glared each other down, both doing a small circle around them.

"Aqua Tail!" Flash ordered as Riptide's tail became enveloped in water, the water lizard running up to the worm.

"Smack Down!" The twin-headed Pokémon opened both its mouths before launching a volley of energy orbs, the Spranitor jumping side to side. But as he did this, Riptide leapt over the explosions and got to Douburrow's joint neck before spinning forward.

"TORE!" The water whip struck Douburrow and carved into it like a buzzsaw, the worm letting out a mighty roar of pain. The strike knocked the beast away, the lizard hopping back as the worm fell over...only to get right back up.

"Not bad," Braeburn told him while adjusting his hat, "But it'll take more then that to beat mah Douburrow."

"Oh, I've got plenty more to give," Flash replied with a confident smirk.

"Then let's test that! Dig!" Douburrow quickly dived into the earth, vanishing instantly.

'Not good,' Flash thought as he saw Riptide glance around, 'Come on, think...think...wait! If it has to go through the sand, that means...' He shined a huge grin as he yelled, "Riptide, remember our Baltimare Gym Battle. Use Water Gun everywhere!"

Riptide's eyes went wide, his grin also appearing as he roared, "TORE!" He unleashed a stream of water onto the sand, the brown dirt quickly soaking it up.

"What's he up too?" Braeburn asked as Riptide soon coated the entire field in water, "Silly tricks aren't gonna work on mah Pokémon. Douburrow, do it!" The sand shook as Douburrow's two heads rocketed out of the ground. But as they were about to slam into Riptide, they suddenly froze.

"BURROW!" They screamed in pain.

"What's happening?" Thunderhooves asked with wide-eyes.

"Of course! Riptide used the field to his advantage!" Twilight cheered while clapping. "Just like last time!"

"What are you talking about?" Derpy added.

"He wet the sand so that when Douburrow touches it, it'll touch the water and take damage."

Derpy let out a gasp, "That's amazing."

Doc nodded in agreement, "And now Douburrow can't move around as much or the same thing will happen. Flash has him trapped."

"Awesome!" Spike cheered.

Riptide smirked as Douburrow shook its body while slithering the rest of its body out of its hole. But as it did, it touched more of the wet sand and hissed in pain. "Burrow!" it cried as it tried to move around, but kept moving over every wet spot.

"Alright!" Flash pumped his fists, "Let's finish this! Aqua Tail!"

"Spran!" Riptide roared as he charged with a water-filled tail, Douburrow unable to move as they saw the incoming attack.

"Smack Down!" It fired several energy orbs at Riptide, only for the lizard to zigzag around every sphere. "Alright, use Dragon Rage instead!"

"BURROW!" The two heads launched the blue fire right in Riptide's face, the Spranitor crossing its arms and flying through the flames.

"Nee!" Water spiraled around his tail as he spun and slammed his tail into the joint of the two necks.

"BURROW!" It screamed in pain as Riptide jumped back again. And as he did this, Douburrow fell back in pain, slamming into the ground while soaking up more water. That was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back as Douburrow's eyes were now replaced by spirals.

Strongheart ran over to check the worm before nodding, "Douburrow is unable to battle. Spranitor is the winner!"

"Alright!" Flash cheered as Riptide ran over to him, "Way to go!"

"Tore!" Riptide added as he ran over, Flash now seeing his body in burns from the Dragon Rage. Despite this, he turned back and put himself in a battle stance.

"Way to use the field to your advantage," Doc called out.

"Two down, one to go!" Spike cheered.

"But you know who that one is," Twilight added as they all turned to Braeburn return Douburrow. "The real battle starts now."

Thunderhooves nodded in agreement, "Yes, and all his Pokémon have taken damage. Braeburn's last Pokémon is starting off completely fresh."

"Great work partner," Braeburn told Douburrow while it was in its Pokeball. "Yah did great." He then replaced his Pokeball with another, enlarging it while smiling at Flash. "Ya'll done great up until now. You and yer Pokémon have worked well together despite dah many obstacles." He held his Pokeball up. "But now yah face your greatest challenge here in mah gym. Stampalo, giddy up!"

He threw the ball and unleashed the red energy, taking shape of a certain stampede Pokémon. "STAMP!" It roared while slamming its front hooves into the ground.

Flash, Springer and Riptide all flinched at the sight of the Pokémon, feeling that even though Douburrow had been larger, but Stampalo's presence felt like it was a hundred foot tall. "This isn't gonna be easy."

"Stampalo verses Spranitor. Are both trainers ready?" They nodded back, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Water Gun!" Flash ordered, Riptide taking a large gulp of air.

"Spran-"

"Magnitude!" Braeburn yelled as Stampalo's body began to glow brown, the bovine jumping up onto its back legs.

"STAMP!" It brought its front hooves crashing down, causing the whole room to shake.

"TOOOOORE!" Riptide lost his balance and fell back as he unleashed his Water Gun, the attack spraying everywhere except in Stampalo's direction.

"What's happening?" Spike asked as he clung onto his seat, Derpy about to fall out of hers before Doc caught her.

"Its Magnitude," Doc replied, "It's an attack that causes a small earthquake."

"This is small?!" Derpy yelped.

With Riptide off balance, Stampalo began to charge at the lizard, "Double Edge!" Stampalo's body glowed yellow as it started to pick up speed.

"Spran?" Riptide muttered as he saw Stampalo charging at him, only to suddenly be slammed by the bull, "TORE!" He was thrown back, flying over the sand before rolling through the dirt. He then spun around, getting back on his feet before glaring at Stampalo.

"Rock Smash!" Flash yelled as Riptide charged at him with glowing legs, leaping over and stomping into Stampalo's face, causing it to stagger back. "Again!" Riptide charged again, but as he thrust his legs forward, Stampalo jumped onto its back hooves.

"Body Slam!" Riptide's eyes went wide as Stampalo came crashing down on top of him, crushing him beneath its immense bulk.

"TORE!"

"Riptide!" Flash gasped while Springer covered his eyes, Stampalo remaining like this for several seconds until it finally stood up and revealed Riptide laid out on the ground.

"Nee," he groaned before rolling over to pick itself up.

"You okay?" Riptide gave him a thumbs up as he slowly got back to his feet.

"Not for long," Braeburn barked back, "Magnitude!"

"STAMP!" the bull yelled as it thrust his hooves into the ground, causing the whole place to shake. But to everyone's surprise, the shaking wasn't nearly as bad as before.

"What's going on?" Spike asked, "The attack feels...weaker?"

"Magnitude is a move that varies in power," Twilight replied, "This one's just weaker than the last."

This time Riptide was able to stay on his feet, evading a bum-rush from Stampalo. "Aqua Tail!" Flash yelled as Stampalo spun around and charged him again, Riptide jumping to the side as his tail was encased in water. He then slammed his tail into Stampalo's side, knocking it off balance. "Now, Echoed Voice!"

"Spran..." Riptide took a deep breath in, "NITOOOOOOOOR!" The high-pitched screamed rocketed around the room, everyone crying out as they covered their ears. Stampalo winced in pain as well before turning to Riptide, looking over the Spranitor's shoulder at Braeburn.

The trainer saw this and quickly shaped his hand so his fingers mimicked Stampalo's hooves, signaling the move Magnitude. Stampalo nodded and jumped up onto its back hooves, "STAMPALO!" It then pushed its legs crashing into the ground, knocking Riptide off his feet while also stopping the scream.

"Let's end this!" Braeburn called out. "Double Edge!"

"Stamp!" It mooed before charging, the yellow aura surrounding the beast as it got closer.

Riptide was still trying to get his balance as Flash saw this, "Water Gun!" Riptide took a deep breath, firing the strongest stream of water he could muster and hitting Stampalo dead on. But Stampalo just kept running, pushing past the water as it reached Riptide, slamming into him at max speed.

"STAMP/TORE!" They both cried as the attack connected, sending Riptide flying back until hitting the dirt face down.

"Riptide!" Flash gasped as the others saw Riptide tried to pick himself up, only to flop over with swirls in his eyes. "No!"

"Spranitor is unable to battle," Strongheart announced. "Stampalo is the winner."

Everyone sighed at the sight, Flash pulling out his Pokeball to returned Riptide.

"Now Flash is only down to one Pokémon," Spike sighed.

"Maybe," Twilight added, "But Stampalo must have taken a lot of damage form that battle. Flash still has a chance."

"He just needs to pick his moves right," Doc finished.

Thunderhooves hummed while rubbing his chin, "He may find this last battle more difficult then he realizes."

The others turned to him with curious looks, but Thunderhooves just remained quiet.

"You did great Riptide," Flash told him once he was back in the ball. "Don't worry, your efforts won't be wasted." He replaced the Pokeball and looked down at it. "It's all on you now bud. I know you can do it. Prongs, I choose you!" He tossed the ball, unleashing the Chitaleaf.

"Chita!" Prongs roared as he landed down and stared at its larger opponent.

"So it's yer Chitaleaf against mah Stampalo." Braeburn commented as he tipped his hat, "This is sure ta be a battle ta remember."

"You bet. And it's a battle I'm gonna win."

"We'll see about that. But just know, win or lose, yer a trainer ah can respect."

"Same here Braeburn. You're one tough battler, you and your Pokémon. You do your ancestors proud." Everyone smiled at the respect they were showing each other as Strongheart spoke up.

"Stampalo verses Chitaleaf. Are both trainers ready?" They nodded, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Magnitude!" The bull-like Pokémon's body glowed again before it stamped its hooves down, causing the shake. The vibration knocked Prongs off his feet, Stampalo roaring at the moment before charging, "Body Slam!"

"STAMP!" It leapt into the air, gravity about to take its toll as it got over the Chitaleaf.

"Dodge it!"

"Leaf!" Prongs hopped to his feet and leapt to the side, just in time as Stampalo crashed into the sand.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired the ball into the now forming sand cloud, Stampalo picking itself up, only to be hit in the face.

"STAMP!" It cried out, staggering off to the side as the cloud faded.

"Leech Seed/Double Edge!" Stampalo's entire body glowed yellow as it charged while Prongs' horns began to shine.

"Chitaleaf!" The light fired off his horns, hitting the bull head-on before wrapping him in vines.

"STAMPALO!" It smashed into Prongs, making him cry out as he was thrown backwards. Stampalo then came to a stop, flinching in pain as the Leech Seed drained him while Prongs hit the sand.

"Time for dah big attack," Braeburn yelled, "Use Flame Charge!"

"Flame Charge!?" Flash yelped as the others went wide-eyed. They all turned to see Stampalo's body burst into flames, now slamming into the still recoiling Prongs.

"LEAF!" He screamed as the flames bit into him, knocking him around as Stampalo circled around.

"Keep usin' Flame Charge!" Stampalo's body continued to burn as it charged at Prongs again, the Chitaleaf managing to get to its feet as its opponent got closer.

"Bounce!" Flash ordered, Prongs jumping over the bull just in time. "Now use Energy Ball!" Prongs formed the green sphere and tossed it at Stampalo, only for the flames to stop the orb, making it explode before it could reach the target. "Dang it."

Prongs landed while Stampalo came to a stop, the flames vanishing as the Leech Seed flared up and drained its energy. Twilight winced at the sight as she commented, "That Flame Charge is completely protecting Stampalo. With Energy Ball neutralized, Flash's only hope to do damage is with physical attacks. But with Flame Charge-"

"Anytime he touches Stampalo, he'll get burnt," Doc finished. "Then there's the fact Flame Charge boosts the user's speed." They watched as Prongs and Stampalo stared each other down, the bovine scraping its hoof along the ground. "If it keeps using Flame Charge, it'll eventually be able to keep up with Prongs."

"So what's Flash gonna do?" Derpy asked, but the others remained quiet.

'There's gotta be a way to get past that Flame Charge,' Flash thought to himself. But as his mind began to wander, Braeburn spoke up.

"Magnitude!" Stampalo glowed again before stomping its feet, causing the most powerful earthquake they had seen in the battle.

"CHITA!" Prongs cried, every bone in his body rattling as Stampalo charged.

"Now, Double Edge!"

"Dodge it!" Flash yelled, but Prongs was too disorientated from earthquake to move, allowing him to be body checked by the Stampede Pokémon. Once again Prongs fell to the floor, Stampalp coming to a stop as he drained again by the Leech Seed.

"Now use Flame Charge!" Its body exploded as it bum-rushed Prongs again, slamming into him at full force.

"LEAF!" He yelped as he was thrown halfway across the field, slamming into the sand. He formed a trench in the sand as he slid along it, coming to a stop as Stampalo circled back around for another attack.

'There has to be a way to stop that attack. But how?' Flash's brain yelled at him, his eyes darting across the field. And as he watched Stampalo charge again, his eyes saw the flames tap the sand. The sight made a memory spark in his head, "THAT'S IT!" he yelled, "Prongs, use Energy Ball and fire it at the ground!"

This order made everyone go wide-eyed, confusion sweeping the gym as Prongs turned to his trainer, "Leaf?" He looked back at his trainer, seeing him confidently nod. Prongs nodded back before turning to the flaming projectile approaching him. "Chit...aaah..." The ball formed at his snout and as Stampalo got close, he fired. "LEAF!" The Energy Ball hit the ground right in front of Stampalo, a massive sand cloud suddenly forming in front of the bull.

"What's Flash doing?" Spike asked as he turned to his sister, only to see smiles on Twilight's and Doc's faces. Looking back, he saw the answer as Stampalo shot out the other side of the cloud, everyone seeing it was covered in sand...and the flames had now gone out.

"Brilliant!" Twilight cheered. "He used the sand to dose the flames!"

"Stamp?!" It yelped as it came to a stop, tensing its body again to ignite its body...only for no flames to appear, "Stamp!"

Braeburn smirked while tipping his hat, "Smart move...but just because you took down Flame Charge, doesn't mean you'll win! Stampalo, Magnitude!"

Flash's eyes widened as Stampalo began to glow, the bull jumping off its front hooves. But as it did this, he pointed at his Pokémon, "Prongs, use Bounce right now!"

"Leaf!" He roared as he leapt, dodging the earthquake before slamming his hooves into Stampalo's head, causing it to stagger back in pain.

"Energy Ball!" The sphere of nature energy formed before it was shot at Stampalo, slamming into its head as well before the Leech Seed flared up again.

"Magnitude!" Braeburn yelled in frustration, Stampalo quickly slamming its hooves into the ground...but the quake was only a light tremor. The two trainers then called out the same attack.

"BODY SLAM!" The two charged, both picking up speed. But as they were about to clash, Stampalo's superior strength was about to hit the deer, only for Leech Seed to flare up, making it slow down. And as both hit each othehr. Prong's higher speed thrust into the bull, knocking both back in even strength and damage.

They both skidded to a stop in front of their trainers next, both glaring as their trainers locked eyes. Both knew the next attack would likely be the last as they yelled, "DOUBLE EDGE/BOUNCE!" The two charged one last time, both picking up as much speed as possible. And as they collided, the force of their charges shook the sand around them, forming a giant cloud of misty brown grains.

Everyone stood up from their seats, now seeing the cloud slowly begin to fade. The first Pokémon to be seen was Prongs, the Chitaleaf panting with his legs wobbling despite still being upright. But when the sand cloud revealed Stampalo, the bovine was laid out on the floor with swirls in its eyes. "Stamp..." it moaned as Strongheart checked him over.

"Stampalo is unable to battle, Chitaleaf wins! All of Braeburn's Pokémon are unable to battle, so the winner is Flash Sentry!"

"ALRIGHT!" Flash cheered.

"RIOLU!" Springer howled in joy as everyone began to clap.

"He did it!" Spike yelled while hugging Peewee.

"Terra!"

"Didn't doubt him for a second," Twilight added.

"Me neither," Derpy giggled. "Well...maybe for a few seconds."

"It sure was a nail biter," Doc commented. "But in the end, Flash won."

"Yes," Thunderhooves nodded as Flash and Springer ran over to Prongs. "They showed great courage in the face of overwhelming odds. He'll go far, that boy."

"You were awesome Prongs!" Flash exclaimed as he crouched down to pat Prongs' head, "We won!"

"Leaf!" Prongs cheered before tackling Flash, rubbing his head into his trainer's cheek.

The teen laughed, "Okay okay, you're happy, I get it." He continued to laugh as Braeburn returned Stampalo to its Pokeball.

"Great work partner," he told it as Strongheart moved over to him. "Yah did yer kind proud." He put the ball away before turning to Flash, he and Strongheart sharing a smile as they watched Flash get licked to death.

A little later...

Everyone was now outside of the gym, Braeburn chuckling as he held out his hand to Flash, "Well Flash, that battle was surely one ah'll remember for a while. Thanks for giving me such and fun challenge. Ah don't even care that ah lost."

"Thanks Braeburn," Flash shook his hand while his Pokémon all cheered.

And once they let go, Braeburn turned to Strongheart as she held up a tray. He took something off and gave it to Flash, "This here's proof that ya'll won here at the Appaloosa City Gym." He was holding a badge that was shaped like a brown gust of wind. "The Dust Badge."

Flash shined a huge grin as he took the badge, now holding it up for all to see. "Alright! I just won...THE DUST BADGE!"

"RIOLU/SPRANITOR/CHITALEAF!" His Pokémon cheered as everyone else began clapping again, Flash now putting it in his badge case.

"Just three more to go," Flash added as he closed the case before glancing over at Twilight, "Alright guys, where we heading next?"

"That's a good question," Twilight replied as she took out her journal. "I'm not sure what the closest Gym to us is."

"If I may," Strongheart moved over and typed something into her journal. "This would be the closest city with a gym, though it's still a ways off."

Everyone looked over Twilight's shoulder to see the name. "Cloudsdale City?" Derpy asked while the others blinked at the name.

"Isn't that where Rainbow and Fluttershy are from?" Spike chimed in, the others nodding.

"My grandma's from there too," Flash commented before snapping his fingers. "Alright! Cloudsdale City, here we come!"

The others nodded in agreement as Doc turned to Derpy. "I guess this means our time together is coming to an end."

Derpy let out a small sigh, "Yup. Sorry, but I have to stay and wait for my next orders." She then shined a big smile, "But I'll be rooting for you guys the whole way. Count on it."

The others nodded back, Derpy giving Doc a hug in response. And as they all decided to retire for the day and Flash's fifth badge was now in his hand, the group was ready to get going to Cloudsdale City.

As the journey continues

A Cure for Doc

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With his victory at the Appaloosa City Gym and fifth Equestria League badge now in hand, Flash Sentry and his friends were back on the road. Cloudsdale City was their next target, but to get there they had to head back out into the Grand Desert. The group had set out early that morning, having been waved off by Braeburn, Derpy, Strongheart and Thunderhooves. The trek through the desert had been fairly uneventful, Twilight leading them to an area they could spend the night.

"There it is," Twilight announced as she pointed at a group of rocks. "That's where we'll set up camp tonight."

"Why there?" Spike asked.

"It has a cave we can use for shelter and inside is a spring we can use to top our water up."

"Then let's get going," Doc added as he looked up at the sun. "It's been a long day and I'd like to set up camp before the sun sets."

The others nodded as they continued to walk, the group taking an hour before reaching the rocks. "Here it is!" Flash yelled as he found the cave, all going in to soon find a spring near the back of the cave. The water was coming out of a stalactite and falling into a bowl like structure that had been dug into the ground, making it a pool.

"Looks good," Doc replied, "Large enough for our tents and all our Pokémon. Let's get started setting up."

With that, they began their work, Doc and Flash setting up the tents while Twilight and Spike got everything ready to feed their Pokémon. "So how much further do we have to go before we reach Cloudsdale?" Spike asked Twilight as he pulled out some feed, "That last trek felt like it took forever to get to Appaloosa."

"Not as far as you think." She showed Spike her journal. "Once we're out of the desert, it won't be long after that. There's a small town between the end of the desert and Cloudsdale. We can rest and restock there before heading to Foal Mountain."

"Foal Mountain? I thought we were going to Cloudsdale."

"We are," Doc announced as he set the tents up, "But don't forget, Cloudsdale's situated at the top of a mountain. Remember when we first met Rainbow and Fluttershy? They told us all about it."

"Oh yeah...I forgot." Spike replied, only to gulp, "Wait...does that mean we have to climb a mountain to get to this place?!"

"Probably not," Twilight replied while shaking her head, "If there's a city at the top, they must have found a way to get up there quickly without climbing. There's probably a cable car or something like that."

Spike sighed in relief as Flash and Doc finished with the tents and Twilight placed the last bowl of food on the ground. "Alright, that's everything. Time to eat!" Doc called out as he took out his Pokeballs, "Higear, Tockwork and Flitanium, dinner time!"

"Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper and Hopper, grubs up!"

"Hope you're hungry Shine, Owlicious!" They threw their Pokeballs into the air, unleashing an army of hungry mouths.

"Gear/Tock/Fly/Wing/Tore/Leaf/Car/Rush/Nee/Hoo!" The group cheered as they ran over to their food, Springer and Peewee joining them. The trainers laughed as Doc went over to his bag and started taking out his cooking equipment, filling a pan at the spring while the others set up the table.

And as they waited for their food to finish, everyone relaxed at the table. Flash was polishing his badges while Spike watched the Pokémon eat, and Twilight was reading a new book she had gotten at Appaloosa. This one had depicted the many ways in which the Desert Equestrians survived out in the Grand Desert. After Thunderhooves and Braeburn's many talks about the old ways, the teen had grown interested in the ways with Strongheart suggesting she get this book. As such, she was thoroughly entertained,

The only one not relaxing was Doc, the teen busying himself with the food. He had putting up lights on the ceiling from hooks other hikers had put up. The sun was close to setting, so those lights would have to do. But as he did this, Twilight looked up from her book, "Doc, why don't you relax for a bit."

"I'll relax once everything's done," he replied as he kept making sure the food didn't burn.

Seeing this, the others were all now staring at him work, Flash whispering to the others, "You know, I never noticed how much work Doc does around here."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "Yeah. He cooks, carries all our medicine and other things we need."

"That backpack of his must weigh a ton," Spike added.

"We're lucky. We probably wouldn't have gotten as far as we have without him." Flash finished as he moved over to Doc, "Say, why don't I give you hand with that?"

"Nah," Doc shook his head, "I'm almost done."

"Don't go overdoing it Doc," Twilight told him. "If you don't give your body time to relax, you may end up over-stressing yourself and that could lead to you getting sick."

"Guys, I'm fine." Doc put up the last light. "See? Now I just need to finish making dinner, eat, wash up and then I can relax all I want when I go to bed."

"I don't really think going to bed counts as taking time to relax," Spike added as Doc moved over to the food.

"I'll be fine," Doc replied before turning away from the food and sneezing. Seeing this, the others grimaced as he responded, "Just had some sand up my nose. I'm fine."

After that, Doc dished everything out and they ate. Once done, Flash and Twilight forced Doc to let them clean up while he relaxed. He soon agreed to head to his tent before returning his Pokémon. The others followed suit a half hour later, each of them sighing as they let themselves drift to sleep. But no sooner had their heads hit the pillow, they found themselves awakening to the morning's sunrise.

Twilight was the first to awaken, Flash following with Spike the last to step out of the tent. "Morning," he yawned while rubbing his eyes before seeing Twilight making breakfast. "Where's Doc?"

"He was still asleep when I got up," Flash added while pointing to their tent. "He's probably taking our suggestion to heart and decided to sleep in."

"That's good," Twilight responded as she placed the food on the table. "But he shouldn't sleep in too long. We'll need to head out soon if we want to get to the edge of the desert before nightfall." She moved over to the tent, "Doc, time to get up." As she did this, Flash and Spike sat down and got a few bites before Twilight stuck her head out the tent, "Guys, we've got a problem!"

Flash and Spike quickly ran over to the tent, both frowning at the next sight. Twilight was kneeling next to Doc as the older teen lay in his bed, his head red from a bright blush and covered in sweat.

"What's wrong with him?" Spike asked as Twilight felt his head.

"He's burning up. It's just like I said last night. He's worked so hard he exhausted his body to the point it couldn't fight off illness."

"So what do we do?" Flash asked next, "Maybe we should try and get him back to Appaloosa. I'm sure they'd have a way to held him feel better."

Twilight shook her head. "Appaloosa's way too far, and we would have to carry him. It would take twice as long to get there....wait a minute." She ran out of the tent and returned a minute later with the book she had been reading. "Maybe there's something in here that can help. The Desert Equestrians must have found something that could help cure sickness."

She began speed reading it while Flash, Spike and their Pokémon did what they could to keep Doc as comfortable as possible. Spike let out Doc's Pokémon so they could keep him company, the trio staring into the tent while Flash wiped Doc's head and placed a damp cloth on it.

"I found something!" They heard Twilight yell, all running over to her. She then showed them an image of a flower in the book, one that had a long green stem and a head with yellow and pink petals. "This plant is supposed to be a great way to help people fight off illness. If we can find one, there's a tea recipe in here that should help Doc feel much better."

"Great! Where do we find it?"

Twilight looked back at the page, rereading it again. "It says they grow in dry oases."

"Dry oases? What the heck is that?"

"It's an oasis that grows without any water. It's usually made up of very dry grass and plants that don't need water. That's where we'll find it."

"So we just need to find one of these dry oases?" Flash asked, Twilight nodding back. He let out a long sigh before turning to the cave's entrance. "Alright, I'll see if I can find anything."

"I'm coming too!" Spike chimed in, "We can have Peewee search from the air!" Flash glanced back at Twilight, the sister doing a small nod in return.

"Alright, let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover. Twilight, you stay here and look after him." Twilight nodded again before taking out her journal, pulling up a picture of the plant before handing it to him.

"Here, so you know what you're looking for. And it'll help you find your way back once you have it."

"Thanks," he then turned to Springer, Spike and Peewee, "Let's go guys."

"RIGHT/RIO/TERRA!" The three barked back before they all ran out to the desert, Flash taking out a Pokeball and throwing it upward.

"Skyler!" The Wingust appeared and spread its wings with a squawk before looking down at his trainer. "Alright bud," Flash showed him the image of the plant. "We need your help finding this. Look for any spots of vegetation that don't seem to have water around them."

"Gust!" Skyler nodded before taking to the sky, Peewee following after before looking in the opposite direction as Flash and Spike began their trek.

As this happened, Twilight went to the tent and replaced the damp cloth on Doc's head. "Don't worry Doc, we'll find you that flower. I promise." Doc tried to reply, only to let out a moan. The sound made his Pokémon all whimper, Twilight looking back at them, "Don't worry, Flash and the others will be back before you know it." They tried to show smiles back, now seeing Twilight walk out to refill the bowl of water for the cloth. But as she did this, she couldn't help but wear a big frown, "Please hurry guys. This might just be a cold now, but if left untreated...it could get a lot worse."

Many miles away...

A giant boulder loomed over a bowl of sand in the desert, many rock circling around the area. Several patches of long grass could be seen scattered around it, its center being a large flowerbed with the flowers that had yellow and pink petals.

And out of the ground, the head of a Sandile popped out before the rest of its body followed. It glanced around before going over to the flowers, "Dile!" Licking its lips, it took a bite out of the colored grass. But as it swallowed the first one, the ground began to shake, "Dile?"

Turning to see the sand now bounce, the Pokémon tilted its head as it then saw something shoot out of the sand, a cloud of sand following this. Sandile gulped as it looked up and up, now locking eyes with a quartet of eyes. Very very angry eyes.

Moments later, a loud cry echoed through the boulder field, screaming in pain and fear, "SANDILE!"

It had been an hour since Flash and Spike headed out to find the flower, only to find nothing. The desert was completely clear of any type of oasis, dry or otherwise. Skyler and Peewee weren't having much luck either, both deciding to extend their search over a wider radius.

"Anything?" Spike asked Flash, the teen having climbed up a big rock they had found before using Doc's binoculars.

"Nope!" Flash called back, "Nothing but sand." He looked down at Springer, "Don't suppose you can sniff out any plant life?"

"Ri?" Springer shook his head before they climbed back down. As they did this, they saw Skyler and Peewee in the distance, the two flying over to signal they had still not found a thing. The sight made them sigh, the two groaning as they got back to sandy ground.

"This is gonna be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Flash moaned as he took out his water bottle, "Even if we manage to find an oasis, we won't know if it has water or not until we get there."

Spike gasped at his words, "Hey, that might work!"

"What might work?"

"Riptide! He was able to detect water before, right? Maybe he can steer us in the right direction."

Flash blinked at him before pulling out the Pokémon's pokeball, "Hmmm...not a bad idea. Riptide, come on out!" The Pokeball opened before the Spranitor appeared. "Hey bud, we need you to tell us if there's any water around here."

"Tore," Riptide replied before jumping on all fours, sniffing the ground while his head fin wobbled around. After a minute, he turned back to Flash before pointing in another direction than what they had been going.

"So you're saying there's water off in that direction?" Riptide nodded with a slight frown, Flash knowing he wasn't completely sure. "Alright, I trust you buddy." He pointed to the distance, now seeing Skyler and Peewee were already searching over there. The teen looked through the binoculars next, seeing that the Pokémon were flying over a bunch of rocks. "Let's hope they find something over there."

"Okay....but what do we do now?" Spike asked next.

"Now-" Flash's response was interrupted by a large explosion of sand that occurred off behind a few dunes, "We find out what the heck that was!" He, Spike, Springer and Riptide ran over a small dune, getting down and crawling over until their heads popped over to see clouds of sand in the distance...and a battle.

"SANDSLASH!" The pangolin Pokémon yelped as it fell back and rolled along the sand, its opponent landing on the sand with a confident stance.

It was a Pokémon Flash recognized from his Pokedex, one he had looked up only a few days ago. "A Frostoak."

"That's a Frostoak?" Spike asked, "But what's it doing here?"

"Frostoak..." another voice said, both turning to see a trainer standing on a rock a few feet behind the Ice-type. The sight made them both scowl, growling as they recognized the trainer as Lightning Blitz with his Chimplug by his feet. "Ice Shard!" He called out, Frostoak raising his hands as icicles appeared in them.

"Frost!" It roared as it charged at the recovering Sandslash.

"Slash!" Sandslash yelled as it swiped at the Frostoak with glowing claws. But as it did this, the Frostoak hopped right over the pangolin before throwing the icicles at Sandslash like a bunch of ninja kunai. "Slash!" It cried as they dug into its back, exploding before covering it with freezing water.

"Now, Metal Claw!" The fingers on Frostoak's hands glowed like Sandslash's now, the snow cloak Pokémon landing and charging at its opponent. It quickly did a two-hit attack on the Ground-Type, only for Lightning to give another command. "Finish this! Blizzard!"

"Frost..." Frostoak reached up and gripped its scarf as it breathed in, then pulled it down and breathed out. "FROSTOAK!" From its mouth came a powerful gust of wind, large clumps of snow following it as it struck Sandslash, completely freezing the beast in mere seconds before swirls began to appear in its eyes.

"Wow...." Spike gasped as Frostoak turned back to Lightning. But as he leaned over the dune to get a better look, he accidently caused the sand at the top of the dune to shift and fall. This sound made Frostoak turn to him, quickly firing an Ice Shard right at Spike, "GYAH!" the teen yelped as the icicle was about to go for his head, only for Flash to grab his shirt and pull him out of the way.

Lightning turned to see the four, the sight making him sigh, "You guys again."

Flash picked himself up and began to slide down the dune, "Hey." Springer and Riptide followed, Spike choosing to stay back and hide behind the dune with a small whimper. "Long time no see."

"Not long enough," Lightning replied as he hopped off the rock. Chimplug did the same, smirking at Riptide and Springer while Frostoak just tilted his head at the anger on his trainer's face, "Do you mind leaving? I'm trying to train out here and I'm not in the mood."

"Sorry, but I need to ask you something first. And don't worry, its not gonna stop you're training." Lightning turned away in response, Flash gritting his teeth before saying, "Listen, our friend is sick and we help. We're looking for a flower that's in this desert that can cure him." Lightning glance back as Flash held up the journal, "It looks like this. You seen anything like it?" Lightning barely gave the image a look before turning away.

"No, I haven't. We done here?"

Flash opened his mouth to yell back, only for another voice to speak up, "TERRA!" They looked up to see Peewee flying towards them.

"Did you find something?" Spike asked, Peewee nodding before pointing to the large rocks in the distance. Flash took out the binoculars next, now seeing Skyler circling something.

"Looks like they got something," Flash added as he put the device away. "Come on!" He quickly ran past Lightning with Springer and Riptide following. Riptide and Chimplug shared one final glance as they passed, Spike joining them. And as they ran off, Lightning just watched with a bored stare.

"Tch. What a waste of my time." He turned to his Pokémon, both just staring at him, "Please, this doesn't concern us. Come on, we got training to do." The two nodded as they followed their trainer, leaving the Sandslash to be freed by the sun.

Back at the cave...

Twilight was still trying to keep Doc cool and sweat free, but the pained look on his face was still there. "Just hold on," Twilight sighed as she felt his forehead, noticing it was a tiny bit hotter now, "Flash and the others will be back here soon." As she said this, Shine trotted into the tent while carrying a newly refilled bucket of water in her psychic powers. "Thank you Shine."

"Nee." Shine replied as Twilight put another towel in the bucket.

And as she damped his head again, she turned to the large desert outside of the tent, "Please hurry guys. I'm not sure how much longer Doc'll be able to take this high fever." The Pokémon all grimaced at words, all silently praying that Flash and Spike would find the flower soon.

Flash, Spike and the Pokémon were now at the entrance to the rocks, finding it to be a large maze like structure with different shaped boulders that made many high walls with multiple dead-ends.

"How big is this thing?" Spike asked, Flash looking down at the journal.

"I'm... not really sure," he tapped at the device, soon finding an aerial view of the place, only to gulp as he saw it was probably a mile long, if not longer.

"That could take forever to search!" Spike moaned. "And what if we get lost?!"

Flash chuckled back as he pointed upward, "Luckily, we have air support." As if on command, Skyler and Peewee landed on the rocks in front of them as Flash continued, "Okay guys, you're our eyes in the sky. If we go the wrong way, let us know."

"Gust/Wagon," they replied before flying back up, Flash and Spike quickly sprinting into the maze. The group kept a good pace as they went through the rocks, Skyler coming down to tell them when they should take a turn or two, making sure they didn't hit any dead ends.

Several minutes passed as they kept going, only to find themselves squeezing past a pair of tight boulders before finding a clearing. There, they found multiple patches of tall grass and a flowerbed in the center, the boys' eyes going wide at the sight.

"That's it!" Spike cheered as they ran up to the grass. Looking back at the journal one last time, they found the flower in the small garden.

"Well, this has to be one of our easiest adventures." Flash commented with a chuckle...only to feel regret as the ground under him started to shake, "What the?" He turned around to see the sand around them jump around, making both him and Spike's eyes shrink.

Before they could ask what was happening, the sandy ground exploded as something gigantic shot out and sprayed the brown dust everywhere. "Whoa!" Flash yelped as he felt himself trip backward, landing on his butt as he saw the being tower over them, "A Douburrow?"

"Uh...that's a really really big Douburrow." Spike added as Flash noticed what he was talking about. Unlike the others they had seen, this one was twice the size, being over thirty feet long. The two headed goliath shifted both heads, glaring down at Flash in particular as they saw the flower in his hand.

The teen did a long gulp as he slowly picked himself up, "Hey... big guy. What's up?" He slowly started to backpedal, "Lovely place you've got here. Listen," he pointed at the flowers, "Mind if I borrow one or two of those plants? We need them for a-"

"BURROW!" Both heads roared as they charged at Flash, the teen screaming back as he spun around and started to run. And as they slammed their heads down, a shockwave knocked the teen off his feet.

"Blaugh!" he yelped as he hit the sand, quickly lifting his head next to yell, "SPRINGER! RIPTIDE!" The two appeared by their trainer, now seeing the worm ascend from the sand before they used Drain Punch and Rock Smash to knock the beast back.

Getting back onto his feet, the three ran over and squeezed their way past the rocks, as Spike and Peewee had already ran through. But as they did this, Douburrow placed one of its mouths up to the gap as fire appeared between the teeth.

"MOVE!" Flash screamed as the group cut into a sprint, quickly turning a corner just as Douburrow unleashed a Flamethrower. The flames blasted the rock wall beside them, the sight of the boulder starting to melt now appearing in the group's eyes. And as they turned to keep running through the maze, the ground began to shake again as the Douborrow sunk itself into the sand again. Feeling the tremors, Flash did a long gulp down his throat, "This could be harder than I thought."

Back at the camp...

Twilight's fingers flipped through the book, quickly glancing between the novel and her bags. "Alright....this doesn't seem too hard to make. I just need that flower." She put the book down as she went through one of Doc's bags, "Hmmm...here we go."

Taking out a small glass, she turned back to Doc, now seeing Shine wiping his head with her tail before Higear placed a new damp cloth on his head. The sight made the teen shine a small smile, "Great work guys."

"Nee!"

"Hi..."

"Now, I need to do my job." Twilight added as she took a swig of water. But as she did this, a certain trio walked into the cave. It was Lightning, now seeing the laying Doc in the tent as the others kept trying to take care of him.

Back with the others...

Flash, Spike and the Pokémon had now climbed to the top of one of the rocks to get a better look at their situation. Despite the beast's size, Douburrow's head couldn't reach the top of the bowl, the beast now slithering around in rage. As it did this, Spike turned to Flash, "Is it just me, or is that thing bigger than the ones we've seen before?"

"Oh, it's bigger alright. Not sure how it got that big, but it is. That means it's gonna be even harder to get one of those flowers."

"So what do we do now? We can't take that thing down!"

Flash rubbed his chin in thought, only to turn to Skyler, "When it's not looking, do you think you can fly down and grab one before it sees you?" He saw his Wingust stare at the Douburrow, which looked like it could swallow him whole, but then he took a deep breath before taking to the air.

"Wing!" He yelled as he waited for Douburrow to turn away from the group. And as the worm looked away for a second to reposition itself in the sand, the bird shot down, gliding above the sand as he drew closer to the flowers.

"Come on," Flash whispered, "Just don't look around, don't look around, don't look around."

"Dub..." One of Douburrow's heads murmured before turning around, now spotting the Wingust flying towards their precious flower garden. "BURROW!" The other head followed his gaze, now both glaring at Skyler before firing a Flamethrower at the bird.

"WING!" Skyler cried as he saw the flames coming, forcing him to abandon his mission as he started to flap his wings to gain height.

"Burrow!" Douburrow roared as it swung its tail down, smacking the Wingust across the sand and flying into a wall of jagged rocks.

"SKYLER!" Flash yelled as he quickly returned his Pokémon before he struck the wall. Seeing the red light, Douburrow turned and glared at the two, "Uh....hi."

"DOUBURROW!" Multiple lights appeared around the worm next before fading to reveal several large sharp rocks. Roaring at second time, it fired the stones at the teens.

"Move!" Flash grabbed Spike and pulled him away from the edge, Springer and Riptide destroying the rocks as best they could. And when the last rock flew over them, the boys shrunk behind another large rock, Flash noticing Spike now clutching his leg in fear. "You okay?"

"I-I-I t-t-think so," Spike gulped as he slowly pulled himself off the leg. "B-b-but what do we do now?"

Flash sighed as he leaned back against the rock, "I have no idea. Douburrow's probably gonna be expecting us to try to get the flower now." The trainer then let out a deep breath before crawling up the rock, poking its head out to look down at the sand bowl. But as he did this, he now saw the Douburrow circling the flowers...only to lean down and eat some. "So that's it."

"What?"

Flash got back down and let out another sight, "Those flowers must be Douburrow's favorite food. That's why it's so protective of them."

"Great...how does that help us?"

Flash crossed his arms at these words, "Hmm...what would Twilight...or even Doc do?" As these words left his mouth, a smile crept onto his lips as he then said, "I think I've got an idea. It's risky, but if we all do our part, it should work."

Seeing the smile, Spike shined a small smirk, "Well I'm in. We gotta get that flower for Doc after all."

Flash nodded back before leaning down, whispering his idea as the group soon went wide-eyed at his suggestion.

One hour later...

Douburrow continued to slither around its favourite food, one of its heads watching the many gaps between the rocks. As it did this, a voice suddenly yelled out, "HEY!" Both heads turned to see Flash standing atop the bowl, the teen crossing his arms. "I'm up here. Come and get me, you overgrown earthworm!"

The beast growled and prepared a Flamethrower, only for a jet of water to hit his face, "Burrow!" It cried before looking down to see Riptide standing at one of the entrances.

"Tore," he chuckled before charging at the Douburrow, the two headed Pokémon doing the same as both mouths readied to bite down on him. But as they surged forward, Riptide fired a Water Gun at his feet, propelling himself upward, "Spran!" He flew between the heads, about to go for the flowers, only for Douburrow's tail to fly up and smack him. "Tore!" He yelped before suddenly grabbing the tail, holding on it tightly. Feeling this, Douburrow started swinging its tail, Riptide soon being flung off as he yelled, "Spraaaaaan!"

And as the Pokémon fell into a buffet of sand, Douburrow glared down at him with both mouths licking their lips. The worm fully spun around, ready to eat the Pokémon...only for an Aura Sphere to come out of another rock and explode against its head. It cried out in pain again, turning to see a charging Springer with another Aura Sphere.

"Burrow!" The worm roared as its right mouth filled itself with fire while the left one keep its glare on Riptide.

"Tore..." the Spranitor replied as his tail became wrapped in water.

The right head then launched a stream of fire at Springer as the left charged at Riptide. Springer leapt over the flames and threw the Aura Sphere at the left head, hitting its back while Riptide hopped on the head before spring-boarding and slamming his tail into the right head's side.

Both roared in pain as Springer and Riptide jumped away, getting to a safe distance as Douburrow raised its heads again. And as they got to full height, Springer's body suddenly flashed and created multiple copies of himself. The copies began running around at random, the two heads' eyes darting around. Unable to keep up, the worm slithered its body back, going around the flowers before firing rocks and flames in every direction it could.

As this happened, Riptide snuck back to the gap in the rock, quickly parkouring through them until finding Spike, who was standing beside another wall of rocks. He turned to the water lizard, "Hey, is it time?"

"Almost," they spun around to see Flash running up to them, "You guys remember the plan?" They both nodded back, "Good. Now, we just gotta wait for the signal."

On the other side of the wall, Springer and his clones continued to jump around, dodging flame and rock at every second. And as they did this, Springer's ears suddenly spiked, now feeling Flash, Riptide and Spike's aura's in one place. "Riolu!" he roared as he was about to do the signal, only for a large tail to suddenly hit his side, "Rio!" He yelped as he was knocked away, his body rolling on the ground as the clones around the Douburrow vanished.

The Riolu quickly hopped back to his feet next, now seeing Douburrow glaring down at him. "Ri!" he yelled as he formed an Aura Sphere, only for the worm to fire a Stone Edge at him. But as the rocks began to reach the Riolu, his body suddenly vanished, having switched to Extreme Speed to dodge the boulder.

He then began to move further back, dodging each stone as the worm kept getting closer. Soon, Springer was up against a wall as he charged an Aura Sphere, only for the beast to hit him with a Tail Slap, "RIO!" he cried as he was sent flying, firing the orb upward at the same time.

BOOM!

"There's the signal!" Flash called out as they all saw the midair exploding Aura Sphere. In unison, he and Spike began to pull of as many small rocks as the could out of the wall, Riptide using Rock Smash to shatter some as well. "Come on Springer...stay in there."

The Riolu let out a long moan as he picked himself up, now seeing Douburrow slither up to him. But as the monster got close, Springer looked up at him and saw the fangs brimming in the worm's mouth...only to smirk at the sight. Before the worm could even react, Springer's body sparked with blue lightning, disappearing in an instant. "Dub?"

"Riolu!" Douburrow turned around to see Springer behind him, Aura Sphere in paw as he fired it.

The orb flew at Douburrow, only to pass between its heads and strike the wall instead. A loud crack could be heard next as the blow coupled with the others' work on the opposite side began to show, the whole section falling over a second later. "DOUBURROW!" It cried as the rocks began fall on it, burying the worm as Flash, Spike and Riptide ran out of the side.

"Great work everyone!" Flash yelled as they all ran for the flowers. But as they did this, the ground began to shake again, only for the sand around them to suddenly explode. They all gasped as a sand cloud filled the entire bowl, the group now seeing the Douburrow emerge with a loud roar.

"BURROW!" It screamed before swinging its tail down, the wind from the impact hitting all four flying. They landed in a line on the sand, Douburrow's mouths filling with fire to fry them. But as it prepared to fire, the group hopped onto their feet...and pointed upward.

Douburrow raised an eyebrow at this, only to look up to see Peewee flying high above them, complete with the flowers in his claws. The dragon had snuck in throughout the battle, the sand cloud perfect to hide his ascent into the air and was now out of range of both Flamethrower and Stone Edge.

"BURROW!" it roared again, firing a blast of flames upward.

"Oh, no you don't! Water Gun!" A jet of water then smacked Douburrow square in the heads as Springer leapt up at the worm.

"Double Team!" Springer created another army of Riolus, all but the original charging as Flash gave his next command. "Now, Aura Sphere Barrage!" An army of tiny Aura Spheres formed in each paw as Douburrow tried to recover from the Water Gun.

"Dub?" When it opened its eyes, all it saw was a cloud of Riolu leaping at its heads before thrusting their attacks into its face. "DOUBURROW!" It screamed as it was knocked back, slamming into another rock wall, which caused another burying rock slide.

"And there's our cue to leave!" Spike yelled as he cut into a sprint into the rock maze, the others following right behind him. And as they ran, the heard no sound from the Douburrow, making them wonder if it was now knocked out.

But as a few minutes passed, the pile of rocks that buried the worm began to shake, the Douburrow shooting out next with a mighty roar. It took a few heavy pants before glaring around, now seeing the four were gone...and its flowers having now been crushed by the rocks it'd thrown off itself.

"DOUBURROW!!!!"

Flash and the others were still sprinting, only slowing down once or twice to take drinks from their bottles. And as they got back to the cave, they found Twilight and Peewee at the table, "Did you get it?" Flash asked, only to see the flower on the table next to Twilight. It's pink and yellow petals had been plucked off, placed on a cloth that Twilight lowered into a cup before pouring boiling water into it.

"You guys did great," Twilight replied as she used a spoon to press the petals and stir the drink. She then turned to them, seeing the now beaten up clothes Flash and Spike were wearing. "What happened to you guys?"

One chapter long explanation later...

"Wow. That sounds harsh. To think a Douburrow could grow to that size. Incredible."

Flash growled back at the girl, "You wouldn't think it was incredible if you had a pair of very angry, fire breathing heads chase you around."

Twilight just giggled back as she leaned down and began feeding Doc the tea, "This might be bitter, but it's gonna help you feel better." Doc flinched as he drank the whole thing down, groaning once the last drop was drunk. "There, that should do it."

Spike leaned in next, an expectant look on his face. But as he watched Doc, he turned back to his sister, "What's going on? Why isn't he looking any better?"

Twilight gave him a deadpan stare in return, "He's not a Pokémon Spike. He won't get better the second he's given a cure. His body needs to process the tea. It could be a few hours before he's up and about."

"Oh...that bites."

"At least he'll actually get better," Flash added before letting out a long sigh, "After everything we've been through today, that alone should give us cause to celebrate." He turned to Doc's Pokémon, "Don't worry. He'll be fine after a bit of rest."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "And hopefully, this'll teach him not to overdo it so much in the future."

"Though we'll need to pick up the slack until he's completely better," Flash chimed in, "Does anyone actually know how to cook other then Doc?"

The two shook their heads, the group starting to discuss what they could eat while Doc recovered. As they did this, just outside the cave stood a certain trainer, Lightning leaning against the rock wall with Chimplug and Frostoak beside him. He took one last glance into the cave before walking away.

"Come on, let's-hmm?" He said as he got a few yards away from the cave, only to see some sand in the distance began to rise out and move like a giant rabbit trail. "What is that?"

Chimplug and Frostoak hopped in front of him, getting into fighting stances as their trainer continued to glare at the sight. But as the trail got closer, Lightning saw it was almost as tall as him, and going as fast as a train. "What in the-" he yelped before giving out a command, "Dodge it!"

The trio leapt out of the way, the trail shooting past them like a bullet. Lightning then spun around, now seeing the trail not even bothering with them before heading for the cave from before. "Chimplug, Charge Beam into the air!"

"Chim..." Chimplug raised its tail as lightning surged around it, "PLUG!" A bolt of lightning zipped into the sky, exploding into a barrage of crackles into the sky.

At the same time...

"What was that?" Flash asked as they looked out the tent.

But as they did this, the ground beneath them began shaking. "Oh no..." Spike said with a loud gulp, "Is that what I think it is?"

On que, the ground in front of the cave exploded, revealing a certain giant worm. "BURROW!" it roared as its heads glared dowon at the group and their Pokémon.

"You weren't kidding," Twilight added, "That thing is huge."

And before they could do anything, the Douburrow thrust its head at the ground, quickly digging into the sand beneath the rock. "What's it doing?" Spike asked as they saw the rocks around them begin to shake and crack open.

"It's trying to crush us!" Flash yelled, "We have to get out of here!" They nodded back before turning to Doc. But as they di this, the ground suddenly shattered beneath them.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" They screamed as they felt themselves begin to fall down into the darkness of the tunnel the Douburrow had dug. Slowly, everything around them went dark as they all began to black out.

Escape From the Underground

View Online

A giant surge of pain was the first thing Flash noticed when he woke up, a moan escaping him as his eyes slowly drifted open. He started to blink, now seeing almost complete darkness as he slowly got up, only to feel another surge of pain rush through his head. "Ow!" he yelped as he clutched his head, now feeling a mild bump.

After a few seconds, he mentally pushed the pain to the back of his mind, now trying to get a better view of his surroundings. The darkness made it almost impossible to see anything, Flash now using touch to walk around. As he did this, memories flowed through his head, now remembering how he got here. He remembered Doc's illness, his and Spike's quest to find a cure before battling the oversized Douburrow. As he did this, the last image flowed through his head, now remembering falling into a cavern.

"Uhhh…" moaned out a voice, making him turn to the sound in the darkness. A bulb went off in his head as he then pulled out his Pokedex and switched it on. The light from the screen filled the area, Flash seeing he was now in some form of tunnel. He turned around next, now seeing a pile of rocks blocking off one end of the tunnel, only to look down to see the owner of the noise, "Twilight!" He yelled as he ran over to her, now seeing Shine and Peewee with her. The teen leaned down and gently shook her, "Twilight! Come on, wake up!"

The girl let out a groan as she opened her eyes, Flash correcting her glasses as she looked up at him. "Flash?" He let out a sigh of relief, letting her go before helping her stand up, "Where...where are we?"

"In some kind of underground tunnel," he replied while shaking Peewee awake.

"Terra?"

"I...remember now," Twilight moaned as she held her head. "We were attacked by that giant Douburrow….then the cave collapsed."

"And now we're stuck here," Flash responded as he picked up Shine and carried her over to Twilight. "And we've got bigger problems. Notice anyone missing?" Twilight took Shine before glancing around, only to go wide-eyed.

"Where's Spike?!"

"Not here. Springer, Riptide, Doc and his Pokémon are all gone as well." Flash then checked his belt, sighing in relief again as he felt his Pokeballs were all still attached, Twilight doing the same and finding she still had hers. Peewee then climbed onto her shoulder, rubbing its head against her.

"Its okay Peewee, we'll find Spike." Twilight replied to him, rubbing his head back before turning to Flash, "So...what do we do first?"

"Uh...I'm not sure."

"Nee?" Shine yawned, Twilight looking down to see the pony open its eyes.

"You okay Shine?" Twilight asked as she patted the pony's head.

"Nee!"

As she did this, Flash crossed his arms with a gulp, "This isn't good." He bit his lip slightly, "I sure hope Spike is with Doc. There's still an angry Douburrow down her and if Doc's alone..." The others gulped as they realized what he was getting at.

A poking sensation to his cheek was the first thing Spike felt as he woke up, the pre-teen moaning as he opened his eyes and instantly shut them again due to a powerful light flashing into them. "Ack!"

"Tock," he heard in an apologetic tone. He opened his eyes again, the light not so bright as he now saw Tockwork, Higear and Flitanium staring down at him.

"Hey guys," he moaned as he got up, shaking his head as his mind tried to catch up, "Where are we?" Tockwork turned to illuminate the tunnel with Flash, Spike now seeing that it was an unblocked route that was so long that Tockwork's light couldn't fill it all. "This can't be good." He then picked himself up, only to touch his shoulder...and feel nothing, "Uh oh. Peewee?!" He spun around, only to see nothing but Doc's Pokémon. "Twilight? Anyone?!"

"Gear/Tock/Fly," the trio replied, making Spike turning back to them to see three frowns.

"Oh...right. You guys are worried about Doc, aren't ya?" They all nodded back, "Well...don't worry. I'm sure he's with the others." The three glared back at him, making him almost backpedal, "Just...stay calm. I'm sure we'll find them if we start looking." He slowly turned around, trying to hide the panic creeping onto his face as his mind raced, 'Aw man...you gotta be kidding me. He did a big gulp, 'Wait. Don't panic. I'm sure Doc's okay with the others...and if he's not, these three are gonna be crushed...but they're going to be. Just relax Spike. This isn't the first time you've been separated from the others in a cave system. Actually, this happens way more then it probably should. Just stay calm.' He turned back to the trio, "Let's get going." He began marching away, the others following as they headed down the tunnel.

As they did this, all of them were thinking the same thing. 'Please be alright Doc.'

In yet another tunnel...

Riptide let out a long yawn as he woke up.

His eyes rapidly blinked as he saw nothing but darkness, the sight making him scratch the side of his head, "Great..." he said in his own language, "Now what do I do?"

He picked himself up as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, only to blink again as he found something just a few feet away. Walking up and feeling it, he found it was all his friend's bags. "This can't be good." The lizard opened them all up, now finding a pair of flashlights and some tape, "A-ha! This will work!"

Back with Flash and Twilight, she held up Shine as the Galarian Ponyta's horn began to glow and illuminate the cave.

"I hope this place has an exit," Flash commented as they began to walk down a corridor.

"I'm sure there is," Twilight responded, "There's air in here, and that air has to be coming from somewhere."

"But there's no breeze," Flash countered, "For all we know, the air in here is all we've got and when it runs out-" He came to a stop, now seeing panic start to consume Shine's face, remembering the Ponyta was still pretty much a baby right now. "Uh....new topic! Where'd this tunnel come from anyway?"

"It must be part of the same tunnel system we met Lokelpie in," Twilight replied, "This one must be a lot deeper. It's also possible Douburrow carved these ones themselves." She then mentally measured the size of the tunnel, "Hmmm...they're big enough to fit in this." As she said this, the group came to a three way split, "Great, now what do we do?"

"Not sure," Flash sighed. "For all we know, we'll end up picking a tunnel that leads us away from everyone else."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "And if they're all connected, we could end up walking down the same tunnel as someone else but going right when they go left."

Flash crossed his arms at this, only for a bulb to go off in his head, "That might help." Twilight and the others watched as he took out a Pokeball, summoning his Velocirush.

"Loss!" He roared before seeing the dark tunnel around him, "Rush?"

"Hopper," he turned to his trainer, "Listen bud, we need your help. We're stuck in an underground tunnel and we're cut off from the others. Think you can help us track 'em down?"

"Loss!" Hopper replied while nodding.

"How's Hopper gonna track them down?" Twilight asked as Shine jumped out of her hands to stand besides Hopper.

"Hopper was able to track my scent when we were looking for my bag, so I bet he'll be able to track the others too."

Twilight tilted her head at this, giving him a deadpan stare, "Flash....he can't just sniff the air and find a scent. The only way that'll work is if we're in an area they've been in."

"Oh...right." Flash replied before letting out a sight, "Fine. But I'm keeping him out just in case."

"Agreed." Twilight responded as the group looked back at the multiple tunnels. "Welp, might as well pick one at random and see where it leads us." Flash nodded back before the five started down the far right tunnel, Twilight marking the wall while Hopper and Shine led the way. As they did this, Twilight continued to comment on the situation, "Now...even though we're doing a random route, the others can't be too far away. We all fell from the same area, so logic dictates that the area where they landed in will be close by as well."

"I hope you're right."

Meanwhile...

"Great..." Spike moaned as he now found himself facing four different tunnels, "Now which way do we go?" The others all shrugged, making Spike point at the entrances, "Tockwork, try illuminating them and see if there's anything that might lead us out."

"Tock!" Tockwork nodded as he walked over and shined the light down the first cave. They all saw there was nothing, soon going to the next and saw it just turned right after a feet hundred yards. The third seemed to go downward and the fourth went upward.

"Maybe we should go this way," Spike commented as he stared at the fourth tunnel. "I bet everyone else is trying to get up to the surface, so they're probably trying to go up. That includes Doc." The Pokémon nodded back, the four about to go inside, only to feel the ground shake, "Oh no..." Spike felt the tunnel they had just picked rumble, making him turn to Tockwork, "Kill the lights!"

"Tock!" He replied as his light began to die down, the four then flattening themselves up against the wall of another one of the tunnels.

Seconds later, the twin heads of the giant Douburrow slithered into the tunnel. "Burrow?" The two heads hissed as they looked down the tunnels. Spike felt his heart beat like a drum, now seeing the tip of the worm's nose come into view just around the corner. Gulping at the sight, he leaned and looked around the corner, now seeing the worm look at another tunnel.

'Now's my chance!' he thought as he grabbed a pebble on the ground and threw it over Douburrow's nose, landing to his side. The clattering sound of the rock echoed through the cave, making the worm turn to other tunnel, growling before both heads began to dig through that tunnel. Spike watched as the worm began to vanish, taking almost a full minute till it was fully consumed into the darkness.

Spike let out a sigh of relief as the four all walked out of the tunnel, "That... was too close." The Pokémon all nodded back, the teen turning to them, "Come on. Let's just get out of here before it decides to come back." The four then cut into a sprint as they ran as fast as they could up the sloping tunnel, praying that would be the last time they ran into Douburrow.

"Ugh...this is so heavy." Riptide moaned as he walked down another tunnel, all four bags now bouncing on his back. He could see thanks to the torches taped to his head-fin, illuminating the cave ahead.

"GUYS!" He called out as he took another turn, "Come on! Give me a sign you're down here!" And as no noise came back from his echoing voice, he let out a sigh as the bags sagged onto his back, "Geez lousie, how much do these guys need to carry?!"

It was here that he went down another turn, only to see a fork in a tunnel, seeing a left and right path. He let out a hum as he decided to go right, only to smile at his decision as he saw someone in the distance. "DOC!" he ran up to the Gym Leader, only to see him asleep on the ground. The lizard began to shake him as he then said, "Doc, can you hear me? Come on, say something." The Spranitor spun his head and shined the light in the teen's face, only for Riptide to see Doc's still bright red face, "Oh...right. You're still sick. Guess that plant thing hasn't fully kicked in yet."

He felt his head, now feeling a warm heat from it, "Hold on buddy." The lizard fired a quick Water Gun into his hands and used them to dab his forehead, "Of all the times to be stuck underground." Riptide shook him again. "I know you're sick, but I really need you too wake up right now."

He kept at this for a minute, only to hop in place as he suddenly heard something. Turning to the noise, his ears found it to be echoing footsteps, a light in the distance showing up next.

"Flash?!" he exclaimed as the two stepped into the light, only to growl at the sight, "Oh...its you two."

Lightning Blitz and his Chimplug looked down at the Pokémon, now seeing the ailing gym leader right by him. The teen knelt down and touched his forehead, only to hum, "He'll be fine." He turned to glare at the tunnel Riptide had come through, "Did you come from down there?" Riptide didn't reply for a moment, "Well?!"

"Tore," Riptide replied, nodding.

"Is it blocked off? The way we came from was blocked, so if this way is blocked, we may be trapped down here." Riptide replied by making three karate chop motions and holding his hand up in a stop motion. He then did another karate chop before shifting his hand right and shrugging. "Got it. Come on Chimplug."

He and the electric monkey then walked past him, only to hear a low hissing, "Spran…" The teen looked back and saw Riptide now trying to put Doc onto his back while also carrying the four backpacks on his front. Riptide staggered as he began to follow Lightning and Chimplug, only to the weight to pull him down. "Tore!" he yelped as he fell flat, the lizard grunting in pain as he tried to stand back up.

Lightning's gaze shifted between him and the tunnel, "Gotta find Frostoak," he whispered before turning around again, a low glare on his face as he slowly walked down the corridor.

Meanwhile again...

Springer was sitting in a meditation stance in the middle of a tunnel, gritting his teeth as his aura flowed around his body, "Come on Flash...where are you?!" he growled as he tried to send his aura, only to yelp in pain, "Augh! Come on!"

Hopping to his feet, he started to go down a tunnel, only to see a split in the caves, "Great...now where do I go?" But as he said this, a surge of aura hit him, one he didn't recognize but could tell it was in distress. Running after the aura, he went down on tunnel before suddenly coming to a stop, "You?!"

Lightning's Frostoak was laying face down, his legs now struck under a pile of rocks. He looked up and blinked at the Riolu, "You. You were with those humans my trainer was trying to save."

"What?! Lightning was trying to save us?!" Springer yelped, only to shake his head, "Food for later thought. What happened to you?"

"What do you think?! The same thing that happened to you guys! We got caught up in the Douburrow's attack, and when I woke up, I was stuck under here." He then grabbed a rock at the bottom of the pile and slowly pulled it, the rest of the pile shaking until he pushed it back into place. "And now I'm stuck..."

"Huh..." Springer looked over the rubble, only to sigh as he started to climb up the pile.

"What are you doing?" Frostoak asked before seeing Springer throw a rock off the top of the pile, "You're helping me?"

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?!" Springer replied with a low growl in his tone, Frostoak not replying as he saw the semi-angry look on the Riolu's face. And as he removed the top layer, the Frostoak was able to pull his leg free, Springer then hopping off the rubble.

"You okay?"

Frostoak tried to stand up, only to flinch as he quickly grabbed the nearby wall, taking the weight off one of his icicle feet, "No. The rocks must have done something."

"You probably just hurt your ankle."

"I don't have ankles!" Frostoak barked back, only to look down and see a small crack on his ice foot, "There it is."

"What are you gonna do?"

"As long as I don't put any weight on it, it'll freeze back up soon enough. But this is gonna make getting out of here difficult." The two shared a look, both thinking the same thing as they started to frown at each other.

Flash, Twilight and his group were still trekking through the tunnels, Hopper in front as he kept sniffing the ground. "Find anything?" Flash asked, the Pokémon looking back before shaking his head. "It's alright bud. We'll find them."

"And hopefully soon," Twilight added as she walked past Hopper, "Though considering how these tunnels are carved, they could go on for miles with hundreds of twists and turns. You'll need to keep your eyes open or you might end up running into-AUGH!" Twilight's rant was cut short as she felt her feet meet solid air, the girl looking down as she was about to go down into a dark pit.

Flash's reflexes kicked in as he quickly grabbed her, pulling her back before both fell over. Twilight let out a gasp as Shine went over and rubbed her chest, her trainer grabbing and holding on her tightly. "That...was too close."

While she got her breating under control, Flash went over to the pit's edge and saw they were now in a chamber with multiple holes in the walls along with several stone bridges connecting them. The hole they were at didn't have a bridge, showing they had no way to go forward.

"What do we do now?" Twilight asked as she got up, "Go back?"

"I don't know...that could take a while." Flash replied before seeing a ledge that lead from their tunnel to a hole with a bridge. "I've got an idea." He stepped onto the ledge and slowly made his way around, soon reaching the other side. "Your turn."

"You can't be serious," Twilight barked back as she pointed at the tiny ledge he had tiptoed around.

"Come on, it's not that far." He held his arm out, "Just a few inches and I'll be able to grab you." Twilight let out a long moan before shuffling her way across the ledge, Flash grabbing her hand after a few inches before helping her the rest of the way. "See? Wasn't hard at all."

"For you, maybe." The two then returned Hopper and Shine as Peewee flew over, calling them back out before scanning the bridge. They saw that it was about three feet wide and roughly one foot thick, the abyss it covered being about roughly thirty feet. "I don't think this thing's gonna take much weight."

"Better go one at a time then," Flash replied as he tiptoed over the bridge, Peewee flying over as he got to other side, "Alright, who's next?"

"Go on Shine," Twilight told her Ponyta.

"Nee..." Shine whimpered as she looked down, now seeing nothing but a dark abyss. Her entire body shook at the sight, only for Hopper to get in front of her.

"Rush," he held out his tail, the pony gently biting onto it as he slowly made his way over. As they did this, she closed her eyes, only to suddenly feel Flash patting her head a few seconds later.

"Good girl." the teen commented as she opened her eyes, now seeing him pat Hopper's head, "You too bud. Alright, your turn Twilight!"

Twilight did a large gulp as she nodded back, her feet shuffling again as she stared straight ahead, "Don't look down. Don't look down. Don't look-"

THOOM!

Her mantra came to a stop as the chamber began to shake, Flash quickly turning to the Ponyta, "Shine, kill the light!" Shine's horn instantly went off, the chamber falling into complete darkness as Twilight crouched down on the bridge. And as she did this, the Douburrow's heads flew out of a hole down below them.

Flash gave everyone a hush gesture as they saw it look around. The Duoburrow let out a long hiss, glaring at the dark chamber before digging a new hole into the area. Seconds of rumbles began to follow this, the whole place vibrating as Twilight let out a yelp as the bridge started to shake. And as the vibrations came to a stop, Flash called out to her, "You okay?"

She nodded back, "Yeah...I'm fine." She began to stand back up, only to now hear a cracking sound, making her look down and see just that. "Oh no."

"Hurry!" Flash yelled as Twilight tried to sprint, the bridge now breaking apart.

But as she did this, the rocks below her fell apart, making her scream, "AAAAHHHHH!" She clenched her eyes shut as she began to fall, only to feel something grab her hand.

Her eyes shot open, looking up to see Flash leaning over the edge while holding her wrist. "Hang on!" he told her as Hopper grabbed onto him while Shine used her magic to grab her trainer, Peewee flying down to grab the back of Twilight's shirt. With several heaves, the four pulled her up, throwing her over the edge.

"WHOA!" Twilight yelped as she landed on top of Flash, both locking eyes as they started panting. The two stared at each other, only to feel both bodies as they looked down to see their current positions. Twilight let out an 'eep' before jumping off him, the two looking away as she stuttered out, "Um...uh...thanks."

"N-no problem." Flash replied as he felt his face heat up, quickly scrambling back onto his feet, "We uh...we should keep going."

"Right. Going. Yes." Twilight muttered as she stood straight up, spinning around before getting in front of the group. Flash stood in the back as the Pokémon all shared smiles, all walking after the teens.

Over in another tunnel...

"Why am I doing this?!" Lightning grumbled as he felt the unconscious Doc on his back. His Chimplug was walking a few steps behind Riptide, glancing back at his trainer as they slowly made his way through the tunnel.

"Hey, slow down." Chimplug said as he grabbed Riptide's wrist, making the lizard look back and see Lighnting slow down.

"Right...sorry." he replied while nodding. The two then began to slow their pace as Riptide turned to Chimplug, "You know, I'm surprised you guys actually agreed to stay behind and help us."

"Why wouldn't we?" Chimplug asked.

"Well, you first didn't look like you were going to. Second, it doesn't seem like something your trainer would do."

Chimplug growled back at him, "Lightning might be a little harsh, but he's not a monster."

"Could have fooled me."

"Oh yeah?! How often have you actually been around him?!" Chimplug barked back, Riptide turning to him with a deapan stare.

"I don't need to be around him much. When I first met him, he called me weak without even seeing what I could do."

Chimplug shrugged at this, "Hey, he said what he believed. Not my fault he saw you like that."

"I'm not weak!" Riptide yelled, trying to hold down the water in his mouth, "And I don't believe you! He constantly insults people and berates them when something goes wrong."

"Oh, and your trainer is just perfect, isn't he?!"

"He's better than him." Riptide growled as he looked away, "At least he actually cares about every Pokémon he meets."

"Tch. What's the point of that?" Chimplug replied while rolling his eyes, "Lightning just knows what's good and what isn't. No point in caring about stuff that isn't worth it."

"You sound just like him." Riptide hissed as he gave him a small glare, "I'm guessing all his Pokémon are like that?!"

"No, we're all different." Chimplug chuckled as he put his hands behind his head, "But thanks for the compliment. I'm glad I'm like Lightning. Though you're wrong about the caring part. He just cares about his Pokémon."

"Please. I bet he just uses you all as a punching bag for his dictionary of insults."

"No. In fact, I bet you right now that all he's thinking about is Frostoak." Riptide turned to him with a raised eyebrow, remembering seeing the Ice-Type with the trainer as Chimplug continued, "We got separated when we fell down here. The minute he finds one of your friends to unload that sick guy on, he's gonna start looking for Frostoak, and he's probably not gonna leave this place until we find him."

"Huh." Riptide replied with a slight hum.

"Think he's heartless now?"

Riptide looked back at the trainer, a long glare on the teen's face. His eyes went down to Riptide's, the Spranitor seeing the anger in them before looking back at Chimplug, "No, I still think he's a jerk. I can still see he thinks me and my trainer are weak."

"Well, he is right about that. You are a wimpy water-type! HA!" Chimplug laughed, only to see Riptide smirk at him, "What?"

"At least my trainer was able to make me evolve." Riptide leaned up to him with a big grin, "I'm pretty sure that makes me better than you."

Chimplug's teeth grit, tiny sparks appearing out of his plug tail as he growled back, "Why you little-"

"Hey! I don't what you're all talking about, but no fighting!" Lightning yelled, making them turn to him as he huffed past them, "Come on you two. I don't want some fight making this tunnel fall apart." The teen grunted out next as he had to readjust Doc, letting out a hiss of pain, "Urgh...this is starting to really hurt."

Meanwhile...

Springer let out a huff as he made his way down another tunnel while carrying Frostoak on his back. "This is so embarrassing," the Ice-type moaned.

"It's no picnic for me either," Springer growled as they came to a fork.

"I really hope we don't run into Lightning." The Frostoak muttered as he saw themselves turning a corner, only to see a dead end.

"Great..." Springer grumbled as he kicked a rock. That rock hit the wall, the sound echoing off being not one from a thick wall. The two shared a look before moving closer, Springer tapping the wall with his foot next, "Huh. Get off for a sec."

Frostoak nodded as and slowly got off, Springer forming an Aura Sphere in response before thrusting it into the wall. The orb exploded and shook the wall, but the rock remained solid and sturdy.

"What the-" Springer raised a now green glowing fist, hitting the surface again. But as he began to hit over and over, he saw not even a crack would form in the wall, "Seriously? It sounded hollow..."

"You're not hitting it right," Frostoak told him.

Springer spun around with a raised eyebrow, "What?"

"Instead of hitting it randomly, try focusing on one spot and keep hitting it."

"Why?"

"Because power is pointless without control. That's something Lightning taught me. Instead of just wailing on it, try using precision. When facing something that looks unbreakable, focus all your energy on continuously beating the same spot. Eventually, that unbreakable defence will give." Springer just gave him a glare back, Frostoak tilting his head at the stare, "What?"

"I'm not a fan of who told you that." Springer growled as he turned around and hit the wall in one spot. Several Drain Punches continued to hit the place, a crack soon appearing.

"There! Hit that spot with something stronger!"

"Aura Sphere!" Springer yelled as he slammed an orb into the cracked section, the explosion from the sphere shattering the wall. What was left was a large hole, making Springer let out a hum, "Huh. It worked."

"Heck yeah it worked," Frostoak added as Springer knelt down to let him on his back. "You caught on pretty quick. Lightning had me up from dawn till dusk until I finally got that level of precision down."

"That sure sounds like Lightning," Springer laughed as they moved through the hole. "But I gotta admit, maybe some of the stuff he comes up with ain't half bad...though it sounds like overkill if he made you do that much." He glanced back next, "How's your foot?"

Frostoak looked down, seeing the crack wasn't as deep as before. "Shouldn't be that much longer now."

"Not good." Spike whispered as he entered a small chamber with only one exit. But as him and the Pokémon had gone through, they found themselves facing a whole tunnel of sleeping Zubat. The sight made him sigh, turning back to the others, "Okay...we gotta stay quiet."

They nodded back before starting to tip-toe through the section. But as they started to move, a loud stomping sound made them look back, seeing Tockwork give an apologetic look. The group looked up to the ceiling next, now seeing several Zubat twitch, only to calm down. Tockwork took another step after this, his feet making the noise again as the Zubat twitched to it.

"This is gonna take forever," Spike whispered, only for the tunnel behind them to start shaking. His eyes shrunk at this, all of them turning around to see a quartet of eyes come into view behind them, "Oh no."

"BURROW!" It roared as it slithered down the tunnel they had just gone through.

"RUN!" Spike yelled, the four cutting into a sprint while ignoring the Zubat. And as the bats began to wake up, a bulb went off in Spike's head, "Guys, try and collapse the roof!" The three nodded before spinning around and using a combo of Gear Grind, Psyshock and Steel Wing.

The roof became a pile of rubble, blocking the swarm of Zubat as they turned around to the Douburrow, "Burrow!" It roared as the bats began to use Supersonic and Poison Sting.

"That should keep it busy for a bit." Spike yelped as he kept running, "But let's not wait around! RUN!"

"Rush?" Hopper's nose twitched as he felt something, the others following him.

"Do you have a scent?" Flash asked, Hopper nodding as he turned a corner into a chamber. But as he did this, he came to a stop, now seeing a pile of rocks covering the entrance to another tunnel. "Oh no..." Flash said as he tried to remove them, only to feel the tunnel shake from this.

"Stop Flash. Looks like this place caved in after Douburrow went through," Twilight added as she scanned the rubble over, "With all the shaking that Douburrow's causing, I'm surprised the whole tunnel system is still standing." She turned to Hopper, "How strong is the scent? Is it still there?"

Hopper shook his head, "That means they're gone. At least they weren't buried." Twilight turned to the tunnel next to the collapsed one. "This way."

"Nee!" Shine chimed in as she took the lead, Hopper going up to her side as the teens followed.

Another tunnel...

Springer and Frostoak had come to a stop as Frostoak wanted to try to walk. The crack was now gone in his icicle foot, making him let out a sigh, "Finally...I can put some weight on it." He tapped his feet on the floor, "There we go. No more needing to be piggybacked."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," Springer added as he stretched his body, "Now we can-" He stopped when his ear hangings flared up, his eyes going wide. "Doc?"

"What?" Frostoak tried to reply, only to see Springer run off, "Hey! Where're you going?!"

"I just sensed my friend!" Springer yelled as he started sprinting. He took a quick left, then right before another left as he ran to a corner. But as he did this, he also picked up Riptide's aura as Frostoak tried to keep up with him. And as he went down another tunnel, a bright light suddenly flashed into his eyes, "Ahh!" He blinked as the light was pulled away.

"Springer!" He heard Riptide cheer, the Spranitor running over to pull him in a hug.

"Frostoak!" barked Lightning as Springer saw the teen carrying Doc, the Frostoak sprinting over to him.

"What are you doing with him?!" Springer yelped as he pointed at the trainer, "Is Doc alright?"

"Your friend's fine," Lightning grumbled as he readjusted Doc on his back again, "But the sooner we get out of here, the better. Who knows what else-" his words came to a stop as he felt the ground shake, the whole group freezing up as they felt the rumble fade. "What was-"

BOOM!

The floor behind them exploded, rocks flying everywhere as the Pokémon hopped in front and smacked the rubble away. As they did this, a quartet of eyes appeared, "Burrow!"

"We can't fight in here! RUN!" Lightning yelled as he spun around, trying to sprint with the unconscious gym leader on his back. But as he did his, the Douburrow's mouth began to fill with fire. Glaring at the beast, he yelled at Riptide, "You! Use Water Gun! NOW!"

"Spran…" Riptide hissed at him, only to turn and spit out a stream of water, instantly knocking the fire and worm back.

"BURROW!" it roared, stopping its slithering to try and get the water off.

Lightning saw it had came to a halt, the sight making him grin. "Nice! That thing is strong, so this should be good training. Might be worth catching." He then slid Doc off his back, Springer and Riptide running over to him and grabbing him, "Take him and go!"

The two exchanged a glance at this, only to see him motion Chimplug and Frostoak follow after him.

"Riolu!" Springer yelled as he tried to stop them, but then heard a groan from Doc. They turned to the teen, both sighing as they hoisted him and the bags up, the two running down another tunnel as Springer yelled back at Frostoak, "BE CAREFUL!"

Frostoak smirked back, giving him a thumbs up before turning to his trainer.

"Hey! Keep your focus!" Lightning barked before pointing at Douburrow, "Alright you overgrown garden snake, let's dance!"

Springer and Riptide were in full sprint, both panting heavily while hearing the sounds of a battle behind them. But as they took another turn, the sounds started to fade, making them wonder if the fight was already done. However, as they did this, they found themselves in a chamber filled with multiple tunnel entrances. "Huh?" Springer said as his eyes darted around, looking down each before seeing a small light in one. "Wait...is that-"

"Sunlight!" Riptide cheered as they both started to go for the tunnel, only to feel another shake.

"WHOA!" they yelped as the ground exploded, both hopping back as the Douburrow appeared again. "Seriously?!"

"BURROW!" it roared, glaring down at the two as they put down Doc before getting into a fighting stance.

"Bring it on!" Riptide barked back, "We're not afraid of you!"

"Yeah!" Springer added as they now both saw the several injuries covering the oversized Pokémon, "Looks like Lightning's Pokémon already gave you a serious beat down. We'll just finish what he started."

Douburrow growled as both mouths began to fill with fire, the two gulping at the sight as they knew Doc was right behind them. But before it could unleash the flames, an attack suddenly struck its head, "BURROW!" it cried as Springer and Riptide saw a Psyshock, Gear Grind and Air Cutter hit the worm. And as the gears returned to its owner, they looked up to see a tunnel opening above them.

"GUYS!" Spike cheered as he waved down at them, Flitanium grabbing him and Tockwork before the four flew down and landed beside him. "Doc!" He gasped as he saw the gym leader, "Hang on!"

"Burrow!" Douburrow roared again, the group turning back to the worm.

"Mystical Fire and Dragon Rage!" A burst of blue and red fire shot out of another tunnel, hitting the worm in the heads. It flinched again as they now saw Flash, Twilight, Shine, Hopper and Peewee appear.

"Terra!" Peewee cheered as he flew over to Spike, the teen hugging him back.

"I'm happy to see you too," Spike giggled as the dragon nuzzled his face, Twilight running over and hugging her brother as well before going over to check Doc. While this happened, Flash went over to his Pokémon and then pointed at Douburrow.

"You're not stopping us! Time to put you down for good...READY GUYS?!" His three Pokémon jumped in front of himi, all roaring in agreement. "Let's do this thing! Aura Sphere and Water Gun, followed by Iron Tail!" Springer and Riptide fired their attacks as Hopper raced ahead, Douburrow blocking both attacks with a Flamethrower.

"RUSH!" Hopper yelled as he leapt and slashed both necks with a glowing tail.

"BURROW!"

"Alright!" Spike threw Peewee into the air as Flitanium joined him, "Incinerate and Air Cutter!"

"Terra/Nium!" The two fired their attacks, the wind hitting the fire and increasing its power as it struck Douburrow.

The beast growled as its heads were thrown back, only to summon a Stone Edge, "BURROW!" It roared as it fired the rubble at the group.

"Drain Punch, Rock Smash and Iron Tail!"

"Steel Wing!" Spike ordered as the four began slashing through the rocks, the others huddling into one spot behind them. Within a minute, the last rock was pulverized by Springer as Riptide and Hopper charged at the beast.

"Water Gun and Quick Attack!" Riptide launched a water stream as Hopper struck the worm below the liquid attack. But despite the pain, Douburrow swung its tail, smacking both backward.

"TORE/RUSH!" They yelped as they hit the ground, Flitanium, Higear, Peewee, Shine and Tockwork all launching their long range attacks next. But as they did this, Douburrow powered through every attack as he launched a Flamethrower at them all.

"Fly/Gear/Terra/Nee/Tock!" They all screamed as they all thrown back, Springer the only one still standing.

The Riolu glared at the opponent, looking over every wound despite the worm not stopping. But as he did this, his mind flashed back to earlier, "That's it!" he yelled as he turned to the other Pokémon, "Guys, I know what to do!"

"What?" Riptide asked back.

"We need to hammer one spot with all our attacks on that monster!" Springer replied before pointing at the spot their necks met. "There! Keep aiming for that spot!" Springer ran up and formed a Aura Sphere, seeing Douburrow's tail coming for him. But as it did this, Springer leapt over the attack and fired the orb on the spot.

Douburrow flinched at the pain, only to feel a Water Gun hit the same spot next, making him wince at the strike. "Burrow!" He yelped as he began firing Stone Edges, only for the Flitanium to fly in and slash the projectiles instantly. And as he did this, a Psybeam, Dragon Rage and Psyshock struck the same spot, Douburrow roaring as more pain surged through its body. Hopper then used this distraction to run up and smack the place with an Iron Tail, making it cry out even more.

"What are they doing?" Flash asked with a tilt of the head.

"They're focusing on one spot," Twilight replied, "They're whittling it down." She then saw Douburrow about to use Flamethrower, its body trying to curl over the targeted spot at the same time. Seeing this, she yelled, "Keep its heads distracted. Flyers, go!" Peewee, Flitanium and Higear nodded before flying at the two heads, using their attacks to push the flames back.

And as this happened, Drain Punch, Mystical Fire, Rock Smash, Bullet Punch, Quick Attack all the spot again, making it scream in pain. Seeing this, Flash pointed at the worm, "You're almost done! Take it down with one clean hit!"

"RIOLU!" Springer roared as everyone charged. But as this happened, Douburrow hissed as it launched more Stone Edge rocks than ever before. The rubble rained down as they got close, forcing all but Springer back. "This is hurting my friends!" he yelled as he ran past the last rock with an Aura Sphere in his paws, "Take this!" He thrusted the attack into the almost scar-like injury, an explosion quickly following.

"DOUBURROW!" It screamed, the beast's body now giving out before falling over. The chamber shook as it slammed into the floor, several rocks coming loose from the ceiling before they began to bury the worm.

Seeing the tunnel was about to collapse, Flash ran over and let Twilight and Spike put Doc on his back. "Come on! We gotta go!" He yelled as they ran over to the tunnel with the sunlight, now seeing it was an opening surrounded by several large rocks, with all but Tockwork able to squeeze through the gap.

After returning and letting Tockwork back out, the group kept running down the chamber until their exhaustion finally caught up. Collapsing from the stress, Twilight pulled out a blanket to lay Doc on as they started checking themselves. The Pokémon were all okay and they hadn't lost much of their equipment, all sighing in relief.

And as they rested there for a bit, the group heard a groaning from Doc, making them turn to him. His eyes blinked open as he looked up at the group, "Hey guys. How's it going?"

"Not the best." Flash replied while chuckling, "You had us worried."

Spike nodded in agreement, "Yeah! Don't do that again!"

"Sorry," Doc moaned as he stared to get up, "Guess you were right about taking it easy."

"We're just glad you're feeling better." Flash added.

"I am," Doc replied before stretching, only to slowly stand up to everyone's shock. "Much better."

"Huh. Guess that plant finally kicked in," Twilight chimed in as she got up and patted his shoulder, "Though you still might wanna take it easy for a while."

Doc nodded back, "Sure. Though...I gotta say, I had the weirdest dream." He then saw the group smirking at him, "What?"

"I think we know what that dream was about," Flash chuckled, Doc raising an eyebrow at him as they began to explain all that had happened.

Doc's face went through a few expressions as they went through the facts, Spike finishing the story. "Then we found you with Riptide and Springer."

"They must have been carrying you for miles," Twilight added, "Not to mention they were carrying all our bags."

"Wow..." Doc smiled down at the two, "Looks like I really owe you one."

The two nodded back, only to feel Flash pat their heads, "Well done. You two were amazing."

"Tore/Ri," the two blushed and looked away.

And as they began to walk through the tunnel again, Springer's aura spiked as he noticed three familiar auras appearing behind him. He could feel them several yards back, making him chuckle, "Didn't take them for being shy."

As the group continued to move, Lightning and his Pokémon sighed as they walked down the tunnel. The teen was clutching his side in pain while Frostoak rubbed his newly repaired leg. Lightning growled as he saw he was about to catch up with the group, making him slump down on the wall, "Stop. We're resting here for a bit." The two nodded, only to keep staring at him with a curious glance, "What?!" He saw both tilt their heads, making him hiss at them before looking away, "Don't take it the wrong way, I wasn't trying to save those losers. It would be inconvenient if something happened to a gym leader, especially one part of the Equestria League. I don't need some stupid weakling Douburrow attacking a gym leader be the reason why the league tournament got cancelled."

The two shared a glance at this, both raising eyebrows at the response.

Once Twilight's journal had re-established a link and pinpointed their location, the group found they were actually very close to the edge of the desert. After another hour's walk, they found themselves reaching the top of a dune, gasping as they found themselves looking out at a grassy meadow that lead up to some trees with a bunch of mountains in the distance.

"FREEDOM!" Spike cheered as he ran down the dune and jumped into the tall grass, kissing the ground. Everyone else laughed as they joined in him, all enjoying the feel of the weeds. "Finally! No more sand in my shoes!"

"No more constant worry of running out of water," Twilight sighed.

"No more need to find someplace safe to camp," Doc added.

"And no more sand worms hellbent on killing us," Flash finished as they turned back to him, making him then say, "So...wanna get as far away from this place as possible?" The others all nodded as they jumped back to their feet, the group marching through the meadow and toward he trees as fast as they could go.

Their trip through the Grand Desert had been one fraught with many dangers, challengers and obstacles. From bag thieves, evil teams and giant earthworms, they had conquered every trial. Now, their sights were set squarely on Cloudsdale City, and one can only wonder what dangers, challenges and obstacles await them next.

As the journey continues.

I Dream a Dream

View Online

Having finally escaped the confines of the Grand Desert, our heroes now find themselves back in their usual stomping ground of the woods. They had spent the day trekking through the forest, trying to get to the town between the desert and the mountains that housed the city of Cloudsdale. And as the sun grew close to kissing the horizon, they stepped out of the trees, now seeing the entrance of the town.

"We made it! We finally made it!" Twilight cheered, "Oh...thank goodness. I need a shower."

"I need a burger," Spike added while clutching his stomach.

"And we need to get our Pokémon checked out," Doc finished.

"Well, there's one place we can get all that stuff," Flash commented as he pointed at the town, "Come on, let's find the Pokémon Center." The others nodded back, all running down a hill as the sun completely set. And as the night fully set in, the group walked into the town's center, Flash going over and chiming the bell at the front desk, "Hello?"

They waited for almost a full minute before Nurse Redheart walked into the room, letting out a yawn as she saw the group, "Hello. Welcome to the Pokémon-" She stopped to yawn again, "Center. What can I do for you all?"

She then let out a third yawn, the others exchanging glances as Doc asked, "Are you alright?"

"Just tired," Redheart replied, "I haven't been getting much sleep these last few nights."

Hearing this, the group grimaced as Twilight spoke up, "Well uh...we would like a room and to have our Pokémon checked over."

"Of course," Redheart responded as she motioned for a Comfey to get the trays. As her helper Pokémon started to get the equipment, Redheart had them sign in, "Please place your Pokémon in the trays Comfey is getting. You can pick them up in the morning." They all nodded as Comfey floated in, the group putting their Pokeballs in the tray while Springer and Peewee followed the Pokémon into the back room.

After that, they all enjoyed a quick meal before heading upstairs to their room. An hour later, they finished bathing and were ready for bed.

That night...

When Flash opened his eyes, he found he was in a giant black void. "Huh?" He said as he slowly walked into the void, "Hello?" He called out, "Anybody out there?" No answer came from the darkness, making him yell out, "Hello?!"

"RIOLU!"

Flash's heart froze as heard that voice, Springer turning to see the Riolu standing in the darkness. The Pokémon was in pain, a stream of blood going down the Riolu's face.

"Springer!" the trainer screamed as he tried to run after his Pokémon, only to feel his feet suddenly come to a stop. "Huh?!" He glanced down, now seeing his feet sinking into the void. But before he could react, new voices cried out in the darkness. Looking back up, he now saw all six of his Pokémon, all in pain as dark tentacles came out of the void and began to strangle the six. Springer, Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper and Hopper all cried out in pain as they were suffocated.

"NO!" Flash yelled, only for his body to now fall, sinking till only his head and arm were left. "Guys!" All but his face sank down now, tears going down Flash's face as he saw his Pokémon vanish into the darkness.

"NOOOOO!"

And as the darkness consumed him, his eyes went wide as his vision now came to a dark figure appearing before him. All the teen could see was a basic shape, only for a pair of blood red eyes to appear before he was consumed again.

Flash gasped as he sat up, "GYAH!"

"GYAH!" Twilight, Spike and Doc screamed as well, all now sitting up. The group started panting now, Flash now seeing fear on every face.

"Did you guys just have a nightmare?" They all nodded back.

"That's...bizarre." Twilight added as her eyes rapidly blinked.

"No kidding." Flash added as he let out a sigh and falling back on the bed. "Why would we all have a nightmare?"

The next morning...

The four trainers all yawned as they entered the reception area, each having bags under their eyes. After their nightmares, it took hours to get back to sleep...only to have more nightmares followed by waking up and screaming. It was not a good night.

"But why did we all have nightmares?" Flash asked as he rubbed his eyes, "That's what I'd like to know."

"Lots of things can cause mass nightmares," Twilight replied while letting out another yawn, "Medication, eating before sleep and even anxiety."

"Guess we were all a little anxious to get as far away from the Grand Desert as possible," Doc added.

"Yeah!" Spike tried to say as he stumbled back and forth, "I mean, we just had a giant Douburrow try to eat us. I think anyone would be a little anxious after that."

"And we did all have cheeseburgers last night," Twilight continued. "They say cheese gives you nightmares, though there's no real proof of that."

Flash nodded back and yawned again, "The two must have joined together and gave us a bunch of super nightmares. Say, why don't we just take a relaxing day? Maybe that's what we need after all the messes we've had to go through."

"Sounds good to me," Spike replied before pointing at the room they were entering, "But why are they like us?'

They all looked up to see a full room with a bunch of different trainers and their Pokémon scattered around, all with bagged eyes and tired expressions on their face. "That's not good." Flash commented as he walked up to a trainer with her Snom, "Hey there. By any chance, did you have a nightmare last night?"

She nodded back, "Sure did. Third night in a row, and I'm not the only one," she gestured to other the trainers, "We've all been suffering from them every night since we first came here." Flash and his friends tried to go wide-eyed at this, only for the girl to pick up her Snom, "That was the last straw for me. I'm getting out of this crazy cursed town."

The group watched as she left, other trainers following her as they all packed up and left. "Wow," Spike gulped, "Maybe she's right about this town being cursed."

"Don't be silly. There's no such thing as curses." Twilight added while rolling her eyes, "There's probably some explanation for this."

And as she said this, a very sleepy Redheart walked out while pushing a trolley. "Flash Sentry, Twilight Sparkle and Time Turner. Your Pokémon are ready for pickup." They all moved over to see Springer and Peewee both sitting on the trolley, both looking ready to go to sleep at any moment.

"Not you guys too," Flash muttered before picking up all his Pokeballs, wondering if all his Pokémon had suffered from the bad dreams. And as they got their Pokémon, the four trainers headed out to stock up on provisions, only to see everyone on the streets all had the same half-dead expressions they had.

"Okay, now this is serious!" Twilight yelped, "Why is nobody doing anything to figure out what the cause of these nightmares are?!"

Her outcry caught the attention of a shop-keep that was halfheartedly sweeping the store opposite the Center. He looked up at her as he responded, "Actually, we have been trying to figure out the cause. That's why we asked a famous researcher to come and investigate."

"Really?" Twilight gasped as she turned to him, "Who is it?"

"Don't know. Didn't learn anything more then that. I did hear she got in this morning and is meeting the mayor at town hall."

"Does this mean you think the nightmares aren't a natural phenomenon?" Doc asked, the shop-keep just tilting his head at the question.

"I don't know what a fan-om-e-gnome is, but there's no way this is natural. The researcher he called thinks so too, which is why she's here. She thinks a Pokémon's responsible."

"A Pokémon?!"

"Now this I'm interested in," Flash chimed in, "Come on, let's go find this researcher and see if they know which Pokémon's to blame." The others nodded back and after giving thanks to the shop-keep, they ran to the town hall. And when they arrived, they all gasped as a certain person walked out of the building with the mayor, "Professor Luna?!"

"Well, well, didn't expect to be seeing you guys here." She replied with a big grin before turning to the mayor, "Thank you sir. I think I have enough data to confirm my theory."

"No problem. Anything to stop this pandemic." He let out a yawn. "Anyway, I should get back to work."

With that, he walked back inside as Luna turned to them, "If you're here, that must mean you all suffered from the nightmare too?" They nodded back, "I figured as much. But don't worry, I know what's doing this."

"You do?"

"Yes. Its a very powerful Pokémon, one with the power to enter dreams and distort them into nightmares."

"Do you mean something like a Munna?" Twilight asked next, Luna shaking her head.

"Not quite, but you're on the right track. But before that, let me get you some coffee."

One coffee break later...

The group were now at a table as Luna began her explanation, "Now, before I get started, I need you to know that this isn't the only town that's been suffering from this issue. A town several miles away suffered the same problem for a few weeks. In fact, it got so bad that the sleep deprived people and Pokémon eventually broke into an all-out riot. After that, the nightmares just stopped until another town found themselves suffering."

"Is that why you think a Pokémon's involved?" Doc asked, Luna nodding again.

"Mostly. But I've also interviewed some of the worst affected victims and they all mentioned seeing something in their dreams. All they could tell me is that it was a shadowy figure with blood red eyes."

This caused Flash's eyes to go wide as he suddenly stood up, shaking the table and almost knocking everyone's cups over. "That's what I saw!" he gasped, "Last night in my dream, I saw something like that just before I woke up. It was the creepiest thing I had ever seen."

"I see. If that's the case, it confirms my theory even more." Luna sighed as she leaned back, "A Tantabagot is here, infecting everyone's dreams."

"Tantabagot?" Flash sat back down before pulling out his Pokedex and typing in the name, an image appearing on screen showing a goat-shaped Pokémon. Its face was gray but its horns and hooves with pitch black, the horns curving backward into a crescent moon shape. The rest of its body seemed to be covered in a blackish-purple substance that consumed its neck, body and legs with a large flurry-looking tail made of it.

Name: Tantabagot
Category: Nightmare Pokémon
Type: Dark
Info: The evolved form of Lallaby. This Pokémon draws power from fear, and often enters the dreams of humans to cause nightmares. Because of this, it often locks horns with Slumberam.

Everyone got a glimpse of the creature, Spike, Peewee and Springer shivering, "That thing looks scary."

"And it definitely looks the right shape to be what I saw last night," Flash added.

"That's what Lallaby evolves into?" Twilight asked while turning to Luna.

"It's one of the things Lallaby evolve into," Luna took out a Pokeball. "It can also evolve into this."

The ball opened up to reveal something new. This Pokémon was a large ram with thin white fur around its neck and body. It had a brown face and long brown legs with a pair of yellow ram horns on its head with a blue light spiraling from the base to the tip. It had light purple armor with light blue trim around its front and on its head was a purple metal helmet with blue trim and a yellow crystal on its forehead between its eyes. The Pokémon also wore purple metal boots on its legs that went up to just below its knees with blue trim. "Slumberrrrr!" It roared before moving over to Luna, who began scratching it behind the ear.

"Meet Lallaby's true evolved form, Slumberam."

Flash then scanned it with his Pokedex.

Name: Slumberam
Category: Dream Sheep Pokémon
Type: Psychic
Info: The evolved form of Lallaby. They have the ability to enter the dreams of humans and help them overcome doubts or fears that they might manifest. However, being in a full fledged nightmare will weaken it.

"Wow. Your Lallaby evolved?"

Luna nodded back. "Yes. And with her, I'll be able to chase Tantabagot out of your dreams and into the real world."

"So what do you need us to do?" Twilight asked next.

"Simple. Go to sleep." Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, "I know it sounds strange, but Slumberam will have a hard enough time bringing me into the dream. Bringing the rest of you will make it impossible."

"But could we help you in the dream?" Flash asked, Luna nodding back.

"Possibly. If you can enter a lucid dream state, you may be able to affect the outcome of everything around you. Tantabagot can enter your dreams at will, but it can only gain control because you're not in control. It's your mind and you have control of it if you want. Remember that for tonight."

The others nodded back, all agreeing to help stop this troublesome Pokémon. After that, the rest of the day was spent doing a little shopping and telling Luna about their adventures since the last time she saw them. And as the sun began to set, they all retired to the Pokémon Center.

"Everything's been prepared as you asked," Redheart announced as they walked into an extra room in the center. It was much larger then what they had slept in last night, with four beds and lots of space for all their Pokémon.

"Good," Luna stated as she and Slumberam walked into the center. "Now, please bring out your Pokémon."

They all nodded and threw their Pokeballs into the air, unleashing every Pokémon they had that could dream. Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper, Hopper, Owlicious, Shine and Flitanium appeared before moving around the room. Shine jumped into bed with Twilight while Flash's Pokémon tried to squeeze onto Flash's bed, almost crushing him.

Once comfortable, Luna motioned to her Pokémon, "Alright, now it's time to sleep. Once you're asleep, we'll enter and begin our hunt for Tantabagot."

Doc let out a yawn, "Don't worry. One good thing about not sleeping well last night, it shouldn't be too hard to fall asleep now."

"I don't know," Spike moaned as he laid back, "Knowing you're gonna have a nightmare kinda makes it hard to want to let yourself drift off."

"No problem," Luna covered her eyes and turned to Slumberam. "Use Hypnosis."

"Ram..." Slumberam said as the crystal on its head began to glow. And as the light enveloped the room, everyone except Luna found themselves slowly drifting off to sleep. Within a minute, the room was filled with snores.

"Good," she turned to Slumberam and climbed onto its back, "Now we can begin." She grabbed its horns as the blue line on them started to glow. Slowly, Slumberam's hooves lifted off the ground as they began to float, the horns then unleashing a bunch of energy strings that floated down before latching onto each person's head. And with that, both Luna and Slumberam closed their eyes as they were mentally linked into everyone's dreams.

Doc was in his workshop, tinkering away at something under a sheet.

"Almost done," he cheered, "Finally, after years of tireless work and research, my ultimate invention is almost complete." He pulled the sheet away, revealing a giant robot with a cockpit in the chest. "With this, construction, rescue and law enforcement will be easy as pie."

But as he continued to tinker away, a small purple cloud appeared behind him. It flew around the room before going into a pile of machinery, causing it to shake and catch Doc's attention. "Hmm?" He turned around, only to go wide-eyed as he now saw a giant monster made up of tons of different machines. "Holy Shiinotic! It's every single failed invention, merged into one and wanting revenge!" The machine thrust an arm at him, which had a spinning folk for a hand. "WHOA!" He yelped as he dove to the side, "Aaaaah! What was I thinking giving a spaghetti folk a turbo?!"

The machine roared as it tried to attack again, only for a flash of light to catch their attention. Both turned to see Luna ride Slumberam as it floated through the air. "Extrasensory!"

"RAM!" It roared as it fired a rainbow beam from the gem on its head, knocking the monster off its feet, causing it to break apart.

"You alright?" She asked Doc, the trainer nodding back.

"I am now," he huffed as he then saw a small cloud fly out of the wreckage, "Is that the Tantabagot? It doesn't look anything like what the Pokedex said it looked like."

"That's because this is only a small piece of it," Luna replied, "It's divided itself so it can enter several dreams at once....which might make things a little tricky."

They watched as the cloud began to hop from one pile of junk to the other, creating more scrap monsters. The sight made Doc gulp, "This could go on forever."

"Agreed. I need to destroy that piece of it, but I can't with all these monsters protecting it."

"Leave them to me!" Doc cheered as he jumped up into his robot's cockpit. "Online..." the machine lit up before it stood up, "ATTACK!" The machine ran into the fray, beating one of the monsters with a single punch.

"Nice." Luna added as she pointed at the cloud, she and Slumberam charging at it before one of the scrap monsters hopped in front of them, "Zen Headbutt!" Slumberam's horns glowed blue as it slammed into the monster, knocking it away to see the cloud again, "Horn Attack!" The horns shined white as it struck the cloud, causing it to pop like a bubble.

"You got it!" Doc cheered, only for his machine to be sucker-punched by a monster. "Augh! Why aren't these things going away?!"

"Tantabagot's still in the dream realm, so any nightmares that occur will remain until it's out." She turned to him, "I have to find the real one."

"Go! I'll be fine here." Luna nodded before the two vanished in a bright light, Doc turning back to the monsters. "I hope."

"Now where are we?" Luna asked as she and Slumberam now found themselves up in the sky. "Who's dream is this?"

"YAHOO!" exclaimed a certain boy with purple dragon wings sprouting from his back. He was doing several barrel rolls and loop-the-loops. "This is awesome!"

"It sure is," Luna chuckled as she and Slumberam floated up to Spike's side, "And if we want it to stay awesome, we have to find Tantabagot." But as she said this, the purple cloud appeared in front of them. "THERE!"

The three quickly started to chase the cloud, only for it fly into a normal cloud. "Where'd it go?" Spike asked as before seeing the sky turn black as the clouds began to swirl into a giant storm that morphed into the shape of a dragon. "Uh-oh." The cloud dragon's head then came down, trying to bite them. But as it did this, Spike took a deep breath before unleashing a stream of green fire at the cloud.

"Well done Spike." Luna added before seeing a Tantabagot piece fly out of the cloud, "There it is! Horn Attack!"

"RAM!" her Pokémon roared as it tried to charge at the beast, only for it dodge the attack.

As it did this, the cloud dragon reappeared. "Oh no!" Spike yelped, only to see Luna and Slumberam follow after the Tantabagot fragment out of the dream. "Wait!"

"Stay strong Spike. I'm sorry, but I have to chase the Tantabagot to end this."

The next dream instantly appeared for Luna as she now found herself flying over a large stadium. "Now what is this?" she asked as she looked down, only to see Flash and Springer standing on one side of the field. On the other side were several shadowy figures directing a bunch of legendary Pokémon. Ones like Groudon, Giratina, Mewtwo, Lugia, Zekrom and others were now glaring down at them.

"Aura Sphere!" Flash commanded, Springer launching the blue orb across the field. The attack hit the Giratina before exploding, only for the force of the blow caused an explosion that knocked out every opponent instantly. "YES!"

"HE'S DONE IT!" An announcer yelled, "FLASH SENTRY HAS CLAIMED VICTORY AND HAS DEFEATED EVERY KNOWN TRAINER IN THE WORLD!"

"Someone sure has an ego," Luna deadpanned. "And Giratina's immune to Aura Sphere." But as she said this, Tantabagot's cloud swooped down to the stadium and began hoping from one legendary to another. "Oh no. Quickly!" Slumberam flew down and tried to use Horn Attack on the cloud, but it dodged again before infecting the last Pokémon.

Flash was pulled from his cheers when he saw the legendaries pick themselves up, all beginning to mutate into monstrous versions of themselves. The teen gasped as he now saw dream Springer instantly get crushed under Groudon's foot, only to see Luna above him. The sight made Flash remember what Luna told him, his eyes clenching as he started to think before a flash of light summoned a gatling gun into his hand. "Oh yeah!" He pointed it at the beasts, "Say hello to my Aura Sphere Barrage!"

The gun began to fire, a volley of smaller versions of Springer's multi attack, slamming them into all of the deformed legendaries. "YES!" he cheered as he saw them turn into dust piles, only for the clouds to suddenly start swirling. Luna and Slumberam landed beside Flash at this point, Flash then yelling, "Bring it on! I'm ready for whatever you throw at me!"

But as the dust fell away, a new sight appeared...one that made Luna raise an eyebrow. The Pokémon had become sock puppets.

"What?" Was all Luna could ask before hearing Flash's scream, turning to see him drop the gatling gun.

"GYAH!" He screamed as the puppets started to slither over to him, their googly eyes rattling as they moved. "GET AWAY!"

"Extrasensory!" A rainbow beam shot out of the ram, knocking them back as Luna flew past Flash. "Try to wake yourself up if you can!" He nodded as she flew off into another dream, Flash now attempting to pinch himself awake.

Luna and Slumberam continued to make their way through the many dreams of their friends, finding all of them turning into nightmares. There was one with Springer trapped in a room that was getting smaller and smaller. One showed Prongs's home forest burning, while another was Shine getting attacked by a Piedoom. The next showed Skyler's wings beginning to lose their feathers, while Riptide's was one where everyone rejected him.

And as the nightmares kept happening, Luna then found herself in a dream located in a library. The sight made her easily find Twilight sitting at a desk, reading a book. But before they could call out to her, a certain cloud flew into a book, turning it into a monstrous version of it.

Hearing a low growl, Twilight turning and gasping as she saw several books now morph into beasts. "Aaaah!" She screamed as she quickly ducked under the table, only for the book to eat the top of the furniture. Gasping at this, she began to run away, only to instantly trip over her own feet. "Eep!"

And as she flopped to the ground, Luna and Slumberam appeared between them. "RAM!" the Pokémon roared as it unleashed an Extrasensory, knocking the books back.

"Luna!" Twilight cheered, only to see both Luna and Slumberam panting. But as she saw this, her eyes followed the cloud as it flew into some darkness now appearing in the library, vanishing before a pair of blood red eyes shined on the library wall. They were joined by a giant shadow, which was goat-like in shape. "Is that it?"

"Yes," Luna replied while nodding. "And its much bigger than I thought. It's growing stronger, which is because of the fear caused by these nightmares must be feeding it." They both glared at it, "But we will not be stopped."

"But Tantabagot's a Dark-type," Twilight added. "Slumberam's a Psychic-type, which means Tantabagot has the advantage."

"That does not matter!" Slumberam charged at the giant goat shadow, only to be countered by a Dark Pulse. "Watch out!" Slumberam dodged before trying to use Horn Attack, only for the shadow to move and cause Slumberam to hit the wall. "What?! Where did it go?"

But as she looked around, she noticed Twilight getting surrounded by the monster books, and she wasn't the only one. Doc's machine had been knocked offline, the scrap monsters tearing it apart. Spike had been grabbed by the cloud dragon and was about to be eaten while Flash's gun was out of ammo. "How can a dream gun run out of ammo!?" he yelled into the dreams, Luna now seeing the goat shadow again before it vanished into a flash of dark light.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Everyone and their Pokémon screamed, everyone shooting out of the beds with nothing but fear on their faces.

Everyone turned to each other, seeing sweat and gasps as Flash muttered out, "That..." He shook his head as he tried to pick a word. "Sucked."

"I'll say," Spike curled himself up and began to shake, "I don't ever want have that dream ever again."

The others all whimpered in agreement, Shine trying to hide her face in her mane as she curled up in Twilight's arms. Flash found his Pokémon all hugging him as well, Peewee mimicking Spike by also going into a fetal position. And as this happened, Doc asked, "But was Luna able to catch it?"

"I am so sorry, my friends." They all looked up to see Luna and Slumberam float down. "We failed." They touched down before Luna let out a long shameful sigh, "It will be back to infect your dreams the next time you sleep."

"That's not good. That's not good at all." Twilight cried while tightly hugging Shine.

Doc sighed in agreement, "I know I could go the rest of my life without seeing that thing again."

"You won't have to if you leave town," Luna replied, "And if we do not find a way to stop it, that may end up being the fate of everyone here. They will leave this town and travel someplace else, but that will not solve the problem. Tantabagot will simply move to another town and start again, feeding on the fears of everyone until it grows into an unstoppable force."

Everyone shook at this thought, Spike chiming in next, "So...what do we do?"

"Catch it, of course," Flash responded.

"But how?" Doc added, "Luna couldn't stop that thing and that was only when it was using a little piece of itself."

"Agreed. The only way to stop Tantabagot is to defeat it when it's whole..." Luna crossed her arms at her own words, "But there's no way to get it to summon its entire self into one dream. That would be like being at a buffet and being told you can only eat one type of food. There's no way it'll turn up to such a feast."

Twilight blinked at her odd description, only for a bulb to go off in her head, "Well...what if we limited its serving options?" Luna turned to her with a raised eyebrow, "I did a little research on Slumberam earlier, and I remember seeing something about it having the power to create shared dreams."

"That's true..." Luna replied as Slumberam nodded in agreement.

"If that's the case, what if you merged everyone's dream into a single one? That way, all the pieces of Tantabagot will be in one place."

Luna shook her head at this, "I get where you're going...but to merge that many dreams, I'm not sure Slumberam has the strength." She turned to her Pokémon, the ram nodding back at her. "But you want me to try, don't you? I see. I suspect that's our only hope." She then took out a Pokeball and opened it, her Primoon appearing in the room. "Primoon, I need your help."

"Moon," she nodded as Luna turned to the others.

"Listen. If we try this idea, it'll likely make it impossible for Slumberam to battle, so we may have to try and fight it ourselves."

"I'm down for that," Flash replied as the others nodded.

"Then rest," she told them. "Rest and pray Slumberam can create such a dream." Everyone laid back down, all feeling themselves drift off to sleep as Slumberam flew above them. This time, more strings than anyone could possibly count flew out of its horns, some hitting their heads while others flew out the room and began attaching to the heads of the entire town's population.

And in a flash of light, the shared dream had begun.

Luna blinked at the first sight she saw in the dream, now finding herself standing outside the Pokémon Center. She turned to see the others and their Pokémon beside her, only to then see the rest of the townsfolk walk around them. "Did it work?" She heard Spike ask, "Are we dreaming?"

"I'd say yes," Flash replied as he pointed at the moon, everyone seeing it had turned into a giant cupcake.

"Wow!" Spike gasped, only for them to suddenly feel the ground shake. They turned to the sound of the vibrations, gasping as they now saw a thirty foot Deerling walk down the street. The sight made them go wide-eyed, now seeing oranges with wings, people swimming through the air and even a street lamp walking down the street with tipping its 'hat' at them.

"Now this is truly bizarre." Doc commented as they now saw Magikarp flying by them, alongside a floating Diglett...which its underside was covered by rocks.

"Huh. Say, where's Slumberam?"

Luna pointed upward as she replied to the question, "Up there!" They all saw the Pokémon, the ram hovering in a sphere being generated from its horns. The look on its face showed it was struggling to keep this dream together. "Don't worry, we'll try and make this quick. Just stay strong."

"But we still don't know what Tantabagot is," Twilight added as they now saw the whole town's population began to surround them.

Seeing this, Luna moved over to a sudden appearing soap box, now towering over them all. "People and Pokémon of this fair town, please listen to me. You're probably wondering what's going on. The simple fact is, my Slumberam created a single dream for you all to enter in a hopes of stopping the cause of your nightmares." The townsfolk all murmured at this as she continued, "It's name is Tantabagot, and if we don't stop it, it'll keep causing nightmares and feeding off your fears."

She then pointed to a small piece of it as it floated over a nearby building, "Look, there it is!" They all turned to see it move across the town, which was soon joined by other pieces of itself. These blobs soon turned to hundreds as they all flew to the same spot, all spiraling around one another until they took shape of a creature Flash had seen in his dream.

"There it is..." he whispered.

The dark shroud faded to show Tantabagot's true form, the being now standing at about twenty meters in height. "BAGOT!" It roared before shooting beams from its eyes, hitting several houses and causing them to grow giant legs, fiery eyes and fanged mouths.

Many began to scream run as the houses began to move, Twilight, Spike and some of their Pokémon amongst them. But as they did this, Flash and Springer stood firm. "FLASH!" Twilight screamed, "What are you doing?!"

"Remember, this is just a dream." The monster house charged at Springer as he did the same, the Riolu suddenly forming and launching a ten foot Aura Sphere. Within seconds, the house was turned to splinters as the orb blasted it to pieces as Flash pointed at the Tantabagot, "You might have been scary when we were alone, but now it's different!" Another house charged at them, "Now that we're all together, we can't lose! Especially if we know its nothing but a dream!" With that, a familiar looking blue orb appeared in his hand, throwing it at the house, "AURA SPHERE!"

Everyone gasped as the house exploded, Flash hopping on top of the debris with a smirk on his face. His friends all smiled at the sight, Spike running up next as he squinted his eyes. He was then consumed in a bright light, which faded to reveal he was eight feet tall with a cape, armor and bulging biceps, "Nice. After all, if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big, right?"

"Terra!" Peewee added as he grew till he was twice the size of a Charizard. "TERRA!"

"Let's go!" Spike cheered as he leapt on his back, Peewee taking to the air as a lance appeared in his hand.

Doc and Twilight ran up next, Doc holding up his screwdriver as a bunch of sonic waves shot out at the monster houses. Twilight envisioned a bag and it appeared in her hand, a swarm of flying books flying out of it. And as they did this, the townsfolk started to follow their examples. Many Pokémon suddenly morphed into their evolved forms, and a Medicham even Mega Evolved while someone's Tyranitar even transformed into a mecha form.

Tantabagot let out a growl before opening its mouth, unleashing a Dark Pulse. But as this happened, someone's Bronzor appeared and grew in size, bouncing off the attack at the same time. And as it shrank from the blow, the other Pokémon unleashed their attacks. Spike and Peewee lead a charge of flying Pokémon, Skyler, Owlicious and Flitanium among them. The teen slashed the goat's side with his lance while Peewee unleashed a powerful Dragon Rage attack. The Flying-types then attacked with Air Cutters, Hurricanes and Gusts.

Owlicious let out a loud hoot, causing the books Twilight had summoned to move at his command before slamming into the ram like missiles. And as this happened, Flitanium flew up with glowing legs, the lights merging before they faded to reveal a large booster rocket.

"FLY!" It yelled as it ignited, slamming into the ram with a Iron Head attack.

As this happened, many people morphed into their favorite fictional characters. Some became super heroes, equipped with all their powers while others turned into knights and even Pokémon that they had made up as a kid. One guy even morphed into a pirate, completely with flying galleon that fired its canons at Tantabagot before attacking at ramming speed.

"We've got it on the ropes!" Twilight cheered.

"Tant!" the ram roared back, the houses from earlier floating up into the air, the pieces them forming a large sphere that suddenly lit on fire. Seeing this, the group came to a stop as he fired the now house meteor at them.

"RUSH!" Hopper barked as he ran up with his tiny wings glowing. In a flash, they morphed till they were three times larger than his own body. "RUSH!" he barked again as he beat them, unleashing a powerful gust of wind. The force of the air smacked the fireball back, changing its course right back into Tantabagot.

BOOM!

"Tant!" it yelped as the ram staggered back from the blow.

"Nice one bud!" Flash cheered, Hopper letting out a happy bark as Shine ran over to Twilight.

"What is it?" She asked her, Shine wagging her tail before she was consumed by light. The light grew before fading, revealing Shine was now big enough to ride. "Ah! I getcha." Twilight hopped onto her back, Shine neighing as she charged. "Mystical Fire!" Shine unleashed the flames, the fire striking Tantabagot.

Twilight cheered at this, only to feel the ground shake. She turned to see Doc riding the giant robot from his dream, the mech now firing hundreds of missiles. This was followed by the Mecha Tyranitar shooting a laser and other Pokémon launching their long range attacks, all making the ram cry out in pain.

"YES!" Luna yelled before looking up at her Slumberam, "Just hold on a little longer. We're driving it back."

But as she said this, Tantabagot unleashed a mighty roar that echoed through the dream town. "BAGOT!" it screeched, the ground splitting apart as black tentacles shot out of the cracks and began to attack them.

"Tore!" Riptide cried as he shot water at one of the tentacles, only for it to do nothing. "Nee?" he yelped, only for an Energy Ball and Flamethrower hit it as well, making the tentacle exploded. "Spran!" Riptide gasped before turning to see Viper and Prongs.

They shared a look and smiled before Riptide held his hand out, Prongs putting his hoof atop it with Viper doing the same with his tail. The trio were then consumed by a light before their forms merged into one large being, soon revealing a fifteen foot fusion of the three starters. It was centaur-like in appearance, having Riptide's arms and chest along with Prong's body and legs. Viper's tail was coming out the back with his head being used for the fusion's. Riptide's head-fin was coming out its head and Prong's antlers were coming out.

The fusion let out a roar, which sounded like the three starters all crying together, before it charged at the tentacles. It opened its mouth while raising its hands, fire and green energy appearing in its grasp while water appeared in its mouth. It then shot them all at the same time, merging into one attack that sliced through the tentacles.

At the same time, Primoon was using its Mach Punch and Moon Burst attacks to deal Tantabagot damage. The goat then glared at her before unleashing another Dark Pulse, Primoon hopping to the side before transforming into her Full Moon Forme. "MOON!" She roared before firing an even more powerful Moon Burst attack.

"We've got it on the ropes!" Doc yelled from within his robot's cockpit, "Keep hammering at it." But as he said this, Tantabagot jumped onto its back hooves. And when it slammed its front hooves down, a shockwave of dark energy flew out in all directions.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Everyone screamed in pain as they were thrown back, many of their dream transformations and creations vanishing as they hit the ground, the only ones not hit being Luna and Slumberam.

"No!" Luna screamed as she saw everyone fall.

And before she could try anything, Flash picked himself up and yelled, "Get up everyone! We can't give up!"

The others nodded as they picked themselves up, "We can't let Slumberam's efforts be in vain."

But as those words came out, Tantabagot quickly looked up, now seeing the floating Slumberam. It opened its mouth next, preparing another Dark Pulse. "NOOOOO!" Luna screamed as she ran between her Pokémon and the attack, "Don't you hurt her!" She threw her hands together, focusing as hard as possible as a light flew out of her, forming a barrier that blocked the Dark Pulse. "GYAH!" She cried at the blow, making her stagger back.

"Professor Luna!" Twilight yelled as she ran up and held out her hand, a light flying out of her as it mixed into the barrier to strengthen it. One by one, everyone else did the same, working to protect Slumberam.

"KEEP PUSHING!" Flash yelled.

"We have to protect Slumberam!" Doc added.

"PUSH!" Spike finished, Slumberam opening its eyes to see everyone trying to protect it. And when the Dark Pulse ended, the Dream Sheep then saw everyone fall over with the barrier.

"So tired," Flash groaned.

"Can't...keep fighting," Twilight panted, Tantabagot chuckling at this. But as it was about to charge another attack, a voice rang out.

"SLUMBER!" It looked up to see a purple light shot off the floating ram's body, the light enveloping everyone as it grew to a shape that was almost as large as Tantabagot. It then took shape, morphing into an image of Slumberam with everyone floating inside it.

"Awesome..." Flash gasped as he and Springer floated around. Everyone then saw Slumberam float down, glaring at the foe before turning to everyone.

"RAM!"

"Of course...that's it!" Luna yelled before turning to the others, "Everyone, focus and combine your energy. Give it all to Slumberam!"

Everyone nodded and began to focus, each of them glowing with their light flying over to Slumberam. The Dream Sheep bathed in the energy before focusing on Tantabagot, the energy construct around them opening its mouth and firing a giant beam of energy.

"TANT!" The Nightmare Pokémon roared as it fired its own blast, the two meeting in the center of town. But as they began to push, everyone's lights poured into Slumberam, the sheep's beam now growing even more. And as it pushed Tangabagot back, the goat screamed as the beam strike his head, "BAGOT!" Was all it could say before it exploded, the light flying over the town and hitting the many dreamers.

Everyone's eyes shot open, all gasping as they hopped out of their beds. But as they did this, they all saw they were back in the Pokémon Center.

"We're back!" Twilight cheered, only to hear a loud 'thud'.

"Slumberam!" Luna cried as she ran over to her Pokémon, the sheep moaning as it fell to the floor. "Oh Slumberam...you were marvelous. I'm so proud of you. Thanks to you, everyone was able to defeat Tantabagot and expel him from the dream world."

"But what happened to Tantabagot?" Spike asked, only for his ears to hear an explosion outside. Turning to the noise, they ran over and saw a bright purple light appear outside of the center.

"Its the Tantabagot!" Luna yelled as she returned her Pokémon, "Let's go!"

They all followed her as they ran out of the center, now seeing other people stepping out of their homes. And as they did this, Tantabagot saw the people, making it growl as it tried to pick itself up, "Tant!"

"Tantabagot!" It turned to Luna, "Your days of tormenting people ends now." She took out a Pokeball, "I'll make sure you never create another nightmare again. Pokeball, GO!" She threw the sphere at the nightmare goat, a red swirl sucking up the ram in one go before the orb fell to the ground.

It wobbled for several long seconds until it let out a ding, signaling the beast's capture. The entire town exploded into applause as Luna moved over to pick the Pokeball up, everyone beginning to congratulate each other on a job well done. But after they all finished their cheers, the lack of sleep caught up to everyone, the town going empty next as they all ran back to their beds.

The next morning...

As the sun rose above the horizon, everyone was now up and about. Each had a look of rejuvenation on their faces, crystal clear evidence of a good night's sleep. And on the edge of town, Luna was seeing Flash and the others off as they headed to Foal Mountain.

"You have my thanks for all the help you offered me," Luna told them. "I will now be working hard to keep Tantabagot from causing any more trouble."

"I'm sure we can trust you with that," Doc replied, "With enough training, it'll turn over a new leaf."

"I'm just glad I don't have to worry about having bad dreams again," Spike added.

"Yeah!" Flash cheered while stretching his arms, "I'm gonna need a good nights sleep if I want to win my sixth badge."

"I'm sure you'll get it, and I'll be routing for you." Luna replied before reaching into her bag, "Oh, right...I ran into some kids earlier and they made me something as a thank you gift."

"Really? What is it?" Flash asked, only for Luna to pull out a Riolu sock puppet.

"Aw, how cute." Twilight commented, only to see Flash just stare at it without blinking, sweat appearing on his face. "Flash?"

"GYAH!" he screamed, Flash spinning and bolting down the path away from the town. They all blinked in confusion before sharing a look, the group breaking out into laughter as Luna showed them more puppets designed after their Pokémon.

Their rest stop in the small town had been anything but relaxing, but they were still proud that they were able to help the people there. Now with their sights set firmly on the city of Cloudsdale, they walked with their heads held high. As the journey continues

Move Maker

View Online

Having left Luna and the little town, our heroes continue their journey to Cloudsdale City and Flash's sixth Equestria Gym Challenge. They were now trekking through some woods, now walking up to a large clearing where they saw a ten meter cliff-face with a waterfall flowing out of it half-way up. Unable to tell where the water from the falls went, they now saw a large building stood in front of it.

"Finally!" Twilight sighed as she gave her journal one last glance. "We found the forest Pokémon Center."

"Yeah..." Spike added, "Good thing we got here before it got dark."

The others nodding in agreement, the group going inside to see they were the only ones there. Seeing this, they called for Nurse Redheart as Twilight started to show them the next part of the journey plan. "Okay, this is where we are now." she said as she pointed at the forest on the map, "However, once we get out of this place, we'll have another mountain range between us and Foal Mountain."

"Seriously? No grasslands or beaches?" Flash moaned, Springer and Spike adding their own agreements. "Twilight, I don't wanna climb another mountain. We already gotta climb Foal Mountain."

"I know." she replied as she zoomed out the map. "I'm the same way. I've been looking over it since we started our forest trek...and I think this might work." The teen drew a red line to the side of the mountain range, "We can go down the side of the range and hug the coastline. We'll lose a day or two though."

"I can live with that," Flash instantly responded.

"Same!" Spike added, Peewee and Springer nodding rapidly.

Chuckling at their reactions, Doc chimed in, "I agree as well. In fact, we'll probably end up gaining more time than we lose this way. With our luck, we'd likely get lost, trapped or separated by something in the mountains that would eat up our time while we try to fix it."

"That's probably true." Twilight said with a long sigh, "Why does that sound so sad?"

And as they agreed with that as well, Nurse Redheart walked up to the desk, "Welcome to the Pokémon Center." she spoke up before her gaze fell on Flash. "Oh! Are you Flash Sentry?"

This made the teen raise an eyebrow, "Uh...yeah. How'd you know that?"

Redheart held up a finger before she headed into the back room, everyone exchanging glances before she came back with a small parcel. "This was sent here with an image of you connected to the card." She showed him the card, which had a younger image of him. "It asked me to hand this over to you if you showed up here."

"Huh," Flash took the parcel and glanced at the card. "Wait...the return address is from my house."

"Does that mean its from your grandmother?" Flash nodded back at Twilight's question. Ever since the Air Battle Tournament, Flash had made sure to keep regular contact with his grandmother, the last time being after his last gym badge.

"Wonder what she sent you?" Spike asked as Flash began to tear at the wrapping paper, revealing a plastic box. "What's that?"

"It's a water proof container," Doc replied, "Useful for carrying something that could be damaged by water. Whatever's inside must be something she considered valuable."

Flash then tapped a button on the side, a quick hiss escaping the container as the lid popped open. The teen pushed the top off, now seeing...a book. "Huh?" He took it out, reading the words 'Technical Manual' on the cover. "Technical...manual? What's that?"

"Oh my! She's wiser than I gave her credit for," Twilight gasped, Flash and Spike rolling their eyes at her reaction.

And as Nurse Redheart took their Pokémon to be examined, Flash went over to the phone and called up his house. "Hello?" The image of Cloud Clipper appeared on screen, the women smiling at the sight of her grandson. "Oh, Flash. I'm guessing this means you got my parcel."

"Yeah," Flash held the journal up, "I got it. Just not sure what it is."

Cloud sighed and shook her head, "Of course you called me before actually looking inside." Flash decided to finally open the book, seeing the first page on it had a title.

Evolving Water Gun into Ice Beam
There are three steps you need to master in order to transform Water Gun into this move. The first-

Flash's eyes came to a stop as he looked back up at her, "What is this?!"

"It's your grandfather's move journal." Flash went wide-eyed at this. He had heard a lot about his grandfather, though he had never actually met him. When he first arrived in Equestria from the Kanto Region on a journey, he met Cloud and fell in love. However, he died from health complications a few years before Flash was born. "Your gramps was a smart little egghead. He documented almost everything from his travels, including what he had learned about how to teach his Pokémon new moves."

"Wow..." Flash replied as he started to flip through the book, seeing tons of notes over moves, some evolving from earlier moves while others explained how to learn them from scratch.

"This is incredible," Twilight added as she studied the book over Flash's shoulder. "And these really work?"

Cloud nodded back, "The first one is proof. His Squirtle learned Ice Beam by chance, so he documented it and later used it to teach all his water Pokémon Ice Beam. I found it while cleaning out the attic and thought you might like it. I'm sure you'll be able to teach some of your Pokémon some new moves."

"Thanks gran," Flash replied, "I promise I'll put it to good use."

"I know you will sweetheart. I'll let you get started." She gave them all a wave goodbye before cutting the call, Flash turning his focus to the book before they all started taking turns.

"Amazing...its very detailed." Twilight commented first, "Your grandfather was an incredible documenter."

"Yeah. Gran always said she thought he would be a better researcher than a trainer." He looked down at the TM, "I just wonder what moves I should teach my team."

"You should consult your Pokedex," Twilight chimed in, "Get a list of what moves your Pokémon can learn, and then see if any of them are in the book." Flash nodded before typing Riolu into the device, getting a list of moves. But as he went down the list, he found nothing worth getting, but Twilight told him to not be discouraged. Twilight pulling out a separate notebook, the group looked over the journal and the Pokedex, comparing and compiling moves for all their Pokémon.

And as time passed by, Flash spoke up, "Alright, I say we try and teach each of our Pokémon at least one of these moves."

"Agreed. I think I already know what I'm teaching Shine, and I've got an idea what Owlicious should learn."

Doc nodded in return, "Higear didn't have a lot of options in the book, but I found something Tockwork could learn."

"What about you Flash?" Spike asked next, "What are you gonna teach yours?"

"Well...." Flash stared down at the list, "I'm not sure Springer, Skyler and Prongs will want to learn any of these moves, but I might have ones Viper and Hopper could learn."

"What about Riptide?" Twilight added, only for a dinging sound to catch their ears.

They turned to see Redheart walking over with a cart of Pokeballs along with Springer and Peewee. "Thanks for waiting. I'm happy to report that your Pokémon are all completely fighting fit."

"Thanks," Flash replied as Springer and Peewee ran over to them. Once they had their Pokeballs, they went to the center's back yard, seeing the waterfall feeding into a small river that ran down the side of the hill they were on. They then let out their Pokémon, Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper, Hopper, Owlicious, Shine, Higear, Tockwork and Flitanium letting out a cry as they were released. "Alright guys, it's time for some special training." Flash announced next, the Pokémon turning to him as he pointed at the book, "This little thing is filled with pages of cool tricks for a lot of you, and we want to see what you all would like to learn."

They all let out a cheer as they ran over to their trainers. Doc was the first to go into detail as he talked to his Pokémon, "Sorry Flitanium, I couldn't find a move you could learn. However, you just learned Iron Head, so you should be okay." Flitanium let out a glum caw, only for Doc to pat his shoulder, "Now now, don't be depressed. It shows you're already ahead of the game if you don't have much to learn." He turned to his other Pokémon as he then asked, "As for you two, I have some options. Higear, wanna turn your Tackle into Slam?" Higear nodded. "Great. What about you Tockwork?" The Clockwork Pokémon looked over the list before pointing at one move, "Really, you want that one?"

"Tock."

"Alright then, let's try it."

Doc began to walk away as Twilight then showed her Pokémon the list, "Alright you three, see anything you like? There wasn't a lot of choices for us."

"Sorry there wasn't a move in there for you bud," Spike told Peewee.

"Wagon..." Peewee shrugged as the others starting picking from the list.

"Nee," Shine added while wagging her tail, Twilight raising an eyebrow at her choice.

"Interesting. Well, that could come in handy...especially against Dragon-types. What about you Owlicious?" The Scholar Pokémon looked over the list, pointing to two of the moves. However, he couldn't pick just one, Twilight commenting, "Yeah, I understand your dilemma. Though there's nothing to say we can't teach you both. We'll just work on them one at a time." Owlicious nodded in agreement, Twilight turning to Flash next. "Wonder how his Pokémon are doing?"

"So what do you guys think?" Flash asked as the six looked over the options, Springer, Skyler and Prongs all looking up before shaking their heads. "Yeah, I figured none of these would interest you three." He turned to Hopper and pointed to a move. "What about this one? I like the idea of upgrading your Bite to a full-on Crunch attack."

"Rush!" Hopper cheered, Flash chuckling at his response before turning to Viper.

"You can try and learn Crunch too if you want." He then pointed to another move, "Or we could teach you this."

Viper stared at the list, only to look back up and nod, "Car!"

"Nice." He turned to Riptide next, only to see a glum frown on the lizard's face, "What's up buddy? Anything on there catch your eye?" Riptide looked back up at him, only to glance down at the list again. Seeing the frown, he patted the lizard's side, "Hey, don't sweat it. If there's nothing you wanna learn, that's fine. You're already awesome the way you are." Flash then turned to Viper and Hopper, "Now, let's get to work."

They nodded and moved over to a part of the field, Flash now reading the journal again. Twilight and Doc had memorized what they needed to do, knowing that Flash would need the journal the full time. And as they began their training, the Pokémon split into groups. Springer was helping Hopper while Flitanium began to work with Viper. Skyler was also helping Owlicious as Prongs was with Shine. As for Peewee, he and Spike decided to simply watch Higear and Tockwork practice.

"That's it Shine. Keep it up." Twilight added as she watched Shine begin to slam her tail into a tree. "Remember, for this to work, you're gonna need a lot of strength in your tail."

"Nee!" Shine cried as she kept hitting the tree, Prong pushing on the other side.

Seeing Prongs now telling her to try harder, Twilight looked away and saw Riptide still staring at the list. She could see the frustration on his face, making her walk up to him, "Find anything?" Riptide jolted before spinning around, now seeing a smiling Twilight, "You know, you should try learning something to help cover your weaknesses."

"Tore?!" Riptide blurted out, the frown on his face about to grow from the comment.

"Now hang on Riptide, I'm not saying you're weak. I'm just saying there are certain types you don't do well against. Water always has problems with Grass and Electric. Most of the time, you'd just want to stay clear of them, but there may come a time you're forced to face off against them. You should try and learn a move that'll help you in that kind of fight." She pointed to a certain deer next, "Look at Prongs. He's weak to Bug-types, but his Bounce attack makes up for it while giving him a bonus in having something to use against Fighting and other Grass-types. See what I mean?"

Riptide nodded, "Spran."

"Great. Just think about that and choose."

"Tore." he replied as he stared back at the list, thinking about what she said. He mentally went over his own moves, only to then see a certain move. "Spranitor!" he cheered, getting Flash's attention as he turned to see his Pokémon running over to him with the list.

"Hey buddy, find something you wanna learn?" Riptide nodded and pointed to it, Flash raising an eyebrow at the request, "Huh. That's what you wanna learn?" Riptide nodded again, Flash smirking at his enthusiasm. "Alright then! Time to teach you Ice Punch!"

"TORE!"

Flash went to the Ice Punch section of the TM, which luckily wasn't a move that you learned through evolving another move. "Alright...it says here that the way to learn Ice Punch is to combine speed and concentration. By hitting a single focused point at high speed, you'll be able to freeze the air around your fist as you make contact...which sounds really complicated. Does it want you to freeze something?"

"It means you need water." Twilight chimed in.

"Huh?"

"If he needs to freeze something, which is a great choice of move by the way Riptide," The lizard let out a happy cheer at this while Twilight pointed at the waterfall, "Use that."

"Oh..." Flash glanced back down at the journal, his brain started to move as he read the move over again, "Uh...okay. I think I got it."

"Spran?" Riptide asked as they walked over to the falls.

"Okay bud, it's really simple. If you can freeze this waterfall, even just a bit, it'll show you're on your way to learning the move." Riptide nodded back, turning to the flowing water. "I'll do it with you. Ready?"

"Tore." With that, the two began punching the water as fast as they could, the liquid splashing everywhere.

"Well, that's not quite it....but its one way to train." Twilight giggled before looking back at Owlicious, the owl now hovering over her. "That's the way Owlicious. Now focus on building energy. The book said you have to feel like you're one with the wind. Feel the wind flowing through your wings. You can do it."

"Lore..." he hooted back while doing slow light flaps, feeling the air flow through him as he did this.

At the same time, Hopper and Viper were doing mouth exercises while Springer and Flitanium helped. They both shut their mouths before pushing their lower jaws outward and raised their lips. As they did this, Springer began to count. "Ri. oh. loo. Ri, oh, loo. Ri, oh, loo." This kept up until he reached fifteen, the two stopping and taking a break for another fifteen seconds.

On the other side of the garden, Doc was going over his tools as he said, "The book said you need to grab your opponent and slam them down with as much force as possible. That means we need to increase how much power you can output."

"Gear..." Higear nodded before Doc opened the Pokémon's back, revealing many different spinning gears. "Let's see if we can't find a way to tune you up so your can generate more power." Higear closed his eyes, not moving as Doc started tinkering away, all the while Tockwork stood there with its eyes closed as well. "That's it Tockwork. Just focus on gathering the energy you need for your attack. You'll get it."

And with that, the hours began to pass by with ease. It wasn't long till night came, the group deciding to call it a day before going to bed with several training aches and pains.

The next morning...

As soon as the sun was up, Flash and his Pokémon were awake as he stared at his team, "You guys sure you're up for this?" He asked, now seeing Riptide rubbing his fists while Viper and Hopper rubbed their mouths. The three nodded back, making him smile all pull out the journal. "Okay. First, Hopper just needs to keep focusing on building up your jaw muscles. Viper, you should do the same while directing your venom into your fangs. And Riptide, you keep working on what we did yesterday."

The three all nodded in agreement before splitting up, Springer, Skyler and Prongs all watching as Flash helped. Hopper was now using a bucket of water that he carried in his mouth, increasing the amount of liquid over time. Viper moved to the middle of the garden, closing his eyes as he focused on the venom circling through his body while Riptide continued to punch the waterfall.

"That's the way guys. Keep this up and you'll have your new moves down before you know it."

As this happened, the rest of their friends entered the area. "Early bird Pokémon catches the Wurmple," Doc laughed as Higear and Tockwork started to prepare for their training. "Alright Higear, this should help you." he handed the Pokémon a large sack full of rocks. "They're pretty strong, so they won't break easily. If you can break them with your Slam, that'll show you've got it down."

"High!" Higear yelled as it began to float upward before spinning. It then thrust its body down, the ground almost shaking from the blow....only to see the rocks were in one piece. "Gear."

At the same time, Tockwork did what it did the previous day and closed its eyes. "That's it Tockwork. Now try gathering that energy into a single spot."

"Tock..." it grunted as a tiny orb of yellow, green and red energy began to form between its hands and gun. But as it tried to increase the size of the sphere, the ball popped with the energy within breaking free, discharging harmlessly into the air.

"Don't sweat it. You'll get it with more practice."

Tockwork nodded back, closing his eyes again.

"Okay Shine, give it a try." Twilight added as she leaned down to her Ponyta's side. "Remember, swing your tail as hard as you can."

"Nee," she neighed before raising her tail. The Pokémon started spinning it around propeller style before spinning on her hooves and whipping it around, "TAA!" Doing so caused a gentle breeze to kick up in Twilight and Spike's faces, the pair smiling.

"That was pretty good. Just a little more strength and you'll have it." Shine nodded as she began to try again.

And as the day went on, everyone kept getting closer to mastering their new moves. "Owl!" Owlicious yelled as he spread his wings, his body slowly beginning to glow. "LORE!" He then shot down and slammed into one of the trees, making it shake as he bounced off.

"Great work," Twilight clapped. "You're getting better. Just a little more and you'll have it."

As she said this, Tockwork formed another orb in its hands, this one the same size of an Aura Sphere. "WORK!" He roared as he fired the orb, the ball exploding and zapping a nearby tree.

"Wow!" Spike cheered, "That was awesome!"

"Sure was," Doc added, "Great work Tockwork."

"Hack," they turned to Viper, his mouth fully open with glowing purple fangs. Flitanium then raised a wing and nodded, Viper hissing out, "HACKER!" He sank his fangs into the wing, the poison spreading, but also getting neutralized by Flitanium's typing. He pulled back and saw the armored bird nod. "Car!"

"Nice!" Flash said as he patted his Pokémon's head, "Good work."

"Hack!"

Flash then turned to Hopper as Springer threw a thick branch at him. "RUSH!" He roared as his mouth glowed, biting down on the branch before shattering it to splinters.

As he did this, Shine spun around and flicked her tail. Doing so caused a much stronger gust of wind to be blown from it, this wind actually pink in color with some glitter inside. The wind struck the splinters, causing them to be blown up until they were halfway up the cliff.

"YES!" Twilight cheered as she pulled Shine into a hug while Flash knelt down and patted Hopper's head. "You were amazing!"

"Yeah bud," Flash added, "You did great."

Twilight turned to Flash with a huge smile, "That notebook is amazing! Most Pokémon take days to learn these moves, but with that, they managed to do it in only two days."

"Not all of us," Flash replied before turning to Riptide. The Spranitor was still punching the waterfall, but it still wasn't freezing.

"I'm amazed he hasn't given up," Twilight commented.

"That's not Riptide's way. But I'm sure he's feeling frustrated."

As Riptide punched the water again, he glanced over and saw that the others had almost entirely mastered their new moves. They weren't perfect, but much farther than he was. Sighing at the sight, he went back to the waterfall as a single question kept going through his head. 'What am I doing wrong?'

Flash sighed as well, quickly consulting the book as he mumbled, "I don't get it. What are we doing wrong?"

Twilight took the book and read the passage, the gears in her brain turning as she responded, "Hmm...maybe you need to break it down." Flash turned to her while tilting his head, "It needs both speed and concentration, right?" He nodded. "Then instead of working on both, do one and then the other."

"Oh...yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"Of course it does. I told you to do it after all." she deadpanned before pointing at Riptide, "Try increasing his speed, then work on his focus."

"Got it!" Flash replied as he looked back at his Spranitor, "Riptide!" He turned to his trainer, "Come over here!" He waved him over as Flash ran over to the garden, Riptide following until they headed into the forest. "Alright, new plan. Let's start by getting your speed up as high as it can go."

"Tore?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds weird. For now, just punch as hard and as fast as you can. Doesn't matter where it lands." Riptide nodded and started punching the air rapidly, getting as much speed and power as he could behind it. "That's the way. Keep that up until it's as natural as breathing. Then we'll work on controlling that speed and power."

But as he watched him, Flash noticed Riptide's fists scraping the bush beside him, causing some leaves to come off and get caught in the wind. "Huh?"

Several more hours passed for the group after that. Each Pokémon had gotten their new moves down, and now needed to practice getting them to the power level they would need for battle.

"Sky Attack!" Twilight ordered Owlicious, the owl soaring up high before spreading his wings as he began to glow.

"LORE!" he roared, tackling a tree before smashing right through it, causing it to fall.

"Crunch!" Spike told Hopper next.

"RUSH!" he yelled as he bit down on the trunk, shattering it to pieces.

"Slam!" Doc commanded as Higear grabbed another branch.

"High!" it cried as it slammed down on the tree, smashing it to bits.

"Poison Fang!" Viper's fangs glowed as he bit into another large piece of tree.

"Car!" he hissed, the branches now decaying from the venom.

"Now, Fairy Wind!" Shine flicked her tail before swinging it around.

"NEE!" She unleashed the pink glittery wind that pushed the tree pieces into the air right as Tockwork prepared his new attack.

"Zap Cannon!" The orb of energy appeared as Tockwork pointed its gun barrel at the tree pieces.

"TOCK!" The Zap Cannon struck the pieces, an explosion destroying the last bit of timber.

"Amazing everyone!" Twilight cheered, "I think you've got your new attacks down."

"You're so awesome!" Spike added.

"Now hold on," Doc chimed in. "Let's not pat ourselves on the back yet. It's easy to do something when you're relaxed and calm. It's another thing to do it when you're being attacked."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "That is true. We need to test how well they can use these attacks in battle."

"Exactly...though I think we should leave that until tomorrow." They glanced back at the Pokémon, exhaustion on their faces. Twilight and Spike nodded in agreement before looking out into the forest.

"You think they'll be back soon?"

"They should be. It's gonna be dark soon." Then, as if on cue, Flash and Riptide appeared out of the treeline, running over as Twilight asked, "So, how did it go?"

"Pretty good," Flash replied before turning to Riptide. "Time to see if it all payed off." Riptide nodded and moved over to the waterfall, everyone watching as he prepared himself. "Do it bud!" Riptide clenched his fist before thrusting it. The fist entered the water and was quickly pulled out, the flow of the water not at all stopping. "Oh."

"Nee..." Riptide sighed, looking down at his fist...only to go wide-eyed, "Tore!" He turned to Flash and held out his hand, everyone looking down and seeing a small piece of ice stuck to it.

"Hey, it froze!" Flash peeled the ice off, "You did it bud. You're starting to get it."

Riptide nodded back as Twilight spoke up. "It's clear he's got the speed he needs down. Now he just needs to build his concentration."

"Great...but how are we supposed to do that?" Flash asked as he looked at his friends...only to see no answers on their faces. "Great."

"You'll figure it out," Doc replied, "But maybe you should wait until tomorrow. You don't wanna overdo it." Flash nodded before the group went back into the Center.

That night...

As everyone snoozed away in bed, the only one awake was Flash. He couldn't seem to fall asleep, his mind scattered as he tried to focus on how to help build Riptide's concentration. His brain kept hitting him as he did this, soon sighing as he got up and left the room.

And as he headed back outside, he walked into the garden and stared at the moon as it shined in the sky. 'There has to be a way. But what?' He sighed while sitting down on a bench, taking out Riptide's Pokeball. "I'm your trainer, so I need to do whatever I can to help you grow stronger...but what do I do?"

But as he stared at the ball, the gentle night air managed to pluck the leaf off a nearby potted plant and blow it into the air past Flash. The teen saw this, remembering back to when he and Riptide had been running. "Wait...could that work?" he whispered to himself and stood up. He opened the ball, letting Riptide out. The Spranitor looked up at him, blinking at him, "Riptide, I've got an idea."

"Tore?"

A few minutes later, Flash and Riptide stood several feet apart with Flash's back to the wind and Riptide facing in it. Flash had a bunch of leaves in his hand, taking one and letting it be picked up by the wind. And as it flew over to Riptide, he focused on it as he clenched his fist. "Ready Riptide?" He asked as the leaf got closer, "Do it!"

"TORE!" Riptide threw his punch, missing the leaf by several inches.

"Just letting loose with a punch won't do anything. You gotta pinpoint your punch and hit the moving leaf. Got it?" Riptide nodded, "Then let's try again." He took another leaf and let it loose, the green solar panel fluttering in the breeze toward Riptide.

"Spran," he replied as he clenched his fist, "Tore!" He threw another punch, but missed again.

"Again!" Flash told him, "And focus everything you have on the leaf." Flash let out another, Riptide's focus suddenly becoming laser like. His eyes continued to follow the leaf's movements as he clenched his fist. As he did this, he didn't notice his fist begin to glow whitish blue. "That's it! Do it!"

"TORE!" Riptide threw his glowing fist, missing the leaf...only to see a bit of frost covering the leaf as it fell to the ground. "Spran?!"

"That's the way buddy!" Flash cheered as he picked up another leaf, "Let's do it one more time! We can do this bud!" Riptide nodded and got into position again. "Here we go!"

The next morning...

When the rest of the group awakened, they saw that Flash was gone. "Early bird again."

"He really needs to relax," Spike sighed as they got out of bed.

"it's called commitment," Twilight corrected them as they got ready, "It's something every dedicated trainer will need if they wanna get anywhere in the sport."

Spike was about to counter, only for a loud shattering sound to enter the group's ears. Catching their attention, they ran over to the window, gasping as they saw a new sight. Right in front of their eyes, the waterfall completely froze. It started from the bottom and worked its way upward until the whole thing was encased. The three could only gasp at the sight before looking down at the source, seeing Riptide with a fist in the frozen water.

Flash stood besides him with a smile on his lips, the teen turning to see them looking through the window, "Oh, morning guys!" He pointed to the frozen waterfall, "Pretty cool, huh?"

Riptide pulled his fist out of the ice before spinning around and using Rock Smash to shatter it. The ice fell to the ground before it was washed away by the returning waterfall. Everyone continued to stare in shock before leaving the center, all soon outside with their Pokémon. "How did you do that?"

Flash chuckled back at their reactions, "What do you think? We trained our butts off and finally figured out the trick."

"So Riptide can use Ice Punch now?" Flash nodded, "That's awesome!"

"It is..." Doc added, "But just because he knows Ice Punch doesn't mean he's ready to use it in battle. You'll need to test that out."

"You're right," Flash replied, "So, up for a match Doc?"

"Always." Doc nodded before turning to Tockwork, "You ready?"

"Tock," Tockwork responded before walking over to a small arena the center had. While he did this, Flash let all his Pokémon out, the two pairs soon standing opposite as Twilight stood between them.

"Okay, I'll act as ref." she announced, "This'll be a one on one battle with no time limit, and will only end when one of your Pokémon is unable to battle."

Flash looked down at Riptide. "I know you're probably tired from a hard night's training, but let's show them just how awesome your new move really is."

"Tore!" Riptide cheered as he stood in front of him.

Doc turned to Tockwork. "Zap Cannon is a good move to use against Riptide, but it's not without its issues. Remember that." Tockwork nodded back. "We have to wait for just the right moment to strike with it. One hit's probably all we'll need."

"Tock..." it nodded again before walking out onto the field.

"Alright, are both trainers ready?" Twilight asked, getting two nods back. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Water Gun!" Flash instantly ordered, Riptide taking a big breath before shooting out a burst of water.

"Block it with Bullet Punch!"

"Tock!" Tockwork quickly threw its fist, disbursing the water before the mechanical Pokémon charged at the lizard.

"Overclock!" The gears on its side began to spin before Tockwork's speed increased, quickly reaching Riptide and karate chopping him.

"Nee!" He flinched as he staggered back, trying to regain his footing.

"Rock Smash!" Riptide swung his glowing legs around, trying to hit Tockwork back. The first two attacks were avoided, but the third hit its mark when Riptide thrust his foot into the center of Tockwork's clock face.

"Psywave!" Tockwork pointed its gun at Riptide and fired the psychic bullet, hitting Spranitor in the chest. "Now's our chance! Zap Cannon!" Tockwork began to focus, drawing in its electrical energy as it began to form the sphere.

"Tock!" Once big enough, it aimed and fired his gun.

And as Riptide had just recovered, he opened his eyes to see the Electric attack. But before it could make contact, it flew off course, whizzing past Riptide's shoulder before exploding.

"What just happened?" Spike asked.

"Zap Cannon is a very powerful move, but very unsteady. It's chances of hitting are always fifty-fifty."

"Now's our chance!" Flash told Riptide. "Get in close and use Ice Punch!" Riptide nodded and charged, focusing while his fist began to glow blue.

"Dodge with Overclock!"

"Tock," it nodded as its gears began to spin. And as Riptide got closer, he threw his fist at the Pokémon, only for Tockwork to spin around the lizard, dodging the punch. But as it did this, the attack hit the air, causing parts of the Pokémon to get a frosted coating.

"Nee?" Riptide yelped as he saw Tockwork avoid him, only to get hit by its metal fist. "Tore!" He was thrown back, rolling on the ground with a gasp of pain.

"Let's try it again! Zap Cannon!" Tockwork raised its arms as the orb began to form.

"Riptide!" Flash cried out, "You gotta get up."

"Tore..." Riptide slowly spun and pushed himself back to his feet. He let out a gasp, the night's exhausting training hitting him.

"Come on! Get up!" Flash yelled.

"Now, FIRE!" Tockwork shot the orb at Riptide, the Spranitor looking up to see the orb coming for him. His eyes shook at the sight, watching the Zap Cannon get closer.

But as this happened, the sphere seemed to slow down for him. His eyes blinked once, now seeing the orb being replaced by the image of a leaf in the wind. He could see if quickly shifting from left to right, side to side. And as he did this, his brain was able to pinpoint which part of him was gonna get hit. "Nee..." Riptide whispered as he suddenly shifted his body position before raising his right arm just enough so the Zap Cannon flew under it.

He flinched as a small amount of electricity escaped the orb and flew into him, barely enough to not call it major damage. Instead, the Zap Cannon exploded behind him, sending a shockwave that knocked him forward. But as this happened, the blast pushed him up to his feet, giving him a burst of speed as he got into a sprint.

"Alright!" Flash cheered while the others' jaws dropped. "Use Rock Smash and aim for the legs!"

"Spran!" Riptide quickly closed the distance between him and Tockwork, sliding next as his legs began to glow, "NITOR!" He roared as his legs slammed into Tockwork's, knocking the machine off balance.

"Now, Ice Punch!" Riptide slid to a stop before pulling his fist back.

Tockwork let out a moan, trying to punch Riptide away as the Spranitor got close. The lizard hopped back before readjusting his fist, now seeing Riptide's hand now glowing blue. "TORE!" Riptide roared as he threw his fist forward, a trail of light blue energy now slamming into the clock face.

"TOCKWORK!" It cried as it staggered back, parts of its face freezing up.

"ALRIGHT!" Flash cheered before pointing at Tockwork. "But we're not done yet! Use Aqua Tail!" Riptide leapt up as his tail began to encase itself in spiraling water, the Spranitor flipping around to slam the attack into Tockwork.

"Oh, no you don't! Overclock!" Tockwork's gears span again, dodging Aqua Tail with a sudden backpedal. "Now, Psywave!" Tockwork pointed its gun at Riptide as a larger than before bullet was shot out the barrel, the attack hitting Riptide right in the face.

"TORE!" He yelped as he was thrown backward.

"We have to do this now before it's too late. Zap Cannon!" Doc ordered, Tockwork forming the orb as Riptide rolled on the ground. Flash's face showed pure panic as he saw Riptide lay there, exhaustion on the lizard's face. The trainer's brain was just as fired, barely any energy in him as he glanced back at Tockwork and saw the orb close to completion.

"WORK!" Tockwork fired the orb at Riptide, Flash gasping.

"Dodge it!" he yelled as Riptide let out a moan of pain. He then turned to the orb coming for him, his vision doubling the sphere due to the Psywave. And as it got closer, the sphere started to come into focus...only to slam and explode into the lizard.

"SPRANITOR!" He cried as his entire body was electrified.

"RIPTIDE!" Flash screamed as the attack came to an end, revealing a smoking Riptide as spirals appeared in his eyes.

"Riptide is unable to battle. Tockwork wins."

Flash sighed before moving over to Riptide, helping him sit up, "You were great bud. Don't feel down about losing. That Zap Cannon would be a lot for anyone to handle."

"Tore..." Riptide moaned out.

"You really were great," Twilight added as she walked over to him, "And that Ice Punch...it's amazing you were able to go from no improvement to having the move almost completely mastered in a single night. What's your secret?"

"Oh, something only I would think of." Flash replied, chuckling.

One explanation later...

"A leaf?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yup." Flash replied while nodding. "I thought of it while we were training."

Twilight clapped her hands, "That's brilliant! By focusing Riptide's energy on a single point that constantly moved around, Riptide's concentration got sharper."

Doc nodded in agreement, "When moving at high speeds, reaction time is one of the most important things. Being able to shift your prospective and follow something, no matter how fast or unfocused it's moving, is great not just for the move, but for battling in general. You should be proud you came up with something like that."

Flash blushed at the praise before staring at where his grandfather's book lay. He picked it up and opened it, "Got a pen?" Twilight handed him one and he started writing. At the bottom of the Ice Punch page, he wrote a directory to another page's number before flipping to it. That page was empty, where he then wrote down the leaf trick.

"Your grandfather would be proud," Twilight added.

"I hope so." Flash replied before putting the journal away and turned to his Pokémon. "Alright guys, we've still got a lot of work to do before we're ready to say we've mastered these moves. Let's get to work!"

They all cheered as they began their training again...only for Flash to fall over for a quick nap. Laughing at this, they agreed to get some breakfast first while letting Flash get some rest. What started as a quick stop to a Pokémon Center had evolved into a special training camp, with everyone growing in one way or another. Now with Flash's battle against the Cloudsdale Gym Leader getting closer by the day, one can only wonder how this training will pay off.

As the journey continues.

Grand Champion

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"Water Gun!"

"Nee...TORE!" Riptide roared as he unleashed a stream of water at his opponent, a Gliscor, knocking it back.

"Score!" It cried as it started to fly, trying to get out of the water's range.

Still at the forest Pokémon Center, the group had been continuing their training to complete their new moves before heading off to Foal Mountain and Flash's sixth Equestria Region gym challenge. Over the last few days, more trainers had arrived at the center and Flash had been battling with as many as possible. Now his latest opponent and his Gliscor were planning to end his unbeaten streak, Gliscor now circling Riptide for a dive-bomb attack.

"Steel Wing!"

"Score!" Gliscor yelled as his wings began to glow, diving down next.

"Dodge it and then use Ice Punch!" Riptide leapt at the Gliscor, spinning his body to avoid the metal wings as the two flew past on another.

"Tore!" Riptide roared as he threw a blue lightning-filled punch into the Gliscor's gut. The blow made it cry out, crashing from the blow with spirals in its eyes.

"Gliscor is unable to battle," Doc announced before pointing to Riptide, "Riptide is the winner!"

"YES!" Flash cheered as he and Riptide high-fived, his opponent returning Gliscor before running off in embarrassment. "You did great bud!"

"Tore," Riptide replied, nodding as the others walked over to them.

"I think it's safe to say Riptide's mastered Ice Punch," Twilight commented, "That means we can finally head out." Flash nodded in agreement as they headed over to the Center. "There's another move Owlicious wants to learn, but we can work on it on the way."

"Yeah, and Viper can also work on another new move while we're heading up there." Flash took out the Technical Manual. "With this, our Pokémon have the entire world as their oyster." They all chuckled at his comment before walking into the center, only to freeze up as they saw who was at the front desk, "Lightning."

Lightning Blitz turned to the voice, hissing back before giving Redheart his Pokémon. And as he did this, he walked over to the waiting room in pure silence.

"Well, he's as chipper as ever." Doc whispered. "Didn't think we'd run into him out here."

"We actually ran into him in the desert," Spike added, "When Flash and I were looking for that plant to cure Doc, we found him fighting a Sandslash."

"I see..." Twilight muttered while rubbing her chin, "I bet he's heading for Cloudsdale."

"Great...." Flash sighed as they moved over to grab their bags. But as they did this, they noticed a group of trainers gathering around a TV. "What's that?"

They moved over to see they were watching a battle, the people on screen making them gasp. One of the trainers was a middle aged man with gray skin and white hair, along with a large scar over his eye. He wore a brown jumper under a black coat with gray pants.

"Wow, its Grand Hoof!" Flash cheered, "His battles are always awesome!"

And as he said this, Lightning's ears perked as Spike then spoke up, "That name sounds familiar..."

"Don't you remember? He was the Champion before Shining Armor." Twilight added as Spike's eyes went wide at this, "He was Champion for ten years before losing his title six years ago."

"Wow...awesome!" Spike turned back to the TV, "So is he still battling after losing his title?"

"He is," Doc answered with a nod, "But this isn't live. I recognise the match. This is a rerun of a league final match he won the year before he lost to Shining."

On the TV, a Hariyama was battling an Orbeetle. The spaceship bug was flying around, launching a bunch of Psybeams down on Hariyama. But then the sumo Pokémon leapt up before backhanding the ladybug with a giant fist, sending it crashing to the ground. And when the dust cleared, it revealed a knocked out Orbeetle.

"And with an astounding Knock-Off attack, Hariyama claims another victory for Grand Hoof! Can anyone out there defeat the great mountain that is our Champion?!"

"Yeah! My brother!" Spike laughed, the others rolling their eyes while Lightning stared at them with a raised eyebrow. But before he could say something, the doors of the center suddenly opened.

"HEY!" They turned to see a teen run through the doors, "Everyone, you won't believe this! Grand Hoof, the former Champion, he's in the forest!" Everyone gasped at this. "He was looking at some weird old stone, but it's really him!"

The trainer then tan back out, the rest of the trainers in the lobby following him. As they did this, Flash turned to his friends, "What are the chances?"

"It is a little coincidental that he would be around here just as we were watching a match of his," Twilight added.

"Who cares?!" Spike chimed in as he and Peewee ran to the exit. "If it is him, what other chance could we have to meet him?!"

"He's got a point," Doc finished, the others nodding in agreement as they all left the center. And as the building was emptied, Lightning sat in his seat, his whole body shaking as he clenched his fists.

"He's here."

A little later...

When the group found the other trainers that had rushed out to find Grand, they were all now gathered around a clearing in the woods. They managed to spot a gap in the circle and ran over, now seeing the man they were looking for. He was just like he had been on TV, while not looking at all bothered by the people staring at him. He was more focused on the large stones in the middle of the clearing, each possessing some strange form of writing alongside weird drawings.

"There he is..." Flash gasped, "Someone who was once considered the strongest trainer in Equestria."

"Do you think we should say hello?" Doc asked.

"No. He looks busy," Twilight added, "Probably best to wait until he's done before bothering him." But as she said this, someone pushed past the group, the person almost pushing Twilight to the ground. "Hey!" she yelled, only to go wide-eyed as she saw who it was.

It was Lightning, the teen growling as he ran up to Grand. The other trainer heard the angry voices from the crowd, making him turn before seeing Lightning and smiling, "Lightning!" He held out his arms, "Good to see you kiddo!" However, Lightning just glared at him, making Grand sigh, "What, too good to give your old grandpa a hug now that you're a hot shot trainer?"

"Did he say grandpa?" Spike gasped, everyone surrounding the clearing just as shocked.

"Of course," Twilight sighed while almost facepalming, "I forgot Lightning was Grand's grandson."

"You knew that?" Flash asked next.

"It was on his info when he first became a trainer."

Spike looked back at Grand and Lightning with a frown, "Huh. I can't believe that jerk's related to such a famous trainer."

"I've been trying to contact you," Grand said first, "But you haven't been answering my calls."

"You know why I haven't been answering. I knew you wanted to lecture me about what happened at that stupid camp you sent me too. I didn't need that in my life."

"You caused a lot of trouble for Celestia and Luna. You realize what you do reflects on me."

Lightning shrugged at this, "Why?! I have nothing to do with you. Besides, I'm not here for a lecture."

"So why are you here?" Grand asked with crossed arms, "Clearly this is more than just two family members meeting."

"I'm here to battle you!"

This caused the trainers around them to whisper amongst themselves, all calling him an idiot for thinking he could beat Grand. Despite this, Grand uncrossed arms as he said, "You sure you wanna do this? Don't expect me to hold back because we're family."

"I'd be insulted if you did," Lightning replied, "And I am sure. This is my best chance to test my skills. My objective is to one day beat Shining Armor and claim the title you threw away. But to know how close I am to that goal, I need to see how well I match up to someone of his calibre, and who better than the man he beat to earn his title."

Grand chuckled at his logic, "So win or lose, you just wanna see how far you've come. Well, consider my interest peaked. I'm just as curious to see how much you've grown since leaving him. Alright, let's do this."

Lightning pulled out a Pokeball, "Time to finally see....do you still have what it takes, or are you really just a washed up has been." He enlarged the ball and pulled it back. "Chimplug, battle ready!" He tossed the ball, revealing the electric monkey.

"Plug!" He roared before going wide-eyed at the trainer he was fighting. "Chim?"

"Chimplug, it's good to see you again." Grand responded before taking out his own Pokeball, "I look forward to seeing how much stronger you've gotten." His ball expanded as he pulled it back, "I hope you're ready! Hariyama, battle ready! He tossed the ball into the air, now revealing the Sumo Pokémon.

"Har!" it yelled, Chimplug almost backpedaling at the sight of the Pokémon.

"Alright," Grand nodded to his grandson, "You may have the first move."

"You'll regret that," Lightning growled as he pointed at Hariyama, "Thunder Punch!" Chimplug's fist became electrified as he charged, ready to strike as Hariyama just stared him down.

"Belly Drum!" Grand said in a calm voice, Hariyama now repeatedly hitting its stomach with its hands. With each hit, vibrations bounced off it as the Pokémon's body began to glow. As it did this, Chimplug got within striking distance. "Now, block it!"

"Harry!" Hariyama thrust its open palm forward as Chimplug leapt, throwing a fist into the palm.

"Plug?" He yelped as Hariyama closed its fist, Chimplug's fist and arm wedged between its fingers.

"What?" Lightning added as he now saw Chimplug tried to pull itself free with no success.

"Force Palm!" The group watched as Hariyama threw Chimplug into the air while pulling its other palm back. And as the monkey fell to earth, it thrust the clenched palm at it.

"HARRY/PLUG!" The two yelled, Hariyama slamming Chimplug with enough force that it sent a wave of air out in every direction. Everyone braced themselves as the wind hit them, Chimplug now being thrown back. "Chim!" He cried as he hit the ground, rolling on the dirt. He would have rolled passed Lightning, but the teen moved into his path and kneeled down as he then saw Chimplug's spiraling eyes.

"No way...." Spike gasped, "In one hit?"

Flash was suddenly reminded of his own battle with the current champion, which had ended almost the exact same way this match was shaping up to turn out like. "He wasn't the champion for nothing."

"It's likely thanks to Belly Drum," Doc commented as Lightning returned Chimplug.

Spike tilted his head at this, making Twilight speak up, "Belly Drum cuts the user's health in half, but raises its attack to its absolute maximum."

"Seriously?! So Hariyama's been supercharged?"

Doc nodded in agreement, "And even with itself at only half health, it's bulk is gonna make it tough to take down."

In that moment, Lightning took out another Pokeball. "Pitchawk, battle ready!" He tossed the ball, unleashing a pitch black Flying-type they all recognised.

"Look at that..." Flash growled, "Lightning's Scampie must have evolved."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "As a Flying-type, it'll have a big advantage against a Fighting-type like Hariyama. But Grand will know that."

"Shadow Ball!" Lightning yelled as as Pitchawk opened its beak, a ball of dark energy forming in front of it.

"Dodge it!" Grand called out, Hariyama nodding before jumping to the side to avoid the sphere.

"Wow," Flash whistled, "For a bulky fellow, he sure can move."

"It won't be able to dodge this! Aerial Ace!" Pitchawk flew up before arcing around and dive-bombing, picking up speed and pulling up right before it hit the ground. Wind now swirled around the bird as it headed right for Hariyama.

"Stone Edge!" Grand announced.

Hariyama clenched its fist, now glowing before slamming it into the ground. This caused a line of large sharp rocks to shoot out the ground in front of Pitchawk, all the boulders instantly hitting the fast moving bird before it could even react. "HAWK!" it yelped, slamming into the ground with a squawk of pain as its eyes became spirals.

"Another one-hit ko," Spike gasped.

"Incredible," Twilight added, "Hariyama's attack power is already incredible, but add Belly Drum into the mix and you've got an almost unstoppable force."

"And Shining was able to beat it," Flash finished as Lightning returned Pitchawk. More and more Flash saw just how powerful Grand was, making him realize how much Shining had to be. The sight made him remember back in the temple, seeing the mighty back of the champion. "Dang..."

"Frillace! Battle ready!" Lightning's voice yelled out, making Flash look back at the battle. The Pokémon now appeared, showing a certain evolved Poison-Type.

"Frill!" it roared as the flaps on the side of its head flared out, ready to do battle.

"So his Geckoxic evolved too," Doc commented as the next fight started.

"Faint Attack!" Frillace charged at blinding speed, approaching Hariyama from the front but suddenly vanishing when it got within range. Seconds later, it reappeared behind Hariyama and spun around to slam its tail into its head. But as the attack struck, Hariyama stumbled just a little.

"Now, Poison Jab!" Frillace's tail spike glowed purple as it thrust it at Hariyama's back, only for the Fighting-type to leapt forward, dodging the stab.

"Knock-Off!" Before Frillace could react, Hariyama spun around and backhanded the lizard, smacking it flying into one of the stones of the ruin.

Lightning's eyes went wide as it saw Frillace slid down the rock, spirals now in its eyes. "No..."

The others were just as shocked as Twilight gulped, "Another one down by one hit, and Hariyama's barely taken any damage."

"I'm almost feeling sorry for the guy," Spike added as Lightning returned Frillace. "Maybe he should just give up and call it a loss. There's no way he's gonna beat Grand at this rate."

"He won't quit," they all turned to Flash. "You can see it in his eyes." They turned to Lightning as he pulled out another Pokeball, staring at it with a hard look they had never seen him show before. It wasn't a look of anger, annoyance or calculation. It was a look of determination. A look only someone with something to prove would have.

"Guardroid, battle ready!" In a flash of red, the robotic Pokémon appeared with a small thud while hitting the ground.

"Guard!" It called out before its backpack opened and its rockets folded out.

"He's using a Steel-type?" Spike asked.

"He's getting desperate," Doc added as Lightning gave a command.

"Bullet Punch!" The rockets ignited as the Guardroid charged, its fist glowing as it closed the distance between the two. And with a mighty roar of power, it threw the punch into Hariyama's chest.

"YAMA!" It cried as it was pushed back, Guardroid continuing to push its fist into Hariyama. But as it did this, Hariyama planted its feet into the ground and grabbed the robot's arm, stopping them both.

"Flash Cannon!" Lightning quickly commanded, the holes on its shoulders beginning to glow as it built up the power.

"Toss it!" Grand ordered before Hariyama tightened its grip and pulled itself backward, dragging Guardroid around with it. It rolled onto its back and swung the robot over its head, Guardroid hitting the ground face up as its Flash Cannon fired up into the air. "Quickly," Hariyama let go and jumped up, "Stone Edge!"

"HARRY!" It punched the ground again, a large rock spike shooting out from under Guardroid, throwing it into the air.

"Now, Knock-Off!" Hariyama leapt up before karate chopping Guardroid in the chest, sending it crashing into the dirt.

"Guard!" It yelled out in pain before it let out a groan, "Droid..."

"Ouch," Flash winced, "At least it wasn't done in in one hit."

"But that doesn't make it any better," Twilight added as Lightning returned Guardroid before taking out another Pokeball. "This match is done. He's just being stubborn."

"I don't think Grand agrees with you," Spike chimed in as he pointed at the older trainer. They all turned to him and saw a big smile on his face.

"What's he smiling at?"

"He's proud," Flash instantly replied, "I think he's proud that Lightning's not willing to give up, no matter how impossible this battle is."

"Sharazor, battle ready!" The ball opened, the shark Pokémon now appearing.

"Razor!"

"Aqua Jet!" Its body was engulfed by water before it shot forward.

"Block it!" Grand announced, Hariyama holding up its hands as the shark slammed into them. Sharazor bounced off as the water dispersed, only to land and leapt at the Pokémon again.

"Crunch!" Sharazor hopped over the giant hands, slamming its teeth into Hariyama's shoulder.

"HARRY!" It cried in pain, Sharazor not letting go for even a second. Hariyama continued to flinch more as Sharazor's teeth grinded into him, only for the sumo Pokémon to grab it by the tail. Sharazor flinched at the pain at the Hariyama's grip, the Pokémon then pulling him off.

"SHAR!" It yelped as Hariyama slammed it into the ground, then pulled it up and slammed it again. It did this again before throwing it at Lightning, the shark tumbling over to its trainer.

"Get up and use Water Pulse!" Lightning yelled, the sea predator hopping up before bringing its hands together to form a sphere of water that it quickly tossed at Hariyama.

The sphere struck Hariyama head on, but the bulky fighter just walked through it, "Knock-Off!" Hariyama raised its palm and swung it down faster than Sharazor could react, karate chopping it right in the head.

"SHAR!" It cried before falling over, its eyes turning to spirals. "Razor..."

Everyone flinched at the sight, Spike yelling over the crowd, "Just give up! You can't win!"

"Stay out of this!" Lightning growled as he switched Pokeballs. "Frostoak, battle ready!"

The Ice Fighting-type appeared next, ready to do battle as well.

"That's a new one," Twilight commented while Spike and Flash shared a look.

As this happened, Grand spoke up with a smile, "You know you can't beat me. So why are you still trying?"

"I knew I couldn't beat you," Lightning hissed, "But if I can beat just one of your Pokémon, then I can call this day a success."

Grand chuckled at this, "That's my boy. Now, show me what you've got."

"Ice Shard!" A large icicle appeared in its hands before it threw it at Hariyama, the sumo raising a giant hand to block the attack. "Now, Blizzard!"

"Frost!" It took a deep breath before unleashing a wave of freezing air, Hariyama charging as the blizzard hit dead on. Everyone was surprised at the next sight, seeing Hariyama's body freeze in place.

"No way," Spike gasped, now seeing all but Hariyama's head was frozen in place.

"Now's our chance! Metal Claw!" The Ice Fighting-type charged with glowing claws, leaping up and landing on its opponent's shoulders before rapidly slashing at it. "Come on," he whispered as Frostoak's barrage went on. "Just fall already." But as the slashing continued, the ice around Hariyama began to crack.

"What do you think's gonna happen?" Flash asked Doc.

"Either Hariyama breaks free and takes Frostoak out, or it finally loses to the Metal Claw. But even if it managed to beat Hariyama, there's no way Frostoak can beat the rest of Grand's Pokémon. Not if they're all as strong as this one."

Lightning continued to watch as the ice cracked more and more, his nerves eventually giving out. "Back off, before it's too late!" Frostoak stopped slashing and leapt away, knowing its trainer's next decision. "Use another Blizzard!" But as Frostoak took a deep breath, the ice around Hariyama exploded.

"HARI!" It roared while flexing its muscles, Grand giving the next command.

"Force Palm!" Hariyama rushed at Frostoak, right as it unleashed the Blizzard. But as this happened, Hariyama quickly raised its other palm to block the attack, it alone freezing as the left one got in range of Frostoak. "Sorry kiddo, but it looks like you still have a way to go. DO IT!"

"HARIYAMA!" It threw its unfrozen palm forward, hitting Frostoak with enough force that was sent flying into its trainer.

"FROST!" He screamed as he slammed into Lightning, the teen grunting as he was knocked off his feet and fell to the floor.

"Augh!" He groaned as he hit the dirt, flinching for a second before looking down at Frostoak, now seeing the spirals in its eyes. "No."

"Well that's it," Doc sighed.

"That was kinda painful to watch," Twilight added.

"Serves him right," Spike crossed his arms. "Thinking he could beat someone like Grand."

"Is it any different from when I battled Shining?" Flash asked, the others turning to him with wide-eyes. "What? He wanted to test himself. That's something all trainers should do."

"Flash..." Twilight whispered, "Are you defending him?"

Flash didn't reply, instead focusing on Lightning as he returned Frostoak. As he did this, Grand walked over to him, "Your Pokémon are well trained," he said, "But you've still got a long way to go before you're ready to beat Shining Armor."

Lightning continued to stare at the ground as his whole body shook, not looking at Grand before getting up, "I know." he hissed turning to walk out the clearing. He passed the others, he and Flash locking eyes for the briefest of moments before he disappeared.

This exchange did not go unnoticed by Grand, who took a closer look at the four before his eyes went wide. "Excuse me," they turned to him. "I couldn't help but notice....aren't you two Shining Armor's younger siblings?"

"Yes," Twilight replied with a quick nod, "I'm Twilight and this is Spike."

"Um...hi," Spike added, doing a small wave.

"I thought so," Grand then turned to Doc. "And you're Time Turner, Trottingham City's Gym Leader. You're also the one that beat Lightning in the Hoof Cup."

Doc nodded back, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Grand's focus then turned to the last of their group. "And that would make you Flash Sentry with the Riolu named Springer."

Flash went wide-eyed at this, "You...know who I am?"

"Of course, Shining's told me all about you. He expects big things from you my boy." Flash couldn't help but blush at those words, the others just as surprised as Grand Hoof began to talk to them.

As soon as Lightning reached the Center, he handed his Pokémon into Nurse Redheart. "Don't worry," she told him. "Your Pokémon will all be right as rain very soon." With that, she took the tray of Pokeballs into the next room, leaving a growling Lightning as he walked into the cafeteria, getting something to eat to calm his nerves.

Grabbing the food he wanted, he sat at the back of the room. And as he did this, he chose a seat behind a potted plant, making sure to stay away from anyone. He let out a sigh as he started to eat, grumbling to himself, "I don't understand. I was completely destroyed. What am I missing?"

His question went unanswered as he sat there, images of the battle racing through his mind. But as they swam through his head, a series of voices took him out of his memories.

"My my," said a familiar voice, making him glance around the plant to see his grandfather walk into the room with Flash and the others. "Those are some interesting tales." They all grabbed something to eat and sat down in the center of the room, none of them noticing Lightning. "You must all be very skilled trainers if you all faced such incredible obstacles and came out okay."

"Thank you," Twilight replied as they sat down. "But we couldn't have done it alone."

"Yeah!" Flash added as he scratched Springer under the chin, "It's thanks to our Pokémon that we were able to get this far."

Grand nodded in agreement, "Aye, I couldn't agree with you more. Pokémon truly are the greatest thing on this big old planet. They have the power to bring people who would normally never get the chance to meet together." He let out a sigh at this, "But they also have the power to tear them apart if they are used wrong." Everyone else frowned at this, getting a feeling he was talking from experience. "But no doubt they do more good than bad."

"You really do care about Pokémon."

Spike nodded as he chimed in, "Kinda makes it hard to believe Lightning's your grandson."

Twilight then nudged Spike in the side, shooting him a glare. But before Spike could counter, Grand sighed again, "I know. Lightning's actually a good boy but....he's just...misguided."

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe," Flash instantly replied, "Especially after what we saw at camp."

"I figured as much." Grand responded while shaking his head, "I heard you were at the camp as well. Professor Celestia told me what he did there....I still can't believe he did those things."

The whole group stared at him with wide eyes, Spike asking, "Um...no offense, but have you met your grandson? Its totally believable he would do those things! He's a huge jerk!"

"Spike!" Twilight snapped as she nudged him again, "Don't say such things!"

"Oh, come on!" Spike barked back, "Don't you remember what he tried to do to Harry and Fluttershy?! She's not even a trainer and he tried to-"

"That's enough Spike!" Twilight interrupted as she smacked his shoulder, "No more."

"Its fine Twilight Sparkle." Grand chimed in, making them turn back to the former champion, "I know everything he did. Its just..." he sighed again as he turned to the center's windows, staring out at the distance, "He used to be a good kid."

The Past...

On the busy streets of Canterlot City, Grand Hoof was heading for the exit of the town.

"GRANDPA!" Grand stopped and turned to the voice, smiling as he saw a young boy running up to him. He had yellow skin and spiky white hair, wearing a red T-shirt with a lightning bolt on it and yellow shorts.

"Hello Lightning," he replied while squatting down so they were eye level. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I wanted to see you off," the seven year old responded, "You're gonna go fight some bad guys, aren't you?"

"Maybe..." Grand chuckled as he patted Lightning's head. "I'm just investigating a rumor right now, but it might turn out to be something else."

"Eh, you'll be fine. You're the coolest!" Lightning cheered, "My grandpa, the strongest trainer in Equestria. The strongest trainer who has and will ever live!"

"Oh, I don't know about that. There are many great trainers out there. Maybe one day I'll find myself up against a trainer that's better than me."

"No way!" Lightning barked while shaking his head, "You're the strongest and no one's ever gonna beat you! You'll be Champion until the end of time!"

"Now that sounds boring." Grand chuckled, making Lightning go wide-eyed, "If I was Champion that long, I'd never get to spend any time with you. And besides, I'm getting old. It's not so bad now, but one day my old bones won't be able to take the strain of being Champion. I'll need someone younger to do the heavy lifting as Champion while I get to finally sit back, relax and maybe learn to play bridge."

Lightning tilted his head at this, look of pure confusion on his face before he said, "Well...then I'll become champion!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! I'll become a trainer, beat you and take your title. Then you can relax and I'll do all that heavy lifting. Plus, we can spend more time together doing Champion things."

Grand laughed and patted his head, "I like your enthusiasm. If you wanna be Champion, then go for it. But it won't be easy. You'll need to work hard."

"I will!" Lightning replied while nodding, "And you need to promise to stay Champion until I'm ready to beat you!"

"I'll do my best. But someone else might beat you to the punch, so you'd better become a trainer as fast as you can." The two laughed at this, Grand then saying goodbye to his grandson.

The Present...

"Whoa..." Flash whispered, "Hard to believe we're talking about the same person."

"I agree. What in the world happened to make him who he is?" Twilight asked with wide-eyes, "It must have been something big."

"That's just it. It wasn't really anything big," Grand sighed. "I lost to Shining Armor. Seeing me lose seemed to crush him and...I don't know why, but he couldn't comprehend it."

The response made the group exchange glances, Spike speaking up, "Uh....you're not serious, right? I mean, you lose once and he became a huge jerk?"

"I figured you kids wouldn't understand, just like Celestia. She told me that that couldn't be why he's like that...but its the truth." Grand replied, shaking his head. "You see, all his life up until that point, Lightning was also the Champion's grandson. When that was no longer the case, he couldn't process the change."

"So...you were Champion his whole life up until then?" Doc asked next.

Grand nodded back. "I became Champion a few weeks after his birth. It was actually Lightning that inspired me to become Champion." Everyone raised an eyebrow at this as he continued, "You see, I had been a trainer since I was about your age. I went on a journey for most of my youth, eventually meeting the women that would become Lightning's grandmother. When we got married and she became pregnant, we settled down to raise Lightning's father." He sighed again, "And during that time, my wife left this world."

He now saw the frowns on their faces, Grand rubbing his face for a second before saying, "Sorry. Just...you understand. Anyways, my son never became a trainer. He met Lightning's mother and got married very young. With him old enough to look after himself, I wasn't sure what to do with my life. But then my son told me he was gonna become a father and that made me realize what I had to do."

"Become Champion?" Flash asked, Grand nodding again before standing up and moving over to the window.

"Being Champion was a means to an end. What I wanted more than anything was to create an Equestria that my grandchild could grow up in that was safe and free of all danger. Back then, there were many groups causing trouble in Equestria. People feared becoming trainers because they were scared of becoming targets of these groups, so I decided to do something about it."

"That's why you became Champion?"

"Yes." Grand responded, a look of nostalgia on his face, "I trained my Pokémon as hard as I could, facing off against anyone who was willing to battle me. Along the way, many of those groups came across my path and I took them all down....and eventually, I stood at the top of Equestria and became its Champion. That's when my true battle began." He turned back to the group. "Tell me, do you know how the title of Champion came about in this world?" They all shook their heads. "It was from long ago, before the formation of the Pokémon League. The rulers of the region would hold a contest to find the strongest trainer and that trainer would earn the title, Champion. And as Champion, they were who the ruler sent whenever a threat to their nation arose."

As Grand said this, a memory went through Flash's head as he said, "Shining Armor said the same thing to us. He said that being a region's champion means you are it's protector and guardian. Your main focus in life will be to fight against any threat that might come up against Equestria. Everything else comes second, no matter how much you want it."

"He's absolutely right," Grand replied, "Everything else does come second." He sighed again, "During my tenure as Champion, I ended up missing all but three of Lightning's birthdays because I was on the other side of the region taking down gangs of thieves and black-market traders."

"Oh..." Twilight added with a slight frown, "Do you think that hurt Lightning?"

"I don't know. I...think it did." Grand let out a long sigh at this, "I honestly could never really tell. Each time I saw him afterward, I'd apologize for missing it but he always said he understood. But to be honest, I couldn't tell if he was actually fine or he was just hiding it. If I'm honest...I think he thought me being champion meant I didn't care about him."

"No. I was fine." Everyone gasped and turned to see Lightning stand up from behind the plant, "And I did understand." He said with a long growl, glaring at Grand, "I knew what you did was important. I wasn't upset that you weren't always around, I was proud. Proud to call myself your grandson. Growing up, I wanted to be just like you." But as he said those words, he let out a low hiss as his glare turned almost vicious, "Until I learned the truth."

"The truth?"

"I was there that day," Lightning spat, "There the day you lost to Shining Armor."

Six years ago...

The crowd cheered as the final match of the Equestria League was under way. Grand and Shining were both down to their last Pokémon, Galladin and Hariyama. And as the battle continued, in the crowd cheering louder than anybody else was a ten year old Lightning Blitz. "Come on Grandpa!" He yelled, "You've got this! Show this loser why you're the champion!"

"Force Palm!" Grand ordered as Hariyama charged, ready to smash its giant hand into Galladin.

"Iron Defense!" Shining commanded, Galladin raising its shield to block the attack, his shield glowing as his defensive power rose. "Now, Sacred Sword!" Galladin leapt back before charging at high speed, both his hidden blades shooting out before he swung them at Hariyama in an X formation.

"HARI!" It cried as it staggered back.

"Stone Edge!" Hariyama then slammed the ground, unleashing a line of stones that struck Galladin.

"Gall!" It yelped as it was knocked back, almost falling off its feet.

"You okay?" Shining asked, Galladin nodding. "Then let's win this thing!"

"Galladin!" It yelled as its armor suddenly began to drop off its body, increasing its speed and strength. Galladin then morphed into a blur, charging at even higher speeds.

"Slash, rapid fire!" With that, Galladin began dancing around Hariyama, slashing it at every angle. Each strike was a hundred times stronger than before, Hariyama feeling intense pain with each strike. And before it could react, it leapt in front of Hariyama with its two glowing swords. "This is over! Sacred Sword!"

"Gall!" Galladin raised both its arms before a single shining light shot out to form a blade three times Galladin's height. "Galar...DIN!" It swung the powerful blade down, striking Hariyama with a slice so powerful, an explosion followed that shook the entire stadium.

"GRANDPA!" Lightning cried as the smoke blocked his view, tears going down the young lad's face at the scene. And as the fog cleared, it revealed an image that made Lightning's heart stop. His father's Hariyama was laid out on the floor, swirls in its eyes.

Mic: "HE'S DONE IT! SHINING ARMOR'S GALLADIN HAS KO'D GRAND'S HARIYAMA! THE WINNER, AND EQUESTRIA'S NEW CHAMPION, IS SHINING ARMOR!!!!"

Lightning's eyes were wider than they ever could be, his brain frying as he saw his grandfather, the strongest trainer in Equestria, now lose. "It can't be..."

He then turned to Grand, expecting to see him be angry and vowing to reclaim his title....only to see a giant smile. "What?!"

The Present...

"You smiled," Lightning growled, his eyes almost becoming slits as he hissed at his grandfather, "You had just lost everything and you smiled! You were...happy that the title you'd protected for so long had been handed off to some nobody!"

Everyone turned to Grand, Twilight having to stop Spike from yelling at him about Shining Armor as Grand replied, "Yes, I was happy I lost." The others went wide-eyed at the statement, Lightning's teeth gritting as he now clenched his fists at Grand. Despite the sight, Grand shined a big smile, "I was happy because I could finally hand my duties to someone else and spend more time with my family."

"What?!" Lightning yelled, slamming his fist on a nearby table, shaking it, "You were happy everything you had worked for was destroyed?! Are you freaking kidding me?!"

Grand just blinked at this, tilting his head, "Destroyed? What are you talking about? I might no longer be the Champion, but that doesn't change everything I did since earning that title." Lightning opened his mouth to counter, only for Grand to continue, "Lightning, six years after becoming Champion, I completely disbanded the gangs infesting Equestria. I had accomplished what I had set out to do. You got to grow up in a safe environment and didn't have anything to scare you out of following your dream. During my sixth term, I found there was almost nothing to do as Champion, so all I did was train and investigate the occasional wild Zangoose chase. I didn't need to be Champion anymore."

"So you gave up..." Lightning hissed, "What, did you go easy on Shining Armor? You were just tired, so you gave up something so important to some-"

"No, I didn't." Grand interrupted, "I'll have you know Lightning that between me no longer wanting to be Champion and Shining beating me, I remained Champion for another four years. If I had decided to just give up my title, you really think I would wait that long before throwing a battle? No, I continued to battle my hardest in every match I had up until then because it was my duty to find my successor."

"Successor?!" Lightning barked, "You disgraced our family name so you could leave your title to a nobody that doesn't deserve squat!"

"He does deserve it Lightning. I made sure of it." Grand replied while crossing his arms, "Being Champion isn't something you can just walk away from, it's a title that can only be earned by someone worthy of it. If I had just not tried and let whatever trainer faced me win, then I would I know if they had what it took to keep Equestria safe. No, I fought with everything I had....and that's why I smiled when Shining beat me. Because I had finally found a trainer worthy of protecting the region in my stead."

Everyone smiled at these words, only for Lightning to kick the table down this time, "Shut up. Don't give me that load of... If you were really giving it your all, why was your team almost entirely new?!" He then walked up to Grand, his whole form shaking in pure anger, "I idolised you as a kid. Every spare moment I had, I spent watching your famous battles. More than anything, I watched the battle that won you your title almost every day. The Pokémon you had with you during your battle weren't the same ones you used before. The only one from your original team was Hariyama, and the rest were all losers who couldn't hold a candle to your original team! That's why you lost! Because nobody could win with those failures!"

Grand leaned up to Lightning's face, "It's one thing to badmouth me, but don't you dare badmouth the Pokémon I call my friends."

"I'll badmouth any weakling. They deserve it!" Lightning yelled, spit flying out of his mouth and into Grand's face, "Your worthless 'friends' cost you everything that mattered! If you had used real Pokémon like your original team, you would have won!"

"I didn't use the Pokémon on my original team because I didn't have any of them." Grand instantly replied in a deadpan tone, "Many of them I chose to set free for various reasons while others retired from battling because it was their time or they had had enough of battling. The Pokémon I used might not have been as powerful, but they were still strong and gave Shining Armor a run for his money...and I'm proud to call them my partners and friends." Lightning just looked away, hissing at those words as Grand continued, "I think you'll find I won't be the only Champion to change his team between the beginning and end of his tenure. Shining Armor will probably be using different Pokémon then the ones he used against me."

"And that's why he'll lose to me," Lightning growled.

Grand shook his head at this, "You couldn't even beat one of mine Lightning, do you really think you'll be able to beat him? I'll admit you're a talented trainer, but you still lack a crucial element that'll allow you to reach your true potential."

"And what's that?" Lightning asked with a roll of his eyes.

Instead of answering, Grand turned to Flash. "What do you think that is?"

Everyone but Lightning turned to Flash, the teen blinking at the question before replying, "Well...a while back, I lost a battle against the FIllydelphia Gym leader. Afterwards, he asked me a question. What truly makes a Pokémon Trainer strong?"

"And what was your answer?"

"A reason for being strong. Not just having power, but having something to use that power to accomplish things." Flash then turned to Lightning, "You were Grand's reason to be strong. Wanting to make a world where you could be safe in spurred him on, allowing him to one day earn his title....and that's what the both of us lack." Flash glanced back at Grand. "I haven't found a reason to be strong yet, but I'm gonna keep searching until I find it. And until then, I'll train as hard as I can so that when I do find a reason, I'll be ready."

Grand nodded at this, "That's good." He turned back to Lightning, only to see anger on the teen's face, "Well kiddo? Do you get it?"

"Oh please, I already have a reason to be strong. To become Champion."

"You'll need more than that."

"No, I don't. I'll become Champion and return that honor to our family. And when I am Champion, I'll hold that title until the day I die. Unlike you, I won't go soft and start using weaklings like the Pokémon you and this loser use!"

And as Grand began to open his mouth up to reply, a ringing sound rang out above them. "Lightning Blitz, your Pokémon are ready for pickup."

Lightning said nothing more as he shoved past Grand, growling as he went to the reception desk. The others followed and watched as he retrieved his Pokémon, then headed to the exit. "Lightning..." he stopped for a second and turned back to his grandfather, "You should really listen to what this boy has to say. There's only so much training alone can do."

Lightning remained silent before pointing at Flash, "You say he knows the true way to grow stronger, yet he's never once beaten me." Grand raised an eyebrow at this, surprise on his face as he continued, "We've battled twice before, the first time ending in a draw and the second time ended in my victory. And if you want to know, its because he chooses weaklings as his team, just like you!"

"That was a long time ago," Flash cut in, "Me and my Pokémon have grown a lot stronger since then!"

"And so have mine, and I know I'm better than you!"

"Then let's battle!" Flash yelled, "Right here, right now! We'll see you beats who."

But as Flash said that, Lightning shook his head. "No. Not here. If I'm gonna beat you, it won't be in a forest Pokémon Center in the middle of nowhere. It'll be in a stadium where hundreds of people can watch me prove I'm the best trainer while I beat your team into the ground!"

"He may surprise you," Grand told him.

"I doubt it," Lightning chuckled. "But if, by some miracle, he does beat me, I may decide to believe what you're say isn't total hogwash."

"Then I'll beat you!" Flash chimed in, Lightning turning to glare at him again, "The next time we battle, I'll beat you and prove there's more to Pokémon than you think."

Lightning laughed again. "Yeah, good look with that." And with that, the teen turned and stepped out the door to disappear into the forest.

And as the doors closes, Flash clenched his hands as he growled, "I will beat him."

"I hope you do," Grand told him, the others turning to the former champion, "It is a dark path Lightning has chosen to walk down. One I fear he may not chose to turn away from before it is too late." He then stared Flash in the eye. "Losing to me or Shining will not be enough to save him. Only someone like you will be able to show him the light."

"Are you asking me to save Lightning from himself?" Grand nodded, "Okay. I'll do my best."

"I know you will."

It was several more hours before Grand and his new friends chose to go their separate ways. "Well, this has certainly been an interesting day. Good luck in your next gym battle Flash, I expect to see you at the Equestria League."

"Oh, I'll be there."

"Then I guess this is it," Grand chuckled.

"Just one thing before we go," Twilight asked. "You were looking at those large stones before, but why? Are they important?"

"That's what I came to find out," Grand replied, "I might not be the Champion anymore, but I still want to help whenever there's trouble. So when Shining told me about the temple incident, I decided to start looking into other ancient locations that might be of interest."

"Wait...you're going after Team Shadow too?"

Grand nodded back. "From what we can gather, Team Shadow have been hiding under the radar since before even I was Champion. They might have been able to hide themselves from me before, but now I know they're out there and I won't rest until they're brought down. That's why I was around here. If those stones are hiding a secret, Team Shadow might be interested in them. That means they're the perfect bait to trap them."

"So what do you think?" Spike asked next, "Are the stones special?"

"I haven't determined that yet. But if they are, I'll let Shining and the others know."

"Well I hope you'll inform us too" Doc added.

"Yeah!" Flash and Springer both punched their fists into their palms, "I'm itching to get some payback on them for last time! If they think they can cause problems for Equestria, they've got another thing coming!"

Grand laughed at this, "I'll be sure to let you know. But right now, you should just focus on your next gym battle." Flash nodded before the group walked away, Grand watching them leave. As he did, he couldn't help be see an image of Shining Armor overlay itself on Flash. "Don't lose that selfless caring spirit boy. It'll take you far."

Having met the former Equestrian Champion and learned about his and Lightning's past, they continue their journey to Cloudsdale City. One can only wonder what adventures await them. As the journey continues.

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THE OCEAN!

The adventure begins in a beautiful city situated on the coast of the Equestria Region.

VAST AND MIGHTY!!

And as you would head further into the city, there is a large stone bridge that lead to an island about a mile off from the city.

WITH THE POWER IT GRANTS TO ONLY A SELECT FEW!!

As they made their way across the bridge, the three were all singing a soft calming song that was in a language only they could understand.

UNTIL NOW!

The armored figure laughed as he activated the device, "With this, the power of the ocean will finally belong to me!"

DARK FORCES DRAW NEAR!

Two figures stepped out of the darkness, both wearing armor that was covered in feathers and trim. One had black armor and trim while the other's armor was white. Instead of a helmet, their faces were covered by a glass mask you couldn't see through with large puffy feathers around the back of their heads.

SEEKING THE POWER OF POKEMON LIKE NO OTHER!

"RI!" Springer leapt at his trainer and pushed him away from a nearby pool, seconds before something exploded out of it.

THIS YEAR!

"Wow," was all Flash could say as the two made their way into the chamber. "This place is amazing."

JOIN AN ADVENTURE THAT MAY TURN THE TIDE OF THE WORLD!

"GO! Bring about my perfect world!"

Everyone in the city stared out at the ocean, unable to believe what they were seeing.

THE BATTLE BEGINS!

"Let's go!" Twilight yelled as she, Doc and Spike lead the charge against the army of Kelpool and Lokelpie. The citizens all remained standing before two of them shared a look, both nodding before following with their Pokémon.

A FIGHT BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL!

"AUGH!" Flash yelped as he was blasted into a pillar of the temple, his sword clattering to the ground.

"RIO!" Springer cried as he was struck by the powerful stream of water, knocking him flying back.

"Psybeam!" Twilight ordered before Shine unleashed her psychic blast, hitting Malamar head-on, only for the evil squid to seem like it wasn't phased by the attack.

WILL GOOD PREVAIL?!

Then when the boat came in line, Flash leap into the air.

OR WILL EVIL STAND VICTORIOUS?!

Flash stared at the helmet as it clattered onto the ground, soon turning to its wearer as he recovered. He raised his head and removed his hands, revealing a face that caused Flash's eyebrows to raise. "I...I know you."

THE ANSWER LIES IN THE HEART OF A SINGLE GIRL!

Flash watched as the girl removed her hood, revealing a blue ponytail as she turned to him, "My name is Sonata."

POKEMON, THE MOVIE!
VOICE OF THE OCEAN!

The light then exploded off the creature, Flash and all his Pokémon staring in horror at the sight of the Mega Gyrados. The beast glanced down before letting out a mighty roar, the sound shaking the bridge beneath their feet.

Coming, 18/7/2020

Climbing the Mountain

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"There it is!" Twilight cheered as she and her friends now saw the base of a mountain in the distance. The giant rock mound was massive, its peak hidden by clouds. It was the largest mountain any of them had ever seen, both in height and width.

"So this is Foal Mountain?" Flash asked.

"Yup," Twilight replied with a nod, "And at the top of it is Cloudsdale City." She showed them an image on her journal that showed the mountain's peak from a bird's eye view. The peak was flat and appeared to be split into four sections by an X-shaped trench running through the top. One section appeared to be filled with houses while another section looked more like a city, even having a large colosseum near the edge. As for the third section, it was a kind of farm while the fourth looked like a giant airport.

"That's Cloudsdale?"

"That's right." Doc responded, "Cloudsdale is famous because they grow a rare plant there that's used in different medicines. Mountaineers discovered this plant and trekked up multiple times to get and sell it, eventually deciding to just live on the mountain. And so, Cloudsdale was born."

Twilight nodded again, "Originally, they used Flying-types to send the plant down the mountain, but now they have their own transport planes."

"Awesome!" Flash added before looking up at the mountain. "So all we have to do is climb all the way up there?"

Spike sighed and hung his head, "So more intrepid adventuring through an obviously dangerous location. Yay."

Twilight laughed and patted her brother's head, "Well luckily for you Spike, there's a plane service that'll take passengers up to the city."

This made Spike smile as they reached the edge of the woods, about to get to the base. As they continued to walk, the saw a Pokémon Center next to a long runway, with several planes located on it. But before they could head over, Flash could feel his battle senses tingle, making him to turn to sound of cheers.

"What's going on?" He followed the sound with the others behind him, the four and their Pokémon turning the corner to find a loud crowd gathered around a battlefield. They quickly snuck through the people, only to see a teen battling with a Lickitung while the other trainer was-

"Fluttershy?!" Twilight yelped as she now saw their friend showing a look on her face they had only seen once: when she was chewing out Lightning Blitz. "But who's she battling with?" Twilight asked next before turned to the Pokémon in front of her.

It was a rabbit-like creature standing at about two and a half feet tall, looking almost humanoid in appearance and stance. Its body was a combo of white and brown, most of its body mainly white, but it legs were brown from the knee down along with its upper arms. Its hands were covered in thick white fur that almost resembled gloves that ran up its arm to its elbow. Its had a line of brown fur leading from between its legs, up its body and spreading out around its neck like a collar. White tape was wrapped around its feet and lower legs while its ears pointed backwards and had brown tips.

Flash took out his Pokedex and scanned the creature.

Name: Bunounce
Category: High Jumper Pokémon
Type: Fighting
Info: The evolved form of Bunnop. This Pokémon's powerful legs allow it to leap great distances and attack with powerful kicks. It loves to pick a fight with anything bigger than itself, though it also hates losing.

"So...Angel evolved?" Spike muttered out.

"Heck yeah, he did." The group turned to see a grinning Rainbow Dash, "Hey guys, long time no see."

"Same," Twilight responded before turning back to Fluttershy as Lickitung's owner gave an order.

"Slam!" Lickitung let out its tongue, trying to slap Angel.

"Dodge it using Bounce!" Angel leap over the tongue, quickly falling and slamming its feet into Lickitung's face. The pink Pokémon cried out as Angel landed. "Now, Mach Punch!" Angel's fist start to glow before it charged at super speed, smashing its fist into Lickitung's stomach, knocking the wind out of it.

"Rollout!" He ordered before Lickitung spun into a ball.

"High-Jump Kick!" Fluttershy ordered, Angel smirking and he charged at the now rolling Lickitung, thrusting his knee into the ball.

"TONGUE!" It cried at the impact, getting knocked back before falling over with spirals in its eyes.

"Lickitung is unable to battle!" the teen refereeing the match announced. "The winner is Fluttershy and Bunounce!"

"Bun!" Angel cheered as he jumped up and down, Fluttershy blushing at the applause. Angel then ran up into her arms, Fluttershy quickly hugging him.

"You were amazing Angel! Thank you!" Angel cheered back as the two turned to Rainbow, only to gasp, "Oh my! Hello everyone."

"Hey Fluttershy," Flash chuckled, "That was some battle."

"Yeah!" Spike added, "It almost made me think it wasn't you for a second. You always said you weren't much of a battler."

"Well...that's still true." Fluttershy responded as she looked away for a second, "But after summer camp, I realised I needed to get stronger if I'm to reach my goal of creating a sanctuary. No doubt there'll be those wanting to catch Pokémon that are resting there, so I'll need to be strong enough to protect it."

Doc nodded at her words, "Well from what I just saw, you're well on your way to being that strong."

Fluttershy shined a small smile, "Thank you."

"So...are you guys heading up to Cloudsdale?" Rainbow asked.

"Yup," Flash pointed to himself, "I'm planning on getting my sixth badge there. Are you guys heading there too?"

"You know it," Rainbow chuckled, "I'm planning on getting my sixth badge too. Plus, it'll be great to head home and see our families."

"I'm sure you're looking forward to that," Twilight added, "So, do you two already have your tickets?"

This question got a confused glance from the two, Rainbow slowly asking back, "You mean...you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"The rule," Fluttershy answered. "If Flash wants to challenge the Cloudsdale City Gym, he has to first scale the mountain."

"What?!" Flash yelped before pointing at the behemoth structure, "I've gotta climb that?"

"Yup. I gotta do it too." Rainbow chimed in, "It's Spitfire's way of helping the trainer learn to understand Cloudsdale's culture."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, "Cloudsdale's first occupants were mountaineers named Hurricane and Pansy. They were the first to reach the top and claimed the land for themselves, and soon other mountaineers followed them and created the city we call home. Almost everyone born there now is descended from those mountaineers, so anyone who wants to challenge the gym has to first endure the same hardship the original mountaineers endured by climbing the mountain."

"Huh....okay." Flash responded as he stared at the mountain. He took a deep breath before nodding. "If that's what I gotta do in order to get my gym badge, so be it." He turned to his friends, "You guys don't have to come with me. If you wanna take a plane and wait for me at the top-"

"Are you kidding me?!" Twilight interrupted, "You'll never make it up that mountain without me there."

"Wherever you go, we go." Doc added.

"That's right," Spike finished.

"Thanks guys," Flash replied before turning to the others, "Wanna go together?"

"You know it!" Rainbow cheered with a thumbs up.

"Oh, we would love to join you." Fluttershy said with a nod.

The group then headed into the Pokémon Center and gathered whatever equipment they thought they would need, also having their Pokémon thoroughly examined and got as much food as they could carry. Once their Pokémon were given a clean bill of health, they began their trek toward the foot of the mountain.

"Alright, I downloaded a map of different routes up to the city." Twilight explained as she tapped her notebook, "I think our best bet is travelling to the eastern side of the mountain. There's a entrance to a cave system that leads through the mountain, bypassing some of the more rocky terrain above it. It'll also put us near a rest spot that we can use to recover before heading up the remainder of the mountain."

"Sounds good to me," Flash told her while the others nodded. "Lead the way."

It was here that they began their journey, circling around the base of the mountain to get to the cave they were looking for. The trek didn't have a good start. It began with several paths dotted for them to climb, only for the paths to vanish after the few small walls, making them go the roads less travelled. This was followed by an area known for rock slides. Luckily, they managed to keep themselves quiet enough to not cause one, only to find a large cliff-face that was roughly twenty-foot high. Flitanium, Owlicious and Rainbow's Movine took turns carrying the group up it, allowing them to continue onwards.

After this was a section of the mountain covered in poison oak, Rainbow using her Gliscor to use Slash to cut a path through the plants. Its hard shell meant the poison oak had no effect, quickly making a road for the teens. After this was a large fissure, a crack in the mountain that was roughly twenty foot wide. The only thing connecting their side was a rock bridge that looked pretty stable, but the bottom of the bridge was the fissure...filled with jagged, pointy rocks.

Looking to the other side of the crack, they saw a bunch of large rocks scattered around a giant cave opening, the sight making Doc say, "There it is."

"Yup," Twilight nodded while double-checking her journal. "That's the entrance to the cave that'll take us through the mountain. As long as we follow these directions, it'll get us to the rest spot in no time."

Fluttershy did a long gulp as she looked down, "But we have to cross this bridge to get to it..." Her body shivered like a leaf, "W-w-what if we f-f-fall?"

"Oh relax," Rainbow responded as she took the first step forward, "We'll be fine." But as soon she stepped onto the bridge, something shot past her, causing a gust of wind that knocked her back, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, WHOA!" The others quickly grabbed her before she fell, the girl sighing in relief. "Thanks guys."

"What was that?" Flash asked, only for another blur to fly by, making a another gust. The blur then came to a stop, making them now see a Flying-type Pokémon.

"A Mandibuzz?" Twilight chimed in.

"Buzz!" The Bone Vulture Pokémon roared as it flew to the other side of the fissure and landed on a large rock, menacingly spreading its wings.

"What's it doing?" Spike asked next.

"It's challenging you!" The other turned to a voice, now seeing a girl step out from behind a rock. She was maybe a year of so older then Flash and Rainbow, with light brown skin and white hair that was dyed purple at the tips. The girl was wearing a brown leather pilot's jacket over a white T-shirt and ripped jeans with black combat boots.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Rainbow added.

"Gilda," she instantly replied, "The best trainer on this whole mountain. And if you wanna pass this bridge, you have to first beat me."

"What?! That's ridiculous." Twilight yelled, "This is a public route! You can't just block it off."

"That's what I keep telling her," a voice said from behind another rock. They turned to see a boy a few years younger than Gilda step out. He also had brown skin, but his hair was blue with yellow tips and he was wearing a cream colored shirt under a jacket that had the same color as his hair with yellow gloves along with blue pants and boots. On his shoulder was a Pokémon they recognised as a Rufflet.

"Can it Gallus," Gilda growled, "I can do whatever I want, and right now, I wanna battle these guys!"

"Why are you so focused on battling us?" Fluttershy asked from behind Rainbow.

"None of your business," Gilda spat. "Just battle me already!"

"She's training for a gym rematch," Gallus chimed in, Gilda glaring back at him, "She got creamed by the gym leader, so she came down here to train."

"What did I say about canning it?!" Gilda yelled before turning back and pointing at them. "If you must know, I plan on going back to that gym and beating the pants off the leader, but only after I beat a hundred trainers in a row! That's why I'm here!"

"One hundred trainers?!" Doc yelped, Flash letting out a sigh.

"Let me guess. You've already beaten ninety-nine trainers, and we'll be the hundredth."

Gallus did a small shrug, "Um...she's only beaten thirty-four trainers."

"Oh," Flash replied before rapidly blinking, "Huh. Guess we can't be part of every cliché."

"So come on!" Gilda barked, "Which of you am I gonna wipe out first?!"

The others shared a glance before Rainbow shined a smirk and walked onto her bridge. "I'll take you!"

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked.

"Heck yeah!" Rainbow responded while pumping her fists, "If I can't even beat someone Spitfire beat, I'll never stand a chance against her."

"Nice," Flash added, "We'll leave it to you."

"Okay!" Rainbow took out a Pokeball, "Let's go Tank!" She tossed the ball into the air, unleashing her Torpeller.

"Tore," it cheered as he activated his propeller and began to hover.

"Ha!" Gilda laughed, "That's what you're gonna battle me with?! This won't be much of a challenge."

"Don't underestimate us," Rainbow replied, "Tank and I are an awesome team!"

"Peller!"

"We'll see," Gilda responded as Mandibuzz flew in front of her, "Let's get this over with." And before anyone could say anything else, "Dark Pulse!" Mandibuzz flew up opened its beak, unleashing a burst of dark rings from its mouth.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow yelled as Tank's head and legs retracted into its shell, its body flashing blue before the Dark Pulse made contact. "Now, use Stone Edge!" Blue lights appeared in an X-shaped circle around Tank as he pulled his head out, the lights vanishing to reveal a bunch of jagged rocks.

"TORE!" He roared as the rocks went flying upward, hitting Mandibuzz before it could react.

"Man!" It cried as the rocks buffeted it, making it start to fall, only to spread its wings before falling below the bridge. "Buzz!"

"Gust!" Rainbow told Tank, the tortoise pointing his propeller down at Mandibuzz before spinning it. The powerful blast of wind hit the Bone Vulture Pokémon, knocking it slightly down before it forced its way through the wind.

"Fury Attack!" Mandibuzz zipped up to Tank, staring at the bottom of its shell as its beak began to glow.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz!" It yelled with each thrust on Tank's under-shell, causing the Torpeller to cry out in pain until he thrust his foot, trying to hit Mandibuzz in the face. However, the vulture pulled his head back, allowing Tank to fly away as Rainbow gave her next command.

"Stone Edge!" Tank summoned the jagged rocks again, firing them at Mandibuzz.

"Dark Pulse!" Gilda yelled as Mandibuzz unleashed the wave of black rings, destroying the stones before they reach their target.

"Body Slam!" Rainbow ordered as Tank charged at the vulture, retracting himself into his shell as he used his propeller to push him forward. He moved at such speed that Mandibuzz couldn't react, slamming into the vulture before both crashed into one of the rocks in the side of the crack, causing an explosion.

"Yes!" Flash cheered as the others clapped, Doc the only one not cheering.

"It's not over yet," he said as they saw Tank pull himself out of the smoke.

They stared into the smoke, only to see a blur zip through the fog, instantly getting behind Tank. "Dual Wingbeat!" Tank turned around to see Mandibuzz with glowing wings, slapping both into the tortoise.

"TORE!" He cried as he smacked downward, Mandibuzz then flying down after him, quickly getting past him before hitting him with the wing again. "PELLER!" He yelped as he thrown upward, slamming him into the bottom of the bridge, Rainbow gasping as she kneeled down to check on him.

"You alright?" She asked while Tank pulled himself out of the bridge.

"Tore..." he moaned as he unsteadily flew away from the bridge.

"Now they get it," Gallus sighed as Rufflet turned to him. "When Gilda and Mandibuzz fight, they show no mercy."

"Dark Pulse!" Gilda roared as Mandibuzz unleashed its attack.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow ordered as Tank pulled himself into his shell, which began to glow as the Dark Pulse struck it.

"Even when it's clear they're gonna win, they'll keep attacking until there's nothing left of their opponent."

"Fury Attack!" Mandibuzz started striking the Torpeller's shell with its glowing beak, not letting up for a second.

"Because all that matters to them, is victory."

"Finish this! Brave Bird!" With that, Mandibuzz show straight up as its body exploded into flames.

The others gasped with Doc turning to Rainbow. "You can't let that attack hit!" Rainbow nodded as Mandibuzz circled around and began to dive-bomb.

"Stone Edge!" Tank fired the jagged rocks at Mandibuzz, the projectiles slamming into the blazing bird, only to not slow it down as the flames morphed from red to blue.

"MANDIBUZZ!" It screeched as its slammed into Tank, causing an explosion that engulfed them both.

"TANK!" Rainbow screamed as Mandibuzz instantly flew out of the cloud, its body flinching as blue lightning sparked around it. Something then fell out the cloud, dropping like a stone that made Rainbow gasp as she saw Tank with spirals in his eyes. "NO!" She reached out to try and grab him, just barely managing to catch him. But as she did this, she began to fall over the bridge, "Whoa!"

She then felt something grab her, the teen looking back to see Flash gripping with the others holding him and grunting as they managed to pull them back onto the bridge. They all sighed in relief as Rainbow fell onto her butt, Tank clutched in her arms.

"Thanks guys." Rainbow said before hearing the sound of laughter. She turned to the source, now seeing Gilda on the other side of the bridge with Mandibuzz.

"That makes thirty-five!" She cackled, "Alright, who's next in your little group?! Remember, you're not getting past here unless one of you beats me!"

Rainbow growled as she stood up, "I'll battle you again. Don't think you're gonna get away with this!"

"Like you could beat me with that pathetic Pokémon!" Gilda barked back, "Go home loser, you're out of your league."

The teen hissed as she started to run across the bridge, only for Fluttershy to grab her arm. "Rainbow, we need to get Tank to the Pokémon Center."

Rainbow looked back at her, seeing the frown on her face before sighing, "Alright." She turned back to Gilda. "We'll be back to settle the score!"

With that, the group walked away as Gallus spoke up, "You realize they'll be back, right?"

Gilda just shrugged, "Eh, let them come. I'll crush anyone who shows up here. Just sixty five more opponents and I'll be ready to take down Spitfire."

"Whatever," Gallus replied as he rolled his eyes before feeding some Pokémon food to Rufflet.

When the group got back to the Pokémon Center, Nurse Redheart took one look at Tank and sighed, "Gilda?" They nodded back, the nurse shaking her head as she took the Torpeller. "I'll see what I can do."

And as she left the room, Spike yelled, "I can't believe that big bully! Beating Tank is one thing, but being that mean...she's like a girl Lightning!"

"Especially when Tank's so strong," Flash grumbled as he remembered the battle he had with Rainbow the first time they met. "He might not have won, but that doesn't make him weak."

"Gilda just wants to make Tank feel bad," Twilight responded, "She's trying to break his spirit so he won't try again."

"Well it's not gonna work," Rainbow declared, "Tank's the toughest Pokémon in Equestria. Nothing's gonna break his spirit. It's indestructible."

The others smiled at her spirit, Flash speaking up next, "You really trust Tank, huh?"

"Heck yeah I do! After all, Tank saved my life once." This made everyone raise an eyebrow, the girl now knowing she had to tell the story, "You see, I used to get picked on a lot when I was a kid. There were these three boys that always used to make fun of me and Fluttershy. Then one day, they told me they'd stop if I proved myself."

"How?"

"They said I had to go down the mountain and bring back a super strong Pokémon. And that's how it happened."

The Past...

A nine year old Rainbow Dash was currently walking around a cliff-side path. She had managed to sneak past the guards that usually kept any small kids from going down the mountain and had ran down the closest path before she was seen, unaware of where the path lead.

"Whoa!" she yelped as she clutched the side of the wall, a breeze hitting her body. The ledge she was on was only a few inches longer than her feet, making her try to grip into the wall even harder, as the side of the cliff was slanted and went down for about fifty feet until it reached another ledge.

But as she took another step, a piece of the ledge began to break, "WHOA!" She cried as the rock broke under her, causing her to fall. "NOOO!" She screamed as she started sliding down the cliff-face, knocking several rocks loose as she did. "Oof!" She yelped as she then hit a lower ledge, only for some rocks to fall down and hit her foot. "AUGH!" She screamed as she felt her foot start to be buried, a stabbing pain running up her leg.

And after a few minutes of pain, her head started to focus as she saw that her leg had been up to just below her knee. "Oh no..." she whispered as she tried to push the rocks off, her thin arms unable to lift even one of the rocks, "No, no, no, no, no!" She cried as she kept trying to push, unable to make even one big rock budge.

Minute after minute passed before she slumped over with tears in her eyes, "No...please, someone help me." She could feel her tears drip down her face, only for her ears to suddenly hear a strange whirling noise. "Huh?" She raised her head, now hearing the sound get louder as the thought of her accidentally falling into some powerful Pokémon territory entered her mind.

"Oh no...I hope whatever that is doesn't eat me." She whimpered out, "I don't wanna die as some thing's dinner! Someone, please help-"

"Tore?" said a sudden voice, cutting her dialogue as she turned to see a Torpeller hovering in front of her.

She raised an eyebrow as it landed, making her groan, "Great," she laid back as Torpeller moved over to the rocks. "Now not only am I trapped, but I'm trapped here with a totally lame Pokémon for company." She then heard a rumbling, making her look back up, only to see Torpeller stick its head into a small gap in the rocks. "Hey...what are you doing?" She got her answer when Torpeller started lifting the rock up using its head, Rainbow's eyes going wide seeing this.

Slowly, the Torpeller hoisted the rock up enough to take the weight off Rainbow's leg and allow her to pull her foot out. She winced in pain, gripping her leg before seeing Torpeller pulled itself into its shell as the rocks fell over on it. The sight made her gasp, only to sigh in relief as Torpeller just shrugged the rock off.

"You...you saved me?" She asked as she reached out to the Torpeller, the Pokémon nodding back. "Um...thanks." He then put his head under Rainbow's hand, the girl patting him back. A smile appeared on the girl's face as she mumbled, "Huh. Guess I was wrong."

And after this exchange was done, she looked back up at the ledge, "How the heck am I gonna get back up there?" She then picked herself up, only to flinch in pain. "Ow!" She clutched her injured foot, "Shoot...that's not gonna work."

"Tore," she turned to Torpeller as it spun its propeller and lifted itself up, Rainbow blinking at the sight as she figured out what it wanted to do.

"Really?" The tortoise nodded back at her, "Wow! Alright, let's do it!"

Meanwhile...

Higher up the mountain, a large Wondor was flying around with a woman on its back. She was in her mid to late thirties with yellow skin and orange hair. The woman wore a light blue tracksuit with yellow going down the middle along with a pair of goggles over her eyes. Her eyes were scanning the mountain over, only for her ears to pick up something, "Hmm? What's that?"

She followed the sound, only to come to a halt as she saw something that made her heart stop. It was Rainbow, who was clutching the shell of a Torpeller as it flew around the mountain.

"Hey! What are two you doing?!" She yelled as she had Wondor fly over to them, Rainbow glancing over and gasping at the sight of the woman.

"You...you're Spitfire!"

"Heck yeah I am! Now what are you doing flying around the mountain like that?!" Spitfire barked before getting closer, now seeing Rainbow's blood covered foot, worry now appearing on the woman's face. The four quickly landed, Spitfire soon working to clean Rainbow's wound as the girl explained what had happened.

"I see." Spitfire grumbled as she began to wrap up Rainbow's foot, "Coming down here was foolish."

"I know..." Rainbow sighed. "But I just wanted those jerks to stop picking on me and my friend."

"Rising to a bully only gives them more power," Spitfire replied while shaking her head, "It's only when you ignore them and show they can't bother you that you take away any power they have over you." Once she was happy with the bandages, she turned to Torpeller. "You got lucky today." She patted Torpeller's head, "If this little guy hadn't come along, you might have never been found."

"I know," Rainbow nodded before taking the tortoise and hugging him close. "You're the best."

Spitfire chuckled at the scene before reaching for her belt. "Here," she threw something at Rainbow, the girl quickly catching it.

"A Pokeball?"

"Go ahead and catch him." Spitfire responded as she pointed to the tortoise, "I get the feeling that little guy wants to stick with you." Rainbow gasped before turning to Torpeller, seeing it smiling up at her with hopeful eyes.

The Present...

"Ever since that day, Tank and I have stuck together. He always helps me remember what Spitfire told me and I never let those bullies ever get to me again. Heck, after ignoring them for so long, they eventually lost interest."

"That meant they also stopped bullying me," Fluttershy added. "So I have Tank to thank for that too." The others nodded as the door opened, making them turn to see Redheart pushing Tank out on a trolley.

"Tank!" Rainbow yelped as ran up to him, "You okay buddy?"

Tank nodded back as Redheart spoke up, "He'll be fine. His injuries weren't that bad." Rainbow nodded and thanked Redheart as she went back to the desk, only to hear Tank's rotors spinning.

The whole group turned to see him trying to fly for the exit. "Whoa!" She grabbed his shell and pulled him back, "Where're you off too?" The tortoise turned back to his trainer, a determined stare in his eyes as he moved his legs, trying to walk on air. "Oh...okay, I get it," she chuckled, "You wanna go settle the score with Gilda and Mandibuzz, huh?" Tank slowly nodded.

"Admirable, but ultimately pointless." Doc chimed in as the rest walked up to Tank, "You need to rest and prepare if you wanna beat her."

"Hate to say it, but he's right. We're not ready for them just yet. Besides, the sun's starting to set and we're not challenging them in the dark." Rainbow admitted as Tank's propeller started to slow down, a frown appearing on his face, "Don't be sad buddy." The teen shined a huge smirk, "We can still get some training in for tomorrow. What'cha say?" Tank nodded back as Rainbow turned to Flash, "Can you help me out?"

"Heck yeah I can!" Flash replied as he pumped his fists, Springer mirroring him. With that, the four ran out to the center's battlefield with the others following, knowing they needed to come up with something new for the fight ahead.

The next day...

Back on the mountain, Gilda was laying against a large rock as Gallus prepared their breakfast and fed the Pokémon. "You almost done yet?" She asked as Gallus glared at her before putting the Pokémon food down and moving over to a pot over a fire.

"Almost done," he grumbled, "The least you could do is get the bowls and stuff out."

Gilda sighed and shook her head, "Ugh...fine." She picked herself up, starting to move over before the sound of footsteps made her come to a stop, "Sweet!" She spin around, "My next victim. This'll be a great way to build up an appetite." But as she walked over to the bridge, she let out a long sigh, "Oh, it's you losers again."

Rainbow growled as she and Tank walked up to the bridge. "Gilda, we wanna rematch."

Gallus chuckled, "Told you they'd be back."

Gilda rolled her eyes, "I already beat you. Beating you again won't make my record better. Just move aside and let someone else battle, loser."

Rainbow glared at her, only to remember the words from Spitfire from long ago. A smirk appeared on her face as she turned to the others, "Fine. Come on guys, we'll take a leaf out of her book." The others raised an eyebrow at this, "We'll just set ourselves up further down the path. If anyone wants to get to this bridge, they'll have to beat us."

The others shined smiles at this, Gilda going wide-eyed as she yelled, "Hey! You can't do that! That's hording in on my prey!"

"Too bad," Rainbow giggled, "If you won't battle me, I won't let anyone else battle you either."

Gilda's face turned red, steam coming out of her nostrils as Gallus began laughing, "Shut up!" She yelled at her companion before turning back to the group, "Now hang on one stinking minute! If you think I'm gonna let you take my prey, I'm gonna-"

Flash then walked in front of Rainbow, a long stare coming out of his eyes as Gilda came to a stop. He crossed his arms as he said, "You know, you could just make it easy for all of us and just battle her again. And if you beat her, I'll take you on."

Gilda continued to growl, only to let out a huff, "Fine..." She turned to Mandibuzz, "Let's get this over with so we can have a real match."

Mandibuzz nodded as it leapt off a rock and glided over to the bridge. "I knew you'd see it my way," Rainbow replied as she put Tank down and patted his shell. "You can do this." Tank nodded back as he started to take flight, Mandibuzz doing the same.

"Alright Mandibuzz, let's just beat this loser already. Dual Wingbeat!" Mandibuzz's wings began to glow on command, the Bone Vulture swooping down on the tortoise.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow yelled as Tank retracted into his shell, now glowing blue as Mandibuzz slammed its wing into the shell. The blow knocked Tank flying as Mandibuzz flew after him, ready to hit him with its other wing. "Keep using Iron Defense!" Again the shell glowed blue as Mandibuzz hit him with its other wing. This time Tank was slammed into a rock on Gilda's side of the crack.

"Tore!" he cried in pain as he slid down the rock and landed on his feet, pushing himself back up as Mandibuzz flew down to the tortoise.

"Now, use Gust!" Tank spun his propeller, unleashing a powerful wind that struck Mandibuzz back, allowing Tank to reverse the spin to push himself into the air. "Stone Edge!" Lights appeared around Tank before fading to show some jagged rocks, the tortoise now firing the projectiles at the vulture.

"BUZZ!" It cried as the rubble exploded, the sight making Tank fly above the bird.

"Now use Body Slam!" Tank flew up before cutting his propeller, letting gravity pull him down at Mandibuzz while retracting into his shell for protection. Mandibuzz looked up and saw the shell incoming, Tank slamming into the bird's body, pushing it down into the crack.

"Mand!" It yelped before spinning, pulling itself out from under Tank before both could hit the bottom. The two then recovered from he descent, Tank quickly spinning his propeller as Mandibuzz shot up.

"Dark Pulse!" Mandibuzz unleashed the black rings out of its mouth, heading straight for Tank as the Torpeller stayed in his shell.

"Iron Defence!" The shell glowed blue as the attack struck him, pushing him back until he crashed into one of the wall spikes.

"Tore!" He cried as he scrapped against it.

"Tank!" Rainbow yelled as Mandibuzz circled around, Gilda smirking as she gave her next order.

"Brave Bird!" Mandibuzz exploded into flames as it shot downward. The flames then turned blue as it got in close, Tank looking up at the attack, crouching down low next. And as Mandibuzz was seconds away from colliding, Tank pushed off the rocks and leapt into the air.

"MANDIBUZZ!" It screamed as it hit the wall, causing an explosion while making the wall shake.

"ALRIGHT!" Rainbow cheered as Tank flew up past her, "Way to go Tan!" Tank smiled back, only for a blur to shoot out of the cloud and fly up to him. He then saw Mandibuzz hovering beside him, staring daggers despite the bruises on its body.

"We're ending this now!" She pointed at Mandibuzz, "Back to back Dual Wingbeats!"

"MANDIBUZZ!" It squawked as both wings glowed, Tank quickly trying to fly back, only for Mandibuzz to slap him with its wing.

"TORE!" He cried as he was knocked back, Mandibuzz zipping up to him and hitting him with its other wing. "PELLER!" He was thrown in another direction, Mandibuzz quickly getting up to him and repeating the process.

"TANK!" Rainbow yelled as she watched her best friend get battered around like a ping-pong ball, the others frowning while Fluttershy looked away.

"Oh, I can't watch." she whimpered out, "This is just awful."

"Come on Tank," Flash added.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow screamed, Tank withdrawing into his shell. But before he could power up his defenses, Mandibuzz slapped him away, making him lose focus.

"Now, BRAVE BIRD!" Mandibuzz flew straight up as its body ignited, quickly descending into blue fiery blaze.

"TANK!" Rainbow cried as the attack landed, causing an explosion. And from out of the smoke, Tank fell straight down, crashing into the bridge. "NO!" She yelled as she ran over to him, kneeling down to see he was still conscious. "Tank..."

Gilda laughed as Mandibuzz flew out of the smoke, reeling from the recoil. "I told you you wouldn't be able to beat me!" She watched as Tank tried to slowly pick himself up, "Don't bother getting up. With a slow weakling like that, it's a miracle you've ever been able to win any battles before."

The others all growled at her, only for Rainbow glare at the girl as she slowly said, "You don't get it. Tank might not be the fastest Pokémon in the world, but he's got something no other Flying-type has." She smiled down at him while rubbing his shell. "A certain kind of spirit. A stick-to-it-ive-ness. A never give up, can-do attitude that's the mark of a real winner. And this Torpeller has it!"

"Tenacity!" Twilight stated.

"Gesundheit," Rainbow replied, making Twilight roll her eyes while the girl glared back at Gilda. "You just can't stop this little guy. There's a reason I called him Tank." She stood up, "That's why he's my number one." Tank slowly smiled at Rainbow before pushing himself up onto his feet. Slowly, but assuredly he pushed passed the pain. Showing the tenacity Rainbow admired, he stood tall and let out a mighty cry.

"TOREPELLER!"

With that, his body exploded with light. Everyone's eyes went wide as they saw the light begin to grow, Rainbow gasping as the figure shifted until it was standing on two feet.

"No way..." she whispered as the light faded. The new Pokémon that appeared was mostly shell, but it had a somewhat humanoid form, standing at roughly eight foot in height. Its shell's top and bottom appeared to be disconnected, creating a gap between the two that its arms and legs came out of. The arms were giant flipper-like appendages while its legs were stumpy and tube-like with no feet. Its bottom half of its shell had nine holes in it, looking completely black within. Eight of the holes paralleled each other in position while the ninth was at the very top of the shell. And it was from this hole that Tank's face could be seen poking out. "SOAR!" It roared while swinging its arms around, creating a powerful gust of wind.

"Awesome," Spike whispered.

"Tank evolved," Fluttershy commented as stars appeared in her eyes while Flash pulled out his Pokedex.

Twilight nodded in agreement, "Yes. Now he's a Soartoise."

Name: Soartoise
Category: Air Tortoise Pokémon
Type: Rock/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Torpeller. It's entire body is a powerful wind generator that can create currents of over a 100 miles an hour.

Rainbow had the same starry-eyed expression as she looked her new Pokémon over. "Tank...You look awesome!"

"Soar!" Tank cheered before turning back to Mandibuzz, "Soartoise! Soartoise, soar!"

"Mand…" the bird growled back.

"Don't let it get to you Mandibuzz." Gilda chimed in as she pointed at the new Pokémon, "I'll admit that this might not be a complete waste of time now, but even if you're evolved, you still can't beat us. Mandibuzz, Brave Bird!" Once again, Mandibuzz exploded into flames as it shot up into the air.

"Alright Tank, time to show off your new power! Gust!" Tank's head retracted into his shell before leaping up and bringing its legs together, the action morphing them into a fin-like arm. All three fins then started spinning around the shell, forming a green buzzsaw-like image. They span so fast that a tornado bigger than any Tank had every used fired out of the holes in his chest.

It shot up and struck Mandibuzz, pushing it back as the flames around it went out. "BUZZ!"

"Wow!" Spike cheered, "That Gust got a serious power boost."

"That's because that wasn't Gust," the others turned to Twilight as she said this, "That was Hurricane!"

"Awesome! Way to go Tank!" Rainbow yelled as Tank stopped spinning and went back to normal. She then pointed at Mandibuzz, "Now, go get 'em!" Tank nodded and leapt off the bridge, once again morphing into the fan form as it used it to fly upward.

Mandibuzz shook its head from the Hurricane before charging at Tank, only for the Soartoise to tilt so his buzzsaw parts would hit Mandibuzz. This prevented Mandibuzz from hitting him with its wings, leaving it only one option. "Dark Pulse!"

"BUZZ!" Mandibuzz fired the dark rings, Tank spinning around so the back of its shell was hit.

"Iron Defense!" The shell glowed blue for a second as the attack struck, leaving not even a scratch. "Now, Stone Edge!" Tank stopped spinning, his arms and legs appearing to glide on the wind as the jagged rocks appeared around him.

"Soar!" With a flap of his fins, they were sent flying at Mandibuzz, striking the bird.

"Mand!" It cried in pain as the rocks hit the vulture's chest.

"Deflect them with Dual Wingbeat!" Mandibuzz growled and began to swing its wings around, slapping the rocks away as Tank flew above the bird.

"Body Slam!" Rainbow commanded as Tank stopped spinning and turned around so the back of his shell was pointing down. The tortoise allowed gravity to take hold, slamming into Mandibuzz, who squawked in pain as it was pushed down toward the spikes at the bottom of the crack.

"Get out of there!" Gilda ordered before Mandibuzz managed to push Tank away, both taking flight. "End this! Brave Bird!" Mandibuzz dive-bombed as its body ignited, Rainbow shining a huge grin in response.

"Time for us to end this! Hurricane!" Tank pointed his chest at Mandibuzz and spun his fins as fast as he could, unleashing the super-powered tornado from his chest. Mandibuzz flew into the Hurricane, trying to break through...only to be stopped dead in its tracks. They stayed like this for several long seconds, everyone watching as both pushed against each other. That is, till one cried out in pain.

"BUZZ!" Mandibuzz's flames went out as it was send flying into the spiky walls of the fissure, an explosion following this. The area shook as everyone waited to see the result, staring at the spot as the dust began to fade to reveal Mandibuzz. "Buzz..." it moaned with spirals in its eyes.

"YES!" Rainbow cheered as Gilda' jaw hit the dirt. She stared at Mandibuzz as it began to slip out of the wall, only to land on the back of Tank's shell as the Soartoise flew the two back up to the bridge.

"Thanks," she said once Tank lowered her Pokémon onto the ground, falling to her knees before holding up her Pokeball, "Return." Once Mandibuzz was sucked back into its ball, Gilda sighed as Gallus moved over and patted her shoulder.

"Guess the count's back to zero." Gilda growled as she swatted away his hand before glaring at Rainbow, now seeing the girl hugging her Pokémon.

"You were awesome Tank!" She cheered, "Too awesome!"

"Soar!" Tank slowly said back as it hugged her back.

The others ran over next, each giving their own congratulations on evolving and beating their opponents. "You really outdid yourselves," Doc told them. "It's not easy to get Torpeller to the level needed to evolve. You should be proud."

"I am," Rainbow replied before turning to Gilda. "We won. So now you have to let us pass."

Gilda continued to growl, "I don't have to let you do anything."

"Come on Gilda," Gallus spoke up. "Don't be a sore loser. Just let them pass. It's not like you can stop them anyway," he pointed to her Mandibuzz's Pokeball. "Don't risk anything else."

"Grrr...fine," she growled before pointing to the cave entrance, "Just go before I change my mind." The others smiled before Rainbow returned Tank and the group went over the bridge.

Stared up at the cave next as they slowly headed inside, Rainbow made sure to be the last one in. And before she went inside, she turned back to Gilda. "Hey!" Gilda turned to her, "Don't give up. You'll beat a hundred trainers in no time. And when you do, I'll be waiting to settle the score. It's one all now."

Gilda blinked at her, only to smirk and nod as Rainbow vanished inside the cave. The group had overcome the first obstacle of Foal Mountain, but many more still stood between them and Cloudsdale City. Only time would tell how well they would handle themselves on their trek. As the journey continues.

Heavy Metal

View Online

Continuing their journey to Cloudsdale City, the group found themselves travelling through the cave system of Foal Mountain. Joined by their friends Rainbow and Fluttershy, they were now matching through a bunch of tunnels with torches in hand.

"Okay," Twilight nodded while staring at the map on her journal. "A few more feet and then a left." Just as predicted, they found themselves at a fork and turned left. "Then straight ahead."

The group soon came to a three way split, going into the middle as Rainbow commented, "Good thing we've got your map Twilight. Without it, we could be wandering through these cave for days."

"I wouldn't have suggested them if I didn't have this map," Twilight replied, "We'd find ourselves trapped in a cave system way too many times."

Rainbow and Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at this as Flash spoke up, "Say, that gives me an idea." He pulled out a Pokeball and summoned his Velocirush.

"Loss?" Hopper yawned as he appeared.

"Is that your Hoppin?" Rainbow asked as Fluttershy knelt down to scratch him behind the ear.

"Yeah," Flash nodded, "He evolved into Velocirush, and he's got a really good sense of smell. If something happens and we get split up, he might be able to track them down."

"Not a bad idea," Twilight added as they reached a slope leading up. "Here we go. This is also on the map..."

Spike whistled as they began to go up the slope, "This place is incredible. I can't believe these caves were formed naturally."

"They weren't," Doc instantly replied, "A few of them were probably natural, but most were probably made by something else." He placed a hand on the wall, "You can tell by the textures. They've been scratched up and carved into."

"Really?" Rainbow asked next, "Are you saying something made this place?"

"Something big," Doc responded as they continued through the tunnel.

"Like an Onix?" Flash chimed in.

"No, that's too big." Twilight replied, "I looked up what Pokémon might live in these caves and the biggest ones I saw were Golem, Aggron and Stalorn."

"Stalorn? What's that?" But before Twilight could reply, a sound echoed through the tunnel. It was a kind of roar, one none of them had ever heard before, Fluttershy and Spike shivering at the noise.

"What was that?" Rainbow gulped.

"Not sure," Flash replied before hearing the roar again, only for a different roar to follow it before the sound of clanging metal began to ring out. "Sounds like some kind of battle."

"It's coming from up ahead," Twilight added as they started to slow down.

"Maybe we should go a different way," Fluttershy whimpered while hiding behind Rainbow.

"We can't," Twilight showed her the map. "This is the only direct way to the rest stop. If we go another way, it'll take a whole day to get to a section that reconnects to the route."

Spike let out a huff, "Just once I'd like to go somewhere and not run into the biggest danger the place has."

"Relax kid," Rainbow chuckled, "Whatever's causing that noise, we can totally handle it." She pointed at the direction of the noise. "Let's go see what it is!" Flash and his Pokémon nodded as they ran after the sound, the others following.

"Is lack of common sense a requirement for being a super strong trainer?" He asked his sister as they reached the top of the slope, the sound getting louder with each step.

Doc let out a laugh. "There's an old saying that common sense is a collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. Since these two aren't that old, by that logic, they have yet to develop common sense."

Spike sighed. "At this rate, they won't survive long enough to develop it."

The rest laughed as they got closer to the sound, soon coming to a stop as they found themselves inside a large cavern filled with rocks and boulders. A roar made them leap behind a large boulder as they now saw the cause of the noise. It was a pair of Pokémon battling. Both were hulking brutes, with the smaller of the two being a Pokémon they recognised as a Lairon.

The other Pokémon was a giant rhinoceros beetle that looked like it was made completely out of rock. It was the size of a bulldozer, and it's body was a combo of gray and bluish-gray. The main body was bluish-gray with six large legs, which were thick and elephant like up to the knee and the rest of the leg was a gray rocky tube. On the back of its shell were a bunch of stalagmite-like gray spikes, while on its head were two gray horns. It also had one large horn on its lower jaw that curved up and had a large V on the tip, along with a short horn curving down protruding from its forehead.

"What is that thing?" Spike asked.

"The Pokémon I was telling you about," Twilight replied. "A Stalorn."

"Stalorn?" Flash added as he pulled out his Pokedex.

Name: Stalorn
Category: Tusk Pokémon
Type: Rock
Info: The evolved form of Spikorn. Its now much larger body can allow it to smash through walls, which it uses to create labyrinth-like tunnels it calls home.

"That thing made this place?" Spike gulped.

"Possibly," Twilight responded as they watched the two Pokémon circle one another. She looked around the cave, now seeing a section of it that had a tiny stream with water flowing down from the ceiling and into the small pond. "I think we might be seeing a battle over territory."

As she said that, Lairon's front claws began to glow. "Here comes Metal Claw," Doc announced as Lairon charged.

"LAIRON!" It leapt at Stalorn with a glowing claw while Stalorn's horn shined white.

"LORN!" It cried as the metal claws slammed into it, but the rock beetle quickly swung its giant horn, hitting Lairon's face. The metal dinosaur yelped as it was thrown back, sliding along the ground until it crashed into a large rock.

"Wow," Flash whistled. "Lairon got a direct hit, but Stalorn doesn't even have a scratch on it."

"Stalorn have incredibly high defensive power," Doc commented, "Lairon's gonna need a lot more if it wants to beat it." He watched as Lairon picked itself up, letting out a might roar as it glowed red before multiple white rings appeared above Stalorn. From those rings, large stones appeared as they began to fall, "That's Rock Slide."

Stalorn remained still as its horn glowed again, this time swinging it around to deflect the falling rocks. The others expected Lairon to use this distraction to attack, but instead the Iron Armor Pokémon moved around the edge of the Rock Slide until it was standing in front of another large boulder.

"Lorn!" Once Stalorn finished batting away the last rock, it turned to Lairon before slamming one its giant front feet into the ground. Doing so caused a line of rock spikes to shoot out of the ground.

"Ron!" Lairon used Metal Claw again, slashing at the rocks, but it wasn't fast enough. The sight made Doc raise an eyebrow, wondering why it chose to do that when simply dodging the attack would be better.

Stalorn then used this opening to charge forward as its body glowed yellow. "Is that Double-Edge?" Spike asked, getting a nod from Twilight.

"Yes, and at that size, it'll do some serious damage."

"Lairon's can't let it hit then," Flash added as they saw Lairon slash the last rock. But as they watched, they went wide-eyed as they saw the Steel-type not try to dodge. Instead, it stood firm. "What's it doing?"

Lairon braced itself as Stalorn's attack landed, the horn getting hooked under its neck before pushing upward and uppercutting it. "LAIRON!" It cried as it was thrown onto its back legs before falling over, "Ron!"

"That's not good," Rainbow said as they turned to Stalorn. They expected it to be flinching from the recoil, but it appeared fine.

"I guess it has Rock Head." Twilight added as Lairon rolled over and pushed itself back to its feet before charging again, letting out a roar as it picked up speed. "Now Lairon's using Take Down."

"But what's Stalorn doing?" Fluttershy asked while pointing at the rock beetle, everyone following her gaze as its horn began glowing red.

"That's a Counter attack!" Doc gasped. "Lairon, don't-" But it was too late as Lairon leapt at Stalorn. However, Stalorn's horn intercepted the attack, slamming Larion's stomach with the V-shape on the tip of its horn as the Take Down hit the beetle. The impact from Take Down made it stagger back, only to use this moment to swing back and throw Lairon with incredible force.

"LAIRON!" It screamed as it flew through the air, smashing into the rock it had been standing in front of as the boulder cracked open.

"Whoa!" Rainbow yelped, "Talk about power!"

Doc nodded in agreement. "Counter hits with twice the power of the move used on Stalorn when it's activated. Take Down's a really strong move, so Lairon got hit hard."

"Let's not forget Take Down's recoil," Twilight added, "If Lairon didn't have Rock Head, it'll have taken some major damage from it." They watched as Lairon picked itself up, its body staggering before staring at the damaged rock.

"Ron!" It cried before climbing atop the rock.

"What's it doing?" Flash asked, the others just as confused.

"Wait..." Doc whispered as they watched Lairon turned back to Stalorn, growling before jumping off the rock, its body glowing red again as it roared. Once again the rings appeared, all falling toward Stalorn. However, the rock beetle didn't look scared as its horn glowed red.

As the rocks reached it, Stalorn swung its horn around, batting the rocks away. The boulders shattered upon impact and flew toward Lairon, the Pokémon holding its ground from the attack. "Again?" Spike asked as the rocks crashed into Lairon.

"Why doesn't it dodge?" Fluttershy added.

"Maybe it can't dodge," Twilight guessed. "Some bulky Pokémon prefer to take attacks and wait for an opening, especially the slower ones."

"I don't think this is it," Doc responded while looking at the rock behind it. "Could it be...guarding something?"

"Like what?" Spike asked, Doc not answering and instead moving out from behind the boulder and running over the rock. The two Pokémon didn't notice him as hid behind another rock, allowing him to see behind the boulder, letting out a gasp as he did this.

"That's it!"

"LAIRON!" He turned to see Lairon charge at Stalorn, leaping before rolling itself up, Doc realizing it was using Body Slam.

"LORN!" Stalorn cried as it slammed a foot into the ground, unleashing another Stone Edge. Lairon smashed through the rocks in front of it, slowing it down as Stalorn was now able to dodge the attack.

"Ron!" Lairon yelepd as it crashed, allowing Stalorn to use Horn Attack on the recovering Pokémon. "Lairon!" It screamed as it was hit across the ground before stopping in front of the boulder, soon trying to pick itself up as Stalorn prepared for its next attack.

Lairon growled as it pushed itself up, glaring at Stalorn before charging again with Metal Claw. It leapt at the rock beetle, but Stalorn's horn glowed red as it got closer. "Lair!" It slashed at its face, making it flinch, only for Stalorn to thrust its horn into Lairon's stomach, throwing it back, "LAIRON!" It screamed before crashing again, kicking up a dust cloud while everyone gasped. And when the dust cleared, Lairon was laid out with swirls in its eyes.

"Oh no..." Doc whispered before turning back to Stalorn, now seeing it scrape its foot across the ground as he was getting ready to charge.

"LORN!" It roared as it began to use Double-Edge, shocking those watching. But what shocked them more was the sudden appearance of Flitanium, slamming a Steel Wing into the charging rock beetle.

"Fly!" He grunted before pushing Stalorn back, Doc now looking over Lairon.

Stalorn growled at them, only for an Aura Sphere to hit the ground before it. The Pokémon growled as it turned to see the others, Springer and Hopper now jumping in front Lairon. "Back off," Flash told it.

"Is it okay?" Fluttershy asked Doc, the gym leader nodding back.

"He's fine." He then turned to the boulder, "You can come out now. We won't hurt you." The others blinked at his words before turning to the rock, now seeing a trio of small Pokémon walk out before running over to Lairon's side.

"Aron..." Twilight whispered as the tiny dino Pokémon ran over to their evolved form, "So that's why Lairon was protecting that rock."

"It was trying to help its friends," Rainbow added.

"Er...guys?" they turned to Flash, "I'm not sure how long this standoff's gonna last." Stalorn continued to glare at them, clearly weighing the pros and cons of fighting this many enemies. "We have to get out of here, now."

"But we can't leave Lairon," Fluttershy replied, "And it's in no condition to move by itself."

"Well it's not like we can carry it," Rainbow added, "Its gotta be super heavy."

"Then we've got no choice." They turned to Doc and saw him take out a Pokeball before pressing it against Lairon's head. The ball opened up, absorbing Lairon into it before closing. The ball didn't even shake once before it let out a ding, the Aron all staring at the ball in shock. "Come on." He stood up as Twilight pointed to one of the holes in the wall.

"This way!" The group ran away with the Aron following them, Flash, Springer, Hopper and Flitanium the last to leave the cave so Stalorn didn't try a sneak attack. Once they were gone, the Tusk Pokémon let out a chuckle before turning away, now knowing this territory was now his...though a small part of the rock beetle knew they would be back.

The group continued to run through the tunnels, following Twilight as she lead them left, right, up, then right again. It was here they turned a corner to now see a light at the end of the tunnel. "There it is!" Twilight yelled as they ran to the exit, almost getting blinded by the bright sun as they got outside.

When their eyes adjusted, they found themselves on a large ledge that went about twenty feet from the wall of the mountain. Spike went over to the side, instantly getting vertigo when he saw how high they were. "Whoa...where are we?"

"About twelve miles from the base," Twilight replied as she looked straight up. They were just a mile below the cloud cover, the girl doing the math in her head. "We have another nine miles before we reach the top."

"That's not important now," Doc added while looking down at his Pokeball. "We need to treat Lairon."

"Then let's get to that rest spot," Rainbow responded, the group following Twilight again as they went down another path. As they did this, the group soon found a small wooden cabin that appeared to have been built into the side of the mountain. This was confirmed when they opened the door, now seeing the place was much bigger on the inside.

"Alright," Doc held out the Pokeball before it unleashed Lairon. The Iron Armor Pokémon laid on the ground, still looking injured as the Aron rushed to its side. "Let's get you patched up." He and Fluttershy took their medical supplies out of their bag, now administering Super Potions and feeding it Oran Berries.

As it did, Flash turned to Twilight, "I can't believe a Steel-type like Lairon lost to a Rock-type. Didn't you tell me Steel-types would have an advantage over them."

Twilight shook her head, "Not if it knows certain moves. Stalorn's biggest advantage over Lairon was that Counter. If it didn't have that, Lairon might have been able to win. Since it's a Fighting move, it's super effective of a Rock and Steel-type." She turned to the Aron, leaning down to the tiny Pokémon, "But its more than that. That cave was your home, wasn't it?" The Aron frowned and nodded.

"How could you tell?" Rainbow asked her. "I thought Stalorn made this mountain."

"Pokémon like Aggron and their pre-evolved forms likely did as well," Twilight replied, "This mountain must be filled with iron ore, which Aron and Lairon eat. Aron also need to drink water with lots of minerals in it, which is what that stream is likely filled with. It's clear that this cavern was their home, and the tunnels were made by them digging for iron ore." She turned to the Aron, "Am I right?"

The Aron nodded back, making Doc chime in, "So the Stalorn was the invader, and when Lairon tried to drive it away, it got beaten instead." The Aron all nodded again. "I see."

"So what'll happen to them now?" Spike asked. "If Stalorn has the cavern now, where will the Aron go? Will they have to find another part of the mountain to live on?"

"Most likely," Twilight responded. "But it won't be easy. They'll need to find a spot that has a lot of ore and has a mineral spring. I doubt there's are a lot of those around here."

It was at that moment that Lairon started to move, making everyone turn to him as Doc leaned down and rubbed his side, "Hey Lairon, nice to meet you in person." Lairon blinked at him, the Aron now asking if it was feeling any better. It then tried to pick itself up, only to flinch in pain. "Easy, easy..." Doc told it, "You're still badly injured. You need to rest and let your body recover."

Lairon tilted his head at the human, not understanding why he would care. That is, till Flash leaned down as well and pointed at Doc, "Doc's your new trainer. He caught and brought you here so you could be treated. I'm sure you two will get along great from now on."

Lairon glanced at Doc at this, now seeing uncertainty on Doc's face. "I...don't know. Am I really its trainer now? Do I even deserve to call that a real capture?" The others raised an eyebrow at this, the gym leader seeing their reactions, "I didn't weaken it, and Lairon didn't agree to go with me. I only caught it because there was no other way to get Lairon out of there. If that hadn't been the case, I wouldn't have done it." He turned back to the Iron Armor Pokémon, "I'm sorry. I promise that once you're healed up, I'll let you go."

The others frowned at this, Twilight chiming in, "Are you sure Doc? I mean...if that's what you want-"

Doc interrupted with a small sigh, "I admit, I wouldn't mind having a Lairon....but I'd want to catch one properly. Besides, don't forget about the Aron." They turned to the smaller metal dinosaurs. "Without Lairon, they'll have a hard time surviving out here."

The others nodded, seeing his logic. But as they did this, Doc turned to Larion and saw a series of scratches covering the Pokemon's armor. He reached into his bag and pulled out the metal polish for his own Pokémon and started buffing the metal. The rest decided to head out of the cabin and leave Doc and the Steel-types alone, seeing the sun slowly beginning to set as they left.

Everyone took a seat and simply watched, Rainbow sitting on the roof while Spike sat with his legs hanging over the edge. Flash was leaning against the cabin wall while Fluttershy and Twilight sat against it, Springer and Peewee chasing each another around while Hopper was busy using a rock to draw in the dirt while Flitanium flew around.

"I still think Doc's making a mistake," Rainbow told the others. "He caught Lairon, so he should keep it. Who cares how he caught it."

Twilight shook her head, "While I do agree with you, it's Doc's decision. We can't force him to do anything."

"And don't forget about the Aron," Fluttershy added, "It wouldn't be right to take their protector away from them."

Flash sighed. "If they could defend themselves, I'd be trying to convince Doc to keep Lairon. But if Lairon couldn't stand up against Stalorn, how will they be able to without it?" He looked down at Hopper's drawing, seeing he was trying to mimic the sunset, though the half-set sun was triangular instead of round. He patted Hopper's head, "There has to be some way to help Lairon find a way to beat that thing. I mean, it wasn't fighting smart."

"Lairon was just following its instincts in that fight," Twilight responded, "Attacking again and again...if it battles Stalorn like that, it'll just lose again."

"So there's nothing we can do?" Spike asked, frowning as Peewee landed on his head.

Flash then stared at the door, humming. "Maybe not."

Back inside...

Doc continued to polish Lairon's armor, rubbing the scratches away. "There we are," he whispered, "Not bad. A little more work and you'll be in fighting fit in no time."

Lairon simply huffed, growling at the memory of the fight with Stalorn. His eyes tried to look away from the Aron, not wanting to even glance at them in his moment of weakness. But as he did this, Doc rubbed his head, "You know, you shouldn't be ashamed of losing." Lairon turned to him, his eyes going wide, "I know it can hurt and make you feel bad, but losing isn't the end of the world. As long as you keep trying and are willing to pick yourself up, you can turn this loss into something more."

"Ron?"

Doc pulled the cloth off the its body and began packing the polishing equipment away. "I've lost matches plenty of times. I'm considered the strongest trainer of my hometown, but I've lost a bunch of times. But I don't let it get to me. I learn from it."

"Lairon?"

Doc chuckled as he saw Larion tilt his head, "A lot of egotistic people say that all the strongest trainers in the world are like that because they never lose. And in a way, they're right." He shined a big grin at the Pokémon, "The strongest trainers never lose because they learn from their defeats. If someone's able to learn from losing, then they never truly lost. They got up after a defeat and got better. So it's true that all the strongest trainers never lose."

"Ron..." Lairon slowly replied, starting to get his words.

"You might not have been able to beat Stalorn, but you haven't lost if you learn from it. You do know why you lost, right?"

Lairon thought for a moment, replaying the battle in its head. As it did this, it remembered that it had lost because Stalorn had that Counter attack, along with Lairon needing to protect its friends.

"Don't worry about the Aron," it turned to Doc as he sat against the wall of the cabin. "My friends and I will look after them and let you focus on beating Stalorn." Lairon nodded back, "As for its Counter...that might be a bigger issue." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Counter only works on physical moves, which all your moves are." Lairon looked away at this, "But don't worry, we'll find a way to beat it. Promise."

Lairon's eyes went wide at this, a smile appearing on his face as he began to think he liked this human. At the same time, the door opened as Doc's friends all walked inside, "Guys, I need your help." Doc said as he got up, "I wanna help Lairon get its home back from Stalorn. But in order for it to win, we need to keep the Aron out of harms way. If we do that, Lairon can focus on beating Stalorn."

Flash and the others nodded back, "Don't worry, we'll keep the Aron safe. You focus on helping Lairon win the fight."

Doc raised an eyebrow at this, Twilight speaking up, "We think you should battle with Lairon tomorrow." Doc opened his mouth, only for Twilight to continue, "We know you don't consider him your Pokémon, but he needs your help. If Lairon wants to win, he needs a strategy. On his own, he'll just follow his instincts and lose...but if you help him, he'll stand a better chance."

The gym leader blinked at her words, turning to Lairon, "What do you think?" Lairon shrunk away at the question, only to feel nudges at its feet. He turned to see the three Aron staring up at him, all nodding.

Larion smiled back before turning to Doc, his feet shaking as it stood itself up. "Ron!"

Doc nodded back, "Alright then. We battle together, just this once. Working as a team, that Stalorn won't stand a chance."

"Alright!" Rainbow cheered, "Then you guys gotta get some training on! Come on, I'll be your opponent. You can learn to get in sync with one another before challenging Stalorn." The others nodded as they headed out, Lairon curious about how battling with a human would go.

The next day...

As soon as the sun rose the next morning, the group were out of the cabin. They were heading back down, Twilight leading the way while Doc and the Steel-types were at the back of the group, Lairon actually carrying the Aron on its back.

"You remember the strategy?" He asked Lairon, the Pokémon nodding back, "Good. I'm not saying this'll be easy, but as long as we stick to it, we stand a fighting chance."

And as they continued to walk, Stalorn was busy snoozing in the cave it had won. But as it did this, it felt some vibrations, making it open its eyes as it felt the earth shake a bit more. He turned to the source, letting out an unimpressed huff as it saw Lairon, Doc and the others as they walked into the cave. "Lorn?"

"Stalorn!" Doc pointed at it, "We're here to get their cave back!"

"LAIRON!" Its roar echoed through the cave.

"Lorn!" Stalorn barked back, getting into a battle ready position. The others took this moment to get out of the line of fire, Twilight, Spike and Fluttershy picking up the Aron while Flash, Rainbow and their Pokémon ready to defend them should the need arise.

"You ready Lairon?" It nodded while staring down its foe, both waiting for the other to attack. And as a full minute passed, Stalorn broke the stalemate as he charged with a glowing white horn. "He's coming!" Doc yelled, "Wait until the last moment, then dodge." On command, Lairon quickly sidestepped as Stalorn got closer. It wasn't the fastest Pokémon in the world, not by a long shot, but Stalorn was even slower. "Now, Metal Claw!"

"Lairon!" It spun around and slashed into Stalorn with its glowing claws, Stalorn flinching in pain.

"Alright!" Spike cheered.

"That's the way," Twilight added, "Keep clear of its horn and you'll avoid the Counter attack."

The Aron all cheered for him as Stalorn turned to it, raising its front foot up. "Lorn!" It slammed it into the ground, unleashing a wave of Stone Edge.

"Dodge it!" Lairon tried to sidestep again, only its side getting scratched by one of the first rocks. "Now, Rock Slide!" Lairon roared while glowing red, causing the rings of light to appear above Stalorn before unleashing the large boulders.

Stalorn growled as he charged at Larion next, swinging his now red glowing horn around to deflect the rocks. But as it did this, it didn't notice Lairon charging before leaping up. "Body Slam!" Lairon crashed into Stalorn before it could catch it in its horn, the force of the impact causing it to stagger back before falling over, "Yes!"

"Way to go!" Flash yelled as Lairon leapt off Stalorn, "That had to hurt."

"Of course it did. The damage it just did is double the usual the move would do." Twilight added as she pushed her glasses up with a confident smirk. "I had Flash scan Lairon with his Pokedex. It's ability is Heavy Metal."

"Heavy Metal?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight nodded. "Lairon's metal is twice as heavy as a normal Lairon. That means it weighs twice as much, so a move like Body Slam will do some serious damage."

It was here that Stalorn picked itself up, growling as Larion just stared him down. "You've got it on the ropes!" Rainbow told Doc, "Finish it off!"

"Lairon, get behind it and use Metal Claw." Doc ordered, Lairon nodding before trying to run around Stalorn. But as it did this, Stalorn followed it, spinning around so its horn kept facing Lairon as it circled around. "Dang it."

"It's caught on," Twilight sighed. "It's not gonna let you get behind it again." As she said this, Lairon hissed as it suddenly charged with glowing claws, "Wait! Don't-" But it was too late, Stalorn's horn now glowing red as Lairon leapt at it, Stalorn maneuvering to catch the Iron Armor Pokémon on its horn.

"Ron!" It roared in annoyance, swinging its claws at Stalorn's upper horn before the rock beetle tossed it off, throwing it at Doc. "LAIRON!" It cried as it crashed into the ground, sliding along the ground.

"Lairon!" Doc yelped, kneeling down and looking him over. "You okay?"

"Lair," Lairon groaned as it picked itself up before nodding.

"You can't be reckless. Stalorn's stronger, but you're smarter. You've gotta use that."

"Lorn..." Lairon nodded before charging again. Stalorn's horn continued to glow as it waited for the next attack, only for Lairon to start zigzagging from left to right. The Horn Pokémon tried to follow, only for Larion to leap again.

"Metal Claw!" Lairon's claws began to glow, Stalorn positioning itself for the attack. But as Larion leapt, he suddenly side-stepped instead to the left way from its horn.

"Lorn?" It cried as Lairon suddenly slashed at its left side. "STALORN!" It staggered to the side while the others cheered, Lairon smirking as it turned to Doc.

"That's the way," Doc gave him a thumbs up. "Fantastic move!"

Stalorn hissed at the pain, only to turn to Doc this time. It knew now why it was losing, making it roar, "STALORN!" It slammed both legs down, the force of the thrust causing the entire cavern to shake, knocking everyone off balance as it used Stone Edge.

But the jagged rocks weren't heading for Lairon, instead going for the young man giving Larion instructions. "DOC!" Flash yelled when he saw this, only for everyone to fall over from the shaking.

"LOOK OUT!" Rainbow screamed as the rocks went straight for Doc, all flinching as they saw the rubble were about to hit him.

CLANG!

"LAIRON!" Doc gasped as the sound rang out, everyone now seeing Larion as it had leapt in front of the attack, taking the full brunt of the Stone Edge. The damage done caused the Rock/Steel-type to slump over, letting out a groan.

"Lairon!" Doc yelped as he tried to move over to him.

"You cheater!" Flash barked, Springer, Flitanium and Hopper preparing to attack it, but before they could-

"Lair!" Lairon turned to them, giving them a look that said 'back off.' He then glared at Stalorn as he picked himself up, growling at the rock beetle as it laughed back at him. It then raised a leg, getting ready to use Stone Edge again.

"Lairon," His new Pokémon turned to Doc, "I trust you." Lairon nodded back before glancing at Stalorn, shooting it a death glare. But Stalorn didn't react, instead slamming its foot down again. A spike line came next, but Lairon stood firm. It wouldn't allow this thing to hurt Doc or anyone else it cared for.

"Lair!" The Pokémon roared as Doc suddenly saw something shining in front of Lairon. It was a small silver ball of energy, which had appeared in his mouth and was growing bigger by the second. And as the Stone Edge was about to hit, Lairon bit into the ball as light escaped from between his mouth. "LAIRON!" He roared as he opened his mouth wide, sending out a silver beam of light.

The light struck the rocks, charging right through them, shattering them to pieces. Stalorn backpedaled at the sight, unable to react as the attack struck him head-on, an explosion following this as it cried, "LORN!"

Everyone gasped as they saw Stalorn go flying back, crashing into the ground with a thud. "What the heck was that?" Spike asked.

"Flash Cannon," Twilight whispered, "Lairon just used Flash Cannon."

"Awesome!" Flash cheered.

"Flash Cannon, eh?" Doc chuckled, "That's just what we need!" He then saw Stalorn pick itself up. "Alright Lairon, try and get behind it again." Lairon nodded and began circling around Stalorn, the beetle spinning around to prepare a Counter. "Now, Flash Cannon!"

"Lair!" The orb of light appeared in its mouth before it bit into it, "LAIRON!" The laser shot out, striking Stalorn in the horn, scaring all but Doc and Twilight.

"STALORN!" It cried in pain as it was pushed back, the attack not rebounding.

"What happened?"

"Counter only works on physical attacks," Twilight replied, "Flash Cannon's a special move, so it can't be countered."

The others smiled as they turned back to the battle. "Lairon learned the perfect move to beat Stalorn with," Rainbow cheered while the Aron watched in amazement.

"Use Metal Claw!" Lairon charged with a glowing claw, Stalorn trying to pick itself up. But it was too late, now getting slashed in the face. "Now, Body Slam!" As Stalorn flinched in pain, Lairon leaping and slamming itself down on Stalorn. The weight doubled the pain, only for Stalorn to manage to swing a glowing white horn into Larion.

"Ron!" Lairon flinched as it was thrown off, barely able to land on its feet.

"Rock Slide!" Lairon roared as the rings appeared to drop the rocks, Stalorn using Counter to knock the rubble away. "Flash Cannon!" Lairon created the orb, ate it, then spat out the beam as it shot through the rocks, soon hitting Stalorn head-on.

"Awesome!" Spike cheered, "They've got it on the ropes!"

Twilight nodded in agreement, "And even though its deflected the rocks, Stalorn's still taking damage when using Counter. I'd wager it's close to falling."

"Go, LAIRON!" Rainbow cheered.

"You can do it!" Fluttershy added while the Aron cheered.

Hearing his friends cheer him on, Lairon smiled as Stalorn picked itself up. "STALORN!" It roared as it charged, ready to use Double-Edge. But as it got closer, both Doc and Lairon remained perfectly calm.

"Wait for it..." Doc told Lairon as the Iron Armor Pokémon charged a Flash Cannon. "Wait for it....wait for it..." Soon enough, Stalorn was right on top of them. "Now, FIRE!"

"LAIRON!" Its attack shot out of his mouth seconds before Stalorn could hit him, striking the Rock-type point blank. The rock beetle screamed as it was sent flying back, crashing into several rocks until it hit the wall of the cavern. The beam faded and Stalorn dropped to the floor, kicking up dust before slumping over with swirls in its eyes with a moan.

"YES!" Doc and the others cheered as they ran over to their friends.

"You did it," Twilight added.

"That was awesome, Doc!" Flash chuckled while Doc blushed.

"Thanks," he rubbed the back of his head before turning to his new friend, "But the praise should really go to Lairon." The Aron all ran to Lairon's side, all telling him how awesome he was. This made Lairon blush while smiling, but that smile quickly vanished when they heard movement, making them to turn to see Stalorn begin to pick itself up.

"Lair!" He growled while the others got into a battle stance, Stalorn shooting daggers at them.

"Hey!" Doc yelled, "Just give it up. You've lost, so leave this cave to those who actually need it." The others nodded, showing they were ready to fight. But as they did this, the Aron suddenly ran to the front of the pack, all barking at it that they weren't gonna let the brute bully them anymore.

Stalorn growled at this, ready to attack them. Larion was about to get in front of them, only for a light to appear on all three Aron. Gasps came next as the trio roared, "ARON!" The light exploded off them next, firing a trinity of light beams at Stalorn before it could react.

"STALORN!" It screamed as it was blasted back, right into the entrance of a tunnel that sloped down. It quickly found itself rolling down, soon completely out of sight.

"Wow..." Spike whispered, "Did they just-"

"Use Flash Cannon?" Twilight added. "They sure did. They must have learned it from watching Lairon."

"Awesome," Flash finished. "Now they can protect themselves against Stalorn if it comes back." Lairon smiled at the Aron as they all turned to him, only to suddenly freeze up as if in shock. The reason for this soon became apparent when their bodies exploded into light, making everyone backpedal. The trio soon began to grow, the light then fading to reveal their new Lairon appearances.

"They've evolved," Twilight gasped.

"Awesome!" Rainbow cheered.

Doc chuckled as the original Lairon moved over to its friends, all greeting one another by rubbing their metal heads together, all happy to see they were now much stronger. It was then that Doc's smile faded before he took out the Pokeball he had used to catch Lairon. He moved over to it, Lairon turning to him before seeing the ball, "Well, I guess this is it." He raised the ball, "I'll return and release you now."

The others went wide-eyed, Flash asking, "Doc...are you sure you wanna do this?"

"I didn't catch him properly," Doc replied. "Lairon didn't have a choice. Besides, I'm sure it wants to stay here with its friends." He held out the ball, "This is it." It fired the red light at Lairon. But before it could hit, one of its friends jumped between them and the beam, bouncing it off its metal body. "What the-what are you doing?"

The newly evolved Lairon turned to Doc's and all got behind it before pushing it toward Doc. When it was besides him, they moved back and smiled at the two. "Lair?" Lairon asked its friends what they were doing, but they just continued to smile before turning to Doc and began saying something in their own language.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked back, only to hear a chuckle from Flash.

"Isn't it obvious? They're asking you to take good care of their friend." This made Doc turn to Flash just as the teen looked down at Springer and Hopper, "Right?" The two nodded back, both showing smiles.

"But...but," he looked down at his new friend. "Does Lairon even want to stay with me?" Lairon looked up at him, only to smile and nod.

"Ron!" it cheered, giving the confirmation Doc needed. The young adult smirked as he kneeled down and patted Larion on the head.

"Welcome to the family!"

"LAIRON!" He leapt at Doc, landing on top of him while pushing the wind out of his lungs. He continued to hug Doc while the teen struggled to move.

"Too...heavy! Can't...breathe!" The others quickly ran over to get Lairon off, laughing once he was off of him.

After they had made sure Doc hadn't broken anything, the Lairon led the group out of the tunnels, now back at the exit. When they got there, the group turned to them, "Well, I guess this is it." The Lairon nodded back before Doc moved over to them and they rubbed their heads together, obviously their way of saying goodbye.

Once that was done, Twilight spoke up, "Now don't you go letting Stalorn pick on you again."

"There's no way that thing could take them all," Spike added, "Now that they have Flash Cannon, it won't stand a chance!"

The Lairon nodded back, thinking the same thing. As they did this, Fluttershy turned to the path, "Well, we better get going."

The others nodded as they began to head up the path, waving goodbye to their new friends. As they walked, the Lairon called out to Doc's to be careful and to get super strong. He called back that he would, Doc smiling down at him as he saw Lairon was clearly going to miss his friends. "Don't worry, you'll see them again some day." Lairon smiled up at him, nodding before focusing his attention on the path ahead. He had to look to his future now, not his past.

Their journey up the mountain had not only met them with a great obstacle in Stalorn, but also a new friend in Lairon. Now with Cloudsdale City closer than ever, the group will press on to reach the top of the mountain. As the journey continues.

Champions of the Mountain

View Online

Flash couldn't see a thing. His eyes were squinting, nothing appearing beyond two feet in front of his face. As for why this was happening, he and his friends had entered the part of Foal Mountain that was surrounded by clouds, which cloaked the area like a damp mist.

"Whoa!" Spike yelped behind him, making him turn to see the teen leaning against the wall of the mountain with Twilight holding him by the shoulder.

"You okay?" Doc asked from the front of the group.

"Yeah," Spike replied, "I just uh...tripped on a rock."

"I told you to be careful," Twilight sighed. "This could have been a lot worse if we weren't going so slow."

"Which I am so over doing," Rainbow groaned. "The quicker we get out of this fog, the better."

"But if we go too fast, we might have an accident," Fluttershy chimed in, "This route might have a drop and we wouldn't see it until the last moment."

"Exactly," Doc added, "So as annoying as it is, going slow is our best bet. Yes, we want to get there, but we also want to get there alive."

Rainbow let out a long sigh, only for a bulb to go off in her head, "Wait a minute..." She took out a Pokeball, "Come on out Tank!" The ball opened, soon unleashing her newly evolved Soartoise. The others blinked at Tank as his trainer then said, "Tank, see if you can blow away some of this fog."

"Soar," Tank nodded and turned to their path, the vents in his chest beginning to blow out air.

The wind pushed the cloud away, Rainbow cheering, "Yes! Way to go Tank!"

"Huh. Not a bad idea." Flash added as both Hopper and Springer nodded in agreement.

"Maybe, but we still need to be careful." Twilight responded before patting Rainbow's shoulder, "Also, don't do that too much. You might end up teaching Tank Defog, and while it's a pretty useful move in certain situations, it's completely useless in battle."

"Oh. Yeah, that move does sound kinda lame." Rainbow replied as they continued to move, now getting to a breaking ledge. Now that the fog was gone, they could see that it was falling apart, the group taking it slow to hug the mountain while walking on the edge.

Unfortunately, Fluttershy had a near panic attack when she accidently looked down, the group having to calm her down before they finally got above the clouds. "Finally," Rainbow sighed in relief before turning to Tank. The Soartoise was panting heavily, clearly tired after keeping all the fog away. "Thanks Tank." She patted him on the back of the shell, "You were awesome."

Tank smiled back before she returned him, Flash then looking up to the top of the mountain, now seeing it was roughly two or three miles up. "We're almost there."

"Hey, what's that?" Spike asked as he pointed to the edge of the mountain cliff.

They then saw something sticking out of the clouds, which looked like a floating rock-like trees. There was a single thick trunk-like rock that had a bunch of thinner branch-like rocks coming out its side. Every rock was pointing upward, creating a series of peaks big enough for even a Stalorn to stand on.

"Cool..." Rainbow whispered.

Twilight looked down, blinking as she tried to find where the rock was coming from. "Hmm...best guess it's a piece of rock that's connected to the main mountain further down. Wind and rain have caused it to get warn down into that shape." She looked back up and adjusted her glasses, "Pretty impressive."

"I bet there are a bunch of Pokémon up there," Spike added.

"Probably," Doc responded, "But they might not appreciate us snooping on them. Best to just focus on getting up to Cloudsdale."

The others nodded in agreement, now restarting their trek up the path. After about thirty minutes, they found themselves at the top of the trail, now standing on a sloping section of the mountain. "This is great," Twilight commented while checking the map. "We're not too far from a path leading right up to the city."

"Then let's get going!" Flash cheered as Twilight lead the way up the slope. This part of the mountain was almost like a staircase, allowing them to climb higher with ease before getting to a canyon-like opening in the rock, which sloped upward into an area with two large walls on either side. To the left of this was a ledge that Flash looked over, only to pull back when he saw it was a steep drop leading down to the clouds.

"This is it. This is the start of the path that'll lead us straight up to Cloudsdale. We'll be there in less then an hour." Twilight chimed in as they began to head into his canyon, only to hear a small, high-pitched cry, "What's that?"

Everyone's eyes darted around, Flash then pointing to rock in the canyon, "There!" They all stared at where he was pointing, now seeing a blue head stick out from around the side of the rock. Before anyone could ask what it was, another head appeared around the side. This one was followed by its body, the creature walking out of the rock's shadow.

The Pokémon stood around the same height as Springer, looking similar to a Rookaco and Champagoon, mainly being dragon-like and standing on two feet. It had mostly blue scales with a light blue belly, neck and lower mouth. It didn't have any spines running down its back, and its wings were very small, definitely not big enough to fly. The first of these Pokémon stepped out to join its friend, the two turning to the group before three more appeared, all letting out cute roars and cries.

"What are those things?" Rainbow asked while both Spike and Fluttershy stared at them with stars in their eyes, Flash pulling out his Pokedex at the same time.

Twilight laughed at the question, "They're Dranby, the pre-evolved forms of Champagoon and Rookaco."

Name: Dranby
Category: Baby Dragon Pokémon
Type: Dragon
Info: This young and playful Pokémon has a very trusting nature. It'll want to play with anyone it meets, which often leads to trouble.

True to the Pokedex's description, the Dranby went over and began playing with Springer, Hopper and Peewee. The eight began a game of tag, Peewee getting tagged it while the trainers laughed.

"They're so cute," Fluttershy almost squealed. "Hard to believe they'll one day become big scary Champagoon."

"You mean an giant super awesome Champagoon!" Spike cheered before turning to Twilight, about to show off the biggest puppy dog eyes he could give.

"I don't know Spike..." Twilight slowly replied, "They look like they might not like to be separated from one another." Spike opened his mouth, only to see Twilight point at his forehead, "No, I'm not catching all five of them."

"Phooey..." Spike huffed as he looked away.

As he did this, Doc scanned the Pokémon over, "Hmmm...you know, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys were all newly hatched. They definitely have the characteristics of hatchlings."

Twilight hummed at this. "Then where's the mother?" It was here that Peewee managed to tackle a Dranby to the ground, tagging it. "Champagoon usually stay with their young for a good few weeks after they're hatched. So what happened to-" Her question was cut off when the sun was blocked out, causing the group to look up and see something big between them and the celestial body.

They stood completely still as the figure got closer, soon landing to reveal itself as a fully grown Champagoon. The Dragon Fighting-type stared at the group as it spotted the Dranby, including the one Peewee was currently pinning to the ground. "CHAMPAGOON!" it roared, making Peewee jump off Dranby while Springer and Hopper got into a battle stance.

"That's...not good." Rainbow gulped as Fluttershy hid behind her.

"Champagoon!" Flash ran in front of the group, holding his hands up. "We're not trying to hurt your babies. You don't have to be-" He didn't get to finish, as Champagoon suddenly spun around and slammed its tail into him. "AUGH!" He cried as he was thrown back, slamming into a large rock with enough force that the Pokeballs on his belt flew off and rolled around the ground.

"FLASH!" Everyone screamed as they ran to his side, Twilight quickly grabbing his Pokeballs before they rolled away. As this happened, Springer and Hopper charged at the Champagoon, only for the dragon to unleash a Hyper Beam. The blast cut a trench in the rock below them, an explosion coming next that knocked them both back.

"No!" Flash yelped as he saw his Pokémon fall over, Rainbow and Doc helping him stand up.

"Peewee!" Twilight called out, "Dragonbreath!" The Terragon roared as he unleashed a blast of blue fire, hitting Champagoon right in the face.

"Champ!" It roared in pain, only for its claws to start glowing blue.

"Its about to use Dragon Claw!" Doc yelled as Flash pulled himself free of his friends' hold.

"Springer, Aura Sphere!" Springer pushed himself up and formed the sphere of spirit energy in his paws.

"Rio...LU!" He tossed the ball at Champagoon, but the Dragon-type slashed it away with its claws before swiping at Springer, knocking him flying. "RIO!" He cried as he hit the dirt, rolling over to his trainer.

"No!" Flash yelped before gasping as they now saw Champagoon charging up another Hyper Beam. "GET OUT OF THERE SPRINGER!" But before anything could be done, Champagoon unleashed the attack. The Riolu gasped as he saw the beam coming, only to feel something slam into his side, throwing him out of the blast's range.

"RUSH!" He heard, turning to see Hopper getting hit by the blast.

"Hopper!" Flash cried as he ran over to the Velocirush, kneeling down and picking him up. "You okay?" Hopper let out a moan as he opened his eyes.

"CHAMPAGOON!" the dragon roared, making them turn to see Champagoon raising a glowing fist before hitting the ground. The blow created a large crack, the shift in the rocks quickly making their way toward Flash and Hopper.

"Whoa!" Flash yelped as the floor shook him and his Pokémon, making him stagger toward the edge of the cliff.

"FLASH!" Twilight cried as the shaking stopped, only to hear another roar.

"CHAMP!" The Pokémon unleashed another Hyper Beam, striking the ground between Flash and his friends. An explosion came next, creating a shockwave that struck Flash, knocking him and Hopper off the cliff.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Flash screamed as he and Hopper fell.

"FLASH!" His friends screamed as they ran over to the side, just in time to see Flash and Hopper vanish into the cloud. "NO!" Twilight added before turning to glare at Champagoon, Springer doing the same as he quickly fired an Aura Sphere at Champagoon. The blow barely did anything to the dragon, making it snort as it prepared another Dragon Claw. Growling at this, Twilight pulled out a Pokeball, "Shine, come out and use Fairy Wind!" She threw the Pokeball, revealing her Galarian Ponyta.

"Nee!" Shine spun around and swung her tail at Champagoon, unleashing a pink glittery wind. The four-times damage sank in instantly, making Champagoon scream out and stagger back, the Dranby gasping at the sight of their mother now in pain.

"Come on!" Doc called out. "While it's distracted, let's get out of here." He turned to run up the canyon route, Rainbow, Spike and Fluttershy behind him. But as they did this, they stopped to turn and see Springer and Twilight staring at where Flash had been. "GUYS!" They glanced back at him, "We can't help them here. We've gotta get away from that thing before it attacks again."

Twilight and Springer both sighed and nodded as they followed them up the canyon. They ran as fast as they could, glancing back to make sure Champagoon didn't give chase. And as they got to the top, Doc let out a sigh, "Alright...I think we're okay."

"But what about Flash!?" Spike cried, Fluttershy crouching down and beginning to cry.

"DANG IT!" Rainbow punched a nearby rock, "I couldn't do anything to help him. I just stood there."

"It's not your fault," Twilight responded. "Flash wouldn't want you to blame yourself." She let out a sigh next, her hand moving up to clutch the bow wrapped necklace around her neck. She looked down at Springer, seeing him trying to connect to Flash's aura...and with no results. The sight made her think what Flash would do, determination appearing on her face next. She glanced back up at the group, "Everyone, lets keep moving! Sitting around here moping isn't going to help us or Flash and Hopper."

"But what do we do?" Spike asked. "They fell through the clouds!"

"I know, and that's why we have to continue to Cloudsdale," Twilight replied, "They've gotta have a rescue crew up there. If we tell them what happened, they'll be out searching for them in no time."

"She's right," Doc added. "We're no help to Flash right now. Our only hope is to get someone who actually knows the mountain."

"And I know just the person," Rainbow finished while pumping her fists, "Come on. There's not a moment to lose." The others nodded, the teen taking the lead as they made their way to the very top, all while praying that Flash was okay.

Flash let out a moan, mumbling as he opened his eyes. It was here he saw himself looking up at a small speck of light that barely illuminated the darkness. "Ow..." he groaned before sitting up, now finding himself in another tunnel.

He rubbed the side of his head as he stared at the ceiling, now spotting a hole leading up to a diagonal tunnel where the speck of light was coming from. His brain slowly began to turn, making him mumble out, "Great...I must have fallen into that hole and slid into this tunnel." These words made his eyes go wide, now remembering why, "HOPPER!" He spun around, soon sighing in relief as he saw his Velocirush laying on the ground.

He knelt down beside him and shook the furry raptor, "Hopper! Hopper, can you hear me?"

"Loss..." Hopper moaned as he opened his eyes, "Rush?"

Flash sighed in relief. "I'm glad you're okay," he leaned back before staring up at the hole, now noticing it was way too high for them to get to. Grumbling and shaking his head, he turned to stare at the tunnel, now seeing no end in sight. The other side was sloping though, making he stand up. "Alright, let's get out of here and find our friends."

Hopper nodded and picked himself up, but when he put weight on his leg, Hopper suddenly felt a rush of pain shoot through it. "RUSH!" Flash turned to see him limping.

"Hang on bud, I'll just return you to-" Flash reached for his belt, only to feel nothing. "Uh oh."

His Pokeballs were gone, making him frown as he stared at Hopper, the Pokémon trying his best to balance without putting any weight on his leg. "Alright." Flash bent down and picked Hopper up before he could stop him. "Let's get going."

"Rush," Hopper purred as he got comfortable in Flash's arms, the teen now heading up the tunnel, hoping it would lead out of the caves and into Cloudsdale.

An hour after losing Flash and Hopper, Twilight and the others had finally arrived at the top of the mountain. All were panting in exhaustion, grunting as they slogged up the pathway. Rainbow was the first to spot the gate leading into the city, exclaiming as she pointed at it, "There it is!" The others saw it and the many buildings behind it, including a few skyscrapers and even the colosseum. "Cloudsdale City." Rainbow let out a long sigh. "I wish I could say it's good to be home, but I can't really enjoy it knowing Flash is in trouble."

"That's why we've gotta find someone to help," Twilight added, only for another voice to speak up.

"Did I hear something about Flash being in trouble?" They turned to the voice, now seeing two women, one middle-aged and another much older. The older one three of them recognized while Fluttershy and Rainbow recognized the other.

"Cloud Clipper?!" Twilight yelped at the sight of Flash's grandmother.

Cloud chuckled at her reaction, "Hello dear. It's good to see you." The other women then stepped forward, Cloud gesturing to her. "Let me introduce you to my former protégé and the one who took my place as the Cloudsdale Gym Leader, Spitfire."

"What's up?" The yellow skinned women did a two fingered salute.

"What are you doing here?" Doc asked next.

"When I learned Flash was going to be challenging my old gym, I couldn't resist coming to watch. So I got on Pidgeot and flew here as fast as I could." She then shined a small frown, "But it seems my grandson's gotten into trouble. What happened?"

One half chapter explanation later...

"A Champagoon?"

"I don't think I've ever heard of a Champagoon nesting on this mountain," Spitfire added.

"Nor I," Cloud grimaced. "This could be bad. Champagoon can get very aggressive when protecting their young. They'll attack almost anything."

"Really?!" Spike asked sarcastically, "We hadn't noticed."

"Stop it Spike." Twilight responded while grabbing his ear before turning to Cloud, "We have to find Flash before Champagoon does."

"Alright. I'll start putting a rescue team together." Spitfire replied before running off.

Cloud crossed her arms at this. "Flash..." she whispered before hearing a whine from Springer. She quickly kneeled down and pat his head. "Don't worry Springer, Flash is strong. He can look after himself until help arrives."

"But Flash doesn't even have his other Pokémon," Twilight took his Pokeballs out of his belt. "All he's got is Hopper, and he doesn't stand a chance against Champagoon."

Cloud sighed and shook her head, "Even so, we have to believe he'll be alright. Panicking won't do us any good." The others nodded, all soon praying that Flash and Hopper would be alright.

Flash had been wandering through the tunnels for almost two hours. He had tried his best to pick routes sloping up instead of down, only to find several cave-ins and plenty of wild Pokémon. "Note to self," he whispered while travelling up another tunnel, "If you survive this, buy repel."

Hopper whined in agreement, his leg still hurting as Flash turned a corner. In doing so, they spotted a light up ahead. "Yes!" Flash ran up, about to come to an exit as he found himself stepping out onto the mountain's face, seeing he was now once again above the clouds. "Alright, we're getting closer bud."

He looked up, now seeing the mountain's peak that had been there when he had fell. However, he then realized his exit's only way around was a ledge that wasn't much bigger than his feet. "Hopper," he looked up at his trainer, "Close your eyes." Hopper did so, Flash planting his back against the wall before slowly sliding along the ledge. He kept going for a few minutes, patting Hopper's head to keep him calm as he did this. And as he pulled himself around, he saw more of the tree-shaped rocks Spike had seen earlier. His focus soon shifted, as he saw they were at a larger ledge that he didn't have to pin himself to the wall. But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the ledge came to an abrupt end a few feet away. "Oh, COME ON!"

Hopper opened his eyes and saw this as well, crying out in annoyance. The two sighed as they began to weigh their options, knowing they could go back and wait, or climb up the cliff. Both looked up, seeing a cliff that had a ledge about forty feet up. "Okay..." Flash sighed as his eyes darted back and forth, "Go back or climb up...gotta chose something."

He stared at the wall, seeing the many rocks and holes that he could use to climb. After a minute of glaring, he turned to Hopper. "What do you think we should do?"

Hopper let out a hum, only to say, "Rush," He pulled himself out of Flash's arms, crawling around until he was firmly latched onto Flash's back.

"You sure?" Hopper nodded. "Alright then." Flash stared at the wall, grabbing one of the rocks. Putting one foot into a hole before pushing himself up, he began to climb. Rock after rock, hole after hole, he kept his pace as they continued their way upward.

The duo continued this for several minutes, Flash going as fast as he could, but not enough for a mistake. All the while, Hopper gripped Flash's bag with his eyes shut. "Don't worry Hopper. I promise I'll keep you safe."

"Rush?" Hopper cracked his eyes open, squinting at his trainer.

"Its gonna be okay bud. I know you're still a newborn and know very little about the world, so this situation is probably scary to you." Flash glanced back at him. "But you've grown a lot since we met. More then I bet you ever thought you would." He turned to the wall, grabbing another rock, "So you don't have to be afraid Hopper. I'll always be here for you, and looking out for you. You don't have to be scared, because I'll be there to keep you safe."

Hopper smiled at this, feeling his fear slowly drifting away. Both he and Flash looked up next, now seeing they had covered about half the overall distance. And as Flash kept climbing, Hopper kept his eyes open. At least, until the rock Flash grabbed broke away from the wall. "WHOA!" He yelped while Hopper gripped his back, closing his eyes. Luckily, Flash's other hand had been holding onto a hole in the wall, keeping a firm grip on the rock. Flash then swung his arm back around, grabbing another rock and gripping it tightly, pulling himself up. "We're okay," he assured Hopper. "We're gonna be fine." Hopper slowly opened his eyes again, now seeing the ledge getting closer, Flash huffing and puffing and they pulled themselves up.

Despite what Flash had told Hopper, he could help but whimper. He could see Flash starting to sweat, the water beginning to build onto the teen's hands. It wouldn't be too long before they were to wet to grip anything.

"Almost...there," he groaned as they got within five feet of the ledge. "Just...a little...longer." He pulled himself up, grabbing one rock or hole after another until finally...his hand grasped the edge of the ledge. "Hopper, try and get up!" Hopper nodded and despite the pain in his leg, he leapt onto the ledge.

His eyes darted around, trying to find a path as Flash began pulling his upper body over the edge. He then saw the path Hopper was now looking at, sighing in relief at the sight. But as he did this, the rock his foot was on broke off, making him slip, "No," he cried as his tried to get his footing, "No, no, no, no, NO!"

Hopper turned and gasped as he saw his trainer about to fall, quickly running over and grabbing Flash by the back of his jacket in both his claws and mouth. "RUSH!" He yelled as he pulled back, his eyes filling with tears due to the pain in his leg. However, he didn't let that stop him, growling as he ground his feet into the ground before pulling Flash up enough so he could swing a leg over the edge.

The teen sighed in relief as he rolled over, now laying on his back as the fear he had been suppressing washed over him. "That...was horrible."

"Loss..." Hopper purred as he knelt down and rubbed his head against Flash's. "Rush, loss!"

"Yeah...thanks bud. You saved me." The teen chuckled as he reached out and scratched Hopper behind the ear, "Welp, at least the hard part's over now."

Flash stood back up next, about to head up the trail, only for something to shoot our from around the corner of the mountain. It was a Dranby, followed by another that tackled the first to the ground. The two froze at the sight, now realizing it was two of the Dranby they had seen earlier. "Wait...if you're here-" His voice vanished when he heard footsteps, followed by the Pokémon in question stomping around the corner with its three other babies.

Champagoon smiled down at the first two Dranby before turning to see Flash, a frown now appearing as it growled, "Champ!" It began to push its babies behind it, Flash gulping as he slowly started to backpedal, only to feel himself now on the edge of the cliff.

"Champagoon," Flash tried to say in the most non-threatening way possible, "Please listen. We don't wanna hurt your-"

"CHAMPAGOON!" Champagoon roared as he charged, its claws primed ready to attack. Flash gasped at this before feeling Hopper leap out of his arms.

"RUSH!" Hopper yelled as he spun around and used Iron Tail, Champagoon easily holding up its fist and blocking the attack before pushing him away. Hopper landed and flinched at the pain in his leg, only to charge with a Quick Attack while Champagoon's claws glowed blue.

"CHAMP!" It hit Hopper dead on, the claws knocking the raptor back.

"Loss!" Hopper angled himself as best as he could, using his small wings to help him land on his feet. He flinched in pain again, Hopper then charging again as Champagoon tried to punch him, only for Hopper to leap above him and dive down to use Crush on dragon's wrists.

"GOON!" It screamed as Hopper continued to bite down, Champagoon's rage building as it began to swing its arm around before slinging him away.

"RUSH!" Hopper cried as gravity pulled him down, Champagoon pulling its fist back as it began to glow. With one mighty swing, Champagoon punched Hopper in the stomach, knocking him flying over the edge.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Flash quickly sprinted over to Hopper, trying to catch him before he went over the edge. But when he got in front of Hopper, the Pokémon shoved the teen over the edge, both falling in a scream. The teen then felt his head hit one of the rock branches, making him cry out, "AUGH!" before blacking out.

And as the two fell, Hopper's brain rebooted and turned to see the falling Flash. Gasping at the sight, he looked down and saw the clouds coming up fast, making him yell, "RUSH!" He began to bark again and again, trying to get his trainer's attention....but Flash was out cold.

But as they continued to fall, Hopper's whole life flashed before his eyes. And as this happened, he couldn't help but notice how significantly the person falling beside him was in his life. He was the first person Hopper saw after hatching, the one saving him from the poachers and took him in as his Pokémon. The teen was the one who trained him, protected him and taught him to be the best him he could be.

It was then that Hopper realized Flash wasn't just a trainer to him, he was pretty much his father. Someone who had protected him time and again...and now he was the one who needed saving. "Rush!" Hopper's eyes narrowed as he started to try and angle his body so he fell toward him. Getting close, Hopper tried to reach out...but his arms were too small.

But that wouldn't stop him. He would save his trainer, no matter what. "RUSH!" He screamed as the two fell into the clouds.

Up above, Champagoon and the Dranby all watched as the two vanished into the clouds. Champagoon smirked and was about to pull away, only for something new to catch its eyes and made it look back. It was a large, bright light. The whole cloud lit up, growing brighter by the second. Champagoon had no idea what it was, but it soon find out when something shot out of the cloud and flew up past them. "Champ?" It looked up, blinking at the sight.

At first, it thought it was the Velocirush it had just thrown over the side, but upon closer inspection, it saw several key differences. The first that it was much bigger than the Velocirush, so big that it was able to hold the trainer that had gone over the edge bridal style in its claws. Its purple fur had turned a bluish-grey, while its previously black claws were now a reddish-pink. A collar of white fur was now wrapped around its neck while the white fur on the tip of its tail was now bushier. But the biggest change was its wings. The formerly small bat-wings had grown so large that its wingspan now rivalled its nose to tail length. Instead of being black, the insides of the wings were now white while the back was the same bluish-grey. The white dragon symbol on its head had also grown, allowing it to be more noticeable.

The new Pokémon flew above their heads for several seconds, circling them as it tried to find a safe place to land. At the same time, Flash let out a moan as he opened his eyes. Doing so allowed him to see what was holding him and he gasped, "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

"Dran!" The Pokémon happily roared, Flash knowing instantly what had happened.

"Hopper! Is that really you?" Hopper nodded as they flew away from the main mountain, landing on a nearby peak that was big enough for them both. Hopper let Flash down, his trainer quickly looking him over. "Wow...you're amazing bud," he whispered before taking out his Pokedex.

Name: Skeidran
Category: Proto-Dragon Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Velocirush. An ancient Pokémon. Though not one itself, it is said to be the ancestor of all Dragon-type Pokémon.

"A Skeidran..." Flash whispered. "Even your new name sounds awesome." Hopper roared again as a new page opened up on Flash's Pokedex. "Huh?" He read it before shining a huge smile, "Nice! Looks like evolving's let you learn some new moves." Hopper roared again.

"CHAMPAGOON!" The pair turned back to the cliff, now seeing Champagoon spread its wings and fly up to them.

The trainer turned to his Pokémon, "Looks like he's not giving up. Let's show this guy why it's a bad idea to mess with us!" Hopper nodded as kneeled down, Flash climbing onto his back, hunching between his wings and his neck as he gripped the fur collar. Once Flash was properly seated, Hopper spread his wings and charged ahead.

"SKEIDRAN!" He roared as he spread his wings and took flight, all while heading straight for Champagoon.

The Pokémon glared at one another as they got closer, Champagoon preparing a Dragon Claw. "Ready?" Flash asked, getting a nod from Hopper. "Alright," he waited before yelling, "EXTREME SPEED!" Hopper roared as his body got surrounded by a green light. And as Champagoon swung its claw forward, the Skeidran spun around, dodging the claws as he zipped past so fast that he only left a green trail behind him.

Champagoon spun around and tried to lock its gaze on Hopper and Flash, but found unable to see any more than a green flash. The pair circled around, making Champagoon spin as he tried to follow them. However, before he could react, Hopper appeared beside it and slammed a foot into his cheek.

"DRAN/GOON!" They cried as the force of the impact, pushing Champagoon into a rock branch, causing it to moan as Hopper flew back to a safe distance. Champagoon then pulled itself free, glaring up at the two before unleashing a Hyper Beam. However, Hopper quickly dodged it, the blast now going up and hitting a rock branch instead.

Hopper now saw a barrage of rocks coming for him, and despite just learning to fly, he avoided them without issue. "Steel Wing!" Flash yelled as Hopper's wings glowed white, quickly speeding into the Champagoon, making it cry out in pain as it was again pushed back. Champagoon managed to stop itself before it hitting the rock this time, charging again with Rock Smash at the ready.

Hopper and Champagoon began trading blows, Steel Wing meeting Rock Smash again and again like a pair of masterfully wielded swords. But as this happened, Hopper got past Champagoon's defenses and slammed his wing into its gut. "CHAMP!" It cried before Hopper spun around, slamming his tail into the dragon.

And after this blow, Hopper flew upward as Champagoon unleashed a Dragon Pulse at him. "Extreme Speed!" Hopper glowed green as he underwent evasive maneuvers, the beam following after him until he flew behind one of the rock branches. Champagoon glared at the rocks as they disappeared, now only seeing flashes of green flying around the multiple peaks in a random order, only for Hopper to zip right into Champagoon's back. "CRUNCH!" Flash yelled as the three of them fell toward the clouds, Hopper biting into Champagoon's shoulder while pulling it down into the clouds.

"Now!" Flash ordered as Hopper let Champagoon go, kicking off it like a springboard. He then shot up through the clouds, Champagoon now vanishing in their sight as Flash whispered, "Get ready." Hopper nodded, glaring down as he soon saw Champagoon shoot out of the clouds.

"CHAMP!" It roared while preparing a Dragon Claw.

"Let's go!" Flash yelled before Hopper flew in a downward diagonal, fixing his gaze onto Champagoon as Flash shifted himself. The trainer jumped up so his feet was one Hopper's back, now between his wings. "Not yet. Almost. And...NOW!" Flash extended his legs and leapt up off of Hopper's back, "DRAGON TAIL!"

In a flash, Hopper's tail became coated in a green scale patterned aura. And before Champagoon could attack with its Dragon Claw, Hopper spun and smashed the tail into its head. "SKEIDRAN!" He roared at the top of his lungs as he struck Champagoon, the impact creating a small shockwave before Champagoon was sent crashing down, its body now going limp.

"Yes!" Flash cheered as Hopper flew under him, landing perfectly on his back. He quickly seated himself as they watched Champagoon fall, only for the two to hear several cries. They then turned to see the Dranby watching their parent fall. "Oh..." Flash glanced between them and sighed, "Come on." Hopper nodded and dived down, tucking in his wings and angling himself as aerodynamically as possible.

They shot past the Dranby and rocketed toward Champagoon, Flash pinning himself against Hopper to prevent drag. But the pair couldn't get to the dragon before he fell into the clouds, all three soon becoming obscured. The Dranby watched and waited at this, now seeing no sign of the three.

Slowly, the worrying thought of what must happened sank into the five, making them begin to cry. But no sooner had their tears formed that something shot out of the clouds, eyes going wide as they now saw their mother, who was now being carried by the Pokémon it had been fighting.

Hopper huffed as he dropped Champagoon on the cliff-side, it's children rushing to its side. Everyone stared at it for several seconds before seeing Champagoon begin to come around, Flash seeing this as a sign to leave. "Come on," Flash patted Hopper's head. "Let's get out of here before momma wakes up and asks for a rematch." Hopper nodded and flew back into the skies, his target being the very peak of the mountain.

As this happened, Champagoon opened its eyes and saw its babies staring at her. The pseudo-legendary smiled at them, realizing what must have happened. It pulled the five in for a hug, apologizing for scaring them before looking up at the sky, now seeing the retreating figure flying higher and higher.

Silently, it thanked them and apologized for attacking. The Dragon-type now realized they weren't trying to hurt it or its babies, something it wished it had realized sooner. But luckily, its mistake hadn't caused it or them any lasting harm. After all, those two were a pair that only came along once in a life time.

The sun was beginning to set as Flash's friends stood at the gates to the city, the group watching and waiting to see if he would show up. Twilight had lets Flash's other Pokémon out, all showing faces of worry while Skyler even wanted to fly off and try to find them. However, Twilight had told him to wait for the rescue teams, only to now see the sun about to set.

"Augh!" Rainbow yelled in frustration, "What's taking so long?!"

"This kind of rescue mission requires time to plan," Cloud replied before sighing, "Even so, I wish they would hurry up."

"What if it's too late?" Fluttershy whispered before letting out an "eep" when the others turned to her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. It just...slipped out."

"Don't worry about it," Cloud responded, "But no, I know my grandson. It'll take more than this to put him down."

Twilight nodded in agreement. "Flash is stronger then even he realizes." She knelt down and patted Shine and Flash's Pokémon. "And don't forget, Hopper's with him. As long as they're together, nothing's gonna stop them from getting here. Flash wouldn't let anything happen to any of his Pokémon, and the same can be said for Hopper. They'll look out for one another and get here safely."

Cloud chuckled, happy Flash had someone that had such belief in him. "She's right. Flash will be fine. He might be stuck somewhere, but he knows how to keep himself and Hopper safe until help arrives." The others nodded, all agreeing wholeheartedly. It was at that moment Spitfire began to walk up to them.

"Alright. The rescue team's ready to head out. But with the sun setting, we won't have much time left before it's too dark to search."

"We want to help too," Twilight added before Spitfire shook her head.

"No, we don't need more amateur climbers getting into trouble. Leave this to the pros." They all sighed as they turned back to the gates, now seeing the sun slowly lowering. But as they did this, Twilight saw something that made her do a double take.

"Wait...what's that?!"

"What's what?" Doc asked, only to see what she was now staring at.

Cue Dragonite Takes Flight.

A shadow was flying toward the gate, obscured by the light of the sun. As it got closer, everyone now saw the details come into view as Twilight yelled, "Flash!" She then saw the Skeidran reach them, flying low as it passed over and kicked up a wind that made them all flinch.

Flash smirked at this before Hopper circled back around, now landing before spinning around. The sight made everyone stare in awe, making him chuckle as he jumped off of Hopper, "Hey guys. Sorry to drop in like this."

"You're...okay?" Twilight whispered, blinking at the sight in disbelief while the others just stared at Hopper.

Doc was the first to speak, "Is that-"

"Yup," Flash patted Hopper on the head, "Hopper evolved. Pretty sweet, huh?"

"That's awesome!" Spike cheered as they all ran over, Springer jumping into Flash's arms followed by the rest of his team tackling him to the ground.

"Whoa!" he yelped as they began to nuzzle him, cries of joy following this, "Okay, okay! I'm fine...and I'm sorry for making you worry."

The Pokémon then got off him before turning to their newly evolved teammate, the group amazed at how big he had gotten. "Dran," Hopper smirked as he lowered himself to their eye-level, Shine running over and jumping onto his head, the Skeidran smiling before lifting her up, making Shine slide down to between his wings. The other flightless Pokémon quickly climbed on before Hopper took flight, allowing them all to enjoy the scenery from above.

Flash chuckled at this, only to turn and gasp as he saw a certain someone walk up to him. "Gran?!" Cloud laughed before pulling her grandson into a hug, "What are you doing here?!"

"Why do you think?! I'm here to see you battle my old gym!" Cloud giggled as she pulled away, "Though...I'm glad to see you're okay."

"We all are," Spitfire added as she walked up to the pair, "Nice to meet yah kid." She held out a hand, "Name's Spitfire. I hear you've come all this way just to meet me." Flash turned to her, blinking at her before taking her hand.

"Yeah. To meet and battle you."

"Nice. I like that attitude." She turned to Rainbow, "I'm guessing you're here for the same reason?" Rainbow nodded with glee. "Well, I'm always ready for a challenge. Come by the gym tomorrow and I'll be ready for you."

"No problem," Flash added as Hopper landed behind him. "With my new Skeidran, nothing's gonna stop me now." His Pokémon all cheered, the group now hyped for their upcoming battle.

Their journey to Cloudsdale had been a difficult one, but one not without its rewards. Now with Flash's newly evolved Skeidran in tow, one can only wonder what challenge they'll face. As the journey continues.

Rainbow's Sky High Ambitions

View Online

After finally arriving in Cloudsdale City, the group spent the night at the Pokémon Center to rest up and recuperate in preparations of Flash and Rainbow's upcoming Gym battle. And as the sun rose above the mountain housing the great city, Flash, Springer Twilight, Spike, Peewee, Doc and Cloud Clipper walked out of the Pokémon Center.

"Alright! Today's the day I finally get my sixth Equestria badge!"

Cloud chuckled at her grandson, "I hope you don't intend to take the Gym Leader I trained personally too lightly." She reached up and grabbed Flash's ear, making him cry out, "You might have beaten me before, but Spitfire won't go down so easily!"

"Ow, ow, ow, alright!" She let go, Flash cradling his ear while Springer chuckled, "I always take my opponents seriously Gran! I trust my Pokémon can take her!"

"If you're sure," Cloud sighed while shaking her head, "Now, we better get going."

Flash turned to Twilight, "So uh...where's the gym?"

Twilight took out her journal just as Spike spoke up, "Would your gran know?" They turned to him as he added, "She did build the gym, didn't she?"

"That's right," Cloud giggled, "The Cloudsdale Gym is located in what is now the airfield." She then frowned as her eyes darted around, "Though it doesn't look like there are any cabs around. Guess that means we'll have to walk."

"Cabs?" Twilight asked as Cloud led them through the city. Despite not having been there for several years, Cloud was able to navigate the city without issue, the group soon arriving at the edge of the city sector of Cloudsdale. It was here they found themselves at the X-shaped trench that split the mountain peak into four.

There was a large fence blocking anyone from falling into the trench, but it allowed them to look over to see a collection of houses. "That's the suburbs. We'll have to go through there to get to the airfield." Cloud commented as they walked along the fence before hitting a break in it, now seeing a well made stone bridge connecting their side of the trench to the other.

They walked over it, now finding themselves surrounded by houses that appeared to be based on clouds. "Is that grass?" Twilight asked as they made their way through the street, seeing the houses having gardens in front of them. "It can't be real. That's gotta be astroturf."

"Nope. Real grass and real plants." Cloud laughed as she pointed at the dirt, "This area and the place they grow the plants in is mostly soil. That's why they were picked to become the farm and suburbs."

"Fascinating," Doc whispered as they walked around a corner, only to find themselves seeing two very familiar people.

"Rainbow!" Flash called out.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight added, catching the duo's attention.

Rainbow and Fluttershy smiled before walking over, the group now noticing two other people with them. It was a middle-aged man and woman, the man had dark blue skin and the same hair as Rainbow, except cut short, while the women had the same skin as Rainbow but had orange hair with yellow streaks.

"Hey guys!" Rainbow cheered as she and Fluttershy reached them, the older two not far behind. "You ready for the toughest gym battle of your life Flash?"

"You know it!" Flash replied while pumping his fists, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Same." Rainbow responded before pointing backward, "Let me introduce you to my parents."

The middle-aged pair smiled as the man did a two fingered salute, "Name's Bow Hothoof."

"And I'm Windy Whistles," the women continued, "You must be the friends our little Dashie told us about."

"Mom!" Rainbow groaned while blushing.

Bow laughed as Bow turned to Flash. "So you're going out for the Equestria League?" Flash nodded as Bow put an arm around Rainbow's neck. "Well I hope you realize how impossible it is since my Rainbow's the one who's gonna win!"

"DAD!" Rainbow cried, pulling his arm off of her.

The others laughed as Twilight turned to Fluttershy. "They're very...enthusiastic."

Fluttershy nodded back, "They always cheer Rainbow on, no matter what the event." She let out a giggle next, "you should have seen what they planned on wearing to watch Rainbow's gym match. Hats and flags that have Rainbow's face on them, along with scarfs designed after her hair." The others pictured this and laughed, Rainbow growling at Fluttershy as she added, "It took her forever to convince them not to wear them."

"I'm kinda disappointed we don't get to see it," Cloud chuckled, only to look up and see a trio flying in the sky. "Ahh, perfect!" She put her fingers to her lips and let out a loud whistle, surprising everyone until they heard the beating of wings.

They soon found a trio of large metal birds flying down, taxi cabs in their talons that they carefully dropped. "Need a ride?" The riders inside the cabs all asked.

"Yes," Cloud replied while nodding, "Can you take us to the airfield?"

"No problem," another rider replied, "Hop in." The nine split off and got into the cabs, Flash, Twilight and Cloud in one, Rainbow and her parents in the other while Spike, Fluttershy and Doc were in the last. Once they were buckled up with their Pokémon on their laps, the Corvinknight took off and lifted them into the sky.

Almost everyone turned to look out the windows, gasping at the sight of the city from above. "So this is how they got that image," Twilight commented as she turned to the other cab and saw Spike and Peewee looking out. She then noticed Fluttershy sitting in the middle with her hands over her eyes. But before they could really enjoy the view, they felt themselves beginning to descend, soon landing. And as they got out, they noticed they were still on the suburb peak with the fence next to them showing the airfield on the other side.

"Sorry, not allowed to land on the airfield." the rider responded, "This is as far as I can take you."

"It's fine," Cloud replied before bowing. "Thank you for the ride." The others did the same as the cabs flew off, the group soon making their way across the bridge.

And as they arrived at the airfield, they saw several planes lining the edge of the runway with one of the large hangers having a giant Pokeball over to door. "There it is," Cloud announced as she pointed at the building, "The Cloudsdale Gym."

"Awesome!" Rainbow cheered as she and Flash were about to start sprinting, only for the group to see a nearby plane loading crates. The sight made Cloud sigh and shake her head, the others turning to her.

"Looks like they're loading a plane," she added as she pointed at the plane, "Sorry kids, but that might be a problem."

Flash and Rainbow shared a glance before running up to the hanger, Rainbow quickly knocking against the metal doors. "Hello?!" There was no answer, the others blinking at the non response before Flash and Rainbow grabbed the doors and slid them open.

"Hey, um..." Fluttershy muttered out, "What if uh...you're not allowed to do that? We could get in trouble."

"We'll be fine," Rainbow replied as she kept pushing the door open. "Come on, let's take a look."

They all soon walked into the hanger, now seeing a battlefield inside with balconies on either side of the field for audiences. There was just one thing missing from the place: The Gym Leader.

"Hello?" Rainbow yelled as they walked into the center of the room, "We're here to challenge you to a Gym Battle!"

"And I accept!" echoed a voice, making them turn to see Spitfire standing on a ledge above the door. Above her was a metal pole that stuck out in a downward diagonal before ending halfway across the field. She leapt off the ledge and grabbed a ring connected to the pole, sliding down before flying off the end, doing several flips through the air till she landed perfectly in her trainer section with her back to the group.

She grabbed the shoulder of her aviator jacket spun around, throwing the jacket off as a blue skinned girl with windswept white hair appeared in the middle of the battlefield and caught the jacket before retreating to the side. Shining the biggest grin, Spitfire spun around while adjusting her goggles.

"Wow..." Rainbow gasped, "Now that's style! Awesome!"

Flash looked back at the pole as it retracted back into the wall, only to turn to his grandmother. "Huh. Did you do that when you were the gym leader?"

"No," Cloud replied while rolling her eyes, also shaking her head, "That's all Spitfire. Always the showoff."

Spitfire chuckled as she started striding up to the group, "Where's the fun in being a gym leader if you can't add a little flare to your performance?!" She pointed at Flash and Rainbow, "So, you ready to take on the master of flying?"

"You know it!" Flash responded while pumping his fists.

"Let's do this!" Rainbow added, "Who do you wanna take on first?"

Spitfire suddenly blushed, her grin shrinking, "Well...there's a small problem." She began to scratch the back of her head as she continued, "I just got an order to fly out and make a delivery, so I've only got time for one battle."

Flash and Rainbow anime fell hearing this, the others sighing as Rainbow jumped back up and yelled, "Seriously?!"

"Sorry, but it's an important order. A lot of people need the ingredients."

Flash rubbed his face down, "Guess it can't be helped."

He and Rainbow turned to each other, both reading each others thoughts with just a glance. And as they stared at each other, the suddenly pulled their fists back, looking like they were about to throw a punch at one another. The others went wide-eyed as they threw their fists, gasps happening before they saw them come to a stop.

"HA!" Rainbow cheered while making a peace sign with her fingers, Flash holding his hand out flat. "Scissors beats paper!"

"AUGH!" Flash yelled before slumping over, "Fine...." He pointed to Spitfire, "Go."

Rainbow smirked walked up to Spitfire, her parents cheering, "Way to go slugger!"

"Nobody plays rock, paper, scissors like you do!" Windy added, making Rainbow blush before turning to Spitfire.

She pointed at the Gym Leader, "Let's do it! That Flight Badge is gonna be mine!"

"We'll see," Spitfire laughed as the others walked over to the stairs leading up to the balcony. Once they were up there, they heard a sound and saw the roof of the gym begin to open up. As that happened, Rainbow walked up to the trainer's podium.

Spitfire's assistant saw they were both prepared and spoke up, "The Gym battle between the challenger Rainbow, and Spitfire the Gym Leader, will now begin! Each side can use up to three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three of either sides' Pokémon are unable to fight. Also, only the challenger may be allowed to substitute Pokémon." She glanced at the two trainers, "Is that understood?" Both nodded. "Then trainers, reveal your first Pokémon."

Spitfire smirked as she took out a Pokeball. "Time for me to show you the true unrivalled might of the Flying-type, born of the air with possibilities as limitlessness as the sky itself!" She enlarged the ball. "Wondor, wings up!" She threw the ball up, unleashing a larger version of the blue and yellow Pokémon Rainbow had hatched at the summer camp.

"WONDOR!" It squawked loudly, spreading its blue and yellow wings, this one being big enough that Spitfire could ride on its back.

"Wow..." Spike whispered. "He's huge!"

Cloud did a slight gulp, "She's starting off with her best Pokémon. This could be trouble for Rainbow."

Fluttershy shook like a leaf, "Oh, I hope she'll be okay."

"She'll be fine," Flash assured her. "No one knows Flying-types like Rainbow."

"Fletchinder!" Rainbow enlarged her Pokeball, "let's go!" She threw the Pokeball, revealing the Flying Fire-type.

"Fletch!" It chirped before landing in front of Rainbow, now glaring at the large bird.

"That's a great looking Fletchinder champ!" Box yelled.

Windy nodded in agreement, "It'll easily beat all of Spitfire's Pokémon." Rainbow rolled her eyes as the judge raised her arms.

"Are both trainers ready?" They nodded. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Razor Wind!" Rainbow commanded as Fletchinder took to the air, its wings glowing before it beat them. Doing so unleashed a barrage of white, crescent-shaped energy waves at Wondor.

"Take off!" Spitfire ordered, Wondor beating its wings as it flew up, dodging the Razor Wind as it struck the ground.

"Flame Charge!" Rainbow yelled as Fletchinder flew up and with a beat of its wings, ignited into a blazing fireball.

"Fletch!" It charged, its speed increasing as it shot at Wondor.

"Feather Dance!" Spitfire yelled as Wondor began to flap is wings, causing a cloud of feathers to shoot off its body and take the form of a fake Wondor.

"Fletch?" Fletchinder yelped as he slammed into the clone, getting slowed down by the cloud as it went through the feathers.

"Above you!" It looked up and now saw Wondor flying straight down at the Pokémon.

"Aerial Ace!" Wondor let out a roar as it shot past Fletchinder before doing a V turn and shooting straight up, striking the firebird in the chest.

"FLETCH!" It cried as it was hit back before spreading its wings to keep itself from crashing.

"Fly straight up!" Rainbow ordered before Fletchinder shot up, flying out of the gym with Wondor hot on its tail. The larger bird caught up and the two started flying around one another, performing an aerial dogfight as the trainers waited for the right moment. "Steel Wing!" Rainbow then yelled as Fletchinder's wings glowed.

"Fletch!" It screeched as it tried to slash Wondor.

"Superpower!" Wondor dodged the attack as its talons glowed orange before spinning around and grabbing Fletchinder around the neck and waist.

"Fletch!" It cried as it was thrown downward, Rainbow gasping and about to call a Flame Charge...but it was too late. "FLETCH!" Was all it could scream before Wondor slammed it into the ground, kicking up a dust cloud that it vanished a few seconds later.

"Fletchinder!" Rainbow yelled as the dust settled, revealing her Pokémon laid out on the floor with spirals in its eyes.

"Fletchinder is unable to battle," the assistant named Fleetfoot announced. "Wondor is the winner."

Rainbow sighed while the others frowned. "That could have gone better," Spike commented.

Doc nodded in agreement, "That Wondor is powerful. Rainbow's gonna need something big to beat it."

"Don't worry," Bow added, "My daughter's just getting warmed up."

"That's right!" Windy chimed in, "Now that she's seen what Wondor can do, she'll wipe the floor with it."

"I hope you're right," Twilight said as Rainbow returned Fletchinder.

"Great work," she told it once it was back in the ball before pulling out another, "Time to show off my own Wonderbolt. Wondor," she threw the ball, "Let's go!" The ball opened, unleashing to reveal her own Wonder. And as it landed, everyone saw the difference between it and Spitfire's. Since hatching at the Summer Camp, Rainbow's Wondor had grown in size, and was now almost as big as her. But compared to Spitfire's, it was still smaller.

"Oh? I see you managed to get a Wondor of your own. Very impressive." Spitfire shined a huge smirk, "But don't think that'll let you win this match."

"We'll see," Rainbow told her as Fleetfoot raised her arms.

"Are both trainers ready?" They nodded, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Aerial Ace!" Both yelled as their Wondor shot into the sky, both circling around before charging at each other. The two found themselves surrounded by slipstreams as they got closer and closer, only for both to finally crash into one another.

"WONDOR!" The two screamed as they were blasted back by the impact, Spitfire's recovering first as it quickly corrected itself midair.

"Now, Superpower!" Spitfire's Wondor charged with orange glowing claws as Rainbow had just got itself back under control.

"Quick, Arcobatics!" Wondor's body glowed light blue before he flapped his wings, dodging the Superpower as it zipped upward and then slammed down onto Spitfire's Wondor. The larger bird cried out as Rainbow's flapped away, "Crush Claw!"

Spitfire watched as Rainbow's Wondor's claws glowed red. "Another Superpower!" Her Wondor spun around, thrusting its claws out as both Wondors' claws clashed, linking and gripping one another.

"WONDOR!" They both squawked as they flapped their wings, circling around while still being linked at the claws.

"This is kinda funny to watch," Spike chuckled.

"I suppose. It seems they're even," Doc added.

"No, they're not." Cloud sighed while shaking her head. As she said this, Rainbow's Wondor began to tire, its flapping slowing down as Spitfire's smirked.

And with a powerful beat of its wings, the bird roared, "Wondor!" Spitfire's swung Rainbow's around before letting go of its talons, sending the smaller bird crashing into the ground with a loud thud.

"Wondor!" Rainbow cried as she saw her newest Pokémon laid out on the dirt. After a few seconds, it pushed itself back up, turning to its opponent while panting. "Get up and use Acrobatics!" Her Wondor glowed as it leapt into the air, zipping from side the side as it got closer to Spitfire's.

"Aerial Ace!" The larger Wondor shot straight down toward Rainbow's as the slipstream appeared around it. But before it could hit the smaller bird, Rainbow's suddenly zipped around the giant, pulling off an impressive spin as it got behind Spitfire's.

"Dor?" Spitfire's yelped as Rainbow's disappeared, only to feel it tackle it in the back, "WONDOR!"

"YES! Way to go!" Rainbow cheered before pointing at her Wondor, "Now, use Crush Claw!" Her Wondor jumped up as its talons glowed red, letting gravity take command as it was pulled down to strike the opponent.

"It's not that easy!" Spitfire barked back, "Brave Bird!" Wondor's body suddenly erupted into flames, the heat flying off it burning the smaller one's feet, making it cry out before flying away. This gave Spitfire's Wondor the chance to push itself back into the air, right through the roof before circling around and shooting back down. Doing so caused the flames to turn blue as it charged at Rainbow's Wondor.

"Acrobatics!" Rainbow's Wondor charged back up as it glowed, zipping from side to side as the two got closer. "DO IT!" The two Wondor collided, an explosion forming upon impact, blocking them from sight while the shockwave caused everyone except Spitfire and Cloud to flinch.

After a few seconds, one of the Wondor flew out of the cloud, flinching as blue lightning sparked around its body. The others quickly realized this was Spitfire's Wondor before-

"DOOR!" Rainbow's fell out of the cloud, crashed into the dirt with spirals in its eyes.

"NO!" Rainbow cried as Fleetfoot stared the bird.

"Rainbow's Wondor is unable to battle. Spitfire's Wondor is the winner!"

Everyone up in the balcony sighed, Spike slumping down, "Aw man! That thing's unbeatable!"

"It's barely taken a hit," Doc added while shaking his head, Cloud turning to them with a flat stare.

"You're not looking at the battle correctly. It might not have taken many hits, but one hit might be all it needs to go down." The others blinked at her, causing the former gym leader to continue, "don't forget the move Spitfire's had it use several times."

Twilight went through the moves in her head, only to go wide-eyed. "Of course...she's been using Superpower!" The others turned to her. "It's a strong move, but using it causes the user's Attack and Defense to go down."

"Exactly," Cloud turned back to the battlefield. "Rainbow can pull this off yet."

"Thanks Wondor," Rainbow returned the bird to its ball. "Take a good rest." As she put the ball away, she glared up at Spitfire.

The Gym Leader shined a big grin, "I'll admit, your Wondor's got potential. With proper training, it could even one day beat my Wondor." Her smile turned to a smirk, "But that day isn't today. So what will you do now that you're down to only one Pokémon?"

Rainbow's face showed nothing but determination, "I'll win! Tank, let's go!" She threw the Pokeball, opening to reveal her Soartoise.

"Soar!" he roared as he landed.

Spitfire laughed at the sight, "So the Torpeller I let you catch that day has evolved. Well then, I'm looking forward to seeing how strong the two of you have gotten since then."

"You'll be in for a surprise when you see how strong we've gotten. Ready Tank?"

"SOAR!" Tank roared, swinging his giant fins around.

"Wondor, you ready?"

"WONDOR!" It squawked as it took flight, Fleetfoot raising her arms.

"Are both trainers ready?" They nodded. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Aerial Ace!" Spitfire yelled as Wondor flew straight up and circled around before dive-bombing at Tank.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow called out, Tank quickly turning away from Wondor as his shell glowed. Wondor struck the shell, bouncing off as it did littler more than a nick of damage, "Now, blast it away with Hurricane!"

"Soar!" Tank spun around before jumping up and morphing into his fan-form, spinning to create a powerful tornado that struck Wondor right in the chest, knocking it flying away.

"That's the way!" Bow cheered, "You go Tank!"

"You're almost as awesome as Rainbow!" Windy added.

Wondor slowly managed to regain control of itself as it got further away from Tank, the Soartoise taking this moment to begin flying up so they would meet it in the air. "Get ready to use Superpower!" Wondor's claws glowed as Tank got closer, Rainbow smirking as she saw the bird charge.

"Stone Edge!" The rock shards appeared around Tank before being blasted in Wondor, hitting it head-on as the bird began to power through them. It soon go past the last rock, quickly grabbing Tank by the vents in his shell.

"DOOR!" It roared while pulling Tank to the ground before slamming him into the battlefield. But Tank barely flinched as Wondor let go of his shell, only for his flippers to thrust out and grab the bird's talons.

"Spin it!" Rainbow yelled before Tank started rotating his fins around, spinning Wondor along with it.

"WONDOR!" It cried as it was spun like a top, unable to escape as it kept getting dizzy.

"Wow..." Spitfire whistled. "Have to admit, never seen that before."

"Alright Rainbow!" Flash cheered.

"Keep it up," Fluttershy clapped.

"YOU GOT THIS!" Her parent screamed right as Tank let Wondor go, the bird now crashing in front of Spitfire.

"Nice one Tank," Rainbow cheered before pointed at Wondor. "Now, use Stone Edge!" Tank cried out as the rocks appeared around it before being blasted at Wondor, the bird still dizzy from the spinning.

"Feather Dance!" Wondor turned away from the voice and beat its wings, unleashing the storm of feathers that clumped together and formed a cushion to block the rocks. Several managed to rip through the cloud, hitting the Wondor, but their reduced speed made the blows lessen as Spitfire yell, "Now, Brave Bird!"

Wondor then leapt into the air as its body exploded into flames. "WONDOR!" It cried as it shot around and dive-bombed at Tank, the flames turning blue.

"Iron Defense!" Tank spun around as his shell turned blue, Wondor slamming into it and causing at explosion that knocked them both back. Tank hit the ground, quickly recovering as Wondor was thrown back, flinching as its body sparked. "Now's our chance!" Tank spun his fins and glided along the ground before taking off, getting right above Wondor. "HURRICANE!"

"SOARTOISE!" He roared before unleashing the powerful tornado, hitting the bird as it flattened the Flying-Type into the dirt.

"WONDOR!" It cried as it felt itself pinned by the wind, unable to get up by the constant buffeting gale.

And as Tank let his wind die before Rainbow called out, "BODY SLAM!" The turtle spun around so the back of his shell was pointed to the ground as Wondor was still trying to push itself up.

"Get out of there!" Spitfire yelled, but it was too late. Tank slammed into Wondor with enough force to kick up a dust cloud, everyone gasping as the fog covered the area. And when it faded, it revealed Tank standing beside Wondor, the bird's eyes now spirals as it made the result clear.

"Wondor is unable to battle. Soartoise wins!"

"ALRIGHT!" Rainbow cheered, "Way to go Tank!"

"Soar!" Tank cheered while their friends applauded.

"YOU DID IT SWEETHEART!" Windy clapped.

"That's the way you do it slugger," Bow added.

"Don't celebrate too soon," Cloud instantly cut in, "She may have beaten Wondor, but she's still got two more Pokémon to beat. And while Wondor is her strongest Pokémon, the other two won't be pushovers."

"So Rainbow's still at a disadvantage," Flash commented as Cloud nodded.

"She can do it," Fluttershy assured them. "Rainbow's good at getting out of situations when her back's against the wall."

"I hope you're right," Twilight finished as Spitfire returned Wondor.

"You did an excellent job," she told the bird once it was back inside before staring at Rainbow. "I'm impressed. You handle your Pokémon well. You really have become a great Flying-type trainer."

"Aw, thanks." Rainbow scratched the back of her head, "I just wanna live up to Cloudsdale's legacy."

"You do it well. You should be proud." She replaced her Pokeball. "But just because I'm impressed that doesn't mean I'll just hand over the badge. You've still gotta earn it, and to do that, you have to win. Tornavian," she threw the ball, "Wings up!"

The ball opened, unleashing her next Pokémon. This one was another large bird, which looked like a giant Wingust that stood at around seven foot in height. Its body was mainly black, with red and yellow patterns around it, its eyes having yellow markings that looked like an arrow but was also shaped so that it could be mistaken for a strange R or a number two. A strip of red feathers started at its forehead, running along the top of its head and ended at the base of its neck. On its chest it had an arrangement of red feathers that formed a V-shape starting at its chest and heading upward until the tips went off its shoulders. The insides of its wings were red, and its tails was spade-shaped, being yellow with a red outline. "TORNAVIAN!" It squawked while spreading its wings.

The group stared in amazement at the sight of the giant bird, Rainbow and Flash both taking out their Pokedex.

Name: Tornavian
Category: Tempest Pokémon
Type: Normal/Flying
Info: The evolved form of Wingust. Its powerful wings can fly through the strongest of hurricanes. A single flap of its wings is so strong, the gust it creates can flip a car.

"Wow..." Flash whispered, "So that's what Skyler's gonna evolve into on day?"

"Yup," Twilight nodded, "And this doesn't bode well for Rainbow. Its at full battle condition while Tank isn't."

"Don't worry, she's got this," Windy assured her. "Go get 'em honey!"

"Knock it out of the park!" Bow added.

"Are both trainers ready?" They nodded as Fleetfoot raised her arms, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Razor Wind!" Tornavian began to beat its wings, sending out a barrage of crescent wind blades at Tank. The Soartoise quickly spun around as Rainbow gave her command.

"Iron Defense!" The shell glowed as the blades struck it, causing little more than scratches as Tank prepared to unleash the next attack. "Hurricane!" Tank spun around and morphed into its fan form, creating a tornado right at Tornavian.

Spitfire just smirked at the sight and pointed at her Pokémon, "Get in there!" Tornavian flew right into the tornado, not bothered at all by the harsh winds now buffering into it.

"No way!" Rainbow yelped as Tornavian got close to Tank, only now remembering what the Pokedex had just said. "Oh no..."

"Aerial Ace!" Tornavian shot out of the Hurricane, flying straight down before performing a V-turn and striking Tank from below.

"SOAR!" He cried as he was knocked off his feet, quickly getting slammed into the dirt.

Spitfire shined a huge grin, "Now it's time to show off your best attack," Tornavian smiled back before flying straight up. "TORNADO BURST!"

"What?!" Flash yelled as he watched Tornavian wrapped its wings around before spinning, a tornado forming around it beak, "I've never heard of that move, and I've seen a tons of Flying moves thanks to gran!"

"It's the signature move of Tornavian," Cloud chimed in as the tornado curved around and pointed toward Tank.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow called out as Tank began to pick himself up, the Soartoise looking up as the tornado got closer.

He quickly turned around to prepare to use his move, only to scream, "TORE!" The tornado exploded as Tornavian spread it wings, a burst of speed pushing it forward as it slammed into Tank's shell.

"SOARTOISE!" He cried out as he was thrown down, crashing into the ground before sliding along it.

"Whoa! That's fast!" Spike yelped.

"It looked like Tornavian sped up," Windy added as Cloud nodded.

"That's Tornado Burst. It's power is equal to the user's speed, but it also has the added effect of increasing the user's speed before the attack lands."

"Wow," Flash whistled, "Talk about a powerful move."

Fluttershy did a long gulp, "I hope Rainbow can handle it."

"You okay Tank?" Rainbow asked, Tank letting out a groan, "Alright..." she stared up at Tornavian as it flew around the gym, "Time to take this battle to the skies!"

"Soar!" Tank morphed into his flight form and took off, flying up as Tornavian circled around the roof-opening.

"Razor Wind!" Spitfire called out as Tornavian beat its wings, sending the air blades at the air tortoise. However, the turtle proved skillfully agile, flying side to side to evade the incoming attacks.

"Stone Edge!" The rocks appeared around Tank as he stopped spinning, gliding through the air and swinging his fins around to bat the rocks at Tornavian.

"Tore," Tornavian yelped as it tried to evade the rocks, "Tore, tore, navian!" It cried as one of the rocks smashed into its wings, followed by another and another.

"Revenge!" Spitfire yelled, Tornavian turning toward Tank before shooting at high speed as it glowed and slammed into Tank.

"Soar!" It cried, the force of the attack throwing him into the wall before falling to the ground.

"Tank!" Rainbow screamed as she saw Tank slump down. But before he could crash into the ground, he recovered and started spinning his fins. And seconds before he hit the ground, he stopped and began to hover as he started gliding across the battlefield. "Alright!" Rainbow stared up as Tornavian circled around, "Use Iron Defense!"

"Aerial Ace!" Spitfire yelled as Tornavian shot down, Tank's shell glowing as the bird got close to the ground before V-turning upward to slam into Tank's front.

"SOAR!" He cried as he was struck, causing him to roll along the ground until he stopped on his back.

"Tornado Burst!" Tornavian spun around, forming an air spiral around it as Tank managed to roll back to his feet, the tornado now about to close.

"Stone Edge!" Tank swung his flippers around as the rocks appeared, batting them at the tornado. But the wind around Tornavian deflected them away, all rubble exploding as the bird charged at Tank.

"TORE!" It squawked as it collided with Tank, pushing him down until he slammed into the dirt.

"SOAR!"

"TANK!" Rainbow cried, the others flinching. Rainbow glared at Tornavian as it flew back, clearly preparing to end this. "I'm not gonna let it end this way!" At these words, Tank pushed himself back up. "I've trained long and hard to get this badge and prove I'm one of Cloudsdale's best! So come on Tank, let's give it everything we've got!"

"SOAR!" Tank roared as he stood tall.

Spitfire smirked at the declaration, "That's the kinda attitude I like to see in a trainer." As she said this, a thought entered her head. 'Could she be the one?'

"HURRICANE!" Rainbow yelled as Tank began to spin his fins, creating the tornado as it fired it at Tornavian.

"Pointless! Go Tornavian!" The bird shot straight into the tornado, not bothered by the gale, "Now, Tornado Burst!" Tornavian spun around and formed a tornado inside the tornado, Rainbow just smirking.

"Wait for it..." Rainbow muttered as Tornavian's attack got closer and closer. "NOW!" Rainbow roared as the inner tornado exploded, shooting Tornavian forward, "To the ground!" Tank shifted his body so his chest was pointing to the floor, the force of his Hurricane pushing him up and out of Tornavian's direction.

"TORE!" The bird cried as it tried to pull up, only to crash into the dirt, "NAVIAN!"

"Now, Body Slam!" Tank stopped spinning and let gravity pull him down, the Soartoise spinning around so the back of his shell was pointed at Tornavian.

"REVENGE!" Spitfire ordered, Tornavian pushing itself straight up as it let the shell slam into it. But before it could be crushed between the ground and Tank, it grabbed the shell and managed to spin around and slammed Tank into the ground.

"SOAR!" He cried as Tornavian flew back up.

"Stone Edge!" Tank summoned the rocks and began batting them at Tornavian, but the Tornado Bursts had increased its speed that it easily evaded the flying rubble.

"Aerial Ace!" Tornavian shot straight down as Tank spun his fins and took off, the bird doing the V-turn and striking him from below.

Tank cried out as he was thrown upward, managing to correct himself and hover above Rainbow while Tornavian floated over Spitfire. Both trainers stared at one another for a second, their eyes lighting on fire as they both yelled in unison. "LET'S FINISH THIS!"

"Tornado Burst!" Tornavian flew up and circled around, forming the tornado around it.

"Stone Edge, then Hurricane!" Tank summoned the rocks before creating the tornado, the powerful wind blowing the stones at Tornavian at high speed. The rubble crashed into the tornado, the speed allowing them to cut through the wind and strike Tornavian, making it cry out as more of them struck it. An explosion happened next as a smoke cloud was formed.

Everyone watched and waited, hoping Tank had managed to land a critical hit. Rainbow stared at the cloud, then down at Spitfire. The gym leader stared at the cloud before suddenly calling out, "REVENGE!" Before anyone could say anything, something shot out of the cloud at high speed, instantly appearing in front of Tank.

"Soar?" He yelped as Tornavian appeared, using its talons to grab the vents on his chest before spinning him around.

"TORE!" It threw him down with all its strength, "NAVIAN!" Everyone watched as Tank fell like a rock at high speed, slamming face first, the force causing the building to rattle around them.

When the shaking ended, everyone focused on Tank, now seeing him laying out and not moving. "TANK!" Rainbow ran over to him, quickly kneeling down and grunting as she began to roll him over. And as she flipped him over, she saw that the turtle now had spirals in his eyes. "No!"

"Soartoise is unable to battle," Fleetfoot announced. "Tornavian is the winner. All three of Rainbow's Pokémon are unable to battle, so the winner of the battle is Spitfire!"

Everyone sighed as stared at Rainbow, the girl on her knees as the defeat washed over her. She reached out and patted Tank, "Great work big guy." She took out her Pokeball, "Take a good rest." Tank was returned as Spitfire walked over to Tornavian and patted it on the head.

"Excellent work," she held up her Pokeball. "You deserve a good rest." She returned it before turning to Rainbow, a giant frown on the teen's face, "You should be proud. You proved a true challenge."

"I still lost though," Rainbow sighed as her walked onto the field.

"You might have lost, but you shouldn't let that stop you." Rainbow looked up at her. "You understand why you lost, correct?" Rainbow nodded back. "Then take that defeat and use it to make you better."

Rainbow glanced back down, slowly picking herself up as she replied, "You're right." Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the gym leader, "I know you've already promised to let Flash battle you when you get back, but after that could we have a rematch?"

Rainbow was expecting her to say yes, but Spitfire shook her head. "No."

Everyone's eyes went wide at this, making the teen ask, "What?! Why?!"

"Simple," Spitfire replied while crossing her arms, "I don't want to be your sixth badge." Rainbow raised an eyebrow at this. "Come back when you have seven badges, then I'll accept your challenge. I want to be the last obstacle you have to overcome before you can enter the league." She pointed down at teen, "I wanna see how strong you've gotten after earning seven badges, understand?"

Rainbow smiled and nodded back. "You got it. I'll come back when I've got all seven badges. Don't expect to be waiting long though, cuz I'm gonna get them in no time at all!"

Spitfire let out a laugh, "That's what I like to hear!"

At this moment, Rainbow's parents gathered around her. "Don't worry slugger," Bow ruffled her hair. "You'll get her next time."

"And we'll be here to cheer you on the next time you face her!" Windy added while Rainbow hugged them back before the rest of her friends gathered around, all telling her how great that battle was.

As this happened, Cloud walked over to Spitfire as asked, "What are you planning?" Spitfire turned to her, "Wanting to see how strong she was before the league? That's not like you."

Spitfire shined a half-grin, "You saw how well she handled those Flying-types. She's just as good as you and I were back when we were her age."

Cloud raised an eyebrow before turning back to Rainbow. "Huh. I wondered if you were ever going to start looking for someone to take over the gym. It's one of the reasons I came."

"I am about the age you were when you took me on. And I've got a good feeling about this kid. She might actually become champion. If she does, I don't mind waiting until she comes to the end of her term to hand the place over to her." Cloud nodded back as they all stared at Rainbow, mentally agreeing that she had great promise as a possible Gym Leader. But only time would tell if she could live up to that promise.

Later that day...

The group was now outside the gym, all staring at the plane Spitfire would be flying. Workers at the airfield had just finished packing the last box into the plane, Spitfire smiling at them as she put on her aviator jacket. "Well, I gotta get going." She turned to Flash. "I'll be back in a few days, so get ready for the match of your life."

"No problem," Flash replied, "I'm gonna spend every second getting ready. You'll be handing that badge over in no time."

"I like that attitude," she replied before turning to climb into the plane. The others got a good distance away as she started up the engines, the propellers on the wings beginning to spin as Spitfire put her goggles over her eyes.

She gave them one last salute before the plane began to roll along the runway and takeoff, everyone watching as it climbed into the sky before shrinking into the distance. And as the plane turned into a dot, Flash took a deep breath with Springer jumping up onto his shoulder. "She's strong. Really strong. Maybe one of our strongest opponents yet." He turned to Springer, "We're gonna need to train hard if we wanna beat her."

"Ri!" Springer nodded in agreement as the plane finally disappeared into the sky.

Rainbow's battle against Spitfire might not have earned her a badge, but it has helped both her and Flash understand what kind of obstacle they now faced in order to get the badge. Now is the time to train in order to prepare themselves for their upcoming gym battle. As the journey continues.

Cloudsdale Sky-Racers

View Online

"Aura Sphere!" Springer leapt up and threw the orb at Flitanium, hitting the bird right in the head.

"Fly!" It cried as the bird crashed, Springer landing next to Viper and Riptide as Tank and Fletchinder charged. But the three then leapt away as the two tried to swat at them, missing both attacks.

"Nice work guys!" Flash called out before turning to Prongs battling against Gliscor. "Bounce, then Energy Ball!" The Chitaleaf leapt above the gliding scorpion and fired the orb, hitting it in the back. Flash then spun around to see Skyler and Wondor flying around one another, both firing attacks at the same time.

It had been three days since Rainbow and Spitfire's battle, Flash having used that time for endless training for her return. "That's it everyone! Keep it up!" His Pokémon nodded as they continued to do battle, Springer running at Flitanium while Riptide and Viper squared off with Tank and Fletchinder. Prongs was now dodging X-Scissor attacks while Skyler and Wondor continued to circle around.

Flash then saw Hopper high above them, getting flying lessons from Cloud Clipper and Pidgeot. Despite showing great promise when he battled Champagoon, Cloud saw that Hopper still lacked a lot of techniques. "Alright Hopper," Cloud said as she pointed at the Skeidran. "Let's try a flip. Remember, two flaps, then straight up." Hopper nodded before the two Flying-types did a big loop.

His trainer smiled at the sight, happy to see Hopper getting lessons from an expert. "Hey, FLASH!" He turned back to Rainbow and Doc, "Quit daydreaming! You'll never beat Spitfire if you don't focus!"

"I know," Flash replied as he now saw Springer dodging Flitanium's Steel Wing. "Extreme Speed!" Springer suddenly vanished in a flash of blue lightning, the Riolu teleporting around the metal bird. "Now, Drain Punch!" He appeared in front of Flitanium, throwing a glowing fist into its chest, the bird crying out as it fell back and had spirals in its eyes.

"Looks like we're out," Doc sighed as he returned Flitanium.

Off to the side, Spike and Fluttershy were watching as Fluttershy brushed Angel. "Flash has really been training hard," Spike commented, "I can't wait to see how he does against Spitfire." He then turned to Twilight, who was sitting a ways off.

"Alright Owlicious, let's try this again." She looked down at Flash's TM and nodded before pointing at a potted plant. "Use Psychic!"

"OWL!" He spread his wings as his eyes started glowing blue, the giant owl focusing on the plant. It then slowly began to glow blue, the object soon hovering.

"That's it, there you go!" Twilight cheered, "You can lift it, now it's just a matter of keeping it up for as long as possible." Owlicious nodded as he stared at the pot, managing to keep it up for about a minute before he lost focus, the potno longer shining as it fell down. "That was pretty good," Twilight told him while giving the Owlolar a scratch behind the ear. "You'll have this move down in no time." Owlolar hooted as he rubbed his head against Twilight.

As this was happening, a teen was walking down the Pokémon Center's street. He was a light blue skinned teen with dark blue, almost black, hair. The teen wore a white shirt under a blue jacket that had yellow lightning bolt rings around the arms and black pants. He was humming as he came into view of the center, only to hear a roar as he looked up to see Skyler and Wondor flying around each other.

"Whoa..." he whispered as he then walked into the center's garden. As he did this, he saw Owlicious using Psychic on the plant again before turning to the two airborne Pokémon as they continued to duke it out before seeing two other Flying-Types flying to the side.

And as Pidgeot and Hopper stopped and flew down, Flash walked up to his grandma, "So? How'd Hopper do?"

"He's a remarkably quick study," Cloud replied as she got off Pidgeot and moved over to the Skeidran. "You've trained him well. I only had to explain something once and he understood it." She gave Hopper a scratch under the chin, the Pokémon purring at the attention. "He still has a long way to go before he's a perfect flyer, but he should be able to hold his own in an aerial battle."

"That's great!" Flash cheered before turning to Hopper, "Way to go bud!"

"Dran!" Hopper happily roared as Skyler and Wondor landed.

"I also caught sight of Skyler's battle," Cloud went on. "He's certainly grown stronger since I last saw him."

"I couldn't agree more." Everyone spun around to a sudden voice, now seeing the blue teen walking up to them. "Both your Wingust and Wondor were looking really good."

"Thanks...I guess?" Rainbow replied with a raised eyebrow, "Who are you?"

The teen chuckled, "Sorry for the interruption. I was just walking by and saw the battle, so I came to get a better look. Name's Soarin, Soarin Skies."

"Well, I'm Rainbow Dash."

"Name's Flash."

"Twilight."

"You can call me Doc."

"Spike's the name. And this is Peewee."

"Terra!"

"And I'm...Fluttershy."

Soarin smiled as he took in the names before turning back to the Flying-types. "These guys look amazing. You can tell just from watching them fly that they've been trained really well." He then turned to Owlicious, "And this Owlolar's Psychic attack was looking good."

"Thanks," Twilight nodded. "We've still got a long way from mastering it though."

Cloud then chose this moment to speak up. "You must really like Flying-types if you can tell how well these ones have been trained."

"Yeah," Soarin nodded before taking out his Pokeball. "This is my partner." The ball opened up, a familiar Pokémon soon appearing.

"STARAPTOR!" The Predator Pokémon squawked as it spread its wings, its wings more wide-spread then an usual one.

"WOW!" Rainbow gasped with stars in her eyes, "Now that is one awesome Staraptor!"

"Thanks," Soarin chuckled, "We've trained really hard."

"I can see that," Cloud nodded before taking a closer look. "However, this is clearly not a battling Staraptor." The others tilted their heads at this as Soarin just smirked. "It's wing muscles are clearly defined for long bouts of high speed, not dealing serious damage to another. That means...it's a racing Staraptor."

"You got it," Soarin rubbed the underside of his nose. "Staraptor and I have been travelling all over, entering races and winning a bunch of 'em."

"Races?" Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow, only to go wide-eyed, "Wait, if you're here for a race, then that must mean-"

"I'm originally from Cloudsdale and came back for a visit," Soarin interrupted, Rainbow slumping over the boring information, only for Soarin to continue, "But luckily there happens to be a race taking place tomorrow and I'm gonna enter it."

Rainbow looked back up, stars back in her eyes as she exclaimed, "No way! There's only one race you gotta be talking about!" She turned to Fluttershy, the girl also nodding before they both spoke in unison. "The Great Cloudsdale Race!"

"The great what?" Flash asked as Cloud chuckled.

"It's one of Cloudsdale's biggest annual events. Flying Pokémon and their trainers compete in a race and the winners gets placed in the Cloudsdale Hall of Fame." She sighed, "I remember the year I won."

"You competed?"

"Of course," Cloud replied while nodding, "I was actually the winner of the very first race. Though back then, it wasn't as difficult as it is today. Say, why don't we take a break from training and go check out the stadium, and then the Hall of Fame."

The others all nodded back, soon preparing to leave. And where they were ready, they spotted a Corviknight taxi overhead. "Taxi!" Cloud yelled before the metal bird flew down, only to see there was only one while there were eight of them.

"This could be a problem," Twilight commented.

"No problem," Soarin added before turning to his Staraptor. "You mind?" Staraptor squawked happily, letting Soarin climb onto its back, the others getting the idea. Cloud got onto her Pidgeot and Flash got on Hopper. Twilight wondered if Owlicious could support her weight, and the owl was happy to give it a try, same with Wondor and Rainbow.

"You gonna use Flitanium?" Spike asked as he and Fluttershy got into the cab, Doc shaking his head.

"Nah, I'll let him rest after his battle with Springer." As such, he climbed into the taxi before the six Flying-types took off. As soon as took off, everyone smiled at the new view, Owlicious and Wondor especially happy that they were able to carry their trainers.

"Are we there yet?" Fluttershy asked while keeping her eyes covered, the others laughing as they soon got to their location.

"Almost," Soarin replied as he pointed at the largest building in the city, "There it is. The Cloudsdale Colosseum, better known as the Cloudosseum." Everyone was in awe of the building as they began to fly down, landing and thanking the Corviknight rider and returning their Pokémon. They then headed inside next, finding that the Cloudosseum was pretty much your average sports arena while also functioning as a museum of sorts.

"Hey look!" Twilight yelled as she ran over to a doorway with a sign over it.

Cloudsdale Founding

She quickly went inside, now seeing a room filled with old timey photos. "Wow..." she whispered as she saw a photo showing a man and woman planting a flag on the top of a mountain, soon reading the writing under it. "This photo commemorates the first two trainers to reach Foal Mountain's peak, Hurricane and Pansy."

"Yup," Rainbow added as she walked up to the teen, "They were like...the first thing we learned in school."

"Kinda wish they gave better details about their trek up the mountain," Soarin sighed. "All they ever told us was their preparations for climbing the mountain, and then they jumped to them being at the top. I always wanted to know what the two did during the journey."

They continued to look around the exhibit for a few more minutes before leaving, Rainbow directing them toward another area of the building that had a sign saying:

Hall of Fame

"Here it is," Rainbow smirked as the entered a room filled to the brim with pictures. Flash quickly spotted one of them that showed a girl his age with a Pidgeotto. The girl was a younger version of his grandmother, Cloud laughing as she walked up to him and commented how on the old memories.

"Cool..." Spike whispered, "All these trainers and their Pokémon."

Doc then turned to Soarin and Rainbow. "So how does this race work? Is it a rally race around the colosseum?"

The two shook their heads as Rainbow replied, "Nope. It's way cooler than that." She pointed a certain picture, "See that?" Doc took a closer look, now seeing it was a racer and his Pitchawk, though this Pokémon had a metal collar around his neck that was covered in lights. "That collar's part of the race. They're given to the trainers along with a headset so they can talk to one another."

Soarin nodded in agreement as he continued, "The race starts here, but the course is the surrounding area. Before the race begins, a bunch of metal rings are hidden all around the mountain. The racers then have to fly through those rings while the trainers have a screen that shows where the next ring is and when their Pokémon flies through it, the collars register the ring and sends a signal to show where the next one is. The last ring is always in the stadium, so the first Pokémon to fly through all the rings and get back to the stadium wins."

The others nodded back, understanding the explanation before looking back at the pictures. They then went into the stadium's seating area, soon looking down at the field and seeing a regular sports field with a relay track wrapped around a grass field. And as they looked around, they saw multiple black boxes were being set up.

"What are those?" Flash asked.

"They're the trainers boxes," Soarin replied. "That's where the trainers will watch the race and talk to their Pokémon in. They're sound proof, so the trainers can't cheat and hear where the next ring is if they're behind."

Rainbow smirked as she walked up to the railing and stared down at the field. "Wow. All my life I've wanted to take part in the Great Cloudsdale Race, and now I finally have my chance!"

"You're gonna enter?" Fluttershy asked, Rainbow turning to nod at her.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, well, well..." Rainbow and Fluttershy's eyes went wide before they slowly turned toward a sudden voice. "If it isn't our old buddy, Rainbow Crash." The ones responsible for saying that were a trio of teens a little older than Rainbow, all having bulky physics with two of them having their eyes covered by their hair.

"Oh..." Rainbow groaned while rolling her eyes, "It's you guys."

"Do you know these boys?" Cloud asked Fluttershy, who nodded back.

"They used to bully us. They stopped when Rainbow caught Tank, but I guess it wasn't meant to last."

"What'cha doin' back here Crash?" The tallest of the group asked, this one having light brown skin and dark brown hair that covered his eyes.

"Yeah!" a dark brown skinned teen added, "What happened to your big adventure that'll only end with you becoming the greatest trainer in Cloudsdale history?"

"I'm still on it," Rainbow replied, "We happen to have gym here, you know."

"Yeah right," the last guy finished. He had bluish-grey skin and black hair covering his eyes, "I bet she came crying home because she couldn't get a single badge."

"Shows what you know!" Rainbow almost yelled, "I've already won five badges!"

"Ha! Only five!" the first guy laughed, "Look guys, she's still a lame loser!"

The boys all started cackling, Flash growling as he walked up and said, "Hey!" They turned to him, "It's five more then you guys have. So why don't you get lost?!"

The others nodded in agreement, only for the trio to roll their eyes, "Whatever. Come on guys, we've got work to do anyways." They raised an eyebrow at this. "After all, we're working on helping set up for the big race tomorrow."

The dark brown one turned to Rainbow. "I didn't miss-hear, did I? You're entering the race?"

Rainbow growled at him, "So what if I am?!"

The tall one laughed again. "You actually think you have a shot at winning?!" He flicked her hair, "You won't even make it to the first checkpoint."

This statement seemed to push Rainbow over the edge, the girl lunging at the teens, only for Soarin to grab her and pull her back. "Whoa girl!" He told her, "Save it for the contest."

The three all laughed before walking off, leaving the group with a seething Rainbow as Spike commented, "What jerks."

"I can't believe they got jobs helping with such an important event," Cloud sighed. "The race community must be seriously understaffed."

"I'll show them," Rainbow hissed as Soarin let her go. "I'm not just gonna run the race, I'm gonna win it and rub it in their faces!"

"That's the spirit," Soarin chuckled, "Though you do realize you'll be facing off against me?"

"And me," they turned to Flash. "Skyler and I have just as much intention of winning this thing as you guys."

"I wouldn't mind having a go," Twilight added. "It'd be good training for Owlicious."

Doc nodded in agreement, "I think I'll have Flitanium enter too."

And as they began to talk about the race, the three bullies turned around and glared at Rainbow, "That annoying pipsqueak," The grey one growled. "Thinking she's always better than everyone else."

"Relax guys," the tall one responded, "She may be racing, but there's no way she's winning this thing." He then shined a huge grin, "We'll make sure of that."

The other two raised an eyebrow before smiling, all cackling before turning back to the group. They now saw everyone laughing at something Rainbow had said, only for the final one of the three said, "This is gonna be fun."

The next day...

The sky above the Cloudosseum was filled with fireworks and puffs of smoke as the people ran into the building, everyone rushing to find good seats while getting stadium food and drink. They all wanted to see watch the Cloudosseum mega screens, which was connected to camera showing different parts of the mountain.

Everyone soon took their seats, staring the field down as the competitors prepared themselves for the upcoming race. Rainbow and her Wondor stood in front of their trainer box as she placed the collar around his neck. "That okay?" She asked, Wondor squawking with a nod before Rainbow placed an earpiece into his ear. With that done, Rainbow turned to watch the many Pokémon they were competing against.

Aside from Skyler, Flitanium, Owlicious and Staraptor, she also spotted a Fearow, Corvisquire, Tranquil, and even a Ninjask. They were all wearing collars with their trainers placing an earpiece onto them. Rainbow could tell this was gonna be a tough match, a confident smirk on her face. She then turned to the stands, now seeing Springer, Fluttershy, Spike, Peewee and Cloud sitting halfway up the stands, a few feet from where the bullies were. The teen let out a sigh as she saw her parents right by them, both wearing their horrible Rainbow themed cheering equipment.

"WOOOOO!" Windy cheered, "Rainbow's number one!"

"Show them who the best young flyer is!" Bow added as Rainbow face-palmed.

Up in the stands, the three bullies laughed as they watched Rainbow's embarrassment, the gray skinned teen turned to his friends, "You ever hear of schadenfreude?"

The brown one laughed, "You mean pleasure derived from the misfortune of others?"

The taller one was currently throwing a cylindrical tube, with a button on the end of it up and down in the air. "Sure have! I can't wait!"

In that moment, a blue skinned man with gray and white hair stepped out onto the field. He was wearing a black jacket over a white shirt, black shades over his eyes with a black headset. "Welcome!" His voice was sent out through a PA system, "To the Cloudosseum! Today, we have a big event, the Great Cloudsdale Race!" The crowd cheered as he moved over to the side of the field where a table and chair were waiting for him. "The goal of this race is simple." The screen changed to show Foal Mountain. "Scattered around the mountain are five rings, with a sixth waiting back here." A part of the field opened before a long pole and ring extended out of it. "Once the racers have made their way through the other five rings, they must make their way back here. The first racer to get through the all six rings is the winner."

The crowd cheered at this while Spike turned to the megascreen, "How are we suppose to see whose winning?" He asked, Cloud chuckling at his question.

"I think they're about to explain." Spike looked back at the stadium, now seeing something hover above the announcer.

They were a trio of drones, all sharing the same design. Their centers were designed like a Pokeball and had two rotors on either side with what appeared to be a camera where the button usually was. They also had four tube-like constructs sticking out, two from the top and two from the bottom. "As always, the action will be brought to you by our state of the art Poke-drones. Meet Jamero-Two, Jamero-Three and Jamero-four." The newest members of the crowd stared in amazement while the rest cheered. "Alright trainers, time to take your places!"

The trainers stepped into their boxes, finding a TV on the wall inside. Another device was below it, this one appearing similar to a radar screen. In the middle of the screen was a white triangle they realized was their Pokémon, also finding a headset to the side like the announcer. They put them on and heard a noise, showing they were being recorded by their collars around their Pokémon's necks. The Pokémon were directed to a line, all of them stepping up and spreading their wings to get into a pre-take off pose.

The announcer stood up, everyone watching in anticipation. "It's time for the Great Cloudsdale Race to begin." The megascreen began to show numbers and counted down. "In three...two...ONE!"

"GO!" The crowd screamed as the Flying-types shot into the air above the Cloudosseum, the trainers in their boxes flinching when the screens came to life, all showing the same images as the megascreen. It showed the Pokémon circling above the stadium, waiting to be told where to actually go. A beeping noise then made them look down at the screen, now seeing a dot appear on the screen.

Soarin was the first one to give an order. "Staraptor, it's at two o'clock." Back outside, Staraptor spun around, the screen showing the dot move at the same time. "That's it! There you go!"

"Star!" Staraptor cheered as it began to fly ahead.

"Owl!" Owlicious yelled as it and Flitanium were now right behind him. Skyler and Wondor were next, followed by the rest of the Flying-types. They flew away from the stadium, the Jamero drones following from above as the images appeared on the screens. Jamero-Two was focused on the leading flyers, Jamero-Three on the center and Jamero-Four on the ones bringing up the rear.

"Way to go Owlicious!" Twilight commented as she watched her Pokémon on the TV before staring down at the radar, now seeing the dot move closer to the center. It was at this point the Flying-types left the confines of the city, now flying straight down for the first ring.

Staraptor continued to hold the lead, his eyes shifting side to side as he tried to locate the ring. "Star?" He then spotted the ring floating near the side of the mountain, held up by a balloon and kept from floating away by a strong cable pushed into the rock.

"GO!" Soarin yelled as Staraptor shot forward, flying straight through the ring, causing its collar to beep. Seconds after Staraptor, Owlicious flew through the ring followed by Flitanium, Wondor and Skyler. The rest of the Flying-types aimed for the ring, only for issues to start springing up.

Ninjask flew through the ring with Corvisquire behind it, but when Fearow and Tranquil tried to fly through, both reached the ring at the same time, colliding with a loud thunk. "FEAR/TRAN!" They cried as they fell through the ring, unable to regain control as they crashed into a ledge below them next.

"OUCH!" The announcer yelped as a drone focused on the birds, seeing both were out cold. "Looks like these two are out of the race."

Back at the front, Staraptor was circling around the mountain to locate the second ring. He was still in the lead, but the competition behind him was beginning to change up as Soarin heard the announcer speak up. "And Wondor has overtaken Flitanium and is now closing the gap between it and Owlolar." Soarin looked up at the TV, now seeing Wondor getting in front of Flitanium, now closer to both Owlicious and Staraptor.

"Star?" Staraptor glanced behind him and saw Wondor.

"Don't worry about Wondor. Just focus on the ring." Soarin looked down at the screen. "You're almost on top of it...or below it."

"Star," Staraptor nodded before seeing the ring above him. Like the last one, it was held up by a balloon and cable. "STARAPTOR!" He shot straight up with the others not far behind.

This was where Wondor got to overtake Owlicious, the more agile bird able to shift its position and shoot straight up before the Owlolar. "And Wondor is now in second place as they approach the second ring." Staraptor shot through the ring with Wondor right behind it, Owlicious, Skyler and Flitanium managing to get through in that order. "That's two rings down! We're nearing the halfway point of the race!"

"Alright Staraptor," Soarin told his partner. "The next ring's a ways off. The other side of the mountain."

"Star!" It chirped while shooting off, Wondor and the others following it.

"Alright Wondor, this is your chance!" Rainbow chimed in, "While we're getting to next ring, get ahead of Staraptor!"

"Dor!" Wondor roared as he pumped his wings, picking up speed and slowly narrowing the gap as they flew around the side of the mountain.

"Great work Skyler!" Flash told his Wingust. "Just stay calm and focus on finding the next ring. It doesn't matter who's in first right now."

"Gust!"

"Let the ones ahead of you tire themselves out trying to stay ahead," Twilight added, "Just pace yourself and save up as much energy as you can."

"Owl!"

"Be prepared for anything," Doc finished, "I doubt all the rings will be located in such open areas."

"Fly!"

Doc was right as they got in range of the dot, the Flying-types now finding themselves staring at one of the rock trees that covered the mountain. This one had multiple branches, the ring hidden inside them.

"Oh, here we go!" the announcer commented as the megascreen switched from the Jamero drone's vision to images inside the tree. Now seeing through a camera hidden in the branches, the announcer continued, "Our competitors are about to find out just how hard this race can be. One false move and they could end up clipping their wings."

It was at this moment that Staraptor entered the rocks with Wondor hot on his tail, both showing incredible skill as they flew around, under, over and between the obstacles with no loss of speed. Skyler was the next one in, doing just as well though he did have to slow down.

Owlicious and Flitanium found themselves having issues, the two's large forms making it difficult to fly through the rocks. Flitanium had to retract his wings, now jumping from one rock to another. "Fly, tay, nee, um," he chirped while hopping around.

It was at this moment that Ninjask and Corvisquire arrived at the trees, Ninjask's smaller form and incredible reflexes allowing it to sail through the rocks without issue, passing both Flitanium and Owlicious.

Corvisquire didn't have such luck as it cried, "SQUIRE!" before clipping its wings, spiraling out of control and crashing into several more rocks.

The crowd gasped at the sight, Jamero-Four now firing grappling hooks shoot out of its tubes, catching the bird. At the same time, Staraptor reached the ring, flying straight through seconds before Wondor did.

"That's it!" Soarin cheered as the dot was replaced with another one, which wasn't too far away. "It's at ten o'clock!" Staraptor chirped back and began to fly out of rock field with Wondor, Skyler and Ninjask not too far behind.

They quickly found themselves flapping out of the rocks, now going back up the mountain, both birds pretty close to one another. Soarin and Rainbow watched as the triangles onscreen got close to the dot, only to see that they were only getting closer in the Y axis, but not in the X axis. And by the time the triangle and dot were in line with one another, they were a good thumb's width away from each other. "Wait!" Soarin told Staraptor as the dot suddenly moved behind it, "You missed it!"

"It's on your left," Rainbow told Wondor.

In the field, Staraptor and Wondor turned to their left, only to see nothing but the mountain. Both blinked at the sight, stopping in place as Skyler and Ninjask caught up and did the same. The trainers looked up at the TV and saw what Jamero-Two saw, each confused since the ring was right in front of them despite there being a mountain in the way.

It was here Flash whispered into his mic, "Skyler, look for an opening." the Wingust's ears prickled, "The ring must be inside a cave." Skyler let out a squawk as he flew back, his eyes scanning the cliff-face as Owlicious and Flitanium finally caught up with them.

"What he doing?" Twilight asked when she saw Skyler, then looked down at the radar.

"Of course," Doc muttered before he and Twilight gave their Pokémon the same instructions as Flash. Eventually, the rest of the racers caught on, every Flying-type now on the lookout for an opening.

"THERE!" Twilight told Owlicious, who also spotted it and shot down several meters before flying into the opening. Flitanium was next in, with Skyler, Wondor, Ninjask and Staraptor following behind.

"INCREDIBLE!" The announcer yelled, "The race has been completely turned on his head. Now Owlolar leads with Flitanium behind it while the former leaders are bringing up the rear!" The cameras changed to show images from inside the tunnel, all of them filled with lights to allow the audience and racers to see.

The tunnels within the mountain were very narrow, though wide enough to fly at full wingspan. This made it almost impossible to overtake the Pokémon in front, allowing Owlicious and Flitanium to maintain their lead. But that would soon change when the tunnel began to split into several different tunnels. According to the radar, the ring was right ahead, but none of the tunnels lead in that direction, instead going either left or right. Each trainer gave their guess to their Pokémon, soon splitting apart as each went down a different tunnel.

Skyler and Owlicious found themselves flying upward while Staraptor and Flitanium headed through downward tunnels. Ninjask and Wondor now feeling like they were going in circles, constantly finding themselves flying through the same tunnel again and again.

The audience watched in exuberance as they waited to see who got to the ring first. They then raised an eyebrow when they saw the megascreen change to only show one tunnel with six holes in the wall, three on the left and three on the right. But their confusion vanished when they saw Skyler fly out of the far left hole and into the closest right hole.

Seconds later, Wondor flew out of the middle left hole and into the middle right before Ninjask flew out of the far right hole and into the middle left. Skyler and Flitanium flew out of the closest left hole and split up with Skyler going into the middle right hole and Flitanium into the far right hole. Staraptor and Owlicious flew out of the middle right hole next before splitting up, Staraptor going into the closet left hole and Owlicious going into the far left hole. Wondor flew out of the closest left hole while Ninjask flew out the middle right hole, Wondor flying into the far left hole while Ninjask hovered in the center of the corridor and spun around. As it did this, Skyler flew out of the far right hole and Staraptor flew out of the middle left hole. Both flew around Ninjask before heading into the hole the other flew out of, Ninjask shrugging its shoulders and flying into the closest left hole.

Eventually, the group found their way out of the unending loop of tunnels with Staraptor flying straight through a tunnel. "Alright!" He heard Soarin cheer, "The ring's straight ahead! You should see it within seconds!" Staraptor smiled at this, only to suddenly find Wondor flying out of a hole to his left.

"DOR!" He roared as he shot ahead of Staraptor, both now flying up the tunnel. And when it leveled out, they saw the ring dead ahead of them, Wondor the first to fly through it as the final dot appeared on the screen.

"That's the way Wondor!" Rainbow exclaimed as Staraptor flew through the ring. "One more ring and then it's straight for the finish line!" The two birds once again began flying through the tunnels, having lost where the exit was in their mad dash to find the ring.

This allowed the others to find the ring, Flitanium being the first followed by Skyler and Owlicious. They too began searching for the exit while Ninjask was still trapped in the loop of tunnels, still nowhere near the ring as it stayed lost.

Back at the stadium...

Everyone watched and waited as the megascreen changed back to show the drone's vision. The three were outside the tunnel, waiting to see which would be the first out. The announcer then got a beep from the drone, indicating it sensed something was coming. "As we begin to reach the climax of this amazing race, one can only wonder who is currently in the lead." The drone moved above the exit, now seeing something being a mix of blue and yellow. "It's Wondor!" The crowd cheered, no one louder than Rainbow's parents while now seeing Staraptor flap out with Jamero-Two flying after it.

Up in the stands, the bullies were wide-eyed, "Hey man," the gray one turned to the taller one. "I don't know how, but that loser might actually win this!"

"No way," the taller one held up the tube. "It's time for the demolition derby."

As Wondor approached the second to last ring, he found it was located in another set of rock trees. This one was much bigger, with many more branches surrounding the ring. It didn't have a lot of time to let this info sink is as Staraptor came up from behind, about to fly past him. However, Wondor wouldn't let this happen as it began pumped up some more speed. "Wondor!" It roared as the two entered the rock field, the cameras once again shifting from Jamero-Two to the ones located inside the field.

Everyone watched as the two birds began flying around the branches, shifting their bodies to go over, under and between the obstacles as they got closer to the ring. It was at that moment the tall bully laughed before pressing down the switch.

KABOOM!

Wondor and Staraptor gasped before looking up, now seeing several explosions above their heads, causing cracks to appear around the rocks. They the began to break apart, a rain of rubble coming down next as they cried out, "DOR/STAR!"

"STARAPTOR/WONDOR!" Soarin and Rainbow screamed, both horrified at the sight of their Pokémon in danger.

The crowd gasped at the sight, the announcer standing up. "What's happening up there?! Are there Pineco or something up there that exploded?!"

"Oh no," Fluttershy gulped while covering her mouth.

"What the heck?!" Spike yelped after hearing the announcer's theory, "How'd a Pineco get up there?"

"They couldn't," Cloud hissed, "That's not natural."

"Ha!" She and Springer turned toward the three boys from yesterday, "Take that loser! You deserve it!" This made the two scrunch their hands into fists as they glared daggers at the three, then stared back at the screen.

"One...dor, One...dor, one...dor!" Wondor squawked as he tried to avoid the rocks, only to be hit in the its wing. "WONDOR!" He felt himself fall, crashing into a rock branch with a larger rock about to fall on top of it.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Rainbow screamed.

"Close Combat!" She and Wondor then heard, seconds before the rock was shattered a powerful barrage of strikes. The dust from the crumbling boulder quickly faded, revealing Wondor's savoir to be Staraptor.

Rainbow sighed in relief before she and Wondor saw a rock falling toward Staraptor from behind. "Crush Claw!" Wondor quickly leapt off the branch and slammed his talons into the rock, crushing it in a single blow. It then turned back to Staraptor, the two smiling in shared respect.

Back at the stadium, Rainbow and Soarin turned to the wall, knowing the other was on the other side. And despite not being able to see one another, they nodded, thanking the other as they looked back at their Pokémon and the ring. The ring had survived the explosion, but now a rain of rocks stood between them and it. They had two options: Wait for the rocks to finish falling and allow their opponents to catch up, or shoot through the rubble.

Despite these choices though, both teams had already decided without thinking. "GO!" The trainers commanded as the birds flew into the hail of rocks. The crowd gasped at the sight, only to cheer as they saw the two fly through the rocks without issue. And whenever one was about to be hit by a rock they didn't notice, the other protected them.

"Wow!" The announcer yelled, "Now that's teamwork!"

"No way!" The tall bully cried, "How are those losers getting through that?! It's impossible!" It was then they noticed someone suddenly standing beside them, the trio looking up and gulping as they saw Cloud with Springer on her shoulder, both glaring down while cracking their knuckles.

Back at the race...

The Flying-types kept getting closer to the ring, getting within inches of it as Skyler, Owlicious and Flitanium arrived at the rock tree. But before they could reach it, a large boulder fell between them and the ring, the two not able to slow down in time to stop it. Instead, they smirked at one another before charging head-on, hearing their trainers through the earpieces.

"CLOSE COMBAT/CRUSH CLAW!" Both birds spun around and smashed their talons into the rock, crushing it within seconds and clearing the route to fly through the ring at the same time.

"THEY'RE THROUGH!" The announcer cheered as the two flew out the ring, both heading toward the exit of the field, "Now, let's see which of them can get through the final ring to be the winner!"

Both Wondor and Staraptor flew straight up, both trying to get back to the city before the other did. They may have helped each other before, but now they knew only one thing. They wanted to win, and the mountain peak was now comig into view.

Rainbow and Soarin ran out of their boxes, looking up to see their Pokémon suddenly appear above the stadium. "COME ON WONDOR/STARAPTOR!" They screamed as the birds circled around and dived down, their focus laser pointed on the final ring.

At first, Wondor pulled ahead. But then, Staraptor overtook it. Wondor was then ahead again, only for Staraptor to pull just an inch ahead, the two repeatedly getting closer and closer as they entered the stadium. The audience could barely keep up as they watched them move at lightning speed, both bringing their wings in to keep from crashing into one another. And in the blink of an eye, the two went from shooting toward the ring before zipping through the ring and spreading their wings to break their fall.

"IT'S OVER!" The announcer screamed as Wondor and Staraptor landed next to their trainers, the rest of the trainers jumping out of the boxes as Skyler, Owlicious and Flitanium arrived at the stadium and landed next to them.

"So who won?" Flash turned to Rainbow and Soarin, both just shrugging while turning to the megascreen.

The screen showed the still image of Wondor and Staraptor flying at the ring, the next image zooming in. Each picture after this kept zooming in, only to zoom into their beaks...and show them both entering the ring at the exact same time.

"IT'S A DRAW!" The announcer yelled, Rainbow's and Soarin's jaws dropping along with their Pokémon before they turned and smiled at each other in respect. "This is a surprise! For the first time in the history of this race, we have a draw." The crowd cheered next, Spike, Fluttershy and Rainbow's parents clapping the loudest.

Cloud smiled down at the two before turning to her side, seeing the now beaten and bruised forms of the bullies laid out and groaning as she held their device in her hand. "Next time, leave my friends alone." She turned to Springer, "Keep watch over them until I can get the authorities."

"Ri!"

Back on the field, Rainbow, Soarin and their Pokémon stepped onto a podium and were handed a trophy. "Congratulations," the announcer exclaimed, "The pair of you will now be placed in the hall of fame!" A photographer walked up and snapped a picture of the two, both them and their Pokémon smiling as it was taken.

After the celebration came to an end, the people filed out of the Cloudosseum. Rainbow and her friends soon returned to the Pokémon Center, Soarin waiting there to say his goodbyes.

"You're leaving?" Rainbow asked.

"Yup," Soarin nodded. "There's still a bunch of races I have to compete in."

"Aw...that's too bad," Rainbow replied, her face now slightly red. "We were just getting to know one another."

"Yeah..." Soarin scratched the back of his head before reaching into his pocket and pulled out a photo. "But at least we have something to remember each other by." The photo showed the image that was also hanging in the Hall of Fame, showing Rainbow, Soarin, Wondor and Staraptor smiling at the camera while holding a trophy.

Rainbow nodded back before reaching into her pocket and taking out her own picture. The others smirked a knowing smile as they continued to stare at one another, Soarin eventually putting his picture away. "Well, I gotta get going."

"Right," Rainbow nodded before Soarin began to walk off. "Hey," he turned back to her. "Next time we see each other, you better be ready for a rematch. We won't end up tying like today." Soarin nodded back before giving a wave as he headed off, Rainbow sighing as she turned back to the others and seeing each giving a knowing smirk. "What?"

"Nothing," Flash laughed before heading into the center. And as he did, Nurse Redheart gestured to him.

"Flash Sentry?" the teen turned to her, "I just got a message from the Cloudsdale Gym. Gym Leader Spitfire has just got back and will be ready to accept your challenge tomorrow."

"Alright!" Flash cheered before turning to Springer, "This is it bud! Gym battle number six!"

"RIOLU!" Springer cheered back, the others smiling in excitement. They were sure that tomorrow's battle would be one to remember, and they couldn't wait to see who would win. As the journey continues.

Taking Flight for an Aerial Fight

View Online

"ALRIGHT!" Flash yelled as he stood in the Pokémon Center's garden. After much anticipated waiting, Flash was now going to get the chance to face-off against Spitfire and her ferocious flock of Flying-types. "Today's the day!" He added as he looked down at his Pokémon, all of them lined up and ready for battle. "The day we get our sixth Equestria League Badge! You guys ready to win?!"

"RIO!" Springer cheered.

"GUST!" Skyler squawked.

"TORE!" Riptide continued, giving Flash a thumbs up.

"LEAF!" Prongs neighed, kicking his front legs up and down.

"CAR!" Viper hissed.

"SKEIDRAN!" Hopper exclaimed, spreading out his wings and waving its arms around.

Flash couldn't help but laugh at them, the rest of friends doing the same as they sat to the side enjoying their breakfast. "He sure is pumped," Spike commented before stuffing another sandwich into his face.

"Can you blame him?" Doc added as he polished his Lairon's armor, the rest of his Pokémon all super shiny after enjoying the same treatment. "After seeing Rainbow's battle against Spitfire and training for it for so long, I'm surprised he isn't exploding in anticipation."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "And with all the training he's been doing, he and his Pokémon are all on top form."

"Indeed," Cloud finished, "But that doesn't mean beating Spitfire will be easy." She turned to her grandson, "Flash will need to pull out every trick in his book if he wants to win this."

"Hey!" They turned to see Rainbow and Fluttershy walking up before staring at Flash and his Pokémon, "You ready to battle the toughest Gym Leader in Equestria?"

"Yup," Flash replied with a big grin, "But first I gotta beat Spitfire."

Everyone laughed at this, Fluttershy turning to Flash's Pokémon. "Everyone's looking amazing." She glanced back at Flash, "Do you know who you're gonna be using?"

"I have an idea," Flash responded while crossing his arms, "I know Spitfire has Wondor and Tornavian, and I got a good look at their abilities during her battle with Rainbow. But she was probably holding something back, like what Pokémon she'll be using aside from those two."

Twilight nodded as she walked over to them, "And depending on how the battle turns out, you could end up changing who you think is the best match for the battle."

"Yeah," Flash sighed before turning to his Riolu, "But I think it might be better if Springer sits this one out." The Riolu's ears went down, Flash frowning as he kneeled down and patted his shoulder. "Sorry bud, but against Wondor and Tornavian, you'd have a hard time landing a hit on them."

"Ri..." he whined, slumping over.

"So I'm gonna need you up in the stands, cheering me on! Alright?"

"RIOLU!" Springer barked back, a smile trying to form on his face. The rest of his Pokémon cheered as well, Flash soon returning them before the group headed for the Gym. They managed to catch some taxis and arrived at the airfield quickly, where Flash sprinted over to the gym.

"Here it is," Flash said as he stared up at the hanger-like building. "Time for the sixth Gym Battle." With that, he pushed the doors open before stepping inside. "Hello?!" he called out while moving to the center of the field, "I challenge you to a battle!"

"And I accept!" He spun around to see Spitfire on the ledge above the door, the pole just above her. She leapt off and grabbed a ring connected to the pole, sliding down before flying off the end, doing several flips through the air till she landed perfectly in her trainer section with her back to the group. The gym leader grabbed the shoulder of her aviator jacket spun around, throwing the jacket off as Fleetfoot appeared in the middle of the battlefield and caught the jacket before retreating to the side. Shining the biggest grin, Spitfire spun around while adjusting her goggles.

"Welcome to the Cloudsdale Gym!" she exclaimed as the others walked up to Flash. "Are you ready to test your limits and soar to new heights of battling skill, or crash and burn when overwhelmed by my Flying-type's might?!"

"I'm ready," Flash replied, "And I won't be crashing or burning today." He pointed at the Gym Leader. "I'm gonna win and earn myself a badge! Mark my words!"

"I like that attitude!" Spitfire laughed, "Then let's get battling!" With that, everyone took their positions. Springer joined the others when they climbed the staircase and walked onto the balcony overlooking the battleground. The Riolu had to jump up to look over the barrier until Fluttershy picked him up, allowing him to see as his trainer stepped up onto his podium.

Flash turned to stare Spitfire down, the redheaded women smirking back. The pole she had slid down on retracted into the wall before the roof began to open, allowing free range for their Flying-types. Fleetfoot then began to announce the rules.

"The Gym battle between the challenger Flash, and Spitfire the Gym Leader, will now begin! Each side may use up to three Pokémon, and the battle will be over when all three of either sides' Pokémon are unable to fight. in addition, only the challenger may be allowed to substitute Pokémon." She glanced at the two trainers, "Is that understood?" Both nodded. "Then trainers, reveal your first Pokémon."

Spitfire smirked as she took out a Pokeball. "You've already seen the power my Tornavian and Wondor, and have likely been training to face off against them." She enlarged the ball, "So let's see how well you do against an unknown! Flitanium, wings up!"

With that, she threw the ball and in a flash of red light, a large metal bird appeared. "FLY!" It roared, unfurling its wings and taking to the air.

"So she's got a Flitanium," Doc whispered.

"And it looks just as strong as yours," Twilight added.

"Maybe stronger," Cloud continued, before turning to Flash. "Who will you pick for this?"

"Viper," he held out his Pokeball, "I choose you!" He threw the Pokeball, the fire serpent now appearing.

"Hacker!" He hissed before landing.

"Huh. Going for type advantage. Alright. Let's see how well you do." Spitfire turned to Fleetfoot, signalling her to start the battle.

"Anahakka versus Flitanium. Are both trainers ready to begin?" They nodded and she raised her arms, "Then let the battle...BEGIN!"

Spitfire turned to Flash, "You can have the first move."

"Then let's start things strong," Flash pointed at Flitanium. "Use Flamethrower!"

"Hack...CARRR!" Viper unleashed a powerful burst of fire out of its mouth.

"Drill Peck!" Flitanium charged as it pulled its wings before spinning, creating an air drill that flew into the flames. The drill carved through the fire, the heat still hurting before it flew through and struck Hacker head-on.

"Car!" He cried as he was knocked back, Flitanium breaking out of the drill as Spitfire gave her next order.

"Steel Wing!" Flitanium unfurled its wings, both glowing as it sliced into Viper's stomach with a quick slash.

"Not good," Flash whispered as Viper was thrown back, only for Flitanium to fly up next. "Flamethrower!" Viper fired another stream of fire at Flitanium, only for Spitfire to point at her Pokémon.

"Air Slash!" Flitanium's wings glowed as it swung them around, the light shooting off and morphing into a series of saw-like blades of air that struck the Flamethrower. This dispersed the flames, allowing Flitanium to fly down as Spitfire gave her next order.

"Iron Head!" It retracted its wings as its helmet glowed, allowing it to smash into Viper before he could react.

"Fly/Car!" They cried upon impact, Flitanium unfurling its wings and taking off again as Viper rolled on the ground before steadying himself.

"Jump up, then use Flame Wheel!" Viper curled his tail like a spring before launching himself into the air.

"Hack!" He bit into his own tail and began to spin, flames appearing around him. The flaming wheel slammed into Flitanium, pushing the bird toward the ground.

"Tay!" It screamed on impact, the fire wheel hopping off before Viper broke out.

"Now Flamethrower!" Viper fired another stream right at Flitanium, the bird just now picking itself up.

"Block it with Steel Wing!" The Steel Flying-type thrust its shining wings into the flames, cutting them and preventing the rest of its body from getting hit. But when the flames died down, everyone saw its wings were now glowing red hot.

"That looks painful," Fluttershy muttered.

"I doubt it'll be able to fly with them like that," Doc added. "This might be just the opening Flash needs."

"Flame Wheel!" Viper morphing into a blazing wheel again, charging right at Flitanium.

"Dodge it!" Spitfire yelled, Flitanium now side-stepping since it couldn't fly. But as it dodged the attack, Viper just turned around and spun into him again, only for Flitanium to dodge it once more.

"Flamethrower!" Viper broke out of the flames and spat another stream of fire right at Flitanium, the bird backpedaling at the incoming attack.

"Air Slash!" Flitanium's wings glowed before it launched the air saws at Viper, hitting him dead on.

"Car!" Viper was thrown back, Flitanium now flapping his wings to cool them down. It then flared them, taking a small leap before going to the air again.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Flash yelled, "Viper, use Flamethrower on the ground!"

"Hack!" Viper took a deep breath before looking downward, "CARRRRR!" He unleashed a powerful stream of fire that pushed him upward, shocking both Spitfire and Flitanium, along with the group. That is, except his friends who were used to Flash's tenancy to do insane things like this.

Once Viper was at the same height as Flitanium, he stopped his attack and turned before hearing Flash call out. "Bite!" Viper lunched his head forward, chomping down on Flitanium's wing. He then coiled his tail until it was around Flitanium's neck, preventing it from properly flying.

"Fly!" It cried out, trying to free itself, only to find itself falling like a rock. And seconds before they were about to crash, Viper released Flitanium and hopped off the bird. "TANIUM!" It crashed into the dirt, Viper pointing his head at it next.

"FLAMETHROWER!" Viper let out a mighty roar as he unleashed a burst of fire right down on Flitanium, who squawked as pain surged through his body. Viper's attack pushed the snake back, smoke now covering Flitanium before the flames vanished to reveal Flitanium with swirls in his eyes.

"Flitanium is unable to battle!" Fleetfoot announced. "Anahakka is the winner!"

"Yes!" Flash cheered while the others applauded.

"Way to go!" Rainbow added.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Spike yelled.

"You did amazing Viper," Fluttershy told the fire snake.

"Flash can't get cocky yet," Cloud finished as Spitfire returned Flitanium. "This battle's only getting started."

"Excellent work," she commented as the metal bird was in its Pokeball. She turned to Flash as she replaced the ball, "This kid is good." She enlarged it, "But I don't go down so easy. Tornavian, wings up!" She threw the ball up, the giant bird soon appearing.

Flash grimaced at the sight, remembering how powerful that thing had been when he watched its battle against Rainbow. "We've gotta be careful Viper," he told his Anahakka. "This one's strong."

"Car," he nodded as Tornavian spread its wings and took off.

Fleetfoot glanced between the two of them. "Anahakka versus Tornavian. Are both trainers ready?" They nodded as she raised her arms. "Then let the battle...BEGIN!"

"Flamethrower!" Viper launched his fire attack as soon as Flash gave the order, but Tornavian just barrel rolled to avoid the attack.

"Razor Wind!" Tornavian beat its wings, unleashed fine blades of air that struck the area around Viper, kicking up a dust cloud that forced him to stop using Flamethrower. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Viper looked up as the dust began to fade, only to see Tornavian dive down at him.

"Car!" He cried out as the bird slammed into him, knocking him back as Tornavian flew upward again. The Anahakka didn't let that stop him though, quickly shooting his tail forward and wrapping around Tornavian's leg, causing him to be pulled up into the air with it.

"That's the way!" Flash cheered, "Time for Poison Fang!" Viper pulled himself up and bit into Tornavian's other leg, injecting venom into it.

"TORE!" It cried in pain as its leg began to go numb.

"Revenge!" Spitfire ordered, causing Tornavian to spin around and flick Viper off of it.

"CAR!" He yelped as he crashed into the ground, giving Tornavian the opening it needed.

"Tornado Burst!" Tornavian flew down and started spinning, causing the wind to wrap around it and form a drill of air. It got closer as Viper picked himself up, the snake seeing the incoming attack.

"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed a burst of fire that the tornado flew into, cutting through it while the heat made it flinch. But when it exploded out of the tornado, the wind erupted out, extinguishing the flames as Tornavian accelerated forward and slammed into Viper.

"CAR!" It screamed at the impact, Flash flinching before calling out a command.

"Bite!" Viper reacted quickly and wrapped himself around Tornavian's neck, biting into its back as it tried to get as tight a grip as it could. This made Tornavian flinch, causing its wing to clip the ground, soon hitting the dirt.

"Tore!" It cried, rolling on the ground as Viper continued to bite into it.

"Now, Poison Fang!" Viper's fangs glowed purple as he started injecting as much venom into his opponent as he could, making Tornavian flinch.

"Fly up, then Tornado Burst!" Tornavian zipped back into the air before it began to spin around, faster and faster as Viper's grip on the bird started to slowly weaken. And as the tornado formed around the two, he finally lost grip and was forced to let go.

"Car!" He flew out of the tornado and hit the ground, "Hack!" At this moment, the tornado curved around and headed toward Viper. And as he picked himself up, Tornavian shot out and slammed into Tornavian at an intense speed. "HACKER!" He was thrown far across the field, Tornavian now flying out of harm's way.

But as it did, purple lightning sparked around it. "TORE!" It cried in shock, feeling its energy be drained away.

"What's happening?" Rainbow asked.

"Viper's Poison Fang must have poisoned it," Twilight added. "That's good."

"But will it be enough?" Cloud asked before they heard Flash called out.

"Flamethrower!" Viper pushed himself up before firing another stream of fire, but Tornavian's increased speed allowed him to easily dodge the flames and fly out of the range.

"Razor Wind!" Tornavian beat its wings, unleashing the air blades that struck the ground around Viper again. This caused Viper to stop unleashing his attack, only for Tornavian to be zapped by its poison.

"Tore!"

"Stay strong!" Spitfire told it. "Use Tornado Burst!" Tornavian began to spin, the tornado forming as it flew down at Viper.

"Meet it head-on!" Flash told his Anahakka, "Flame Wheel!" Viper bit his tail before rolling forward, his body igniting into a flaming steamroller. He rolled along the ground as the tornado curved so it was just above the ground before exploding, Tornavian charging at the snake at an intense speed.

"TORE/CAR!" They cried as they collided, creating an explosion that shook the room around them. Everyone flinched as the smoke filled the battlefield, only for Tornavian to fly out of the smoke, causing it to be blown away and reveal Viper on the ground with spirals in his eyes. "Hacker..."

"Anahakka is unable to battle," Fleetfoot announced. "Tornavian is the winner."

Everyone sighed. "Too bad," Rainbow commented, "At least he managed to poison Tornavian."

"That should help," Twilight added as Flash returned Viper.

"You did great," he said once he was back in his Pokeball. He then looked up at Tornavian as it circled the stadium before taking out a ball, "Alright...Skyler, I choose you!" He threw the ball up, revealing the smaller bird, who flew up to the same height as Tornavian and circled the Gym with it until they stopped and hovered above their trainers.

"Gust!" He squawked while staring down his opponent, the bird simply smirking at him.

"What's he doing?" Spike asked, "Skyler's not as strong as Tornavian."

"Don't be so sure," Cloud added. "Being evolved doesn't make it stronger. Besides, there are other factors to take into account in this. Strength is only one of them."

"Wingust versus Tornavian. Are both trainers ready?" Fleetfoot asked, getting a nod from the two and their Pokémon. "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Air Cutter!" Flash yelled, Skyler beginning to beat his wings fast and launching blades of wind at Tornavian.

"Razor Wind!" Spitfire responded, Tornavian beating its own wings as well, sending out its own air blades. The two attacks collided and exploded, sending out a blast of wind in each direction. Skyler was pushed away by the wind, but Tornavian didn't seem phased at all.

That is, till the poison shot through its body, the purple lightning sparking all around it and making it flinch in pain. "Tore!" It cried, its wings going up and down.

"Now's our chance!" Flash told Skyler, "Use Steel Wing!"

"Wing!" Skyler corrected himself midair before charging with glowing wings. And as Tornavian recovered from the poison, it saw Skyler coming, unable to move as the bird got up close.

"Navian!" It cried in pain as Skyler shot past him, slashing him with his wings.

"Revenge!" Spitfire yelled, Tornavian spinning around and swinging its wing at Skyler before he could get away.

"Gust!" He cried in pain as the wing struck him, knocking him back as Tornavian spun upward.

"Now, Aerial Ace!" Tornavian circled around before dive-bombing toward Skyler, the bird managing to re-orient himself seconds before Tornavian struck him.

"GUST!" He cried upon the impact, sending him flying back again before flaring his wings to stop himself.

"Time for some aerial maneuvers," Flash told Skyler, the bird nodding back before flying straight up, Tornavian hot on his tail as they both flew out of the Gym. "Double Team!" In a flash, the sky was filled with Wingusts. Tornavian quickly found himself surrounded, unable to tell which Skyler was the real one, giving its pre-evolved form the opening it needed. "Air Cutter!"

"WINGUST!" The real Skyler appeared behind Tornavian, unleashing a wind barrage. And as Tornavian turned toward the correct one, he got struck by the wind.

"Tore!" It cried as the wind sliced into him, doing critical damage. No sooner had that pain hit, the poison flared up once again, making it cry out in more pain. "Navian!"

"Alright!" Flash cheered, "You've got it now!"

"Don't be so sure," Spitfire barked back, "Tornavian, Tornado Burst!" Tornavian's eyes shot open, quickly spinning while flying upward, the wind spiralling around it to form another tornado.

"Not good," Flash gulped before remembering the Double Team was still in play. "Don't let it find you! Mix into the others!" Skyler nodded and flew back into the flock, he and the copies flying around one another until it was impossible to tell which was the real one.

"That won't save you!" Spitfire told him. "Do it Tornavian!" With that, the giant bird shot out of the tornado at incredible speed. The action sent out a burst of wind that struck the flock, only one of the Wingust now appearing to be bothered by it. "There you are!"

"Tore!" Tornavian roared as he smashed into Skyler.

"GUST!" He cried as he was knocked flying down, Tornavian spreading its wings as Spitfire gave her next order.

"Razor Wind!" It beat its wings as it unleashed several bursts of air, all of them striking Skyler as it prevented him from correcting himself. Everyone gasped as the wind pushed Skyler toward the ground, Flash beginning to worry this would be it.

"Wing!" He cried in pain, only to hit the dirt like a rock. "GUST!"

Tornavian smirked at the sight, only for the poison to flare up again. "TORE!"

"Skyler!" Flash yelled as the dust cleared to show his Wingust picking himself up, "You okay?!"

"Wingust," Skyler hissed in pain as he did a small nod before taking to the air, Tornavian gliding down to his level.

"We're not done yet," Flash barked back, "Use Double Team!" Skyler squawked as he flew up, a flash of light signalling the creation of his many clones. "Now, use Steel Wing, back to back!"

"Wingust!" The clones all squawked as they flew around Tornavian, only for one of them to shoot out like a bullet, striking the other bird with its glowing wings. "Gust!"

"Tore!" Tornavian cried at the blow, turning toward the one that had done it, only to see already rejoin the group and was practically invisible. Seconds later, it was struck by another Steel Wing. "Tore!" He yelped, only for the bird to get struck again and again. "Tornavian!"

"This is getting annoying," Spitfire growled just as Tornavian was once again jolted by the poison. As this happened, Skyler had to come to a stop, catching his breath. As the Double Team vanished, both birds began to pant. "I'm ending this now. Tornado Burst!" Tornavian shot straight up and started spinning, forming the tornado around it before turning to aim it straight at Skyler.

"Oh no...." Flash gulped before pointing at the tornado. "Air Cutter!" Skyler quickly started beating his wings, unleashing blades of air at the tornado. It managed to pierce through the tornado, striking Tornavian, but the bird didn't stop as it keep swooping down, not even remotely slowing down.

"TORNAVIAN!" It roared as it exploded out of the tornado, hitting Skyler like an intense battering ram, knocking the bird downward yet again.

"Skyler!" Flash yelped as he saw his Pokémon get knocked down. "You gotta get out of there! Use Aerial Ace!" Skyler's eyes shot open and seconds before he hit the ground, he managed to spread his wings and pull up inches from the ground. He then shot straight up and struck Tornavian, making it cry out.

"TORE!" It yelled, only to hear its trainer's yell.

"Revenge!" Tornavian's eyes shot open and it managed to grab Skyler in its talons before spinning around and throwing him downward.

"GUST!" He screamed as he was slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Skyler!" Flash yelled, Spitfire smirking before looking up at Tornavian….and her smile vanished.

"Tore," it cried as it suddenly fell out of the sky, crashing into the dirt. At the same time, the dust around Skyler fading before both Pokémon were revealed to have swirls in their eyes.

"Wingust and Tornavian are both unable to battle!" Fleetfoot announced. "This match is a draw!"

The outcome made everyone go wide-eyed, even the trainers. "No way..." Spike whispered.

"Now they've only got one Pokémon each," Twilight added. "That's really not good."

Cloud nodded in agreement. "Indeed. And Spitfire still has her strongest Pokémon to use." She turned to her grandson as he returned Skyler to his Pokeball, "Who will you choose to end this with?"

"Ri..."

"Way to go Skyler," Flash told the Wingust once it was back it his ball.

"Excellent work Tornavian," Spitfire did the same before turning her focus back on Flash. "You should be very proud of how well you've raised your Wingust. It might not have defeated Tornavian, but it didn't lose either. And considering it's the pre-evolved form, that's still quite an accomplishment."

"Thanks," Flash replied as he watched Spitfire take out another Pokeball.

"However," she enlarged the ball, "Don't think this means you've won this battle. Now you have to face off against my best Pokémon! Wondor," she threw the ball up, "Wings up!" The ball opened and in a flash of red, the giant blue and yellow bird appeared.

"WONDOR!" It squawked before it flew around and landed in front of Spitfire.

Flash gulped. "There it is."

"This might be his toughest battle ever," Rainbow commented while crossing her arms. "That thing took out two of my Pokémon, and gave Tank a serious run for his money."

Doc sighed and shook his head, "I guess it all depends on what Flash chooses to use against it." As he said this, Flash took out a Pokeball. He had made his choice, and everyone was anxiously waiting to see who he had chosen.

"Hopper," he threw the ball, "I choose you!" The ball opened, now revealing the Proto-Dragon Pokémon as it landed in front of him.

"Hopper?" Spike yelped. "Why him?!"

"Looks like he wants to level the playing field," Cloud replied. "With Skyler down, Hopper was his only choice if he wanted to fight in the air."

"I guess that makes sense," Twilight nodded. "Plus, his other three Pokémon wouldn't really do well against Wondor. Even so, this is Hopper's first Gym Battle, and he's going up against Spitfire's ace."

"Oh dear..." Fluttershy gulped, "I hope he'll be alright."

"He will," Rainbow replied, "Flash isn't dumb. He wouldn't have picked Hopper if he didn't have faith in him."

Flash smiled at Hopper, though he could tell the Skeidran was nervous. "Hopper," he looked back at his trainer, "I trust you. And win or lose, I'll be proud no matter what." Hopper nodded before turning back to Wondor.

"Sky!" It roared, putting itself into a fighting stance.

"Skeidran versus Wondor. Are both trainers ready?" Fleetfoot asked, getting a nod from them and their Pokémon. "Then let the battle...BEGIN!"

Spitfire chuckled at the sight of Flash's friend, "First, let's see how well your little friend does in the air. Wondor, take off!" Wondor shot into the air, flying right out of the gym.

"After it!" Flash barked back, Hopper spreading his wings and flying after Wondor. The two began an aerial display, Hopper following after Wondor and turning at every direction it did. He barely managed to keep up, but was able to match it turn for turn.

"Very impressive," Spitfire commented, "Alright, time for the real battle. Wondor, Aerial Ace!" Wondor suddenly flew straight up and circled around until it was zipped behind Hopper.

"Dran?" He tried to find the bird as Wondor's eyes shrank, focusing like a laser on the Skeidran.

"DOR!" It suddenly shot at him with intense speed, hitting Hopper head-on and knocking him back.

"SKY!" Hopper spiralled toward the ground, shocking his friends until his eyes shot open and he re-positioned himself before spreading his wings. "Skeidran!"

"That's the way! Our turn, Extreme Speed!" Hopper began to be surrounded by blue light before he suddenly vanished, shocking Wondor until it saw Hopper appear right in front of him before disappearing again.

"DRAN!" Hopper suddenly appeared behind it, slamming his foot into its back. The blow made it cry out as it fell downward, its body going back into the Gym. But as it got into the building, it spread its wings to cut its fall short.

"Superpower!" Spitfire yelled as Wondor's talons began to glow orange before shooting upward.

"Deflect it with Steel Wing!" Hopper's wings shined as Wondor slashed at him, blocked the blow as he barely felt a thing before pushing the Wondor away. "Now hit it!" Hopper zipped up to the bird, ready to slash at Wondor with his wings.

"Feather Dance!" Wondor beat its wings, creating a cloud of feathers around them. Hopper slashed at the feathers before hitting Wondor with the attack. Most of the impact had been absorbed by the cushion, but Hopper was now able to push Wondor back before flying away. Seeing this, Spitfire growled, "Now, Brave Bird!"

"Wondor!" It roared as its body exploded into flames before circling around and charging down at Hopper.

"Counter with Dragon Tail!" Flash yelled, Hopper's tail glowing green as he spun around. Dragon Tail and Brave Bird collided, creating an explosion that knocked the two back. Both then flared their wings, quickly keeping themselves in the air, though the two were reeling from the impact. Wondor was also suffering the recoil of Brave Bird, but the bird was just getting started.

"Talk about power," Spike commented, "I know Hopper got stronger when he evolved, but being able to counter Brave Bird like that....I can't believe it."

"And he used a move he didn't have STAB with," Rainbow added.

"That's where you're wrong," Doc chuckled, "Hopper might not be the same type as Dragon Tail, but the power of that move is increased."

The others turned with raised eyebrows before Twilight spoke up, "Its Dragon Heart, the ability of Skeidran."

Cloud nodded in agreement, "That ability increases the power of any Dragon-type move the user wields."

"Really?!" Spike gasped, getting another nod in return.

"Yes. That's why Skeidran are considered one of the strongest Dragon-types, even if it isn't one. It has all of their strengths and none of their weaknesses."

"Well..." Twilight added while adjusting her glasses, "It does have one Dragon-type weakness, but I doubt Wondor will pull an Ice-type move out of its hat."

"Superpower!" Spitfire yelled, Wondor charging at Hopper with glowing talons.

"Dodge, then use Crunch!" Hopper quickly barrel-rolled, dodging the attack before zipping around and tackling Wondor in the back.

"Dran!" He roared, clutching it with his hands before sinking its teeth into Wondor's shoulder.

"WONDOR!" It cried in pain, the added weight also pushing it downward.

"Shake it off before it pins you to the ground!" Spitfire yelled, Wondor now beginning to beat its wings, doing its best to knock Hopper off. But the Skeidran simply kept biting down on its shoulder, the bird unable to get him off until they reached the ground. It was here that he spun around, slammed Hopper into the ground.

"DRAN!" He yelped, letting go of Wondor before rolling on the dirt before hopping away.

"Dor!" It cried, still feeling the pain in its shoulder.

"Use Superpower before it recovers!" Wondor leapt up with glowing talons, slamming them into Hopper's stomach.

"Skeidran!" He screamed with each strike, eventually managing to roll away after the sixth hit before jumping back to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Flash asked Hopper, the Pokémon nodding back. "Alright, then use Extreme Speed!" Hopper leapt up as his body glowed, only to start warping around the gym.

"Ascend!" Spitfire told Wondor, the bird shooting straight up. Hopper quickly zipped up to him, only to miss as Wondor flew right out of the Gym.

"Stay on Wondor's tail!" Flash yelled, Hopper beating his wings to fly after his opponent. He flew out of the gym, managing to catch up to Wondor, the two circling around one another without using any attacks.

"You know Wondor's not trying to get away," Spitfire chuckled, "Wondor, circle around and then use Brave Bird!"

Cue the music

"Wondor!" The bird repeated what it did earlier, quickly getting behind Hopper as its body exploded, the flames turning blue as it charged and struck Hopper head-on.

"Sky!" He cried in pain as he was blasted away by the explosion, only to stabilize himself with a quick flare of the wings before staring back at his opponent. "Skeidran!"

"Brave Bird, one more time!" Wondor circled around again, its body still burning with blue flames.

"Fly up!" Flash told Hopper, the Pokémon going straight up as Wondor tried to follow, but couldn't seem to keep up, its body still burning.

"Not bad," Spitfire commented, "You've got speed alright, but what about technique? Wondor, show them why you're king of the skies!" At this moment, Hopper couldn't fly any higher and was forced to go back down. As he did this, Wondor was about to strike, Hopper flapping his wings to get away. The Skeidran did a quick spin as the flaming bird got close, barely dodging his attack.

The two then returned to the Gym, flying close to the ground as Hopper glided just above the floor with Wondor right behind him. He flew up next, skimming along the surface of the wall while Wondor was still on his tail.

"Alright!" Spitfire yelled as they flew back to the center of the field and circled around one another. "Now this is a true Flying-type battle." The two Flying-types continued to fly around, both swinging wings and claws at the other, only to dodge each attack with ease. Those watching couldn't take their eyes of the battle, not wanting to miss a second given how quickly the two's movements were.

"Dragon Tail!" Flash yelled, Hopper's tail glowing as he collided it into the Brave Bird attack, causing an explosion that knocked them both back. Hopper fell to the ground, only to hop onto his feet, his form sliding along the dirt until it stopped in front of Flash while Wondor managed to remain in the air.

"GO!" Both trainers commanded as their Pokémon charged at one another, both focusing on each other entirely.

"Aerial Ace!" Spitfire roared as Wondor increased its speed, a slipstream appearing around it.

"Extreme Speed!" Hopper glowed blue, and as Wondor tried to strike him, he evaded the attack, only to zip past him and soar higher above the bird. "Keep up the Extreme Speed! Get as fast as you can!" Hopper did so, pushing his flying speed to the absolute limit as Wondor circled around and flew back up.

"Brave Bird!" Its body exploded, the flames quickly turning blue while Hopper began to fly down.

"Keep up the Extreme Speed until the last minute, then Dragon Tail!"

"Sky!" he roared as his tail glowed green. He and Wondor charged at each other, as they got close enough for contact, Hopper pulled in his wings and spun around. Doing so allowed him to evade the attack, getting beneath Wondor before spreading his wings. The speed from his last attack allowed him to react before Wondor could turn around, the Pokémon quickly hopping above the bird. "SKEIDRAN!" He screeched at the top of his voice as he spun around and slammed his glowing tail into Wondor, the impact so great that it created a shockwave that everyone felt.

"WONDOR!" It cried as it was blasted into the ground, kicking up a dust cloud that blocked Wondor from view.

Hopper panted as he lazily glided toward Flash, landing in front of him before focusing on the cloud. And when it faded to reveal Wondor, laid out on the ground with spirals in its eyes.

Cut the music

"Wondor is unable to battle!" Fleetfoot announced. "The winner is Flash Sentry!"

"YES!" Flash screamed at the top of his lungs, his friends all cheering as Hopper turned to his trainer. "You did it!" Flash ran over and threw his arms around Hopper, hugging him as Hopper rubbed his head against Flash's. "You're the best!" He said once he pulled away. "Thank you so much!"

At this point, the others had left the balcony, Rainbow calling out first, "Flash! I can't believe it! You beat Spitfire!"

Flash blushed and patted his Skeidran's head, "Thanks, but it was really Hopper's hard work that did it." Hopper purred as Fluttershy and Spike reached out to stroke him.

"Maybe..." Twilight added, "But he wouldn't have known what to do if you hadn't been guiding him." Flash smiled back before turning to Spitfire, who returned Wondor as Cloud walked over to her.

"Excellent work old friend," she told the bird once it was back in its ball before turning to Cloud, "Quite a grandson you raised."

"Don't I know it," Cloud chuckled, "But you sure didn't make it easy for him."

"Of course!" Spitfire replied with a big grin, "I wouldn't be a true gym leader if I didn't!"

A little later...

Everyone was now outside of the gym, Spitfire holding out her hand to Flash. "Great work kid. You keep battling the way you just did and nobody will stop you."

Flash nodded back as he shook her hand, his Pokémon all cheering. "Thanks. I really enjoyed our battle."

"So did I." They let go as Spitfire turned to Fleetfoot, who was holding a tray. "It's my pleasure to present you with this." She picked up something off the tray and showed it to Flash. It was a badge shaped like a thunderbolt with two wings coming out of it. "Proof that you've won here at the Cloudsdale City Gym. The Flight Badge."

Flash shined a huge grin as he took the badge, now holding it up for all to see. "Alright! I just won...THE FLIGHT BADGE!"

"RIOLU/WINGUST/ANAHAKKA/SKEIDRAN!" His Pokémon cheered as everyone else began clapping again, Flash now putting it in his badge case.

"Just two more," Flash chuckled, "Just two more badges and I'm in the league."

"Indeed," Cloud nodded in agreement. "The question is, where will you get those last two badges?"

Flash showed a slight frown at the question before turning to Twilight, the girl pulling out her journal, "Well, there doesn't seem to be any Gym that's particularly close to us." She turned to him. "Since we're literally at an airport, we could see if any of these planes are headed anywhere near a gym."

"I might have a better idea," Spitfire chimed in, the group turning to her as she smiled at him, "During my delivery, I heard that the Hoofington Battle Tournament is taking place in a few days."

"Hoofington Battle Tournament?" Rainbow asked, Twilight looking it up.

"It's in Hoofington City," she replied, "It says here the tournament's a yearly event. It's not as big as the Pokémon League, but many noteworthy trainers have made a name for themselves in this tournament."

This caught both Flash and Rainbow's attention, the others seeing their excitement as Flash exclaimed, "Oh, I am so there!"

"Me too!" Rainbow added, "I might not have won my Gym Match, but this'll be great training!"

"I wouldn't mind winning another tournament," Doc chuckled while remembering his victory at the Hoof Cup.

"I think I'd like to enter too," Fluttershy softly said.

"Don't think you're leaving me out of it either." Twilight commented before looking back at the journal. "But Hoofington City's a good distance away. We might not get there before it starts."

"Don't worry, I'll fly you there." Spitfire laughed, "There's an airstrip not to far from the city. I can fly you there and as long as you don't waste any time, and then you should arrive there just in time to enter."

"Awesome!" Flash hollered, "Thanks Spitfire." The others gave their thanks, each looking forward to the upcoming tournament.

The next day...

As soon as the sun was up, our heroes made their way over to the airfield. There they found Spitfire standing next small passenger plane. "You guys ready?" She asked, everyone nodding.

Flash turned to Cloud while Rainbow and Fluttershy turned to their parents. "Alright," Cloud responded, "I'll be sure to watch your progress in the tournament."

"Thanks gran," Flash replied before they pulled one another into a hug. Rainbow and Fluttershy did the same with their parents before they climbed into the plane. Once everyone and their Pokémon were buckled up, Spitfire started the engine and the plane took off.

They waved goodbye to those on the airstrip until the city was out of view, all soon turning their attention to their destination, each both nervous and excited for the challengers they would face in the Hoofington Battle Tournament. As the journey continues.

The Hoofington Battle Tournament

View Online

"There it is!" Rainbow cheered as the group reached the top of the hill, everyone getting their first looks of Hoofington City. After Flash's victory at the Cloudsdale Gym, they had been told of a special tournament taking placing there. With each planning to claim victory, they rushed over to Hoofington in order to enter.

The city was situated next to a rather large lake and had multiple tall buildings along with a large stadium that appeared to be built atop the lake. "So that's where the tournament's taking place," Twilight stated as they began to make their way down the hill, marveling at the sights as they trekked through the metropolis. Banners and flags filled the city, all advertising the event along with a valley of stands and vendors.

And as they made their way, they saw a certain pair of girls, Flash exclaiming, "Pinkie!"

"Trixie!" Twilight called out, getting the two girls' attention.

Pinkie and Trixie turned to the group, Trixie laughing, "Well look who it is! I should have known you guys would show up for this."

"You know it!" Rainbow replied with a confident smirk, "Are you two competing too?"

"You know it!" Pinkie cheered as she began bouncing up and down. "It's gonna be fun, fun, fun!"

"That's right," Trixie responded, nodding, "And Trixie intends to claim victory in this battle."

"You'll have to beat me if you wanna do that," Rainbow barked back, both about to start glaring at each other. But as they did this, the others were about to speak up, only for something to suddenly land on Twilight's head.

"Beautifly..." the butterfly Pokémon said as it nested itself on Twilight's head. The girl froze at the feeling, glancing up at the insect.

"Well...that's different." Flash added with a raised eyebrow.

"What is that?" Spike asked, only for the bug to take flight and land on his head. "Hey!"

"Its a Beautifly," Twilight commented while adjusting her glasses.

"It's so pretty," Fluttershy whispered as it hopped off Spike and flew over to her head, making the girl giggle, "Aww..."

"But what's it doing in the middle of a city?" Rainbow asked as it went over to her head.

"Beautifly, stop that!" A familiar voice called out, making them turn to see two more people they recognized, Spike's eyes now turning into hearts.

"Rarity!" He muttered, hearts now coming off his head.

The purple haired girl ran up with Applejack beside her, Rarity showing a small smile, "Hello darlings, its so good to see you all again." Rarity then glared at the Beautifly, crossing her arms, "You know it's rude to do that without asking. I know you like greeting others, but you're being rude. Come back over here."

"Beautifly..." the butterfly whispered as she flew over to Rarity's head.

"Good," she turned back to the others. "I'm sorry. My Beautifly's still working on its manners."

They all nodded as Twilight looked up at the bug, "It's fine. It's very beautiful. You must have raised it well."

"Thank you," Rarity replied with a slight blush, "It was difficult to evolve her up from Wurmple, but the results were worth it."

While she said this, Flash turned to Applejack, "So, how have things been since we last saw you. Did you manage to get Granny Smith's badge?"

"Eventually," Applejack chuckled as she pulled out the Harvest Badge. "Ah've still got a long way to go, so that's why Rarity and I came ta complete in the battle tournament."

"This is starting to look like the Hoof Cup all over again," Spike chimed in, the others agreeing before Flash turned to the stadium, knowing what that could mean.

The group soon headed over to the stadium, laughing and talking about everything they had been through since their last meeting. And as they got there, they saw a Pokemon Center that had a quartet of people they had only been half expecting.

"Professor Celestia!" Twilight cheered, getting her teacher's attention. She ran over to the tall woman, hugging her as the others saw that Professor Luna, Sunset Shimmer and to all their surprise, Grand Hoof.

"Twilight!" Celestia and her student embraced before Twilight turned to Sunset.

"It's good to see you," she told the glasses wearing girl as they hugged as well.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I just thought you'd be looking after the lab while Celestia's here."

"I suggested she enter," Celestia responded, "I thought it would be a good opportunity for her."

"You never had me do that." Twilight replied, making Sunset raise an eyebrow.

"Really?" Sunset added as they both turned to the professor.

Celestia looked away at this, "Well..."

"My my, this is sure to be an exciting display," Luna interrupted as she stared at the group, "I look forward to seeing how much you've all grown in the time since I last saw you."

As she said this, Flash walked up to Grand, "Are you here as a guest commentator?"

"That's right. These your friends?"

"Yup. Let me introduce them." The group soon greeted themselves to the former champion, all surprised at meeting them.

"Its nice to meet you all." Grand replied before placing a hand of Flash's shoulder. "Do you remember what I asked of you the last time we met?"

This question caused Flash to frown as he turned to the stadium, sighing at his next question, "He's in there, isn't he?"

"Yes," Grand responded, nodding, "He's registering for the tournament right now."

"Who's he talking about?" Rainbow asked Doc, who was frowning alongside Spike and Twilight.

"Grand's grandson," the Gym Leader replied, "Lightning Blitz."

Everyone froze at that name, Fluttershy quickly hiding herself in her hair. They all turned to the former champion, shock on every face as Rainbow blurted out, "What?! That jerk's your grandson?!"

Grand let out a long sigh, grimacing at the fear and shock on every face, "Yes..."

Flash turned to stare at the building, soon marching forward with Springer beside him. The others followed, all greeted by the sight of the trainer standing in front of the registration desk. Lightning had just handed a slip of paper to the woman sitting there before turning to the group, rolling his eyes at the sight, "I should have known you'd show up here."

"I was in the neighborhood," Flash quipped.

"Well, I hope you're not too down when your journey here was for nothing." His vision flicked to Grand for a moment before looking back at Flash. "I'm actually glad you're here. This event's gonna be broadcast all over Equestria. The perfect time to show everyone how weak you really are." He then glared at the group, only to stare right at Fluttershy. Grand glanced back at this, seeing the girl shiver in pure fear as Lightning turned back to Flash, "Then again, it would be nice to not see you at all."

"Lightning..." Grand started, only for Flash to walk in front of him.

"Don't worry, you'll be seeing plenty of us." Flash pointed at the teen, "And you'll be seeing me on the winner's podium after I beat you."

Lightning glared at him for a second, only to spin around and walk out of the stadium.

"Geez," Rainbow sighed, "That guy's as bad as ever."

Grand sighed, "I apologize. He has...issues."

"No kiddin'," Applejack added, "But let's focus on more important things, like gettin' registered for the tourney." Everyone nodded as they turned to the desk, all happy to find Lightning had been the first to enter, so there were still many spots left.

Each took a sign-in sheet, finding it required their names, ages, hometowns and any Pokémon they wished to enter with. They could pick up to six Pokémon, but learned they didn't need that many to enter, even able to compete with just one Pokémon. Once they had handed in the sheets, Spike turned to the others. "So how's this tournament gonna work? Will there be a bunch of one on one matches like the Hoof Cup?"

"Not exactly," Celestia replied, "The Battle Tournament's first round is always the same, and the following rounds depend on how many Pokémon each of the competitors has. For example," she pointed to Sunset. "If Sunset here gets through to the next round, that round will become a one on one tournament because she only has one Pokémon entered. But Twilight has three Pokémon. So if she gets through to the next round and Sunset doesn't, it'll be a three on three match."

"My head hurts," Spike moaned in confusion, Twilight patting him on his head.

"So what's the first round? You said it's always the same, so what'll it be?"

"A Battle Royal," Luna responded, "It was first started in the Alola Region, but the originator of the Battle Tournament liked the concept and brought it into this competition. Four trainers will each use one Pokémon and fight against each other. Whoever's the last one standing will be the winner."

"Battle Royal?" Flash whispered before shining a big grin, "I like the sound of that."

"Yeah!" Rainbow added, "It sounds awesome!" The others nodded in agreement, each looking forward to seeing which three opponents they would be going up against. They remained in the stadium and watched the front desk, waiting to see who the other competitors would be.

The first trainer to sign up after them was an old friend of theirs, Heath Burns. He noticed Flash and the gang and gave a wave before signing in. After him, two trainers they recognized from the Hoof Cup showed up, those being Micro Chips and Sandalwood, who arrived together as Pinkie went up to say hello to Sandal, considering him a friend due to battling him. After that, Trixie smiled when Cedar from the daycare arrived, the teen having started his own journey and wanting to enter the tournament to test his strength. The last slot was then filled by Spark Plug, the trainer Flash and his friends had helped capture his Abearab. He also greeted them, telling them he had caught many more Pokémon since their last meeting before coming to the tournament to test them out.

During this time, more people began to file into the stadium, all ready to see who would claim victory. It was an hour before anything noteworthy happened, Lightning returning to the stadium as the speaker system suddenly started emitting noise, telling the competitors it was time to head to the field.

Celestia, Luna and Grand said their goodbyes to the group before they split off, heading down one corridor while the trainers all went through another. They followed the signs until they arrived at the trainers box, all walking into a large glass room sticking out of the stadium. The room had multiple benches, the group now seeing the inside of the stadium. It was similar to the Hoof Cup's stadium, the only difference being larger and it had three other glass rooms. One was opposite theirs and the other two were between them. Twilight was able to spot Celestia, Luna and Grand in the other box, all sitting at a table that appeared to have one extra seat. The stadium also had two large megascreens on either side of the stadium, while each room had a TV.

Flash stared at the field, seeing the floor was entirely metal with the middle section appearing to have a seem running through it that formed a cross shape in the field. There was also a similar grove in the middle of the cross, forming a small circle.

The audience continued to file into the seats for a further ten minutes while everyone in the trainer box got comfortable. nd when the final seat was filled, the sound system switched on before a voice they all recognised sounded out.

"WHAZZ UUUUUP!" The circle in the center of the field retracted into the ground, someone shooting out of it like they were blasted from a cannon. He flipped through the air as the hole was filled by a Pokeball colored plot of land while the man landed and yelled, "Present Mic here, and welcome...TO THE HOFFINGTON BATTLE TOURNAMENT!" The crowd cheered as the cross shape retracted into the ground, Mic now standing on the Pokeball area that remained.

As this happened, the TVs and megascreens switched on to show Mic's face as he yelled, "Sixteen competitors have entered this tournament, wishing to claim victory and earn an amazing prize!" The screen changed to show a glass box with multiple strange items, including a pair of black glasses, a white scarf, a bent spoon, a purple string bag, what appeared to be some kind of beak, and many other items. "These eighteen items are incredibly rare and have the ability to boost the power of a certain type of Pokémon. Having them is sure to be useful, but only the one who proves themselves the strongest will get to have them. And to do that, they must first claim victory in the first round!"

The screen changed to show Grand the professors, who all stood up. "Joining me as my guest commentators are the well renowned professors, Celestia and Luna!" The two waved. "Alongside them is the former Equestrian champion, Grand Hoof!" The crowd exploded with applause, Flash noticing Lighting glaring as the screen changed back to Mic.

In that moment, the floor returned and was lifted into the hole. But instead of being metal, it was now dirt, the two battlefields being overlayed one another to form an X-shaped battlefield as Mic continued to talk, "In this round, four Pokémon will battle against one another with only one standing victorious. Once four trainers remain, they will be placed into a bracket and randomly selected to see who will battle who. But first, let's see who will be facing off in the battle royal!"

With that, the screens changed to show the faces of every competitor before spinning around. The sixteen squares began shuffling around, only to separate into four groups of four. One by one, the cards flipped to show who was fighting who.

Battle One
Twilight Sparkle V Fluttershy V Applejack V Sunset Shimmer

The girls picked smiled at one another, Sunset focusing on Twilight. "I've been wanting to see how well we stack up against each other."

"I look forward to finding out," Twilight replied.

"Don't forget about us," Applejack told them. "Focus too much on each other and ya'll find yerselves wiped out by me."

"Or me," Fluttershy finished, trying to show a serious expression.

Battle Two
Rainbow Dash V Heath Burns V Trixie Lulamoon V Cedar

"Oh yeah!" Rainbow laughed, "This is gonna be awesome!"

"I'm getting all fired up," Heath added while Trixie and Cedar turned to one another.

"This won't be like last time," Cedar told her.

"Yeah," Trixie chuckled, "Mommy and daddy won't be here to back you up." Both smirked at each other, looking forward to their rematch.

Battle Three
Flash Sentry V Rarity V Time Turner V Pinkie Pie

"Alright," Flash punched his fists together before turning to his opponents. "Time to win this thing." He pointed at Doc, "This won't be like in the Hoof Cup."

"We'll see," Doc chuckled.

Rarity just gave a pleasant smile, "Let's all have a good battle."

Pinkie rapidly nodded, "Yeah! And have lots of fun!"

Battle Four
Lightning Blitz V Micro Chips V Sandalwood V Spark Plug

Micro and Sandal turned to Lightning, only to see the teen was still glaring at the box with the professors and former champion. Both turned back to each other, nodding as they remembered what had happened in the Hoof Cup. This time, things would be different. At the same time, Spark Plug did a long gulp, his form shaking as he stared down at a Pokeball in his hands.

"Our competitors have been selected!" Mic announced. "There's nothing more to do then jump right into the matches. Trainers, please my your way out to the field!"

With that, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy and Sunset stood up as the glass door opened, Sunset turning to Flash, "Wish me luck." She gave him a wink, causing Flash's brain to glitch before he did so. Twilight rolled her eyes as Flash turned to her as well, also wishing her luck along with Doc and Spike. Rainbow and Rarity give good luck to their travel partners, Pinkie giving to them all and telling them to have fun.

They stepped onto the field, Twilight and Sunset standing opposite one another with Fluttershy and Applejack between them. As they did, Mic moved the commentator's box. He stepped inside and sat down between Grand and Luna, then began to make the announcements.

Mic: "We certainly have an interesting match here. Two of these competitors are actually students of our very own Professor Celestia. Any comments professor?"

Celestia: "It's true they're both my students and assistants, but Twilight has been travelling in the time Sunset joined me. Either way, I'm looking forward to seeing how well these two do against one another."

Luna: "And let's not forget about the other two competitors. I'm sure Miss Applejack is hoping to make up for what happened between her and Miss Sparkle in the Hoof Cup. And Miss Fluttershy, while new to battle, is sure to give us a show she can be proud of."

Mic: "Too right! Your thoughts Grand?"

Grand: "I'll keep them to myself for now, at least until I see what Pokémon they'll be using and what skills those Pokémon have."

Mic: "Then let's not keep you waiting any longer! Trainers, bring out your Pokémon!"

The four girls nodded before they took out their Pokeballs, all sharing a look before throwing them upward, "Shine/Ray/Bloomberg/Harry...LET'S GO!" The Pokeballs opened up and in a flash of red light, three small and one large Pokémon appeared on the field.

"Nee!" Shine neighed, ready to help her trainer claim victory.

"Geck," Ray hissed, his body glowing as he prepared to do battle.

"Pip!" Bloomberg cheered, bouncing up and down without a care in the world.

"Grizz!" Harry roared, making the younger viewers flinch and cover their ears, the bear towering over the smaller Pokémon. The sight made Lightning's eyes go off the announcer box, now glaring at the Grizzor on the field as the commentators began to speak up.

Mic: "That's quite a collection of Pokémon."

Grand: "Many unskilled trainers would say Grizzor is likely the strongest. But a true trainer would know that all of these Pokémon have been trained exceptionally. There's no telling which one will claim victory in this battle."

Mic: "True. There's only one way to find out."

Mic stood up and pointed at the field, "Are you all ready?!" Twilight, Applejack, Sunset and Fluttershy nodded. "Then let's count it down! In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Fairy Wind!" Twilight yelled as Shine raised her tail and spun on her hoof, swinging it around to unleash a glittery pink wind across the field.

"Flame Burst!" Sunset ordered, Ray shooting a fireball from his mouth.

"Protect!" Applejack told Bloomberg, the Pokémon tensing up as a shield appeared around him. The Flame Burst struck the pink wave, disrupting it so Ray could dodge it while Bloomberg's Protect shielded him and Harry was struck head-on, but was unfazed.

"Crush Claw!" The Grizzor began to charge at Shine with red glowing claws.

"Grizz!" He slashed at the Ponyta, Shine side-stepping to evade the attack.

"Another Flame Burst!" Shine turned to see Ray unleash another fireball, this one heading straight for her.

"Nee!" Shine cried as the flames exploded, the burst now spreading fire now hitting Harry and Bloomberg.

"Grizz/Pip!" They hissed as both were now singed.

"That's the way!" Sunset cheered.

"You're not done yet," Applejack barked, "Bloomberg, Magical Leaf!" Bloomberg's head leaf began to glow a rainbow of colors before it swung its head around, causing multiple leaves to shoot off like boomerangs.

They shot at Ray with such speed that he didn't have time to dodge, knocking him back, "Geck!" He cried as he hit the ground rolling, only to hop back onto his feet and glare at Bloomberg, "Geckolar..."

"Slash!" Fluttershy yelled as Harry ran at Shine.

"Psybeam!" Twilight countered as her Ponyta unleashed a blast of psychic energy, hitting Harry right in the face. The blow slowed him down, but it wasn't enough as he swooped downward, striking Shine in the face.

"Nee!" Shine staggered back, Harry jumping up onto his back legs as he prepared to attack Shine again.

"Tackle!" Applejack called out before Bloomberg came flying at him.

"PIP!" He roared, slamming into Harry and knocking him off his back legs.

"Scratch!" He then heard Sunset order, Ray leaping and smacking the Pipple's face.

Mic: "WOW! The battle's already getting crazy!"

Celestia: "This kind of battle can really put a trainer and their Pokémon to the test. If they focus too much on one opponent, they might be blindsided by another."

Luna: "And there could be the opportunity for an alliance. Two or more teaming up to take on a superior foe before facing off. In a battle like this, the strongest competitor may not necessarily be the one who wins the match."

Mic: "And that's what makes the Hoofington Battle Tournament so EXCITING!"

"Time for something big," Sunset told Ray. "Dragon Pulse!" The little lizard nodded before opening its mouth, a purplish blue energy filling it.

"Geck," it hissed before screaming. "KOLAR!" A dragon shaped beam of light flew out of its mouth, shooting across the field as it hit Bloomberg, blasting him away before doing the same to Harry and about to hit Shine.

"Fairy Wind!" Shine spun around and swung her tail, unleashing the glittery wind that struck the Dragon Pulse, causing it to explode before it could hit her. "Now use Mystical Fire on Bloomberg!" As the Pipple picked itself up, Shine's horn ignited, quickly drawing a circle of flames before firing through it.

"Bloomberg!" Applejack yelped as the flames headed toward her. But before she could tell him to dodge, Ray leapt in front of the attack, taking the hit. "What?!" She turned to Sunset, "Why?!"

"Strategy," Sunset chuckled as the flames vanished to reveal Ray, the Geckolar smirking as his body began to glow even brighter.

Mic: "Why would Sunset take the hit?"

Celestia: "Flash Fire. Its Geckolar's Ability."

Luna: "When its hit by a Fire-type attack, it's Attack and Special Attack get boosted."

Grand: "This way, Geckolar can do more damage in exchange for taking a hit. Smart move."

"Thunder Fang!" Fluttershy yelled, Harry opening his mouth as it filled with electricity. He quickly leap at Shine, grabbing her and biting down.

"NEE!" Shine cried as she was electrocuted, the little Ponyta flailing her legs around.

"Now, Crush Claw!" Harry threw Shine up and jumped onto his back feet, his front claws glowing red as he prepared to attack Shine. But as he did this, Bloomberg charged at the bear.

"We might not get another chance. Bloomberg, Leech Seed!" From out of its stem, a seed fired out like a cannon and struck Harry in the chest.

"Grizz?" Harry was pulled from his focus to look down at his chest, only for the seed to break open and began wrapping him up in vines. "GRIZZOR!" He cried as the attack flared up, sapping away some of his power.

"Tackle!" Twilight yelled as Shine came crashing down, slamming all four hooves into Harry's face before leaping safely away.

"Flame Burst!" They then heard Sunset call out, turning to see Ray unleash a fireball that at Bloomberg.

"PIP!" He cried in pain, getting blasted away while the flames flew over the field and struck both Shine and Harry.

"Nee/Grizz!" They flinched, Bloomberg now swaying back and forth in pain.

Mic: "Ouch! That had to hurt."

Luna: "Its a super effective move that's been boosted thanks to Flash Fire. Now you see the type of damage it can do."

"Psybeam!" Twilight called out, Shine firing her psychic blast at Ray, hitting him head-on and knocking him back.

"Geck!" He cried, slamming into the ground. But as he tried to recover from the blow, everyone turned to a certain Pokémon as Fluttershy called out a command.

"Slash!" They now saw Harry charge at Bloomberg, his claws glowing as he prepared to strike.

"Protect!" The protective dome appeared around the Pipple, shielding him from the claws that came crashing down into the barrier. Both claws bounced off the shield, only for the Leech Seed to flare up on Harry, draining him as Applejack yelled, "Now we got 'em! Tackle!"

"Pipple!" Bloomberg's shield vanished as he leapt into Harry's stomach, making him stagger back.

As this was happening, Ray was starting to pick himself up. "You okay?" Sunset asked, kneeling down so she was eye level with him. But when he looked around, she saw his eyes were now glowing purple, his legs shaking as he began to stumble around, "Oh no..." she whispered, only to look up and see Shine galloped towards them. "Ray! You've gotta try and dodge it!"

But instead of jumping to the side, Ray began slamming his head into the ground. "What's it doing?" Spike asked from the trainers box, Present Mic asking the same question. The others stayed silent, letting the commentators explain.

Celestia: "Its confused. Its a side effect of getting hit by Psybeam."

At that moment, Shine got close as Twilight ordered, "Tackle!" Shine slammed her head into Ray, knocking him back even more.

"Ray!" Sunset yelled, "You've gotta snap out of it!" But Ray didn't, his eyes continuing to glow purple.

"Hit it with Fairy Wind!" Shine raised her tail and swung it around, unleashing the pink wind right at Ray, about to hit him point blank.

"We only got one shot at this!" Sunset replied, "Ray, Dragon Pulse!" To everyone's surprise, Ray opened his mouth and began to charge up the attack. Within seconds, the dragon shaped blast exploded out of his mouth, striking the Fairy Wind, the force of the two attacks knocking Shine back.

Mic: "It used its attack?"

Luna: "Just because you're confused, that doesn't mean you can't land an attack."

Grand: "Now can Sunset use this chance she's been given."

"Ray?" Sunset looked her Geckolar over as he blinked. When he opened his eyes, he blinked and began glancing around before turning to his trainer. Sunset saw his eyes were no longer glowing purple. "You're awake!" She clapped before nodding, "Let's try something big. Solarbeam!"

Ray nodded back before glancing at the battle as the black spots along its body began to glow. At this moment, Shine was picking herself up, preparing to attack Ray again. But as she did, she suddenly felt an approaching presence, turning to see Harry about to fall onto her.

"NEE!" She leapt to the side, saving herself from getting flattened. She stared at Harry before turning to where he had come from, now seeing a panting Bloomberg as the Leech Seed on the bear flare up again.

"Magical Leaf!" Applejack ordered before Bloomberg shot the leaves at the two, Shine leaping away.

"Fairy Wind!" Shine swung her tail around again, unleashing the wind at the leaves. Explosions followed this before the Ponyta glared at the Pipple. "Now use Mystical Fire!" Shine created the circle and fired a blast through it, sending a stream of fire rocketing toward Bloomberg.

"Protect!" The Pipple created the barrier that blocked the flames, Shine growling at the sight before another presence came into her view as a shadow covered her.

"Grizz..." Harry growled down at her.

"Crush Claw!" Fluttershy yelled as Harry's claws glowed red.

"Dodge it!" Shine tried to get away, only for Harry to hit her side. She cried out in pain, only getting scratched by part of the attack as Twilight commanded, "Psybeam!"

"Magical Leaf!" Both Shine and Bloomberg unleashed their attacks, hitting Harry head-on. The attacks made him roar in pain, the Leech Seed then flaring up again as it sucked even more energy out of him.

The three trainers were about to call out another attack, only for a light made them turn to see Ray glowing brightly as the black spots were now bright white. "Looks like we're ready to go," Sunset smirked. "Thanks for distracting one another. Now," she pointed forward, "Let it rip!"

The three gasped, knowing what was coming next. However, before they could react, Fluttershy suddenly yelled, "Stop it with Hyper Beam! Now!"

"Grizz!" Harry opened his mouth as it glowed, right as Ray did the same. The light from the spots vanished and transferred into his mouth, the two then roaring, "GRIZZOR/GECKOLAR!" Both unleashed their attacks, the beams rocketing towards one another, meeting at the center of the stadium.

"Protect!" Applejack told Bloomberg, the Pokémon creating a shield right as the beams made contact. A bright light came next, sending a shockwave out that rocked the stadium, even making the water of the lake shake. Shine, Harry and Ray were pushed back by the force while Bloomberg stood firm, his shield vanishing as the last shockwave hit it.

But as his shield began to vanish, another voice called out, "Flame Burst!" Bloomberg went wide-eyed, turning to see a fireball coming right at him, exploding on contact.

"PIPPLE!" He cried as the flames hit him, his whole body lighting up in fire before falling over with spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Pipple's KO'd! That means the first trainer out of the Battle Tournament is Applejack. But she sure gave it an award winning try. Let's give it up for her."

The crowd cheered, claps all around as Applejack let out a sigh. She quickly returned Bloomberg before he got hit by another attack before staring at the Pokeball. "Ya'll done good Bloomberg. Ah'm proud of yah." She turned back to the other three. "Don't worry about me. Just keep battlin'." They nodded and turned back to the fight, Twilight being the first to call her attack.

"Alright then, Mystical Fire!" Shine turned to Harry and launched her attack, the flames hitting the bear head-on. "After a Hyper Beam, you shouldn't be able to attack for a while." Fluttershy gulped at this, knowing she was right since she had hoped to not use Hyper Beam so soon.

"Dragon Pulse!" Ray unleashed the dragon shaped laser at the Grizzor, knocking him back.

"Grizz!" He cried while sliding back, both Ray and Shine charging at the bear as he kept trying to recover.

"Tackle/Scratch!" Both leapt at the bear, Ray prepping his claws. But before they could hit him, Harry's eyes went red as he leapt back onto his back legs, causing his opponents to miss their attacks.

"Crush Claw!" Before either could escape, Harry's claws flew down, slamming them into the ground.

"NEE/GECK!"

Their trainers gasped before sharing a look and nodding, pointing at the bear as he pushed their Pokémon down. "Mystical Fire/Flame Burst!" Their Pokémon stared up at Harry before unleashing a burst of fire, striking him in the face. An explosion followed this, releasing his grip as he began to stagger back.

"Grizz!" He growled as he tried to recover, Fluttershy about to say another order. But as she opened his mouth to do so, the Leech Seed flared up, making the bear freeze while Fluttershy let out a gasp.

"PSYBEAM/DRAGON PULSE!" They yelled as they unleashed their attacks at the opening, both beams rocketed toward Harry. The Grizzor was unable to escape the blast, not enough time for a Hyper Beam to block the twin lasers. All he could do was let them hit him, roaring as they exploded against his sides.

"GRIZZOR!" He screamed before falling over, laying on his back with spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Grizzor's KO'd! And with that, Fluttershy is out of the Battle Tournament! But let's give her a round of applause!"

The crowd cheered while Fluttershy returned Harry, the girl whimpering as she held up the ball to her face, "Thank you Harry. I promise I'll do better next time."

Mic: "Now it's down to only two more contenders! Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, the assistants of Professor Celestia!"

Celestia: "Both have proven themselves as skilled trainers. But with all the damage their Pokémon have taken, it shouldn't be too long until we have our winner."

Luna: "The question though, who will it be?"

Grand: "Both sides are pretty evenly matched. Ponyta's Mystical Fire won't do much, and might actually help her opponent, while Geckolar's two strongest moves have drawbacks that Ponyta can exploit. The winner may be the trainer with the best strategy."

Twilight and Sunset glared at one another, both smiling in anticipation as their Pokémon did the same. "I'm not holding anything back," Twilight said first.

"Wouldn't want you too," Sunset replied before pointing at Shine. "Flame Burst!" Ray hissed as he unleashed a blast of fire at the Ponyta.

"Psybeam!" Twilight countered, Shine unleashing the laser of psychic energy that struck the Flame Burst, making both attacks explode before the flames began to rain across the battlefield.

"Neetaa!" Shine cried, doing her best to avoid the sparks while Ray charged ahead.

"Scratch!" Ray swung his claws at Shine's face, making her cry out as she took the blows.

"Fairy Wind!" Shine quickly recovered and used the momentum from staggering back to spin around and unleash the pink glittery wind, hitting Ray before blowing him into the air. "Now use Psybeam before he can recover!" Shine unleashed the psychic blast from her horn, hitting Ray right in the head.

"GECK!" He yelped before crashing down with a thud, only to quickly hop back onto his feet.

"Dragon Pulse!" He unleashed the dragon-shaped energy blast, the attack rocketing across the field, hitting Shine before she had a chance to counter.

"NEE!"

"SHINE!" Twilight cried while seeing her Ponyta slide across the dirt.

Mic: "Ouch! That had to hurt!"

Celestia: "Both sides appear to be even, but they must be running on fumes at this point."

Luna: "Now it's a matter of which one can hold out the longest."

Grand: "Yes. It's a battle of stamina, though more than that...this is a battle of wills."

Sunset watched as Shine tried to pick herself up, her legs shaking as the pony glared at her Pokémon. "Looks like I can't afford to bank on small attacks. I need to go all out. Ray, it's time to finish this battle! Use Solarbeam!" Ray's spots began to glow again as they took in sunlight.

Mic: "Sunset's using Solarbeam. Is this a smart move considering the time it takes to charge this attack up?"

Celestia: "Sunset's putting all her trust in Ray's will."

Luna: "She believes he'll be able to handle any attack Twilight throws at them before he's finished charging."

Grand: "But Twilight has the chance to do some serious damage while they wait."

"Psybeam!" Twilight ordered, Shine unleashing the rainbow blast from her horn.

"Dodge it!" Ray managed to jump to the side, evading the attack before being buffeted by the explosion the attack caused when it hit the ground. The sight made Sunset smirk as she responded, "You're not winning this Twilight! Ray might not be able to fire an attack, but he can still move as long as his spots keep taking in sunlight!"

Twilight growled before a bulb went off in her head, a smile creeping onto her face. "Fairy Wind!" Shine spun around and unleashed the pink wind, Ray getting hit by the attack and pushing the Pokémon into the air again. "Now, use Psybeam!" Shine fired another psychic blast, striking Ray head-on.

"GECKOLAR!" He cried in pain, the blast exploding in his face. He then fell into the dirt, crashing down just as his spots turned completely white.

"Alright!" Sunset pointed ahead, "It's time to let it rip! Ray, use Solarbeam!" Ray began to pick himself up while the light from the spots flew into his mouth, Twilight and Shine both going wide-eyed.

"What do I...wait," Twilight's face shined a huge smile, "That could work!" She pointed at Ray as he unleashed his attack, the giant beam of solar energy exploding out of his mouth. "Mystical Fire, and aim straight for the beam!" Shine gave her a look, only to see Twilight nod. Shine did the same before turning back as her horn ignited.

"Nee!" She carved the circle before pointing her horn through it, "TAA!" A blast of fire exploded out of her horn, flying through the circle and hit the Solarbeam head-on. Then, to everyone's surprise, the fire rocket actually cut the beam in half, making it curve so that it didn't hit Shine. The flames flew through the beam until it reached the source, hitting Ray in the face and exploding.

"GECK!" it cried as it was knocked back.

Mic: "What just happened?!"

Celestia: "Twilight used a move that's super effective against Grass-type attacks. It couldn't overpower the Solarbeam, but it was able to do what you just saw."

The smoke of the attacks faded next, Ray now being showed glowing even brighter. His Flash Fire had absorbed the heat of the Mystical Fire, only to still be reeling from the explosion hitting his face. "GO!" He and Sunset then heard Twilight yell, Shine charging at him. "TACKLE!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Sunset called out, hoping to hit Shine away.

"GECK!" Ray unleashed the dragon-shaped blast at the Ponyta. But before it could hit her, Shine used all her psychic energy to help her as she jumped over the Dragon Pulse. The sight shocked both Ray and Sunset as she seemed to float through the air before she was right above the Geckolar.

"DO IT!" Twilight yelled as Shine suddenly regained gravitation weight, her front hooves going straight down.

"NEE!" She neighed as she slammed them into Ray's face, the force of the attack pushing his entire body into the dirt.

"GECKOLAR!" He cried in pain, but didn't move at all. And slowly, Shine pulled her hooves out of his face to reveal spirals in his eyes. "Geck..."

Mic: "Geckolar's KO'd! And with that, we have the first trainer to be heading into the next round. TWILIGHT SPARKLE!"

The crowd exploded, clapping and cheering for the winner of the match. They also cheered for Sunset, telling her she had been great. A small smile was on Sunset's face as she walked over to Ray and picked him up. "You did great Ray." She patted his head before returning him, turning to Twilight and seeing her and Shine hugging one another.

"You were amazing!" She told the Ponyta, who was rubbing her head into Twilight's face.

"Nee!" Shine cheered as her mane glowed in joy.

And after a few more seconds of hugging, Twilight let go to see Sunset, Applejack and Fluttershy walking up to her.

"Congrats Twi," Applejack tipped her hat.

"You deserve it," Fluttershy added.

"And now, you better win this whole thing," Sunset finished. "I won't forgive you if you don't." Twilight giggled before holding out her hand, the girls doing the same and creating a four person handshake.

Mic: "Let's give it up for the four girls that gave us an amazing battle!"

Celestia: "Twilight may have won, but the others shouldn't feel ashamed."

Luna: "This was an incredible battle, and it's only the first match. I can't wait to see how the other matches go."

Grand: "I'm sure they'll be just as exciting. But in the end, only one will stand as the winner."

Grand turned to the winners box, his vision shifting between Flash and Lightning. "Who that person is will be quite interesting to discover."

The Hoofington Battle Tournament had begun with Twilight taking the first spot in the next round. And with three more Battle Royals to go, one can only wonder what excitement awaits. As the journey continues.

Four on Four, Battle Royal

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Mic: "WAZ-UUUUUP! We're here at the Hoofington Battle Tournament, where the first match of the first round has come to a close. So far, Twilight Sparkle has gained entry into the second round, but only time will tell who will be joining her."

In the trainer box, everyone greeted Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy and Sunset as they walked into the room, Flash coming up first, "Hey girls, that was some battle you just had."

"Thanks," Twilight replied, "It sure was tough though. I'm just glad Shine was able pull through and earn a win."

"You've certainly raised her well," Sunset added, "Was that your first battle with her?"

"We've had a few training battles, and some situations where the two of us have had to fight." Her mind flashed back to when they fought against Team Shadow and went into the temple, along with their time in Vocanctus City. "But I guess this was our first big battle with proper stakes."

"Well ya'll did great," Applejack chimed in before turning to the others. "Now it's up ta the rest of ya'll ta give us a show we won't fur-git."

"No problem," Rainbow replied while punching her hand into her fist. "I'm up next, and I'm winning no matter what."

"You'll have to beat me to do that," Trixie told her, both girls turning to stare at each other.

And as some pre-battle banter began to break out, Twilight turned to Spike, "Let's go watch from the stands. There's supposed to be an open section for competitors to watch from if they want." Spike nodded before he, Twilight, and the eliminated trainers all headed out of the trainer box.

It was another minute before Mic spoke up.

Mic: "I'm sure you're all pumped after that last bout, but don't think the excitement stops here! Next we have another Battle Royal between Rainbow Dash, Trixie Lulamoon, Heath Burns and Cedar!"

The trainers in question stepped out of the box, the others wishing them luck as they walked out onto the field. Up in the stands, the five panting teens arrived at their seats just in time, sitting down as the four took their positions on the X-shaped battlefield, Rainbow and Trixie facing one another with Heath and Cedar between them.

"This is gonna be good," Spike commented.

"Who do you think will win?" Fluttershy asked.

"It all depends on what they pick," Twilight replied before Mic spoke up again.

Mic: "Rainbow Dash managed to get to the second round of the Hoof Cup, while Trixie and Heath were eliminated in the first round. Cedar has no past tournament record, but I'm sure that doesn't mean he's someone to be taken lightly. Your thoughts?"

Luna: "I've trained with Trixie myself. Win or lose, she'll give us a performance to be proud of."

Celestia: "Rainbow's isn't someone who gives up easily. Even if her Pokémon's only hanging on by a thread, she'll keep pushing."

Grand: "Heath and Cedar might not look like much, but they just might surprise us."

Mic: "And now trainers, bring out your Pokémon!"

The trainers smirked before taking out their Pokeball, "LET'S GO!" The spheres flew up, unleashing a blast of red energy before fading to reveal their Pokémon.

"WONDOR!"

"BLAZARD!"

"HATTREM!"

"YANMEGA!"

The crowd cheered seeing the four Pokémon take the stage, each glaring at one another as they readied themselves for battle.

"Wow," Spike whispered as he pointed at Trixie's Pokémon, "What's that?"

"A Hattrem," Twilight replied. "That means her Hatenna evolved."

"Cool."

"It sure is," Applejack added, "Ah'm gettin' antsy just watching." She turned to the others, "So what are we thinking? Any ideas yet who might win?"

Sunset shook her head, "No, they look pretty evenly matched. Though Hattrem is weak to any Bug-type attacks Yanmega has, and Yanmega will have to be careful for any Fire moves Blazard has or Wondor's Flying attacks."

"It's anyone's game," Twilight finished.

Celestia: "In a battle like this, it's not just about typing, but how you can use your opponent's attacks to your advantage."

Luna: "Sunset was able to take her opponent's attack and make it work for her with mixed results. Now let's see how things work out here."

"So true." Mic stood up, "Are you all ready?!" Rainbow, Trixie, Heath and Cedar all nodded. "Then let's count it down in three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Disarming Voice!" Trixie yelled before anyone could speak, her Hattrem taking a deep voice before unleashing a powerful scream. This sent out heart shaped rings, which grew larger as they hit the three.

"Dor/Blaze/Yan!" They all cried in pain before Wondor spread its wings and took to the air.

"Acrobatics!" Wondor began to glow as it zipped all over the place before swooping down and slamming into Hattrem, knocking her back while causing her Disarming Voice to stop. "Alright, now Aerial Ace on Yanmega!" Wondor flew back up and circled around before shooting down right as Yanmega began to recover.

"Ancient Power!" Cedar ordered, Yanmega glowing before that light flew off it and formed a shining sphere that it shot at Wondor. The bird pulled up to dodge the attack, only to then hear Heath's voice.

"Flamethrower!" He and Yanmega turned to the Blazard, just in time to see a stream of fire hit the insect dead-on.

"YAN!" Yanmega screamed as the flames knocked it back, soon crashing into the ground as smoke began to come off it.

"Fire Punch!" Heath commanded as Blazard charged with a now flaming fist.

"Bug Buzz!" Cedar responded, Yanmega picking itself up before beating its wings. A loud buzzing sound came next, firing a shockwave that forced Blazard to come to a stop and cover its ears.

"Brutal Swing!" Trixie yelled as Hattrem charged, using its pigtails as feet. As the buzzing stopped, she reached Blazard and grabbed its tail in her small arms. Blazard turned to her in surprise, Hattrem beginning to spin around and pull Blazard with her.

"TREM!" She screeched as she spun them three times, then throwing Blazard straight up. No one was sure if what happened next was on purpose or by accident, but Blazard was now heading straight for Wondor.

"Dor!" The bird yelped, doing a barrel roll to avoid the flaming lizard.

"Confusion!" Hattrem's eyes glowed before firing a blue beam of psychic energy, striking the distracted Wondor while Blazard hit the ground with a loud thud.

"WONDOR/BLAZARD!" Both cried in pain, Hattrem smirking until it heard Cedar's voice.

"Sonicboom!" She turned to Yanmega as it beat its wings, unleashing a pressurized burst of sound that instantly struck her.

"HATTREM!" She screamed in pain, getting blasted back as both Wondor and Blazard recovered.

Rainbow pointed at Yanmega, "Acrobatics!" Once again, Wondor glowed before zigzagging around, instantly hitting the Yanmega in the back with both its wings.

"Yan-yar!" It yelped as it slammed into the ground just as Blazard took a deep breath.

"Flamethrower!"

"BLAZE!" It unleashed a burst of fire that struck Yanmega head on, causing an explosion that knocked the giant dragonfly soaring, soon landing with spirals in its eyes.

Mic: "Yanmega's KO'd! As such, Cedar is out of the tournament!"

The crowd still cheered as Cedar sighed, quickly returning his Yanmega. "It's okay buddy. We gave it our best shot, and that's what matters." He turned back to the others, "Show me everything you guys have." They all nodded and turned back to one another.

"Dragonbreath!" Heath called out before Blazard unleashed a blue stream of fire across the field, Wondor flying above the flames as the rest hit Hattrem.

"HAT!" She cried in pain, cursing her lack of her evolved form's Fairy-typing.

"Magical Leaf!" Hattrem lowered herself onto her feet before spinning around, swinging her pigtails to unleash a volley of rainbow colored leaves. They flew across the field, striking both Blazard and Wondor, though neither were really hurt by them aside from a few paper cuts.

"Iron Tail!" Blazard charged with a glowing tail, the flame lizard spinning around before trying to slam its tail into Hattrem.

"Block it!" Hattrem spun around so the tail hit its hat shaped hair, the force of the impact absorbed while pushing her forward several inches. "Now, Disarming Voice!" Hattrem spun again, unleashing her heart shaped sonic blasts at the same time. The noise hit Blazard head-on, forcing it to stagger back while clutching its ears.

"Blaze!" It cried in pain, Wondor now taking this chance to get in close.

"Crush Claw!" His claws glowed red as he reached Blazard, grabbing the lizard in his talons. The flame lizard let out a yelp as he was lifted into the air by its shoulders before forcibly slammed into the ground.

"Zard!" It roared in pain, looking back and seeing Wondor behind it. And as the bird flew up to repeat the process, Blazard spun around as Heath gave his command.

"Flamethrower!" Blazard roared and unleashed a burst of fire, hitting Wondor in the face.

"WONDOR!" It cried in pain, flailing as the fire made it stagger back.

"Wondor!" Rainbow gasped as the bird tried to keep itself steady. "You okay?!" Wondor was about to nod, but then its whole body ignited, making it cry out in pain. "NO!"

Mic: "Ouch! That had to hurt."

Grand: "The Flamethrower burned Wondor."

Celestia: "That could be a problem for Rainbow Dash."

"This won't stop us, right Wondor?" Wondor squawked in agreement and took to the air again.

"Brutal Swing!" Blazard spun around to see Hattrem leap up to grab the lizard, the Pokémon hopping back to avoid her grip.

"Fire Punch!" Blazard clutched its fist as it ignited, quickly trying to swing at the Serene Pokémon. However, Hattrem just lowered its pigtails, staring right at the charging lizard.

"Confusion!" Hattrem unleashed a blast of psychic energy from its eyes, hitting Blazard right in the face.

"Zard!" It yelped as it was thrown back right as Wondor flew down.

"Aerial Ace!" Dive-bombing toward Blazard and doing a V-turn as soon as it got close, the bird uppercutted Blazard with its beak, knocking it back just before the Burn effect flared up. The bird screamed in pain before flapping away, just as Hattrem ran over to Blazard.

"Brutal Swing!" Before Blazard could escape, Hattrem grabbed it by the tail and began to spin it around before letting it go.

"BLAZARD!" It cried while flying through the air, the crowd impressed by Hattrem's strength.

"Time to put that burn to good use!" Rainbow yelled as she pointed at the fire lizard, "Facade!" Wondor glowed orange before it shot through the air, aiming straight at Blazard.

"Dragonbreath!" Blazard spun midair, unleashing a stream of blue flames at the bird. However, Wondor just spun around, dodging the attack before getting up close. "Flamethrower!" The lizard's flames turned orange at this, Wondor easily evading these as well as gravity began to take hold.

"WONDOR!" He roared as he slammed into Blazard, causing an explosion.

Mic: "Both Pokémon collide! But which one will come out on top?!"

From out of the smoke, Blazard hit the ground while Wondor flew out of the smoke, the burn kicking in again. However, everyone's eyes were focused on Blazard, the lizard now sporting spirals in its eyes.

Mic: "Blazard's KO'd! Heath Burns has been eliminated!"

Heath sighed while the crowd cheered, Rainbow and Trixie smirking at one another as he returned Blazard.

Celestia: "Rainbow showed some impressive strategy there. Facade is already a powerful move, but that power increases if the user is burnt, poisoned or paralysed."

Luna: "She turned a hindrance into an advantage."

Grand: "The burn is now a double-edged sword. It's powered up her Facade, but if this battle goes on too long, she will end up losing."

"Then I'll just have to win this quickly!" Rainbow added while Trixie gave her a condescending smile. "Let's go Wondor! Use Acrobatics!" Wondor glowed as it began to zip around the place, Hattrem's eyes following it every step of the way until it shot towards her.

"Magical Leaf!" Hattrem spun around, unleashing the rainbow color leaves from its hair. But Wondor easily dodged them, slamming into the Pokémon before instantly flying back.

"Disarming Voice!" Hattrem leapt back up and started screaming, the heart shaped rings flying at Wondor as it tried to avoid them. However, the rings hit the bird, making it cry out before the Burn status flared up again.

"Wondor!" Rainbow yelped before glaring at Trixie, "Gotta attack before the burn hits again." She looked back up at Wondor, "Fly down as fast as you can and use Aerial Ace!" Wondor circled around before dive-bombing, rocketing straight down as it picked up as much speed as it could.

"Confusion!" Hattrem began firing blast after blast at the Wonderbolt, Wondor getting hit by a few before it shifted around, spinning to hit Hattrem at full speed.

"Spin around!" Hattrem did so as the Aerial Ace slammed into its back, knocking it down but doing far less damage.

"Crush Claw!" Wondor spun around before Hattrem could recover, grabbing it by the pigtails. It shot straight up next, doing an aerial circle before throwing Hattrem down into the ground. She hit it right as the burn flared up, both flinching in pain.

"Brutal Swing!" Hattrem rolled up to Wondor before jumping up and grabbing its feet, pulling it down spinning around.

"Get out of there!" Rainbow yelled, Wondor trying to break free and fly off. But before it could, Hattrem released it and the bird went soaring off, slamming into the ground as it lost its balance. "Wondor!"

The bird rolled along the ground until it came to a stop, not moving. Everyone wondered if this was it, but Wondor started to weakly pick itself up.

Mic: "Wow! Now that's will power!"

Grand: "But things might be looking to turn in Trixie's favor."

Luna: "If Rainbow doesn't do something soon, that burn's gonna kick in and she'll be out."

"We're not done yet!" Rainbow screeched, Wondor managing to spread its wings and getting back onto its feet with a mighty battle cry. "In the air, then use Acrobatics!" Wondor beat its wings as it zipped up into the sky, flying as it began to glow.

Hattrem tried to follow it as it increased speed, hoping to use its hair to block the attack again, but Wondor's movements were just too fast this time. "WONDOR!" It spun around and saw the bird seconds before they collided, Hattrem getting thrown right across the field until it landed infront of Trixie.

"You okay?" She asked as Hattrem picked itself up, both seeing Wondor flying up again. "We have to end this, now!"

"Hat!" Hattrem roared in agreement, while Wondor circled around.

"We might not survive another burn. We've gotta go all out." She pointed at Hattrem, "FACADE!" Wondor glowed as it shot at Hattrem, feeling its burns about to flare up again.

"Disarming Voice!" Hattrem unleashed the heart shaped sonic blasts, striking Wondor head-on. However, the bird flew straight through them, getting the full blast of the scream. Both flinched, trying their best to keep their attacks up as long as possible, only for Wondor to slam into Hattrem, causing an explosion.

Mic: "Will this be it?! The attack that ends the battle?!"

Everyone watched and waited for the smoke to clear, all excited to see who the one on top was. And eventually, the winner was revealed.

"Wondor!" The bird flew out of the smoke before landing in front of Rainbow as the cloud vanished to reveal Hattrem laying face up on the ground with spirals in her eyes.

Mic: "Hattrem's KO'd! That means the winner is Wondor and Rainbow Dash, and they will be moving on to the next round!"

"YES!" Rainbow cheered while the crowd exploded with applause, Wondor turning to her as she ran over and gave him a hug, "You were awesome!"

"Wondor!" It squawked happily, only to then fall to the ground as its legs gave out.

"Whoa!" Rainbow yelped as she caught it, "You okay?"

"Won..."

"Okay, yeah...maybe that was a dumb question." She took out her Pokeball, "Take a rest, you've earned it." She returned it before turning to Trixie, Heath and Cedar.

"Well, Trixie has lost." She sighed, "But she made you work for your victory."

"She sure did," Rainbow nodded as they shook hands before turning to the boys, "You guys didn't make it easy either." They all shook hands as the crowd died down, the four then heading to the trainer's box.

"That was some match," Flash commented as they entered. "Guess I'll be facing you or Twilight in the next round."

"Maybe...but you gotta beat them before you get to face me." Rainbow replied as she pointed to Doc, Rarity and Pinkie.

"She's right," Doc nodded. "And I won't go down easily. You know what happened last time."

"And we won't lose easily either." the girls chimed in before hearing Mic call them out to the field.

"Good luck," Rainbow said before she, Trixie, Heath and Cedar went to get their seats in the stands. Flash lead the group out and one by one, they took their positions on the field.

Mic: "Flash Sentry and Time Turner were finalists in the Hoof Cup. Looks like they'll be getting their rematch."

Celestia: "Don't forget about the other two. Pinkie managed to get to the second round of that tournament."

Luna: "Rarity lost in the first round, but I'm sure she intends to have a different outcome here."

"Augh," Spike cried as he rubbed the sides of his head, "I can't decide to to root for! Flash...Doc...Rarity...Pinkie, I CAN'T DECIDE!" The others laughed as Rainbow and Trixie arrived.

"Just root for them all," Rainbow added as the others turned to her.

"Hey, congratulations on winning." Fluttershy said as Rainbow sat down beside her.

"Thanks," Rainbow replied, "Can't wait to see who I'll be facing."

"Could be Twilight," Trixie pointed out. "Or whoever wins this battle."

"Or Lightning," Twilight sighed, the group frowning at that suggestion.

Mic: "And now trainers, bring out your Pokémon!"

"Go Springer!" Flash yelled as his Riolu leapt in, Doc, Rarity and Pinkie taking out their Pokeballs.

"COME ON OUT!" They commanded as they threw them into the air, each opening to unleash the Pokémon inside. One by one, they each appeared in front of their trainers.

"LAIRON!"

"PYRUBY!"

"MELLOWMARSH!"

Pinkie's Pokémon was one many didn't recognize. It was humanoid, standing at about three feet high with a body that appeared to be made of marshmallow. Its body was round and bulky while its arms and legs were a trio of round marshmallows. The creature's neck was round and had a round head with a flick coming out the top, which also had black dots for eyes and a basic mouth with shining teeth on the front.

"Amazing," Twilight whispered as many of them took out their Pokedexs, "Pinkie's Mellow's evolved."

Name: Mellowmarsh
Category: Sugar Candy Pokémon
Type: Fairy
Info: The evolved form of Mellow. It super squishy body is almost impossible to damage, but its own physical attacks are also weakened. Anything that tries to hit it will end up stuck to it.

"That...might be tough to beat," Rainbow commented as she put her Pokedex away.

"This field's looking pretty even," Twilight told the ones in the stand. "Flash has an advantage over Doc and Rarity, but is at a disadvantage against Pinkie. Pinkie has a disadvantage against Doc, and Doc has a disadvantage against Rarity. They've all got someone they're both weak to and strong against, so this could be anyone's game."

"Springer," Flash's Riolu looked back at him, "Let's win this! You with me?"

"Riolu!" Springer nodded.

"You ready Lairon?" Doc asked, the armored dinosaur roaring in reply.

"Are you with me darling?"

"Pyruby!" Pyruby yelled back, slamming her fist into her palm.

"Let's have fun Mellowmarsh."

"Mell!"

Mic stood up, "You all ready?!" Flash, Doc, Rarity and Pinkie nodded. "Then let's count it down! In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Laughing Fit!" Pinkie commanded, causing Mellowmarsh to start laughing. The sound echoed throughout the stadium, causing Springer, Lairon and Pyruby to shake. "That's always a great way to start a battle!"

Grand: "Smart. Pinkie's using Laughing Fit to increase her defenses while lowering the enemies'."

Mic: "How will this shake up the battle?"

"My turn!" Flash called out. "Springer, use Extreme Speed on Mellowmarsh!"

"Ri!" Springer charged as lightning sparked around him, the Riolu zigzagging all over the place until he appeared in front of Mellowmarsh. "RIO!" He spun around and thrust his foot into its stomach, only for it to sink in like a bounce house. "Ri?" The next thing he knew, he was being repelled and slammed into the ground rolling. "RIOLU!"

"Use Play Rough!" Pinkie cried, Mellowmarsh running up to Springer. When he did, gray smoke filled with stars appeared around the two, Springer now getting slammed by a serious of sharp blows until he was thrown out of the cloud.

"Ri!" Springer yelped as he crashed into the ground as the smoke vanished to reveal Mellowmarsh.

"Geez, that thing's tough." Flash commented, only for Rarity to speak up.

"I think that's enough time being on the sidelines," she pointed at her Pokémon. "Pyruby, use Power Gem!"

"Pie!" Pyruby's head ruby glowed before unleashing a red beam of light, "RUBY!" The beam shot across the field, almost hitting Springer before he backflipped away, the laser instead slamming into Lairon.

"Lair!" It grunted, though the damage done was minimal.

"Our turn to play," Doc announced. "Use Rock Slide!" Lairon's eyes glowed as the portals opened up above them, causing the rocks to begin raining down upon the field. Mellowmarsh and Pyruby didn't seem at all concerned by them, the rocks simply bouncing off them.

"Springer!" Flash yelled as his Riolu began to jump around to avoid the raining rubble, "Double Team!" Springer nodded before he suddenly multiplied, the rocks now crashing through several of the fakes. "Now, Aura Sphere Barrage!" The multiples created tiny orbs that they trust upward, destroying the remaining boulders as the portal vanished. The army of Springer then landed, turning to their opponents with smirks on their faces.

"Ganging up on us?" Rarity flicked her hair. "That's not every gentlemanly of you." She pointed at them, "Wipe them out with Wildfire!" Pyruby's entire body ignited before the Rock Fire-type spun around, causing the flames to explode out in every random direction.

"WHOA!" Flash yelped as he had to duck to avoid getting hit, the multiple fireballs now hitting the Springer clones. One even hit Lairon and exploded against it, making him cry out while several more hit the ground around Mellowmarsh, but left it looking unharmed. When the smoke from the flames vanished, only a few Springer remained while Lairon looked like it had taken some serious damage before the Springers all vanished as Pyruby stopped burning.

Grand: "Wildfire. A powerful move, but lives up to its namesake being wild. There's no way to tell where it'll go or what it'll hit."

Celestia: "It managed to thin the heard though."

Luna: "But it may have been a mistake to use it so soon."

Mic: "Why's that?"

Luna: "Just look."

Everyone focused back on the field and saw the other Pokémon turning their focus on Pyruby. The Fire Rock-type suddenly felt very subconscious as Springer began to charge at her, "Drain Punch!" Before Pyruby could react, Springer was right in front of her, slamming his glowing green fist into the Pokémon's stomach.

"PIE!" She cried as she staggered back, Springer then thrusting his other fist into her. "Ruby!"

"Flash Cannon!" Doc ordered, Lairon unleashing his shining laser at the two. Springer quickly leapt back, dodging the blow before it hit Pyruby, knocking her flying back.

"Not good," Rarity gulped, now understanding what Luna had said. The others were scared of Wildfire, so they intended to take her out before she could use it again.

"Body Slam!" Pinkie yelled, Mellowmarsh charging at Rarity's Pokémon.

Realizing her mistake, Rarity's brain began cranking. "Rock Polish!" Pyruby slammed her fists together as the crystals around her body began to glow. This allowed Pyruby to dodge Mellowmarsh's belly flop, causing it to fall over. "Again!" Pyruby nodded as it repeated the process, the glow brightening.

"Metal Claw!" Pyruby looked up to see Lairon charging, quickly hopping back to dodge the slash.

"Fire Punch!" Pyruby spun around midair, her fists igniting as she slammed it down into Lairon's head.

"LAIR!" He cried as he was smashed into the ground, Pyruby smirking until she and Rarity heard Flash and Pinkie.

"Extreme Speed/Moonblast!" They turned to see Springer charging with lightning wrapping around his body. With his increased speed, the Riolu easily keeping up with Pyruby before the two began to exchange blows. As this happened, Mellowmarsh brought its hands together as a pink energy ball appeared between them. Once it was big enough, it fired the sphere at both, the two leaping back just as the attack exploded between them, knocking them back.

"Wildfire!" Rarity screamed as Pyruby ignited again, spinning around as the flames exploded off her and flew all over the place. Springer while still in Extreme Speed, was able to dodge the fireballs while Mellowmarsh and Lairon were bombarded by them.

But as Pyruby stopped spinning, she suddenly found Springer right up in her face. "Aura Sphere!" Before she or Rarity could do anything, Springer formed the orb in his paw and thrust it into her stomach, an explosion happening as it knocked both back.

"Ri!" Springer hit the ground before backflipping into a superhero landing pose as he slid along the ground. However, at the same time, Pyruby hit the dirt, rolling like a bowling ball before stopping in front of Rarity with spirals in her eyes.

Mic: "Pyruby's KO'd! With that, Rarity is out to the tournament! But let's give her a round of applause anyway!"

"Aww..." Rarity pouted despite the crowds cheering, "Oh well." She returned Pyruby, "You were marvellous, darling." She then looked back at the field. "I guess that's it for me."

Celestia: "A powerful move is always something good to have, but using it at the wrong time can make it a hindrance more than an advantage. Had Rarity waited until the others had took more damage, she may have been able to win the entire match with that move."

Grand: "Oh well. We live and learn."

"Oh man...." Spike muttered, silently wanting Rarity to win.

"Rarity's never really been one to properly strategize in battle," Applejack sighed.

Sunset nodded. "It's like Celestia said, she used the move at the wrong time."

"It put a target on her back," Twilight added, "But at least she managed to get her hits in." The others nodded as they continued to watch the battle.

Mic: "Who will be the next to fall?"

"Not us. Lairon, another Rock Slide!" Lairon summoned the portals again, firing a barrage of rocks at Springer and Mellowmarsh.

"Where do those rocks even come from?" Applejack asked, the others shrugging.

"Extreme Speed!" Springer began dodging the rocks as they fell around while Mellowmarsh simply let them bounce off it as Pinkie gave her order.

"Another Moonblast!" Mellowmarsh began to form the pink orb, crouching over so the rocks bounced off its back. At the same time, Springer got closer to Lairon as the final rock fell.

"Drain Punch!" Springer prepared to slam his fist into Lairon, but Doc was prepared.

"Flash Cannon!" Lairon unleashed another shining laser, this one striking Springer head-on.

"RIO!" He cried as he was blasted back, Lairon then turning the laser toward Mellowmarsh. At that moment, the sugar Pokémon launched the Moonblast. The orb flew at Springer as he was picking himself up and exploded in his face, only for the Flash Cannon to hit Mellowmarsh at the same time.

"RI/MARSH!" They both screamed as they were both blasted back, Lairon taking this chance to charge at Springer.

"Body Slam!" Lairon leapt up before gravity began to take control, pulling it down at Springer as Flash let out a command.

"Aura Sphere!" Springer quickly formed a tiny orb, firing right at Lairon's underside. An explosion came next, knocking it back before it could crash into the Riolu. "Now, Double Team!"

"Ri!" Springer leapt to his feet and in a flash, he multiplied again as his clones began to race around the battlefield.

Mic: "Looks like this is turning into an all out brawl."

Celestia: "With Rarity out, each now has only one opponent they're both strong and weak too. Now it's a manner of getting those hits in."

"Come on guys!" Spike cheered

"They're all taking some major damage," Twilight commented.

"So, who do you think will win?" Fluttershy asked.

"Hard to say," Sunset replied, "I wanna see how Flash uses Double Team before I make a guess."

"Aura Sphere Barrage!" Flash commanded as the Springer clones created their tiny spheres, the group beginning to circle around Mellowmarsh. One by one, the Springer clones shot past it and slammed an Aura Sphere into their sugary opponent. Mellowmarsh's soft and squishy body managed to absorb some of the force from the attacks, but not all of it. Flash knew that if he could hit it enough times, it would eventually go down, and with the speed Springer was going, it had to beat it eventually.

It was at this moment that Lairon picked itself up, now seeing the clones slamming into its other opponent. "Lairon!" It turned back to Doc, "Let's wipe them out! Rock Slide!"

"LAIRON!" He roared before summoning the portals again, causing the rocks to fall down on the Springer clones and Mellowmarsh. The two stopped when they saw the raining boulders, Springer stopping his assault as Flash gave his order.

"Extreme Speed!" Springer began to race all over to the place, reminded of the time he actually learned this move as he began to leap onto the falling rocks, hopping off them to get higher.

At the same time, Mellowmarsh curled up and brought its hands together. "Moonblast!" The pink energy sphere began to form as the rocks bounced off its back. It was actually flinching at some of these impacts until the attack completed, Mellowmarsh then standing up straight.

"MARSH!" It fired the orb at Springer, who was now close to one of the portals.

"Ri?" He spun around to see the attack coming, the Riolu's eyes going wide at the sight and seeing no rocks to jump off to dodge. It looked like the attack would land until a rock fell out of the portal and hit the blast. The Moonblast exploded next, shattering the rock as the force of the explosion knocked Springer off balance.

Both Lairon and Mellowmarsh smirked at this, their trainers seeing the opening. "Flash Cannon/Moonblast!" The two prepared to launch their attacks at the falling Riolu, the Pokémon now beginning to panic.

"Springer, turn toward the ground and use Aura Clap!" Springer blinked at this before forming a small Aura Sphere in each paw right as the two launched their attacks. He then clapped them together, causing an explosion that propelled him back into the air, dodging both attacks as they then hit each other instead.

KABOOM!

Everyone gasped at the explosion, now seeing the air be filled with smoke that blinded them from seeing Springer.

Mic: "WOW! I was not expecting that!"

Luna: "Impressive. Flash managed to create a variation of his attack and use it to save himself."

Celestia: "That's something that can only be done with complete mastery of a move."

They waited to see the Riolu to reappear, only for Flash's voice to echo out. "DOUBLE TEAM!"

"RIOLU!" Multiple voices roared as the smoke vanished to reveal a horde of Springer, all landing before running around Lairon and Mellowmarsh, "Now, Aura Sphere Barrage!" They split into two groups and charged at them, forming a small sphere in their paws.

"Keep them away! Flash Cannon!" Lairon unleashed a burst of light that swept across the field, wiping out almost all the Springer that came toward him. He only missed one, that one leaping above the laser. "There you are!"

At the same time, the other Springer fakes were repeating their earlier attack on Mellowmarsh, but this time Pinkie was ready. "Play Rough!" Suddenly, Mellowmarsh was surrounded by smoke that blinded the clones, allowing Pinkie's Pokémon to start beating each of them. A single hit made them go poof, but the smoke prevented Mellowmarsh from seeing what was about to happen.

"Get ready Springer!" Flash yelled as his Riolu leapt around before finally coming to a stop in front of Lairon. "Let's take this guy out!"

"Oh, no you don't! Lairon, Flash Cannon again!" Lairon fired another beam at Springer as he got closer, only for Springer to smirk as Flash called out a new command.

"NOW!" With that, Springer slid onto the ground, letting the laser fly over him. Doing so made its new target the Pokémon who was now able to see from the smoke clearing. Mellowmarsh spun around to see the beam, gasping before the blast struck.

"MELLOWMARSH!" It cried as its entire body was cooked by the bright light, Pinkie gasping while Doc and Lairon realized they had been duped.

The light then faded to reveal a burning Mellowmarsh, the Pokémon falling to the floor with spirals in its eyes.

Mic: "Mellowmarsh's KO'd! Pinkie Pie is sadly, out of this tournament."

"YES!" Flash cheered, glad his plan worked.

Pinkie's hair deflated, "Phooey! I wanted to play some more." She quickly returned Mellowmarsh, turning back to the last two, "You boys better keep the excitement up. I won't allow this battle to get dull!" Flash and Doc nodded back before glaring at each other.

Mic: "Flash verses Time Turner! In the Hoof Cup, these two battled in the finals and back then, Doc was the one who claimed victory. Will things be any different this time?"

"You bet it will!" Flash yelled, "Aura Sphere!" Springer formed the sphere and threw it at Lairon.

"Flash Cannon!" Lairon unleashed another laser, striking the sphere and causing an explosion as Lairon began to charge into the smoke. "Now, Metal Claw!" Lairon roared as it leapt out of the fog, its claws glowing as it tried to slash at Springer.

"Double Team!" Springer multiplied again, the one Lairon hit being a fake while the others began to run around it randomly. "Drain Punch!"

"Ri!" All but one Springer vanished as he leapt up and slammed his fist into Lairon, sucking out some of his energy.

"Rock Slide!" Lairon roared and summoned the portals, causing the rocks to fall.

"Use Extreme Speed!" Springer began dodging the rocks, just barely dodging the rubble before sliding under Lairon to dodge the rain of rocks.

"Lair?" Lairon yelped as he looked down, Doc also perplexed by this as Flash shined a big grin.

"Nice! Aura Sphere again!" Before Lairon could get Springer out from under him, a large explosion occurred below him, catapulting him into the air.

"LAIRON!" He cried as he fell like a rock while Springer break-danced back onto his feet.

"LET'S FINISH THIS!" Both trainers roared, their Pokémon glaring at each other as Larion got back onto his feet.

"Aura Sphere!" Springer fired another sphere straight at Lairon as he pointed himself at the orb.

"Flash Cannon!" Lairon unleashed the laser as fast as he could, the attack striking the Aura Sphere and began to push it back. But then Springer reached his attack and slammed his paw into it, using all his strength as Springer pushed the orb forward and caused it to split the Flash Cannon. He then felt the laser's heat burn him, but Springer wouldn't let that stop him.

"YOU CAN DO IT!" He heard Flash scream as he finally got close to Lairon, where the Flash Cannon's power was at its zenith. This caused the orb to finally explode, the shockwave knocking both staggering back. But at this happened, Springer quickly recovered and threw himself forward, "DRAIN PUNCH!"

"Rio!" Springer clenched his fist as it glowed, the Riolu now within range of Lairon's head. The armored dinosaur had just recovered from the shock, opening his eyes to see the incoming jab. "LU!" A mighty clang of metal echoed through the stadium as the attack connected, the force of the impact sending Lairon flying back. It then crashed into the wall, a plume of smoke following this. Springer hopped to a safe distance next, waiting to see if the blow had done enough.

The dinosaur came out of the smoke just a second later, glaring at Springer. But as it took its next step, his body gave out, making him slump over with spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Lairon's KO'd! That means that the next trainer going through to the second round is FLASH SENTRY!"

The crowd cheered as Flash fell to the ground, letting out a sigh of relief while Springer turned to him. "Great work bud," Flash told him in exhaustion, Springer running up to bump his fist, only for Flash to grab and hug him. "Thank you." Springer chuckled as Flash put him down before looking up at the trio of trainers.

"Great work." Doc held out a hand to help pull him up, "Now that was a great match."

"Yeah," Pinkie added, "It was fun, fun, fun!"

Rarity giggled at this. "While I am upset I lost, I'm glad I lost to such a worthy adversary." Flash nodded back while the crowd began to calm down, the three now realizing they needed to get off the field for the final group to come out.

Lightning was the first out, now passing Flash. Time seemed to stop as their eyes meet, and despite the outcome of Lightning's battle not being decided, both were thinking the same thing. 'I'll meet you in the finals.'

With that, time sped back up as Flash entered the trainer's box, Lightning taking his spot on the battlefield while Micro, Sandal and Spark did the same.

Mic: "Lightning Blitz. He's your grandson, am I right Grand?"

Grand: (sigh) "Yes. Though the two of us haven't trained much together. Any strength he has is his own, whether he got it the right way or not."

Luna: "I get the feeling this Battle Royal won't be so...Battle Royal-E. More like a three on one match."

Celestia: "If that's what happens, that's that. Lightning would probably actually like that."

"She's got that right. Not like these losers can give me a challenge." Lightning chuckled while taking out his Pokeball. "Don't let me down."

Mic: "And now trainers, bring out your Pokémon!"

Before the others could react, Lightning threw his Pokeball. "Frillace, battle ready!" The ball opened to unleash the poisonous lizard, who stood tall and hissed while its frill stuck out. "Now show me what you've got," he told his opponents. "And do me a favor and actually try. I didn't come here to play with weaklings."

Micro, Sandal and Spark growled before taking out their Pokeballs, "LET'S GO!" They all threw the balls up, summoning their Pokémon. Two of them were Pokémon they had seen before, being an Oaking and Spark's Volemming, but the third was a new one.

It looked like a stereo, being round in shape while having a blue and black color scheme. Most of its body was blue with a black mask over the front that had the speakers in them, which also appeared to be the Pokémon's eyes. Its mouth was a semi-circle shaped tape insert with two fangs coming out of them. It appeared to have a small black button on its forehead and two small yellow tubes coming out its top that linked together to make a handle. Beneath it were four blue cones, which appeared to be its feet. "Sound..." it didn't speak as much as the sound coming out of the speakers.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Spike asked ask Applejack took out her Pokedex.

"A Soundrop," Twilight replied.

Name: Soundrop
Category: Speaker Pokémon
Type: Steel/Normal
Info: It can unleash a powerful sonic burst which it uses for both offense and defense. It loves loud music, and often sneaks into concerts and other places it can find it.

"A Steel-type," Twilight added, "That'll make it tough for Frillace since its Poison moves will be useless."

"Come on guys!" Spike yelled, "Win this thing!"

"I doubt a bad type match-up will stop Lightning." They turned to see the speaker was Flash, the teen glaring at the field with his hands in his pockets. "He probably likes that. Makes this more of a challenge." Rarity, Pinkie and Doc sat down, but Flash remained standing as he stared at Lightning. "So what'll you do now?"

Present Mic stood up at this, "Are you all ready to get this final battle underway?!" The four all nodded, "Then let's get this final battle started! In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

Mystical Meetings

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Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

The final battle of the Hoofington Battle Tournament's first round was on, with Lightning facing off against Micro Chips, Sandalwood and Spark Plug. The winner of the battle would join Flash, Twilight and Rainbow in the second round and it would be between the battle of Frillace, Soundrop, Oaking and Volemming.

"Poison Jab!" Frillace charged as the stringer on the end of its tail glowed purple. It reached Oaking before any of the others could react, thrusting the stinger into its chest, making it flinch as the poison was injected into it.

"Oak!" It cried while staggering back, Frillace smirking until it heard Micro's voice.

"Hyper Voice!" Frillace turned to the Soundrop as its speakers began to shake.

"SOUND!" Powerful sonic blasts rocketed out of the speakers, slamming Frillace's ears. The toxic lizard grunted a it tried to cover its ears, giving Oaking time to recover.

"Oh?" Lightning chuckled, "Ganging up on me, huh?"

"This won't be like our last battle," Micro pushed his glasses up. "Sandalwood and I will do whatever it takes to knock you out of this tournament."

"That's right!" Sandal nodded before turning to Spark Plug. "Give us a hand, alright?"

Spark raised an eyebrow at this before nodding, "Okay," he turned back to the battle as the Hyper Voice stopped, "Use Ice Shard!" Volemming opened its mouth as a jagged piece of ice appeared, firing right at Frillace.

"Dodge it!" Frillace leapt into the air, "Now use Venoshock!" Frillace's frills shot up as it spat a burst of purple goop down on the ground, hitting it between Volemming and Soundrop. The goop exploded, unleashing a barrage of purple lightning that struck the two.

"VOL!" Volemming cried in pain as it was zapped, Soundrop just standing strong, not flinching from the shock.

Mic: "Volemming's taking some serious damage, but Soundrop looks completely fine."

Celestia: "That's because Steel-types are immune to Poison-type attacks. Lightning will find himself having a hard time dealing damage if he only uses Poison-types attacks."

"Leaf Storm!" Oaking's bush-like hair began to glow as a wind swept up around it, leaves appearing in that wind that spiraled into a tornado around the living tree. Oaking then thrust its hands forward, sending the leaf-filled wind at Frillace. The Pokémon braced itself for the blow, the leaves slamming into its body, slashing at it while it flinched.

"Use Faint Attack!" As the leaves began to get fewer, Frillace charged at blinding speed. It came at Oaking from the front, then suddenly vanished when it got within range. Seconds later, it reappeared behind Oaking, spinning around to slam its tail into its head.

"Oak!" It cried while staggering back, Frillace landing just as Micro gave his next command.

"Metal Sound!" Soundrop began to unleash another soundwave, this one sounding more like nails on a chalkboard. And unlike the Hyper Voice, it flew out across the entire field, hitting every Pokémon.

"Frill/Oak/Vol!" They all cried while covering their ears, Lightning, Sandal and Spark doing the same.

"Micro!" Sandal yelped over the sound, "Stop it dude! You're weakening our Pokémon too!" Micro growled and ordered his Soundrop to stop, the sound vanishing as Sandal called out, "Terror Root!" Oaking glowed as the ground began to shake before exploding, giant roots coming out next.

Frillace looked up, glaring at the attack before leaping side to side. Dodging each blow with ease, Volemming slowly made his way over to the Fillace. But as it tried to do this, it fell into the line of fire as one of the roots slammed into it.

"VOL!" It screamed as it was whipped away, rolling across the field.

"Volemming!" Spark yelled before shooting a glare at Sandal, the teen giving him a sheepish smile, not having the time to apologize. It was here that Frillace got up close and personal to Oaking, jumping around and on the roots until it got close enough to strike.

"Poison Jab!" Frillace spun around on command, thrusting its glowing tail stinger into its chest.

"Oak!" It cried as more venom was pumped into it, Frillace leaping away while Oaking began to stagger back. And before it could do anything, it flinched as purple lightning sparked around its body. "OAKING!"

Mic: "OUCH! First a burn, and now a poisoning! This round's full on status afflictions today!"

Luna: "That'll cause issues for Oaking over time. Not to mention Frillace's Venoshock will do even more damage to it. If Sandal wants to win this, he'll need to act fast."

"Use Supersonic!" Micro yelled as Soundrop unleashed let another type of soundwave, this one intending to confuse the enemy.

"Dodge it!" Lightning ordered before Frillace leapt to the side, the soundwaves shooting past it and instead hit the Pokémon behind it, being a one Volemming.

"Vol!" It cried as the Supersonic began to mess with its head, causing it to slowly go dizzy.

"Stop!" Spark yelped, Micro gulping before ordering Soundrop to stop its attack.

"Brutal Swing!" Frillace ran over to Soundrop and grabbed it by the handle chords, spinning around like a top before letting it go.

"Frill!" He grunted as Soundrop was sent flying, unable to stop itself as it flew through the air. Frillace had aimed it perfectly, Soundrop now falling toward the intended target: Volemming.

"Get out of there!" Spark screamed, but Volemming was still suffering from the confusion. As such, it didn't recover until seconds before Soundrop slammed into it.

"VOL!" It screeched when the living stereo fell onto it, causing its instincts to kick in. "VOLEMMING!" It yelled before using Discharge, accidently zapping Soundrop.

"DROOOOP!" It cried as its systems were electrocuted, Volemming slowly managing to push it off of it as the lightning died down.

Mic: "Geez! These three were trying to work together in order to defeat Lightning, but they keep getting in one another's way."

Celestia: "One of the possible drawbacks of working as a team. No real teamwork."

"Come on guys!" Spike yelled, "Pull it together and beat that jerk!"

"It's not really surprising," Twilight said with a long sigh, "None of them have probably battled like this before. They don't just need to think about how their moves affect their opponent, but also their teammates."

"Lightning knew these three would trip over one another," Doc added while shaking his head, "He's smart."

"Use Leaf Storm!" Sandal commanded as Oaking summoned the tornado, launching the leaves at Frillace. The Pokémon braced for the attack, enduring the blow as Soundrop managing to rock back to its feet while Spark gave Volemming his next order.

"Dig!" The electric rodent leapt into the air before diving down just as Soundrop pointed itself at Frillace.

"Time to pull out the big guns," Micro said before pointing at Frillace. "Steel Beam!" Soundrop's handle split apart as a silver-blue orb appeared between the tubes, the sphere growing brighter by the sound. "FIRE!"

"SOUND!" It roared as the ball exploded into a beam that rocketed across the field, making the ground shake beneath it as it flew toward Frillace.

Lightning growled at the sight before pointing at his Pokémon, "Dodge that now!" Frillace used all its speed to leap out of the way of the blast, the laser just skimming its back and burning it.

"Frill!" It flinched as the beam faded, Soundrop's body suddenly starting to spark as it cried out in pain.

Luna: "Steel Beam. A powerful move, but one that causes recoil damage. Not to be used lightly."

As Frillace picked itself up, the ground exploded before Volemming flew out and slammed into the poison lizard. "Frill!" It staggered back as Volemming tried to jump away, but before it could, Frillace surged forward and bit into its tail.

"Vol!"

"Poison Jab!" Frillace raised its tail as it glowed, as Oaking running over at this.

"Slam!" Oaking prepared to attack, only for its posion to flare up, making it freeze up in pain. This allowed Frillace to stab its stinger into Volemming, making it flinch as the poison flew through its body.

"Finish this!" Lightning roared, "Brutal Swing!" Frillace began to swing its head around, pulling Volemming around by the tail. It spun the rodent around, picking up immense speed before finally slamming it down into the dirt.

"VOL!" It screamed in pain before its body gave out, spirals now in its eyes.

Mic: "Volemming's KO'd! As such, Spark Plug is now eliminated!"

The crowd didn't even get a chance to cheer as Lightning gave his next command. "Venoshock!" Frillace turned to Oaking and launched the poison orb. The sphere hit the ground at Oaking's feet, exploding and zapping it with deadly precision.

"OAKING!" It screamed, the attack doing extra damage due to the poison.

"Hyper Voice!" Micro yelled, causing Soundrop to unleash the sonic blast at Frillace, pushing it back while it covered its ears. "That's it! Push him back!"

As this was happening, Oaking had recovered as Sandal gave his next instruction,"Focus Blast!" Oaking brought its hands together as a yellow ball of energy appeared between them, the orb growing larger by the second. Once big enough, it threw the orb at Frillace's back.

"Behind you!" Lightning said as Frillace barely managed to hear it, turning to see the orb coming right for him. It began to leap away, only for the sphere to explode, knocking the lizard back.

"LACE!" It flew through the air before crashing, now stuck between Oaking and Soundrop. But despite the damage it had taken, it quickly pushed itself back to its feet with a low growl.

Mic: "Whoa! Talk about grit!"

Grand: "But how much more can Frillace take?"

Frillace's eyes shifted between Soundrop and Oaking, then turned back to Oaking and smirked before giving it a 'bring it' gesture.

"You are so done!" Sandal yelled, "Use Focus Blast!"

"And if it tries to escape, hit it with Steel Beam!" The two Pokémon formed the orbs, Soundrop ready to fire if Frillace tried to dodge. Oaking threw the orb next, ready to hit the toxic lizard. It had no place to safely run without getting slammed by Steel Beam, but despite the massive damage about to hit it, Frillace and Lightning just grinned at this sight.

"NOW!" Lightning roared as Frillace dropped and fell onto its back, causing the orb to fly over it. This shocked Micro, Sandal and their Pokémon, the four so surprised that they didn't have time to counter what was about to happen.

KABOOM!

The Focus Blast slammed into Soundrop and exploded, the stereo screaming as it was blown backward. The force of the blow also made it fire its attack upward, missing everything.

Mic: "OH! What an upset! Lightning was able to turn the two's expected final strike against them."

Celestia: "Soundrop's both a Steel and Normal-type, which gives it a four times weakness to Fighting-type attacks like Focus Blast."

"This is just too easy," Lightning laughed before pointing at Oaking. "Get in close!" Frillace charged at the Pokémon, Sandal growling at the sight.

"Terror Root!" Oaking glowed as the Frenzy Plant knockoff exploded out of the ground, trying to strike Frillace, who managed to avoid the attacks as it got closer and leapt into the air. This was when Oaking was hit with another surge of poison, giving Frillace the opening it needed.

"Venoshock!" Frillace unleashed the toxic goop orb, hitting Oaking right in the chest.

"OAKING!" It screamed in pain while the root retreated into the ground, Frillace now getting pulled back to the ground by gravity.

"Finish this now! Poison Jab!" Before Oaking could react, Frillace threw its stinger forward and stabbed the Pokémon again. More poison flooded into the Oaking's system, a blast of purple lighting coming next as the Pokémon slumped over from the blow.

"OAK!" Was all it could cry before its eyes were replaced with spirals.

Mic: "Oaking's KO'd! Sandalwood is out!"

"HA! Too easy!" Lightning cackled as Micro growled at the sight of Sandalwood returning his Oaking. The teen turned to him as Soundrop picked itself up. The damage done by the Focus Blast had done some serious damage to the stereo Pokémon, but Frillace wasn't firing on all cylinders either.

"Metal Sound!" Soundrop unleashed the ear shattering screech, striking Frillace and forcing him to cover his ears again. "Now, Hyper Voice!" Soundrop quickly changed the sound from a screeching to a powerful burst of pure sound, striking Frillace head on.

"Don't you dare let that stop you!" Lightning barked, "Get out of there and use Faint Attack!" Frillace leapt out of the attack's range, quickly zipping around the Pokémon before it could react. Due to its design, Soundrop couldn't follow it, having to carefully bounce on the spot to face Frillace. But every time it got the lizard in sight, it had already run further around it.

Frillace got around Soundrop several times before finally reaching its behind. "Faint Attack!" Frillace got close as the living stereo jumped around, facing Frillace as it was about to strike. But before it could counter with another sonic blast, Frillace vanished before appearing behind it and spinning around.

"Lace!" It roared while slamming its tail into Soundrop's back, knocking it forward, causing it to roll along the ground.

"Now, let's finish this!" Lightning called out, "Brutal Swing!" Frillace ran up to the rolling Soundrop, the Pokemon coming to a stop before spinning around to face the opponent.

"Steel Beam!" Soundrop created another orb of light that it fired right at Frillace. They all expected the toxic lizard to dodge, but Frillace just held both claws hands up to block the beam.

It hissed as its claws were burnt, tears appearing in its eyes, but it didn't let that stop it. With as much power as it could, Frillace pushed itself forward and shortened the gap between it and Soundrop. And as it got within a foot, the Steel Beam ended while Soundrop cried out from the recoil.

"Sound!" It hissed while the lightning sparked around it, Frillace smirking as it reached down and grabbed the tubes in its burnt claws.

"Frill," it used all its strength to lift Soundrop into the air before spinning it around until, "LACE!" It let it go, the Speaker Pokémon now flying through the air. Soundrop unable to save itself, it landed with a mighty crash, the sound of its fall shaking the stadium.

"SOUND!" It roared in pain as it felt its systems give out, completely shutting down as its eyes became swirls.

Mic: "Soundrop's KO'd! With that, the winner going through to the next round is Lightning Blitz!"

The crowd applauded, though it was nowhere near as loud as compared to the other battles. Lightning didn't even notice though, just returning to Frillace with a chuckle. Once that was done, he turned to Micro as he picked Soundrop up. At the same time, Sandal and Spark Plug moved over to him.

"Well, I guess that battle wasn't a total waste of time, even if you were just weaklings." He turned away from them, "I give you points for surviving longer than a minute." With that, he walked off the field with a triumphant grin on his face as the megascreen activated and showed his face along with Flash, Rainbow and Twilight.

Mic: "There we have it folks. The four heading into the second round of the Battle Tournament are Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry and Lightning Blitz! Due to Twilight Sparkle only having three Pokémon, the next round will consist of two three on three matches. The match ups for tomorrow's battle will be decided tomorrow, so we hope to see you all then!"

Several hours later...

As the sun began to set, the group was now in the Pokémon Center, waiting for their Pokémon to be healed up. The only ones not there were Doc, Pinkie and Lightning, Lightning having left to train for tomorrow while Doc and Pinkie were busy in the kitchen.

"Hello everyone," Redheart announced as she and her Wigglytuff walked out from the recovery room. Wigglytuff was pushing a trolley with Springer sitting on it, which also had trays of Pokeballs. "Thank you for waiting. I'm happy to report your Pokémon are all completely fighting fit." Everyone nodded as they walked up to take their Pokeballs, each unleashing the Pokémon they had used in the battles of the day.

This was followed by giving each Pokémon some praise for the hard work they had done, the losers of their matches not caring about what had happened. Twilight also took Doc and Pinkie's Pokeballs as the group headed into the cafeteria, the trainers beginning to set up the bowls of Pokémon food. Once everything was set up, they took out their Pokeballs and unleashed the horde of hungry mouths.

In a flash of light, Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper, Hopper, Owlicious, Tank, Movine, Gliscor, Fletchinder, Hawlucha, Angel, Seabreeze, Winona, Brawloey, DaisyJo, Lombre, Bloomberg, Opal, Herbarald, Aquapphire, Beautifly, Magitual, Girafarig and Slowpoke all appeared besides the other Pokémon. They all quickly ran over to the bowl with their favorite food, (With the exception of Slowpoke, who Trixie had to push the bowl over to) and began to chow down.

Doc then pushed a large cart of food into the room as he announced, "Grubs up!" He yelled as everyone turned to him, their lips watering at the sight of a giant feast.

Pinkie followed him in, carrying a massive three layered cake above her head. "And look what I've got for dessert!"

"WOW!" Rainbow yelped as Pinkie put it into the center of the table, everyone and their Pokémon unable to take their eyes off of it. "That's the most beautiful thing I've every seen..."

"Thanks," Pinkie giggled as Twilight turned to hand her and Doc their Pokeballs. The two then tossed them, now summoning the rest of their Pokémon. Higear, Tockwork, Lairon, Gummy, Mellowmarsh, Jigglypuff and Bloxx all appeared, ready to join the rest of the Pokémon in the buffet.

Twilight then focused back on the cake, a question appearing in her head. "Pinkie...how did you make something like this so quickly?"

Pinkie gave her another smile as she prepared to snap her fingers, "It's easy when you've got great help." On cue of the snap, another Pokémon stepped into the room. It looked like a giant pile of white whipped cream with blue eyes and six blueberries in its 'hair'.

"Is that an Alcreamie?" Sunset asked, only to now remember the Milcery Pinkie had had during summer camp. "So it evolved."

"That's right!" Pinkie picked Alcreamie up and hugged it tightly. "She's the best baking assistant ever!" Alcreamie giggled back while Luna turned to her sister, Celestia now staring at the cake like it was her lost child.

"Sister..." Luna put her hands on her hips, "I hope you aren't intending to go overboard in tasting this cake."

"Of...of course not," Celestia managed to pry her eyes away from it. "I'm not completely gluttonous. Just a slice or two will be enough...maybe three."

Luna gave her a deadpan stare, "Do I need to remind you when I stopped you from catching a Slurpuff a few weeks ago because of things like this?"

"No. No you do not." Celestia hissed, silently gesturing to hide a Pokeball in her jean pocket.

The others laughed as the two glared at each other, both soon enjoying the buffet Doc had prepared with the rest of the group. They spent the next long while talking about what each of them had been doing since the last time they were together. Flash's group was considered to be the most interesting, mainly due to their adventure at the city of Vocanctus.

"You met another legendary?" Sunset asked while eating a piece of cake.

"We didn't just meet it," Spike replied as Peewee finished his meal and hopped over to sit on Spike's head. "We freed it from being controlled by a psychopath, and saved an entire town from getting wiped out by a giant tidal wave." The entire cafeteria went silent at this, the four blinking at the sight as everyone froze up. A bit of food fell off Rainbow's fork at this, the teen quickly catching it with her mouth.

Doc did a slight shrug at this, "Well, we didn't really save them. We helped the girl with the power to stop the disaster."

"Ah have so many questions," Applejack commented.

"I think we all do," Grand added, "But maybe that's best left for another time."

"He's right," Celestia finished as she gulped down the last of her food. She then reached over to take an extra large slice of cake. "For now, Flash, Twilight and Rainbow need to focus on their battles tomorrow."

Sunset turned to Twilight at this, "Any idea which of your Pokémon you're going to use?"

"Not like I have much choice," Twilight sighed before turning back to Shine, Peewee and Owlicious. "I'll be relying on you three." The Pokémon looked up from their bowls of food and gave roars, neighs and hoots of agreement.

"I guess you're at a disadvantage," Rarity added, "Whichever opponent you have will know exactly which Pokémon you're using, and they'll pick ones with an advantage against it."

"Maybe..." Twilight replied while looking away, "But...I think I'll be fine. It takes more than knowing what your opponent's using to win a battle." She put her plate down and let out a sigh, feeling absolutely stuffed. Shine also appeared full, the Ponyta pushing her bowl away before turning to her trainer. Twilight glanced down and patted her head, knowing what she wanted. "I think I'm gonna go for a walk with Shine."

"You sure?" Sunset asked, "We can come too if you want."

Twilight shook her head, "No, you guys keep eating if you want. I need to walk off that great meal." The others nodded back as Twilight lead Shine out of the cafeteria.

As they left, they spotted Lightning over at the counter. He had just picked up his Pokeball and put it away, turning to leave without even appearing to notice her. Twilight sighed before following, walking out of the center and seeing Lightning heading up the street. Not wanting to deal with him, they spun around and went down a different road, soon making their way through the town and walking up to the stadium.

Shine ran around it here, going up to a railing that was over the large lake by the arena. However, the railing kept her from getting a good view, making her pout. This made Twilight laugh before she bent down to pick her Pokémon up, the two then looking over the lake, smiling at the beautiful sight of the moon's reflection.

"So beautiful," she whispered while Shine neighed in agreement. The two continued to walk around the edge of the lake, marvelling at the beautiful night that it was. "It's moments like these that I'm really glad I went on this journey," Twilight said to herself as they got to the far side of the lake. "It's funny. When I started, all I wanted was to learn as much about the world of Pokémon as I could. Before this journey, I'd have probably been happy to do it on my own."

"Nee?" Shine asked as she looked up at her, Twilight patting her head back.

"But now, the best thing about this adventure is the friends I've made. Flash, Doc, Springer...you."

"Nee taa!" Shine replied.

"Thanks. And you know, even if I didn't learn anything from my time on this journey, I wouldn't call it a waste. After all, I got to make so many amazing friends. And I sure do hope to make more friends on the way." Shine neighed in agreement, the two happily staring at one another.

But as they did this, Twilight suddenly heard a noise, the sound of some kind of light splashing. The two turned back to the lake, now seeing something standing atop the water on the area currently reflecting the moon. They couldn't quite make out what it looked like, but it appeared...equine.

At first, she wondered if she was looking at a Galarian Rapidash, but upon closer look of the figure, Twilight thought otherwise. This Pokémon appeared much larger than a Rapidash, and the horn on its head didn't appear as large. The mane wasn't as thick, and the tail wasn't as long. Whatever it was, it was walking across the lake with an incredible elegance. The world 'majestic' sprung to Twilight's mind as she and Shine watched it, only for it turn its gaze on the duo.

As it and Twilight locked eyes, she couldn't help but feel like it was staring into her soul. Even though she had no idea what this Pokémon was or where it had come from, she felt like she knew it better then she knew herself. And she also felt like the same was true for this creature.

Eventually, the beast broke eye contact before moving its head around. In doing so, a strange light appeared around its horn. Both Twilight and Shine stared at it before large bubbles of water suddenly began to float out of the lake. Those bubbles then split into hundreds of tiny drops, Twilight and Shine unable to take their eyes off of them as the creature's horn unleashed a rainbow of colors that refracted through the drops. Soon, the entire lake was illuminated by the light until the drops popped, causing the light to flow out into an aurora.

The sight almost hypnotized the two as the exploded water began to rain back down into the lake, the image pulling Twilight and Shine out of their haze before looking back across the lake. But as the last of the mist faded, the creature was nowhere in sight.

"What...was that?"

"Nee?" Shine added as the two stared out at the lake, trying to find any trace of the Pokémon they had just seen.

Back at the center...

Things were going well at the center, Rainbow, Applejack, Trixie, Spike and Pinkie were playing video games while Rarity, Doc and Fluttershy were cleaning their Pokémon. "How does that feel?" Doc asked after he finished polishing Lairon, the Pokémon roaring happily before moving over to the side in order to take a well deserved nap.

"Here you go darling," Rarity added while using a soapy sponge to wash Aquapphire.

"Phire..." Aquapphire sighed as she felt the sponge wash over her. Rarity had already polished Pyruby with a special polish and cleaned Herbarald using just plain water. Now Aquapphire was getting a proper clean with the soap, loving every minute of it.

Opal was off to the side, waiting for her turn to be brushed. She gazed over at Fluttershy, who was running her brush through Harry's fur, making him purr in joy while Angel was laying on a bench with its hands behind its head. Rarity's Beautifly was also nested on Fluttershy's head, the girl not appearing to have any issue with it being there whatsoever.

At the same time, Flash and Springer were sitting at a desk with Celestia, Luna and Sunset. Grand was standing behind them, leaning against the wall as he listened to Flash explain everything that had happened during their visit to the city of Vocanctus.

"And that's when Sonata managed to tap into her power and sing a song that was able to free Sirenity from Guile's control."

"Amazing..." Celestia whispered, rubbing her chin in thought, "To think a human has that kind of power."

"How is something like that even possible?" Sunset asked next, "A voice with the power to control a Legendary Pokémon? Sounds...far-fetched."

"There are many unusual people in this world," Luna responded, "I've heard many a tale of extraordinary individuals. There are legends of the Kanto Region that state those born in and around the Vermilion Forest have the ability to connect to their Pokémon and even heal them of their wounds. In the Sinnoh Region, there are legends of warriors that could wield the power of aura and use it as a weapon. I'm sure if you look close enough, even Equestria has individuals with abilities like that. This Sonata is clearly one of them, but there may be more."

Celestia nodded in agreement. "I'd certainly like to meet this Sonata girl and see her use her powers for myself."

"That might be tricky," Flash replied, "She and her sisters should already be out on their own journey right now. And even if you manage to find her, she might not be so keen on showing off her powers. After what happened with Guile...well, I'm betting she'll want to keep a lid on who hears her singing."

"Understood," Celestia sighed, "its a shame though."

"Plus, Sirenity's not exactly fond of humans. Years of trainers trying to catch it will do that too ya." Celestia nodded in agreement and was about to speak up again, only for the doors of the Pokémon Center to burst open as Twilight and Shine raced in.

"GUYS!" She yelled, getting everyone's attention as she ran to the center of the room before bending over to catch her breath, "You won't believe..."

"Twilight?" Celestia walked up and placed a hand on her back. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"We saw it," Twilight straightened up. "Shine and I were by the lake when we saw it."

"Saw what?"

"I'm...not really sure what it was," Twilight sighed. "But it was like nothing I'd ever seen before." A bulb went off in her head at this moment, a certain memory clicking as she pointed at Doc and Flash, "It's like what you saw!" The two blinked at her, only to slowly realize what she meant.

"No way," Flash whispered. "You're talking about those Legendary Pokémon?" Twilight nodded, the others gasping at the same time.

"Which one was it?" Spike asked, "Was it the one Flash saw, or the one Doc saw?"

Twilight shook her head, "I don't think it was either of them. The one I saw had a horn, but no wings."

"The one I saw didn't have a horn," Doc replied.

"And the one I saw definitely had wings," Flash added.

Celestia tilted her head at this, "Then it's obvious Twilight saw the final member of the trio." Everyone turned to her, the professor signaling them to follow her. Soon, they were all gathered around the table in the cafeteria as she began to speak up, "Ever since Flash and Doc told me about what they saw, I've been looking into the ancient legends of Equestria. You all remember what I told you about the Legend of Equestria?" They all nodded back. "Alicormony, the being of creation, created three heralds to watch over the world in its stead. Horsearth, Pegasoar and Mysticorn are their names, and whenever they sense great danger, they will take measures to prevent it."

"What measures?" Twilight asked.

"It is said they will seek out humans they see as worthy and join forces with them. Horsearth is said to seek out a human with an unbreakable will. Pegasoar is said to seek out a human with a noble heart, and Mysticorn is said to seek out a human with an inquisitive mind."

The group shared glances at this, Rainbow then asking, "So...these Pokémon showed themselves to these three because they're the chosen ones?"

"It's possible," Luna responded, "They've certainly had their fair share of unbelievable adventures, and there's no doubt in my mind that each of them fit the criteria the Pokémon are looking for in human partners."

"Indeed," Celestia turned to the blue haired teen. "Flash, you have been chosen by Pegasoar. Your noble heart and love of Pokémon is clear of that." Flash smiled back as Celestia turned to the next one. "Doc, you have been chosen by Horsearth. It is clear you have shown a tremendous amount of will in order to earn its respect." Doc looked like he was blushing as Celestia turned to her student. "And Twilight, it is obvious why Mysticorn has chosen you. In all of Equestria, I doubt there is another with a mind quite like yours, always hungry for knowledge."

Twilight felt great pride at those words, the three turning to each other. Each was starting to think the same thing, knowing it may not have been a coincidence that they were travelling together. Maybe they were meant to be friends, with the heralds of Alicormony selecting each of them.

"So why are they being picked?" Spike asked next, "Is something gonna happen and those three are warning us?"

"Possibly," Grand replied while crossing his arms, "Or they're just preparing in case something comes up." He turned to the three, "You should keep an eye out for everything unusual. Who knows when you may be called to action."

The trio nodded back, all thinking the same thing, the single continuous issue facing Equestria at the moment. It was one they had already faced with mixed results: Team Shadow.

As they group got up and began to make their way to bed, none of them noticed Lightning standing out of sight. "Again?!" he hissed as the chosen three walked out of the room. "What are those Legendary idiots thinking, picking those losers?!" He turned to glare out of the window, wondering if Mysticorn was still around. "If Equestria's in danger, it needs the strongest trainer to save it, and that's me." He turned back to the group, Grand having stopped to stare at him. "Just watch. I'll prove why I'm the one they should have chosen."

With that, he walked out the center, that sight making Grand sigh, "Lightning...when will you realize being strong requires more than strength."

That night...

With everyone fast asleep, Celestia and Luna were now in the lobby, dialing a number in the phones. Staring at the screen, the phone began to ring before a certain woman appeared on the panel.

"Hello Cadance, sorry for calling so late."

"It's fine," Cadance replied, shining a small smile, "I was still up anyway. So what's the matter? Not that I don't mind speaking, but calling this late must be about something important."

"Indeed. It appears your sister-in-law has been having a few impressive adventures," Luna responded.

"Twilight?" Cadance raised an eyebrow at this before gulping, "Oh no, what happened now? Did they run into Team Shadow again?"

Celestia shook her head, "No, but this might be just as bad." They then explained everything that Flash had told them while also telling her about Twilight's encounter that night. "If Twilight's been picked my Mysticorn, she may end up being dragged into something beyond our comprehension."

Cadance sighed at this, "I hope she'll be up for it. Shining said she's become a skilled trainer, and even if she's managed to get through to the next round of the Battle Tournament, I'm worried she still might not be ready."

"Well, what can you do about it?" Luna asked. "With your big discovery, I doubt you have much time to focus on Twilight."

"I might have to head to a small town near Manehatten City in a few weeks," Cadance responded, "If you can find a way to direct them all there, I'm sure I can arrange a meet-up. And I'm sure Twilight would be interested in seeing the Crystal Empire."

"You've found it?" Celestia gasped.

"Discovered the entrance last week," Cadance chuckled, "I know you've been wanting to know details, but there's a seal that we need to break through and its taking a long while. However, once it's done, the city will be open for us to uncover."

"Amazing," Luna whispered. "I'll have to come and see it for myself."

Celestia nodded in agreement, "Me too...but be careful Cadance. An important historical sight like that will have a lot of valuable treasures. You may end up getting targeted by scrupulous individuals."

"I'll remember that," Cadance replied before letting out a yawn. "Well, I need to get some sleep. I'm not gonna discover anything if I'm tired."

The three then said their goodbyes before hanging up the phones, the sisters sharing a glance as Luna spoke up, "I get the feeling things are only just beginning."

"Agreed. Flash and his friends have already faced more peril than trainers with three times their experience. I just hope they're ready for whatever's coming."

The next day...

The stadium was filled with a deafening amount of noise, all coming from the stands as the spectators cheered out in anticipation of the upcoming battles. Out on the field, Flash, Lightning, Twilight and Rainbow stood in a line, waiting to hear who they would be facing off against.

In one of the best spots of the stadiums, Spike and the rest of the eliminated trainers all sat, cheering in excitement as they waited to see how the day's battles would turn out.

"Hooray!" Spike yelled as he vibrated in his seat, "Alright guys." He began to pump his arms up and down through the air, "Show us how awesome you all are! Except for Lightning." The others laughed and turned back to the field.

"Give us a show to be proud of," Rarity added.

"Eeyup!" Applejack cheered. "Don't ya'll hold back, yah here!"

Fluttershy calmly clapped at this. "Good luck, all of you!"

"I'M SO EXCITED!" Pinkie screamed, "These battles are gonna be so much fun to watch, I can tell!"

"You've got this guys," Sunset called out.

"Remember to play it strategically," Doc hollered.

"And don't beat Lightning too quickly," Trixie finished. "Seeing him lose won't be as enjoyable if it happens too quickly!"

It was then that the megascreens came online, Present Mic's face appearing with a microphone in his hands. "WAZ-UUUUP! Welcome to day two of the Hoofington Battle Tournament! I'm your host, Present Mic! And with me once again are my guest commentators, Professors Celestia and Luna!" The screen changed to show the sisters sitting side by side. "And the former champion, Grand Hoof!" The screen switched again, showing the older gentleman.

Lightning growled at the sight of his grandfather while the others glanced at Lightning, all remembering what Grand had said the previous night. The screens changed again at this, this time showing the four faces of the trainers competing in the next round. "These four have proven themselves and earned their place here in round two. But they still have two more battles to win before they can be awarded the coveted title of Hoofington Battle Champion and the astounding prize. Now, let's see who will be facing off against who in this next round."

With that, the four images flipped around and began shuffling themselves around until they divided themselves into two sets of two. After a second, the flipped around as a large V appeared between the faces, revealing who was battling who.

Battle One
Twilight Sparkle V Lightning Blitz

Battle Two
Flash Sentry V Rainbow Dash

The opponents in question turned to one another. Flash and Rainbow smirked, both pumping fists at the thought of going out. At the same time, Twilight glanced at Lightning as she felt a shiver run down her spine. She had known this was a possibility, but the thought of facing him still sent a wave of fear through her.

'Lightning's brutal,' she thought to herself. 'No doubt he'll be aiming to completely destroy me...but I'll show him I'm no so easily beaten.'

Lightning then glanced over at her, a smirk on his lips. "This is gonna be so easy. I'm going to prove to that legendary that it picked to wrong one to reveal itself too. When this is over, it'll see the only one worthy of its power is me and me alone. Then I'll show the other two legendaries why they should also join me and not some nobody like you."

"We'll see." Twilight replied, Lightning rolling his eyes at this.

"You're nothing, just like your worthless brother." He pointed at himself, "I'll prove it."

The Hoofington Battle Tournament's second round had begun. Now Flash, Twilight, and Rainbow would need to use every trick in the book in order to win a spot in the finals. But as this began, the thought of the mysterious encounters were still on everybody's mind. What could they mean, and what danger could Equestria be facing? You'll have to stay tuned to find out, as the journey continues.

Intellect VS Power

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The Hoofington Battle Tournament had entered its second day, four trainers now battling to compete for a spot in the finals. Flash, Lightning, Twilight and Rainbow had just discovered who there were facing off against, Flash and Rainbow going to the trainer box as Lightning and Twilight moved to the other side of the field, both turning toward one another as they waited for the match to begin.

Mic: "The Hoofington Battle Tournament's second round is about to start. I'm sure everyone's looking forward to seeing who will win in the first battle, and what a battle it is since both trainers have very special relations."

Celestia: "While Lightning is Grand Hoof's grandson, Twilight is the little sister of Shining Armor. Though the fact they're both related to champions won't be the sole purpose we're in for a good match. They're skilled trainers no matter what."

Luna: "Lightning is mostly a power battler, though I've been told he does have a skill for strategy on the rare occasions he uses it. And Twilight's skill is impressive quick thinking with a wide array of mental skills. No doubt when she gives an command, she uses physics and trajectory to calculate the outcome of that attack."

Grand: "Brains verses brawn. Interesting."

"Nothing interesting about this," Lightning scoffed, "My power will overwhelm your strategy every time."

"And that ego's what's gonna make you lose," Twilight instantly replied.

"Yeah right," Lightning laughed. "Don't think you being the champion's sister scares me. You're nothing, just like him, so let's get this battle over with."

As he said that, the X-shaped field suddenly retracted into the ground.

Mic: "It's time to see what kind of battlefield our competitors will be competing on."

The field then returned to an arena of water and earth. Half of it was grassy terrain with a few stray boulders while the other half were a series of pools and a small river running along one side. The field was no longer X-shaped, the sections of the field in front of the empty trainer podiums remaining the metal form they originally were. Both podiums were red or blue, Twilight stepping onto the blue and Lightning on the red.

Celestia: "Looks like an excellent field for Water and Grass-types. Now the question is, how will these young trainers take advantage of it?"

Luna: "They may not be able too. There's every possibility the field could hinder their efforts instead of helping them."

Grand: "You're right. And by taking advantage of the opponent's hindrance, they may be able to gain the upper-hand. This is all speculative, of course."

"Well then," Mic announced. "Let's stop speculating and get down to the battle! Everybody, please turn your attention to the megascreen!" They did as a wheel appeared on it, which was evenly split between red and blue patterns. "Time to find out who'll be selecting their Pokémon first!" The top red section lit up before the light began to circle around the wheel, causing it to glow blue then red then blue for several seconds before stopping on red. "This means that Lightning will be the first to select his Pokémon!"

"That's fine," Lightning took out a Pokeball. "Not like it matters anyway. I'll win no matter which Pokémon I pick. But for now, Guardroid, battle ready!" He threw the Pokeball upward, revealing the robotic Pokémon a second later.

"Guard!" It roared as it began to power up its systems.

Mic: "It's the Steel-type Guardroid. An interesting choice for this field. Now, how will Twilight respond?"

"Peewee," Twilight took out her Pokeball and threw it, "I choose you!" The ball flew through the air before opening up, revealing the smaller than usual Dragon-type.

"Terra!" Peewee exclaimed while spreading his wings, taking to the air before glaring down at Guardroid.

Mic: "Twilight's first Pokémon is Terragon!"

Celestia: "Also an interesting choice for the field."

Luna: "Terragon will likely have the speed advantage, but Guardroid's metal body will make dealing damage difficult."

Grand: "Fire-type moves are a common move most Dragon-types can learn. If this Terragon knows one, it may give it the edge over Guardroid. We'll just have to wait and find out."

"ALRIGHT!" Spike cheered in excitement, "Go get 'em Peewee! I know you'll be awesome!" Peewee smiled and nodded back before glaring at Guardroid.

"Ha!" Lightning chuckled, "That pipsqueak's not gonna be a problem for us. Guardroid, we'll handle this in one minute."

"Don't underestimate Peewee," Twilight responded, "You might find that big things come in small packages." She pointed at the teen with a long glare, "Let's just start the battle already so I can beat you!"

"I agree! Now that the trash-talk's out of the way, let's say we get this battle underway!" Present Mic stood up and threw up three fingers. "In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Bullet Punch!" Guardroid's rocket exploded and propelled it into the air, its fist now glowing. Before Peewee could react, the robot thrust its fist right into his stomach.

"WAGON!" He cried in pain as he was knocked flying, Spike crying out in horror until Peewee's eyes and wings shot open, allowing him to break his fall and glide safely toward a nearby rock.

"Alright Peewee, hit it hard and fast before it can protect itself." Twilight instructed as Guardroid began to fly down. "Use Incinerate!" Peewee took a deep breath before unleashing a fire rocket right at Guardroid.

"Block it!" Lightning yelled as Guardroid crossed is arms seconds before the fireball struck. An explosion came next, pushing Guardroid back against the grass, digging into the soil until it stopped at the edge of one of the ponds. "Now, Flash Cannon!" The holes in its shoulders began to glow before a beam of light exploded out of one of them, heading straight toward Peewee.

"Dodge it!" Peewee leapt off the rock, only for the laser to strike the boulder. The following explosion struck his back, knocking him flying into the sky.

"Terra!" He cried as he tried to recover, flinching in pain before flapping his wings.

"That's the way Peewee, stay up there! Use Dragonbreath!" Peewee took another deep breath before unleashing a stream of blue fire, striking the Guardroid head-on, making it cross its arms again. But as it did this, Twilight pointed at the robot. "Use Bite and aim for the joints in its arms and legs!"

"TERRA!" Peewee landed on its shoulder and began to bite down on the section connecting it to the main body. Even though Guardroid wasn't feeling any pain, it was starting to get warnings from its sensors, all complaining about structural weakness.

"Get it off of you! Now!" Lightning barked as Guardroid tried to grab Peewee, but he was positioned in a way that its robotics arms weren't able to reach it. "Fly up and shake it off!" Guardroid's boosters ignited, taking to the air.

The robot began to fling around, soon doing barrel rolls as Peewee felt himself losing grip, "Terra!" he yelped before flying off, Twilight crying out to him.

"Flash Cannon!" Guardroid's shoulder holes glowed again before a laser came out, hitting Peewee straight on. The dragon fell with a thud, slamming into the grass that the it uprooted the green blades around him, creating a circle of dirt.

"Peewee!" Twilight and Spike cried as he picked himself up, Guardroid beginning to rocket down toward the Terragon. "Quick, use Incinerate!" Peewee launched another powerful fireball right at Guardroid, hitting it dead-on.

The metal robot was completely consumed by the flames, many people believing it would do serious damage. But to their surprise, Guardroid continued to rocket toward Peewee. "Bullet Punch!" Before Peewee could react, Guardroid threw a punch to the dragon's face.

"Terra!" He yelped in pain, the dragon rolling along the ground as the Guardroid landed on a nearby rock as the flames faded from its body.

Mic: "And here I thought Guardroid was in trouble. After two powerful Fire attacks, it should be on its last legs."

Celestia: "Normally it would be, but Guardroid's ability is Fireproof."

Luna: "It's body is made of a special heat resistant metal. It doesn't stop the damage done by the flames, but it does lessen it."

Grand: "Twilight's gonna need more than Incinerate if she wants to win this match."

"You okay?" Twilight asked as Peewee picked himself up, getting a roar of agreement. "Alright." She turned to Guardroid as it jumped from the rock, Lightning giving his next order.

"Use Flash Cannon!" Guardroid prepared to fire a beam from its shoulders, Twilight growling at the sight.

"Not gonna happen. Use Dragonbreath!" Peewee unleashed the blue flames right as Guardroid fired his attack. The two clashed, pushing against each other, both somehow appearing equal in strength before Peewee took to the air as the attacks began to fade.

"Hit it with something big!" Lightning ordered. "Zap Cannon!" This order caused many to gasp as Guardroid brought its hands together and formed a sphere of yellow and green electrical energy, firing it right at Peewee.

The Terragon saw it coming and gasped, only for the orb to completely miss him and explode a safe distance behind the drake. "Terra?"

Mic: "Yikes. Talk about bad aim!"

Grand: "Zap Cannon is a move that's a fifty-fifty split. It'll either hit or it won't."

Lightning growled while Twilight giggled, "Too bad!" She pointed at Peewee, "Wing Attack and aim for the joints again!" Peewee roared as his wings glowed, flying past Guardroid and slashing at one of the rods connecting the shoulder to the rest of its body. Peewee then turned back and flew at it again, doing the same to the other shoulder joint. "That's the way! Keep hitting it, back to back!"

Lightning hissed as he watched Guardroid be struck again and again, the robot trying to dodge but Peewee was just too fast to evade. "Flash Cannon!" Guardroid tried to fire its shoulder blasts at Peewee, but the little dragon easily dodged the laser before hitting it again.

"TERRA!" He roared while spinning around and slashing his wing into the back of Guardroid's leg, causing it to fall onto one knee.

"Nice! Now get in close and use Incinerate!" Peewee zipped up next, landing on the submarine hatch on Guardroid's front. He began to power up a blast of fire, ready to take Guardroid out with one hit.

"Don't you dare let that shrimp beat you!" Lightning screeched, "Grab it and beat it now!" Guardroid quickly spun around and grabbed Peewee by the tail. And before the Terragon could breath fire, he was swung off before being smashing into the ground.

"WAGON!" He cried as he accidently let the fire blast loose, causing the flames to fly high before exploding. Everyone was so focused on this blast that they didn't notice Guardroid firing its jets, propelling into the sky as Lightning gave his next command.

"Lock-On!" Guardroid's eyes went red as it brought its hands together, a red ring appearing between them. It thrust its arms next, sending the red ring at Peewee as it had just got up.

"Peewee!" Twilight yelped, now seeing the ring turn into a red target that imprinted onto Peewee's chest. "Not good..."

"Now Guardroid's next attack will hit no matter what," Doc reminded everyone. "And I get the feeling we all know which attack he's gonna use."

"Charge up a Zap Cannon," Lightning ordered. "Make it as powerful as you can, or else." Guardroid brought its hands together, beginning to charge the green and yellow sphere.

"Dragonbreath!" Peewee spat out a barrage of blue flames, but Guardroid's boosters flared, making it fly above the fire. The Dragonbreath just managed to clip its foot, but only for a second. "Its about to attack! Get out of there!"

Peewee turned to fly away as fast as he could, but Guardroid was finished charging and thrust the orb forward. The ball flew after Peewee, who tried to escape by zigzagging through the air. But the Zap Cannon simply followed him, closing the gap with ease as the Lock-On prevented him from escape.

"No choice. You've gotta try and stop it Peewee! Dragonbreath!" Peewee spun around before unleashing the blue fire, striking the Zap Cannon. But instead of stopping it like they had hoped, the sphere carved through the flames, instantly striking Peewee.

"TERRAGON!" He screamed as the orb exploded, electrifying the dragon. "Terra..." he moaned a second later, his wings giving out as he began to fall like a rock.

"PEEWEE!" Spike cried as he jumped up from his seat, watching in horror as his best friend hit the dirt, everyone soon seeing the swirls in his eyes.

Mic: "Terragon's KO'd! The winner is Guardroid!"

The crowd let out a mild cheer as Guardroid landed in front of Lightning while Twilight returned Peewee. "Good work," she smiled at the ball before putting it away, "That Guardroid's strong." She took out her other Pokeball, "So I'll need speed if I want to win this. Shine, I choose you!" She threw the Pokeball upward, unleashing the Galarian Ponyta.

"Nee!" She neighed while staring down the Guardroid, the robotic Pokémon's eyes giving her the feeling it was smiling at her mockingly.

Mic: "Twilight has chosen Ponyta. Is she planning to rely on Mystical Fire?"

Celestia: "Only one way to find out."

"Psybeam!" Twilight yelled as Shine unleashed a rainbow colored beam of energy out of its horn, the attack striking Guardroid instantly. The robot staggered back, almost tripping into one of the pools.

"Guard!" It ignited its booster and pushed itself into the air, allowing it to fly over to pond and land on the other side as Lightning gave his next command.

"Flash Cannon!" Lightning fired the beam of light at Shine, but the tiny horse dodged by leaping to the side with ease. "Grrr...Bullet Punch!" Guardroid then charged with a glowing fist, but Twilight just smirked at the sight.

"Mystical Fire!" Shine launched the fire rocket through the flaming ring, striking Guardroid before it could unleash its attack, pushing it back as she galloped over to another area of the terrain.

Lightning hissed at this, only for his gaze shifted over the field, "Of course. Guardroid, fly up!" Guardroid did so, shooting straight up as it quickly got out of Shine's range of fire.

Luna: "Strange. I wonder if he's getting scared."

Grand: "I doubt that. He's up to something."

"Yeah," Flash sighed from the trainer box, "And it's not gonna be something good."

"I hope Twilight can handle it," Rainbow added.

"Use Flash Cannon and aim for the water!" This ordered confused everyone, including Guardroid. But it did as it was told, firing a laser out of each shoulder, weaker than normal but able to hit two pools at once. The impact sent the water flying, all crashing down onto the grass before getting soaked up by the earth. "Again!" Lightning ordered as Guardroid repeated the process, making a tidalwave that struck the ground nowhere near Shine.

"What's he doing?" Twilight asked as Guardroid fired again.

Once that was done, Lightning pointed at Shine, "Now, get close and use Lock-On!" Guardroid flew down in response, Shine backpedaling as Twilight called out a command.

"Dodge it, then use Fairy Wind!" As Guardroid formed the ring between its hands, Shine tried to gallop away. But as she ran across the grass, she suddenly found her hooves slipping out from under her.

"NEE!" She cried as she slid across the ground, feeling something slimy now seeping into her coat.

"Mud?" Twilight whispered as her brain began to shift gears, "So that's why he was doing that."

As she said this, Guardroid fired his attack, the ring hitting the muddy Ponyta that morphed into a target that connected to her. "Perfect! Another Zap Cannon, NOW!" Guardroid began to power up his attack, the sphere forming between its hands. Shine saw this coming and began to pick herself up, barely able to as the mud messed with her footing.

"Mystical Fire!" Shine drew the ring before firing a blast of flames at Guardroid, who raised its attack above its head so it wasn't struck by the flames.

"Guard!" It cried as the flames exploded, pushing it back. But as this happened, it then threw the sphere at Shine.

The sight made Twilight's eyes shrunk, her brain burning through a folder of ideas, each more useless than the last. But as the last one was destroyed, inspiration struck. "I hope this works." She pointed at Shine, "Use Psybeam and aim for the ground in front of you!"

"Nee!" She fired the blast at the ground, causing the mud to shoot into the air. She carved a trench, creating a tidalwave of muck to fly up between her and the Zap Cannon. The sphere struck the mud, going straight through it...but the lightning within began to go toward the ground.

"Now jump!" Shine hopped straight up, the Zap Cannon's trajectory changing before slamming into Shine.

"NEE!" He cried as she felt a zap of electricity, though it did little damage.

"What?!" Lightning screeched as Shine landed on a rock, "That's impossible! That should have took out that weakling!"

"Seems you don't understand basic science, especially since I just turned your Zap Cannon into what is basically one hit from a Fury Swipe." Twilight replied with a smirk, Lightning growling in response as she continued, "Though to be fair, you did give me the idea, just like you gave me the mud to protect Shine."

Mic: "What's she talking about?"

Celestia: (Chuckles) "She used the mud to conduct the electricity out of the attack, weakening it enough so that when it struck Shine, it wasn't as powerful. She had Shine leap up so the conducted electricity wouldn't be grounded into her as well."

Luna: "Smart."

Up in the stands, the others all cheered, "Way to go Twilight!" Spike yelled.

"Now take dat hunk of metal down!" Applejack added.

"Agreed. Let's finish this Shine." Twilight finished as she pushed up her glasses.

"Nee!"

"You little..." Lightning hissed, "Don't you dare mock me, you loser!"

"Use the rocks to avoid the mud, then use Mystical Fire!" Shine leapt from one rock to another as she got closer to Guardroid, the robot now flying toward the ground.

"Use Flash Cannon and destroy the rocks!" Guardroid fired at the boulders, destroying them with ease. Shine soon found herself trapped on one rock, no more within jumping distance. "Fire!" Guardroid then unleashed an extra strong Flash Cannon, hitting the mud to Shine's left as it began to carve its way toward her.

"Get out of there!" Twilight yelled as Shine leapt off the rock, the boulder turning to dust seconds later. She then landed on the ground, bending her knees to stay upright as she slid along the mud. While she did this, her horn ignited as the Flash Cannon came to a stop as she slid under Guardroid.

"NEE-TAAAAA!" She roared, unleashing another fire rocket right at Guardroid. It slammed into the robot, exploding as it cried out in pain. The metal body then crashing into the mud, spirals appearing in its eyes.

Mic: "Guardroid's KO'd! The winner is Ponyta!"

The crowd let out a colossal cheer, Twilight and Shine smiling at the praise while Lightning returned Guardroid.

Grand: "An impressive display of quick thinking and adaptability."

Celestia: "Yes. Now they're all tied up. It's anyone's game now."

Mic: "Who will Lightning pick to go up against Ponyta?"

"Why are they cheering that loudly..." Lightning hissed as he took out a Dive-Ball. "Sharazor, battle ready!" The ball opened up, unleashing the humanoid shark.

"RAZOR!" It roared while glaring down at Shine, the pony trying to backpedal at the sight.

Luna: "Sharazor? Looks like he's trying to take advantage of the terrain."

Mic: "This should be good!"

"Psybeam!" Twilight yelled, Shine firing the rainbow beam at the giant shark.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor created an orb of water and tossed it, hitting the attack before creating an explosion. "Now, in the water!"

Sharazor leapt into the nearest pool, diving below as the smoke cleared. Shine blinked at the sight, slowly trotting through the still muddy grass, waiting to for the enemy.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor exploded out of the pool behind Shine and threw its attack, the orb hitting her head on and exploding.

"NEE!" She cried as she was thrown forward, Sharazor diving back in. Shine shook her head next, steadying herself before glaring at the water. She began to run up to the were the Sharazor was, only to hear a splash behind her.

"SHAR!" the other Pokémon roared as he flew out of the water again, this time landing in front of Shine and spinning around, hitting her with its tail.

"The water is all connected?" Twilight yelped as Shine cried out, falling back from the blow.

"Aqua Jet!" Sharazor's body became surrounded by water, instantly charging at the pony like a raging bullet. The water stream arched down, ready to slam into the opponent, only for Shine to point her horn at Sharazor.

"Psybeam!" Shine unleashed another blast of psychic energy, striking the Aqua Jet...only for it to do nothing. Instead, the Sharazor crashed into Shine, knocking her back before the Aqua Jet shot up and circled around for another hit. The sight made Twilight gasp, only for a new idea to appear in her head, "Mystical Fire!"

"Nee," Shine drew the circle, "TAA!" She neighed as she shot the flaming bullet through the ring. It struck the Aqua Jet, but didn't stop it...only for the front of the attack to steam up and blind Sharazor. Shine then leapt out of the way as the Sharazor kept charging, only to hit the ground with a thud.

"Razor!" It cried as it slid along the ground, quickly trying to pick itself up.

"Tackle!" With as much force as she could muster, Shine leapt forward and slammed her head into Sharazor, making sure to stab with her horn. Sharazor flinched at the blow, staggering back as Shine hopped to a safe distance.

"Water Pulse/Fairy Wind!" The two launched their attacks, the water orb slamming into the glittery wind before pushing the liquid into the sky. Sharazor was also buffeted by the wind, making it stagger back until its feet reached the edge of a pool.

"Shar!" Sharazor leapt into the pool next, making Shine growl as the water instantly became still.

Time began to pass at this, the entire stadium on the edge of their seats as they waited to see what would happen next.

Mic: "There's no telling where Sharazor will appear. Will Twilight figure out a way to locate it, or is Lightning safe?"

Celestia: "There always a way to find an opponent if you keep your eyes open."

Celestia's words proved true, as Shine and Twilight heard a splashing coming from one of the pools to her left. "Psybeam!" Shine fired the laser into the pool, causing it explode...but Sharazor was nowhere to be seen.

Then, the pool to her right shot up as the shark Pokémon leapt out. "SHARAZOR!" It roared as Lightning ordered it to use Water Pulse, Sharazor throwing the attack before Shine could respond.

"Nee!" She cried as the orb struck her in the head.

"Shine!" Twilight yelped as she watched Shine open her eyes, only to see them go hazy. "Oh no..."

Grand: "Confusion, a possible side effect of being hit by a Water Pulse. Now Ponyta's in trouble."

"Crunch!" Sharazor ran up and grabbed Shine by the back, biting down as the pony screamed in pain.

"SHINE!" Twilight cried as her Pokémon kicked her legs around. Twilight then saw the giant smile on Lightning's face, only to glance down and get another idea. "That'll work. Use Psybeam on Sharazor's feet!"

Shine was quick to fire the blast at Sharazor's feet like she was told, causing the shark to flinch before crying out in pain. "Shar!" It then dropped Shine, the pony turning to him.

"Again!"

"NEE!" Shine fired another blast at Sharazor, causing it stagger back.

"Oh come on! Why isn't the confusion affecting that weakling?!" Lightning yelled as Sharazor began to backpedal into the water.

"Fairy Wind and aim low!" Shine spun her tail around, unleashing the pink glittery wind that skimmed along the ground before curving up and hitting Sharazor. It yelped as it was thrown upward, soon landing on the other side of the pool before rolling over and hopping back to its feet.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor formed the orb and threw it, Shine barely managing to jump to the side to avoid the attack.

"Aqua Jet!" the shark was surrounded by water before turning into a bullet, ready to strike Shine.

"Psybeam!" Shine fired the rainbow beam from her horn, the attack striking Sharazor, but not slowing him down.

If people could see through the water, they would have noticed the pained looking on its face. But it pushed through the psychic attack, still going as it screeched, "RAZOR!" It then struck Shine, an explosion of water coming next as both were blasted away from one another.

Sharazor hit the mud and slid back, slamming its clawed hand into the dirt to quicken the slowing. As for Shine, she rolled across the ground before flopping over with spirals in her eyes. "Taa."

"SHINE!" Twilight cried as Mic took a deep breath.

Mic: "Ponyta's KO'd! Sharazor is the winner. Now Twilight's down to only one Pokémon."

There was no applause here, not a hint from the audience. Lightning growled at this as he glared at the crowd while Twilight's friends sighed as she returned Shine to her ball. "It's okay Shine," she told it. "You did amazing against such strong opponents." She replaced her Pokeball and stared at Lightning. "You are strong, I'll give you that." Lightning said nothing in response. "But I'm not pushover either. Owlicious, I choose you!" She threw the ball upward, unleashing her strongest and oldest partner.

"OWL!" The Owlolar squawked as it flew up, gliding around before landing as it and Sharazor glared at one another.

"Tch. Really?! This is just too easy! Water Pulse!" Sharazor fired the orb of water at Owlicious, the bird easily taking to the air to dodge the attack.

"Mind Force!" Twilight yelled as her partner began to glow blue. He then squawked before beating his wings, the light shining as it went after their opponent. Sharazor quickly tried to run for the water, but the blast hit him with ease.

"Razor!" It roared in pain as it was blasted back, only to then leap into the pool.

Mic: "Ouch! Now Twilight won't know where Sharazor's next attack will be coming from. This could be bad for her."

Luna: "Maybe, but I get the feeling she was prepared for this."

"Too right," Twilight responded, "Time to show what all that hard work and training was for." She pointed at the water. "Owlicious, use Psychic!"

"OWL!" Owlicious's eyes glowed along with the water, confusing the crowd until they gasped at the sight of the water suddenly beginning to float up.

"What?" Lightning yelled as he saw multiple bubbles of water now hovering, one of them holding Sharazor. "Impossible...Sharazor, use Aqua Jet to get out of there now!"

Sharazor nodded as it began to summon water around itself, only for Twilight to speak up, "Now drop it!" Owlicious's eyes stopped glowing along with the water, Sharazor instantly falling like a rock into the dirt.

"RAZOR!" It cried as it crashed along with a half a ton of water on top of it.

"That's the way!" Twilight cheered before pointing at Sharazor. "Now use Peck!" Owlicious flew down as his beak began to glow and extend, the giant owl preparing to impale the shark.

"Dodge it!" Lightning barked as Sharazor got up, then leapt to the side in order to avoid the beak. At the same time, it reached out and grabbed Owlicious's left wing in its claws. "Good! Now use Ice Fang!"

"Shar!" it opened its mouth as its fangs began to glow blue, "RAZOR!" It bit into the wing, the attack freezing Owlicious's feathers.

"OWLOLAR!" He screamed at the intense cold, parts of his wings beginning to freeze over.

Celestia: "Looks like Owlicious is starting to get frozen. If Twilight's not careful, she'll have a frozen Flying-type on her hands."

Grand: "But it won't be easy. If Owlolar tries to pry Sharazor off, it could do more damage. What's she gonna do?"

"That's simple. Psychic!" Twilight commanded before Owlicious's eyes glowed, Sharazor soon following as his mouth was slowly opened. He started to flail his legs, trying to move as Owlicious pulled his wing free. The owl then beat both his wings, smacking Sharazor away.

"RAZOR!" It yelped as it was levitated a good ten feet off the ground before being slammed down. It was then picked up again and thrown across the field again. "SHARAZOR!" Owlicious let it go as it bounced along the mud, soon falling into one of the pools. About half the water had managed to get back into the pool after Owlicious has used his first Psychic, so it wasn't as soft a landing as Sharazor would have liked.

"Let's finish this!" Twilight yelled as Owlicious pecked off the ice on his wing. "Use Sky Attack!"

"OWL!" He flew up in response as Sharazor hopped back onto the field.

"Aqua Jet!" Sharazor dove down into the water, picking up speed before blasting out of another pool. He flew up while being surrounded by water, morphing into a watery bullet as Owlicious charged at full throttle.

And as both collided, a midair explosion rocked the stadium.

This caused an explosion in midair, a giant cloud of smoke appearing next. What followed was a figure falling like a rock, landing with a thud as it yelled out, "RAZOR!" The shark then flopped over, spirals for its eyes as Owlicious flew out of the fog, gasping as it weakly flew out.

Mic: "Sharazor's KO'd! The winner is Owlolar."

Grand: "Now both trainers only have one Pokémon each. This next match will decide it all."

"That's the way Twilight!" Spike cheered, "You've got this sis!"

"We believe in you!" Sunset added as Lightning returned Sharazor. "Win this and wipe that smirk off his face!"

Lightning stared at his Pokeball for a moment before turning back to Twilight. "Don't think you've got me on the ropes. I will win this." He replaced his Pokeball with another. "I will beat you, and I will show that Legendary why it made a mistake in not choosing me."

Twilight's eyes went wide, "You know about that?"

"And about the other two's run in with the other Legendaries. So tell me, what makes you so special? Is it because you're related to that weakling that has no right to be the champion?!" Twilight didn't respond, just frowning at Lightning continued, "What, got nothing to say?! Why would a Legendary Pokémon reveal itself to you and no one else?"

Twilight just stared at him, taking a deep breath before replying, "I don't know. Celestia said Mysticorn chose me because of my inquisitive mind...but honestly, I haven't a clue why Mysticorn chose me." She then pressed her glasses up, "But I'm not going to dishonor its choice by losing to you."

"Like you have a choice," Lightning spat. "You're out of your league. Clearly, Shining's so-called ultimate battle skills aren't a family trait. He would have already won. Though his time will come." A grin shined on his face, "I'll just settle with simply wiping you out! Pitchawk, battle ready!" He threw the ball upward, unleashing the Dark flying-type.

"Pitchawk!" It squawked while taking to the air, circling around the field while Owlicious glared at the bird.

Mic: "Looks like we'll be having a battle in the skies!"

Luna: "This'll be difficult for Twilight, mainly due to the fact that Pitchawk is immune to Owlolar's Psychic attacks."

"You got that right! End this now! Shadow Ball!" Lightning yelled as Pitchawk created a sphere of black and purple energy.

"Hawk!" It roared as it fired the orb, hitting Owlicious before it could react, the owl crying out in pain as he fell back but managed to pull himself up before hitting the ground.

"Use Peck!" Owlicious let out a hoot before flying straight up at Pitchawk, his beak extending at this.

"OWL!" He barked as he stabbed into Pitchawk, the hooded bird staggering back from the blow.

"Air Cutter!" As it fell, Pitchawk turned to Owlicious and beat its wings. Air blades came next, the attack instantly hitting Owlicious while it spread its wings, stopping its fall. Owlicious did the same, two soon at the same height as Lightning called out, "Now, Night Slash!" Pitchawk flew forward with now glowing purple wings, Owlicious now taking evasive maneuvers.

"Come on Twilight!" Spike yelled, "Don't let him win! Hit him with the big guns!"

"She can't!" Applejack responded while letting out a sigh, "All she can do is use Peck."

"But doesn't she have Sky Attack?"

Sunset shook her head, "Sky Attack takes too long to charge up. It's a move you should really use when your opponent is vulnerable, and since she can't use her Psychic attacks, she's doesn't have many options left."

At this moment, Pitchawk finally managed to slash a wing into Owlicious's stomach. "LAR!" He cried as he was thrown back, hitting the ground with a thud. The owl soon began to get up, flinching in pain as it felt the bruises from the final blow from his fight with Sharazor.

"Owlicious..." Twilight's body shook as she watched him begin to pick himself up. "What do I do?"

"Shadow Ball!" Lightning called out before Pitchawk began firing the spheres at Owlicious, her Owlolar seeing them and began jumping side to side. The attacks prevented him from properly taking off, leaving him stuck on the ground. "That's it! Don't give that weakling time to recover! Non-stop Shadow Balls Pichawk!"

And as she saw the orbs keep coming, Twilight whispered to herself, "There has to be something I can do...if Mysticorn really did reveal itself to me because of my mind, I have to start using it." She then glanced at the many Pokeball sized rocks that were littering the ground and at the bottom of the pools. They were where remains of the boulders Guardroid had destroyed, making an idea form in her head. "Wait...that's it! Owlicious, use Psychic!"

The command made everyone raise eyebrows, including the commenters.

Mic: "I don't get it. A Psychic attack won't do anything."

Grand: "She's obviously planning something."

"No she's isn't! She's being an idiot!" Lightning laughed, "She's lost it!"

"I haven't lost anything," Twilight told him as Owlicious's eyes glowed. "Grab the arena's rocks and send them flying!"

"Owl!" He hooted as the rubble that littered the battlefield began to float up, circling around him to form a sphere of rocks. And with one might beat of his wings, Owlicious sent them flying off in all directions.

"Hawk!?" Pitchawk cried before it was suddenly bombarded, the hooded bird unable to escape the volley of attacks. The attack knocked it back, letting Owlicious to leap up and spread its wings.

"Now use Peck!" Owlicious was quick to stab Pitchawk with his extended beak, making it cry out as Lightning gave his command.

"Shadow Ball!" Pitchawk yelped in pain before firing the orb at Owlicious, Twilight grinning at the sight.

"Mind Force!" Owlicious unleashed the blue beam and struck the orb, causing it to explode and fill the air with smoke. "Now, Sky Attack!"

"Night Slash!" Pitchawk shot into the smoke cloud as its wings glowed, but when it flew out the other side, Owlicious was nowhere in sight.

"Pitch?" It said as its eyes darted around, only to look up to see Owlicious glowing before swooping down with a ready powered up Sky Attack.

"OWL!" It squawked while smashing into Pitchawk, smacking it toward the ground.

"Air Cutter!" Once again, Pitchawk beat its wings and unleashed the air blades, striking Owlicious in the wings. Pain surged in his body as both began to fall, only to flare their wings right before crashing, but still rolling into a sliding landing.

"PITCH/OWL!" They yelped while rolling, soon coming to a stop as their trainers gave the next command.

"Shadow Ball/Mind Force!" The two launched their attacks, both blows colliding in the center of the field and exploding. But Pitchawk had already took flight as the attacks hit one another, rushing into the smoke as it filled the field. "Night Slash!"

"PITCHAWK!" It roared while leaping out of the other side of the cloud, reaching Owlicious before he had a chance to escape. He crossed both wings as they glowed before swinging them open.

"OWL!" The giant owl squawked as the X-shaped slash struck him, knocking him back as Pitchawk took this chance to leap into the air.

"Aerial Ace!" Lightning yelled, Pitchawk quickly circling back around before dive-bombing Owlicious. And as the Owlolar began to pick itself up, Pitchawk had already started to skim along the ground while picking up speed.

"Psychic! Use the water!" Owlicious's eyes glowed as the water flew out of the pool behind him. It floated upwards like a tsunami before zipping over his head and crashing down on the ground in front of him. The wave then collided with Pitchawk, making him squawk as he was washed backwards.

"HAWK!" He cried as he was slammed into the mud as Owlicious took to the skies.

"Sky Attack!" He spread his wings and began to glow, Pitchawk instantly getting back up.

"Shadow Ball!" It fired the dark energy orb upward, striking Owlicious as he started charging up his attack. And as he let out a yelp of pain, Pitchawk spread its wings and took to the air, "Now, Night Slash!"

"Don't stop! Hit him with everything you got!" Twilight yelled as Owlicious flew straight down. The two birds glared at one another as the flew closer and closer, knowing this next attack would likely end the battle.

"GO!" Their trainers screamed as they collided, no one able to tell who landed the finishing blow as an explosion occurred in the air. And as the cloud began to fade, one of their feathered fighters fell out of the sky, crashing with the loudest of thuds. The trainer of that Pokémon then saw the spirals in its eyes as Mic called out.

Mic: "Owlolar's KO'd!"

In that moment, the smoke faded to reveal Pitchawk as it flew down, landing in front of Lightning as the trainer laughed at the sight.

Mic: "All of Twilight's Pokémon are unable to battle. So the winner is Lightning Blitz!"

The crowd applauded, Twilight's friends the only ones not clapping. They all frowned as the two returned their Pokémon to their Pokeballs.

"This bites!" Spike barked.

"I know...but there's nothing we can do," Sunset added.

"It is a shame." Rarity chimed in while nodding, "But Twilight did well."

Celestia: "Even though Twilight lost, she showed great skill. Especially at the end, despite the disadvantage she had against her opponent."

Luna: "But Lightning was just too strong, and now he's entering the final round of the tournament."

Flash and Rainbow growled as Lightning entered the trainer's box, a giant grin on his face as he passed the two of them. "Hey losers, I look forward to seeing which of you I'll be meeting in the finals," he laughed before stopping at the exit. "Though it doesn't matter which one. The result will still be the same. You will lose."

Flash and Rainbow glared at him as he left, only to turn to see Twilight enter the room. "Sorry guys," she sighed. "He's just...too strong."

"Don't worry about it," Flash replied while patting her shoulder, "You did great."

"Yeah!" Rainbow added while nodding, "And don't worry, I'll get revenge for you. Once I'm done with Flash, he'll be next to taste my wrath." She turned to Flash, "You ready to go?"

"You know it. And I'll be winning this one." With that, they both left the trainers box. Knowing a battle with Lightning was on the line, the duo had every intention of giving this battle everything they had. Only time would tell who would claim victory and enter the finals of the Hoofington Battle Tournament. As the journey continues.

Spectrum Smack Down

View Online

Mic: "Welcome back to the Hoofington Battle Tournament! I hope you're not too exhausted from watching that last action packed battle, because we have another one about to start right now!"

In that moment, Flash and Rainbow walked out onto the battlefield. The two kept their eyes on one another as they made their towards their podiums, the field Twilight and Lightning had battled on now retracting into the ground. Flash stepped onto the blue podium while Rainbow stood on the red one, the two smiling as Flash spoke up. "I gotta admit, I'm looking forward to this."

"Same here," Rainbow replied, "This'll be our first serious battle. Not the fun one we had on the day we met, or the practice battles he had at camp. Today, it's an all out fight, and I'm gonna win!"

Flash smirked at this as a certain thought went through his head, 'Sorry Dash, but I can't lose.' His eyes shifted over to Grand in the commentator's box before going to Lightning. 'I've got a promise to keep.'

And as they waited for the announcer, their friends started talking, "So who do you think'll be winning this one?" Applejack asked first.

"Hard to say," Doc hummed. "In the battles they've had and actually finished, Rainbow's won. But they've both grown a lot stronger since then."

"There are too many factors to take in," Sunset added, "The terrain they'll be on, which Pokémon they'll be using and the mental state they're in."

"This battle could go either way." The others turned to see Twilight holding Springer in her arms. "But knowing those two, it'll probably end up being a battle of guts."

The group all nodded in agreement at this, turning back to the battle.

Up above the rest of the stands, leaning against a column, Lightning glared down at the battlefield. "You'd better not lose,." he growled to himself, "I can't wait to show that old geezer the truth. The only thing that matters in this world is power."

In that moment, the field was lifted into view as the announcers spoke up.

Mic: "It's time to see what kind of battlefield our competitors will be competing on!"

When the field stopped, it was revealed to be covered entirely with sand. Flash and Rainbow guessed it was a giant sandbox, most likely a few feet deep for moves like dig or earthquake.

Mic: "Looks like a sandy field. Hope the trainers brought their flip flops and beach towels!"

Luna: "A field like this can cause a variety of problems if you don't use it right. Blinding the opponent, getting stuck in the sand, and who knows what else."

Celestia: "That what makes this a good challenge. To see if the contestants have what it takes to adapt to the situation."

Grand: "It's all going to come down to which Pokémon the trainers use."

"Well then," Mic exclaimed, "I say it's time to find out who those Pokémon are! Everybody, please turn your attention to the megascreen!" They did so as the wheel appeared between Flash and Rainbow's images. "Time to find out who'll be selecting their Pokémon first!" With that, the light wheel began spinning, soon stopping on the blue section, "It's blue, so Flash Sentry will be the first to select his Pokémon! Show us what you got!"

"Gladly. Hopper, I choose you!" He threw the ball up, revealing his Skeidran.

"SKY!" It roared, the crowd clapping at the sight of such a mighty creature.

"Hopper, huh? He was able to beat Spitfire's Wondor, so I'm gonna need something good to stop it." She then pulled out a Pokeball, "Fletchinder, wings up!" She threw the ball, unleashing the fire bird.

"Fletch!" it screeched before landing, both Pokémon staring each other down.

Meanwhile, in another city of Equestria...

In an open area with megascreen billboards, a crowd of people were watching the battle on the screens.

At that moment, a girl stepped into the area. She had snow-white skin with sky blue hair and was wearing a headband with wings on the side similar to the head wings of a Dragonair. She was walking though the crowd, not even focusing on the megascreen until she heard the familiar roar of a Skeidran.

"What?" She looked up, only to go wide-eyed at the sight of Hopper and the mark on his head, "It can't be....can it?"

Mic: "Skeidran verses Fletchinder! This is sure to be an interesting battle."

Grand: "Fletchinder should have the speed advantage, while Skeidran has the power."

Celestia: "Not to mention Skeidran's ability give it three types of moves it gets STAB with."

"That might be true," Doc added, "But the problem is Hopper only knows two moves he has STAB with."

"But the other two moves he has aren't exactly weak," Twilight pointed out.

Mic: "Alright! I think it's time we get this battle underway. In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"FLAME CHARGE!" Rainbow yelled as Fletchinder shot forward, its entire body igniting at the same time.

"Dodge it!" Hopper up and took flight, Fletchinder flying under him as Flash gave another command, "Now, Extreme Speed!" Hopper roared as he began to glow before zipping down, Fletchinder turning to try and counter...only for Hopper to suddenly vanish.

"Fletch?"

"DRAN!" It spun around just in time to see Hopper behind it, the Proto-Dragon slamming his tail into the fire bird. It squawked as it was sent flying back, only flare his wings as Rainbow called out.

"Another Flame Charge!" Fletchinder's body exploded again, his speed increasing as he did this.

Celestia: "Smart. The more Fletchinder uses Flame Charge, the faster it'll get."

Hopper dodged the flaming avian using Extreme Speed again, Fletchinder following after him as it started to close the gap. But as he was about to hit Hopper, Flash yelled, "Use Steel Wing!" Hopper spun around and charged at Fletchinder with glowing wings.

"Dodge it!" Rainbow responded as Fletchinder spun around, avoiding the Steel Wing before circling around and slamming its burning body into Hopper's back.

"DRAN!" He cried as he was pushed downward, but managed to use his tail to whip Fletchinder off of him before they could crash. Hopper then spread his wings and broke his fall, gliding along the sandy surface while Fletchinder's flames went out.

"Use Crunch before it's too late!" Flash ordered as Hopper spun around and grabbed Fletchinder by the wings, his mouth slamming down into its shoulder.

"FLETCH!" It cried, Rainbow gasping at the sight.

"Get it off of you with Flame Charge!" Fletchinder tried to ignite its body, but Hopper bit down harder, making its flames smother. "Dang it!" Rainbow growled, "Grr...use Steel Wing!" Fletchinder's wings slowly began to glow, increasing its physical strength.

"FLETCH!" It screeched before slamming the wing into Hopper's head, making him cry out and release his hold on it. "Fletchinder!" It beat its wings at this, quickly trying to take flight.

"Nice! Now use Razor Wind!" Fletchinder's wings kept beating, unleashing a barrage of wind blades.

"Dodge them!" Flash ordered, Hopper taking to the sky as he avoided them, only getting nicked. "Keep pushing through! Extreme Speed!" Hopper then shot forward while glowing, attempting to slam into Fletchinder, only for the bird to dodge it in the last second. "What?!"

Luna: "All those Flame Charges has made Fletchinder so fast that it can even keep up with Extreme Speed."

"Aerial Ace!" Fletchinder circled around before diving at Hopper, the Skeidran using his Extreme Speed to evade the move. But as Fletchinder shot past him, it suddenly did a V-turn and slammed into him.

"DRAN!" He cried as he was sent crashing into the ground, sliding through the sand before rolling back onto his feet. "Skeidran."

"Not good," Flash whispered to himself, "Fletchinder's too fast. How are we supposed to fight against something with that much speed that can also set itself on fire?" As he said this, his brain clicked over a certain memory, "Wait..." he stared at the ground as Rainbow gave her order.

"Flame Charge!" Fletchinder flew down at incredible speed, its body igniting as it prepared to tackle Hopper.

The Skeidran spread his wings, ready to take off. "No Hopper! Just stay right there." Hopper raised an eyebrow at this, the rest of the stadium doing the same.

"Huh?! What are you up to now?!" Rainbow asked before seeing Flash smirk as Fletchinder got close.

"NOW, use Dragon Tail on the ground!" The crowd stared at the Pokémon now, Hopper smiling at the order.

"Dran!" He roared as he smashed his tail into the sand covered battlefield. The force caused a huge cloud of sand to explode, covering the air between Hopper and Fletchinder.

"Fletch?" The fire bird questioned, the Pokémon moving too fast to pull up before hitting the cloud. "Fletchinder!" It cried while coughing, unable to see as the flames on his body were smothered.

"Yes!" Flash cheered while the crowd applauded.

"How'd he do that?" Pinkie asked as Twilight, Doc and Spike all smiled at the sight.

"That's how he beat Braeburn at the Appaloosa Gym," Twilight replied, "I can't believe he remembered that."

"Leave it to Flash," Doc added as his friend gave Hopper his next attack order.

"Extreme Speed!" Flash yelled as Hopper began to glow, Fletchinder flying around awkwardly as he tried to get sand out of its eyes. He then shot around, disappearing and reappearing all around Fletchinder until he suddenly stomped his foot into the bird's back at high velocity.

"FLETCH!" It cried as it was slammed into the dirt, Hopper then leaping off as everyone saw the bird's eyes were replaced by spirals.

Mic: "Fletchinder's KO'd! The winner is Skeidran!"

"Way to go Hopper!" Flash cheered as Hopper landed in front of him.

"Dran..." Hopper began to speak before his entire body exploded with flames. "SKEIDRAN!" He screamed while those watching gasped.

Mic: "Ouch! Looks like Fletchinder left a parting gift!"

Celestia: "Flame Body. Fletchinder's ability, which may burn a Pokémon if they make contact with it."

Rainbow smirked as she returned Fletchinder. "Great work. That burn status will come in real handy." She took out another Pokeball and enlarged it. "Gliscor, wings up!" She threw the ball, soon revealing the gliding scorpion.

"Gly!" It roared as it landed on its tail and snapped its claws, "Gly, Gliscor!"

Mic: "A Gliscor. A very interesting choice."

Celestia: "Its a tricky Pokémon, with a few...restrictions to its fighting style."

"Well, he's still awesome!" Rainbow barked back before pointing at Hopper. "Use X-Scissor!" Gliscor used its tail as a spring at the command, bouncing straight for with glowing claws.

"Steel Wing!" Hopper's wings shined as he spun around right as Gliscor slashed it claws in an X formation. The two attacks collided, causing a powerful burst of wind that knocked Gliscor into the air.

it didn't seem worried or scared however, instead simply smiling as Rainbow gave her next order. "Sludge Bomb!" Gliscor took a deep breath before spitting out a large ball of brown gunk.

"Dran!" Hopper cried as the ball hit his face, staggering back before leaping back into the air.

"Dragon Tail!" Hopper shot up, slamming his glowing tail into Gliscor, making him cry out as he was thrown downward.

"GLY!" It yelped before crashing into the battlefield, the sand somewhat cushioning its landing. As this happened, Hopper's body suddenly ignited.

"DRAN!" Flash's eyes went wide in shock as Hopper began to lose flight, slowly falling at this.

Mic: "Looks like Skeidran's not taking that burn well."

Luna: "Rainbow won't even have to deal any damage at this rate. She can just run the clock until the burn catches up with him."

Grand: "I don't think that's Rainbow's style."

"Too right," Rainbow added as Hopper kept trying to sustain his flight. He then hit the ground, sliding to a stop as the flames began to fade. "Slash!" Using its tail, Gliscor shot forward while swinging his claws, slashing Hopper in the chest before flying past him.

"Crunch!" Hopper spun around and thrust his head forward, biting into Gliscor's tail with a mighty chomp.

"Dran!" Hopper then swung Gliscor around with a pull of his neck, slamming him into the sand.

"Scor!" Gliscor cried as Hopper retook to the sky.

"Steel Wing!" Skeidran circled around before dive-bombing with glowing wings.

"Counter with your own Steel Wing." Gliscor jumped up with its own shining wings, both charging until another collision struck.

"DRAN/SCOR!" They screamed as their wings connected, pushing both back. Hopper was able to hit harder, Gliscor being pushed back before his burn flared again, "DRAN!" He cried, allowing Gliscor to push him back.

"Sludge Bomb!" Gliscor roared before firing the poison ball at Hopper, hitting him dead-on.

"Hopper!" Flash yelled as his Skeidran was thrown into the sand, landing with a thud. "You okay?" He waited a few seconds until Hopper rolled over, pushing back to his feet while holding his head high.

"Sky!"

"Alright!" He pointed upward, "Then back in the air!" Hopper nodded and spread his wings, quickly flying above Gliscor. "Get above it!" He told him, making everyone blink as Rainbow grimaced at his words.

"Don't tell me..."

"I figured it out," Flash responded, "Gliscor can't actually fly. It can glide, but it can't actually control how high it flies. It has to leap into the air, and it can't get any higher after that." The look on Rainbow's face told him he was right. "Let's go Hopper! Use Extreme Speed and circle around Gliscor!"

"Dran!" Hopper shot forward as he glowed, moving faster and faster as he flew around Gliscor. The wind from the move began to push Gliscor around, causing him to spin out of control.

"GLY!" It yelped, starting to go dizzy at the pushing wind.

"Use Sludge Bomb!" Rainbow yelled, Gliscor quickly firing the slime out of its mouth with rapid fury. And as it did this, it hit Hopper in the wing.

"Dran!" He cried, the blow freeing Gliscor from the cyclone before the burn flared again. "DRAN!"

"Quickly! Use X-Scissor before it recovers!" Gliscor quickly charged while pulling its claws back, swiping with a mighty swing as the flames vanished.

"Dran/Scor!" They yelled as the impact occurred, knocking Hopper to the ground again.

"Hopper!" Flash yelped as they drew closer to the ground, but Hopper flared his wings. This stopped their descent, causing Gliscor to slam into Hopper and bounce off. "Crunch!" Once again, Hopper bit down on its tail, spinning around before flinging him into the dirt.

"SCOR!" It crashed with a thud, sliding through the sand as Hopper flew down as well.

"Finish this! Dragon Tail!"

As Gliscor picked itself up, Hopper swung his tail down, slamming it straight into Gliscor's head. The force of the attack smacked him into the ground, Hopper leaping back next before the burn blasted him again. "DRAN!" Was all he could say before falling over, spirals appearing in its eyes.

"Hopper!" Flash cried before seeing Gliscor pick itself up. It smiled at its downed opponent, only to fall back with spirals in his eyes as well.

Mic: "DOUBLE KO!"

The crowd cheered as the two returned their Pokémon. "Thanks Hopper," Flashw whispered as he put the ball away. "You did great."

Rainbow smirked at this as she put Gliscor's Pokeball away, "Don't think you've won just because you're one Pokémon ahead of me."

"Except it puts her at a major disadvantage," Sunset pointed out.

"She'll be fine," Fluttershy instantly replied, "It'll take more than being at a disadvantage to knock Rainbow off her game." She watched as Rainbow took out her Pokeball. "Just watch, she'll surprise you."

"Tank, take flight!" Rainbow threw the ball, opening to reveal the Soartoise, who began flying around he field and did a complete circle of it before landing in front of his trainer.

"Soar!"

Mic: "Rainbow's going the Flying Rock-type as her final Pokémon. What will Flash choose to counter with?"

Flash smirked as he took out his Pokeball. "Prongs, I choose you!" The ball spun through the air before unleashing his Chitaleaf.

"Leaf!" He roared as he landed on the sand.

Those in the stands all stared at the Pokémon, Spike turning to the others. "I get Flash doesn't have a lot of other Pokémon to use against Flying-types, but wouldn't something like Viper or Riptide have been better?"

"I think he chose Prongs for a reason," Twilight replied, "Though I'm not sure why."

"Let's get this done!" Rainbow yelled as she pointed at Prongs. "Use Hurricane!" Tank leapt up and morphed into his fan form, unleashing the spiralling wind from his stomach that flew at Prongs while picking sand up off the ground.

"Dodge it!" Flash ordered, Prongs quickly leaping to the side to avoid the sandy tornado before prancing forward. "Now, Body Slam!"

"Get out of there!" Rainbow commanded, Tank shifting his body to point towards the ground and push him upward, making Prongs miss and slide to a stop.

"Bounce!" Prongs began to pick up speed again, leaping and reaching Tank before he had a chance to defend himself.

"CHIT!" He roared as he thrusted his four hooves into Tank's shell.

"Soar!" Tank cried as he was knocked back, Prongs landing safely while the turtle tried to recover as Flash let out another order.

"Energy Ball!"

"LEAF!" Prongs fired the green sphere at Tank, hitting him head-on as an explosion now consumed Tank.

Mic: "Wow! Despite the type disadvantage, Chitaleaf is certainly making up for it."

Celestia: "I think Flash chose Chitaleaf directly for this purpose."

Luna: "Chitaleaf doesn't even have to win this match. Dealing enough damage will almost ensure their victory with Flash's last Pokémon."

Grand: "Maybe, but I'm sure those two plan on winning straight up."

"Tank!" Rainbow yelled as her Soartoise got up, "You okay?"

"Soar," Tank nodded.

"Alright," Rainbow pointed at Prongs, "Use Stone Edge!" Tank nodded as circles of light appeared around Tank, turning them all into rocks before firing them at the Pokémon.

"Dodge it!" Flash ordered as Prongs began jumping side to side, avoiding all but one rock.

"Leaf!" He cried out while staggering back, allowing several more rocks to slam into him.

"Alright!" Rainbow cheered. "Now, while it's down, let's power up our defenses. Iron Defense!"

Tank let out a roar before glowing, making the commenter's box speak up.

Mic: "Huh. That's weird. I would have thought she'd use this chance to attack."

Luna: "She's playing it smart. Powering up her defense while she had an opening means she's taking Flash's next Pokémon into account."

"Iron Defense again!" Tank's shell glowed again as Prongs picked himself up, shooting a glare at the Soartoise.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired the orb again, Tank crossing his flippers seconds before it hit. The explosion knocked Tank back, but he showed little damage from the blow, "Now, Bounce!"

"Take off!" Prongs charged as Tank began to spin his fins, taking to the air as Chitaleaf then leapt up at Soartoise. But as he got close, the Pokémon barely dodged the blow. "Body Slam!" Tank then spun around, slamming the back of his shell into Prongs and pinning him to the ground with a thud.

"LEAF!" Tank then rolled off of him, leaping away with ease.

"Now, Hurricane!" Tank unleashed another tornado, this one hitting Prongs straight on. He suddenly found himself sucked into the tornado, also getting buffeted by the sand. He cried out until the wind stopped, causing him to fall like a rock.

"Prongs!" Flash yelped before turning to Tank, "There's gotta be something to sap that defense....wait, that could work! Prongs, Leech Seed!" Prongs' eyes snapped open as he turned to Tank before the tips of his antlers glowed, the lights shooting off them like bullets.

"What the-" Rainbow said as Tank tried to evade them, only to be hit by the seeds. They then cracked open, the vines soon wrapping around Tank's entire body. And as Prongs hit the ground, Tank began to feel his energy being drained.

Celestia: "Now Rainbow's the one on a time crunch. If she's not careful, those Leech Seeds will drain Soartoise dry."

Prongs picked himself up as Tank's draining stopped, Flash giving Rainbow a smirk. "Now we've got you! Prongs, Body Slam!"

Prongs neighed as he charged just as Rainbow spoke up, "You've got nothing! Blow him away with Hurricane!" But when Tank tried to move, he suddenly found his arms and legs wouldn't spin like they should. They were being stopped by the vines. "What?!" Rainbow yelped as Prongs slammed into Tank, knocking him back.

Twilight laughed at this, "Now that's a Flash strategy! The vines are stopping Tank from spinning his fins!"

"Meaning he can't use Hurricane or fly," Sunset added.

"Way to go Flash!" Spike cheered.

"Clever...but not clever enough. We've still got other moves! Tank, Stone Edge!" Tank rolled back to his feet and summoned the rocks, firing them at the Chitaleaf as he started to go one the defensive. Several rocks nicked him as Tank tried to break himself free of the Leech Seed, only for it to flare up and drain more energy.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs leapt into the air, avoiding the last few rocks while forming the orb in front of his mouth.

"LEAF!" He roared as he fired the sphere.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow cried as Tank's shell glowed, seconds before the orb blasted into him. Rainbow watched Tank stagger at this blow, more of his energy being drained at the same time. "Come on Tank. You have to put energy into this."

"Body Slam!" Prongs charged again, ready to tackle Tank.

"I need you...TO FLY!" Those words echoed in Tank's head, making him growl.

"SOAR!" He roared as he morphed into his fan form, trying to spin his flippers with everything he had. And with a single motion, he ripped the vines off himself, taking to the air.

"What?!" Flash yelped as Prongs missed his attack.

"Alright!" Rainbow cheered, "Hurricane!" Once again, Tank created a tornado that flew down and struck Prongs, pinning him down with a blast of wind and sand.

"LEAF!" He cried as the attack tore through him. And when the whirlwind stopped, Tank landed in front of Rainbow as Prongs fell over with spiraled eyes.

Mic: "Chitaleaf's KO'd! The Winner is Soartoise!"

The crowd cheered as Flash returned Prongs, a smile on his lips. "You did great Prongs. You might not have won, but you sure gave Tank a run for his money." Flash then stared up at Rainbow, both locking eyes as a grin appeared on their faces.

"I wonder who Flash will pick now?" Pinkie asked, the others shrugging as Flash took out a Pokeball.

"Skyler, I choose you!" He threw the Pokeball, unleashing his chosen Pokémon.

"WINGUST!" Skyler squawked as he flew around before landing in front of Flash, staring down Tank as the Soartoise smirked back.

"Why'd he pick Skyler?" Applejack asked, "Tank's got an advantage on him." Twilight, Fluttershy, Spike and Doc all chuckled, knowing exactly why Flash had picked him.

"I had a feeling you'd use Skyler," Rainbow responded. "This sure takes me back."

"Same," Flash nodded. "Back to the first time we met and our first battle." The two flashed back to that day, the pair standing in the field with Chickling and Torpeller facing off. "You beat me that time, but I'm not gonna let you win so easily this time. Skyler and I are settling the score!"

"You can try, but Tank and I haven't exactly been doing nothing since then! Even if you guys have gotten stronger, so have we! And it's time I showed you...Tank, Hurricane!" The Soartoise morphed into its fan form and spun around, the wind striking the sandy ground and kicking it into the air, creating a massive dust devil.

"Gust?" Skyler yelped as he flew into the clouds, finding himself getting buffeted by both sand and the high winds.

"Skyler! Fly up!" Skyler did so, escaping the tornado as Tank flew after him. "Air Cutter!" Skyler beat his wings, unleashing several air blades, but Tank quickly shifted around, all attacks hitting his sturdy shell.

"Body Slam!" Tank increased the speed of his fan as he shot forward, slamming his shell into Skyler before the Wingust could avoid it.

"Gust!" He cried in pain, about to fly into the sand. And as he was about to hit this, a bulb went off in Flash's head.

"Skyler, fly into the sand!" Skyler heard this and quickly straightened himself out so he dive-bombed the cloud, blocking him from being seen by the others.

"What are you up to?" Rainbow asked.

"Simple. Giving you more than one thing to focus on! Skyler, Double Team!" Seconds later, multiple blurs shot out the of the cloud, all flying up at Tank. The Soartoise's eyes darted around, now seeing all the Wingust surrounding him, the real one lost in the swarm.

Grand: "Impressive! Using his opponent's own strategy to his advantage."

Celestia: "But he needs to be careful in case the sand blinds Skyler."

The Skyler army began circling around Tank as Flash commanded, "Steel Wing!"

Rainbow watched as the Wingust all charged Tank with glowing wings, "Its not gonna be that easy! Use Stone Edge!" The rocks appeared around Tank before firing off in every direction, several of the Double Team fakes getting hit and fading away.

"WINGUST!" the bird roared as he shot past Tank and slashed at him with his metal wing, causing Tank to flinch.

"Now, use Aerial Ace!" Skyler shot up and then circled around before dive-bombing the flying tortoise.

"Iron Defense!" Rainbow yelled as Tank moved around, his shell glowing as Skyler slammed into it, rebounding off with a cry of pain. "Now blow it away with Hurricane!" Tank spun around again, unleashing the tornado from its stomach, striking Skyler flying back.

"Skyler!" Flash yelped, now seeing Skyler fly uncontrollably through the air. And as he spread his wings, stopping the spin out, Flash turned to Tank, "Not good. Iron Defense, Stone Edge and that Hurricane. Skyler's not strong enough to push through any of them."

"You giving up?" Rainbow asked with a smirk, making Flash growl.

"I never give up! Skyler, Double Team again!" Skyler suddenly multiplied, the clones all charging at Tank.

"Use Stone Edge the blast them away!" Rainbow barked back as Tank created the jagged rocks.

"SOAR!" He roared as he sent them flying with a flick of his giant flippers. The Wingust tried to avoid them, but one by one they were struck down until the real was hit.

"Wingust!" Skyler cried as he starting tumbling down, Tank diving at him at the same time.

"Pull up!" Skyler did his best to re-position himself, pointing his beak toward the ground and getting his body straight. And just before he hit the ground, he spread his wings, doing a perfect U-turn before shooting straight up. "Aerial Ace!" Skyler slammed into Tank before the Soartoise could react, knocking him back.

"Hurricane!" Tank unleashed another burst of wind, but Skyler managed to barrel roll away.

"Steel Wing!" Skyler used his talons and grabbed onto the vents on Tank's chest the second they stopped firing the air, his wings glowing before slamming them into Tank's body.

"Gust, gust, gust gust!" He roared every time he hit the shell, Tank having retracted his head into his shell.

"Blast it off you! Hurry!" Tank fired the most powerful burst of air from his shell as he could, forcing Skyler to stop his assault, knocking him grip off.

"Gust!" He cried while flying back.

"Stone Edge!" The rocks appeared around Tank, swinging his flippers as he fired the boulders at Skyler. The bird had just managed to get himself under control when he saw them coming, his eyes going wide as he was suddenly bombarded.

"WINGUST!" He screamed as they began to rain down on him, unable to defend himself.

"Body Slam!" Tank charged as the last rock hit Skyler, quickly bashing the bird with his rock-like shell.

"WING!" He cried as he was thrown back, crashing into the sandy battlefield. "GUST!" His body dug a trench in the sand, slowly coming to a stop.

"SKYLER!" Flash screamed as he saw his Wingust try to get up, groaning in pain as Tank hovered away. "Come on, you have to get up!" But despite the encouragement, Skyler's wings and feet couldn't seem to hold his own weight.

"This isn't looking good," Doc commented.

"I guess it's over for Flash," Spike moaned.

Sunset nodded in agreement, "One more hit from Tank and that'll be that."

"Don't worry," they all turned to Twilight. "He isn't done yet. When Flash is in a corner, that's when he and his Pokémon are able to push through any limit." Springer cheered out from her lap, telling his trainer and Skyler not to give up.

"Come on Flash!" Rainbow yelled, "Is that really the best you've got? I was hoping for something a little more from you! You beat Spitfire, but you give up like that." She then shrugged, "I guess you guys haven't grown as much as I thought you had!"

"Don't count us out just yet!" Flash barked back, "We may be down, but we're not out! In fact, we're just getting warmed up. You with me, Skyler?!"

"Wing!" Skyler roared as he got up and spread his wings, "WING...GUST!" And as he yelled this, his entire body exploded with light. The entire stadium went silent at the sight as Skyler's body began to grow and change.

"No way..." Flash whispered.

"Skyler's evolving," Twilight added as Skyler's transformation completed itself.

"Tore..." he yelled before beating his wings, causing the light to explode off of him, revealing his new form. He looked just like the Pokémon Spitfire had used in her Gym battle, being mainly black with yellow and red patterns along with a red V-shape on his chest. "TORNAVIAN!"

Mic: "INCREDIBLE! Flash's Wingust has evolved into Tornavian right before our eyes! This is unprecedented. Never have we seen an evolution during the Hoofington Battle Tournament!"

Grand and the professors all clapped, smiling as they understood why this happened.

Celestia: "It's was Flash's determination and belief in Skyler that made this possible. It allowed Skyler to dig deep and draw out new power, granting it the evolution we've just witnessed."

Flash and the trainers in the stands who had never seen a Tornavian all took out their Pokedexs and scanned him. "Looks like you've also learned a new move." Flash put his Pokedex away, "Alright..." He turned to Rainbow, "I told you this battle wasn't over!"

"Yeah you did!" Rainbow laughed, "But just because he's evolved doesn't mean Skyler's gonna win." She pointed at Tank. "Let's show'em Tank! Hurricane!"

Tank unleashed the powerful typhoon again, kicking up the sand as Flash pointed at his Pokémon, "Go Skyler!" The bird took the the sky, flying into the sand cyclone. But unlike before, Skyler wasn't at all bothered by the powerful winds. He shot straight through, not even feeling the sand. "Steel Wing!"

Rainbow stared up at the Tornavian as his wings glowed, preparing to give an Iron Defense order. But before she could, Skyler suddenly closed the gap between himself and Tank, smashing his wings into the giant tortoise. "WHOA!" She yelped as Tank was thrown back, "That's fast..." She whispered before smirking, "This is gonna be fun! Stone Edge!"

"Soar!" Tank rolled back to his feet as the jagged rocks appeared around him, swinging his flippers around as the boulders flew through the air.

"Evasive manoeuvres!" Flash yelled as Skyler flew at the rocks while picking up as much speed as he could. To Skyler, it was like time has suddenly stopped, all the rocks now just floating in the same spot. This allowed him to easily evade them, gliding left, right and barrel-rolling to get past every single piece of rubble. To everyone else, it was like Skyler was so fast that he was teleporting between the rocks.

"NO WAY!" Spike cheered when Skyler left the rock cloud completely unscathed.

Mic: "Talk about speed and agility!"

Luna: "That's something Tornavian are known for."

Grand: "Soartoise may find getting even one hit on it trickier than before. But given the damage it's already taken, one hit may be all it takes."

"Take flight!" Rainbow told Tank as he leapt into the air, Skyler keeping up with him as the two began to fly around each other. "Iron Defense!" Tank's shell glowed as the Tornavian got into position around it, Flash smirking.

"Trying to raise your defenses, huh? Well, we'll just have to brake through that defense! Steel Wing!" Skyler's wings glowed as he began to charge at Tank.

"Dodge it!" Tank shifted his position, letting his air push him in another direction, causing Skyler to miss. "Now, Body Slam!" Tank shifted again, ready to slam his shell into him.

"Double Team!" Before Tank could hit him, Skyler suddenly multiplied in to an entire flock of giant birds. The one Tank struck vanished while the others began flying around him. "Steel Wing!" One of the Tornavian hit Tank with a glowing wing, "Again!" Skyler rejoined the flock after the quick blow, circling around Tank again before flying out and striking him in the back. "One more time!"

"Oh, no you don't! Stone Edge!" Tank summoned the rocks again, launched them off in every direction, hitting every single bird. But to Tank's surprise, all the Tornavian vanished.

"Soar?" He blinked as he began to look around.

"ABOVE YOU!" Rainbow yelled, making Tank up look up and see Skyler flying straight down with glowing wings.

"Soar!" he cried as the bird flew past him, slashing him down the chest.

"Now, Aerial Ace!" Skyler continued to fly downward and picked up speed, tucking his wings in as he fell. Then, when he was close to the ground, he shot his wings out, pulling up as he created a black V-shape just above the ground, the wind from it blowing the sand away from the spot the V's tip was.

"Hurricane!" Tank pointed his vents straight at Skyler and spun his flippers again, creating another tornado that the Tornavian flew into. He was barely slowed down, but the microsecond longer it took to reach Tank gave him just enough time to spin around, letting Skyler slam into his shell.

"Tore!" He cried while ricocheting off, Tank spinning around to slap him in the face. "Navian!" He fell back, barely able to flare his wings to keep himself airborne.

"You got this Skyler!" Flash yelled.

"You got nothing!" Rainbow barked back, "Tank, Stone Edge!" The Soartoise roared as the jagged rocks once again appeared, all ready to hit Skyler.

Flash saw this and rubbed the sides of his head, "Come on...think! That Hurricane attack is my biggest issue. Even if it's not by much, it's still slowing us down. But how am I supposed to...THAT'S IT!" Skyler prepared to evade the rocks as Tank began to fire them. "Skyler, stay where you are and hit those rocks back with Steel Wing!"

"Tore?" Skyler yelped, turning back to see Flash nodding. Skyler smiled before turning back to the incoming rocks, his wings starting to glow. "TORNAVIAN!" He roared as he started smashing the rocks, sending them flying back. Some slammed into more oncoming rocks, but others flew past them and headed straight for Tank.

"Soar?" He asked, shock on his face while not having the time to dodge or spin around to use his shell. He began to cry out as the rocks hit him, most knocking off his shell while others slammed into the vents in his body and got stuck in all but two of them.

Mic: "Incredible! Flash was able to knock Rainbow's attack right back at her!"

Grand: "Quick thinking. And it did more than just cause damage!"

"Soartoise!" Tank yelped as he tried to blast air out of his vents, only to find nothing.

"Alright!" Flash yelled as he pointed at Skyler, "Let's finish this with your new move!" Skyler nodded and flew straight up, "Now...TORNADO BURST!"

"TORE!" Skyler began to spin around as the wind wrapped around him, forming a tornado with the tip where his beak was. That tornado arched around as the tip pointed toward Tank, Rainbow going wide-eyed at the oncoming attack.

"You gotta stop it! Use Hurricane!" Tank cried out as he began to spin his fins, attempting to blast the air from his vents. But the rocks continued to block them while the two open vents weren't enough to create the tornado, Rainbow just now noticing this problem. "NO!"

"DO IT!" Flash roared as the tornado exploded, sending Skyler at blinding speed as he slammed into Tank.

"TORE/SOAR!" They both screamed upon the impact, Tank falling back into the ground. His body instantly kicked up a large cloud of sand, the dirty mist soon fading to reveal the Soartoise with spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Soartoise's KO'd! The winner of the match is Tornavian! All three of Rainbow's Pokémon are unable to continue, so the winner of the match is FLASH SENTRY!"

The crowd exploded with cheers, all applauding the two for such an amazing battle. None were cheering louder then their friends, all proud of both of them despite the outcome. Flash sighed in relief before a wide smile appeared on his lips. "YES!" He exclaimed while his new Tornavian landed in front of him. "Skyler, you were awesome! I can't believe you evolved!"

"Tore!" Skyler squawked with joy while spreading his wings.

At the same time, Rainbow walked up to Tank and patted him on the shell. "What is it with us losing to Tornavian?" She asked before pulling out his Pokeball. She then returned Tank and walked over to Flash, who also returned Skyler. "Well man, you beat me."

"You don't look so sad about that," Flash replied.

"Nah," Rainbow shrugged. "If I had to lose to someone, I'm glad it was you." She held out a hand, Flash taking it. "But now you've gotta win. No way I'm losing to anyone who didn't win the whole tournament."

"Don't worry about it," Flash nodded before looking up at the stands, seeing Lightning standing at the very highest point. Despite being so far away, the two's eyes locked. "I intend too."

Mic: "This was a hard fought battle, but in the end, Flash Sentry claimed victory. Now he'll be joining Lightning Blitz in the final battle to determine the winner of the tournament. Since both trainers have six Pokémon entered, this will be a full Six on Six battle."

Grand: "Twelve Pokémon, two trainers, one battlefield and a million possible outcomes. This is a battle's absolute zenith."

Mic: "Make sure to be here tomorrow as the Hoofington Battle Tournament finally concludes! Later peeps!"

A little later...

As the sun began to move toward the horizon, the group was at the Pokémon Center.

"Thank you for waiting," Nurse Redheart announced, "I'm pleased to report all of your Pokémon are completely fighting fit." Flash, Twilight and Rainbow all grabbed their Pokeballs, Flash taking his other ones out and throwing them into the air.

In a colossal burst of light, all of Flash's Pokémon appeared besides Springer. "Alright guys, this is it. We're in the final match and we're up against Lightning." They all growled at this, each seriously pumped for the chance. "I know you're all going to go all out, and that's all I can ask of you. So tomorrow, let's show Lightning why he shouldn't underestimate us!"

"RI/TORE/SPRAN/LEAF/CAR/DRAN!" They all roared while the others watched. They were all excited to see how things were going to work out tomorrow, only for their grins to vanish when the doors opened to show Lightning.

Chimplug was on his shoulder and jumped down the second they entered, the Electric-type smirking at Springer and Riptide. Lightning didn't say anything as he moved over to the counter, giving his thanks to Nurse Redheart before taking his Pokeballs.

He then turned back to Flash, the two locking eyes. Both said nothing, knowing no point in repeating themselves and wasting breath.

"You'd better not chicken out. I can't wait to prove that old geezer wrong and pound your Pokémon into the dirt." Lightning stated before leaving. Chimplug continued to smile at Springer and Riptide until Lightning called for him, the monkey laughing at them before running after his trainer.

"Don't worry, I'll be there." He turned to his team, "And we'll win." His Pokémon all cheered in agreement, the others just watching they continued to cheer. Tomorrow may in fact be the toughest challenge Flash had ever faced, but they all knew he was ready. Everything Flash had been through, every challenge and lesson would be put to the test. As the journey continues.

I Ain't Losing The Fight

View Online

Cheers ripped through the air as the citizens of Hoofington City and the visiting fans all took their seats, anxious for the start of the final match of the battle Tournament. In the commentators box, Present Mic along with the professors Celestia and Luna were now seated.

"WHAZZ-UUUUUP!" The announcer cheered into his microphone. "The time is finally here battle fans! Sixteen trainers entered this tournament, and now only two remain!" The megascreens changed to show the faces of the two finalists. "Flash Sentry claimed victory in the Battle Royal against Time Turner, Pinkie Pie and Rarity before defeating Rainbow Dash in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, Lightning Blitz took down Micro Chips, Sandalwood and Spark Plug in his Battle Royal and went on to overcome Twilight Sparkle in order to get into the finals! Now they must face off for the chance to earn the title of Battle Tournament Champion and win the amazing prizes!" He turned to the sisters. "Professors, how do you think this battle will turn out?"

Celestia: "It's hard to say. There are so many factors to take into account. It's impossible to accurately say who may come out on top."

Luna: "All we can do is wait and see how everything turns out. We'll have our answer soon enough."

As they said this, Flash and his friends were standing outside the entrance to Flash's hallway. They stared up at the TV as Mic and the professor's conversations continued, images of the previous battles now showing on the screens. While this happened, Twilight turned to Flash, now seeing the frown on his face, "Nervous?"

"A little. It's just...this is Lightning. One of the toughest trainers I know. I haven't beaten him once yet, but now I have to fight him in front of an entire crowd. Heck, all of Equestria will be watching."

"Then they're gonna watch you cream that jerk!" Rainbow barked, "You've got this!"

The others all nodded as Twilight continued, "Just remember all the stuff you taught me. Believe in your Pokémon and there's nobody you can't beat." Flash turned to them, seeing them all nod while giving him a reassuring smile. Twilight, Spike, Doc, Sunset, Rainbow, Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and Trixie all had total faith in him.

"You're right," Flash replied, "I just have to believe in my Pokémon."

"Speaking of which, where are they?"

"I let them out down there," Flash pointed into the corridor. "I figured they could use some stretching before the big battle." A buzzer went off next, telling everyone the match would soon start. "You all better get to your seats."

"Alright," Twilight responded, "Just remember what we told you."

"I will," Flash nodded as they disappeared down the hallway. But as they did, Flash's smile vanished before he looked down the hallway. "Lightning..."

Lightning was making his way down his corridor, only to stop when he spotted his grandfather standing in front of him. A large frown was on the former's champion's face, a look of pure disapproval. The sight made Lightning sigh while rolling his eyes, "If you're here to give me a lecture, save it. I don't have time to listen to your drivel." He walked past him, only to stop when Grand spoke up.

"Don't expect an easy battle out there." Lightning glanced back at him. "Flash and his Pokémon aren't to be taken likely. The fact they've made it this far shows how strong they all are."

"Oh please. I've seen what that loser is capable of. He's nothing." Lightning fully turned around at this, "He can't hold a candle to the true strength someone like me has."

As these words left the teen's mouth, Grand let out a chuckle, making Lightning hiss at him, "Don't laugh at me!"

Grand shook his head at this, "True strength? You believe you have something like that? Tell me Lightning, what does true strength mean to you?" Lightning raised an eyebrow, "Is it just pure brought power? It's true your Pokémon have plenty of that, but they also lack something. Something Flash's Pokémon have in droves."

"And what would that be?"

"Heart."

Lightning's eyebrow went down as he glared at his grandfather, "Heart? Gramps, you know junk like that doesn't matter in battle."

"It does." Grand instantly replied, "Sometimes I think you forget that being a Pokémon trainer isn't like some video game. While it's true Pokémon have different strengths and weaknesses, that's not all that define them. They aren't pieces of code whose power is determined by a bunch of math. They're living, breathing creatures with a will of their own. And if that will is strong enough, they can overcome any weakness they possess."

"And you're saying my Pokémon don't have these wills?"

"Your Pokémon are naturally talented in battle, and it's that talent they rely on. Because of that, they haven't faced the true hardships needed to help them push their limits. But Flash's Pokémon have all faced challenges, both physically, mentally and emotionally. Because they've faced those challenges, each of them have grown stronger. And they will continue to grow stronger, far beyond the point your Pokémon's talent will take them. Because they have the will needed to help them push past their limits."

Lightning remained silent, his gaze shifting away from him.

"There was a time I thought you would raise Pokémon to have that same will...and it's not too late." Lightning glared back at this as Grand continued, "The path you walk is yet to be set in stone. You can still grow into the trainer I'd always hoped you would be." He held out his hand, "If you'd just let me and those around you in."

He waited for Lightning's response, seeing him slowly lift his hand up...only to slap it away, "This is sounding like a lecture. And I told you, I don't have the time." He turned away. "I'm here for one thing. To win and show everyone why I will be the one to defeat Shining Armor."

Grand stared at his hand for a second before glaring back at Lightning. And as he spoke up, Lightning noticed the low growl in his voice, "Even if you beat Flash, you'll never stand a chance against Shining."

"No...I will, just like I'll beat this loser I'm about to battle." Lightning hissed before turning back to Grand again, "Because he's just like you. He thinks something so pointless like 'heart' matters, and Shining is the same." Lightning shined a huge grin as he pointed at himself, "Just you wait, by the time the Equestria League comes to an end, Shining Armor will we kneeling at my feet."

With that, he began to walk away, making Grand sigh and shake his head again, "Flash...it's up to you now. He won't listen to me and even if he lost to Shining, it would be meaningless. Only you can save him now."

Outside the corridor, Flash continued to wait, twiddling his thumbs as he watched the megascreen. As he did this, Mic continue to make announcements, "We're just moments away from the start of the final battle. I'm sure you're all looking forward to seeing our competitors go all out in an attempt to claim victory. I hope they're not shy, because this battle isn't just being seen by those in the stadium. All of Equestria is watching and waiting to see who will come out on top!"

As he said this, in a random city far away, Shining Armor was watching the battle on TV of a Pokémon Center. A large crowd had gathered to watch in excitement, some cheering for Flash to win.

The same was happening in another city, Timber Spruce watching the battle with intense focus. "Don't you lose Flash. We've got a score to settle, and it won't be as fun if you've lost to that jerk."

And in yet another city, the Dazzling trio were sitting around a table. Sonata stared longingly at the image on screen before bringing her hands together, "You can do it Flash."

Meanwhile...

In a hidden building that nobody could find, Sombra was sitting in his office, watching the battle that was about to begin. Chrysalis was sitting on a couch crossed legged and sipping tea while Doom Raizer leaned against the wall. "Flash Sentry..." their boss whispered, "Just how strong have you gotten? It's time to find out."

Doom shook his head at this, "Honestly, I'd like to see that kid get his butt handed to him for all the problems he caused us."

"Agreed," Chrysalis added, "Karma is such a fickle thing."

"Shush!" Sombra hissed, raising a hand, "I need to watch this."

And as this happened, in the cities of Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Applewood, Appaloosa and Cloudsdale, the Gym Leaders of those gyms were watching.

In the Cloudsdale Gym, Cloud sat on a couch beside Spitfire and Fleetfoot. "Stay strong kiddo," she whispered to her grandson. "Believe in your Pokémon and they'll never let you down."

Flash took a deep calming breath before opening his eyes, starting his walk down the corridor. As he made his way, he first met Springer stretching, their eyes meeting as Flash was reminded of the day they met: when Shining had captured him after that Lucario had stolen his evolution.

Springer walked beside him, soon seeing Skyler. Flash was then reminded of meeting him, helping him learn to fly before remembering their battles against Rainbow and his grandmother, including his evolutions. As they did this, Riptide came next, Flash flashing back to when he helped him save Champagoon and Canterlot, followed by him coming with Flash, his evolution coming to mind along with the memory of their loss to Lightning and Chimplug.

And as this happened, Prongs and Viper walked up to them, memories of the Prince of the forest and the snake that had been abandoned by his last trainer. He remembered the events that lead to him earning their trust, both smiling at their trainer.

After this was Hopper, Flash remembering when he found Hopper's egg, hatching and catching him before the times when he evolved. Hopper joined the group as Flash marched toward his most important battle yet, all six of his Pokémon walking beside him. But they weren't just his Pokémon. They were his friends, his partners...his family.

"Guys..." they turned to him. "No matter what happens, I just want you to know that I'm proud to say that I battled alongside the best team any trainer could ask for." His Pokémon all nodded back before Flash pumped his fist, "Now, let's get out there and show Lightning who he's messing with!"

"RI/TORE/SPRAN/LEAF/CARRR/DRAN!" They all cheered in unison before Flash returned all but Springer. Once they were back in their balls, Flash and Springer walked out onto the field. The crowd's cheers were deafening, but his focus was squarely on the trainer standing on the red podium.

Lighting glared back at him while Flash simply frowned, he and Springer walking onto the blue podium. "So, it's finally time. Time to show all of Equestria the true meaning of strength."

"Yeah..." Flash replied, "And hopefully, you'll see just how wrong you are."

"No," Lightning shook his head, "it's you who'll see how wrong you are. All those stupid fantasies about friendship and how any Pokémon can be strong...that's a nice fairy tale to tell kids, but this is the real world. And in the real world, power is the only thing that decides anything. And it's the power I have that'll ground your pathetic team of weaklings into the dirt where you belong."

Flash growled at this, but held his tongue. 'I have to win this, for Grand and for everyone who's been supporting me up to this point.' He turned to the stands, spotting his friends as they all cheered his name and yelled that he could do this.

And was in that moment that the X-shaped field retracted into the ground.

Mic: "It's time to see what kind of battlefield our competitors will be competing on."

The field then returned, revealing a field covered in grass. In the middle of it was a white line with a Pokeball design at the very center.

Mic: "It's a grass field."

Celestia: "The trainers won't get much of a field advantage from that."

Luna: "Which will make this battle all about the trainer's own skill."

"Exactly," the three turned to see Grand walk into the box. "That's how it should be. The final battle like this shouldn't have any gimmicks or tricks, just two trainers fighting their very hardest to come out on top." The trio nodded as he took his seat, all turning back to the field.

Mic: "It's time to see which trainer will be the first to select their Pokémon!"

The wheel appeared between the two's images, spinning before stopping on the blue section.

Mic: "With that, Flash Sentry will be the one to select his Pokémon first! Trainers, show us what'cha got!"

"Prongs!" Flash took out his Pokeball, "I CHOOSE YOU!" He threw the sphere upward, revealing his Chitaleaf.

"Leaf!" Prongs roared as he landed on the grassy field.

"Alright!" Spike cheered, "Prongs should feel right at home on a grass field!"

"But now Lightning can pick a Pokémon strong against it," Twilight sighed, seeing Lightning taking out a Pokeball.

"Frillace, battle ready!" The ball flew through the air, unleashing the toxic lizard.

Mic: "It's Chitaleaf verses Frillace!"

Celestia: "On the surface, it appears Lightning has the advantage."

"Not just in type, but in mood too." Doc commented as the others turned to him, "Look at Prongs." They glanced back to see the Chitaleaf glaring at Frillace, "Those two have battled before, and in that match, Prongs lost."

"So that's why Lightning picked it," Sunset grumbled.

Flash growled at this, about to speak up before Present Mic stood up.

Mic: "It's time for the Hoofington Battle Tournament's final battle begin! Trainers, fight hard and fight well, as all of Equestria will be watching you! In three!"

"TWO!" Almost everyone in the stadium yelled, "ONE!"

Mic: "BATTLE BEGIN!"

"Prongs," Flash held out the his Pokeball, "return!" This made the crowd go wide-eyed as Flash recalled his Chitaleaf, Lightning raising an eyebrow at this.

Mic: "What's this? The battle just started and Flash is putting Chitaleaf into early retirement?"

Celestia: "Recalling a Pokémon isn't against the rules, but that's the fastest recall I've ever seen."

Grand: "Flash is playing smart."

"Sorry Prongs," Flash told the ball before putting it away. "But against Frillace, you're at too much of a disadvantage." He took out another ball. "You're up instead. Hopper, I choose you!" He threw the ball into the air, unleashed his Skeidran as he took to the air.

Luna: "Now Skeidran will be facing off against Frillace. This is looking a little more even now."

"Use Steel Wing!" Hopper flew down with glowing wings, ready to slash at Frillace.

"Dodge it, then use Brutal Swing!" Frillace charged as Hopper flew right above the ground, then slid along the grass. He zipped right under Hopper's wings, dodging the blow before grabbing his tail in its claws and pulling Hopper to a stop.

"Sky!"

"Frill!" Using all its strength, Frillace swung Hopper over its head, slamming them into the dirt.

"DRAN!" He cried in pain, but was quick to pull his tail from Frillace's grasp and then whip back into Frillace's face. The swap made Frillace stagger back, Hopper side-stepping away.

"Extreme Speed!" Hopper glowed before suddenly vanishing, instantly hitting the Frillace with a barrage of fast paced clawing, punching and slamming of his tail and wings. Frillace moaned at every hit, Lightning just blankly staring at the sight.

"Use Faint Attack to get out of there!" As Hopper tried to do another slash, Frillace hopped back and then dealt a punch to Hopper's chest. "Venoshock!" It fired a orb of poison out of its mouth, hitting Hopper's feet before exploding to a torrent of purple lightning.

"DRAN!" Hopper screamed, only to flare his wings and took to the air.

"That's the way! Dragon Tail!" Hopper did a quick circle around before dive-bombing Frillace, his tail glowing. Frillace waited for an order to dodge, but Lightning gave none. Instead, it crossed its arms as Hopper spun around and slammed his tail down onto it. The blow made it flinch, only for Lightning to call out a command.

"Use Poison Jab now!" Frillace pulled its tail with a glowing stinger, thrusting it upward as it stabbed Hopper in the leg.

"Dran!" Hopper screamed, pulling away to and fly back, only for purple lightning to surge out of his body, "Skeidran!"

"No!" Flash yelled as he saw his Pokémon start to stagger.

Mic: "Ouch. Looks like Skeidran's been poisoned."

Celestia: "This could be bad for Flash."

Flash growled, knowing Lightning would be going for Venoshock next. "Hopper, return." He held out his Pokeball, the beam of light hitting his Skeidran. As this happened, Flash stared at Frillace and saw it panting, knowing the Extreme Speed barrage must have taken its tol.

Fluttershy let out a long sigh, "This battle's only just started and I can hardly breathe."

"Well catch your breath while you can," Doc replied, "I get the feeling the real battle's only just starting."

"Alright," Flash took out his Pokeball, "It's time to finish this thing up! Skyler, I choose you!" He threw the ball upward, unleashing the Tornavian within.

"Tore!" He squawked as he flew around, Flash instantly calling out to him.

"Skyler, be careful. We can't afford for you to get poisoned like Hopper." Skyler nodded back. "Okay, let's start with Tornado Burst!" Skyler brought in his wings and started spinning, the tornado forming around him as he flew for Frillace.

"Venoshock!" Frillace fired the purple orb and struck the tornado at the tip, the ball exploding and unleashing the purple lightning around it. But seconds later, the tornado shot through, Skyler suddenly accelerating out of it.

"TORE!" He roared while slamming into Frillace, the force knocking it flying back.

"Nice! Now use Steel Wing!" The Tornavian circled around with glowing wings, Frillace still recovering as the bird charged at him.

"Use Brutal Swing!" Frillace tensed its body, bracing itself as Skyler slammed into it, the force making Frillace skid backward, but the lizard managed to grab hold of the bird's wing.

"Frill!" Once again, Frillace swung Skyler down into the grass, "FRILLACE!

"TORE!" Skyler cried in pain as his back hit the dirt.

"Now, Poison Jab!" Before Skyler could pick himself up, Frillace raised its tail, stabbing the bird's chest.

"NO!" Flash yelped as he watched Skyler getting injected with venom. "You gotta get it off of you! Use Steel Wing!" Skyler's eyes shot open before he swinging his wings around, slamming them into Frillace's face.

"Frill" it screamed, its tail flailing back as it began to stagger away.

Skyler rolled himself over and spread his wings before taking to the air, Flash sighing in relief when he saw Skyler hadn't been poisoned.

Mic: "This battle is really starting to heat up and it hasn't even really gotten started yet!"

Celestia: "Who knows what these trainers will choose to do next."

"Return!" Lightning ordered while holding out his Pokeball, recalling Frillace.

Luna: "He's switching now?"

Grand: "I think he was banking on that Poison Jab poisoning Tornavian. Since it didn't, he knows Flash will be more careful. Better for him to cut his losses and switch his tactics before Flash can adapt to them."

"Frostoak, battle ready!" Lightning threw the ball, revealing the Pokémon inside. Frostoak stood tall while flicking his cloak open to reveal its body.

"Frost!" It looked up at Skyler, the bird hovering in the air.

Celestia: "An Ice-type. That could be a problem for Flash."

Luna: "But it's also a Fighting-type, meaning Tornavian's Flying-type attacks will do some damage as well."

"Ice Shard!" Frostoak created a pair of ice kunai in its hands and threw them at Skyler, the bird barrel rolling to dodge it before diving down.

"Aerial Ace!" A slipstream appeared around him as he got in close, Frostoak ready to intercept.

"Use Metal Claw!" Frostoak's claws glowed before it thrust them out, hitting Skyler head-on. The two collided, pushing both back before Skyler spread his wings to take flight while Frostoak did several back flips before stopping and falling to one knee.

"Tornado Burst!" Skyler charged and spun as a tornado formed around him.

"Blizzard!" Frostoak took a deep breath as it grabbed its mouth covering, pulling it down to unleash a large wave of freezing wind at the tornado. It struck and despite being surrounded by spiralling wind, Skyler still felt the icy sting of Frostoak's attack.

"TORE!" He roared as he exploded out of the tornado, blowing the Blizzard away as he slammed into Frostoak. Knocking it back, he took back to the sky, catching his breath. "Tore, nay, vee, en," he said between pants while Frostoak picked itself up.

"Use Steel Wing!" Skyler flared his wings again, taking to the air.

"Ice Shard!" Frostoak summoned the twin kunai and held them in a backhanded grip, the snow wanderer spinning on the spot as Skyler charged. The ice met the metal wings, and despite the frigid chill, he broke through the ice and slammed Frostoak in the face.

"Frost!" It cried, only to slash Skyler's chest, making him squawk as he was pushed back.

"Now, Metal Claw!" Frostoak dropped the kunai and charged with glowing claws, reaching Skyler before the bird could react. There he started slashing at him with rapid fury, Skyler crying in pain with each metal slash, trying to cover himself with his wings, but this sent several feathers flying.

"Skyler, block it with Steel Wing!" Skyler nodded as his wings glowed, Frostoak now feeling his claws clang against the guard.

"TORE!" Skyler roared as he spread his wings, smacking Frostoak back.

"Blizzard!" Lightning ordered, the Ice-type pulling his scarf down before unleashing a blast of freezing air. The attack struck Skyler head-on, making him cry out in pain as he felt his body beginning to freeze over.

"Skyler!"

Grand: "If Flash doesn't do something soon, his Tornavian won't be able to hold on much longer."

Flash growled until he saw Skyler jump up and spread his wings, allowing him to fly out of the ice storm. However, his body was shivering, making Flash sigh before pulling out a Pokeball, "Skyler, return!"

Mic: "Once again, the trainers recall their Pokémon."

Luna: "If this keeps up, it could be a very long battle."

"Come on!" Rainbow barked, "Stop swapping your Pokémon out and just beat that jerk already!"

"They're both being extra cautious," Sunset responded while shaking her head, "Though can you blame Flash?"

"Its not just him. Neither of them want to risk doing something that might risk their chances of victory," Twilight added as Flash turned to his Riolu.

"Alright Springer, this is all on you. You ready?"

"Ri!" Springer nodded before running onto the field, he and Frostoak sharing a glance. Both remembered back to their time together in the underground tunnel, feeling slight hesitation before glaring at each other.

"Use Metal Claw!" Frostoak charged with a glowing claw, Springer running at him at the same time.

"Drain Punch!" Springer's fists glowed as they reached each other, both engaging in a flurry of paw to claw combat, throwing punches and slashes at each other in a torrent of blows.

"Ri/Frost!" They cried as they hit one another simultaneously for the twentieth time before leaping away.

"Blizzard!" Frostoak pulled down its scarf, firing the freezing wind at Springer.

"Ri!" he yelped as he felt himself bombarded with ice and snow.

"Springer! Use Aura Sphere to block the wind!" Springer did so, forming the orb thrusting it in front of him. The spinning motion pushed the wind away, keeping him from freezing. "Now go!" Springer charged as he began to get close to Frostoak, forcing the Ice Fighting-type to stop his attack and leap away, "Throw it!" Springer tossed the Aura Sphere at Frostoak, slamming into his chest.

"FROST!" It cried as it was thrown backward.

Springer smirked as he watched Frostoak stumble back before Flash ordered, "Don't let up! Extreme Speed!" He charged at this, blue lightning appearing around him as he moved at high velocity.

"Ice Shard!" Frostoak formed the twin kunai in its hands and crossed them seconds before Springer reached him, the Riolu throwing a punch that was blocked by the Ice Shards. Frostoak pushed its arms apart and knocked Springer back before slashing at him, only to miss as Springer dodged it with ease.

The two found themselves fighting in close quarters again, Springer throwing high speed punches and kicks while Frostoak tried slashing at him with the Ice Shards. But as it tried to do this, Springer dodged and struck Frostoak's side, only for it throw the Ice Shards at Springer.

The Riolu was forced to back-flip away, dodging both as Lightning gave his next command. "Brick Break!" Frostoak shot forward with a glowing hand, ready to deal a karate chop right to Springer's head.

"Double Team!" Springer suddenly multiplied, the one Frostoak hit vanishing. "Now, Aura Sphere Barrage!" The Springer army charged, all forming tiny Aura Spheres that they prepared to thrust at Frostoak.

"Blizzard!" Frostoak spun on the spot while firing the freezing cold wind, hitting the clones and freezing them in place.

"I knew you'd do that!" Flash smirked, making Lightning raise an eyebrow until the real Springer leapt out from behind the circle of fakes with a normal sized Aura Sphere in paw. "Do it!"

"RI!" Springer shot the orb right at Frostoak, hitting it before it could defend itself, the explosion sending out a shockwave that caused the ice around the clones to shatter before they faded away.

"Frost!" It cried as it slid on the ground.

"Extreme Speed!" Springer raced forward, Frostoak pushing itself up just in time to see a kick right into its face. The blow made it cry out, just as Springer leapt away to a safe distance.

"Ice Shard!" As Springer charged again, Frostoak swung its frozen kunai around to try and slash at him. Springer narrowly dodged it, quickly getting around him before Frostoak spinning around to slash at him again. This kept happening, Springer hitting his side while Frostoak tried to counter, the Riolu doing more damage.

"Now Springer!" Flash yelled as his Riolu got close again, "Drain Punch!" Springer clenched his fist as Frostoak spun around, Ice Shard primed to slash him. But before it could, Springer suddenly fell to his knees and slid under the blade.

"Rio..." Springer threw his fist forward, "LU!" The attack collided with Frostoak's gut, powered up by the acceleration of the Extreme Speed. The force sent Frostoak flying back with a mighty cry of pain before crashing into the dirt, rolling along the grass before stopping with spirals in its eyes.

Mic: "Frostoak's KO'd! The winner is Riolu!"

The crowd cheered as Springer pushed himself back to his feet. "That's the way!" Spike screamed, "First win goes to Flash!"

"But Flash can't get cocky," Doc added, the others nodding as Flash gave Springer a thumbs up before glaring back at Lightning.

"This is no time to be celebrating," he told himself as Lightning returned Frostoak. "We're a long way from winning." As he said that, Springer ran over and he kneeled down, "Great work bud," he patted his head. "Take a break." Springer nodded and sat down beside him, Flash and Lightning both taking out Pokeballs. "Prongs, I choose you!"

"Chimplug, battle ready!" The two balls opened, unleashing the Pokémon onto the field.

"Looks like Flash has the advantage in this battle," Rainbow chuckled.

"But Lightning knows that," Rarity responded, "I'm sure he's planning something."

"Energy Ball!" Flash ordered, Prongs quickly shooting the sphere at Chimplug. It cross its arms as the orb struck, exploding with the nature energy flowing through it.

"Thunder Wave!" Chimplug leapt into the air before slamming the tip of its tail into the ground, unleashing a shockwave that flew across the field before hitting Prongs.

"LEAF!" He cried as he was zapped.

Mic: "Ouch! Flash probably wasn't expecting that."

Grand: "Now Chitaleaf has been paralyzed, meaning it'll be slower and freeze up from time to time."

Flash was about to call another attack, but then Lightning held out his Pokeball and returned Chimplug without a word. "He's switching out already?"

"All he wanted to do was paralyze Prongs," Doc commented. "Now he won't be as fast."

"He knows how to put Flash at a disadvantage," Twilight sighed. "He must have gone over all of Flash's Pokémon and come up with a plan to take them all down."

"Pitchawk!" Lightning threw his Pokeball, "battle ready!" In a flash of red light, the hooded avian appeared, flying upward as Prongs felt himself flinch from the Thunder Wave's effects.

"Not good. Prongs, don't stay where you are! You're a sitting duck when you're stationary!" Prongs nodded and started running in random directions, Pitchawk just circling in air in response.

"Air Cutter!" Pitchawk started beating his wings, firing several blades of air that hit the ground around Prongs. But as he did this, static sparked around his body, making him freeze up. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Pitchawk dove down, a slipstream appearing around it.

And as Prongs' paralysis began to weaken, Pitchawk flew close to the ground before slamming into Prongs with an upward cut. "Leaf!" He cried, staggering back but managing to keep his footing and stay upright.

"Stay strong Prongs!" Flash yelled.

"This isn't good," Twilight gulped. "Flash is already facing an type disadvantage, but now he has to deal with being paralyzed as well."

"FLASH!" Rainbow called out, "You gotta switch Pokémon!"

"I can't," Flash growled. "If I switch Prongs for someone else, he's just gonna switch it up to another Pokémon and this battle'll never end." His fists clenched. "If I wanna take down Pitchawk, it has to be here and now."

Lightning let out a laugh at this, "Like you can. Anything you think of, I'm already three moves ahead. My victory is already a guarantee, as you're nothing but a loser. Now, let me show you why..."

"Oh, I'll show you something!" Flash barked before pointing at Pitchawk, "Use Leech Seed!" Prongs quickly fired the lights off his antlers, striking Pitchawk before the seeds ingrained themselves and began sprouting the vines around the bird.

"Hawk!" It squawked.

"Night Slash!" Pitchawk charged at this command, ready to hit Prongs with a glowing purple wing.

"Use Bounce to dodge it!" As Pitchawk got closer, Prongs jumped straight up, evading the blow, "Alright, now use Body Slam!" Prongs used the Bounce's momentum, slamming his hooves onto Pitchawk, smacking it into the dirt.

"Pitchawk!" It screamed, the bird now sliding along the grass while Prongs jumped off his back and landed. But in doing so, Prongs suddenly tensed up as the lightning surged around him.

Mic: "These two's status conditions are really causing them both problems."

Luna: "It won't be long before one of them falls."

"Shadow Ball!" Pitchawk pushed itself up and spun around, firing the dark sphere.

"Counter with Energy Ball!" Flash replied, Prongs managing to fire the orb just in time. The two spheres clashed, causing an explosion that covered the field. Prongs then charged into blast, coming out the other side...only to find nothing.

"Chit?"

"Above you!" Flash yelled, making Prongs look up as the smoke cleared. He went wide-eyed as he saw Pitchawk had used the smoke as cover to get back into the sky, though the Leech Seed suddenly flared up.

"Shake it off and use Air Cutter!" Pitchawk roared as it fired the wind blades, Chitaleaf reacting by jumping back.

"Energy Ball!" Prongs fired his attack, hitting the bird head-on before it could dodge.

"Pitch!" It cried as it was thrown back.

"Shadow Ball!" Pitchawk flared its wings, firing the orb seconds before the Leech Seed flared up again.

"Bounce!" Prongs leapt up, flying over the Shadow Ball while Pitchawk was forced to glide towards the ground. "Now, Body Slam!" Landing behind the now exploding Shadow Ball, Prongs accelerating as he body checked Pitchawk before it could recover from the Leech Seed.

"Hawk!" Pitchawk staggered back as it landed, Flash ordering Prongs to use another Body Slam.

"Night Slash!" Pitchawk spun around and slammed its wing into Prongs, knocking Prongs flying back. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Pitchawk quickly took to the air, dashing at Prongs with a whirlwind around its body.

"Stop it with Energy Ball!" Flash ordered.

"Chit!" Prongs nodded before forming the sphere in front of him, only to suddenly tense up when the Paralysis kicked in. "LEAF!" He screamed, the Energy Ball vanishing as Pitchawk slammed into him.

"HAWK!/LEAF!" They both cried at the impact, Prongs being thrown back while Pitchawk began to take to the air again. Everyone gasped as they turned to Prongs, now seeing spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Chitaleaf's KO'd! The winner is Pitchawk!"

Flash's friends all sighed at this, Sunset shaking her head, "Tough luck. That paralysis hitting when it did was just a matter of poor timing."

"Now they're both even," Pinkie whimpered.

"They're not. Both of them might have five Pokémon, but more of Flash's have battled and taken damage."

"Plus Hopper's been poisoned," Rainbow added, "Flash is still at a disadvantage." They looked back to the field, watching Flash return Prongs.

Mic: "Now let's see which Pokémon will Flash choose to use now."

Before Flash could make a choice, Lightning suddenly returned Pitchawk. "He's switching out again?!" Flash sighed, only to nod and take out a Pokeball. "Alright Riptide, I choose you!" He threw the ball up, revealing the Spranitor a second later.

"Tore!" He roared as landed and got into a fighting stance.

"HA!" Lightning cackled, "So, the prodigal weakling shows himself! I was wondering how long it would be until you resorted the your worst Pokémon. Am I making you sweat already?!"

"I'm not sweating, and Riptide isn't my worst Pokémon!" Flash explained. "We may have lost to you before, but we're ten times stronger then back then!"

"Maybe you are," Lightning took out his Pokeball. "But zero times ten is still ZERO!" He roared, throwing the ball to reveal his chosen Pokémon.

"RAZOR!" The humanoid shark roared as he stood tall, Riptide slightly shivering at the sight as he remembered the last time they faced off.

"Sharazor..." Flash growled while Lightning smirked.

"Thought I'd give your Spranitor an up close and personal look at what a real Water-type looks like. Maybe he'll learn something, though I doubt it can even touch my Sharazor."

"We'll beat you! Use Rock Smash Riptide!" Riptide's legs glowed as he charged Sharazor, the water lizard beginning to throw several kicks that the land shark easily dodged and blocked before Riptide struck him in the chest.

"Shar!" He staggered back as Riptide leapt away to a safe distance.

"Water Gun!" Riptide unleashed a burst of water, only to see Sharazor grin at the sight.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor fired an orb of water, striking Riptide's attack. Both exploded into a cloud of mist that the shark Pokémon charged into. "Now, use Crunch!" Sharazor shot out of the fog, instantly biting down on Riptide's arm.

"Tore!" He cried, flinching at the blow.

"Riptide!" Flash yelped, only to shake his head, "Quick, use Ice Punch!" Riptide fought through the pain and clenched his free fist as it glowed an icy blue.

"Spran!" He swung it into Sharazor's throat, making it cry out and release its grip on his arm.

"Now, use Aqua Tail!" Riptide was quick to spin around as his tail was wrapped in water, the lizard slapping it into Sharazor's head, forcing it to stagger back.

"Water Pulse, then Aqua Jet!" Sharazor threw the orb at Riptide, then leapt into the air as water spiralled around its body.

"Ice Punch!" Riptide slammed his fist into the orb, freezing it solid. The ice ball fell apart, only to see the Sharazor now charging at the lizard. "Water Gun!" Riptide launched the stream of high pressure water at Sharazor, but it didn't even faze the shark as it instantly got to Riptide.

"RAZOR!" He roared as he tackled Riptide, the lizard cried out in pain before being struck upward. "Shar!" Sharazor then broke out of the water, ready for the next command.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor threw the orb at Riptide, the ball exploding in Riptide's face.

"Nee!" He cried as the shockwave slammed him crashing into the grassy terrain. "Tore!"

"Riptide!" Flash screamed while Sharazor landed in front of Lightning, everyone waiting to see if Riptide had already lost. And after a few seconds, Riptide rolled over and pushed himself back to his feet.

"Tore?" He muttered, only for the lizard to start staggering side to side.

Mic: "Uh-oh! Looks like that last Water Pulse left Spranitor with a serious bout of confusion."

Celestia: "This could be trouble for Flash is he's not careful."

Flash growled and held out his Pokeball, "Riptide, return!" The beam hit Riptide and he was sucked back inside, Lightning chuckling.

"That's right. Return the weakling before he embarrasses himself further...wait, he can't! HA!"

"Just you wait..." Flash hissed as he replaced his Pokeball. "Riptide'll have another chance to even the score and wipe that stupid grin off your face! But for now, Viper, I choose you!" He tossed the ball upward, unleashing his Anahakka.

Mic: "Flash is using a Fire-type? What's he thinking?"

The rest of the crowd all exchanged glances, including his friends. Some were now fearing that the pressure of the battle was getting to him.

Luna: "I'm sure Flash has a reason for picking Anahakka."

Grand: "I look forward to see what it is."

"You really are an idiot," Lightning laughed. "We'll end this is one move. Sharazor, use Water Pulse!" Sharazor fired the water ball at Viper, but Flash just stared at him blankly.

"You know what to do!" Flash told Viper, the snake's body starting to weave side to side. When the Water Pulse got close, Viper's movement easily evaded it, the orb exploding behind him. "Now, Flamethrower!"

"CARRR!" Viper unleashed a burst of fire, the flames striking Sharazor head-on.

"Razor!" It cried as it was pushed back, but endured with little damage.

Mic: "Flash is gonna need something more than that if he wants to win this."

"Aqua Jet!" Sharazor body was then surrounded by water, charging ahead to knock Viper out with a single hit.

"Look out Flash!" Spike yelled from the stands.

"You can't let this hit!" Rainbow added.

"Flamethrower!" Flash ordered as everyone went wide-eyed. "Do it straight down!" Viper nodded before launching flames at the ground, the force pushing him straight up. A pile of smoke came next, making it impossible for Sharazor to see as it flew into the cloud, soon hitting the ground and groaning at the impact.

Grand: "Impressive move. Now how will Flash use this opening?"

"Poison Fang!" As the smoke cleared, Sharazor picked itself up and saw the falling Viper.

"Hack!" He roared as he thrust his fangs into Sharazor's tail, biting down hard as the venom began to inject itself into the shark.

"That's the way!" Flash cheered as Viper then released Sharazor and leapt to a safe distance. Sharazor turned to growl at him, only to suddenly cry out as purple lightning sparked around it.

Mic: "Ouch! Now Sharazor's been poisoned!"

Celestia: "Must have been why Flash used Anahakka."

Luna: "Likely returning the favor for what Frillace did to Skeidran."

"Water Pulse!" Lightning yelled before Sharazor threw the orb at Viper, hitting him instantly.

"Carrr!" He was thrown back, only to roll up before slithering forward as Flash commanded him to use Flame Wheel. "Hacker!" He bit his tail and spun, morphing into a flaming wheel.

"Another Water Pulse!" Sharazor fired the orb as the flaming wheel, but Viper managed to jump up right over it.

"Carrr!" He roared as he fell onto Sharazor, who crossed its arms to block the attack. The flaming wheel grinded into the shark, only to spin away just as the poison flared up and it roared in pain.

"Crunch!" Sharazor ran up to bite Viper, but the Anahakka used his rope like body to evade the snapping jaws, only to smack Sharazor in the face with his tail.

"Bite!" Viper launched himself at Sharazor, biting into its neck. The shark roared in pain before it grabbing his tail and pulling him off.

"Razor!" It cried before slamming Viper into the ground, then reflexively throwing him into the air.

"Water Pulse!" Sharazor fired the orb at Viper, who whipped himself around to point toward it.

"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed the fire stream, striking the orb, but unable to prevent the water from exploding in his face.

"Carrr!" He cried as he crashed from the blow just as Sharazor was zapped by the poison. Both Pokémon groaned as they pushed through the pain, turning to each other as their trainers gave a command.

"Aqua Jet/Flame Wheel!" The two shot forward, wrapping themselves up in their respective elements. Both rocketed into each other, soon hitting in a singular clash.

BOOM!

The impact caused an explosion that filled the stadium with super hot mist, blocking the two Pokémon from view.

Mic: "Will this attack be the end for one of them?"

Viper then leapt out of the mist, hitting the ground panting as everyone else turned to where Sharazor was supposed to be. And as the mist faded, Sharazor appeared standing ready.

"HA! I knew that wouldn't do a thing!" Lightning laughed, "Alright, do another-"

"SHAR!" It roared in pain as the poison flared up again, causing it flop over...and spirals replaced its eyes.

Mic: "Sharazor's KO'd! The winner is Anahakka!"

The crowd cheered as Lightning returned Sharazor. "Alright!" Spike yelled, "that's two for Flash!"

"But this battle's far from over," Doc commented, "He still needs to be extra careful."

Twilight nodded in agreement, "Who knows what Lightning has planned next."

"You okay to keep going Viper?" Flash asked, the snake nodding back. "Alright then." He turned to Lightning, "What have you got for us this time?"

"Guardroid!" He yelled before throwing the ball, "Battle ready!" The ball opened up to unleash the robotic Pokémon, letting out its mechanical roar before glaring down at Viper. The two stared each other down, remembering their last battle together.

Viper had been victorious in that fight, but this was a different battle. And even if one of them beat the other, they still had several other opponents to face. Flash and Lightning would both be going all out in this fight, intending to hold nothing back until only one was left standing. But who will win? Find out next time.

A Pokémon's True Strength

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The full six on six battle between Flash and Lightning was still going, Flash ahead with five Pokémon remaining while Lightning only had four. Currently, Flash had Viper on the field while Lightning had just sent out his Guardroid.

"Guardroid?" Pinkie asked, "Why'd he pick that?"

"Guardroid's actually a good choice," Twilight replied, "It's immune to Viper's Poison attacks and its Heatproof ability will give it some protection from his Fire-type attacks."

"But Flash will still have an advantage," Sunset finished as the two began their battle.

"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed its flame attack, striking Guardroid head-on, the robot crossing its arms as the fire pushed it back. "Now, Flame Wheel!" Viper stopped the fire breath and leapt forward, biting his tail and spinning as he was consumed by fire.

The flaming circle blazed across the field, burning the grass beneath it as it charged at Guardroid. "Flash Cannon!" The beam of light exploded out of Guardroid's shoulders while its arm remain crossed, the beams connecting in front of it and hitting Viper. It wasn't able to stop the flaming serpent, but slowed down until he managed to reach Guardroid and slam into it, pushing the robot backward some more.

"Guard!" Guardroid grunted before swinging its arms apart, knocking Viper away and out of his Flame Wheel.

"Bullet Punch!" Before Viper could react, the robot slammed its fist into the snake, sending it flying.

"Carrr!" He cried while rolling along the ground, soon pulling himself to a stop.

"Use Bite and aim for the joints!" Viper slithered up to the robot, Guardroid standing defensively as the snake leapt to bite the arm, only for Guardroid to pull its arm away.

"Flash Cannon!" Before Viper could try again, Guardroid turned and unleashed the blasts from its shoulders.

"Hack!" He was thrown back, allowing Guardroid's rocket to fire and push itself into the air.

"Lock-On!" Guardroid brought its hands together, creating the ring as Viper turned to him.

"Flamethrower!" Viper unleashed the fire stream, striking Guardroid as the ring continued to form, Guardroid flinching at the heat but fighting through the pain.

"Guard!" The ring was thrown at Viper, hitting him in the head before the Anahakka could react. The target fully formed, making Lightning laugh.

"Ah, this is just too easy! Zap Cannon!" Guardroid created the orb of electrical energy, firing it straight at the snake.

"Flamethrower!" Viper launched the fire blast, seconds before the Zap Cannon struck, exploding against him. The flames hit Guardroid, making it cry out as well, the smoke forming around him.

Mic: "The attacks landed almost at the exact same time! But which side will survive it?"

The answer came when Guardroid fell out of the smoke and landed, falling to its knees. But at the same time, the smoke around Viper vanished, revealing him laid out on the floor with spirals in his eyes. "Carrr!"

Mic: "Anahakka's KO'd! The winner is Guardroid!"

Flash friends all sighed as they watched him return Viper. "Aw man..." Spike moaned as he slumped over. "Why'd that have to happen?"

"Viper just took too much damage from his battle with Sharazor," Twilight responded, "And Zap Cannon's a really powerful move. That was bound to happen."

"And now they're all tied up," Rainbow added as Flash took out a Pokeball.

"Skyler," he tossed the ball into the air, "I choose you!" In a flash of red, the large bird appeared and took the the air with a loud squawk.

Mic: "And Flash picks Tornavian, an odd choice against a Steel-type."

Celestia: "Flash must be hoping to counter Guardroid's speed."

"Flash Cannon!" Guardroid began firing shining blast of lights out of its shoulders, Skyler easily evading each beam. But as it did this, Guardroid to fired its jets, pushing itself into the air. "Now, use Bullet Punch!" Guardroid rocketed forward as its fist began to glow.

"Block it with Steel Wing!" Skyler's wings shined as he spun around and blocked the punch, allowing him to push Guardroid away. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Skyler then circled around, diving down at Guardroid.

"Zap Cannon!" Guardroid formed the sphere and threw it at Skyler, but the Tornavian easily barrel rolled before slamming into the robot. "Grab it!" Guardroid quickly snagged the bird as it hit him, "Flash Cannon!"

"Get out of there!" Flash yelled, but it was too late as Guardroid fired the blasts of light at point blank.

"TORNAVIAN!" He cried as the laser hit him, Guardroid keeping him from being blasted away. But when he let go, Skyler was sent hurtling toward the ground, slamming the dirt with a smoke cloud.

"SKYLER!" Flash screamed as the smoke cleared, revealing Skyler with spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Tornavian's KO'd! The winner is Guardroid!"

"Skyler...return!" Flash sighed as he held out the Pokeball, recalling his Pokémon. "You did great." And as he put his Pokeball away, Lightning recalled Guardroid. "He's switching now?"

"Frillace, battle ready!" In a flash of red, the frilled poison lizard appeared, Flash frowning at the sight.

"That's not good...Riptide, I choose you!" He threw the ball, opening to reveal the water lizard.

"Tore!" He roared at his fellow reptile.

Mic: "Frillace verses Spranitor! How will this battle turn out?!"

"Water Gun!" Riptide unleashed the high pressure water blast, instantly striking Frillace back.

"Venoshock!" As soon as the water stopped, Frillace spat the ball of gunk at Riptide, the blob splattering on the ground. Seconds later, purple lightning shot out and zapped Riptide, "Now, Poison Jab!"

"Dodge it!" Frillace charged and thrust its tail, the lizard jumping back just in time to dodge that attack. The sight made Lightning growl before telling Frillace to do it again, the lizard doing so, but Riptide evaded again.

"Again! Hit that weakling now!" Lightning screamed as Frillace kept thrusting its tail at Riptide, the lizard dodging every blow before a lucky shot stabbed his shoulder.

"Tore!" He flinched as the venom was injected into him.

"Ice Punch!" Riptide then grabbed Frillace's tail, yanking him before throwing a freezing cold punch.

"Frill!" It cried while Riptide leapt back, Flash noticing Lightning staring at Riptide. Flash looked back at Riptide, seeing no problem with Riptide.

"Poison Jab!" Frillace charged again, Flash gasping as he realization stuck him.

"Return!" Flash held out his Pokeball and recalled Riptide, surprising the audience.

Mic: "Strange. Flash recalled Spranitor just as the battle was heating up."

Grand: "He clearly realized what Lightning's up too."

Celestia: "He was trying to poison Spranitor, wanting Venoshock to get powered up."

"I hate to do this, but I can't risk another poisoning." Flash grumbled as he took out another Pokeball. "Hopper, I choose you!" He threw the ball into the air, unleashing the Skeidran as it let out a roar. But as it landed, it flinched at the effects of his poisoning. "Sorry to have you fight, but I need you to stay strong bud!"

"Dran!" Hopper nodded.

"Tch. I knew you were a loser, but I didn't think you would just keep making this easier. Venoshock!" Lightning cackled as Frillace quickly launched the venomous orb.

"Fly up!" Hopper took the air just before the orb struck the ground, protecting him from its effects. "Now, Steel Wing!" His wings glowed as he shot down, intending to slash at Frillace.

"Poison Jab!" Frillace ran up and intercepted the attack, getting slashed in the stomach but grabbing onto Hopper's wing before impaling its stinger.

Hopper cried out in pain, only to throw Frillace off of him. But as he did this, he felt a burst of pain from the poison, "DRAN!"

"Venoshock!" Before Hopper could recover, Frillace unleashed the gunk shot. It hit the ground at Hopper's feet, exploding and unleashing the lightning right at Hopper.

"DRAN!" He screamed again, the lightning soon fading as he began to stagger back.

"Brutal Swing!" Frillace charged up, ready to deal the finishing blow.

"Dragon Tail!" Hopper's eyes shot open, spinning around and slamming his glowing tail into Frillace, sending it flying back. Frillace cried out as it hit the ground, rolling like a pin.

But as this happened, Hopper let out a scream, "SKEIDRAN!" And with that, he slumped over with spirals in his eyes.

Mic: "Skeidran's KO'd! The winner is Frillace!"

"Not again!" Spike cried before turning to the board. "Now Lightning has twice as many Pokémon."

"But they've all taken damage," Twilight pointed out as Lightning returned Frillace. "This battle isn't over yet."

"Guardroid, battle ready!" In a flash of red, the robot appeared again.

"Guardroid?" Flash asked before turning to Springer, "Alright, I'm counting on you bud!"

"Riolu!" Springer nodded back before running onto the field, staring down Guardroid as the robot smirked at him, giving a 'bring it' gesture.

"Let's go! Aura Sphere!" Springer created the orb, firing it at Guardroid.

"Flash Cannon!" Guardroid unleashed the laser, hitting the orb and causing it explode. Smoke covered the area next, the machine Pokémon staring into the cloud, only to see a shadow appearing in the left side of the cloud.

"Drain Punch!" It expected Springer to shoot out from there, only to vanish.

"RIOLU!" Guardroid looked up, now seeing Springer leap out from the other side, his fist glowing as he smashed his paw into Guardroid's head.

"Guard!" It cried, staggering back as Springer landed and began to punch him again.

"Flash Cannon!" Guardroid pointed itself at Springer, charging up its attack.

"Double Team!" Springer quickly multiplied before the lasers fired, hitting two of the clones but leaving the real one safe. "Now, Extreme Speed!" All but the real Springer vanished as he zipped up at blinding speed.

"Ri!" He spun around and slammed his foot into Guardroid's chest, knocking the machine back again.

"Lock-On!" And as Springer prepared to strike Guardroid again, the robot created the circle. Before Springer realized what was happening, he struck Guardroid, only for the robot to hit him in the chest with the ring.

"Ri?" Springer yelped as he hopped back while the target appeared on him.

"Not good," Flash gulped as Guardroid readied its next attack.

"And that's that. Zap Cannon!" Flash watched as the sphere of electrical energy form in the robot's hands, his brain working a mile a minute for a plan.

"FLASH!" Twilight yelled, "You can't let that move hit!"

"But he can't dodge!" Rainbow barked, "How's he supposed to protect Springer?"

Mic: "Will Flash be able to find a way to stop this high-powered attack, or will Lightning claim another victory in the battle?"

"Not gonna happen!" Flash growled as an idea formed in his head. "Springer, Aura Sphere!" Springer created the orb and threw it at the Zap Cannon, the two attacks colliding and pushing against one another. But slowly, the Zap Cannon pushed the Aura Sphere back.

Celestia: "It's not strong enough."

Luna: "It'll destroy the Aura Sphere and keep moving until it hits Riolu."

"Oh, no it won't!" Flash yelled, "Springer, Drain Punch on the Aura Sphere!"

"RIO!" Springer charged with a glowing fist, hitting the back of his last attack, everyone gasping as they watched the two forces push against one another. And eventually, the Zap Cannon was pushed back, "LU!" Springer began to shove the two orbs toward Guardroid as the Zap Cannon's energy was drained into the Aura Sphere.

"What?!" Lightning screeched while Guardroid tried to fire its rocket to evade.

"RIOLU!" Springer leapt and slammed electrified Aura Sphere into Guardroid's chest, causing it to explode and the stored lightning to fly into the machine.

"GUARD!" It roared while getting zapped by its own electricity.

"Yes!" Flash exclaimed, the crowd cheering at this amazing counter. "Now, while it's distracted, Extreme Speed!" Springer's body sparked as he morphed into a blur, quickly hitting his opponent with a barrage of blows.

Guardroid groaned with every hit, Lightning growling. "What are you doing?! Get out of there already!" Guardroid blasted its rockets and took to the air, forcing Springer to miss his attack and slide to a stop as the lightning around him vanished. "Now, Bullet Punch!" Guardroid rocketed back down, throwing a glowing fist at the Riolu.

"Double Team!" Springer multiplied, Guardroid phasing right through the one it struck before hitting the dirt with the punch...and getting its fist stuck.

"Droid?" It asked while trying to pull itself free.

"Now, Aura Sphere Barrage!" The remaining Riolu charged while forming their small Aura Spheres, reaching Guardroid the same second it finally pulled itself free. And with a mighty uproar of cries, each slammed their attack into Guardroid from every angle.

"RI/DROID!" They all yelled as the fakes vanished, the real Springer leaping back from performing the blow. And as it landed, Guardroid fell back as its eyes became spirals. "Guard..."

Mic: "Guardroid's KO'd! The winner is Riolu!"

The crowd cheered, the sound even louder before as Lightning returned his Pokémon.

"Yay!" Pinkie clapped, "Flash is catching up!"

"But he's still one Pokémon down," Sunset added, "And the ones he has left have a disadvantage to the ones Lightning has. He's still gonna have trouble."

"Flash will be fine," Twilight told them. "He believes in his Pokémon, and that belief will let them push past any obstacle Lightning throws at him." The others smiled at this, nodding as they turned back to the battle.

"You okay to keep going Springer?" Flash's Riolu gave him a thumbs up, "Okay! I'm leaving it to you buddy!"

"Chimplug, battle ready!" Lightning yelled as he threw a Pokeball, so revealing the electric monkey.

"Plug!" He roared as he leapt up and down, he and Springer glaring at each other.

Mic: "Riolu verses Chimplug. This is sure to be an interesting match."

"Thunder Punch!" Chimplug quickly charged with its now sparking fist. Springer dashed at him as well, Flash ordering him to use Extreme Speed.

"Ri!" Springer's body was wrapped in the blue lightning, easily dodging Chimplug's first punch before getting behind the monkey, "Riolu!" Springer threw a kick at Chimplug's head, the monkey managing to raise its arm to block. Despite this, the attack knocked Chimplug back, only for the electricity from his fist now zapped Springer's foot, making him flinch.

"Brick Break!" Chimplug leapt at Springer again, only for Springer to dodge with a quick side-step.

"Plug!" Chimplug growled as he spun around, trying to hit Springer again. Despite this, Springer kept evading, dancing around as Chimplug kept swiping at him.

"You're not gonna be hitting us this time!" Flash commented as Springer dodged another blow before smacking Chimplug back with his tail.

"Don't be so sure," Lightning growled as Chimplug slid to a stop. Springer began running circles around it again as Lightning commanded, "Thunder Wave!"

"Plug!" Chimplug thrust its tail into the ground, unleashing a powerful blast of electricity out in all directions.

Flash's eyes went wide, "Look out!" But it was too late, as the electrical surge struck the speeding Riolu, making him freeze in place as the paralysis took hold.

Mic: "Ouch! Now Riolu is paralyzed."

Grand: "That should make hitting him a lot easier for Chimplug."

"Thunder Punch!" Chimplug ran up to the frozen Riolu, hitting him with lightning coated fist.

"Chim!" It threw its fist into Springer's chest, "PLUG!" Springer cried out as he was thrown back, the Riolu flying across the field. And as this happened, Chimplug laughed at the sight.

"Let's finish this! Charge Beam!" Chimplug quickly raised its tail, pointing at the Riolu before firing the beam at the recovering Pokémon.

"Double Team!" Springer was quick to create several clones before the blast struck one, causing it to fade while the others began to run around Chimplug. "Now, Aura Sphere Barrage!"

"RIOLU!" They all roared before creating tiny spheres in their paws, all running at Chimplug as Lightning gave his next command.

"Thunder Punch, back to back!" Chimplug slammed its fists together as they charged up, soon throwing wild punches at every Springer that got close. Some blows managed to hit the fakes, only for other tiny Aura Spheres to hit him.

"Plug!" It cried at the tiny hits, the damage from the multiple attacks building up into major damage.

"Hey! Stop taking damage and get out of there!" Lightning ordered as a fresh wave of Springer charged, Chimplug now leaping onto its tail, using it as a spring as it launched itself out of the circle of Springer. The clones then collided, their Aura Spheres exploding to wipe them out as Chimplug landed. "Now, Charge Beam!" Chimplug raised its tail, building up power as the remaining Springer clones turned to him. "Wait for it..."

"Wait for what?" Spike asked.

"Opportunity," Doc replied, only to then see one of the Riolu suddenly flinch as lightning surged around him.

"There! FIRE!"

"CHIMPLUG!" Chimplug unleashed the stored up lightning across the field, hitting the paralyzed Springer. A roar of pain came next, falling to his knees as the clones vanished.

"Mic: "That had to hurt!"

Luna: "And every time Chimplug uses Charge Beam, its Special Attack increases."

Celestia: "Flash will find himself in trouble if he doesn't do something to stop that attack soon."

"Thunder Punch!" Chimplug charged at the kneeling Springer with a powered up fist.

"Aura Sphere!" Springer brought his paws together, managing to make a decently sized one seconds before Chimplug reached him.

"Plug!" It roared while throwing its punch, Springer lifting the sphere to block the attack. But as they hit, an explosion came next that knocked them both back. "Lu/Plug!" They cried as they went flying, only to land on their feet.

"Drain Punch/Brick Break!" The two dashed at each other with glowing fists, meeting at the center of the field and beginning to launch rapid jabs and chops at each other. Neither were focused on defense, instead simply beating each other as Springer's Drain Punch was restoring a little of the energy he lost with every hit.

But then, Springer's onslaught was halted when he suddenly froze up as the paralysis kicked in. "RI!"

"Now, Thunder Punch!" Chimplug ceased the chopping and closed his fist, hitting Springer in the chest. "Now hit it with a point blank Charge Beam!"

"Chim!" Chimplug began to build up power in its tail at this, Springer now pushing himself to his feet.

"Springer, block with Aura Sphere!" As Chimplug leapt at him, Springer brought his paws up and formed the sphere. As he did, Chimplug spun around and thrust its tail as it let the lightning stored up loose.

The Charge Beam exploded as Springer launched his Aura Sphere, the two attacks hitting one another as another explosion consumed them both. "Ri/Chim!" They cried as they were thrown back, both managing to stay on their feet as they slid backwards. Springer slammed his left paw into the ground, his claws upturning the dirt as he stopped while Chimplug grabbed its left wrist with its right.

The two glared at one another, both panting heavily as their trainers gave them their next commands. "Aura Sphere/Thunder Punch!"

Chimplug's grip on its wrist tightened, lightning surging around it as Springer brought up his right paw and began forming the sphere. The two continued to stare at each other, both charging up their attacks while pulling their fists back. The crowd went deadly silent as the two leapt forward, nothing but the sound of their attacks filling the air as they met in the center of the field, "RIOLU/CHIMPLUG!"

The combined power of the two attacks unleashed a blinding light, forcing everyone to close their eyes as both lightning and aura exploded out, wrapping around the two while they tried to overpower the other. That is, till the attack became too much for both.

KABOOM!

Both Springer and Chimplug were thrown back, rolling along the dirt before stopping in front of their trainers. The two slowly got up, their bodies covered in burns and bruises. Flash and Lightning watched as they picked themselves up, Chimplug the first to his feet while Springer followed.

"You okay Springer?" Flash asked his partner, the Riolu turning back to smile at him.

"Ri," Springer nodded before glancing back at Chimplug. But as soon as he tried to take a step forward, his body gave out. "Riolu..." he moaned before he hit the floor.

"SPRINGER!" Flash yelled, seeing spirals appear in his partner's eyes.

Mic: "Riolu's KO'd! The winner is Chimplug!"

The crowd cheered as Flash ran up to his partner, holding him in his arms and looking him over. "You okay bud?" Springer opened his eyes and barked an apologetic yip, Flash weakly smiling as they returned to the podium and put his partner down. "Don't worry about it." He patted his head. "Just sit and watch while I finish what you started." Springer nodded as Flash stood up, his eyes turning to the trainer's board.

The board showed that Flash had one Pokémon left, Lightning still having three. He glared back at his opponent, the biggest grin on Lightning's face as Flash whispered to himself, "This isn't over yet. Lightning's Pokémon have all taken damage. That means I can still win this." He looked down at his last ball, "It's up to you. Riptide, I choose you!" He threw the ball, quickly revealing his Spranitor.

"Nee..." he landed and got into a fighting stance, "tore!" He glared at Lightning, Lightning's grin turning into a chuckle before morphing into full-on laughter.

"HAHAHAHA! You...I know you're a loser, but....HA! You intend to beat me...using that thing?" Lightning laughed, Chimplug catching the giggles himself.

"Don't underestimate us!" Flash barked back, "You may have beaten us in the past, but since then we've trained hard!" Riptide nodded. "It's true Riptide didn't start out the strongest Pokémon in the world, but we've worked hard and he's grown strong because of that hard work."

"Strong?! That weakling?!" Lightning cackled, "HA! Don't make me laugh!"

"Shut up! We'll show you!" Flash yelled, "We'll show you Riptide's true strength!"

"True strength?!"

Flash pointed at him. "You once said you had a sixth sense about a Pokémon's strength, but I'm betting that's only the strength on the surface. You're completely blinded to their true strength, because it's not something a Pokémon's born with...it's something they obtain through hard work, like the strength Riptide has. The power he has now was achieved because he pushed himself to grow stronger despite what people like you tell him. And that's why he's gonna win! Because power earned will always outshine power given."

But as those words came out Flash's mouth, Lightning just let out a long sigh, shaking his head, "Are you done?" Flash growled at this, making Lightning chuckle again, "True strength? I've never heard such lame words. Why should I waste my time helping a weakling find their strength? What's that gonna get me? Nothing." He pointed at Flash, "It's time you realized the hard truth of this world, and I'm so gonna enjoy beating it into you."

"Dream on!" Flash barked back. "We'll beat you!"

"No...you're just another loser wasting my time." Lightning said while rolling his eyes, "Chimplug, finish this with Charge Beam!" The monkey pointed its tail at Riptide, unleashing the electrical beam.

"Dodge it!" Riptide leapt to the side, dodging the attack as Flash added, "Now, Rock Smash!" Riptide spun forward, his legs glowing as he got close to the monkey.

"Tore!" He swung his legs down, axe-kicking Chimplug in the head. The monkey groaned at the blow, the water lizard hopping back as Lightning gave a command.

"Thunder Wave!"

Flash's eyes went wide as he saw Chimplug leap into the air, "Not good. Jump Riptide!"

"Nee!" Riptide yelled as he leap over the electric wave that streamed across the battlefield.

"Now, Water Gun!"

"Spran!" Riptide unleashed the jet of water, hitting Chimplug while it was still on its tail.

"Plug!" It cried as it was knocked back, Riptide landing as the Thunder Wave's charge fade.

"Ice Punch!" Before Chimplug could recover from the Water Gun, Riptide reached him, slamming his ice cold fist into the chimp. This made it cry out as the freezing energy flew through its body, super-cooling it and causing the water that soaked it to begin to freeze up.

"Plug!" Chimplug cried as he was thrown back, its chest, legs and tail suddenly becoming encased in ice.

Mic: "Oh! Spranitor's Ice Punch as frozen Chimplug! This doesn't look good for Lightning!"

The teen growled at this as he saw Chimplug hit the ground, the ice around its lower half remaining as Riptide landed a safe distance away. "Don't you dare let it beat you! Break that ice right now! Use Brick Break!" Chimplug let out a roar, slamming his glowing hand into the ice, causing it to crack.

"Aqua Tail!" Riptide ran up as his tail was encased in water as Chimplug continued to smash at the ice. But as Riptide got closer, Lightning gave a new command.

"Block it with the ice!" Riptide spun around as Chimplug stopped slamming at the ice and instead used its hands to handstand himself, letting his frozen part of his body being struck by the tail. The force of the impact knocked Chimplug flying back again, only for more cracks to appear all over the ice.

"Chim...PLUG!" With a mighty thrash of its legs and tail, Chimplug broke out of the ice just as Riptide leapt at him again.

"Rock Smash!" Flash yelled seconds before Riptide thrust his glowing knee into Chimplug's gut, making it cry out as the wind was knocked out of it.

The crowd cheered as Chimplug hit the ground, Riptide hopping back again. Lightning's eyes twitched at this, hearing the cheers and growling as they got louder. "Chimplug…" he hissed the monkey started to get up, "Get up this instant and beat that weakling! You're stronger than it'll ever be, so stand up and show him why he'll never be anything but a loser!"

"Chim," he groaned, barely standing on one knee.

"CHIMPLUG!" Lightning screamed, "GET UP RIGHT NOW!" His words came to a stop as Chimplug's entire body was suddenly consumed by light, making everyone go wide-eyed as the anger on Lightning's face faded, a giant grin now forming, "So it's finally happening...."

"No way!" Pinkie yelped.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rarity asked.

"Yeah," Twilight nodded with a gulp, "Chimplug's evolving."

They all watched as the evolution completed itself, the light beginning to fade. The new Pokémon's body shape was similar to Bloxx, being a large gorilla Pokémon with giant fists it put its weight on. Its body was a mix of yellow and black with a few hints of white, the head, neck, hands, wrists, feet, arms and legs up to the elbows and knees were black with white outlining them. The rest of its fur was bright yellow along with a metal collar around its neck that had several sockets in it that looked like they could have plugs placed in them. Metal gauntlets covered its knuckles, the back of its hands, wrist and arm up to its elbows, with straps around its wrists and arm holding it in place. Its head also had a yellow lightning bolt hair spike pointing backwards.

The Pokémon jumped onto its legs and began beating its fists into its chest. "GORILLAMP!"

Mic: "INCREDIBLE! Chimplug has evolved into Gorillamp!"

Grand: "Chimplug was strong before, but this evolution may have increased that strength tenfold."

Flash pulled out his Pokedex and scanned it.

Name: Gorillamp
Category: Current Pokémon
Type: Electric/Steel
Info: The evolved form of Chimplug. The gauntlets it wears can fire over ten thousand volts of electricity. When angered, its electrical power will explode from it and cause an electro magnetic pulse.

"That's not good," Flash gulped as he saw Lightning scanning Gorillamp with his own Pokedex. "But we're still gonna win!" He pointed forward, "Rock Smash!"

"Tore!" Riptide ran up and thrust his foot into the gorilla's chest, "SPRANITOR!" The foot connected, but Gorillamp wasn't even budged by the force. "Tore?"

"No way!" Flash cried when he saw the Pokémon not even flinch.

"Thunder Punch!" Gorillamp raised its giant fist as lightning surged around it, Riptide being quick to escape by jumping back. But as it did this, the fist hit the ground, the force of the impact so strong that it unleashed a burst of air that knocked Riptide off balance. "Brick Break!" Before Riptide could recover, Gorillamp's other arm swung around, slamming into the lizard.

"TORE!" He yelped as he was sent flying, rolling on the ground as he tried to come to a stop.

"Thunder Wave!" Gorillamp slammed its fists together, about to thrust them into the ground as Flash yelled out.

"Jump!" Riptide hopped to its feet, ready to leap as Gorillamp prepared the attack. But as did it, the wave of lightning suddenly became dome-shaped, lightning exploded out of the gauntlets and forming around Gorillamp before rapidly expanding. Electricity shot out in every direction, Riptide unable to escape the attack.

"TORE!" He cried as he was struck, causing him to fall over as the sparks surged around his body and shocked him more. "Spran...nee...tore."

"Riptide!" Flash yelled as Riptide tried to pick himself up, only to flinch when the sparks continued to wrap around him.

"Thunder Punch!" Flash now saw the charging Gorillamp, its fists slamming into the ground as it moved. And as the ape reached Riptide and swung its colossal electrified fist at him, the Spranitor barely hopped away, soon evading a second fist after that. A third punch came next, only for the lizard to suddenly freeze up from the paralysis, Gorillamp now pouring all his power in this third jab.

"GORE!" It screeched as is punch connected, sending Riptide flying back while the lightning surged through him.

"So much for your true strength!" Lightning laughed as Riptide hit the ground, "I guess it just can't compete with pure natural power!" Gorillamp roared while beating its chest again.

"We'll show you what real power is!" Flash barked back as Riptide picked himself up. "That thing might be strong, but at that size, it'll have lost a ton of speed. Use Rock Smash!" Riptide ran up and began to circle around the Gorillamp, Flash being right as the ape tried to grab him, only to miss as his bulk got in the way. "DO IT!"

"Tore!" Riptide yelled as he smashed his leg into Gorillamp's side, then jumped away before it could counter. "Nee!" He kneed it in the shoulder next, only to hop behind Gorillamp before performing two spinning punches into the ape's back. "Spranitor!" The blow knocked the ape forward, only for the lizard to do a sliding kick into one of the gorilla's fists, knocking him over.

Mic: "Wow! Despite the evolution, Spranitor is proving quite capable against its opponent."

Celestia: "An evolution can be both a blessing and a curse. Gorillamp's body is very different, so it's gonna take time for it to adjust to it properly."

"Tore!" Riptide smirked as he flipped around break-dance style to get back to his feet, only to then flinch from the paralysis.

"Ugh...stop cheering for this weakling." Lightning growled before pointing at Gorillamp. "Brick Break, on the ground!" Gorillamp pushed himself up before raising its fists, slamming them both into the dirt so hard that the entire stadium suddenly started shaking.

Luna: "WHOA! What's he doing?!"

She got her answer when the ground began to break apart, several chunks of earth being pushed upward, some even hitting Riptide. "Tore!" He cried, unable to escape because of the paralysis.

Grand: "He's making the ground harder to move on, trying to slow Spranitor down."

"Don't let that faze you! Aqua Tail!" Riptide began to jump from rock to rock once he could move again, soon reaching Gorillamp before spinning around to slam his water covered tail into it. However, Gorillamp used its large arms to block the blow, only to quick swat Riptide back. And as the water lizard fell back to the ground, he tried to land on his feet as Flash let out another command, "Water Gun!"

"TORE!" Riptide unleashed the water stream, hitting Gorillamp in the head. The blow made it stagger back, Riptide growling at the sight as began charging at the ape.

"Let's end this!" Flash yelled before pointing at Riptide, "Ice Punch!"

"Heh...idiot." Lightning whispered. "Grab it!" Gorillamp quickly side-stepped, dodging the blow as Riptide flew past him.

"Nee?" Riptide asked, only for the paralysis to kick in. "TORE!" And at that moment, Gorillamp snatched him with his giant hands. His palms were so big that they wrapped around Riptide's entire body, pinning his arms to his side. "Spran!" He cried, trying to break free from the electric ape's grasp.

Flash gasped, about to yell another command, "Rock-" Before he could finish, Gorillamp grabbed both Riptide's feet and tail, preventing him to move completely while making Riptide face away, his Water Gun not even able to do anything in his position. "No..."

"It's over." Lightning chuckled, shining the biggest grin, "I'm so going to enjoy this next part." He then saw Gorillamp giving him the same grin he was wearing, "Now, it's time to show off true power and not worthless heart junk." He pointed at Riptide, "Gorillamp...Thunder."

"Thunder?!" Flash yelped as he watched the electric ape lift Riptide up, lightning beginning to surge around him. "No...don't!"

"Gore," the electricity built as Riptide struggled to escape, "rill..."

"STOP IT!" Flash yelled.

"AMP!!!" The lightning exploded out off Gorillamp's gauntlets, electrifying the water lizard as it screamed out in pain.

"TOOOOORE!" Flash's friends gasped at the horrible sight, Fluttershy covering her eyes while the others flinched at the cry Riptide was screaming out. The rest of the audience was doing the same, only Lightning showing a smile as he saw the electricity dissipate and a smoking Riptide remained in Gorillamp's clutches. "Nee..." Riptide whimpered as he forced his eyes open.

"That felt good." Lightning commented, "Gorillamp, finish this with Thunder Punch!" Gorillamp tossed Riptide straight into the air, then clench its fist and pulled it back as the charge built.

"Riptide! You gotta get out of there!" But as he said this, the paralysis surged again despite Riptide not even being able to move in the first place. Unending pain was surging through him as gravity began to pull him down toward his fate. "RIPTIDE!"

"And...that's it." Lightning announced as he raised his hand. And as Riptide fell within range, the trainer snapped his fingers as Gorillamp threw his electrified fist forward, socking Riptide right in the chest.

"TORE!" Riptide screamed as he was thrown flying across the arena.

"Riptide!" Spike yelled.

"No!" Flash cried as Riptide hit the ground and rolled along the grass, eventually coming to a stop.

Everyone watched as the lizard sat there smoking, Pinkie letting out a cry and covering her eyes, "I can't watch."

But as this happened, Riptide suddenly began to push himself up, his legs shaking as he tried to stand, "Alright!" Flash cheered as Riptide got to his feet. However, before he could give a command, he saw how weakly Riptide was standing, swaying back and forth, his head and shoulders slumping. "Riptide?" And then, to Flash's horror, Riptide began to fall backward.

"Oh no!" Rarity screamed in horror, "Riptide's going down!" Rainbow and Applejack growled as Doc and Sunset closed their eyes and looked away.

Twilight couldn't take her eyes of Riptide's trainer, "Flash..."

"RIPTIDE!" He screamed as his partner fell further and further back.

"Spranitor..." was all the water lizard could force out. If Flash understood his language, his heart would have broken at the words. "Flash...I'm sorry." With that, he slumped over and his eyes were replaced with spirals.

Mic: "Spranitor's KO'd! The winner of Gorillamp! All of Flash Sentry's Pokémon are now unable to battle, so the winner, and champion of the Hoofington Battle Tournament is...LIGHTNING BLITZ!"

As those words echoed through the stadium, Flash fell to his knees. The sight made Lightning roar with laughter, cackling as he pointed at the teen.

Flash had lost. He had failed to keep his promise.

Up in the stands, Flash's friends all sighed while the rest of the audience began to cheer for the winner.

"Poor Flash," Fluttershy muttered.

"I can't believe it," Rainbow added. "He lost...to that guy."

Sunset shook her head, "I guess...Lightning just wanted it more."

Twilight couldn't help but keep her eyes on Flash, seeing pure despair on his face. "Oh Flash....I'm so sorry."

As Lightning returned Gorillamp, Flash staggered over to where Riptide was laid and fell to his knees again. Springer slowly made his way as well as Flash picked the Spranitor up, the water lizard's eyes barely opening to stare at his trainer. "Spran?"

Flash looked down at the ground as he held him tightly to his body. "I'm sorry Riptide. I...I wasn't strong enough."

"You got that right. You're pathetic." said a voice, making him look up to see Lightning slowly walking over. "I knew gramps was going senile when he thinks someone like you is actually worth something." Flash growled at the sight, Springer trying to get into a battle ready stance.

But once he was a few feet away, he stopped with a sly grin on his face. "So? What happened to showing me the true strength of a Pokémon?"

Flash's entire body shook while he grit his teeth, fighting back tears. He had tried so hard to show his training style could work...but he was only able to do a draw at best with their first battle. Now it had been another loss as Lightning spoke up again.

"Honestly, stop playing around with weaklings." Flash's eyes went wide at this, "I'll admit, you helped that thing in your hands get far, but it still worthless." He then pointed to the audience, "That's your problem. You keep picking up trash on the road, thinking you can make them into great Pokémon...but you won't. Real Pokémon are strong from the start."

"Tore," Riptide growled while Lightning just smirked at him.

"You wanted to teach me a lesson, but it's clear you're the one who needs to learn the truth. If I went and caught any run of the mill Pokémon that passed my way like you, I'd never be able to reach my true potential. It's time you took a hard look at Pokémon and ask yourself...are really they worth my time?"

"I...I'd never do that to my Pokémon!" Flash barked back, "It's not right!"

Lightning chuckled again. "If it's not right, then answer me this. Why did I win?" Those final words send a jolt through Flash's heart, making him freeze in place. "Thought so." With that, Lightning spun around and walked away, the biggest grin on his face as Flash sat there in despair.

It wasn't long till Lightning was standing in the middle of the field on a podium as Present Mic, Celestia, Luna and Grand stood in front of him.

Mic: "Let's give another round of applause to the winner of the Hoofington Battle Tournament, Lightning Blitz!"

The crowd cheered, with even Flash and his friends giving a round of applause so as to not be rude. As they congratulated him, Celestia, Luna and Grand walked up to the teen. "Congratulations," Celestia slowly said, Lightning telling she and Luna were forcing their smiles. The sight made him shine the biggest grin, especially the frown on Grand's face. "Here's your prize."

Grand stepped up, holding the tray of items. And as Lightning took them, he leaned down and whispered, "So, what did I tell you? That true strength of the heart...it was just crushed by my unstoppable power."

"Maybe...but you can't say Flash didn't give you a run for your money."

"HA!" Lightning laughed, spit flying onto Grand's face as he cackled, "That wasn't even a mild jog! He was the easiest battle of this farce, just like I told you! He deserved to lose. And even if that loser was somehow able to do more...it's the end result that matters. And the end result is that I won and he lost, just like I said would happen. Ready to admit I'm right?"

"So what now?" Grand asked, ignoring his question, "Are you planning on finding Shining and challenging him?"

"Eh, as easily as I could crush him, I think I'll give him a little while longer to enjoy his reign. Maybe once all my Pokémon have evolved, then I'll go after him. Or heck, I'll just wait until the Equestria League so the whole world can see how he doesn't deserve what he has. I mean, it's clear now who'll be the one winning the whole thing."

Grand shook his head at this, "Perhaps...or maybe they'll be someone else there more powerful than you could ever hope to be." He stared up at Lightning with a longest stare possible, "The Equestria League is a long way from now. A lot can happen in that time."

Lightning's grin vanished, his eyes and face turning red in anger as he was about to yell, but Grand stepped back as the crowd once again cheered. The teen's anger somewhat vanished at this, spinning around while raising his prize up high. "Look upon me Equestria!" He yelled, "For I am and, will always be, the strongest trainer to walk your soil!" The crowd continued to cheer, Flash and the others not choosing to join in this time.

Mic: "What an amazing tournament this has turned out to be! So many twists and turns, strategies and counter-strategies on full display, and the amazing strength of the Pokémon! I'm sure we're all be looking forward to next year's Battle Tournament. But until then, I've been your host: PRESENT MIC!"

Several hours later...

The group was now standing outside of the stadium. Lightning had left almost as soon as his Pokémon were healthy enough to travel, the biggest grin returning to his face while Flash chose to let his get a little bit more rest at the center. As for the others, they were all talking about their future plans.

"I need to get back to training," Rainbow chimed in first. "This tournament's shown me I still have a long way to go."

"Same here," Applejack and Trixie added with a nod.

"I want to get stronger too," Fluttershy said while Rarity and Pinkie smiled at their friend's determined expressions.

"I just wanna go somewhere fun," Pinkie announced.

"Wherever we go, I hope it's some place marvelous with extraordinary sights."

"Back to the lab for us," Sunset commented to Celestia as she nodded before turning to Twilight, "What about you guys?"

"I'm not sure," Twilight replied while staring at her journal. "We haven't really decided."

"In that case, might I suggest a place?" Celestia held out a hand, Twilight giving her the device. A few seconds of typing later, she gave it back to the teen.

"Manehatten City?"

"That's right," Celestia responded, "It's a little ways off from here, but I'm sure it would be an excellent place to go and see."

"Oh yes," Luna added, "And Manehatten City has a Gym there."

"I'm sure Flash will be happy about that," Twilight replied while Doc and Spike nodded in agreement.

But as they did this, they turned to the teen in question. Flash was a good distance away, having moved over to the edge of the lake. He was glaring out at the water while leaning against the railing with his arms crossed.

"Do you think he's gonna be okay?" Spike asked, Grand patting him on the shoulder.

"Just give him time," the older gentleman chimed in, "Don't try and force him to feel better. Just be there to support him when he needs it." The others nodded as Rarity moved over to Twilight, holding a wrapped package.

"Here." She said as she gave it to Twilight.

"What's this?"

"I was planning on giving it to Flash as a victory present. But maybe it'll be best for you to hold onto it until he's feeling better."

"Oh...thanks Rarity." Twilight responded while the rest continued to stare at Flash.

The teen was stared at the water, Lightning's words echoing through his head. "If it's not right, then answer me this. Why did I win?" That question kept repeating itself, every time Flash's heart feeling like it had been impaled.

"Why did he win?" He whispered, "Just...why? Why couldn't I win? He beat me like I was nothing..."

"Ri!" said a voice, making him turn to see Springer standing behind him with bandages covering his body. And he wasn't alone, as Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper and Hopper stood behind him, all of them just as bandaged up but all smiling at him.

"Guys? What are you doing out here? Go back inside-whoa!" Flash yelped as his Pokémon suddenly tackled him, all of them soon tickling him with their claws, fur and whatever else. "HEY!" He yelped through his laughter, "Stop that! What are you all doing?!"

Another laugh made him turn to see Twilight, Doc and Spike smiling at him.

"I think they're trying to tell you to smile," the glasses wearing girl responded.

Flash did smile as the six got off of him, Twilight holding out a hand to help him up. "Thanks," he replied while brushing himself off.

"I know you're upset about this, but it'll be okay."

"Yeah!" Spike added, "So you lost, who cares?! You'll get that jerk next time!"

"And we'll be there to cheer you on and help you train for that next time," Doc finished.

Flash tried to smile back, sighing as he looked away, "Yeah...I guess you're right." He turned back to his Pokémon as a small smile appeared on his face. "Lightning hasn't seen the last of us. Next time, we'll show him why he shouldn't mess with us! Right guys?" His Pokémon all cried out in agreement as Twilight pulled him over to say a proper goodbye to the others.

But despite his words, Flash couldn't keep his smile. His time at the Hoofington Battle Tournament had been intense, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't overcome Lightning Blitz. Now, his future was one of uncertainty as he felt his heart shake from the battle. As the journey continues.

Hopper the Lost Heir PT1

View Online

In the skies above Equestria, the sun was shining as several Flying-type Pokémon soared through the air.

Taillow, Spearow, Rookidee, Staravia, Tranquil and many more were flying in large flocks through the sky, some in big tight groups while others were more spread out. But as they did this, they all dispersed as a new being flew through the air at high speed.

It was a blue serpentine Dragon-type, Dragonair. The majestic Pokémon's head wings were extended, allowing it to fly though the air while carrying the extra weight of its passenger, a blue haired, white skinned teenage girl.

As they flew, her eyes were staring at the ground, frantically looking around as she whispered, "Where are they? They have to be around here somewhere."

Several miles away...

It had been a few days since the Hoofington Battle Tournament, and Flash's group were now making their way toward Manehatten City, where Flash intended to earn his seventh badge. But now, they had stopped by a river for a rest and a spot of lunch.

"Table's set," Twilight announced.

"Stew's almost ready," Doc added.

"And the Pokémon food's down," Flash finished.

"Great!" Spike cheered as Peewee flew down and landed on his shoulder, "Then let's eat!"

"Grubs up!" Flash threw five Pokeballs upward, his Pokémon soon appearing.

"TORE/SPRAN/LEAF/CARRR/DRAN!"

"Hope you're hungry!" Twilight threw her Pokeballs into the air, unleashing the Owlolar and Ponyta.

"OWL/NEE!"

"Lunch for fifteen!" Doc summoned his Pokémon as well, Higear, Tockwork, Flitanium and Lairon all appearing.

"GEAR/TOCK/FLY/LAIR!"

The Pokémon that could eat ran up to enjoy their lunch while Doc began to serve the stew. All the while, Higear and Tockwork were simply hanging around, talking with the Pokémon.

"Mmm..." Spike hummed after a spoonful of soup, "Tastes great!"

"Thanks," Doc replied while nodding, "With all the Pokémon Center food we've been having, some homemade stuff should definitely hit the spot."

"Indeed," Twilight added before turning to Flash, "Don't you think?"

But no response came, the girl now seeing Flash just staring at his food. A blank expression was on his face, emotionlessly gazing into the bowl as a memory echoed through his mind. The memory of what Lightning had said several days ago. "If it's not right, then answer me this. Why did I win?"

Those words keep racing through his head. Every memory of their battle ended with those words, Flash remembering how no matter what he did, Lightning devastated his teams with ease. 'Why did I lose? Why...why didn't I stand a chance against him?'

These thoughts were followed by visions of each of his Pokémon being beaten, the grin on Lightning's face as he laughed over and over at his Pokémon being wrecked by Lightning's superior team. 'He's right...I'm so pathetic. Me and my Pokémon. But what can I-'

"Flash?" The teen's head shot up, turning to the voice. What he saw was a frowning Twilight as she asked, "You okay? You haven't touched your food."

Doc showed a glum frown, "I know it's not my best creation-"

"No," Flash quickly shoveled down four spoonfuls, "It's great. And I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Right..." Twilight slowly replied, raising an eyebrow as she watched Flash scoff down his lunch. "Flash, if you wanna talk-"

"I'm fine," he interrupted before putting the bowl down and standing up, "I'm just gonna...go walk off that great lunch."

He soon sprinted away, his Pokémon watching him flee as they all frowned at the sight.

"He's not fine, is he?" Spike commented, getting sighs from the others.

"His loss against Lightning has really affected him." Doc added as he shook his head, "Its been messing him up since the tournament."

Twilight didn't say anything, the girl just watching the teen walk up to a nearby river. Her glasses slightly went down her nose as she looked down at the ground, sighing before she felt her sleeve be tugged. Turning to it, she saw her brother staring up at her as he asked, "What do we do? We gotta cheer him up somehow."

"I...I..." she turned away, "I don't know."

"But we can't have him stay like that! He'll lose his next gym battle if he's like that!"

"I know." Twilight admitted as she took off her glasses, wiping them as she continued, "As much as I want to help him...I just don't know how. I keep thinking about any solution of us going to cheer him up and tell him to not worry about Lightning...but no matter what scenario I think up, the image of him yelling at us that he's fine keeps being the end result." She let out a long sigh. "I'm just not sure. I want to cheer him up, but I'm afraid I'll make things worse."

"You mean you don't want to repeat what happened at camp." Doc added, Twilight nodding at this. Spike's frown kept growing at this, Doc also saying, "I suppose we can only be there for him."

It was here that Springer looked up from his food, now watching his trainer skim some stones along the water. But before he could get up to walk over, his ears suddenly flickered and his dangles flared up. "Ri!" He pushed to his feet, catching the other's attention.

"Springer?" Twilight raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?" They watched Springer dart his head around before looking up at the sky...only to turn to above the forest they had just journeyed through after leaving Hoofington. And as they followed him, they saw something flying down.

"What is that?" Doc asked as they stood up, only to see a flash of light twinkle from the figure. And that light suddenly shot down at them, an explosion coming next that knocked them all back.

"WHOA!" They screamed as they went flying, causing Flash to spin around and gasp at the sight.

"Guys!" He started to run for them, only to see a certain Pokémon fly down, "A Dragonair?" He then spotted the girl riding on a saddle on its back, a low glare on her face. He glared back, yelling at the girl, "Hey! Why are you attacking us?!"

She didn't respond, instead turning her attention to one of Flash's Pokémon: Hopper. Her gaze laser focused at his head mark, "It really is him."

"HEY!" She turned back to Flash, "Don't ignore me! Why-"

"Silence thief!" She roared back, "I have nothing to say to criminals like you!"

"Criminals?!" Doc yelped as he and the others began to pick themselves up. As he did this, he noticed the orbs on Dragonair's tail begin to glow as it pointed the tip at the blue haired boy. "FLASH! SHE'S USING TWISTER!" The others gasped as a tornado exploded out of the orbs, Flash unable to dodge the incoming attack.

He closed his eyes, crossing his arms as he began to brace himself for the blow to hit until-

"Dran!" Flash's eyes flew open as he saw Hopper hop in front of him, using his wing to block the twister.

"What?!" The girl screamed, "It protected him?!"

Once the Twister vanished, Hopper turned to Flash, his trainer reaching out to rub his chin, Hopper purring happily. "Thanks bud."

The girl's eyes shrunk, only to narrow as she growled, "You...how dare you treat the prince like a pet!"

"Prince?! What the heck are you talking about?"

"I have no need to respond to your questions."

"I'm pretty sure you do!" Flash barked back. "I don't know who you are, but what gives you the right to show up out of nowhere, attack us and call us criminals?"

"You stole the prince of dragons!" She screeched, "I will not allow you to get away with that! You will not threaten our homeland!"

"What are you-"

"Silence criminal!"

Flash's eyes narrowed as he stood up, patting Hopper's back as he said, "Okay, guess we don't got a choice. Hopper, Extreme Speed!"

"Dran!" The Skeidran roared, his body glowing as he instantly shot up to Dragonair, spinning around before smashing his foot right into the serpent. The blow knocked it back, forcing the girl to readjust her grip on her saddle.

"I'm sorry," she sighed as she got her balance, "But this is the only way." Once Dragonair corrected itself, she pointed at Hopper, "Ice Beam!" The dragon unleashed a burst of blue lightning from its horn, the others gasping at the sight of Hopper's biggest weakness, only for the Proto-Dragon's Extreme Speed to kick in, allowing him to dodge it. "So fast."

"Steel Wing!" Hopper circled around them, using his last burst of speed to get in front of them.

"Dran!" His wings glowed, quickly slashing Dragonair with one of them, pushing it back.

"Do not falter! We must save the prince! Dragon Pulse!" Dragonair opened its mouth as the gem on its neck glowed. It then let out a feminine roar as a blast of dragon-shaped energy exploded out.

"Dragon Tail!" Flash yelled as Hopper's tail glowed green, the Skeidran quickly spinning around and slamming it into the Dragon Pulse. This caused an explosion that blocked him from view, the girl gasping at the sight as Flash pointed at her Pokémon, "Crunch!" A blur suddenly shot out of the cloud, causing the smoke to be blown away.

"Sky!" Hopper reached them, biting into Dragonair's tail before either could react. A cry of pain came next, only for Hopper to spin around while pulling them down.

"AAAHH!" The girl screamed before Hopper released her, causing both to go crashing into the ground. As they hit the dirt, the girl was thrown from her seat, rolling along the earth.

Dragonair quickly began to pick itself up, only for Hopper to fly down. "Dragon Tail!" Before Dragonair could react, it suddenly found itself getting conked on the head by the green appendage, the Pokémon flopping over a second later.

"Dragonair!" The girl cried as she got up, now seeing Hopper pull his tail away to reveal her Pokémon now sporting two swirls for eyes. "No..." she turned to the others, now seeing four trainers and all their Pokémon slowly advancing on her.

"Now then," Twilight crossed her arms, "Maybe now we can act like civil adults."

"There's nothing civil about you thieves!" she hissed.

"Would you stop calling us that?!" Flash barked back, "We're not thieves!"

"You are! Don't lie..." she pointed at Hopper. "You have the prince of dragons!"

"Hopper?" Spike asked with a raised eyebrow, "He's just a Skeidran."

"He is not just a Skeidran!" she screeched, "He is the prince! He is royalty!"

The group all exchanged glances, Flash commenting, "Uh...any ideas what she's talking about?"

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought, memories of when they found Hopper going into her head before turning to his trainer, "Flash...do you remember what happened when we first met Hopper?"

Flash glanced at her before a certain memory went through his mind, "The Pokémon Hunters," Flash whispered before turning back to the girl, "You're the one they stole his egg from?"

The girl hissed at him. "His egg, was the most precious item of my clan! Yes it was stolen, and we gave chase after the thieves!" She slightly looked away at this, "But...they escaped. And when we finally caught up to them, they told us the egg had been stolen by somebody else."

"You gotta be kidding me," Twilight sighed while rubbing between her nose. "We didn't steal Hopper's egg. We found it."

"Those thieves hid it inside a bush," Flash added, "My Riolu sensed him, and I found his egg. That's when he hatched."

"Lies! You expect me to believe that?!" She growled before turning to Hopper, slowly moving up to him with her hand raised. "I know you don't know me, but I'm a friend. And I've come to take you home." Hopper hissed, causing her to flinch. The sight made her frown, her tone now shaky, "Please...your parents are very worried about you. When you were taken, they were heartbroken. It took our kai everything he had to persuade them to not lead the dragons in a raging attack on the surface....and now I can take you to see them."

Hopper moved away at this, getting behind Flash as he crossed his arms, "Clearly, he doesn't believe you."

"And why should we believe you either?" Twilight added, "You could just be trying to steal Hopper from us."

"Yeah!" Spike chimed in, nodding, "You could be working with those hunters!"

"I am not working for the hunters!" She barked back, "I am no thief!"

"Then what's your name?" Doc asked, "And what's this clan and kai stuff about?"

The girl sighed at this, seeing Hopper still glare at her. She then reached into her pocket, "My name is Kaida." She held something out, "And this is proof that I'm not lying."

They saw it was a photograph, Twilight taking it as the others looked at the picture. The photo showed a group of people gathered around a middle aged man with gray skin and a blonde. Kaida was one of the people in the picture, along with several teens, a middle aged woman with bronze skin and graying red hair along with a pair of Skeidran.

One of the Skeidran looked exactly like Hopper, having the same mark on its head as him.

Their attention was then drawn to the older man, seeing an egg in his hands. The same egg Flash had pulled out of that bush long ago. "Hopper..." Flash whispered before turning to his Skeidran, only to see Hopper staring at the two Skeidran in the photo.

"That photo was taken on the day his egg was laid," Kaida commented, "And those two Skeidran are this one's parents. Titan and Mercy."

"That Skeidran looks just like Hopper," Spike added.

"It even has the same mark on its head," Doc finished.

"That mark is the birthright he holds," Kaida told them. "The king and the prince of dragons."

"What's this about being a king and prince of dragons?" Twilight asked next. Kaida just snarled at her, making Twilight shake her head, "Listen...we just want to know about Hopper."

Kaida continued to glare at them, only to let out a long sigh, "Alright. This is going to be hard to believe, but hear me out. It all started long ago, in the Hoenn region. A group of Dragon-type Pokémon trainers named the draconids lived in Meteor Falls, a place where they worshipped one of the greatest Dragon-types in the world. Rayquaza."

"I've heard of them. They're considered legends," Twilight chimed in, "But I thought they died off years ago. Are you saying you're a draconid?"

"Not one from the Hoenn region, but yes. Long ago, several groups of the draconids left Hoenn and migrated all over. I know of one group that settled somewhere in the Johto region, but I'm not sure about the others. One of the larger groups came here, to Equestria. But when they arrived, disorder broke out amongst us and we eventually split. One group headed north and settled in what is now called Dragonia City, but the others found a...secret land. A place where Dragon Pokémon of all shapes and sizes call home. It is there that I am from."

"So what does this have to do with Hopper?" Flash asked.

"Well, even though they found what seemed like paradise, it was far from it. The many Dragon-types all clashed against one another, trying to make the land belong to only their species. A Dragon War soon came, threatening to destroy not only the beautiful land they wanted, but also the outside world. But then, the first king appeared."

"A Skeidran?" Twilight replied, getting a nod from Kaida.

"Despite not being a Dragon-type, their ability allows them all the advantages of being one and hardly any of their weaknesses. The first king had been trained by one of the draconids, who had found it during their journey through Equestria. It did battle and was able to swiftly defeat any other Dragon-type. Once it was victorious, it chose not to send the other Dragon-types away, but instead let them and the humans live in what is now known as the Kingdom of Dragons. And eventually, the king of dragons found a mate and had a Hoppin child. That child bore the same mark as his father, something no other Skeidran had. When that Hoppin reached its final evolution, it stepped in to become the new king of dragons so his father could rest. It kept the peace and found its own mate, and the cycle began again."

As this information set in, everyone glanced at each other before Twilight spoke up, "And you're saying Hopper is the most recent descendant of the King of Dragons?"

"Yes," she nodded. "If he does not return, our kingdom will eventually fall into chaos and ruin once again."

Frowns were on every face after this, Doc asking, "What do you think?"

"Good question." Flash responded as he kneeled down and patted Springer's head. "Well bud? Sense anything?" Springer shook his head, "So you can't sense that she's lying?" Springer nodded, Flash humming at this as he stood back up, "Alright, Springer seems to think you're not lying...and that's enough for me to give you a chance." Kaida showed a small smile at this, only for Flash to continue, "But I'm still gonna need more proof."

"What kind of proof?"

"I want to see this Kingdom of Dragons," Flash replied with crossed arms, Kaida's eyes going wide in shock as the others just stared at Flash. "I want to meet Hopper's parents and see everything you've told us with me own eyes. Only then, I'll believe you."

"You...do you realize what you're asking?" Kaida slowly said, "No outsider has ever been allowed access to our lands."

"Well, I don't think you have much of a choice," Twilight added, "By Equestrian law, Flash doesn't have to let you anywhere near Hopper if he doesn't want to. And anyone who tries to take him away would be deemed a criminal and a Pokémon thief."

"So you really have two options," Doc finished, "Return to this place with us and Hopper, or return without him."

Kaida shrunk back at this, biting her lip as she looked away, "Oh...what do I do?" she whispered to herself, looking back at the photograph. "I...I guess I have no choice." She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a PokeGear. "I'll...I'll have to talk this over with our kai."

"Kai?"

"The leader of our people, and Titan's trainer." She pressed a few buttons and put it to her ear, soon walking off to be out of earshot. As she did this, the others began to clean up their campsite and see what had survived the attack.

And after a few minutes, Kaida ended her call and moved back over, "Well?" Twilight asked first.

"The kai agrees that you should come see the kingdom," She replied. "But...it's a good distance away from here, so he's sending something to help us get there quicker."

"So what do we do until then?" Spike responded, only for Kaida to sit down while her now conscious Dragonair slithered over to her.

"I want to hear everything that has happened since you found the prince." She did a small bow, "Please. I must know."

The group nodded, sitting down as Flash began to tell the tale of how he met, hatched and caught Hopper. This was followed by their training and Hopper's eventual evolution during the race. He then explained how Hopper evolved into Skeidran, his battle against Champagoon and how he helped Flash earn his latest badge. By the time Flash had finished, an hour had passed. "And that brings us to right now."

"Amazing..." Kaida whispered before turning to Hopper. "You've certainly had an interesting adventure. Probably the most interesting one since the original king of dragons."

"Dran," Hopper nodded with a smile as Kaida moved up and tried to pet him again. He slightly flinched, only to lean up and let her pat his cheek and scratch him under the chin.

"I know you've been through a lot, but I do hope you'll be willing to give the Kingdom of Dragons a try. There are so many good people and Pokémon waiting for you to return."

As she said that, a loud roar made them all look up. They was now a large blue and red dragon with someone riding on a saddle connected to its back flying over them.

"What's that?" Doc asked.

"A Salamence!" Spike gasped, stars appearing in his eyes. "So...COOL!"

The Salamence landed, showing three seats connected to the saddle while the rider turning to them as he waved at the girl, "Hey Kaida." His face was masked by a helmet, scarf and goggles, but he still turned to look at Hopper, "So it's true. You found him."

"Indeed." Kaida nodded before turning to the other. "Anguis will ferry you all there while I ride on Dragonair."

"Err...there's a problem." Twilight raised her hand before pointing at the seats on the dragon, "There's four of us, and only three seats." Kaida turned back to Anguis, the rider giving a shrug back.

"Sorry. This was all we had available."

"Anguis! This is an emergency!" She yelled, only to feel Flash pat her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just ride Hopper."

"What?!" She barely replied as Flash returned all his Pokémon but Springer and Hopper, then jumping up onto Hopper's back. Kaida and Anguis' eyes went wide at the sight, Flash sitting comfortably on the Skeidran's back while Springer sat in Flash's lap.

"He even lets him ride him?" she whispered before turning to Anguis. They both nodded as Anguis motioned for Salamence to crouch down. Spike got giddy as he jumped up into the front seat, Twilight getting in the one behind her while Doc took the back seat.

They all strapped in as Kaida mounted Dragonair, the two dragons and one proto-dragon all spreading their wings. "You all ready?" They nodded back before Kaida pointed to the sky. "Then let's go! To the Kingdom of Dragons!"

With that, the trio took to the air. Everyone gasped at the sight, the dragon riders instantly taking them to the sky. It wasn't long till everything under them was like dots, soon flying for roughly an hour, all while the terrain began to shift from forest to open fields, then to a flat rocky land and slowly becoming rubble-like hills.

"How much further?" Spike asked. "This is awesome, but my butt's falling asleep."

"Terra!" Peewee nodded as he tiredly flew beside them. He had been flying alongside them for about thirty minutes and was starting to exhaust himself, eventually just giving up and landing in Spike's arms.

"We're almost there," Kaida told them before turning to Flash, "How's he doing?"

"He's okay." Flash assured her. "Though this is the longest he's ever flown at once."

"Well, he won't have to fly much longer," she replied before pointing ahead. The group followed her, soon seeing the rocky hills evolve into a large group of mountains, both big and small with differing shapes and sizes.

"The kingdom's in there?" Twilight asked as they entered the maze of mountains. They stared down, now seeing a bunch of Rock, Ground and Steel-types scattered here and there. along with Dragon-types, many of which hand saddled riders on their backs. "Who are they?"

"They're our scouts and sentries," Anguis responded, "They make sure anyone not invited doesn't gets too close. This area is technically a nature preserve, so we're able to make most people leave without much issue. But every now and again...well, you know."

The others nodded at this, only for Kaida to yell, "There it is!" She pointed at a mountain top in the distance, the sight making everyone raise eyebrows as they saw it was. "There's the entrance to the Dragon Kingdom."

"A volcano?" Doc asked, the others gulping as they saw a large amount of smoke funnelling out of the mountain's top.

Kaida and Anguis smirked before steering their dragons into the smoke, those riding Salamence all going wide eyed while Flash and Hopper came to a stop. "Wait-what are you doing?!" Flash yelped as the two dragons disappeared into the black fog, "GUYS!"

Biting his lip at this, he did a small gulp before telling Hopper to follow. As he went through the smoke, he was expecting to find himself going straight into a pool of lava...only to find nothing as he exited the dense smoky fog. Instead, he found himself now in a long tunnel heading straight down. "What the-" he tried to say before looking up, now seeing a certain sight as Dragonair and Salamence glided down beside Hopper.

On the sides of the tunnel were several spiralling ledges, all of them containing Pokémon. "Torkoal?" Twilight asked, Kaida laughing at her question.

"That's right. We use them to make this place look like its about to erupt, mainly to scare off anyone who manages to get passed our defenses. No one in their right mind would go near an active volcano."

The four shared a glance at this, knowing what this meant in terms of Hopper, but instead kept following Kaida down through the tunnel. They now saw crystals hanging from hooks in the side of the wall, each illuminating the cave around them before hitting the bottom. Now noticing they were about two or three miles beneath the earth, they found themselves in a large underground chamber filled with stalagmites and stalactites. The sound of running water made then turn to see a river that ran from a hole in the chamber wall, which ran all the way through the chamber and into another whole tunnel. Several more holes lined the wall, everyone seeing a giant amount of water flowing through the area as they flew through the cave.

Kaida then led them into one of those tunnels, the group finding themselves in darkness before entering another chamber. This one was filled with large sea-stack-like rocks that had giant ledges with another river running through it. On those sea-stacks were Dragon-types of every species. Flygon, Hydreigon, Garchomp, Druddigon, Haxorus, Goodra, Altaria, Champagoon, Kommo-o, Dragapult and even multiple large flocks of multicoloured Terragon. Spike was almost foaming to the mouth at the sight, unable to process the sight of how many dragons were before him. They were all living peacefully with one another, watching over their babies or eating and drinking to their heart's content.

"It's beautiful," Twilight whispered.

"This is nothing," Kaida responded as they continued to fly through the chamber, soon hitting another tunnel. Once there, they went through another bout of darkness before reaching the end, which was filled with light. "Welcome...to the Dragon Kingdom."

Everyone flinched at the light, only to blink their eyes open as they saw their destination. And what a sight it was. They had entered another chamber that was so large, you could fit an entire city within it. The chamber was round and had many holes in the walls, several with water flowing out of them. It had a staircase design to it, with one level of flat surface that dipped down to another level, then another and another. It was on these levels that many buildings stood, including houses, barns, and what looked like a main hall. In the center of the chamber was a large lake being fed by the rivers and in the center of that lake was an island with a giant glowing crystal that was illuminating the entire cavern. Large areas of the chamber were also covered in grass, trees and other vegetation, making it look like any normal town.

"Amazing," Doc gasped as they flew through the land hidden beneath the earth's crust. "To think an environment like this exists underground."

Flash chuckled while patting Hopper on the neck, "Wow. Guess you're finally home bud." Hopper smiled back as they continued to fly around, only to see multiple people and Pokémon on the ground all staring at him.

"I think they've noticed us," Twilight told Flash.

"Of course," Kaida added, "The kai must have spread the word as soon as I finished talking to him."

"They're all excited to welcome the prince back," Anguis finished.

Flash smiled as he noticed a trio of Dragon-types flying up to them, a Noivern, Flygon and Garchomp making up their ranks. Then the Noivern suddenly shifted and started flying straight at them.

"Uh...guys?" was all Flash could say before the Noivern suddenly flew over him. The next thing Flash knew, he was yanked off Hopper's back, now in the soundwave Pokémon's clutches. "WHOA! Hey!"

"FLASH!" His friends screamed as Hopper tried to turn around. But before he could do anything, the Noivern shot straight down before hurling Flash into the ground.

"Blaugh!" Flash crashed, his body rolling along the dirt. He let out a long moan as he tried to get up, now seeing the Noivern land in front of him, along with its rider. It was one of the teens in Kaida's picture. He had charcoal skin and spiky red hair with yellow tips, wearing a blue flame patterned jacket over a white shirt and brown pants. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"You dare to ride the prince of dragons, you criminal?!" he roared while pulling the goggles off his eyes, "It's time to make you pay for stealing the prince of dragons!"

Flash groaned while picking himself up. "You know, I'm gonna start developing a persecution complex because of this."

"FLASH!" His friends yelled as the dragons landed, Kaida flying over to the teen.

"Ryu! What do you think you're doing?"

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ryu barked back, "Have you lost your mind Kaida?! Allowing outsiders into the kingdom?! I will have father punish you severally for this!"

"Your father was the one who invited them," she hissed while pointing at Flash. "He's the prince's trainer."

"You mean his kidnapper!" Ryu growled before glaring at Flash, only to see Hopper walk up.

"I'm okay." Flash said as he patted Hopper's head, "Sorry I worried you."

"You dare treat the prince with such disrespect?!" Ryu screamed before pointing at Flash, "Noivern!" The bat dragon raised its arms, letting out a roar as Hopper and Springer leapt in front of their trainer.

"ENOUGH!" A voice yelled out, making everyone freeze.

Flash turned to see that a crowd was now around them, only to see the group split as a quartet walked up, these four being the older man and woman from the photograph along with a pair of Skeidran. One of those Skeidran had the same marking on its head as Hopper, making Flash realize this was Titan.

The man glared at Ryu, "Are you done embarrassing us in front of our guests, Ryu?!"

"Guests?!" Ryu barked, "You mean prisoners!" He pointed at Flash, "You brought these thieves here to face justice for what they did!"

The man sighed, shaking his head before turning to Flash and Hopper. He moved up to the Proto-Dragon, Hopper staring at him as the man raised his hand up to the Pokémon. However, the old man then looked away but kept his hand inches from Hopper, the Proto-Dragon blinking at the hand before placing his snout into his hand.

He looked back and smiled, beginning to gently pat Hopper. "Look how big you've gotten," he said before turning to Flash, "We owe you a great debt for what you've done today."

Flash's eyes went between the old man and Ryu before asking, "So...you're not gonna attack me?"

"No," he laughed, "I should be on my knees worshipping you if anything. Not only have you brought our prince back to us, you've kept him out of danger, and helped him grow strong." He pulled away from Hopper, then held out a hand to Flash. "My name is Drayce, the kai of the Dragon Kingdom."

"And I'm Flash Sentry," he took his hand before gesturing to his Skeidran. "And this is Hopper," he said loud enough for everyone around them to hear. "The...apparent prince of dragons." The crowd all cheered and applauded while the two other Skeidran began to move closer to Hopper.

"Sky," the smaller of the two spoke.

Hopper stared back at her, blinking before Flash patted his head, "That's your mom. Go say hi." Hopper turned to him, frowning as Flash just gave him a nod. His Skeidran looked back at her, both walking up to each other as they examined one another...only for Mercy to give Hopper a sniff before tearing up.

"Skeidran!" She roared in joy while rubbing her head into his, Hopper going wide-eyed at this, only to slowly hug her back. Everyone smiled at the sight, happy at the reunion of mother and child...only to see Mercy step away as Titan walked up next.

Unlike his mother, who was about the same size as him, Hopper had to look up at his father as he was a good foot taller than him. Titan stared down, Hopper almost shrinking back at his very presence, only to crouch down so they were at the same eye-level before doing what his mate did, beginning to rub his head against his son's. "Dran..." he spoke deeply with a voice filled with care. Everyone felt themselves tear up at this, doubly so when Mercy joined them, all embracing in one big group hug.

Once that was done, Titan pulled away and walked up to Flash. The teen felt just as intimidated by Titan, but the Skeidran leaned down and began poking Flash's chest with his snout.

"Heh-heh," he laughed while patting Titan's head, "You're welcome."

"You've done our land a great service," he turned to a voice, seeing the older woman now walking up, "My name is Scylla, the kai-ree of this land." She then shot Ryu a frown, "I am sorry for my son's rude welcome."

"Don't mention it," Flash replied, "No harm done."

She smiled before turning to Ryu, "Ryu...you owe him an apology."

Ryu just growled at her, "What are you doing?! He's an outsider, and the one who stole the prince! He should be punished!"

"He stole the prince from the people who stole his egg," Drayce replied before turning to Flash. "I assume that's what happened. Kaida wasn't exactly clear."

Flash chuckled as Hopper moved back over to him. "It's a long story."

"Then let's not hear it out here," Drayce responded before gesturing to a nearby building. "Come. Let us continue this in the great hall."

Flash and his friends nodded, following the kai into the building. The room they entered was massive, filled with pillows and small tables, Drayce and Scylla sitting at the front of the hall while Flash and his friends sat in the front row. Hopper sat behind Flash while Springer sat on Hopper's back, Titan and Mercy sitting on either side of the kai and kai-ree.

Once the last person was seated, Flash noticed Ryu leaning against a nearby wall, glaring at Flash as Drayce spoke up, "Many months ago, our kingdom was invaded by thieves. Somehow, they were able to bypass our defenses and snuck into the king's nest. They then used Sleep Powder to keep him and Mercy from waking up, allowing them to take the egg without being discovered. It wasn't until morning that the two were discovered unconscious and the egg gone."

"That must have been horrible," Twilight whispered.

"It was," Scylla replied, nodding, "We sent out many groups to scout the area and try to find them. Several days passed until one of those groups caught up with the thieves," she gestured to Ryu and Kaida. "They managed to find the criminals, but by then, they discovered the egg had already changed hands. And that's where you come in."

Flash reached up and scratched Hopper's chin, "I guess you'd like to know the whole story." The old couple nodded and for the second time that day, Flash began to tell the story of how he first met Hopper, saving him from the poachers. He told them about how he caught Hopper and began to train him, followed by all the major events Hopper was apart of. The race where he evolved, their battle against Team Shadow, his second evolution against Champagoon and how they won against Spitfire's Wondor and earned his badge. "After that, we competed in the Hoofington Battle Tournament, and that's where Kaida learned Hopper was with us."

"I see," Drayce replied before turning to Hopper. "Well, you've certainly lead quite an interesting life young one. Not many princes experience the outside world the way you have." He then sighed as he looked back at Flash, "But this leaves us in a delicate situation." Everyone raised an eyebrow at this as he brought his hands together, placing his chin on them, "By law, you are Hopper's trainer, and we have no right to make you leave him here." Several frowns followed this as he continued, "But you have to understand, Hopper's place is here."

Now it was Flash's turn to frown, "You know, I was kinda hoping Kaida was making all of this up. That Hopper wasn't some prince and didn't have some incredible destiny." He continued to stroke Hopper's head. "But now that I know..."

"I know this must be hard," Scylla told him. "But Hopper is needed here. Without a king, our land could once again fall into chaos."

"I know," Flash sighed. "But after everything we've been through, I can't just give Hopper away. With all the training we've done together, I really want to put it to good use and fight beside Hopper in the Equestria League."

"What, so you can embarrass him?!" Everyone turned to Ryu, his glare now even more intense, "You said you competed in this Hoofington Battle Tournament, but tell me this. Did you win?" This statement caused Flash's eyes to go wide, only to look away, "So you didn't win."

"He got to the finals," Doc chimed in.

"But he lost," Ryu finished. "Second place is first loser. You had the future king of dragons on your team, and you lost. That means you're a worthless loser, a weakling." He turned to his father, "We can't allow him to keep training the prince."

"That's enough Ryu," Drayce hissed, "Simply having the prince of dragons does not guarantee someone a victory. Titan and I have lost many battles together. Besides, you seem to be neglecting one important piece of info."

"Which is?" Drayce pointed to Hopper.

"What do you see?"

"The prince of dragons."

"But what is he?"

"A Skeidran."

"Exactly. He only hatched a few months ago, yet he has already evolved to his highest form. Usually, it takes years for a Hoppin to evolve into Velocirush and even longer to reach the form of Skeidran. Yet Flash was able to help Hopper reach it in less then half a year."

"So what? That doesn't prove he's been trained properly. I could do that!" Ryu spat before glaring at Flash, "Does he even know Wyvern Wing?"

Flash raised an eyebrow at this, "Wyvern...Wing?"

Ryu looked away, looking like he couldn't believe Flash's words, "I can't be hearing this."

"Wyvern Wing's a move Skeidran can learn," Twilight chimed in, "A really strong one."

"It's the strongest Dragon-type move a Skeidran can learn," Drayce added, "And in our kingdom, it is a rite of passage for the prince. Only after it has learned that move can the prince succeed their father and become the new king of dragons."

"Wow..." was all Flash could say. "Well...no, Hopper doesn't know that move."

"See?!" Ryu yelled, "He has no right to the prince!"

"He's still young," Drayce instantly replied, "He'll learn it...in time."

Ryu stomped up to his father, giving him a full death glare as Drayce just gave him a blank stare. "You...are being rude. Go cool off. Now."

Ryu's face scrunched up, about to yell before turning and walking away. The sight made Drayce sigh as he looked back at his guests, "Forgive Ryu. He was meant to be Hopper's trainer when he hatched, but you can see that obviously didn't happen. I'm sure you have a difficult decision to make, so for now, enjoy unlimited access to your kingdom. As thank you for caring for our prince, you are all honorary draconids."

The group gave their thanks before everyone began to make their way outside, Flash and the others now getting a proper close up look at the amazing cavern that made up the Dragon Kingdom.

"This place really is amazing," Twilight commented.

"It certainly is," Doc nodded.

"And it has tons of Dragons!" Spike cheered as he pointed at the many Pokémon around them, "Oh, I wish I have them all!" He then turned to a group of Pokémon that were in a fenced-off area section. "Hey, what are those?"

He was pointing to a Pokémon that looked similar to a Shieldon and an Aron. It was about two foot high, and stood on four stubby legs. Its face had what looked like a yellow star-shaped mask, with five points coming off it and its nose and mouth were between the two bottom points. The rest of the body was a mixture of black and yellow, its lower jaw and neck were black and it had a yellow collar around its neck. Most of its remaining body was black but it had yellow near the bottom of its feet, small yellow spots scattered around its body that gave it a night sky look and a yellow stripe going around its tail. Each foot had three red claws, and its back had a pair of black and yellow wings that were too small to allow it to fly. It also had a pair of white horns coming out of its head, with the top star pointing between them.

Kaida stepped up and giggled, "Oh, those are Starvern. We've got quite a lot of them here."

Flash took out his Pokedex at this.

Name: Starvern
Category: Star Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Dark
Info: Legend tells of how it first came into being after hatching from a meteorite centuries ago. It enjoys ramming its star-shaped head into trees to build its head strength.

"Why are they in a pen?" Twilight asked, "Shouldn't they be with their parents?"

"Alas, no. Starvern's evolved form, Galvern, aren't exactly the greatest parents in the Pokémon world. Once the egg is laid, they leave to let it fend for themselves. So we look after them, hatch them and raise them until they're old enough to look after themselves."

"That's...horrible."

As they continued to watch the Pokémon, Hopper stared at the place around him. He could feel something here, something about this place that was the home he had never known. Yet...he also felt nothing.

A roar above him caught his attention next, making him look up to see a large flock of Skeidran fly in from one of the caverns and begin to circle around the central crystal before landing a short distance away. "Wow..." he heard Spike say, "Look at 'em all!"

"I thought Skeidran were supposed to be rare?" Twilight asked Kaida, the girl nodding back.

"They are. This might be one of the only places in Equestria you can find them."

Flash stared at the Skeidran before turning to Hopper. His Pokémon was backpedaling at the sight, hesitation all over his face. But as he did this, Flash patted his head, "You should go with them," Hopper turned to him, seeing a soft smile on his trainer's face, "You need to spend some time with your own kind. So go on and have some fun."

Hopper bit his lip at this, only for his parents to walk over. They both smiled at him, gesturing to help him go over to the flock. As they did this, the Skeidran turned to see them, all happy to learn of their future king's return. Hopper then slowly made his way through the crowd, replying to any and all the hellos.

But then, his eyes landed on something that made him stop and stare. It was a Skeidran like the others, but its fur was a different color. The parts that should be grayish blue were now a glistening silver color, while the white areas were a light blue. The claws were the same color, but its eyes were pink instead of yellow.

"Dran?" Hopper whispered as he stared at the differently colored Skeidran as it moved over to a nearby stream and drank from it, Titan and Mercy noticing him just staring at the Skeidran.

The others also noticed, Spike speaking up, "Wow. That Skeidran's a different color."

"That's Princess." Kaida responded, "She was actually laid around the same time as Hopper." The others turned to her as she continued, "She only managed to evolve a couple of days ago, something we were quite surprised about. We honestly don't know why."

Everyone nodded as they continued watching, Princess done drinking before noticing Hopper watching her. The Skeidran found himself blushing, "Sky..." he muttered before looking away, "Skeidran."

"Dran?" She moved up to him, looking like she was inspecting him for a moment before smiling and walking away. As she did this, her tail moved under Hopper's chin, sliding against it until the tip flicked him. She glanced back and gave him one final smile before walking off to join some of the other Skeidran as Hopper just stared at her with the biggest blush on his face.

"I think somebody's got a crush," Twilight giggled.

Flash stared at the sight, confusion consuming him as he watched Hopper. 'What do I do?' was all he could think, knowing he could be losing a great battle partner...who was a close friend and almost family member. That or take him and leave this kingdom without its heir once again.

'I...I don't know. I just don't know.'

Outside the mountain area that hid the entrance to the Dragon Kingdom, a draconid and his Flygon were soaring through the sky, scouting the place.

"Echo three to echo seven," he said into his radio. "You read me?" His radio crackled and snapped in response, "Hello, do you read me?" There was still no reply, making him frown. "Echo Seven?"

But as he said this, a blast of freezing wind suddenly flew up and struck Flygon's wing. The Mystic Pokémon flinched at the intense cold, "FLY-EYE!" It cried, the dragon starting to fall from the frozen wing.

"Mayday!" He cried into the radio, "MAYDAY!" But there was no reply, the two soon crashing into the side of the mountain's base. They rolled down the side, the rider being thrown from his Pokémon before hitting the dirt.

And as they came to a stop, the rider looked up to see something move rock to rock around him. It then came to a stop, showing itself as a Weavile, who smirked at the rider and his Pokémon. "Weave," it laughed while the trainer gasped at the sight.

"Why?" He asked it, only to hear a new sound.

The Weavile sprinted back, soon standing beside a man with green skin and icy blue hair. He was wearing a dark blue overcoat and black clothess beneath. A strange sound then made him turn to see a Magnezone floating beside the man with a girl sitting atop it. She had tanned skin and wore a punk rocker's outfit, while her hair was blue on one side and red on the other. The girl also had a ponytail that caused the blue and red hair to spiral around.

His vision shifted between the two, his eyes slowly going wide. "Fafnir...Libelle? But if you're here..." He didn't finish his sentence as the two moved aside to allow the last person in their group to step into view. He had bronze colored skin and red hair with yellow tips that was pulled into a ponytail. He was wearing a black overcoat with flame patterns around the bottom of the sleeve cuffs that were over entirely black clothes. "Cadmus."

The man chuckled at this, "Glad I haven't been forgotten."

"Why...why are you here?!"

"To claim what is mine," Cadmus replied as the sound of many footsteps signaled the arrival of many figures dressed head to toe in black clothing, all accompanied by a multitude of Ice and Fairy-type Pokémon. "What should have been mine from the very start." He looked up into the mountains, "The prince of dragons."

Hopper the Lost Heir PT2

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The Dragon Kingdom, a place of beauty and serenity. Filled to the brim with all kinds of Dragon-type Pokémon, and it was above this majestic land that we find Hopper. He was flying with the rest of the kingdom's Skeidran population, Titan and Mercy flying on either side of him. They were currently spiraling around the large crystal in the center of the cavern, illuminating the place as they flew up. And it was there that Titan led the three down to land atop it, allowing them to stand at the very zenith of the land.

"Look around you, my son," Titan told Hopper, "Everything the light touches, is our kingdom."

"Wow..." Hopper whispered, only to raise an eyebrow, "Wait...what about the tunnels leading here? Those aren't touched by the light." Titan glared at him as Mercy let out a laugh.

"Alright, smarty pants. Everything the light touches, plus the tunnels leading here, is our kingdom! And it is our destiny to stand protectively over this land as its leaders and peacekeepers."

"I understand that," Hopper replied, nodding. "But staying would mean I'd be leaving behind everything I've ever known."

"I'm sure it must be hard," Mercy added, "That Flash boy does seem like a good trainer."

"Oh, he's the best!" Hopper cheered, "He's kind and nice and...and...and he's done so much for me, and I feel like I haven't even started to repay him! That and his team is great! Springer, Riptide, Skyler, Prongs and Viper...oh, they're all such great friends! That and Shine..." He hung his head at this, "If I leave Flash now, I...I don't know. There's so much we haven't done yet..." His words drained out at this, making his parents glance at each other with long frowns on their faces.

But before they could say anything, a sound caught their attention, making them look down at the lake below. There a Dragalge and a Kingdra were staring one another down. "You've got some nerve!" The Kingdra roared.

"I've got some nerve?!" Dragalge barked back before taking a deep breath, ready to fire an attack. But before it could, a certain figure landed into the lake, the water in splashed into both faces. "What?!"

They then turned to the figure, both freezing as they saw it was Titan, hovering above them both. "What's going on here?!" he growled.

"He stole the Oran Berries I gathered!" Kingdra almost yelled, pointing to the tree on the shore full of the fruit. "I promised my kids a treat. It took me ages to shoot them down, and when I finally had enough, I left them on the shore and went to get my younglings." As he said that, a quartet of Horsea emerged. "But when he got here, that Dragalge had eaten them all!"

Titan turned to the Dragalge, "Is this true?!"

"I didn't know they were his. I thought they just fell on the ground."

"Don't give me that," Kingdra hissed, "Even if they did, there's no way they'd have rolled that far away from the tree! You should have left them alone and got some yourself! You can actually go on land, remember?!"

The two continued to glare at one another, Titan sighing at the sight.

"Enough!" Titan almost roared before flying over to the tree. He then slammed it with his tail, the force knocking several Oran Berries down. Once that was done, he picked them up and flew back to Kingdra before dropping them in the water. "There. Even more than you likely had before. That'll make your young happy." He turned to Dragalge. "And in the future, ask around before eating food you haven't picked yourself. Understand?!" Dragalge slowly nodded. "Good. Now, I hope this will be the last time I see you both fighting."

"Yes, my king," they replied, Kingdra diving back underwater as the other started to walk away. As they left, Hopper stared at his father in amazement.

"Wow..." he whispered. "That was incredible! He solved it without fighting."

"Of course," Mercy added, "That's what a king does. Moderating conflict with violence is the last option."

"That makes sense," Hopper nodded as Titan flew up to them, all soon returning to the flock. As they did this, he saw the differently colored Skeidran known as Princess. She was surrounded by several other Skeidran, all flying around her while showing off different attacks.

One fired a Hyper Beam into the air, almost hitting a Vibrava by accident before the recoil made it freeze and almost crash until one of its friends caught it. Another showed off its Acrobatics attack, only to accidently slam into the crystal by mistake. The last one started using Dragon Claw, swinging them through the air, leaving trails of green behind.

But no matter what they did, Princess just ignored them.

"Poor girl," Mercy sighed, shaking her head. "It's been like this since the day she hatched. Every Hoppin, Velocirush and Skeidran has been trying to woo her."

"Why doesn't she just pick one?" He asked. "They all look really strong, so why doesn't she just pick one and get them to stop bothering her?"

"I think she's looking for something more than strength. Though what, I can't really be sure." Hopper blinked at this, staring at Princess before seeing her glance at him. And as their eyes locked, Hopper felt himself blush, making him look away.

Meanwhile...

Down on the ground, Flash and his friends were all exploring the kingdom. Many of their Pokémon were out, either enjoying the sights or relaxing and playing with some of the kingdom's young Dragon-types. "NEE!" Shine laughed as a Starvern chased after her, the group playing tag.

At the same time, Drayce was explaining everything about the Dragon Kingdom. "We have everything we need here. Many vents allow fresh air in, and the water flowing in nurtures our crops so they can grow. It also gives us plenty to drink, and we even managed to create a fully functioning sewage system to remove our waste."

Scylla nodded in agreement, "Everything that can be recycled is, and the power we use for several of our devices is supplied by a hydroelectric dam that was built by my grandfather."

"An underground hydroelectric dam?" Doc chimed in, "That's incredible."

"I can show you it tomorrow if you like. I'm sure you all are still tired from your long day."

"It was quite exhausting," Twilight commented before noticing the Skeidran flying over them, Hopper then breaking from the pack and gliding down to them.

"Hey bud," Flash said as Hopper landed, quickly moving over to pet him, "I bet you had fun."

"Dran!" Hopper cheered, rubbing his head up to his trainer next.

As this happened, one level above them was Ryu, the teen glaring down at them. "How dare he do that with the prince..."

"You know, they're really good people once you get to know them." He turned to see Kaida walking up, "You could give them a chance."

"They don't belong here," he hissed, "Just because they brought the prince back, everyone's singing their praises. And now, he very well could take the prince away, and there's nothing we could do to stop him!"

"That's why it's all the more important we stay on his good side," Kaida replied, "Nobody's happy about Hopper not being trained here, but maybe this was something that was meant to happen."

"What are you saying?!" Ryu barked back, "What was meant to happen was that I was going to train the prince. I was supposed to be the one to raise him in our clan's ancient ways, but now that's all been stolen by some outsider!"

"And that's his fault?" Kaida asked with crossed arms, "He wasn't the one who stole the egg, remember? And it's not like he would have known who Hopper was when he saw the mark. Nobody knows about our kingdom or our traditions. Maybe if we didn't keep everything about ourselves a secret-"

"Don't say another word." Ryu interrupted, "We stay down here, away from the rest of the world in order to protect what we have. To protect the dragons." He slowly shook his head, "We can't make our presence known to the surface."

"Why? Because it's what Cadmus wanted?" As she said that name, Ryu froze up, the glare on his face growing as she continued, "Don't give me that look. I won't deny what he did was extreme, but he also had a point. There's so much we can help teach the world, and so much it can teach us. If we'd just let ourselves open up and not reject it-"

"Then we'd be opening our doors for more thieves and poachers to come in and destroy everything we hold dear." Ryu spat before looking away, "As the next kai, it's my duty to protect this land. And in order to protect it, I have to get rid of any outside influence." He glared down at Flash, "Including them."

"You can stay in a currently empty house for the night," Scylla told them as they made their way through the town. "As you can probably guess, we don't get a lot of visitors, so we never really need to have a guest house."

"We understand," Twilight replied, "We'd be happy to camp if that makes thing easy."

"Nonsense," Drayce responded, waving a hand, "We have a house available for you, though it is lacking in furnishings."

"Whatever you have is fine," Doc finished as they directed them to the house. As they did this, they saw a pair of Altaria, one sitting on the ground while the other was standing with its wings spread. "What's going on there?"

Scylla laughed at this, "That Altaria is about to court the other." As she said that, the standing Altaria began to dance by flapping its wings around, bobbing its head. Everyone was mesmerized by the sight, including Hopper as he blinked at the sight. The Altaria continued to dance with its possible mate watching him, the female looking quite impressed.

It then got up and started mimicking the other, the two dancing in perfect harmony until they both stopped and wrapped their necks around one another. This made everyone around them cheer, only for the Altaria to fly off to get...better acquainted, Drayce and Scylla continuing to lead their guests through the kingdom.

"Here it is," Drayce pointed to a nice looking house at the lowest layer of the bowl. "Feel free to look around, but it'll be dark soon, so I'd suggest getting to bed."

"Dark?" Spike asked, "How can you tell if that crystal's lighting the place up?"

"He does raise a valid point," Doc added, "The light it gives off is excellent during the day, but it'll make sleeping impossible unless these houses are built to completely block out light."

Drayce and Scylla shined smiles before telling them they would understand soon. And as they said this, ten minutes passed before the crystal stopped illuminating the cavern with its bright light. Instead, it began to glow dimmer, just like a sunset before losing all its light. But seconds later, a new light was unleashed from it. This one was a dime blue light, keeping the cavern from being pitch black, but keeping it dark enough for everyone to sleep.

"How?" Twilight asked once the blue light filled the room.

"We don't really know," Scylla replied. "It's always done that. As soon as the sun sets on the surface, the crystal's light changes."

Drayce nodded in agreement, "And when the sun rises, the crystal will change again."

"Wow..."

Outside the Dragon Kingdom...

The man known as Cadmus stood atop a cliff with a pair of binoculars. He was staring at the 'volcano' that was the entrance to his former home. "There it is..." he chuckled before turning to his generals. "Fafnir, Libelle, we're heading out. We'll split into teams of three, and then lead out groups toward the entrance once it gets dark enough."

"Why can't we just go in full force?" Libelle asked, "We can take 'em."

"Maybe, but I'd rather not tire our troops out by taking down the sentries, and possibly losing the element of surprise."

"Understood," Fafnir replied, nodding. "We'll be careful."

"Good," Cadmus turned back to the mountain, "I won't let anything blow this for me. It's time I finally got what is rightfully mine." With that, they headed down to join their army as the light from the setting sun got dimmer.

As the night went on, all the Pokémon were asleep in front of the house their trainers were in. All except one.

Hopper was curled up on the ground, Springer and Shine laying against him. He had been trying to get to sleep all night, feeling several short bursts of rest, but still waking up, feeling confused and almost sick. He had fun earlier, flying around with his own kind, seeing his father settle a dispute between those two...and the place was truly beautiful. But all the time, he couldn't help but think of his friends, of his trainer, Flash.

"Skeidran," he moaned while opening his eyes. And as he did this, he saw something in the distance. The shiny Skeidran known as Princess was staring at him from afar, then spun around with a smile on her face. The sight made Hopper slowly get up, unable to deny a feeling she wanted him to follow her.

At the same time, a door on the side of the house behind Hopper opened, the quiet telltale sound of a flush being heard. Flash walked out next, stretching while yawning before walking back to the house, only to bump into something.

"Whoa!" he yelped, backpedaling before seeing who had hit him, "Twilight?"

"Flash?" She rubbed her eyes and corrected her glasses, "What are you doing up?"

"Bathroom. You?"

"Same." She quickly walked past him, Flash heading for the door again before turning to spot something.

"Hopper?" He whispered as he saw Skeidran standing up, being careful to not wake those sleeping against him, then slowly walked away from the house. "Where's he going?"

The trainer watched as the dragon began to head toward a wooded part of the chamber, only for a voice to ring out, "Flash?" He almost jumped at the voice, turning to see Twilight, "What are you doing?" Flash responded by pointing at Hopper, the girl squinting at the Pokémon, "Where's he going?"

"I'm not sure. Come on..." Flash replied as he started to follow his Skeidran, Twilight hot on his tail. They soon reached the trees, hiding behind a bush as they saw another Skeidran.

"Hmm? What are they doing?"

"No idea."

As Flash said that, Princess seemed to suddenly disappear underground. Hopper quickly chased after her, Flash and Twilight tailing him as they soon came to a stop as they found themselves at the edge of a small slope covered in sand. It lead down to the beach surrounding the lake that had the crystal island in the center of it.

Hopper stared at Princess at the bottom of the slope, walking over to the lake. She then turned around, giving him a look that said 'you coming?'

Flash and Twilight had hidden themselves behind a pair of trees at this, staring at the two as Hopper took a deep breath before puffing his chest out. The Skeidran intended to strut his stuff, ready to look cool...only to take the first step as the sand gave away, letting out a less then manly scream as he began to fall down the bank. Flash and Twilight flinched at this, quickly running to the edge as they saw him roll over to Princess, kicking up sand along the way.

"Well, that could have gone better," Flash whispered as Princess jumped to the side, allowing Hopper to roll up to the edge of the lake. The Prince of Dragons quickly picked himself up, shaking his body before turning to the female just as he saw Flash and Twilight up on the ledge in the corner of his eye.

Princess stared at him, tilting her head before moving around, using her wings and tail to sweep the sand, allowing her a comfortable place to sit. Once done, she turned back to Hopper, sitting down while giving him a gesture saying 'Well?'

Hopper just blinked at her, staring before turning to Flash. His trainer saw this, standing up and flapping his arms to signal what he should do. Hopper stared at this for a second, only to start beating his wings as well, just like the Altaria from before. However, as he did this, he kicked up a bunch of sand and pushed it over to Princess.

The female quickly covered herself with her wings, the sand hitting her. Hopper backpedaled at this, gulping as he saw Princess uncover herself. There was sand on her face, the Skeidran sneezing after accidently breathing some in. She wiped her nose, giving Hopper a glare that said, 'Seriously?!'

Hopper grumbled an apology, his eyes darting back to the trainers as Twilight got up...and started doing the chicken dance.

"What are you doing?" Flash yelped.

"What?" She turned to him, "This is a traditional mating dance for a lot of avian species."

"Hopper is not a bird!"

"Well, I'm sorry. There aren't a lot of dragon mating dances that have been recorded."

Either way, Hopper started doing the dance, getting...questionable results, with Princess staring at him with a look of utter perplexity.

"Oi..." Flash hid his face in his hand, sighing as he looked away as well. As for Hopper, he was now jumping on the spot, his wings up and crossed behind his head while his tail was pointed straight up. He bounced toward Princess, only for Princess to suddenly bonk him on the nose, telling him to stop.

She then turned away, flying to a lone branch of a nearby tree that was sticking out of the ledge wall, landing on it while wrapping her tail around it. The dragon fell back at this, hanging from it like a bat as Hopper slowly moving up to her. However, she just frowned, wrapping her wings around her while forming a cocoon that kept her from looking at Hopper.

"I don't think she's impressed," Twilight commented.

"Augh!" Flash yelped, slamming his head into his crossed arms, "There's gotta be something that'll get her attention."

They then heard a noise and saw that Hopper had flown up and landed on the branch, the two now seeing the branch beginning to strain under their combined weight. Hopper moved over to the very end of the branch, staring at Princess before noticing movement, glancing back at the two trainers. Both were silently trying to tell him to get off, miming that the branch was gonna snap and the two would fall. Unfortunately, Hopper took this the wrong way and thought they were suggesting he break the branch.

And so, Hopper began jumping up and down, causing the branch to sway. Princess felt this and unfurled herself, staring up at Hopper, telling him to stop. But as she did this, the sound of the branch breaking caught his ears. A snap happened a second later, but only the part Hopper was on. "DRAN!" He cried while falling to the ground, slamming his head right into the sand.

The section Princess was on remained intact, eventually stopping as the shiny Skeidran laughed at the antics of the young prince before wrapping herself up again. Hopper picked himself up at this, shaking the sand out of his fur before glancing back up at Princess. Only a single eye was visible now, clearly curious about what he would do next, but she covered it when she saw him looking.

"Ooh!" Flash began to wave his arms, "I've got an idea!" Hopper turned to him, but shook his head before he could mime what he wanted him to do, clearly done listening to the humans in this matter.

Instead, he looked down at the ground, sighing as he stared at a piece of branch in the sand, a plan forming in his head. So when Princess uncovered her eye, she was met with the sight of Hopper holding the branch in his mouth and using it to start drawing in the sand. She and the trainers stared at him, Hopper not noticing as he simply focused on his work.

He dragged the branch through the sand, making lines that twisted and turned. Whenever he made a mistake, he would use his wing to rub it out, trying again and again. The dragon even used his tail to draw certain parts, all while Princess watched and eventually jumped down to get a better look.

It was at this moment Hopper looked up from his work, now seeing Princess moving up to him, making him stop for a second. The two stared at one another, Princess then looking down as Hopper continued to stare at her. But as he did this, he looked back at his drawing, only to add something else in. And as he did the last stroke, he moved away to allow Princess to take it all in.

What she was looking at was an incredibly realistic image of her head and neck. Though looking a little cartoony, it was clear what it was meant to be, showing the amount of skill he had to do this.

"Oh, now you can draw," Flash grumbled while Twilight giggled. They watched as princess took a closer look, her gaze shifting between it and its creator.

The drawing stood between the two, Princess trying to walk up to him, only to accidently step on a line of the drawing. This made Hopper frown at her, Princess seeing her mistake and pulling her foot off before going around it. Hopper dropped the branch and also moved around, the two Skeidran meeting halfway.

The two stared at one another, their heads turning from left to right. It was then that the lighting in the chamber began to change, the soft blue light quickly being replaced by a dim yellow light that would grow brighter by the second. This change in lighting caught Princess's attention, making her smirk before turning to walk off, once again trailing her tail across his chin. The motion made Hopper giggle like a love stuck idiot, the tip flicking off him as she spread her wings and took to the air.

Hopper watched as she flew off into the air, turning to give him a smirk before she flew over to the island with the crystal, circling around it before disappearing out of sight.

Flash and Twilight watched her, then looked down at Hopper. "I'm no expert, but..." Flash asked while leaning over to Twilight. "Did that go well or not?"

"I think she's interested," Twilight replied, "But it'll take a lot more than one good date to form a strong lasting relationship. Especially with a girl like her."

"I guess you're right," Flash responded, nodding in agreement.

Twilight then turned to him, a frown appearing on her face. "Flash...you realise what this could mean, right?" He glanced back at her as her frown grew, "If Hopper and Princess do grow attracted to one another, that might make Hopper want to stay here."

"Oh...yeah." Flash muttered as he looked back down at his Skeidran, seeing he was still staring at the empty sky Princess had been in. "Hopper..."

The Next Day...

As the sun began to rise, Cadmus and his troops were continuing to make their way through the mountains, just now reaching the base of the volcano entrance. Along the way, they had left many Dragon Pokémon and their riders frozen in blocks of ice. They had been unable to protect themselves, and thanks to Magnezone, had been unable to call for help or warn those in the kingdom.

And as they got to the entrance, Libelle started coughing as she waved at the smoke, "Ugh...I knew we should have brought masks for the smoke."

"You'll just have to hold your breath. The masks we have are for something far more important than this." Fafnir added before turning to Cadmus. "You ready?"

Cadmus remained quiet as he stared into the smoke, "I've been waiting for this moment for almost eight years. I'm more than ready." He turned to the rest of his legion, all waiting for orders. "Battle with everything you have. They may not appear strong from the little resistance we've faced, but the trainers in this kingdom are powerful. Attack hard and attack fast, but also be ready to get out at a second's notice. I want to escape as soon as we have the prince of dragons in our possession."

The legion nodded before Cadmus, Libelle and Fafnir turned back to the volcano mouth. Libelle's Magnezone flew above the two men as they held out metal U shapes that magnetically locked onto the Electric Steel-type's bottom. Weavile gripped Fafnir's leg as Magnezone floated up, flying them into the hole before gently dropping down.

"I'm coming home," Cadmus calmly spoke as they disappeared into the black fog.

Meanwhile...

Flash was now watching Hopper as flew through the sky with his parents. He was sitting on a rock with the rest of his Pokémon around him, humming at the sight of the flying dragon.

"Mind if I sit besides you?" Flash turned to the voice, seeing Drayce walking up. The teen then shifted aside to let him sit, "I don't want to pressure you, but have you decided what you're going to do about Hopper?"

Flash shook his head. "No. I'm sorry."

"I'm not upset. This is a complicated situation we find ourselves in." He let out a long sigh, "We waited so long for Titan and Mercy to have an egg, and when it was stolen...well, we feared our home would be thrown into chaos. And when we learned he had been found, everyone was so joyous."

"I know..." Flash muttered as he looked away, "But Hopper and I have gone through so much together."

"That's very true." Drayce admitted while nodding, "And maybe you two were meant to meet. It's clear Hopper has more experience then any other Skeidran, which may help him grow into a fine king one day."

As those words went through Flash's head, his lip trembled before turning back to Drayce, "But...well...would it be okay to let him gain more experience?" Drayce raised an eyebrow at this, Flash continuing, "You said it yourself that Hopper can't become king until he learn Wyvern Wing, so why doesn't he keep travelling with me until then? And when he finally learns the move...I'll bring him back." Drayce opened his mouth at this, only for-

"NO WAY!" They both turned to the voice, now seeing Ryu walking up to them, "You think we're just gonna let you take our prince away again?! It broke Titan and Mercy's heart the last time that happened!"

"Ryu..." Drayce growled, "You need to calm down."

"No, you need to open your eyes." He pointed at Flash. "How do we know he won't just take off and never come back with the prince?! We can't trust him. We don't even know him!"

Flash stood up at this, "Well maybe if you actually stopped insulting me and got to know me, you'd learn I'd never do anything like that!"

"I already know you!" Ryu barked back, "You're an outsider trying to destroy our clan for your own selfish reasons! Well I won't stand for it anymore! I...challenge you to a battle. And when I win, you'll hand the prince of dragons over to me where he belongs!"

This statement got Flash and all his Pokémon to go wide-eyed, only for Drayce to stand up, "Ryu! That is not our way!"

"I'm just doing what you're to scared to do. Protecting our home from invaders."

"Well you can forget it!" Flash yelled, "If you want to battle me, then fine! But I'm not putting Hopper up like some kind of prize!"

"Why you little-"

"Dran!" said a new voice, Flash now feeling a nudge on his side.

Flash turned and gasped, "Hopper?" His Pokémon poked his trainer, making Flash blink, "Wait...do you...want me to fight him?"

"Dran!" Hopper nodded.

"But...you do know what will happen if we lose." Hopper nodded again, making Flash sight, "Alright." He glanced back at Ryu, "You're on."

"Excellent." Ryu chuckled, Drayce sighing at the sight.

At the same time...

In one of the chambers, many of the Dragon-types were enjoying their day to day lives of eating, playing and even training.

But that all stopped when a strange powder started to rain down from above. They looked up, trying to find the source of the mist...only to go wide-eyed.

A large group of Ice-types were flying above them, including Frosmoth, Vanilluxe and Cryogonal. On each Pokémon's back was a Morelull unleashing the powder that rained down upon them. And as they saw this, they realized it was the move Sleep Powder.

One by one, the reptiles began to fall over, slowly drifting off to sleep.

"Ha!" Cadmus cackled as he and the others flew in, all wearing masks to halt the powder. "No more reinforcements. Now we just have to worry about the dragons in the main part of the kingdom."

News travelled fast, everyone in the kingdom soon hearing about Ryu's challenge to Flash. Every member of the place ran over to the main square for the battle. Flash's friends sat besides Kaida and Scylla, with Titan, Mercy, Princess and the rest of the Skeidran standing behind them to watch the battle as well.

Flash and Ryu stood opposite one another, Drayce standing between them with a grim expression on his face. "Boys, we don't have to do this. We can come to an understanding without the need for violence."

Ryu shook his head. "No dad, this has to happen. For the sake of our people, I will be victorious and reclaim what is rightfully ours!"

Flash crossed his arms at this, "Hopper isn't yours, and he's not mine either. If he wants to stay here, I won't stop him. But I won't let you force him to stay if he wants to leave either. That's why I'm gonna beat you."

"That's not gonna happen." He took out a Pokeball, "The prince will stay here where he belongs! Noivern, let's go!" In a flash of red, the bat dragon appeared.

"NOIVERN!" It roared while taking flight, circling around Ryu before glaring at Flash and his team.

"Noivern..." Flash whispered, "Got it." He turned to the others, all yelling that they wanted to battle. But one roar silenced them all.

"SKEIDRAN!" They all turned to Hopper, the Pokémon pushing past the others.

"Hopper?" The proto-dragon nodded back, staring Flash right in the eyes, "Yeah, I getcha. It's only right you be the one to fight, since this is a matter of you're future. Alright Hopper, I choose you!" Hopper let out another roar and ran up to the field, Ryu going wide-eyed.

"What?! You can't do that!"

"Sure he can," Twilight yelled, "Hopper's still his Pokémon, and Flash is right about him having every right to fight for his own freedom."

"Shut up, you outsider! He's not allowed to fight! He belongs to this kingdom!"

"But she is right Ryu." Drayce interrupted, Ryu glaring at his father as he pointed at Flash, "I will allow this. Flash may use Hopper, and Ryu will use Noivern. The battle will be over when one of your Pokémon is unable to continue."

Ryu growled as he glared at Flash, seeing a look pure determination on his face. The same look was on Hopper's face, making Ryu sigh, "I hate to do this, but it's for the greater good. Alright, let's get this over with."

"You ready Hopper?" Flash got a nod in response.

"Very well," Drayce raised a hand, "Then battle...BEGIN!"

"Boomburst!" Noivern unleashed a blast of sound out at the command.

"Up in the air!" Flash yelled as his Skeidran spun around before jumping straight up, the Boomburst missing him as he flew upward. "Now, Extreme Speed!" Hopper glowed as he accelerated forward, flying at Noivern, slamming into it before the Dragon-type could react.

"Noivern!" It cried from the blow, spreading his wings to recover before crashing.

"Dragon Claw!" Noivern flew straight up as a light-green aura formed around each of its hands, now taking the shape of claws.

"Steel Wing!" Hopper's wings glowed as he charged at Noivern, the two's attacks slamming into one another before both getting knocked back. "Now, use Dragon Tail!" Hopper quickly pumped his wings, pushing himself toward Noivern as his tail began to glow.

"Boomburst!"

"Noy!" As Hopper spun around to slam his tail into it, Noivern fired the sonic blast from its ears, hitting the proto-dragon.

"Dran!" Hopper was thrown back before his tail could reach, the bat dragon now flying straight up.

"Aerial Ace!" Noivern circled around before diving straight down, the slipstream appearing around it as it drew closer.

"Look out!" Flash yelled before Hopper was struck, letting out a cry as he was slammed into the ground, sliding along the dirt. His fellow Skeidran all flinched at the impact, Mercy using her wings to keep her from watching her child in pain. "You okay?"

Hopper immediately pushed himself back to his feet, "Dran!" He barked before spreading his wings, right as Noivern circled around for another attack.

"Dragon Pulse!" Noivern let out a roar, firing the dragon shaped blast of energy that Hopper easily evaded by taking to the air.

"SKY!" He said as he began zipping across the sky, dodging every blast as Hopper got closer to the bat.

"Crunch!" Hopper spun like a drill to evade another Dragon Pulse, allowing him to shoot past Noivern before stopping just as he was next to its tail. And with a mighty roar, he bit down, making Noivern cry out before it was yanked back.

Hopper grabbed his tail in his claws and swung it down, letting go as the bat dragon to crashed face first into the ground. "NOIVERN!"

Flash's friends cheered at the blow, but Scylla and Kaida grimaced as they saw Ryu's expression. "This is far from over."

"So, what do you think?" The blue haired teen asked as Hopper landed, "See how strong I've gotten Hopper?"

"I admit he's powerful," Ryu spat, "But not nearly as powerful as he would have been if he'd been trained by his true trainer. You have no right, outsider!" Noivern picked itself up at this, "Only a true draconid can awaken a Dragon-type's ultimate power. And to do that, they must have complete trust in that Pokémon." In that moment, Noivern flared his wings and took to the air.

The sight made the teen smirk, the bat diving down as the trainer jumped up. He then landed right in Noivern's saddle, gripping the handles as the dragon shot up.

"What are you doing?!" Flash yelped as Noivern hovered above him.

"This is what a true Dragon Trainer does!" Ryu yelled, "They have such faith in their Pokémon that they're willing to even put their own safety in its hands...claw...you get it." He began to do some subtle body movements, Noivern following his command at these few motions.

"This is insane!" Twilight gasped.

"Get down from there and fight fair!" Doc added.

Ryu glared back at them, "This is a draconid battle. If he can't handle it, he has no right to the prince!"

"Oh, I'll show you I can handle it!" Flash barked as he prepared to get on Hopper, only for the Skeidran to leap into the air before he could. "Hopper!"

"Dran!" He roared as he flew at Noivern, Ryu grinning as he pulled back, making Noiven evade Hopper's attempt to tackle it.

"Dragon Claw!" The green energy claws appeared, Noivern slashing Hopper.

"Steel Wing!" Hopper turned to Noivern and charged with glowing wings, Ryu pushing Noivern forward as the Dragon Claw continued. But as the two got close, Ryu turned Noivern so they flew past one another before the bat dragon circled around.

"NOIVERN!" It slammed its attack into Hopper's back, making him cry out.

"Boomburst!" Before Hopper could recover, Noivern unleashed a blast of sound, slamming Hopper again.

"HOPPER!" Flash yelled while everyone else gasped, seeing their prince about to painfully crash. But as this happened, they gasped again as Flash ran up to where Hopper was about to land, sliding along the ground. Seconds later, Hopper crashed down on top of him, causing a large cloud of dust to be kicked up.

"FLASH!" Twilight and his Pokémon screamed, all standing up with wide eyes. Everyone else gulped at the sight, the cloud soon fading to reveal Hopper.

The Skeidran picked itself up, looking down at his trainer as Flash let out a long groan. Flash slowly got up, patting Hopper's head as he said, "I'm okay."

"Sky," Hopper sighed in relief, looking back at Ryu and Noivern next as Ryu just glared at them.

"See?! This is what a true dragon trainer is!"

Flash let out a low moan, "I'm so sick of this. Come on bud, let's show them how a true team works together." Hopper nodded and crouched down, allowing Flash to jump onto his back. The Skeidran flared his wings next, soon taking to the air before getting to Ryu and Noivern's level. "This time, it's winner take all!"

"Oh, I intend to!" Ryu barked back, "You will lose! The prince belongs here!"

"I won't lose to you!" Flash pulled Hopper to the side just as Noivern fired a Boomburst, Noivern then flapping back before going even higher. "After them!" Hopper gave chase as the four flew off, away from the main area.

"Where are they going?" Spike asked as Hopper caught up, only to then dodge a Dragon Pulse.

"Anywhere they can," Scylla replied, "This is now a no holds bar battle, the way Dragon-types fight in the wild."

"Flash..." Twilight whispered.

"Extreme Speed!" Flash yelled as Hopper shot ahead, both glowing as they tackled Noivern before it could escape. "Grab it!" Hopper grabbed hold of Noivern's wings in his claws, the bat dragon roaring as it tried to escape. "Now Crunch!"

"Dran!" Hopper bit into Noivern's shoulder, making it cry out.

"Let us go!" Ryu screamed as he pulled on his reins, Noivern trying to get Hopper off, "Fine. Boomburst!" Noivern unleashed the sonic blasts from its ears, Hopper letting go just before it fired. "Now, Dragon Pulse!" It unleashed another burst of dragonic energy, Flash pulling Hopper to the left so he could barrel roll out of the way.

"Dragon Tail!" Hopper zipped up to swipe at Noivern, but Ryu ordered another Boomburst, forcing Hopper to dodge it. "Dang it! Alright, Steel Wing!" Hopper flew around in a circle, his wings glowing.

"Again!" Ryu yelled as Noivern spun around before unleashing another Boomburst, forcing Hopper to duck.

Meanwhile, the whole dragon kingdom had taken to the skies. Each of them was flying on one of their dragons so they could watch the two battle, Twilight, Spike and Doc riding on Salamence with Springer and Shine riding too. "This doesn't look good!" Twilight gulped as Hopper was countered at every move, "Hopper has to get close to attack and Ryu knows it."

"He's using that to his advantage," Drayce commented while riding Titan.

"Rio ri!" Springer yelled at his teammate.

"Nee taa!" Shine neighed, trying to add encouragement to her best friend.

"Whoa!" Flash yelped as Hopper dropped down to avoid the latest Boomburst, the two quickly flying back out of range. Flash then spotted Ryu's face, seeing the smug expression. "We need to get those two apart." He growled, re-positioning himself so he was laying on his front with his legs between Hopper's wings. "Extreme Speed!"

"Dran!" Hopper did a loop-de-loop before diving at Noivern, Ryu smirking at the sight.

"Wait for it!" They watched as they to got closer, "Wait..." They soon got within a few feet. "Now! Boomburst!"

"NOIVERN!" The bat dragon unleashed the sonic blast that hit Hopper, ready to hit him head-on. Everyone watching gasped at the sight, ready to flinch at the next blow until-

"NOW!" Flash brought his feet up and sprung off of Hopper, the dragon suddenly shifting so he flew under the Boomburst. The attack flew between them, Flash then falling onto Noivern. "GOTCHA!" He tackled Ryu, casuing Noivern to jerk back, making his rider slip out of his saddle.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Ryu screamed as they fell, causing their audience to scream while Flash just smirked.

"Dragon Tail!" Noivern heard this just as he looked back at his struggling rider, not noticing Hopper flying back around while still being boosted by the speed of its last attack. And when it turned back, Hopper raised his tail at Noivern's face.

"SKEIDRAN!" Hopper screeched as he smashed Noivern with his tail, sending it flying off in another direction. As this happened, Noivern crashed into several trees as both trainers were flung off. They both then crashed into a lake, one the dragons had flown over.

Both sank down a few feet under the water, only to surface, gasping for air, "Are you insane?!" Ryu barked, "You could have killed us!"

"Maybe," Flash smirked before they heard a roar and saw Hopper fly down, "But it gave us just the opening we needed." He raised an arm, Hopper swooping down and grabbing it, throwing him onto his back, "Nice work bud."

"Dran!" Hopper replied, nodding as the audience sighed in relief.

"Those two are gonna be the death of me," Drayce moaned.

"It's not over yet," Scylla added as Noivern took to the skies.

"Don't let him get to his trainer! Extreme Speed!" Noivern suddenly found itself getting slammed by Hopper's foot just as it heard Ryu order it to use Dragon Pulse. The bat dragon roared as it unleashed the attack, which Hopper easily dodged as Flash commanded, "Steel Wing!" Still boosted by Extreme Speed, Hopper slashed at Noivern with his wings.

"NOY!" It roared as it was struck, Hopper quick to fly back around to slash it again. "VERN!"

"Boomburst!" Noivern unleashed its sonic blast, hitting Flash and Hopper head on.

"Augh/Dran!" They cried as they were pushed back, allowing Noivern to fly down and grab Ryu. By the time they had recovered, their opponents were back in the air, Ryu in the saddle. Despite this, Flash noticed Noivern was flapping its wings slowly. "We got this bud. That Dragon Tail it took earlier had to have done some serious damage."

"We have to end this before it goes on too long." Ryu growled as he signalled Noivern to charge, Hopper and Flash doing the same. "Dragon Claw!"

"Steel Wing!" The two collided, slamming their attacks into one another. Both went flying back from the blow, Noivern quickly dashing away from the lake so Flash couldn't pull that stunt again. "Follow 'em! Extreme Speed!" Hopper accelerated, instantly catching up to Noivern, getting within attack range.

"Boomburst!" Noivern spun around, firing the attack, but the two dodged it with a quick barrel roll.

"Crunch!" Hopper thrust his head out, biting the bat's tail before yanking it and grabbing the Noivern with his claws.

He then threw the dragon downward, making Ryu scream, "WHOA!" Both began to flail around, trying to regain stability.

"Let's finish this! Extreme Speed!" Hopper accelerated for the last time and shot around in all directions, making it impossible for Ryu and Noivern to follow. "NOW!" Ryu looked straight up, now seeing Hopper diving down.

"Dragon Pulse!" Noivern unleashed the attack, but Hopper didn't stop. He let the attack hit him, pushing right through. Ryu gasped at the sight, only to see Hopper suddenly midair spin before he thrusting both feet down, slamming into Noivern.

Rider and Pokémon screamed as they went crashing toward the ground, smashing into it while kicking up a cloud of dust. Everyone flinched at the sight, landing down just as Ryu flew out of the cloud, apparently thrown from his seat before rolling along the dirt. At the same time, the cloud vanished to show Hopper pinning Noivern to the ground. By the look on its face, the bat dragon wasn't doing too well.

Ryu's eyes went wide as he picked himself up, right as Flash patted Hopper on the back. "Do it." Hopper nodded and took a deep breath, everyone thinking he was about to unleash an attack.

"NO!" Ryu screamed while running up to his partner, but it was too late. Hopper thrust his head down and unleashed what he had built up. A super loud roar.

"DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" He screamed right in Noivern's face, making it flinch in terror. Once that was done, Hopper blasted a burst of air out of his nose before getting off of Noivern's back. This surprised everyone, Princess looking at Hopper with new interest.

"What?!" Ryu yelped as he saw Flash hop off Hopper's back, "Why did you...you could have won."

"Exactly," Flash replied before patting Hopper's head, "I know it, you know it, everyone here knows it. So why put your Noivern through any more pain?"

Ryu went wide-eyed at this before turning his expression into a cold glare, "You...you've turned our prince into a pushover!"

"No." Ryu turned to see his father and Titan, "He taught him to be merciful. And that, more than anything, is the true measure of a king. It's easy to hate, but only the strongest can look at an enemy and choose to forgive them."

Flash nodded back just as a certain memory went off in his head, "Without mercy, this paradise wouldn't even exist." Ryu turned to him. "The first king could have forced the other dragons out and kept this territory for himself, but he didn't. He and his trainer chose to let them live here in peace."

"Truer words were never spoken," Drayce added before focusing on Ryu. His son locked eyes with him, now seeing a look of shame and disappointment that he had only seen once before. "Ryu, you have brought great shame to our people this day." Ryu's glare faded as he heard this, unable to comprehend those words as he then saw everyone else's face, seeing they were the same as his father's. That is, till his father said, "You're letting what happened with Cadmus turn you into him."

Ryu's eyes went wide before glaring at his father, "How can you say that?! I'm nothing like him!"

"Don't be so sure," Drayce responded, "You're trying to force what you think is best for everyone on them, just like he did. And you've refused to listen to reason every time, this time resulting in you getting beaten, and your Pokémon suffering! That is something us draconids should never do!"

As these words hit Ryu's ears, he turned to his Noivern, the Pokémon just now picking himself up. Ryu slowly walked over, falling to his knees, "I'm...I'm sorry." Noivern purred back, right as a hand appeared beside him. He looked up to see Flash staring down at him.

"I don't want to take Hopper away from you, but think of it from my point of view. What if your Noivern, who I know you care about, was actually super special and was needed to protect someplace else on the surface? Even if you knew he needed to go, or many would suffer, I know you would have a hard time letting him go. Wouldn't you?"

Ryu sighed before taking his hand, letting him pull him up. "Yes."

Flash nodded back, "I care about Hopper's well being more than anything, but I still don't want to lose him. That's why it's so hard to decide what to do."

Ryu nodded back, about to respond before Drayce walked between them, "Ryu, I'm sure we can find a way to make everyone happy if we keep an open mind. But really, this isn't our decision to make." They all turned to Hopper, the Pokémon blinking at them, "He should decide where he wants to be."

They all nodded in agreement, all watching Hopper as he stared back at them. He turned to his parents, then the rest of the draconids and Dragon-types, then to Princess as she stared at him. His mouth quivered as he tried to think of what to do, to even say. That is, till-

KABOOM!

Everyone was pulled from their prince by the sudden explosion, turning to see one of the storehouses now going up in smoke. Another explosion soon consumed another hut, then another and another until half the village was aflame.

"What's happening!?" Twilight cried as they rest looked upward, now seeing a bunch of non-Dragon-type Pokémon flying above their heads. Some unleashed attacks that struck the other buildings, causing them to explode while others fired light blue lightning that froze parts of the cavern.

And leading the wave of invaders was a Magnezone, carrying a trio of people. And when Ryu saw this, his eyes narrowed, "No...it can't be him."

Cadmus shined the biggest grin as the Magnezone approached, "Hello everyone. It's good to be home."

"Cadmus!" Drayce yelled.

"Hello father," he replied, chuckling.

"Father?" Flash turned to Ryu, "So he's your-"

"Brother," Ryu hissed, "The former future kai. But he was banished."

"Wrongly banished," Cadmus responded, his smile slightly fading, "But now I'm back and ready to take what's rightfully mine." He then saw Hopper staring up at him, "Ah, there you are. My key to taking my rightful place as kai."

"You'll never be kai," Drayce barked back, "You lost that right the last time you pulled a stunt like this."

"Oh, I will be kai." Cadmus replied before taking out a Pokeball, "And I will lead our clan into a bright future!"

With that, he tossed the ball, revealing a twelve foot dragon Pokémon that looked like an older version of Starvern. This one stood on two legs, it's head having the same star mask design, only the horns on its head were much large. The collar around its neck was sharper and its wings were much longer while its tail now had three stripes and a star-shape on the tip. Its legs were mainly black, and around the feet were things that mimicked shin-guards with a trio of bright claws to act as toes. The Pokémon's arms and chest were also black, with yellow spots patterned around it. And instead of hands, the Pokémon had yellow star-shaped gauntlets on the ends of its arms with the top part pointing up its arm. Long red claws stuck out between the bottom points of the star, completing its appearance.

"GALVERN!" It roared at the top of its voice, echoing out throughout the cavern. Flash and his friends all shared a look, fearing they may have just walked into a war. As the journey concludes

Hopper the Lost Heir PT3

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Having been invited to Hopper's home of the Dragon Kingdom, the heroes had found themselves the center of attention with the kai's son Ryu, challenging Flash. But even after their victory, when things looked to be getting on track, a new danger appeared in the form of the kai's other son, Cadmus.

"GALVERN!" The Dragon-type he had unleashed roared, making most backpedal as Flash took out his Pokedex.

Name: Galvern
Category: Galaxy Pokémon
Type: Dragon/Dark
Info: The evolved form of Starvern. It can draw solar radiation into its body to use as fuel for its attacks. It is said that this Pokémon ascends to the stratosphere where the solar radiation is strongest.

"Dragon Claw!" Before anyone could stop it, Galvern ran up and slammed into Noivern with its glowing claws. The bat dragon roared in pain as it was thrown back, hitting the ground with spirals in its eyes.

"Noivern!" Ryu cried as Galvern turned to Hopper.

"Dark Pulse!" The dragon fired a stream of energy rings at the prince, hitting him as well.

"Hopper!" Flash yelled.

"Damn it!" Drayce growled, "They're still weak from their battle."

"Well everyone else is fine," Kaida barked as her Dragonair took to the air. But as it did this, a blast of cold air struck it, knocking it back to the dirt. "Dragonair!" They turned to see Fafnir land on the ground with his Weavile.

As this happened, the other Ice and Fairy-types began to descend, all attacking the other dragons. The once mighty beasts soon found themselves overwhelmed, either being frozen solid or blasted by fairy magic. Luckily, several non-Dragon-types were there to help.

"Aura Sphere!" Flash yelled as Springer fired an orb at a Cryogonal, knocking it away.

"Mystical Fire and Psychic!" Twilight ordered before Shine and Owlicious unleashed their attacks, hitting several Ice and Fairy-types.

"Incinerate!" Peewee roared as he shot a stream of fire at a Frosmoth.

"Flash Cannon!" Lairon shot a laser out of it mouth, blasting a bunch of Fairy-types back.

"Oh, no you don't!" They heard before looking up at Libelle as she and her Magnezone flew down, "Discharge!" The Magnet Area Pokémon spun its magnets as bolts of electricity exploded out, striking almost all their Pokémon.

Only Shine managed to avoid it while Lairon managed to fight through it, the others falling to the ground, all paralyzed. At the same time, Dragonair picked itself up, Shine running up to join it as the serpentine charged. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Mystical Fire!" Twilight ordered as the two unleashed their attacks.

"Protect!" Weavile crossed its claws as an energy field appeared around it, blocking the attacks. "Now, Blizzard then Night Slash!"

"WEAVILE!" The Sharp Claw Pokémon screeched before unleashing a burst of cold air, hitting Dragonair before charging with purple claws. And with one mighty slash, it struck Shine.

"NEE!" She neighed in pain, sliding back from the blow.

"Rock Slide!" Doc yelled as Lairon unleashed a volley of rocks at Magnezone.

"Magnet Bomb!" Libelle commanded as her Pokémon fired several small blue spheres at the rocks, shattering them. "HA! Nice try, old man!"

"Old man?!" Doc yelped, "I'm probably younger than you!"

"Not according to that outdated wardrobe," she laughed.

"Why you...get her Lairon!"

As this happened, Cadmus and Galvern walked up to Flash and Hopper, only for Drayce and Titan to appear in front of them. "Move," Cadmus hissed, "That Skeidran belongs to me."

"He will never be yours, no matter what you try and do." Drayce growled, "It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who showed those thieves how to get here. You're the reason Hopper was taken."

This made everyone go wide-eyed, Cadmus shining a huge grin at this, "That's right. I was a fool to trust those idiots, and it lost me the prince of dragons. But luckily, I managed to pick up your call with Kaida." He glanced over at Flash, "So he's the one who raised the prince." He shook his head, "He looks even more unworthy than Ryu. Heh...this'll be easier than I thought."

"You will have nothing! We're ending this right now!" Drayce yelled as Titan charged, "Dragonbreath!" Titan let out a roar as a burst of blue fire flew out of his mouth.

"Dark Pulse!" Galvern launched another stream of dark energy rings, hitting the Dragonbreath and causing it to explode. "Now, Dragon Claw!" The Galaxy Pokémon ran up and slashed at Titan with its claws, but Titan quickly grabbed its claws in his and stopped them.

"Another Dragonbreath!" The king of dragon unleashed its attack at point blank range, hitting Galvern right in the face before Titan released his claws, knocking the dragon back.

"Gal!" It cried as it hit the ground, panting from the single blow.

"Give it up son! Your Galvern can't beat us."

Cadmus growled back, only to snap his fingers, "Maybe not...But Galvern doesn't have to." Everyone saw he was looking away, all turning to follow his line of sight and see several Vanilluxe floating behind them. "Ice Beam!"

The Vanilluxe launched a barrage of blue lightning at Flash and Hopper, the two unable to escape. But before they could strike, Titan appeared to block the attacks. "SKEIDRAN!" He roared in pain as he felt his wings and claws begin to freeze.

"Sky!" Hopper cried, horrified at the sight. Mercy heard this and turned away from her own battle, gasping as she saw Titan fall to his knees.

"HA! Excellent! Finish him with Breaking Swipe!" Titan turned back to the Galvern, the dragon spinning around and slamming a glowing purple tail into him.

"SKY!" He roared as he was sent flying into a nearby building, the house instantly collapsing on top of him.

"TITAN!" Drayce screamed in horror, attempting to run to his side, only for the Vanilluxe to block his path.

Cadmus quickly zipped past him as several people riding on Togekiss flew down holding a large net. They threw the net into the wreckage before pulling it up by ropes, revealing an unconscious Titan trapped inside, "Excellent!" he laughed before pulling out a walkie talkie. "We're leaving."

The invaders immediately responded, Libelle and Magnezone flying over to Cadmus as Fafnir and Weavile stood by his side. The draconids glared at them as they saw their king's condition. "Don't come any closer," Cadmus responded as a pair of Sneasel leapt up to the net and placed their claws close to Titan. "Unless you want your king to be hurt."

"Damn you," Drayce hissed as Cadmus and Fafnir used the metal handles to be lifted by Magnezone. "This isn't over."

"I know it isn't," Cadmus chuckled, "I'll be in touch with my demands." But before anyone else could say anything, many of the Fairy-types unleashed a Dazzling Gleam attack that blinded them all. And when the light faded, the invaders were gone.

"SKEIDRAN!" Mercy roared, the other Skeidran doing the same.

Hours passed with the draconids working to repair the damage done. The medics had treated the Pokémon injured or put to sleep while everyone else worked to melt the ice or fix the houses that had been destroyed. Flash and his friends were now in the main hall with Kaida and the kai family, Hopper and Mercy curled up in the corner.

"So...who is this Cadmus guy?" Spike asked.

"He's my brother," Ryu sighed.

"We know that," Twilight replied, "But you said he was banished. Why?"

They all turned to Drayce, who let out a sigh as well. "Cadmus has always been...different. He was a powerful trainer at his age, but he never understood our ways. He didn't want to spend his whole life underground. He wanted our people to be known throughout Equestria."

Years ago...

A teenage Cadmus was now walking with his father through the kingdom, watching everyone enjoy their lives. "Look around you my son." Drayce said as he waved his hand at the populace. "Our people are all happy. This is what we as kai, must work to protect."

"Yeah...I know." Cadmus sighed as he glanced around, "But are we truly happy?" Drayce turned to him with a raised eyebrow, "I mean, nobody knows we're down here." He showed a large frown to his father, "Why can't we let the rest of Equestria know about us? We could be a real city with our own gym and everything. There's so much Equestria could learn from us."

Drayce took a deep breath, slightly nodding. "You...may be right, but there is great danger in those thoughts. If the world knew about us, they would know about all our powerful Dragon-types. And if that happened, how long do you think it would be until hundreds or thousands of poachers come to try and take them? Our kingdom would be under constant threat. The peace we've enjoyed would be destroyed."

Cadmus came to a stop. "So we're supposed to rot away down here because you're scared about what the surface might do if it knew about us?"

Drayce shook his head as he continued to walk, "As kai, it is my responsibility to do everything in my power to protect this land. And the less people that know about it, the better."

And he left his son, Cadmus continued to stare at him, gritting his teeth. "Fine. Then I'll protect our people as well, better then you or any kai ever has. I won't let us hide away down here in fear of the surface world. The surface...will fear us."

Present day...

"After that, Cadmus began speaking to the people about a new plan. An insane plan. With the king of dragons at his command, he planned to lead an attack against the surface. He called out to the people of the kingdom, trying to sway him to his cause...but only two joined him. The rest of us knew an attack on the surface was foolish."

"He blamed Drayce for making us weak," Scylla added, "So he challenged him to a battle, with the winner claiming the title of kai and ownership of Titan."

The Past Again...

Titan and Galvern did battle, the pair flying through the air as they kept slamming into one another. On the ground, Cadmus and Drayce stared each other down before Galvern tried to use Dragon Claw. But before it could make contact, Titan dodged the attack and grabbed the beast's tail.

With one flick, Galvern was thrown to the ground, crashing in front of Cadmus. "Get up!" He yelled, making Drayce sigh.

"Stop this son. Don't you see you're only hurting those around you?"

"NEVER!" Cadmus screamed as Galvern got up, standing shakily on its feet.

Drayce sighed again, shaking his head. "Then you leave me no choice." Titan's body glowed before the light took the shape of a dragon's head, neck and wings, which covered his head, neck and wings. "Wyvern Wing!" Titan let out a roar as he slammed into Galvern, the force sending it flying into Cadmus.

"AUGH!" He cried as Galvern slammed into him. He grunted while trying to push the dragon off, only for a shadow to appear above him. He looked up to see Drayce, his father glaring down at him with shame and sorrow. Cadmus looked at this, only to see Scylla holding a young Ryu, a look of shame on her face.

The Present...

"When Cadmus refused to see reason, I had no choice but to banish him. Fafnir and Libelle joined him, and together they left the dragon kingdom. But not before swearing they would return one day...and it seems that is today."

"So they tried to steal Hopper in order to use him as a weapon against you..." Twilight commented.

"Until you all intervened," Scylla added, "But now he has Titan and will do who knows what."

Before anyone could say or do anything else, a draconid rushed into the room. "Kai!" He yelled before holding up a scroll, "This just arrived by Terragon."

"Terragon mail?" Drayce stood up and took the scroll, "We haven't used that in...years." He undid the scroll, only to groan, "Its from Cadmus." He turned to Flash, "He's challenging Hopper and his trainer to a battle, asking if he wins, he gets Hopper and I step down as kai."

"And if he loses?"

"He'll return Titan and surrender. And if we refuse the battle..." he stopped reading, everyone knowing what was on the scroll wasn't something worth saying.

"It's a trap," Doc chimed in.

"Of course it is," Kaida deadpanned, "But what choice do we have?!"

Drayce nodded and turned to Flash. "I know you have no reason to help us in this fight, but-"

"You don't need to ask. You made me an honorary draconid, so of course I'm gonna help." He pointed to Hopper as the dragon stood up, "And I'm not just gonna sit back and let them keep Hopper's dad." He patted him on the side of the head, "We're gonna fight. Where's the battle?"

"At a box canyon near the edge of the mountain range," Drayce replied, "It's filled with many sea-stack like rocks, making flying through it difficult."

Flash nodded and turned to the others, "You ready to kick some butt?"

They all smiled and nodded, Flash giving them a thumbs up in return. And as this happened, outside the building was Princess, staring at Hopper through the window with a small frown.

In the aforementioned valley filled with large stone shapes, Cadmus was standing atop one of them with Galvern, Fafnir and Libelle. The four were staring down at Titan, the dragon now muzzled with his wings and claws tied up.

"It'll be over soon." He crouched down to hold out a hand, "Everything will be better once I have won." Titan let out a growl, forcing him to pull back. "You'll see. The world I'll create will be a better one, where the draconids don't have to hide out of fear." He spun around to his generals, "Prepare for battle. Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day."

The two nodded and hopped off the rock. And as they left, Cadmus looked up at the sky. "I have found so much leaving our home...why couldn't you have seen things my way father?"

The next day...

As the sun rose, everyone began their journey to the valley. Flash and Springer were riding Hopper while Riptide, Prongs and Viper were riding Skyler, Flitanium and Owlicious. Twilight had Shine out as she, Spike and Doc rode with George on Salamence.

Flash and Hopper lead the Dragon-types and their riders as they exited the volcano, heading for the canyon as the area began to appear in their vision. But as they got close, they soon saw an army of flying Ice and Fairy-types along with Libelle and Fafnir at the front, both riding Magnezone. The two groups came to a stop at this, all hovering in place. "What gives?" Flash barked back, "I thought your boss wanted a battle!"

"He does," Fafnir replied, "You can pass. But your friends are gonna stay here so they can't interfere."

Flash opened his mouth to respond, only for Drayce to yell, "Go Flash!" He turned to the kai, who was riding Mercy with Scylla. "We'll join you as soon as we've dealt with these fools." Flash nodded and signaled Hopper to fly forward. The enemy moved aside, allowing them pass before the invaders charged at the draconids.

"Let's go!" Ryu yelled as he flew straight in, Kaida and George going after him with the others following suit.

Flash hated he had to do this, but knew his role. But as he did this, Springer suddenly ran up Hopper's wing before jumping off the end, shocking the two, "SPRINGER!"

Springer flew through the air and landed on one of the Togekiss. "RI!" He roared while forming an Aura Sphere and slamming it into its back, using to for to throw himself off the Fairy Flying-type before landing on a Frosmoth and using Drain Punch before leaping away again.

Everyone watched as he leapt from one opponent to the next, hitting them with one of his attacks before reaching the other side of the flock. "Rio!" He barked, Skyler flying over with Riptide to catch him before bringing him back around. He looked back at Flash and smiled with a thumbs up, Flash and Hopper nodding back.

With this, the battle began to rage on, flyers and fighters now clashing. Fafnir leapt down with Weavile to battle several Dragalge, Shelgon and those of the Goodra and Haxorus line.

"Blizzard!" He ordered as Weavile unleashed a wave of freezing cold air, freezing several dragons in place.

"Mystical Fire!" He suddenly heard, looking up to see blasts of fire rain down on the frozen dragons. The ice melted as Salamence flew down, Twilight, Doc and Spike leaping off as Kaida swooped down and did the same.

Shine and Dragonair glared at Weavile, ready for a round two as Doc and Spike ran over to where Libelle had flown to on Magnezone. "Incinerate!" Spike yelled, Peewee unleashing his fire blast at the Magnet Area Pokémon.

Libelle leapt off Magnezone as the blast struck, the Electric Steel-type grunting in pain as she landed. "Ha!" She laughed, "Too old to take me down by yourself?"

"You're older then me." Doc deadpanned as he took out a Pokeball, "And I intend to take you down, even if I need help to do it." He threw the ball, Lairon soon appearing. "Spike, Peewee, Lairon…you guys ready!?" The three yelled as Magnezone floated down. "Then let's end this!"

Back in the valley of sea-stacks, Cadmus and Galvern stood on the edge of the rocks with Titan tied up behind them. A pair of Sneasel stood beside the king, their claws primed.

Cadmus, Galvern and Titan then spotted the approaching pair, Cadmus and Galvern smirking while Titan frowned at the sight. And as Flash and Hopper flew up, Flash hopped off his Pokémon and landed on a sea-stack while the Skeidran hovered above him. "Alright Cadmus. You wanted this battle, so now you're gonna get it."

"And my prize," Cadmus cackled, "When this is over, I'll finally have the prince of dragons like I always should have. And with him, I'll lead an army of dragon out to conquer all of the Equestria Region. The draconids days of hiding are no more!"

"Your dad's right. You really have gone off the deep end."

"Silence!" Cadmus screamed, "I will not listen to some outsider who does not understand my pain! I am the only one who cares for our clan, to help them go into the bright future outside of this stuffy rotting mountain!"

As he said this, Galvern leapt off the sea-stack, falling several feet before spreading its wings and soaring back up. "GALVERN!" It roared, Hopper following after it.

Flash continued to glare at Cadmus, then turned to the Sneasel, seeing them putting their claws up Titan's neck. He let out a long sigh, shaking his head, "Only one choice. Let's do this Hopper!"

"Dran!" He roared back while Cadmus shined a huge grin.

"Dragon Claw!" The battle began, Galvern roaring as its red claws were now surrounded by a glowing green aura, which it swung at Hopper.

"Block it with Steel Wing!" Hopper's wings shined as he swiped them at the Dragon Claw. He flinched at the impact, but powered through, pushing Galvern back before swinging around to slash it down the middle.

"Gal!"

"Dark Pulse!" Galvern's eyes shot open before it opened its mouth, unleashing a burst of black rings at Hopper.

"Get out of there!" Flash yelled, Hopper managing to barrel-roll out of the attack's line of fire. "Great! Now, Extreme Speed!" Hopper glowed as he began to fly around at high velocity, Galvern barely managing to keep its eyes on him before he disappeared.

"Dran!" It heard from behind, spinning around to see Hopper seconds before he thrust his foot into Galvern's face.

"Galvern!" It yelped, flinching in pain before spreading its wings to keep from falling before swooping down through the sea-stacks. Hopper followed after it, the two zigzagging through the giant rocks.

"Slam!" Galvern suddenly circled around one of the stacks and zipped around Hopper, grabbing the Skeidran's tail.

"Vern!" It cried before throwing Hopper into one of the stacks.

"Dran!" He flinched upon impact, Galvern flying right after him.

"Dark Pulse!" Galvern fired a stream of dark rings, the Skeidran gasping at the sight before pushing off the rock, dodging the blow as the attack destroyed the rubble in one blow.

"Dragon Tail!" Hopper spun forward as with a glowing green tail, Galvern glaring at him.

"Breaking Swipe!" Galvern's tail glowing purple as it spun around, the two attacks connecting as an explosion formed, knocking both flying back. Both nearly slammed into a stack, barely managing to regain control to evade the contact before flying back to their trainers. And as they landed, Cadmus chuckled at the sight, "Not bad. You are unworthy of what you have...but not bad."

"We're just getting started," Flash growled.

Meanwhile...

The draconids and Cadmus's army were still raging their mighty battle. "Aerial Ace!" Ryu yelled as he and Noivern slammed into several flying Pokémon. Though the draconids were higher in number, the type advantage their opponents had made this an even battle. "Come on!" He said as Noivern used Boomburst on several Fairy-types.

And it wasn't just the Pokémon fighting. Many humans were in hand to hand fights against one another, Drayce and Scylla showing incredible martial arts skills as their opponents couldn't even touch them without getting a palm strike to the face.

"Rock Slide!" Doc ordered as Lairon summoned the boulders.

"Magnet Bomb!" Libelle countered as her Pokémon fired the mini blue spheres, destroying the rocks as Peewee flew in close.

"Dragonbreath!" The Terragon unleashed the blue flames, burning Magnezone in a blaze. "That's the way bud!"

Libelle growled at this, "You little...Discharge!" Magnezone spun its magnets, zapping Peewee with a fury of lightning, knocking him back.

"Metal Claw!" As Magnezone's attack ended, Lairon leapt at it, slashing him with a fury of glowing claws.

"Zone!" it yelped, flying back as Peewee got up.

"Incinerate!" Peewee spat the fire stream, hitting Magnezone as it lit on fire.

Up in the air, Skyler flew around as Springer and Riptide unleashed Aura Sphere and Water Guns at the opponents. Riptide then leapt off Skyler, landing on a Togekiss that was about to fire a Dazzling Gleam at a Flygon. "TORE!" He roared before slamming an Ice Punch into it, making it cry out in pain before hopping back on Skyler.

At the same time, Flitanium was carrying Prongs as he shot several Energy Balls at the enemy, Viper also riding Owlicious as he unleashed a barrage of Flamethrowers at the Ice-types. "Keep it up guys!" Springer yelled while throwing an Aura Sphere at a Vanilluxe. "We can't let Flash and Hopper down!"

"RIGHT!" The others barked back.

And in another part of the battlefield, Twilight and Kaida continued to fight against Fafnir and Weavile. "Fairy Wind!" Shine spun around and flicked her tail, unleashing a burst of wind that struck Weavile before it could dodge.

"Weave!" It grunted.

"Push through with Night Slash!" Fafnir ordered as Weavile charged at Shine, its claws glowing just as Dragonair slithered up to them.

"Twister!" Dragonair pointed her tail at Weavile, unleashing a tornado from the orbs, smacking Weavile upward. "Now, Iron Tail!" Dragonair then shot up with a shining tail.

"Protect!" Weavile crossed its claws as an energy orb appeared around it, right as Dragonair swung its tail down. The force of the attack pushed Weavile to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as it connected, but the Protect allowed it to survive unharmed. "Blizzard!"

As soon as the sphere vanished, Weavile exhaled a mighty burst of cold air. "WEAVILE!" The air struck both Shine and Dragonair, making them shiver along with their trainers.

"That's it!" Fafnir cheered before pointing at the two trainers, "Just give up! No matter what you try, Cadmus will become kai, and lead us into a brighter future!"

"No, he won't!" Twilight replied, "He's gonna lose to Flash and finally pay for all he's done!"

"And so will you!" Kaida yelled as well.

"Dark Pulse!" Galvern fired the stream of rings as Hopper charged at him.

"Block it with Steel Wing!" Hopper spun around and used his glowing wings as shield, deflecting the attack away as he kept sprinting at the dragon. "Extreme Speed, then use Crunch!" Hopper vanished in a flash of green, zipping all over the place. Galvern expected another attack from behind, only for-

"Dran!" Hopper tackled the Galaxy Pokémon right in the chest, pushing it back until it struck a stack. Hopper used his arms and legs to pin its body to the rock, then bit down on Galvern's shoulder, making it cry out.

"GALVERN!"

"Get it off of you!" He yelled as Galvern tried to move, but kept flinching at the pain. Cadmus hissed at him as he then ordered, "Breaking Swipe!" Galvern's eyes shot open before its tail started to glow.

"Look out!" Flash yelled, but was too late.

"Dran!" Hopper flinched as the tail struck him in the back, making him pull his mouth off of Galvern.

"Gal!" Galvern pushed Hopper off him, the dragon rolling back.

"Dark Pulse!" It unleashed another burst of dark energy that struck Hopper point blank. Hopper was pushed back, slamming through one of the stacks, rolling out of the others side before the tip of the stack began to fall onto him.

"HOPPER/DRAN!" Flash and Titan yelled as Hopper picked itself up.

"Sky!" He side-stepped just in time, dodging the rock.

"Dragon Claw!" Hopper spun around to see Galvern charge at him.

"Galvern!" It swiped at Hopper, the dragon ducking under the attack before hopping back.

"Dragon Tail!" Hopper spun around, trying to hit him with the tail just as Galvern blocked it with one Dragon Claw before pushing him away. Hopper flinched as he staggered back, only to spread his wings and take to the air.

"Gal!" Galvern roared as flew up as well, Hopper glaring back at him as their trainers did the same.

As this happened, the draconids were slowly turning the tides. Despite the type advantage, their opponent's Pokémon weren't as well trained, all falling after one or two hits. The only ones able to fight well were Weavile and Magnezone, and they were not going down.

"Mystical Fire!" Shine unleashed another fire rocket, hitting Weavile as it was busy defending against Dragonair's attack.

"Weave!" It yelped as the flames knocked it back, only to quickly do handstands to get away.

"Use Faint Attack!" Weavile charged at this command, zigzagging across the field on its way to the Ponyta.

"Fairy Wind!" Shine swung its tail, firing the glittering wind, but Weavile leapt over the attack before slashing Shine's back.

"Nee!" She cried at the blow, Weavile hopping back as Twilight ran up to her.

"Shine!" She leaned down, "You okay?"

"Nee..." Shine whined before slowly picking herself up, both turning to see Dragonair trying to hit Weavile with its Iron Tail.

"Wing Attack!" Spike yelled as Peewee charged, his wings glowing as he slashed at Magnezone. The Steel-type didn't seem at all phased, though it allowed Lairon to get up close.

"Flash Cannon!" The metal dinosaur roared as it shot a laser out at Magnezone, making it flinch.

"You think that's gonna beat me?" Libelle asked before letting out a laugh, "Dream on! Tri Attack!" The two screws and antenna on Magnezone glowed before the energy flew off and connected to one another, forming a triangle as an explosion of fire, lightning and ice shot out of its eyes. The fire and lightning struck Lairon while the ice struck Peewee, the two flinching in pain as they were knocked back.

"Guys!" Spike cried as they hit the ground, Libelle laughing again.

"Dragon Pulse!" Kaida yelled as Dragonair unleashed the dragon shaped blast at Weavile.

"Protect!" Weavile created the energy orb around its body, blocking the attack with ease.

But as this happened, Twilight let out a gasp, "That's it!" She leaned down and whispered into Shine's ear, "You got it?" The Ponyta nodded back. "Then charge!" Shine galloped ahead, Weavile still protecting itself. "Now, Fairy Wind!" As Shine got close, Weavile's shield suddenly dropped.

"Weave!" It cried right as Shine got close and spun around, swinging the glittery wind from its tail. "WEAVILE!"

"No!" Fafnir yelped as Weavile was thrown back.

"Discharge!" Libelle yelled as Magnezone unleashed the burst of lightning, Larion jumping in front of Peewee.

"LAIRON!" He cried as the lightning struck it, but enduring as he turned to Peewee, "Hurry," it told the Dragon-type.

"Right!" Peewee leapt up as he roared, "SPIKE!"

"INCINERATE!" Spike ordered as Peewee took the biggest breath he could.

"TERRAGON!" He screamed as he unleashed the largest fire blast he could, hitting Magnezone dead-on. The Magnet Area Pokémon couldn't do a thing, unable to do nothing but roar in pain before dropping into the dirt just as Weavile fell down as well.

"NO!" Fafnir and Libelle cried as they saw their Pokémon drop, only to hear a distinct lack of battling sounds around them. They turned to see that every one of their army had fallen, leaving them alone.

"It's over," they heard Twilight say as Springer, Drayce and the others landed beside them.

"It's not over," Fafnir growled, "Cadmus-"

"Will fall," Drayce interrupted, "But not before you." He pointed at the pair, "DO IT!"

"Let's go guys!" Twilight yelled as Springer, Shine, Lairon, Peewee, Dragonair, Noivern, Riptide, Prongs, Viper, Mercy and Princess unleashed their long range attacks. They flew at the two and their Pokémon, the four having no way to stop them.

"Cadmus..." Fafnir closed his eyes, "We're sorry."

KABOOM!

The ground shook as they were consumed by an explosion, everyone covering their eyes until the smoke vanished, revealing the four on the ground, all unconscious.

"Yes!" Spike cheered. "We did it!"

"It's not over yet," Ryu commented as he and Noivern took to the air again. Most joined him while others stayed back to deal with their defeated opponents. They soon arrived at the box canyon, now seeing Hopper and Galvern flying above it while also seeing Titan and the Sneasel.

"Everyone stop!" Drayce yelled, the entire draconid clan pulling to a stop. "We can't get too close. Look!"

He pointed at Titan, Ryu flying up to him, "So what do we do?" he asked as Hopper and Galvern firing attacks at each other. As they did this, the group watched the battle as Springer stared at maze of rocks between them and Titan.

"Ri," he chuckled as an idea formed in his head, then whispering something into Skyler's ear. The Tornavian nodded at this, flying down as the rest saw them do this, the group following to cover their descent. And as they landed on the surrounding cliff-side, they flew through the maze.

"Dran!" Hopper screamed after getting hit with another Breaking Swipe, causing him to be thrown into a trio of rock stacks. "Skeidran!"

"Hopper!" Flash yelped as his partner tried to get up, "You okay?"

"Dran," Hopper nodded as he stood tall.

Cadmus rubbed his chin at the sight, "He has a strong will. No surprise considering who his parents are. But that doesn't bode well for me..." He looked up at Galvern, the dragon panting despite flying over Hopper, "I need to end this before they pull a surprise out of their hats." His gaze then turned to Flash, a smile appearing on his lips. "That'll work."

"Extreme Speed!" Hopper leapt off the stack, a green trail shooting behind him. But as he tried to hit Galvern, the dragon evaded his strike with a quick sidestep.

"Use Dark Pulse straight ahead!" Galvern unleashed the blast, but Hopper's high speed allowed him to easily evade the attack...only for the attack to hit the rock Flash was standing on.

"Whoa!" Flash yelped as the stack shook beneath his feet, Hopper turning to him as he saw his trainer lose his balance.

"Dragon Claw!" Hopper spun around to see Galvern charging at him.

"SKEIDRAN!" He cried as the attack hit Hopper, the blow making him crash into Flash's stack.

The teen gasped at this, his arms swinging around as he kept trying to keep his balance. "FLASH!" He heard Twilight scream, the trainer just about to get his balance back before Cadmus yelled out another command.

"Breaking Swipe, on the rock!" The Dragon Dark-type flew down, smashing its glowing tail into the rock, hitting the area where its Dark Pulse had struck. As this blow hit, everyone watching letting out a gasp as the stack began to fall apart.

"Sky!" Hopper screamed as he quickly flew up to grab Flash, catching him in his claws as they began to dodge the falling rubble.

"Dark Pulse!" They both turned to see Galvern fly up, firing the dark rings. The attack struck Hopper, hitting his wings. This made him cry out in pain, his wing buckling as the two began to fall, everyone screaming as the sight.

Hopper heard Flash's cries of terror and looked straight down, seeing the ground coming up fast. He tried to straighten his wing, but it refused to listen to him. All he could do was position himself between Flash and the ground. "SKEIDRAN!" He roared in pain as he crashed, hitting the canyon floor hard, causing Flash to slip from his grip.

"Augh!" Flash screamed as he hit the ground, bouncing several times before rolling to a stop face down.

"FLASH!" His friends yelled, Cadmus laughing at the sight.

"Oh, that was fun!"

"CHEATER!" Ryu roared, Cadmus turning to him with a smirk.

"Its not cheating, little brother. This isn't a game, and it isn't a pointless test of strength you dracnoids love. This is war. And in war, you do whatever it takes to win."

"Skeidran!" Titan growled as he tried to escape his bindings, only for the Sneasel to put his claws at his neck again. Everyone else began yelling and hollering, telling the two to get up and keep fighting. Cadmus smirked at this before noticing movement on the ground, now seeing Flash start to pick himself up.

"Oh, just give it up already." Galvern flew up to him, the trainer hopping onto the dragon's back before gliding down to the two before getting off and walking up to Flash. "You've lost. Give up outsider, give up so I can claim my prize." He gestured his hand to Hopper, "Come to me prince. Surrender to me so I may take our clan to new heights."

"Dran…" Hopper hissed back, only for Cadmus to shake his head.

"Do not defy me. I am your master now prince." He pointed at Flash, "He is nothing, a worthless loser that is unworthy of your legacy."

Hopper opened his mouth at this, only for Flash to put his hand on his head. Turning to his trainer, he saw Flash now standing, clutching his side as he groaned out, "No way. We're...not...done yet."

"Oh please," Cadmus spat, "What chance could you possibly have now?" But as he said this, they both heard a barrage of screams and yells, both turning to see everyone hollering their support to Flash and Hopper.

This made Flash smile and turn back to Cadmus, "Someone told me something once, a legend about Skeidran and its previous forms. How they're able to draw power from those around them, using the bond they share with their friends to grow stronger in order to protect them..." Cadmus chuckled, shaking his head as Flash pointed at the crowd, "And look around you, hear the voices of everyone cheering Hopper on. Do you really think you can beat him when he's got all this support?"

"Oh please. You could have the entire planet's population cheering for you and it wouldn't do a thing." He leaned up to Flash with the biggest grin, "You've lost." But as he said this, Hopper pushed his head between them, a low hiss coming out of his mouth, "What?!"

"Dran," he moaned, his legs shaking while panting. And as he tried to open his wings, the sound of everyone's cheers filled his ears.

"That's right Hopper," Flash patted his back, "Even though you're the only one battling, you're not alone. Everyone...Drayce, Scylla, Ryu, Kaida, Princess and your mom. And especially all our friends. They're all here, lending you their support."

"You can do it!" Twilight screamed.

"We believe in you!" Kaida yelled.

"We're right here!" Doc hollered.

"Trust in yourself!" Drayce called out.

"GO GUYS!" Spike cheered.

"BEAT HIM!" Ryu added.

"NEETAA!" Shine yelled to her best friend.

"TERRA!" Peewee roared.

"SKEIDRAN!" Mercy, Princess and his flock cried together.

"SPRANITOR/CHITALEAF/ANAHAKKA!" The rest of his teammates said as Flash nodded in agreement.

"They all need you. To win this battle and stop Cadmus before he can attack Equestria. You're the only one who can do it." He rubbed Hopper's head, "Feel their hopes...feel their strength!"

Hopper's entire body shook as his eyes slowly opened, revealing them to be glowing. Despite not understanding him, Flash knew what Hopper said next. "I feel them!" The light from his eyes began to spread to the rest of his body, Flash needing to step back from a sudden heat coming from his body.

"What's this?" Cadmus asked before his eyes went wide, "It can't be."

"What's Hopper doing?" Spike asked, Drayce chuckling at this.

"He's learned it!"

"Sky!" Hopper roared as the light took shape, now forming mainly around his head, neck, chest and wings. The wings seemed to grow longer as the light extended, amazing everyone except Cadmus.

"Enough of this!" He yelled before pointing at Hopper, "Galvern, Dragon Claw!"

But as Galvern charged, Hopper turned his glowing eyes at him before spreading his glowing wings, taking a deep breath. "Sky!" He suddenly beat his wings at Galvern, "DRAN!" Doing so caused the light to shoot off his body while still remaining in his body.

It shot across the battlefield like lightning, striking Galvern before it could respond, the energy wings slashing into the Dark Dragon-type's chest. "GALVERN!" It suddenly screamed with wide eyes, being thrown back through a sea-stack.

Everyone gasped at the sight, Spike asking, "What was that?!"

"Wyvern Wing," Drayce replied, "The prince learned Wyvern Wing, the strongest Dragon-type move Skeidran can learn."

Hearing this made everyone's jaw go slack, Princess more then anyone amazed by this development.

"Impossible!" Cadmus yelled while Flash and Hopper glared at him.

"We told you our friends would give him strength!" As he said this, Galvern picked itself up out of the fallen rocks.

"I won't lose to nonsense! Dragon Claw!"

"Dodge it!" Hopper leapt up, dodging the charging Galvern as Flash yelled, "Extreme Speed!" Hopper instantly tackled Galvern, knocking it back, "Now, use Dragon Tail!" Hopper then spun like a top, his tail smashing into Galvern's face.

"Galvern!" It cried at the blow, Cadmus growling at the sight.

"This isn't over! I refuse to lose!" He barked before pointing at the Sneasel, "Do it!" The Sharp Claw Pokémon nodded as they pulled back their claws, ready strike Titan. Everyone gasped at this, Flash growling at him as Cadmus laughed, "Oh, don't be surprised. I had already won from the start. If you don't stop, you'll lose your king." He pointed back at Flash, "Tell the prince to give up. Surrender so I will-"

"Riolu!" a voice suddenly called out, the group spinning around to see Springer and Skyler appear from behind a rock. Springer had a pair of Aura Sphere in each paw, throwing both at the two. An explosion came next, knocking them back.

With that done, Skyler used his sharp talons to rip into the ropes holding Titan. The king of dragons felt the bindings loosen, quickly spreading his wings to rip apart the other ropes with a giant roar, "SKEIDRAN!"

"No...NO!" Cadmus screamed as he saw Titan become free, only to glare back at Flash and Hopper, "You...you cheated!"

"Didn't you do the same earlier?" Flash chuckled back.

"This...this wasn't supposed to happen."

"Sorry to say, but it is." Flash yelled before pointing at Hopper, "Let's do this buddy!"

"Dran!"

"No...being kai is my destiny. I'm the one who's meant to bring our clan into the light!"

"All you were gonna do is drive them further into the darkness. You're no leader..." Flash responded before pointing up at Hopper as he flew higher, "That's a leader! Wyvern Wing!"

"Dran!" Hopper roared as his body exploded with light, only for the light to not shoot off his body.

Instead, he shot down as his wings expanded. Galvern saw this coming and didn't even wait for its trainer's orders, now firing a Dark Pulse at Hopper. But even though it struck him the dragon head-on, Hopper pushed through the attack with ease.

"SKEIDRAN!" He roared as he slammed into Galvern, slashing it with his glowing wings.

At the same time, Flash ran up to Cadmus, throwing a punch right into his face. Both trainer and Pokémon cried out in pain, both going flying back before hitting the ground at the same time, spirals in both eyes.

Everyone in the valley cheered at this, Hopper flying down to hug Flash. As this happened, Springer hopped off Skyler to leap into Flash's arms, "RIOU!" He hugged him as well, Hopper giving the Riolu a hug as well.

"Flash!" He turned to see Twilight and the others land, the bespectacled girl the first to climb off Salamence, "You did it! But are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." As he said that, Mercy landed beside Hopper and Titan. She asked if they were okay, both replying the same way Flash did, with Mercy hugging them both.

Drayce, Scylla, Ryu and Kaida came next, both a frown and a smile apparent on the kai's face. "Once again, we are in your debt. You've done us a great service this day." He bowed, "I thank you."

"Don't mention it," Flash replied before pointing at Cadmus, "Though uh...what are you gonna do with him?"

Drayce's reply was a soft sigh, the older man shaking his head as his face showed a mixture of shame and sorrow. "The only thing we can do. Put him some place he can never be a danger to anyone again."

When Cadmus awakened, he noticed two things. The first was a splitting pain in his nose, while the other was he was tied up. He opened his eyes, now seeing the bindings before noticing Fafnir and Libelle sitting beside him in the same position. A long breath escaped his mouth as he glanced around next, now seeing they were back on the top of the cliff overlooking the valley. "What's happening?!" He heard footsteps in response, now looking up to see Drayce, Fafnir and Ryu. "Release me!"

"I can't do that son," Drayce replied, "You're too dangerous to be let go."

Cadmus shook back and forth, grunting in pain before glaring up at his father, "So...it seems I lost. What are you gonna do to me?" He asked, now seeing every member of his army all tied up and being lifted into the air by Dragon-types. "To us?"

"There's a large empty chamber not far from the village," Scylla responded, "It will be remodeled into a prison for you and the rest of the cohorts."

"And you're just going to keep us there forever?!"

"Not forever," Drayce sighed, "Just long enough for you to hopefully learn your lesson. And maybe, one day, you can return to us, and we can be a family again."

"That will never happen," Cadmus hissed.

"That is your decision to make," Scylla replied as a Garchomp flew down, landing behind him and his generals. Long ropes were attached to the ones holding them, all of them tied to the dragon. "We will see you soon. And hopefully, by then you'll have seen the error of your ways." Cadmus said nothing as he was lifted into the air with Fafnir and Libelle.

And as he climbed higher into the air, Cadmus' gaze fell on his brother. Ryu had been silent up until now as Cadmus spoke up, "Do me a favor Ryu...Protect the kingdom." Those were his last words before the three vanished into the sky.

When they were gone, Scylla started crying while Drayce placed an arm around her. Ryu simply kept staring at the sky, letting out a long sigh, "I will." He turned back to Flash and Hopper, both being checked over by Twilight and Kaida. "I...will protect the kingdom. The right way."

"How many times are you almost gonna get yourself killed saving the day?" Twilight asked as Kaida put a band-aid over his cheek.

"I'd say at least a few more times," Flash chuckled, everyone except Twilight laughing at this, the bespectacled girl rolling her eyes.

Hopper was also laughing, only to hear footsteps behind him. Turning to it, he saw Princess standing a ways off. She was staring intently at Hopper, this time blushing when he focused on her. All the confidence she appeared to have around him was gone, Hopper finding the look she wore now ever so cute.

The Skeidran slowly moved over to her, both soon face to face. Then, Princess seemed to bow while holding her wings wide. Despite never seeing this before, Hopper knew what it meant.

"What's going on?" Flash asked, standing up while Kaida let out a gasp.

"It's the Skeidran bonding pose," she replied, "When a female takes that pose, they're asking to become the other's mate." Everyone's eyes went wide at hearing this, then turned back to see Hopper begin to mimic the pose. The tips of their wings touched, and when they did, the two lifted their heads and wrapped their wings around one another as their forehead's touched. "They've bonded." All those around them cheered as Hopper and Princess released one another before rubbing the sides of their heads together.

Flash smiled at the sight, only to see Titan and Mercy walk up to them. The sight made a huge frown appear on his face, his heart sinking at the sight. He knew that if he took Hopper away now, it would be like stealing the groom the moment the wedding ceremony was over.

Now more than ever, Flash knew what he had to do.

Everyone then saw Flash move over to the Skeidran. Hopper turned to him, Flash reaching up to pat him on the side of the head...only to turn away and move over to the kai and his family, taking out a Pokeball.

"Here," he held out the ball to Ryu. Everyone went wide-eyed at this, Ryu's eyes going between the ball and Flash as he said, "Look after him."

Ryu slowly reached up and took the ball, holding it in his hand...but feeling weighed down by it. He stared at the sphere, feeling his breath being taken away before looking back up at Flash, "Are...are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Wow...thanks." Ryu barely replied before bowing his head, "And...I'm sorry about before. I was wrong."

"Its cool." Flash replied before turning around, only to see Hopper walking up to him. He patted his head at this, speaking up, "Hopper, you need to stay here."

"Dran?" Hopper asked.

"This...this is where you belong." The rest of Flash's Pokémon, Twilight, Doc and Spike all began to tear up at these words.

However, the only one who didn't seem to grasp this concept was Hopper, the dragon nudging Flash, "Sky?"

"No," Flash gently pushed him away, "You have to stay." He pointed at Hopper's family and his flock, "They need you." Hopper turned to them, seeing his family and new lover he had found. But as he looked at this, he figured out what this meant.

Hopper turned back to Flash, tears forming in his eyes. "Dran."

"It's okay," Flash patted him on the side of his head. "This is for the best. This is..." Flash couldn't help but let loose a few tears, "Where you belong." He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, "You'll be happy here. Happier than you could ever be with me." Hopper let out a sad purr, one that said, 'Not without you.'

"Don't worry." He patted him again. "Even though we won't be together, we'll never truly be apart as long as we remember one another. And one day, I promise we'll see each other again."

Hopper purred again, turning to face Princess and the others again. It looked like he finally understood. But then he turned back to Flash, only to suddenly tackle the teen.

"Whoa!" Flash yelped as he felt Hopper hug him, hugging him back as he rubbed the dragon's back, "I know bud. I know..."

And as he pulled away, the rest of their friends moved over to them. But before they could do anything, Shine leapt at Hopper, "Nee!" She cried, tears flying out of her eyes. Hopper stumbled back by her tackle, hugging the Ponyta as she kept crying, "Nee! Nee ta!"

"Dran…" Hopper whispered as she cried into his chest before slowly letting her go.

Skyler, Riptide, Prongs, Viper and Peewee came up next, all giving their goodbyes to their friend, each saying how much they would miss him. Then, Springer was up. Since the day he had hatched, Hopper had seen Springer as a big brother.

"Be strong," Springer told him while hugging his head. "And don't forget anything you learned with us."

"I won't," he replied before Springer pulled away.

Twilight, Spike and Doc were up last, Twilight hugging him, "Oh Hopper..."

"I'm gonna miss you," Spike cried into his chest.

Doc scratched behind Hopper's ear, "I know you'll make a great king." The three moved aside for Flash to walk up to him one last time, the trainer placing a hand on his snout.

"It's time," he whispered before his hand slid off Hopper's nose.

Hopper let out one final purr before turning to Princess and the other Dragon-types. He walked up to them, and as he did this, Titan suddenly bowed, "Dran?"

"What's he doing?" Spike asked.

"Hopper knows Wyvern Wing," Drayce responded, "And it appears Titan believes he's ready to stand as our land's new king." To show this, Mercy and Princess bowed along with the other Skeidran, the rest of the Dragon-types doing the same along with the draconids. Flash smiled before kneeling down, the others following suit as they all bowed to the new king of dragons.

Hopper puffed out his chest, trying to look as royal as possible, eventually letting out a low grunt followed by a loud roar. The rest of the Dragon-types roared back as the humans stood up.

Drayce then yelled at the top of his lungs, "ALL HAIL THE KING OF DRAGONS!" The rest of the humans cheered while the Dragon-types unleashed blasts into the sky, the attacks exploding to create fireworks. Many yells of 'long live the king' filled the air as Princess moved over to Hopper and leaned up beside him.

At the same time, Flash smiled despite the pain he was feeling. He knew he was doing the right thing. Hopper was home where he belonged, and he now stood as its rightful leader.

The next day...

After a long night of rest and recuperation, the group was standing outside the mountain range hiding the Dragon Kingdom. Drayce, Scylla, Ryu and Kaida were there to see them off, Drayce speaking up first, "Well, this is it."

Flash nodded back, "Please look after Hopper."

"Of course," Scylla replied, "Though I feel like he'll be the one who'll be looking after us."

Flash chuckled at this, only for Drayce to flash a palm at him. "Before you go.." Kaida walked up with a glass container, "A gift. One final thank you for all that you've done for us."

"Is that..." was all Twilight could say as they saw an egg was within the case.

"I know Hopper can never be replaced, but I hope you'll accept this Pokémon egg and raise it well." Flash took the container from Kaida, now seeing the egg was mainly blue with a single yellow star on the very top.

"Are...are you sure?" He asked them, the draconids all nodding.

"Of course," Scylla responded, "We know you'll treat it well."

Ryu laughed at this, "And when it hatches, you should come back so we can have a rematch."

Flash couldn't help but smile while looking down at the egg, the others now taking a closer look. Spike then turned to Drayce, "So...do you know what kind of Pokémon's inside it?"

"Of course we do," Drayce chuckled, "But where's the fun in just telling you?" Spike pouted while the others laughed, all giving their final goodbyes before turning to leave.

They headed down the beaten trail Drayce had told them to take in order to get back to the main road toward Manehatten, all the while Flash was staring at his new egg.

"I can't wait to see what it's gonna be." Twilight commented.

"Yeah." Flash replied, letting out a sigh as he said this. "Still..."

"SKEIDRAN!" Their heads all shot up at the sudden voice, now seeing a quartet of Skeidran standing a top a mountain a close distance away. Hopper, Princess, Titan and Mercy were all staring down at them, he and Flash locking eyes one final time.

As they did, they both remembered their time together fondly. Finding Hopper's egg and hatching it, saving him from the poachers and catching him. All the training, all their battles. The race and battle that lead to his evolution. Defeating Spitfire and so much more. Moments neither of them will ever forget.

"Goodbye old friend," Flash whispered as the others gave Flash a pat on the shoulder before waving goodbye to the Skeidran as they continued to their next big adventure.

Though they must now go their separate ways, Flash and Hopper will always be friends. And they will always remember what the other taught them, no matter what obstacles they find themselves up against. After all, they both knew that one day, they would be reunited.