Pokémon and Ponies
#26-Rapidash Rush
"Fast."
"Competitive."
"Majestic."
"These are the three words that describe the Fire Horse Pokemon. Rapidash. And today we showcase just how amazing it is! With the first annual Rapidash Race!" BigTime Ben had announced. He had done it again. He had opened up a race that focused on the speedy Rapidash. A Pokemon that became a smash hit in Equestria. Everypony loved it. Some loved its majestic yet fierce mane. Others love it because of how it reminds them of Princess Celestia and Luna.
"40 Rapidash! Each of you little ponies to run with! This race will be something to remember!"
Ash and the others had arrived at the center of Ponyville, to see this race take place.
"What in Equestria's name is this?" Rarity said.
"Looks like BigTime Ben is making more opportunities." Applejack replied.
"Oh my. Who are THOSE ponies?" Fluttershy noticed Rapidash.
"Oh sweet! It's a Rapidash! Tons of them!"
"Pikachu!"
"Rapidash?" Rainbow Dash pulled out her Pokedex to see what this Rapidash was all about.
"Rapidash. The Fire Horse Pokemon. It gallops at nearly 150mph. Rapidash usually can be seen casually cantering along fields and plains. Its moves at insane speeds when it gets serious, filling up its excitement to run and race with anything."
"Sweet! That sounds like my kind of Pokemon!" Rainbow Dash grinned.
"Ah! Look who it is! Princess Twilight Sparkle! Why don't you come up here and help announce it?"
Everypony turned to the new princess.
"Me? Uh.."
"No pressure." BigTime Ben said.
"No, it's fine. I can do it." Twilight walked up to where Ben stood as all eyes were on her. Gothitelle helped her out with a note to read. BigTime Ben always comes prepared for any situation.
"Ahem. As the newly appointed princess, I hereby welcome the newly made race completion. The Rapidash Rush. Huh. That was pretty easy." Twilight said.
"Excellent! Now then. For each participant, there will be 40 of them in total. Just enough for each Rapidash's. Anyone can join! People, Ponies or Pokemon!"
"I wanna join! It'd be super cool to ride on one of those!" Scootaloo wanted a go.
"We'll go! I wanna try this out for sure!" Ash decided to join as well.
"That doesn't look safe though. Its mane is nothing but fire." Fluttershy worried.
"Oh don't worry. You see, if you put your trust in Rapidash and it puts its trust in you, you can ride on it without any worry of the flames." Ash explained.
"Correct, Ash my boy! So nopony has to worry about getting burnt. Just let Rapidash trust you and you'll be one with it." Ben replied.
"Seriously? How does that work?" Twilight didn't understand how that was possible really.
The participants had been set. Ash, Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and even Applejack had joined in. Followed up by some ponies and humans.
"Good luck you all!" Fluttershy was cheering them on.
"Pikapi!"
"Alright! Here's the layout! Gothitelle if you would." Gothitelle got out a huge map that showed the whole race map.
"Our starting point is obviously here at Ponyville. The racers will advance forward on the simpler paths such as Saddle Lake, White Tail Woods and Froggy Bottom Bogg. Then they'll go on a more diverse path. They will have 3 options, each of them have their own ways of getting to the next location quicker. These 3 paths were created once our worlds crossed over, and the planet had changed its structure based on certain Pokemon preferences. It's a choice of either Exploud Chasm, Kingdra Durance or Sealeo Breakwater. The choice is yours."
"These options look a bit intense don't you think?" Fluttershy said to Rarity.
"Indeed."
"Pika."
"Then, the racers will end up at Canterlot, where they'll meet Princess Celestia who has volunteered to help out in this race. She will lend you all flags that you will carry along with you. Then its a race to reach the Crystal Empire, and gain your second flags from Cadence and Shining Armor. You'll need those two flags. And finally, make your way to the brand new Ice Islands, where Ice-Type Pokemon are there like crazy. Then return here to Ponyville. That's the basic gist of it really." BigTime finished saying.
"And don't worry. Everypony can watch the race via Gothitelle's projections."
"This sure seems like a long one, eh?" Granny Smith said.
"Eeyup."
"That won't be an issue. Rapidash are very fast Pokemon. They'll be able to clear this out in a 2 hours or less." Brock explained.
"Is it safe to go without any Pokemon? Those new lands seem dangerous." Applebloom was worried.
"It's 40 contestants only. And Pokemon count. So Ash and Pikachu can't go together." Brock replied.
"Pika."
"Are you racers ready?" They were all on Rapidash. Some felt a slight burn since their trust in Rapidash wasn't fully complete. "Then get set..."
"GO!"
And they were off. All Rapidash's took off, galloping towards their first location, Saddle Lake. Ash's Rapidash was ahead of most of them. This wasn't his first go on a Rapidash so he had easy control. The others were still managing to keep up, even if they could feel a small burn.
"We're gonna ace this race!" Rainbow Dash said, grinning.
The race was being seen from all across Equestria. Psychic types can be considered the most useful type. And BigTime Ben just has drones everywhere.
The Rapidash had immediately arrived at Saddle Lake. There, Cobalion was standing on a hill, watching the race go by. Keldeo and the other swords were watching this race as well. The Rapidash had avoided a group of Krabby's near the lake. They had galloped up the steep section of the hills their speed was so fast that they passed Saddle Lake in only 1 minute.
Next was WhiteTail Woods, Gardenia saw the Rapidash coming as she worried that they might burn her gym due to their fire.
"Eek! Not the grass!" She yelled.
"Sorry, Gardenia!" Ash said, passing by her. Scootaloo was falling behind, her Rapidash wasn't moving as fast the others.
"Oh come on! What gives?! We're getting left in the dust here!"
Rainbow Dash was gaining up on Ash, just a bit behind. But Applejack was moving just as quick as hers.
"Hope you don't mind me passing you Rainbow!" Applejack said, passing her.
"Wha- Applejack!"
This race wasn't without its obstacles. There were some Pokemon they all had to get past. Like a flock of Wooloo. But, luckily the Rapidash knew what to do if they came across these little ones, jump over em.
"This race is pretty great so far. But what's the reward?" Twilight asked BigTime Ben.
"Hehe! The reward is a huge and beautiful mansion. Whoever wins gets to live there. And it's portable so it can move between both worlds."
"Is that even possible?!"
The race continued as the contestants galloped from White Tail to Froggy Bottom in no time. Applejack and Rainbow Dash butted heads with both their Rapidash's right next to each other. They were neck in neck for second place. The race was going fine, but somepony or some Draconequus had plans.
"This is interesting. This race is good so far... but!" Discord snapped his fingers, as he made the ground on Froggy Bottom Bogg have slime that made the Rapidash slide a bit.
"What in tarnation?!" The Rapidash were sliding across the slime, unable to control their direction a bit.
"Hm. That's weird. Oh well! It makes the race more interesting." BigTime Ben didn't mind the sudden ground change. He just went with the flow.
"We won't let this slow us down! Rapidash! Flame Charge!" Ash's trust meant that he could command Rapidash as well. His had charged through the slime, burning it away as it kept galloping on. This had made a good pathway for the others, giving them the opportunity to make through solid ground.
Passing Froggy Bottom Bogg, they now come face to face with their first challenge. The 3 paths. Ash had stopped as did the other contestants and the Rapidash.
"So we have three pathways huh? And each of them has its own quick ways of getting to Canterlot." Ash said.
"Well, I'm avoiding the Exploud Chasm. That's a disaster waiting to happen." A human said.
"If the lands have changed due to our worlds crossing over, who knows how quickly we can get to Canterlot." Applejack replied.
"Then me and my Rapidash will move on forward in the middle!" Ash and his Rapidash galloped to the middle, heading to Exploud Chasm.
"Then I'm taking the Breakwater!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Durance for me!" AJ replied. All the other contestants and their Pokemon had chosen different pathways that they believed would be a quick way. Scootaloo was falling behind still. She had just reached the 3 choices.
"Why are they so fast compared to mine?!" She moved on without thinking of which path to take. She had gone for Exploud Chasm.
The Sealeo Breakwaters. Sealeo's had made this area their home ever since the lands had terraformed in specific places. The mostly adorable and mostly harmless Ball Roll Pokemon loved it here. They constantly love spinning round objects on their noses. Rainbow Dash took a moment to see these Pokemon while galloping along.
"Oh, those are some pretty neat Pokemon." Discord appeared as a ball on Sealeo's nose as his next trick was in play. He had made the rocks on the Breakwater sentient as they were flying to the contestants, ready to pelt them with little pebbles. The pebbles had hit some of the Rapidash's and contestants in the eye, bugging them and throwing them off their flow. "Ow! Hey! What gives?!"
There were pebbles being pelted everywhere. They were only targeted at the contestants and Rapidash so the Sealeo's were fine.
"Grr... I think I may know who's behind this.."
On the other side of the spectrum, Exploud Chasm. A huge gorge could be seen once you arrived there. The Exploud there can cause massive destruction with just opening their mouth, once. These Pokemon are capable of triggering earthquakes in one shout.
"This is where things get dangerous. Those Exploud seem to be quiet, but at any second they'll start bellowing and things could get ugly." BigTime Ben explained.
"Oh, man. Look at all those Explouds..." Ash took a gander at the vast quantity of Loud Noise Pokemon. "Let's be careful for this one, alright Rapidash?"
"Rapidash."
Discord looked down, seeing Ash here.
"Hm. I wouldn't want to cause too much trouble for Ash. After all, he and Fluttershy are the only ones who can understand me. But..." Discord couldn't help it as it pointed at an Exploud, causing it to sneeze.
"EXPLOUD!"
Once that sneeze was active, the first tremor arrived. The entire chasm began shaking, rocks were falling as cracks formed. Scootaloo and her Rapidash were in the worst possible spot for this.
"W-What's going on?!" Ash heard Scootaloo as he turned around to see her.
"Scootaloo!"
Where Scootaloo was standing, the ground was breaking apart. Her Rapidash couldn't move as it was struck with fear.
"HELP!"
"Rapidash! Turn back!" Ash had commanded Rapidash to turn back, just to help Scootaloo.
Everyone watching this was in shock as BigTime Ben had fainted, with Gothitelle catching him. The ground broke apart as Scootaloo and her Rapidash had fallen.
"AAAAAAH!" She screamed in terror as Ash jumped off Rapidash, once again not regarding his life in the sake for others.
"ASH!"
"Pikapi!"
They all said in unison. Ash had grabbed the falling Scootaloo and Rapidash, holding them closely. "RAPIDASH!" He called out to his Rapidash. It ran down the chasm like it was a hill, heading towards them. "USe Flare Blitz!" Rapidash's body became engulfed in fire as its galloping speed increased, reaching that 150 mph. It jumped off the chasm, heading towards the falling trio.
Rapidash had to not only catch the three of them on its back, but it also had to run back up to the surface before everything collapsed.
Falling down to the seemingly endless abyss in the chasm, huge rocks falling down as Ash had held Scootaloo and her Rapidash close to save them. It was up to his Rapidash to catch them all and get back up there. Everypony across Equestria was watching this and was shocked with some fainting.
It's 150 mph had kicked in. By just the flame of its mane, it managed to catch them, using all its strength to carry the combined weight of Ash, Scootaloo and a fellow Rapidash. It slid off the walls, holding on for dear life with its hooves.
"Hold on Rapidash! Launch yourself onto one of the falling rocks!" Ash yelled.
Rapidash used Fire Blast to hit the wall it was sliding on. This launched Rapidash back along with the others. The distance they went was fairly far, however, Scootaloo almost fell off. Ash grabbed a hold of her hoof, making sure he wouldn't let go.
"I got you!"
Rapidash landed on a rock as it kept jumping from rock to rock, aiming to get to higher ground.
Every human and pony watching were biting their nails or even biting each other's manes. Were they going to get out of this? Discord was looking down at this and felt a little bad actually. He had grown a liking to Ash since he and Fluttershy could appreciate him and show him kindness.
Rapidash was nearing the top, however, the number of rock platforms was decreasing.
"This is gonna be close! We're gonna have to go for broke here!" Ash knew this could go either way. Rapidash used every ounce of its hoof strength. Its flames burned as hot as magma as it took off from the last rock platform, causing a shockwave from the leap, destroying it.
Rapidash had managed to get the upper level, getting them all to safety.
Disaster averted. Everypony let out a sigh of relief. So did Discord.
"Phew. That was a close one." Ash, Scootaloo and the other Rapidash got off its back, safe and sound.
"Thank you so much, Ash! You saved me!" Scootaloo thanked him.
"Rapidash also saved us too ya know. Right?"
"Rapidash!"
"Thanks, Rapidash!" Scootaloo gave the Rapidash a hug.
"Come on now. There's a race we have to finish."
At Sealeo Breakwater, Rainbow Dash and the others had managed to get away from the sudden rapid-fire pebbles. The contestants who were at the Breakwater had advanced forward, aiming for their next location. Canterlot.
"I can see Canterlot from this distance! Come on Rapidash!" Rapidash galloped along as 23 others followed suit. With Applejack at Kingdra durance, she was not only ahead of the ones behind, but she also got to take a good look at all Water-Type Pokemon beautifully swimming and jumping out of water. The Kingdra lived so deep in the ocean so seeing one was pretty rare, despite them making this place their main home.
That's when they were all met with the bully of the sea. Sharpedo. And it saw the contestants here and was ready to strike. Like how the Brutal Pokemon always does.
"What in tarnation is that?!" The Sharpedo had used Aqua Jet to fly out the ocean, heading towards the contestants and their Rapidash. Applejack made Rapidash swerve to the side to avoid the Aqua Jet, but the Brutal Pokemon wouldn't let its target get away so easily. It wasn't just one Sharpedo, it was numerous. They were all aiming for the contestants. Constant Aqua-Jets were zooming in.
"What's up with those shark Pokemon?!" Twilight asked.
"Those are Sharpedo's. They're known as the 'Bully of the Sea'. If they see you once, they'll instantly race after you at 75mph." BigTime Ben explained.
The Sharpedo's chased them all down. Now it was both a race to get away from the Sharpedo's while getting to Canterlot.
The Sharpedo's couldn't match Rapidash's 150mph but they had advantage by using Aqua Jet. They were on the other side as well. At Sealeo Breakwater, Sharpedo's were attacking there as well.
"Sharks?!" Rainbow Dash yelled. The Sharpedo's there were more rampant, due to how many Sealeo's were just here. They constantly chase off the Sealeo's by jumping out of the water. The Sealeo's tried escaping but they were all hit by an incoming Aqua Jet. The contestants weren't safe as well obviously. "Get lost!" Rainbow Dash ducked, avoiding an Aqua Jet that was aimed at her head. Both sides had a Sharpedo problem.
But in the middle, Ash and Scootaloo were fine. Escaping Exploud Chasm luckily. Scootaloo had gotten a better hang of her Rapidash but was still a bit behind Ash and his.
"There! I see Canterlot!" Scootaloo called out.
"Nice!" Ash replied. The pathway to Canterlot was made for them, thanks to the terraforming.
The Sharpedo's were relentless. Not stopping once. They don't stop until they get their prey.
"This is getting annoying! Rapidash! Use whatever move you know to deal with these guys!" Rainbow Dash commanded Rapidash to use a known move. The Fire Horse Pokemon had Fire Blast to knock away the Sharpedo. This wasn't very effective but it helped to push them back. Eventually, they had left Sealeo Breakwater, but that didn't mean that Sharpedo would stop chasing them.
On the other side, with Applejack, she had bucked away any incoming Sharpedo's. Turns out her hoof strength was on par with that of a charging Shark that moved at 75mph and beyond with Aqua Jet. No wonder she's so good at her job. Even after seeing all that strength in those hooves, the Sharpedo still deciding to charge in.
"These things are more persistent and stubborn than Rainbow Dash!" She said.
Arriving at Canterlot were Ash, Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and 8 other contestants. There, Princess Celestia had the flags ready to be taken.
"Congratulations on making it this far, all of you." She said. "And Ash. Well done on helping to save Scootaloo. You seem to risk your life a lot don't you?"
"Well, it happens a lot, ya know."
Celestia handed each of them flags, along with Passion. Applejack and the others had arrived to get their flags.
"Hoo boy. Those Shark Pokemon sure are feisty."
"They're called Sharpedo. They are pretty aggressive Pokemon compared to others." Ash explained. Just then, BigTime Ben's face appeared in the sky, due to Gothitelle changing the projection.
"Alright! Small break you all! Canterlot is also a break area! You'll continue the race in 12 minutes. Bye!" His face vanished from the sky.
A small break was needed. After what just happened back there, they needed it. They sat down with Rapidash waiting, eating some food that was served to them.
"Hey, Ash. I wanna thank you and Rapidash again for saving me back there."
"No problem, Scootaloo."
"You know, you're always doing dangerous yet awesome things like that? Do you ever take a moment to think about what you're about to do?"
"Not really. If someone, whether they're a Pokemon or not is in trouble or danger, I have to help. It's just my gut instinct ya know."
"And that is a wonderful instinct to have." Celestia said walking up to them. "Ash. I know I've said this before, but it does need to be pointed out. Once again, your selfless spirit is something to admire. The bond that you've formed over the years with your Pokemon and friends has shown, even reflecting onto the ponies here in Equestria. If I were to be honest, I think you could teach Twilight about friendship too."
"Me? A teacher? I don't know about that one... but I can lend her some advice." Ash had petted Scootaloo, ruffling her mane as she giggled.
"Well, you have taught me a bit about Passion and how Ralts' can sense feelings. So that's one act of teaching."
"Oh! You can teach me how to be a trainer, Ash! I wanna be apart of the Pokemon League too!" Scootaloo asked.
"Sure thing! I'll show you the ropes in no time."
"Awesome! I want a super cool Pokemon! One that's fast and strong! Or one that can take tons of damage but still keep on going!"
"Sounds like Electric-type and Steel-type Pokemon."
"What YOU need is a team like mine." Rainbow Dash joined in on the conversation. "I've got a heavy hitter like Whirlipede and some great air advantage with Rufflet and Swablu."
"Wow. You've already got 3 Pokemon, Rainbow Dash?"
"Yep. And my team's only gonna get bigger. I'm gonna catch tons of Pokemon and build the dream team!"
"What about you Applejack? Apple Bloom tells me and Sweetie Belle about those Pokemon called Applin. They yours?"
"I wouldn't say that. They kinda just decided to hang around Sweet Apple Acres and the Orchard. I ain't too fond of being a trainer. But I do wanna watch the League."
"I don't get how apples can be a Pokemon though? That seems odd."
"Oh, that's because they're not actually apples." Ash explained to Scootaloo. Even Applejack was confused by this.
"Huh?" They said.
"See, some Pokemon decide to look like everyday things. Mostly food. Applin's just a wyrm inside an apple. And another Pokemon, Vanilluxe are just two Vanillish merged together to resemble an ice cream cone."
"That is weird..." Rainbow Dash said.
"Hah! That's nothing compared to the others out there. There are so many Pokemon that stand out from the crowd. There might be Pokemon I've never seen before! That's what makes them all so special. The possibilities are endless."
"Oh, now I really wanna visit the Pokemon world. Could you take me there someday Ash?"
"Sure thing, Scootaloo."
BigTime Ben's face had returned to the sky to deliver more news.
"Alright then! Times up! Hope you enjoyed your break, racers. Because your next destination is the Crystal Empire. And for this part, contestants will have to race while avoiding the group of Machamp's. They'll do everything to stop you in their tracks to prevent you from reaching the Empire. Along with some air support by Noivern. So better be careful. And don't worry, they won't hurt you. They are my Pokemon after all. Race on!" BigTime Ben's face vanished once more.
"Welp! Time to go!" Ash jumped up, heading to his Rapidash as so did the other contestants, holding their flags. Next stop, Crystal Empire.
"Good luck to you all!" Celestia waved goodbye as did Passion. The race was back on.
Back at Ponyville, Cold Colt and Emerald Aura were underground, in their base that the Rift had granted them. In there were Pokeballs and magic books fit for them. The Rift sent them here for a reason.
"Alright, Cold Colt, listen up. We've got a job to do. The Rift was to make this next event really special and fun, so pay attention."
"I'm paying attention."
"Good. Our main goal is to bring something from the Pokemon world here. Something grand. The Rift gave us a list of pretty big things. They'd overwhelm this world easily."
"Well, what are the options?"
"Let's see. Aha! Team Plasma or Team Galactic"
"Team Galactic? Team Plasma? Weren't they disbanded? And their leaders kinda done for. Cyrus got wiped out and Ghetsis is behind bars."
"Yeah, but The Rift can just negate and change all of that, duh. Were you born yesterday?"
"I WAS created a month ago. Including you."
"Whatever. I say we bring back Ghetsis. Dude's a maniac. He'd definitely make things go wild."
"What about Cyrus? He wanted to reset the universe. Don't you think he's more of a maniac?"
"True... or.. we could bring HIM back?" Emerald's hoof landed on Malamar's name.
"Malamar? That Pokemon?"
"Well yeah! He was a pretty big threat, even if he didn't last long. He almost came close to winning by mind-controlling everypony. Right now he's just stone in the sea. But if he comes back, oh boy. He'll be furious."
"Hmm... I got it! How about we bring them all back?" Cold Colt suggested.
"Are you crazy?! That never ends well! Bad guy teams don't last at all. Besides, I think Ghetsis wouldn't be up for Cyrus's universe resetting shenanigans. And he'd rather do the controlling rather than Malamar." Emerald shook her head.
"Okay. Got any brighter ideas?"
"I'd go for Ghetsis. He's evil but not Universe Ending Evil. Plus his Pokemon are pretty deadly."
"Well if he's gonna come back, he should at least get some upgrades or something. He'd get washed at the state he is right now. That Ash kid has grown over the years."
"I know. That's why I'll ask The Rift to improve him. Now let's get this started!" The two of them tapped into The Rift, due to them being created by it. So they can link up to it. The Rift had granted them their request.
Global Police Department, Unova.
Behind bars were Ghetsis and his Team Plasma grunts. Along with Colress. Their freedom was today as the bars had suddenly vanished into Stardust.
"This is interesting." Ghetsis said.
"Vanished by stardust? A cosmic force is most likely behind this." Colress speculated.
"Hah! Whatever the cause. We're free." Ghetsis suddenly felt a rush of strange energy through his body. "And I feel amazing!" Ghetsis' body was now brimming with the intense heat of... aura. Tons of it. Aura comparable to the Aura Guardians. The guards went over to see Team Plasma being free, ready to stop them.
"Out of the way." By using aura, he created a reflective barrier around him and his goons, granting him protection.
The guards had sent out their Pokemon to stop them.
"Arcanine! Flamethrower!"
"Noctowl! Air Slash!"
"Stoutland! Hyper Beam!"
All 3 attacks did nothing. That barrier was too strong to breakthrough.
"Amazing! This is a sign. A sign that I truly am destined for greatness!" Ghetsis put his arm out, creating a pulse of aura which knocked them all out on the ground. Just then, A gateway to the other world had appeared.
"A gateway? A rift even." Colress said.
"Shall we?" Ghetsis smiled. It was great to be back. And now with aura overflowing in him, he is now 10x the threat he usually was.
The Rapidash Rush continues.
After getting through Exploud Chasm, Sealeo Breakwater and Kingdra Durance, they had reached Canterlot to have a small break. Once the break was over and they got their flags, their next destination was the Crystal Empire. But the main obstacles were the Machamps and Noiverns.
"How are gonna get through all of that?" Even Ash had no idea what to do in this situation. Those Pokemon won't let them have the chance of getting through. The Machamps crossed their four arms, standing firm.
"They sure big fellas aren't they?" Applejack said.
"Yeah right, I bet those muscles are just there for show. Watch this!" Rainbow Dash underestimated what Machamps are truly capable of. She got a taste of their awesome might as one of them easily sent her and Rapidash back with an easy flick on the nose of the Fire Horse Pokemon. "W-What the?!"
"It's not a good idea to underestimate them, Rainbow Dash. Here, look." Ash got out his Pokedex from his pocket to show her what they're all about.
"Machamp. The Superpower Pokemon. Machamp has the unimaginable might to punch 1,000 times in just two seconds. A simple hit from then can send their target across the horizon. They lift mountains casually with their four arms and have mastered every form of martial arts there is."
"Say what?!" Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Scootaloo and the other ponies were shaken by this. They could do all of THAT?
The Machamps had heard their dex entry as they flexed their muscles, showing off. And they had every right. If you're that powerful, why wouldn't you show off your stuff?
"How are we supposed to get past something like that?! 1,000 times in two seconds?! That's absurd!" Rainbow Dash said.
"It ain't gonna be easy. Not even close. Ash, what about the Noiverns? Can we move past them easier?" AJ asked.
"I wouldn't count on that either. It's not the flying that we should be worried about. It's their signature move, Boomburst. Its a super destructive sound move."
"Great. We've hit a brick wall." Scootaloo sighed.
"Not so. We have Rapidash remember. 40 of them in total. All we gotta do is use them to get past that. We can use the moves they know to make way."
"Not a bad idea. But those Machamp look pretty intimidating. And the Pokedex didn't help at all." A pony said.
"Let's do this! Rapidash! Fire Blast!" Ash commanded his Rapidash as it unleashed a blast with a certain shape, sending it to the Machamps. One Machamp had blown away the Fire Blast with a simple Dual Chop. "Flare Blitz!" Rapidash charged at one of the Machamps to separate them. A Machamp had blocked Rapidash by putting its hands out. Rapidash was doing its best to break through, only slightly pushing Machamp back.
"I got this!" Applejack said. She let her Rapidash run towards the Machamps, making it kick up dirt in their eyes with its hooves. Applejack's Rapidash then jumped over the distracted Machamp, however, another Superpower Pokemon grabbed its hoof, sending it back to the front. "That didn't work so well."
"They'll barely budge. Rapidash! Flame Charge!" Ash made his Rapidash pick up speed as it charged in once more. This time, all the Rapidash's had galloped forward, making all the Machamps act. The Machamps had all put their arms forward to the incoming Rapidash's.
It was now a struggle. A push battle even. Scootaloo had an idea sprung up in there. With all these Machamps distracted, why not take this opportunity to gallop past them. She made her Rapidash move past a Machamp who was too distracted with a Rapidash. Right at the very end of the line of Machamps even.
"Haha! See ya later!" She taunted. But she didn't take into account, the Noiverns. One Noivern used Boomburst to send her back to the front. "Oh come on!"
It looked like it was hopeless until the Rapidash's managed to actually push the Machamps back. Their strength was nothing to scoff at either.
"We managed to push them back but, this is gonna take a while." Ash said.
The Machamps then all dug their hands in the ground. What were they up to?
"What are they doing?" Applejack asked. The ground was shaking as the Machamp's changed the formation of the ground, causing the whole area to morph. Now it was full of huge bumps, making the area more chaotic.
"They changed the entire ground up. They REALLY don't want us getting through." A pony said.
"Then we'll use this to our advantage! Rapidash! Fire Blast on the ground!" Ash made his Rapidash unleash a Fire Blast on the ground. It caused a fiery explosion, creating a huge smoke cloud that blocked the Machamp's sight, even the Noiverns a bit. They had all scattered across the area as the Machamps also scattered. They used their hands to blow away the smoke as they saw all of them were all over the place. They each chased after them, aiming to stop them all.
"Yikes!" Rainbow Dash looked back as she saw a Machamp chasing her. It was imposing. A being with four arms just after you. Not only that but the Noiverns had flown down, chasing after those who got too far.
"Uh oh!" Ash said. A Noivern had used Dragon Pulse as it shot down the ground, causing an explosion that threw Ash's Rapidash off balance for a small bit.
The over Noiverns had used Boomburst or Supersonic to try and stop the contestants. The crowd watching this were very confused about what was going on.
"What in Celestia's name is going on?!" Rarity yelled.
"It's pure pandemonium! It's like a game of cat and mouse!" Twilight replied.
"Yeah! Ain't it awesome?!" BigTime Ben said.
"But are they ever gonna escape those Noiverns and Machamps?" Dawn asked Brock.
"It's a 50/50 chance. The Rapidash have the speed advantage. But the Machamps have immense strength to shake the area and the Noiverns can create great wind attacks to cut them off. They'll have to rely on Rapidash's speed for this one." He answered.
"Pika."
Ash had managed to keep on moving with his Rapidash powering through the Dragon Pulse.
"If you're gonna attack, then we'll attack back! Rapidash! Fire Blast!" Rapidash turned its head around, releasing Fire Blast. Noivern flew over it as it was still on the chase, firing Air Slashes. Rapidash was gaining speed as it was outrunning Noivern.
For the others, they were starting to turn this around. Applejack had made a Machamp run around in circles, making it dizzy.
"What's wrong, big guy? Even Big Mac doesn't get that flustered when things ring around him!" She taunted the Superpower Pokemon. She and her Rapidash escaped from the Machamp who was dizzy, making them the second to leave. The others were occupied, trying to cut off the contestants.
Rainbow Dash had seen an opening. A spot where there was no Machamp or Noivern since they were too busy with the rest. And she seized this opportunity, leaving this area as well.
"Hehe! Buh-Bye!"
The Machamps were seeing that they weren't stopping them all. So they all used Dynamic Punch to shake the ground, causing all of the contestants and Rapidash to fly up into the air as they were launched. Scootaloo's was unaffected because they were actually away from the pandemonium. They had the idea of staying far back while the others handle the rest. And thanks to that launch, she and her Rapidash sneaked past by hiding themselves in a large pile of rocks which was created when the Machamp's changed up the ground. Now she was the next one to leave.
Finally leaving that place and hoping that everypony else can make it through, they headed towards their next destination. The Crystal Empire.
The Crystal Ponies were waiting as they were cheering on the contestants. Cadence and Shining Armor had the second flags waiting for the racers. Ash and Applejack had arrived to grab ahold of their flags next.
"Here's your flags you two. Good luck!" Shining Armor said as he and Cadence lent them their flags.
"Better be ready. Cause those Machamps aren't the only obstacles you have to deal with." Cadence said to them. As more and more contestants arrived, managing to break past the Machamps and Noiverns, barely, they took their flags and galloped on.
"What's even gonna be next?" Scootaloo asked. And right on time, BigTime Ben's face showed up as they were galloping.
"What shows up next is...Zebstrika! Rapidash's Rival!"
"Zeb-who?" The ponies all said.
Zebstrika was here. A Pokemon comparable to Rapidash, essentially its equal. They all turned around to see Thunderbolt Pokemon right next to them.
"What the?!" Rainbow Dash jumped a bit. "Ash! What can you tell us about these ones?" Ash took out his Pokedex to show them.
"Zebstrika. The Thunderbolt Pokemon. A herd of Zebstrika running at top speed gives off a noise like thunder. When Zebstrika run at full speeds, lightning shoots out of their manes. They are rivals to that of Rapidash."
And the dex was right. The Zebstrika's and Rapidash had eyed each other down while running. They both loved to compete against each other but didn't want any of them beating the other.
"So these two are rivals huh? I can dig that." Rainbow Dash said.
"These Zebstrika's will be aiming to beat you all to the punch. Think of them as opposing racers. From now on, you're all on the same team and these Zebstrika's are on another team. Let's see which equine Pokemon is the fastest of them all." BigTime Ben said with his face leaving.
The Zebstrika's all used Wild Charge to boost themselves forward.
"Hey! Rapidash! Flame Charge!" Ash did the same as his Rapidash kept up with them.
"Uh.. do what he said!" Rainbow Dash followed what Ash did as her Rapidash also used Flame Charge. The other contestants did the same as now it was a race between the Fire-Types and Electric-Types. To make it to the Ice Islands, they had to go through some harsh snow, but this wasn't a problem from the two Pokemon. They were in the Arctic North as their hooves were leaving both flaming and electric footprints along with trails.
The Zebstrika's were rowdier than Rapidash, so they used Discharge to throw them off balance.
"Woah!" All the racers said.
"Cheap play you jerks!" Scootaloo yelled at them. A Zebstrika turned its head, sticking its tongue out at her. "Grr!"
"We'll just play dirty then too." Applejack smiled as her Rapidash was next to a Zebstrika. She took off her hat as she placed it in front of the Zebstrika's eyes, making it lose sight. She then took her hat back as the Zebstrika crashed into another of its kind. "Yeehaw!"
"Awesome play, AJ!" Rainbow Dash congratulated her. The racers and Pokemon had galloped along a long snowy hill. The Ice Islands were near, no doubt about it. To slow them down, the Zebstrika's butted heads with the Rapidash's by slamming into them. They were neck and neck, trying to push the other back.
"These Zebstrika's really don't wanna lose huh?" Ash said. "And neither do we! Rapidash! Flare Blitz!" Rapidash had charged forward, leaving a huge trail of fire as it zoomed up the hill, easily making it to the top. The Zebstrika's and other Rapidash followed suit by using Wild Charge and Flare Blitz as well.
There it was. The Ice Islands. And BigTime Ben wasn't kidding. Ice Pokemon galore. From Snorunts, Cubchoos, Bergmites and even some Lapras here and there.
"Check out all the Ice-Types!" Ash said. Normally, the chill of the ice would reach their bodies, but thanks to Rapidash's mane, that chill was negated.
Unbeknownst to them all, the Sharpedo from before had been chasing after them. And since the Ice Islands had water, the Sharpedo could reach here. And they saw their targets right in front of them.
BigTime Ben's face had popped up once more to tell them the challenge for this one.
"Alright! For this one, you'll all have to-" His speech was interrupted by the Sharpedo's who used Aqua Jet to fly through his face and towards the contestants. "What the- Sharpedo's again?!"
"What's with these guys?!" Rainbow Dash bellowed. The Sharpedos knocked some ponies off their Rapidash's along with some humans. Applejack was one of these ponies.
"Applejack!" Rainbow Dash gasped. "Why you!" She got frustrated with the Sharpedo's as she flew off her Rapidash's tackling the Sharpedo's back into the water. She went over to pick up her friend who was on the ground.
"I'm fine Rainbow Dash. They only sent me to the ground. Though it is cold and hard."
"Either way, what's their problem?! No wonder they're known as the 'Bully of the sea'. That's all they are!"
The Ice-Types weren't safe either. The Sharpedo chased after them as well. The Lapras were doing their best to try and escape from the Sharpedo's dashing towards them. A Sharpedo had used Hyper Beam on the icy ground, causing it to shake with the ice caps breaking apart. The Brutal Pokemon would go to extreme measures to get their target. Even the Zebstrika's weren't safe.
"Those Sharpedo's are nothing but ruffians!" Rarity said as she and the others who were watching this were getting nervous with all the Sharpedo's around. The challenge that BigTime Ben planned didn't even go into play.
"They won't stop until they get us. Zebstrika's! Mind putting our rivalry aside and help us stop these Sharpedo's?" Ash said to them. The Zebstrika's knew that they wouldn't be able to finish their race unless the distractions were out of the way. They nodded in response.
"Awesome!" Use Discharge!" Ash took charge, making all the Zebstrika's use Discharge. The electric energy hit the Sharpedo's stunning them. A Sharpedo had come from behind, using Night Slash on Ash's back as it knocked him off Rapidash.
"ASH!" They all said in shock.
Ash fell on the ground as the Sharpedo was about to bite him. The trainer rolled out of the way as he tried to get back on his Rapidash. But his Rapidash was knocked down by Aqua Jets.
"Oh no! Rapidash!"
More and more Rapidash's were getting hit by Aqua Jets. All the contestants were losing their flow.
"This is horrible!" Fluttershy covered her eyes, not wanting to see this.
The Sharpedo's were in the water, everywhere with no safe space. The Ice Type Pokemon hid behind the trainers and ponies, scared of the Sharpedo's.
"What do we do?" Applejack asked.
"Our only option is to make them faint. We'll all have to pitch in." Ash explained. "Zebstrika! Wild Charge!" A herd of Zebstrika's used Wild Charge to knock away the Sharpedo's making some of them faint. "Rapidash! Fire Blast!" Then the Fire Blasts came next. They weren't effective but they were good for knockbacks.
Scootaloo hid behind an ice rock as she was petrified. The young pegasi had now gained a fear of Sharpedo. Her Rapidash stood by her. It was to make sure that it would protect her. It senses her determination to win just like it wants to.
"Rapidash..."
Just then, A Sharpedo had used Night Slash on the rock Scootaloo was hiding behind. She screamed as the Rapidash got in front of her. It turned around and bucked Sharpedo away.
"Can you all help too?" Ash turned to the Ice-Type Pokemon. Most nodded but the Cubchoos felt like they should sit this one out. "Great! Alright, go!"
The Ice-Types had swallowed their fears as they used a variety of ice moves. From Ice Beam to Icy wind, to Ice Fang. With the combined effort from Zebstrika, the Ice-Types and Rapidash, they were all managing to push back against the Bully of the Sea. With all of their strength, they easily overwhelmed the Brutal Pokemon, scaring them off. They couldn't handle all of that, especially with the Zebstrika's having the advantage, and some Ice-Types had Freeze Dry.
Victory! The Sharpedo's had been dealt with. They won't be coming back for long.
"Woowee! That beats up rounding up the sheep any day of the week!" Applejack laughed. The others laughed as they had a huge problem off their back.
"Hehe! Yeah! Better get back to the race!" Rainbow Dash had already been on her Rapidash's galloping off. She took this opportunity to get ahead of everypony else.
"Hey! Rainbow Dash!" They all said in unison. They hopped on their Rapidash's heading back to their starting point, Ponyville.
The race was about to come to an end. The two Pokemon Types were neck and neck. Ponyville was over the horizon, they were so close. Ash, Zebstrika, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo were right next to each other.
"This race is mine!" They all said.
"Rapidash! Flare Blitz!" Ash commanded.
"Flame Charge!" Rainbow Dash said.
"GO faster!" Scootaloo yelled.
Their speeds increased, even breaking past their natural speed limit. They were neck and neck. Their speed was so intense that it actually burned away the grass.
"It's gonna be close!" BigTime Ben said. Everypony was anticipating who'd win. And just like that in a sudden burst, they were all blown away once the racers passed the finish line. Their speed had caused a shockwave that powerful, as it was hard to tell who won that.
The racers stopped, leaving a long trail behind. BigTime Ben and everypony else were perplexed. He took his time to put his hat back on and adjust his clothing.
"Oh, sweet Arceus.. that was intense. But who won? Gothitelle?"
Gothitelle didn't really have the power to rewind projections. Psychic types can only do so much. She shook her head, not knowing.
"Well then. I guess we may never know who won. But either way, wasn't that an AMAZING race?!" Everypony cheered as they loved it. It was intense but it was enjoyable.
"I totally won that." Rainbow Dash said.
"You wish, Rainbow Dash." Applejack replied, thinking it wasn't her.
"You two are both winners in my eyes." Fluttershy said to both of them.
"Well! That ends Equestria's first official Rapidash Rush! Granted, the prize won't be going to anyone of you since we don't know who won... BUT! Maybe next time one of you will get it once I bring a camera. No hard feelings, right?"
"None taken." Ash said as his clothes were burnt due to that last-minute speed burst.
The race was over. Everypony was headed home as BigTime Ben was returning his Pokemon to their Pokeballs. From his Machamps, Noiverns to his Zebstrika's. Scootaloo was saying goodbye to Rapidash since the two of them shared a small little bond during this race.
"Bye Rapidash." BigTime Ben looked at the saddened Scootaloo who said goodbye to his Pokemon.
"Hey, kid. You did pretty well back there even if you had a slight disadvantage and almost fell into the chasm. I think you deserve this." BigTime Ben took out a Pokeball as out came the pre-evolution to Rapidash. Ponyta.
"Woah..."
"Ponyta is for you. You can deem this as your first ever Pokemon. I know you're already signed up for the league so this little fella will guide you to victory. And he'll do it with style."
"I love him!" Scootaloo hugged Ponyta as she got her first Pokemon.
"Welp. Best be off. Ya'll take care now, ya hear!"
"See ya later, BigTime!" They had all bid him farewell as he returned to his world.
Back at the underground base, Ghetsis had arrived, meeting with Cold Colt and Emerald Aura. They had already explained everything about The Rift and how the two worlds crossed.
"So. All of this is for fun you say?" Ghetsis said.
"Well yeah. The Rift wants an awesome event. So you'd better make sure you do something cool to satisfy him!" Cold Colt said.
"Oh, I'll give him an event like no other. From now on, you two work for me."
"Pssh. Yeah right." Emerald Aura said. But she and Cold Colt were threatened by his Hydregion. "Uh. Whatever you say boss." They were too terrified of it. Even if they had magic.
"Excellent. The first order of business. We'll take control of Mythical Pokemon. Meloetta."
