Pokémon and Ponies
#31-Playing with Fire
With enough time to improve, it was time for Rainbow Dash's third Gym Battle. Her destination, Manehattan. Much more grand in scale compared to the other two gyms.
"This is it. The day I win my third Gym Battle." Rainbow Dash was sitting down, talking to her Pokemon. "And we're gonna win this like we did the others! Nopony's gonna take us down!"
"Whirli!
"Ruff!"
"Swablu!"
"That's the spirit!"
"Best be careful Rainbow Dash," Ash said. "The third gym is always the first roadblock. I should know."
"Pika-Pika."
"I heard the 3rd Gym Leader's a pony. This'll be their first time being in the league." Twilight said.
"That means my chances of winning have gone up. Hehehe." Rainbow Dash was getting too full of herself. "No time to waste. Manehattan, here we come!"
Manehattan. A metropolitan city located in Equestria. Here is where Rainbow Dash will come across the third gym. And the gym leader will prove to be her biggest challenge yet. Arriving at Manehattan, they came across a red and orange domed shape building with the Pokemon symbol on it.
"This is it. Must be a fire gym from the looks of it." As Rainbow Dash and the others entered, they were greeted with the gym leader. To the others they didn't recognize the pony, but Twilight did.
"No way. YOU'RE the gym leader?!" Twilight gasped. The pony she recognized had come here from another separate world.
Sunset Shimmer.
"Hey Twilight."
"Is this that Sunset Shimmer girl you mentioned a while back?" Rarity asked.
"Yeah. I'm surprised you're here. You were assigned?"
"Hehe. Yep. This BigTime Ben guy offered me this role so I took it. Although I am a bit nervous. Celestia maybe doesn't I'm here and I'm still kinda shaken up on her."
"Who cares about all of that? I'm here for my Gym Battle!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Well, she came here for that. So we'll give her a challenge. Right Litleo?" Sunset said to her partner Pokemon who was by her side.
"Oooh." Rainbow Dash pulled out her dex to get some info on this new Pokemon.
"Litleo. The Lion Cub Pokemon. As soon as Litleo is able to battle without the help of its pride, it sets off on its own journey, filled with curiosity about what the future holds. When it gets fired up, its mane becomes hot."
"Aww... it's a tiny little lion cub." Fluttershy gazed at the fire Pokemon. Both trainers took their spots as the referee looked at both sides.
"The battle between Challenger Rainbow Dash and Gym Leader Sunset Shimmer will be a 3v3. Three Pokemon only and the battle will be over once three Pokemon on one side are unable to battle. Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokemon for this challenge." He announced.
"I'll start off with you. Go! Rufflet!" Her first Pokemon was Rufflet, who had gotten stronger over the past days.
"Rufflet!"
"Then I'll go with this one." Sunset sent her Pokeball forward with her magic. Sending out her first Pokemon. Fletchinder.
"Another flying type?" Dash scanned it with her dex.
"Fletchinder. The Ember Pokemon. Each Fletchinder jealously guards its own territory and drives intruders away. Flaming embers shoot forth from its beak to attack, or to grill its food to perfection before eating."
"It'll be a Flying-Type fight then. I can get behind that. You ready Rufflet?"
"Let!"
"Battle Start!"
"Let's get in there with a Wing Attack!" Rufflet made the first move, flying forward.
"Blow it away with Razor Wind!" Fletchinder had sent a wave of wind that was sharp enough to cut rocks in half as each of them hit Rufflet, pushing him back.
"Ruff!"
"Don't let it get to you! Fly over it!" Rufflet flew over the Razor Wind, avoiding each of them.
"Chase after it and keep using Razor Wind!" Flethchinder chased after Rufflet, sending cutting wind at it. Rufflet was doing his best to try and avoid the wind, avoiding a bit. He eventually got in close, striking his wing on Fletchinder, pushing it back down. "Not bad. Counter with Steel Wing!" Flethchinder quickly flew up as it wings became hard as steel, hitting Rufflet in its belly.
"Oh no Rufflet!" Rufflet was sent to the ground, but he covered on his talons luckily.
"Ruff!" Rufflet shook off that damage, as it only riled him up more.
"Let's try the new move you learned. Brave Bird!" Rufflet's body started to glow as it was radiating energy representing its passion to win. The Eaglet Pokemon charged in, ready to smash into Fletchinder.
"Sorry. I won't let you! Flame Charge!" Fletchinder quickly retaliated by engulfing itself in flames, charging at Rufflet as the two birds butted heads. They ended up pushing each other back as they seemed equal in strength. However, Fletchinder had managed to burn Rufflet, making him experience his first status effect. Thanks to the ability, Flame Body.
"Okay, Rufflet! Come back for now!" She had returned him to his ball. "Rufflet matches it for strength..but that burn's a threat. I need to keep my distance. "Go! Whirlipede!"
"Whirlipede." Next up was the Curlipede Pokemon. Rainbow was going to use its speed and ranged attacks to its advantage.
"Fletchinder. Use Acrobatics!" All of a sudden, Fletchinder got much faster as it was moving about at high speeds. Whirlipede couldn't keep track, but Rainbow Dash could. Thanks to her being fast herself. Before Fletchinder struck Rainbow Dash made the command.
"Dodge it!" But it was too late. Acrobatics already hit its mark, making Whirlipede roll. This kept on going as Whirlipede was getting pummeled with Acrobatics. "Not good! Use Poison Sting!" Whirlipede was about to strike Fletchinder, but the Ember Pokemon avoided it easily. Its speed was too much.
"Oh, dear. Whirlipede is really feeling the pressure." Rarity was getting worried. Rainbow Dash even more. She didn't know what to do. She could keep up with Fletchinder, but Whirlipede couldn't. It's only fast when it builds up momentum.
"Urgh. Return Whirlipede." Making another switch out was tough for her. She wasn't doing too well in this one early on. She was caught in a bit of a rough spot. She only had two Pokemon who were Flying-Types. And Whirlipede's Bug-Typing made it weak against Fletchinder. And this was only Sunset's first Pokemon.
"Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Dash?" Sunset said.
"I ain't out yet. I'll find a way past that bird. Swablu! I'm counting on you!" Swablu was her next pick. Even if it's also a Flying-Type, it can still take neutral damage.
"Fletchinder. Steel Wing!"
"Swablu! Swoop around!" Swablu did just that, swooping underneath the Steel Wing. "Now use Fury Attack!" It flew back, attacking Fletchinder's back with its cotton wings and talons.
"Blow it away with Razor Wind!" Fletchinder pushed Swablu off it, unleashing rapid cutting wind waves at Swablu. The Cotton Bird Pokemon took the hits but not taking too much damage. "Now! Flame Charge!"
"Use Disarming Voice!" Swablu let out a charming cry that dealt emotional damage to Fletchinder. This was enough to put it to a halt. "Yes! Now slam it down with your wings!" Swablu lifted its wings up, slamming Fletchinder back on the ground. Fletchinder recovered as it wasn't enough to take it down. Rainbow Dash was starting to see why the 3rd Gym is always known as the first roadblock, as said by Ash.
"I've never seen Rainbow Dash struggle so much like this," Twilight commented. "You weren't kidding about the 3rd Gym Ash."
Rainbow Dash still had some faith. She did manage to land a few hits here and there. She thought to herself, thinking that if she just got one good hit in, she'd be able to take out Fletchinder at least. Then none of her Pokemon would have fainted, leaving her with an advantage.
"Alright. Swablu! Disamaring Voice one more time!" Swablu sent the sound waves down towards Fletchinder.
"Fly to the side!" Fletchinder quickly flew to the side, avoiding the voice. "Now! Steel Wing!"
"Look out, Swablu! Block it with your wings!" Swablu had covered its entire body with its cotton wings. However, cotton won't save you from steel. The attack made a direct hit, sending Swablu back. It dealt major damage, almost putting Swablu down. "Hang in there! Fly in close!" Swablu zoomed forward towards its target.
"Let's finish this with Flame Charge!" Flethchinder also zoomed in with fire ready to hit Swablu.
"Now spin and duck!" Using a new command, Swablu spun around, ducking the Flame Charge. This caught Sunset off guard. Didn't see that one coming. "Go! Fury Attack!" Swablu flew back up, slamming both its wings on Fletchinder, sending it back to the bottom. It hit the ground, and thanks to the repeated hits it took, Fury Attack managed to make it faint.
"Fletchinder is unable to battle. Swablu wins!"
"Yes! Phew! That got rough. Right Swablu?"
"Swa-" Their victory came with a cost. Flame Body. Swablu's cotton caught the burn as it took damage from the flames, making it faint as well.
"Swablu is also unable to battle!"
Sunset smirked. She planned this from the very start. Relying on Fletchinder's ability Flame Body was the right call, as it will burn the opponent if they get too comfortable getting up close and personal. Rainbow Dash returned Swablu, but she wasn't feeling too down. She still had somewhat evened the odds, but her Pokemon took some considerable damage.
"Not a bad start, Rainbow Dash. Manoeuvring around my Fletchinder was pretty smart. But. Let's see how you handle things on ground level. Go!" Her next Pokemon came out. Rainbow was ready to use the dex on it. It was a Braxien.
"Braxien. The Fox Pokemon. When Braxien pulls the twig out of its tail, the friction from its fur sets the wood on fire. It can use this flaming twig as a tool or a weapon."
"Braxien huh? She's got a full Kalos team." Ash pointed out.
"Okay... Gotta be careful. Fire's no joke, even when it comes to Pokemon. Whirlipede. Let's try this again!" Whirlipede came back out. It had one move in its arsenal that would help it. Rollout.
"Get in with Rollout!" Not holding anything back, Whirlipede went in with its body rapidly moving forward towards Braxien, now with momentum. Sunset and Braxien stood there, knowing what to do.
"Attract." Braxien had winked at Whirlipede, making it fall for Braxien, stopping in its tracks.
"Say what?!" Dash yelled. "Whirlipede! Keep going!" Whirlipede wasn't in his right mind. He was smitten.
"Gotcha. Use Psybeam." With its twig glowing a purple color, it blasted Whirlipede away with a beam of psychic energy. The amount of power behind it surpassed that of Starmie's. This was enough to knock Whirlipede out.
"Whirlipede is unable to battle! Braxien wins!"
Rainbow Dash gulped. She did not see this coming. This wasn't like Sweet Scent back at her first Gym Battle. Now she was down to just one Pokemon. Rufflet.
"What do I do..." She grit her teeth as she was feeling overwhelmed. "I have to risk it all on Rufflet."
"This is making me nervous." Applejack was quaking.
"Rufflet! Let's win this!" Sending Rufflet out, the two were about to go for broke. Both of them could feel the pressure. "I won't let it end here. Rufflet! Aerial Ace!" Rufflet quickly flew forward, striking Braxien with intense force. Sunset smiled as she retaliated instantly.
"Fire Spin." Braxien started to spin around as a fiery ball surrounded her. "Try and get close Dash." Rufflet backed away, not wanting to get hit by the Fire Spin.
"Blow it away by flapping your wings repeatedly!" She tried a good old fashion nature trick. Rufflet was flapping its wings as fast as it could. But it wasn't enough to even make the flames woosh. Braxien then jumped up as the Fire Spin struck Rufflet.
"Ruff!"
"Rufflet no!" Rufflet rolled on the floor as it got back up. But it was caught with the effects of Fire Spin. Not to mention it was still affected by burn. Rufflet was sweating intensely. "Quick! Wing Attack in Aerial Ace!" She tried to use a combination of two moves. She was getting very desperate now. Rufflet flew in, ready to do a dual move.
"Attract again." And now, even Rufflet was caught by the attract, falling for Braxien.
"Not again!" Rufflet stopped flying as it went up to Braxien, heart eyes and all. "Snap out of it Rufflet!"
"Psybeam!" Braxien was ready to deliver another devastating hit, however, Rufflet came back to its senses. Sensing Rainbow Dash's cry. It avoided the Psybeam as it made a crater in the ground. "Awesome! Now! Brave Bird!"
"Not bad, snapping out of Attract. But this is it! Double Team!" All of a sudden, there were duplicates of Braxien everywhere, throwing Rufflet off focus.
"Which ones the real one?!" Rainbow Dash shifted her eyes, trying to see past the afterimages.
"Psybeam!" It looked like all the Braxien's were about to fire a Psybeam. Rufflet started to panic and so did Rainbow Dash.
"Dodge it!" She could only say that, not knowing which is the real one. Rufflet flew into the air, as al the afterimages started to fade away, showing the real Braxien. Psybeam was fired, hitting Rufflet head on. A smoke cloud erupted from the impact as Rufflet fell to the ground. "No! Rufflet!" Rufflet was hanging on by a thread. It stood back up, all tattered and damaged. Its determination to win was no joke. Rainbow Dash could feel it too, but she wasn't sure about letting him continue. The final nail in the coffin came from the burn damage, eventually making Rufflet fall.
"Rufflet is unable to battle! Braxien wins! Thus the victor is the Gym Leader Sunset Shimmer!"
This was her first loss and hit hard. She lowered her head, putting her hat over her face.
"Good job Braxien. Come back." Sunset Shimmer returned Braxien as she walked over to Rainbow Dash. "You did your best, Rainbow Dash. But don't feel too down. You can always try a-" Sunset couldn't finish her sentence as Rainbow Dash zoomed out of the gym, feeling a total loss.
"Poor Rainbow Dash. I've never seen her take such a huge loss like that before." Pinkie Pie pouted.
"I'm sorry if I was a bit too aggressive." Sunset felt guilty.
"It's alright. It happens. Losing your first Pokemon battle can be rough. On anyone. Rainbow Dash needs to take in her loss in the meantime." Ash said. Knowing how she felt.
"Pika."
Her first loss was major. She thought she was unstoppable considering her consecutive wins. But after that, she didn't feel invincible at all.
Not anymore.
Rainbow Dash was sitting in a back alley alone, looking at her Pokeball. She was struggling to cope with the loss she gained today. She had never felt that much pressure before. Even before the two worlds crossed.
"I lost."
The only thing running through her mind. She sent out her Pokemon who were severely injured. Whirlipede, Rufflet and Swablu were all tattered up as they could still feel the effects of the battle.
"I'm sorry you three. I let us down. I rambled on about how nopony would ever take us down. Me and my big mouth."
Her Pokemon looked at her with sadness in their eyes as well. They flew and rolled over to her, going to comfort their trainer. Tears began rolling down Rainbow Dash's eyes but she was trying to pull them back.
"I didn't know all of that would happen. I didn't see it coming."
Twilight and the others eventually found Rainbow Dash in the alley.
"Rainbow!" They went over to their saddened friend, also wanting to comfort her. "Hey. You feeling better?"
"No. I'm not feeling better, Twilight."
"We know it was a tough loss for you. But surely you can recover from this can't you?" Rarity asked.
"I don't know. I talked a lot about winning and look what happened."
"Rainbow. Losing isn't that big of a deal, you know-"
"It is to me Twilight! You have no idea how it feels to lose like that! I thought I was invincible. Me and my Pokemon could take on anypony and pull through at the very end. How am I gonna become a Pokemon Champion? I barely managed to take down that Fletchinder. And that Braxien... I didn't even reach her final Pokemon." She kept beating herself.
"Ash. You've lost your fair share of battles, right? Talk some sense into her." AJ turned to Ash, seeking some help.
"It's tough alright. Sometimes you're not prepared for what your opponent may do. And losing stings. No doubt about it. Especially if you've got a lot of confidence and trust in your Pokemon." This was only making Rainbow Dash feel worse. "But, losing always has one perk. It's that you can learn from your loss."
"Learn from my loss?"
"Mhm. Even if you lost, you can adapt to it. The next time you face your opponent, you'll be able to predict what tricks they might use to throw you off. Your Pokemon want to get better and win don't they?"
Rainbow Dash's Pokemon nodded in response to what Ash said. Dash looked at her Pokemon, seeing their determination to be better along with her.
"You guys..." Rainbow Dash's tears that she was trying to hold back started to flow as she hugged her Pokemon tightly. "Let's get stronger together!"
Pallet Town, Ash home.
"Alright Rainbow Dash. You wanna get stronger? You gotta learn. And you'll be practising against me and my Pokemon." Ash stood there with his arms crossed. It was time to train Rainbow Dash.
"Right!" Rainbow nodded in response.
"Now. Your first major obstacle is that Attract. It'll totally stop you and your Pokemon from attacking Braxien. Only Rufflet could resist it. So, we'll let the others get past it. Snivy here will help."
"Sni!"
"I got it. I'm ready to train."
"Okay. Snivy! Use Attract!" Snivy winked over at Whirlipede, sending a heart towards it.
"Whirlipede! Close your eyes!" Whirlipede did just that, shielding itself from the Attract. Once it opened its eyes, Snivy used Attract once more, putting Whirlipede in a trance. "Huh?!"
"You may be able to avoid Attract by closing your eyes. But your opponent can keep using it against you. And your Pokemon still need to see when they're battling." Ash explained.
"Then how am I supposed to get past it?!" Rainbow Dash felt like the Attract move was unstoppable.
"It's easy. Switching out your Pokemon can remove the effects of Attract. But be careful not to let your Pokemon get caught up in it again."
"So there is a way around it. But how come Rufflet was able to snap out of it?"
"If you have a strong bond with your Pokemon, they can snap out of certain things with no problem."
"Pika!"
"Snivy!"
"Now. Let's try with your other Pokemon, okay?"
"Right. Swablu!" Swablu was next. The only Pokemon who wasn't hit with Attract. Ash commanded Snivy to use Attract on the Cotton Bird Pokemon, however, Swablu, on its own instincts avoided it. "I... didn't tell you to dodge though."
"Must be acting on instinct." Ash said.
"Well, if Swablu knows how to avoid it, then two of my Pokemon can work around the move."
"Yeah. Now you know a way around Attract. But there's still one issue that we gotta deal with it. Burn."
"Pika."
"Oh yeah. The burn." The effect that killed Rainbow Dash's winning streak. "I should've expected Fire-Types to be able to burn my Pokemon. Silly me."
"Don't worry about it. Status effects sting. But there's not much we can do about them during a battle. They can really drag you down and throw your flow off."
"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded in agreement to Ash. Twilight and the others were watching Ash teach Rainbow Dash, hoping that this will help her improve once she has her rematch.
"Fletchinder's ability is Flame Body. Meaning that if you get too wild with the up close and personal stuff, there's a good chance you'll get the burn. It's the same for Pikachu over here. At times, his ability Static will kick in and paralyze anyone if he takes a direct hit."
"I can get rid of them by switching out again, right?" Rainbow thought.
"Nope. It'll still stay. Your best option is to keep your distance at all costs."
"Only Whirlipede and Swablu have ranged moves. Pin Missile and Disarming Voice. Rufflet doesn't really have anything for distance. So I did have a chance of winning." Rainbow Dash realised that her options were good, but she still had no idea what went wrong.
"Then you gotta make sure that you take that chance one more time." Ash put his hand on Rainbow's back. "Every trainer has bumps in the road. You just came across your first one. The road to being a Champion is tough. Just like me on the road to being a Master."
"Pika-Pika."
"Thanks, Ash. If you don't mind, I'd like to battle you and your Pokemon. To get better."
"You got yourself a battle!"
"Pika!"
A training battle to help her improve. All of her Pokemon against Ash's Pikachu and Buizel. Rainbow Dash gulped a bit. She knew how different Ash was compared to Sunset Shimmer. Sunset is like everypony else, new to Pokemon still. Ash has been doing this for 22 years now. But this was just a small training session. So not too much to worry about.
"I'll definitely become stronger. Whirlipede! Pin Missile!" Whirlipede sent a barrage of pins moving at high speeds towards Buizel.
"Buizel! Water Gun!" Buizel cancelled out Pin Missile with a shot of water. "Now come as close as you want, Rainbow."
"Bui!"
"Okay! Whirlipede! Rollout!"
"Intercept with Aqua Jet!" Both Pokemon dashed towards each other, clashing. But, Buizel easily won the clash, pushing Whirlipede back. Rainbow could see the one thing consistent with Whirlipede. Since it is in the shape of a circle, it's constantly rolling around, even if it was knocked back. She saw this as an advantage.
"Whirlipede! Use that rolling momentum to your advantage!" As Whirlipede was rolling, it then gained control, turning around Buizel and continuing to use Rollout.
"Not bad! Ice Punch!" However, Buizel easily stopped Whirlipede by freezing it with an Ice Punch. "You're learning how to use your Pokemon's skills to their advantage much better now. Let's keep going."
"Right! Come back Whirlipede." Rainbow returned Whirlipede, sending Swablu out next. "Swablu! Disarming Voice!"
"Alright, Buizel. Spin with Water Gun!" Buizel reflected the sound waves by causing Counter Shield. The spinning water struck Swablu from the sky, pushing the Cotton Bird Pokemon back.
"If I'm gonna advance forward, me and my Pokemon need to take the toughest of battles! Swablu! Fury Attack!" Rainbow Dash yelled at the top of her lungs.
Their battle didn't last very long. Only 7 minutes. Buizel and Pikachu easily overpowered her team. But she learnt a lot and improved. Nighttime came along. Everyone had else had headed home for the meantime. Rainbow Dash was in her home at Cloudsdale, thinking about what had happened today. Losing the Gym Battle, but improving with Ash has made her realise a lot.
"Next time. I'll totally win. Me and my Pokemon." She said with confidence in her voice. Rufflet could feel her determination from within his Pokeball. The Bond Phenomenon within the two was growing. What they experienced today will help bring it out even faster.
The next day, Rainbow Dash was out on her own at White Tail Wood. She was training with Rufflet, Swablu and Whirlipede. Still wanting to improve.
"Rufflet! Brave Bird! Swablu! Fury Attack! Whirlipede! Rollout!" She commanded all three of her Pokemon to attack each other in unison. The three of them crashed into each other, sending them both back. "Keep going!" She kept this up for a while. Her Pokemon weren't stopping for a moment.
Fluttershy peeked her head out of the bushes, seeing Rainbow Dash train.
"Rainbow Dash's really riled up now. I'm just glad that she's gotten over her loss... but I'm worried. What if she doesn't win again? What'll she do?" Fluttershy thought of the worst possible scenario. There's no telling if she'd win a second time. And even Fluttershy knows that Sunset Shimmer hadn't used Litleo yet.
Twilight was at her library, thinking about the battle from yesterday as well.
"I think I've figured it out, Spike."
"Figured what out?"
"I think I've figured out this Flame Body ability. Ash said that there's a good chance it'll burn the Pokemon if they get too close for comfort. I noticed that when Swablu was battling, for the first part it didn't get burned. But the second time it went to attack, that's when Flame Body got it."
"So... what are you getting at?"
"I believe that there's a 30% chance of Flame Body actually working."
"A 30% chance? That's kinda low."
"Not too low. That's only a 70% chance of missing. If I can get this information to Rainbow Dash, she'll love it!" Twilight flew out of the library with the book by her side. She crashed on the ground, still not used to her wings.
Pinkie Pie was preparing a cheer up party for Rainbow Dash. Ash had already done that yesterday, but Pinkie wanted to make sure she was even happier.
"Come on Slurpuff! Sniff out the best cupcake you can find! Rainbow Dash has to be so happy, her loss will be non-existent to her!" Pinkie had piled up tons of Cupcakes with the inclusion of some chocolate sculptures, inspired by Mulia Mild.
Her friends were doing everything they could to lift her spirits up even more. Rarity made some dresses while Applejack got some cider for her to enjoy. Rainbow Dash wasn't aware of what her friends were doing for her. Not until they actually arrived at White Tail Wood, tracking her down.
Dash had finished training her Pokemon as they needed a small break. They sat down, relaxing as they were all thinking of the inevitable rematch. Breaking the silence, Twilight and the rest of her friends showed up. Each here for different reasons. She saw them heading this way to cheer her up.
"Rainbow Dash! I've got a solution to your burn problem!"
"I've got a party waiting for you back at SugarCube Corner!"
"Well, I got a nice cider drink waiting for you. Tons of em!"
"She can drink the cider and party after she learns of this."
"Parties come before anything!" They were bickering about what to do first. Rainbow Dash merely smiled at it. She was happy to have such good friends.
Next time. She'll feel like she'll win for sure.
The Rematch was here.
Rainbow Dash had lost previously, and it definitely made her feel down, but now she's prepared for what's to come. No one said this entire league would be easy after all. Sunset Shimmer was waiting in Manehattan. Taking her time off Canterlot High at the other world to give Rainbow her rematch.
"So. You ready for that rematch, Rainbow?" Sunset asked.
"More than ever. And I'm winning this time!"
"The battle will be a 3v3 like before. Once again, only the challenger can substitute Pokemon. The battle will be over when the other side has no Pokemon that are unable to battle. You may both send out your Pokemon." said the referee.
"Fletchinder. Out you come!" Like before, Sunset Shimmer sent out Fletchinder as her first pick. Rainbow Dash knew about Flame Body now, so she was going to be cautious this time.
"Go! Whirlipede!" Whirlipede was her choice. Despite it having a huge disadvantage against a Pokemon like Fletchinder, Dash still decided to go for it. After all, learning about abilities had made her learn about her Whirlipede's ability. She was going to use that to her advantage. Ash, Twilight and the others were ready to watch this rematch go down, hoping that Rainbow Dash can pull through on this one.
"Battle Start!"
"Pin Missile!" She went for a good distance move. Missiles of pins rained down on Fletchinder.
"Dodge it and use Flame Charge!" Fletchinder was avoiding the pins as it had its body light up with fire.
"Keep firing Pin Missiles while moving!" Whirlipede began to roll as it repeatedly kept on using Pin Missiles. The pins were everywhere, getting stuck in the ground and even on the walls. Fletchinder was actually finding it a bit hard to avoid all of the pins as it some of them hit it.
"Fletch!"
"Keep the pressure on!" Rainbow Dash was returning the favor of Sunset Shimmer putting the pressure on her in their first battle. Fletchinder was taking the pins but it wasn't doing too much damage. But it was good for racking up some hits,
"Fletchinder! Use Steel Wing to block them!" Fletchinder's wings turned into steel as it made the pins bounce off. "Good. Now go!" The Ember Pokemon swooped down, striking Whirlipede with Steel Wing as it flew by. Whirlipede rolled back, but it luckily regained its balance.
"Move around using Rollout!" Whirlipede took off, rolling across the area. "I always wondered why Whirlipede was so fast. Then I found out that its ability is Speed Boost. I'll use this outpace you! Go!"
"Fly up!" Fletchinder avoided the Rollout by flying high up. "You can use your speed if Fletchinder's up in the air ya know. Razor Wind!"
"Counter with Pin Missle!" The pins and the cutting winds met, cancelling each other out. "Now return." Rainbow Dash had called back Whirlipede, planning her next move. "Swablu! You're next! Get in there and use Disarming Voice!" Not only did she toss Swablu out, but she also gave it a command before it exited out.
"SWA!" Swablu let out a charming sound wave that struck Fletchinder. Fletchinder was sent to the ground from the noise.
"Awesome job!"
"Fletchinder! Acrobatics!" Fletchinder moved at blinding speeds as it flew past Swablu, hitting it numerous times with agile moves.
"Shield yourself!" Swablu used its cotton wings to nullify the damage, softening each blow.
"Flame Charge!" Flethchinder flew back as it was much faster than before.
"So Flame Charge is what makes it faster..." Rainbow Dash thought. "Swablu! Disarming Voice! One more time!" Swablu let out a second wave of sound that was pushing Fletchinder back from hitting it. However, Fletchinder easily broke through, hitting Swablu.
"Swab!"
"Quick! Grab it with your wings!" All of a sudden, Swablu grabbed a hold of Fletchinder with its cotton wings!
"What the?!" Sunset yelled.
"Hold onto Fletchinder and use Disarming Voice!" Swablu wouldn't let Fletchinder go as it yelled into its face.
"Shake it off Fletchinder!" Fletchinder was trying to get off but to no avail. Swablu was holding on tight. But it came at a big cost. Flame Body had affected Swablu. Rainbow grit her teeth. She knew it was coming anyway. More and more, Fletchinder was pelted with Disarming Voices. "No good. Steel Wing!" Fletchinder made its wings steel as it weighed Swablu down. Flethchinder had escaped from it as it struck Swablu on the head with its wings.
"Swa!" Swablu went falling down but recovered. It was taking burn damage in the process.
"Return Swablu!" Dash called Swablu back to avoid constant burn damage.
"Rainbow's being super strategic on this one." Spike commented.
"Mhm. It's like she's battling in a whole different way." Fluttershy replied.
"That's just the signs of a growing trainer." Ash said.
"Pikachu!"
"Whirlipede. Your turn again!" The Curlipede Pokemon was up next. Sunset was a bit confused on why Rainbow Dash was doing such excessive switching out. She was up to something.
"Fletchinder. Stay on your guard. Use Razor Wind!"
"Pin Missile and move!" Once again, the two moves connected against each other. However this time, Whirlipede managed to get more hits in. Its momentum was picking up. Speed Boost was greatly helping it. However, Fletchinder was still faster. "That Fletchinder's a speedy one. It's still keeping up with Whirlipede even with its speed rising." Rainbow said to herself. This might go on forever, until... "Hold on! Whirlipede roll and jump up!" Whirlipede reached maximum velocity as it gained enough speed to jump high in the air.
"What the?! Fletchinder! Dodge and use Razor Wind!"
"Pin Missile!" Fletchinder avoided Whirlipede but was quickly hit by Pin Missiles. This had bought down Fletchinder to the ground, but not enough to knock it out. But that's what Rainbow Dash counting on. Because she had one move that could take Fletchinder out in one go. "Rollout!" Whirlipede came flying down from the ground as it smashed into Fletchinder while it was still down. The impact was devastating as a smoke cloud erupted. As it faded away, Fletchinder was down and out.
"Fletchinder is unable to battle! Whirlipede wins!"
"Yes!" The first major obstacle was down. That speedy Fletchinder won't be a problem anymore. But it did leave behind a burn effect.
"Good job, Fletchinder." Sunset returned Fletchinder as Litleo was growling, wanting to go next. "Gotta say, Rainbow. You've improved since the first battle. But let's see how you get past my unstoppable Braxien!" Tossing the Pokeball forward, she sent out the biggest threat. Braxien.
"There she is. Braxien." Rainbow Dash was getting a bit tense. This was the Pokemon that threw her guard off after all.
"You knew this was coming. Braxien! Attract!"
"Whirlipede! Close your eyes and use Pin Missile!" Whirlipede shut its eyes as it fired pins frantically all over the place. The pins were randomly hitting their mark as Braxien was hit by some.
"Relax Braixen! Fire Spin to blow them away!" Braixen engulfed itself in a fiery ball, destroying the pins. This left Braixen wide open to Whirlipede.
"Rollout!" Even if it couldn't keep up with Fletchinder, it could definitely outspeed Braixen. Before the Fire-Type knew it, Whirlipede smashed into at max speed. Braixen took the hit and felt it real good. Her eyes widened as she was sent flying, rolling on the ground.
"Oh no Braixen!" Sunset bellowed. It was super-effective, but it didn't take her out in one hit. Braxien could feel the damage as it was tattered itself. Rainbow Dash had picked up new skills along the away. Skills comparable to the Dark-Type and their tricky moves.
"Rollout again!" Whirlipede was about to get another hit in, ready to seal the deal.
"Attract!" Braixen quickly looked up, winking at Whirlipede. The Curlipede Pokemon was 2 inches away from ramming into Braixen as it was now infatuated. Rainbow Dash squirmed. Attract hit its mark. Sunset Shimmer sighed a huge relief. That was a close one.
"Use Psybeam!"
"Return!" Quickly, Whirlipede had returned to its Pokeball. Even though she couldn't take down Braxien, she dealt considerable damage. Now it was Sunset Shimmer who was backed into a corner. "Go! Swablu!" Out came Swablu who was still taking burn damage.
"Come on Rainbow Dash! You can do it!" Pinkie yelled from the crowd.
"Braixen! Stay sharp!" There was a small pause. The battle had been halted from a bit. Rainbow Dash had a smirk on her face. She had the upper hand and she was about to put her next plan into motion. "Attract!"
"Cover your eyes with your wings!" Swablu shielded its eyes with its cotton wings, preventing Attract from making contact.
"Psybeam!" Braixen still had other long-ranged options. Firing a beam of psychic energy at Swablu.
"Fly up!" Swablu avoided the beam, heading higher into the air. Psybeams kept on flying at the Cotton Bird Pokemon, but it kept on avoiding each beam. "Now Ice Beam and follow up with Fury Attack!" Swablu fired down a cold beam of ice, just to freeze the fox in place.
"Double Team!" Braixen split itself into afterimages, just to confuse Swablu. The ice beam hit the ground, phasing through an afterimage.
"I won't fall for that again! Move on Swablu!" Swablu spread its wings out, hitting each of the afterimages as they fizzled out.
"Gotcha! Attract!" The real Braixen showed itself as it used Attract on Swablu. But like before when Swablu was training, it avoided Attract on instinct. Swablu then struck Braixen on the head with its wings. Fury Attack hit its mark as Swablu was pummeling the Fox Pokemon, eventually smacking it away with its wings. Braixen fell on the ground, knocked out.
"Braixen is unable to battle! Swablu wins!"
"Swa!"
"Great job Swablu!" Swablu flew over to hug Rainbow Dash. Now two of Sunset's Pokemon were down and Dash had all three of hers still standing. Sunset returned her Braixen, seeing how much Rainbow Dash has improved.
"She really took that loss and turned it into strength huh? Well then. It's your turn. Litleo."
"Litleo!" LItleo. Her final Pokemon and the one that stood by her side. It was ready to take its trainer's win back.
"Alright. Let's finish this last one and that gym badge is ours!"
"Swab!"
"Litleo. Let's show them what we can do. Noble Roar!"
"LITLEO!" A mighty roar emerged from the Lion Cub Pokemon. A roar befitting of that of a king. Swablu was intimidated by Litleo, getting a bit nervous. Rainbow Dash gulped, knowing not to underestimate this Pokemon. After all, she hasn't battled this one yet.
"Let's be careful. Use Disarming Voice!"
"Counter with Noble Roar!" Two sound waves clashed against each other. However, Noble Roar proved to be the mightier voice as it broke past the Fairy-Type move, pushing Swablu back.
"Fury Attack!"
"Fire Fang!" Swablu swooped down towards Litleo, but the little cub jumped up, biting onto its wings as fire surrounded it.
"Swa!" Swablu cried out in pain as the teeth were deep in its wings.
"Swablu No!" Litleo dragged Swablu down as it let go of it, launching it away. Swablu took burn damage from the Fire Fang, taking it out.
"Swablu is unable to battle! Litleo wins!" And just like that, Sunset Shimmer managed to take out one of her Pokemon. Rainbow still had two Pokemon left but they had some damage leftover.
"Aw. Just when she had a number advantage." Fluttershy sighed.
"Cheer up. She's still got two Pokemon left!" Pinkie replied.
"Whirlipede can seal the deal with Rollout. But I'd better be careful. Who knows what else this Pokemon can do...?" Rainbow Dash thought to herself. "Now go! Rollout!" Whirlipede started rolling towards its target.
"Litleo! Flamethrower!" Stopping the Curlipede Pokemon in its tracks was an intense blast of scorching fire. This was very effective on Whirlipede as it stopped rolling along. In one shot, Whirlipede was taken out.
"Whirlipede is unable to battle! LItleo wins!" In just one move, Sunset had already evened the odds.
"I don't believe it. Just like that?" Twilight uttered.
"Flamethrower is a powerful move. One of the strongest of the Fire-Type attacks. So it was to be expected on Litleo." Ash explained.
"Pika."
"Poor Rainbow Dash. She might end up losing again." Rarity worried. Rainbow Dash was without a doubt worried. But she still had Rufflet with her. And she was ready to put all of her trust in him.
"This is it. Her last Pokemon and mine. Rufflet! Let's end this!" Sending out her last Pokemon, it was time for the final stretch. Both Sunset and Rainbow were sweating hard. Neither wanted to lose.
"We'll finish this in one hit! Litleo! Flamethrower!"
"Dodge it and use Aerial Ace!" The wind kicked up from behind Rufflet as it flew over the fire, flying past Litleo while hitting him. "Keep using Aerial Ace!"
"Noble Roar!" Litleo had stopped Rufflet's movements with a mighty roar that echoed in its ears. "Now Fire Fang!" Litleo jumped up, biting on Rufflet's wings.
"Rufflet! Shake it off!" Rufflet was trying to shake him off, but the teeth were too deep in. The fire was reaching Rufflet, casting a burn status on him. Rufflet didn't want to disappoint Rainbow Dash. So it pecked its beak into Litleo's eyes.
"Lit!" Rufflet flew back as it had bite marks in its wings."
"Flamethrower! Spread it!" Litleo sent out a Flamethrower that was spread all over the place, making sure that Rufflet was stopped from all sides. Rufflet was avoiding the fire from each side, but it kept on going. Rainbow Dash was looking for any blind spots. She couldn't get too close because Flamethrower is a wider attack than Psybeam. And the heat will get to Rufflet. So she decided to pull a crazy stunt.
"Rufflet! Use Brave Bird to fly through the Flamethrower!" Rufflet engulfed itself in blue brave energy as it flew towards the Flamethrower
"IS SHE CRAZY?!" Twilight yelled.
"This is good! Brave Bird's got a protective aura around it!" Ash said. "But will it be enough though?"
Rufflet went through Brave Bird as he was struggling to get closer. Flamethrower kept pouring on.
"Hotter Litleo!" Litleo kept on increasing the fire. Rufflet was taking the heat as he was sweating like crazy.
"Go! Rufflet! You can do it!" Rufflet could hear his trainer's cry. Rufflet poured every last of its strength in its body. Flamethrower had cast a burn on him, but it didn't stop him. The Eaglet Pokemon screamed at the top of his lungs as Brave Bird broke through Flamethrower, hitting Litleo square in the face. Rufflet pushed Litleo back as they were both flying through the air.
"Oh no! Litleo! Quickly! Headbutt!" Litleo headbutted Rufflet, but it was no use. Rufflet kept on going with no signs of stopping. Rainbow Dash didn't expect Rufflet to stay in Brave Bird this long. "Fire Fang!" Litleo bit onto Rufflet's head, but it still didn't stop the Flying-Type.
With one final hurrah, Rufflet flew higher up and crashed Litleo into the ceiling. A fiery explosion was left over as the smoke was clearing. Both Pokemon were falling down from above. As they both hit the ground, smoke surrounded them. Rainbow Dash and Sunset Shimmer looked forward to see who was left standing. The rest of the girls and Ash also peered their heads forward.
As the smoke cleared, only one Pokemon was left standing.
Rufflet.
All damaged with tatters on its body along with burning holes, it was still up, while Litleo was down and out.
"Litleo is unable to battle! Rufflet wins! Therefore the victor is the challenger Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash took a moment to take it all in as she had a wide grin on her face.
"WE DID IT! YEAH! Rufflet you're awesome!" Rainbow Dash went over to hug her Pokemon with all the joy in her heart.
"Woohoo!" Pinkie Pie sprayed confetti everywhere as Sunset Shimmer returned her Pokemon, telling Litleo that he did a great job.
"She finally did it! That was so exciting!" Twilight squeed.
"Rufflet. You were amazing. Rufflet?" Rufflet didn't respond as it was looking at the ground, when all of a sudden, its body started to glow. Rainbow Dash backed up as everypony watched what was happening.
Body size increasing, stature growing. It was time for Rufflet to evolve. Into its final stage.
Braviary.
"Bravi!"
"Woah..." Rainbow Dash looked at the awesomeness that was Braviary, taking out her dex.
"Braviary. The Valiant Pokemon. Known as the 'Hero of the skies', Braviary fights for its friends, without any second thoughts, even if it means danger for its life. It fears nothing, not even death and will never stop battling."
"You've become an even more awesome Pokemon!" Rainbow Dash said. Braviary turned back to his trainer, giving a proud smile.
"Amazing. So this is its final evolution? It's so... majestic." Rarity gazed at it.
"It sensed Rainbow Dash's spirit to win. So it pushed itself further. So much so that it reached its final form." Ash explained.
"Pika-Pika!"
"Well, Rainbow Dash. Gotta say. You impressed me. You're just as awesome as your otherworld counterpart. So you deserve this. The Blazing Badge." Sunset used her magic to hand over the badge to the victor.
"Awesome. I got my third gym badge. AWESOME!" Rainbow Dash felt such happiness. This was her biggest win yet.
"You beat me here, but be careful. The next gyms aren't gonna be type based anymore. They're gonna be more theme-based. So keep your guard up."
"I will. Thanks, Sunset.!
As the battle ended, the group saw Sunset Shimmer off.
"Hope we can meet again Sunset Shimmer." Twilight said.
"Me too. But I have to get back to the other world. I like it there just a bit more. Plus uh... I'm gonna have to sneak in so that Celestia doesn't see me. Still kinda nervous."
"Wait... she doesn't know you're here?"
"Oopsie! Gotta go! Bye!" Sunset quickly teleported away.
"I'm just glad I finally won my third badge. Next gym, I won't take it for granted at all. Isn't that right Braviary?"
"Braviary!"
"Oh you're so cool!" shouted Rainbow Dash.
Finally winning her tough third battle and gaining her first evolved Pokemon, Rainbow Dash's league path is looking bright once more. But she should heed Sunset's words. The upcoming gyms far surpass hers. And Rainbow Dash will make sure she knows what to expect. As the journey continues.
