Following the group's arrival in Cloudsdale, our heroes met Flash Magnus, the Cloudsdale Gym Leader. Applejack was the first to challenge the Gym Leader, as the farm girl was in for a tough fight. In the end, despite many disadvantages, Applejack's Donphan overcame Altaria and secured the farm girl her second Gym Badge. Now with the curtain falling on Aj's battle, it's time for Sky to do the same. The question is: Will he soar up the clouds, or will he crash and burn?

Nighttime had fallen on Cloudsdale; after Aj's win, the whole group, minus Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Silverbolt, were all checked into their room. The trio was sleeping over at Rainbow's house, courtesy of her parents, who wanted to have a sleepover to remind them of when they were kids. As for the others, they were all in a room where Sky was currently upside down on his head against his bedframe.

The others watched him as the boy had been in that position for quite a while.

"He's still thinking?" asked Twilight as she entered the room in her Pjs.

"He's been like this ever since supper," stated Aj as she was on her bed and hugged her knees.

"Sewaddle!" said the silkworm as he was nestled against Rarity's knees as the girl was working on some new designs.

"What do you think?" the fashionista to her new Pokémon as she showed her design for a dress to the silkworm.

"Sewaddle!" responded the Pokémon with a nod.

"Glad you like it. Now for this dress, I think we're gonna need at least 6 feet of silk in length to start the foundation," Rarity said.

"Sewaddle, Sewaddle!" stated the Pokémon as he did a small salute to his mistress.

"Normally, I'm not a fan of bugs. But you're too cute for me to ignore," said Rarity as she rubbed Sewaddle's head, who enjoyed it. The fashionista then picked her silkworm and pressed their foreheads to each other. They pulled back as they shared some smiles. "You're gonna sleep with me tonight."

"Sewaddle!" cheered the silkworm.

"Sky, you good?" stated Pinkie.

"Alright. I got it. Mn." said the boy as he rolled back from standing on his head to land on his feet before turning around to address the girls.

"Got what?" asked Fluttershy.

"My strategy using Buizel, Noctowl, and Pikachu in battle, of course," stated the boy.

"So, you have a plan?" asked Twilight.

"Even better. I got something that'll catch Flash Magnus off guard," said the boy.

"Really? What is it?" asked Pinkie.

"Guts and spirit!" declared Sky as the girls fell over in a comedic way at how unprepared their companion was for his battle with the Gym Leader.


Morning came, and it was time for Sky's battle. The group met up with the rest of their friends and Rainbow's parents at the hangar. Rockhoof had already left as he needed to head back to his Gym, but before leaving, he wished Sky the best of luck in his battle against Flash Magnus. Speaking of the Gym Leader, as it turns out, they weren't the only ones going to be watching this battle. Many of the kids who had watched his airshow were now in attendance. The hangar was full of small kids in the bleachers, and the upper stands near the roof.

The roof was starting to open as Sky stood on one of the podiums. Balloons were shown rising into the air as they had the hoops and rings attached to them from the battle with Aj previously.

"Wow, talk about a full house!" said Pinkie as the teens and Rainbow's parents barely found a seat among the sea of kids.

"I guess Flash Magnus wanted to entertain a crowd," said Twilight.

"Then why the hell didn't I have this many people seeing my battle!" shouted Rainbow as she felt it unfair that Sky got a crowd of people to watch his battle when Flash Magnus didn't do the same for her, Aj, or Silverbolt.

"Keep in mind, with more people than usual, this is all part of Flash Magnus' plan. He wants to see how well Sky can perform when the pressure of having people watching you is on display. You can have full confidence when it's just you and the Gym Leader, but once you perform for a crowd of people, sometimes that can affect your mental game. My brother is an expert at that." said Twilight.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you all for waiting. I'm pleased to introduce today's challenger. Meet Sky!" said Flash Magnus' assistant.

The boy was shown on a podium as it was rising up the pole. As the opening above him got closer, he was in a tunnel, and soon light entered his vision. Sky was revealed for the entire hangar as his podium was docked at the base of the pole. Upon seeing him, the kids all began to cheer for the teen.

"Hey, where was this when I challenged?!" shouted Rainbow as she hated seeing the special treatment Sky was being given.

"Guess Flash Magnus sees something in Sky that you don't have," snickered Aj as Dash growled at her.

"It's okay, sweetie. To us, you're our number one," said Windy Whistle to her daughter.

"Great, that makes me feel so much better," snickered Rainbow as she waved her mother's hand from rubbing her head.

"And please warmly welcome your Cloudsdale Gym Leader, Flash Magnus!" said the woman.

Just then, a cannon appeared from the floor.

"Huh? What's that?" said Sky, unsure of what he saw.

The cannon was aimed at the open hangar as it was fired off. Shooting out of it was none other than Flash Magnus.

"Take off!" smiled the Gym Leader as he looked at the clouds.

The Gym Leader was then heading back as he was diving headfirst. At that moment, the backpack he was wearing opened up, and glider wings spread out. He then put his arms out as his glider's wings were fully out. Flash Magnus was now gliding about as he moved through some of the floating rings about the field himself, Spinning, turning, and even doing some barrel rolls, all while gliding effortlessly. He then caught an updraft as it soared him upward.

Flash Magnus thrust his arms out to his side as the glider wings he wore exploded into confetti. The Gym Leader landed like a superhero as he had a cocky smile. He stood up and gave a two-finger salute as the cannon behind him disappeared into confetti, and it was raining down across the field with the kids now cheering for the Gym Leader.

"Wow! Talk about a flashy entrance," said Rarity.

"Let's not call the kettle black here, Rarity," smiled Silverbolt at the fashionista.

"Alright, Sky. Rockhoof speaks highly of you. Well, I want to see it! And in front of this crowd, let me tell you this right now, you're gonna get the absolute best of me." declared Flash Magnus, as he hadn't done that for Rainbow, Aj, or Silverbolt when they challenged him.

"It'll be my honor. Besides, I'm gonna win!" responded Sky with a confident smile of his own.

"Alright. We will now begin the Cloudsdale Gym battle with Flash Magnus, the Gym Leader, and Sky, the challenger. Both sides will use three Pokémon each, and the battle will be over when all three Pokémon from either side cannot continue. Furthermore, only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon."

"Now, Braviary, let's show'em who rules the skies!" shouted Flash Magnus as he called on his first Pokémon.

"Now, Buizel, I choose you!" shouted Sky as he selected his first Pokémon.

"Buizel!" said the weasel Pokémon as he appeared with his arms crossed and looked up at the eagle Pokémon flying above him.

"A Water-type versus a Flying/Normal-type is a pretty even match," said Fluttershy.

"The key will be how Sky will deal with Braivary's aerial attacks," said Silverbolt.

"Battle begin!" shouted Flash's assistant as she waved her arm to signal the start.

"Now, Buizel, Water Gun!" instructed Sky.

Buizel heard the command as it turned its head back and opened its mouth to fire a powerful water beam attack heading straight for Braviary.

"Dodge it!" instructed Flash Magnus to his Pokémon.

Braviary did as his trainer said as it was moved out of the way with plenty of time before Water Gun could ever make contact.

"Wow, it's fast!" said Sky as he saw just how much speed Flash Magnus' Pokémon had up close.

"Now, use Wing Attack!" instructed Flash Magnus.

"Buizel, use Sonic Boom to launch yourself!" stated Sky.

Braviary shot toward Buizel with its wings spread out and covered in white light. Buizel used its tails as they powered up and slammed them on the ground to shoot itself upward and avoid Braviary's attack.

"Ah, nice dodging, Sky," said Flash Magnus as he gave props to the boy for creative thinking.

"Braviary is not the only one who's fast," smiled the teen.

Braviary turned around as Buizel was starting to fall down.

"Water Gun!" instructed Sky.

Buizel fired another powerful water attack; it hit the bird dead-on and flew back from how strong the attack was.

"Braviary, use Hurricane!" said Flash Magnus.

Braviary began to flap its wings rapidly as the wind began to pick up. Buizel felt the wind suck him in as he tried to stand his ground. However, it was too strong as the Hurricane sucked in the weasel, and he spun round and round. He was then flung to the ground as he skidded along the field.

"Buizel!" shouted Sky.

"Follow it up with Hyper Beam!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Braviary was looking to end this battle quickly as it opened its mouth and charged its attack. Buizel was still on the ground face-first as it was struggling to stand.

"Buizel, get up!" yelled Sky.

Buizel's eyes shot up as the Pokémon rose to his feet.

"Fire!" shouted Flash Magnus.

"Buizel, use Aqua Jet!" instructed Sky.

Buizel quickly surrounded itself in water as it rocketed off the ground. The Hyper Beam from Braviary just barely missed the weasel as he took off into the air. Buizel collided with Braviary as the bird Pokémon was hit by the attack and flung back again.

"Looks like Buizel can also fight in the air," taunted Sky with a smile.

"Very nice move, Sky," smiled Flash Magnus with his eyes closed. "But not good enough, Bravebird!"

Braviary immediately took tucked its wings in as it was heading toward Buizel. It was surrounded by a powerful aura as the tip of the head glowed in red. Buizel was still in mid-air as Braviary was coming at him. Within seconds, the attack made contact as Buizel was tossed to the ground and made a hole in the field.

"Buizel, no!" shouted Sky as he saw his Pokémon hit the ground.

The smoke cleared out as Buizel was shown lying on the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Buizel is unable to battle. That means Braviary's the winner!" said the assistant.

"Buizel, return!" said Sky as he called back his Pokémon. "You did a great job."

"Aw. Wow, Buizel lost," said Fluttershy.

"So, what does Sky do now?" asked Bow Hothoof.

"He needs to be careful about what he does next," said Twilight.

"I gotta tell you, for a Water-type Pokémon, your Buizel battled hard," said Flash Magnus.

"Thanks, but I'm still gonna win. Now Noctowl, I choose you!" stated Sky with a smile.

The owl appeared as it took position above the teen.

"A Flying type against a Flying type. No surprise there, but sound strategy, all the same," said Flash Magnus as he looked up to see the two birds glaring at each other.

"Argh! Use Air Slash!" growled Sky.

"Hurricane!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Braviary began to flap its wings as the wind began to pick up. Noctowl had its wings out as some sharp buzzsaws of wind shot out. In preparation for his battle, following Aj's battle, Sky put in some extra training with Noctowl. In fact, they managed to evolve the owl's Air Slash attack as it was no longer condensed to simply a huge sphere of wind but could now take shape and shoot out multiple attacks.

The only drawback is that in this form of attack, it wasn't as powerful as when it was condensed into an orb of wind. However, the multiple attacks of wind were powerful enough that they collided with Braviary's Hurricane as the wind blew across the entire field and shot upward into the clouds above through the open roof. The kids in the stands, the teens, and Rainbow's parents held on tightly as their clothes and hair fluttered in the wind. It soon died down as Noctowl and Braviary were looking at each other.

"They're both powerful!" said Rarity.

"I'd rate their Flying-type moves about even," said Twilight.

"Ascend quickly!" instructed Flash Magnus to Braviary.

"After it!" said Sky.

Braviary was now flapping upward as Noctowl was on its tail. The two birds were flying in a direct upward projectory as the hangar below them was starting to get smaller with each passing second. Soon Noctowl was on Braviary's tail feathers.

"They can't get away. Attack, now!" shouted Sky.

"Dodge it!" said Flash Magnus.

Noctowl had circled around and cut off Braviary as it dived at the Pokémon. The two were now moving in the air, circling about each other as Braviary was looking to do all it could to avoid Noctowl. Soon they linked claws with each other as it was a small test of strength in the air. Both were pushed back as Braviary dived down with Noctowl in hot pursuit.

"Use Air Slash!" stated Sky.

Noctowl once again shot out multiple slashes of wind as Braviary did its best to dodge them from above. However, it was too slow as some collided with the Pokémon's back, as an explosion cloud occurred in the air near the open roof. Braviary was now falling to the ground as it crashed into the field. The eagle Pokémon lay there as it was in a dazed state.

"Braviary is unable to battle. Noctowl wins!" said the assistant.

The crowd roared as they applauded and cheered Sky in taking down one of Flash Magnus' Pokémon.

"Alright!" shouted Rainbow as she did a fist pump.

"Noctowl was able to beat Braviary with speed," explained Twilight as the others and Rainbow's parents all smiled.

"Now, what do you think?!" stated Sky to Flash Magnus as he recalled his Pokémon.

"Solid. But it was between two Flying types, and Braviary had already sustained damage in its first battle, even before it used Brave Bird to suffer from recoil damage," explained Flash Magnus, as he knew that Sky didn't just outpower his Pokémon simply with Noctowl. "You were great."

Flash Magnus then began to pull out his second Pokéball.

"Believe it or not, the unexpected rarely happens. No matter what you think," taunted Flash Magnus as that got a reaction from Sky, who growled softly. "So far, every single event has been predicted. Now Emolga, let's show'em who rules the skies!"

"Emolga!" said the flying squirrel as she appeared before her master. She circled around before landing on Flash Magnus's shoulder with a smirk.

"Isn't Emolga an electric type?" asked Pinkie.

"Yup, so Sky is at a disadvantage again," said Silverbolt, as Noctowl was very prone to the squirrel's electric attacks.

"Use Sky Attack!" shouted the teen.

Noctowl glowed in an aura as it zoomed toward Emolga. Emolga took off of Flash Magnus' shoulder and into the air. It was now dodging Noctowl's attack as it tried to chase after the flying squirrel. Emolga had a confident smile as she avoided all of Noctowl's attempts.

"Dodge it. Then ascend quickly!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Emolga dove as her trainer said as she turned around to see Noctowl behind her. She snickered and then shot upward in the blink of an eye as Noctowl zoomed past her. The owl saw that he had missed and was about to crash into the ground; he stopped his attack and attempted to pull up quickly. However, as Noctowl was pulling up and trying to stabilize itself, Flash Magnus took that opportunity to attack.

"Now use Discharge!" said Flash Magnus.

"Emolga!" shouted the flying squirrel as she charged up her attack and let loose.

Noctowl was trying to balance itself from pulling up so suddenly. Lighting bolts were raining down beside it as the owl was also moving from side to side to dodge them while regaining balance. The electricity that struck the field began to pick up dust from the ground as soon it covered Sky's field of vision. The teen nor anybody else could see Noctowl as they feared the worst. Soon the owl emerged from within the dust cloud as it seemed to avoid its blind vision in front of it while dodging the electricity that was raining down from Emolga.

However, when Noctowl took its position above Sky, it could be seen panting and breathing hard.

"I'm afraid missing that Sky Attack just made things alot harder for Sky," said Twilight.

"And Noctowl's already tired from its last battle," said Fluttershy as she could see Noctowl sweating.

"I won't miss this time! No more surprises!" stated Flash Magnus as he wagged his finger at Sky.

"Unh!" growled Sky as he looked up at his Pokémon. "Noctowl, return for now!"

The boy pulled out his Pokéball and recalled his Pokémon to get some rest.

"So, what's Sky gonna do now?" asked Windy Whistle.

The others didn't know what to say as they were unsure what their comrade would do. Sky was taking a deep breath as it seemed he would have to change his strategy mid-battle. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his next Pokémon.

"Alright, Pikachu, I choose you!" shouted Sky.

"Pikachu!" stated the mouse Pokémon as he appeared with a determined look.

"So cute!" squealed Rainbow's mother at how adorable Pikachu was. The girl herself tried to make herself small as she didn't like how embarrassing her mother was acting.

"Electric-type moves are super-effective against Flying-types," said Rarity.

"Alright, let's turn this thing around!" cheered Pinkie.

"But isn't Emolga an electric type as well. So the attacks won't be that effective. Not to mention, Emolga has a hidden ability called Motor Drive. If it's hit with an electric move, it boosts its speed." explained Twilight.

"But what else can Sky do? Pikachu is the last of his Pokémon!" said Rainbow.

"Then Sky is gonna have to be creative once again," stated Silverbolt.

"Pikachu! I'd figured Sky would save his ace for last," snickered Flash Magnus to himself.

"Thunderbolt!" shouted the teen.

"Ascend quickly and dodge it!" said Flash Magnus.

Emolga did what her trainer instructed as she zoomed upward to avoid Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack.

"Use, Acrobatics!" said Flash Magnus.

"Pikachu, dodge it!" said Sky.

Pikachu then began to run along the ground as Emolga on his tail, trying to attack it. With each attempt the flying squirrel tried to make, Pikachu kept moving out of the way to avoid its attacks.

"Looks like Pikachu is faster than Emolga," stated Rainbow.

"Emolga, Agility!"

"Nevermind, I spoke too soon!" said Rainbow.

Emolga quickly raised her speed as she kept up with Pikachu running on the ground. She bashed into the mouse's side as Pikachu was taken off his feet and tumbled along the ground before coming to a stop.

"Now, use Attract!" said Flash Magnus as Emolga winked and hearts began to fly toward Pikachu.

"Lure it in, and then use Iron Tail!" instructed Sky.

"Huh?!" said everyone in the stands.

Pikachu gave a response as its tail now had a metal coating over it. The yellow mouse Pokémon took a position on all fours as it held its ground. The hearts from Emolga were fast approaching.

"Not yet!" said Sky to Pikachu.

Pikachu kept its position as the scene changed back and forth from Sky to his Pokémon as the hearts were about to make contact with Pikachu and put it under their spell.

"Do it!" shouted Sky.

Pikachu then leaped into the air as it rotated its body so that its tail made contact with the first heart; it was swatted to the ground, where bits of the field picked up and flew into the other hearts as they exploded upon impact. The leftover rocks all headed with Emolga as the flying squirrel was hammered by the stones and fell to the field.

"Now Volt Tackle!" shouted Sky.

Pikachu immediately took off as it was charging ahead with massive electricity running throughout its body. Emolga saw at the last second as Pikachu collided with her. An electricity light show occurred as Flash Magnus could only watch what was happening. A tiny pillar shot upward into the sky through the open roof before it died down.

Pikachu hopped back as it felt some slight pain from the attack. Soon the smoke cleared, and Emolga was lying on the ground with swirls in its eyes.

"Emolga is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!"

"You were great. Thank you," said Flash Magnus as he recalled Emolga.

"Alright. Sky might win this!" said Pinkie.

"Remember, Flash Magnus still has one final Pokémon," said Twilight as despite having the numbers game, Sky was still at a disadvantage.

"Now, what do you think?" asked the teen to the Gym Leader.

"I predicted yesterday you would be relying on Pikachu," snickered Flash Magnus as he'd been proven right. "Still, I have to admit, this is fund."

It seemed that Sky wasn't too happy to hear that answer from the Gym Leader as he growled again.

"Flash Magnus doesn't look like he's surprised one tiny bit by Sky's strategy," said Rarity as she noticed how cool, calm, and collected the Gym Leader was.

"Alright! Presenting my flying ace, Altaria! Let's show'em who rules the skies!" yelled Flash Magnus as he called on his last Pokémon.

Altaria appeared as she gave a fierce cry when she spread her wings.

"Altaria is a flying type, so that means Pikachu's attacks should do damage, right?" asked Windy Whistles to the teen.

"Don't forget, Flash Magnus is a Gym Leader. Sky needs to stay on his guard. Especially cause Altaria knows Earthquake, which will wreck Pikachu." said Silverbolt.

"Let's focus on offense, Pikachu," said Sky.

"Pika!" nodded the yellow mouse to his trainer.

"Thunderbolt, let's go!" stated the teen.

"Altaria, stick your wing into the ground," said Flash Magnus with a calm smile.

Pikachu launched its attack as Altaria stuck one of its wings into the field below itself. The electricity made contact with the Pokémon as it shined and lit up. However, it had a smile on its face as it wasn't being affected by the attack. Soon it ended as Altaria stood there with a smile on her face. Everyone was surprised by what they saw, as they expected Altaria to have suffered massive damage from a super-effective move.

The most shocked were Sky and Pikachu as they couldn't believe it.

"Your Thunderbolt didn't do a thing!" said Sky.

"Pikachu's Electric-type moves should be extra effective against Flying type, but they're not doing a thing!" said Twilight as even she couldn't fathom what was going on.

"I wonder if Flash Magnus had this planned from the start," said Fluttershy as she was worried for her friend.

"Argh!" growled Sky as he started to let the pressure get to him.

"That was a nice try, kid. But I learned how to deal with this back when I became a Gym Leader. As a Gym Leader, you're expected for your opponent to have Pokémon that have the advantage over yours. However, that only isn't enough. So by having my Pokémon stab into the ground, I can convert all electricity toward the ground like a lightning rod. And because I mastered this move with all my Pokémon, I knew I could beat you." smiled Flash Magnus.

"Then try this. Iron Tail, let's go!" shouted Sky.

Pikachu was now running toward Altaria at high speeds.

"Ascend quickly!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Altaria quickly soared upward just as Pikachu jumped into the air. The yellow mouse rotated his body to bring his metal tail around to hit the Pokémon, but Altaria moved back a bit to avoid getting hit.

"It missed!" said Sky as Pikachu landed.

Altaria was flying high above near the floating rings and hoops scattered across the field.

"Hey, wait. Pikachu!" said the boy to his Pokémon. The yellow mouse also saw the rings as he knew what Sky was thinking as he turned back to the teen and nodded. "Use Quick Attack!"

"Huh?" said Flash Magnus at what he was seeing.

Pikachu took off again with Sky's command as it launched its Quick Attack. It gained even more speed running along the ground in a blur with a white trail behind it, but it soon jumped up. It hopped onto one of the rings before jumping through to another as it kept closing in on Altaria by jumping from point to point.

"Dodge it!" shouted Flash Magnus as he knew what Sky and Pikachu were trying to do.

Altaria began to ascend upward, but just as it was about to be out of range, Pikachu jumped onto the highest hoop and leaped. It chafed Altaria in her lower side, but it was enough to do some decent damage as the Pokémon winced in pain from the attack.

"Only grazed it!" said Sky as Pikachu landed on a ring.

"Glad you're alright, Altaria. Now, Dragon Breath!" shouted Flash Magnus.

Altaria quickly fired its attack as a beam of intense heat headed toward Pikachu. The attack was upon the yellow mouse before Sky could give it a command as it made contact. Pikachu was knocked off the ring and crashed into the ground below.

"Now, Earthquake!" shouted Flash Magnus.

Altaria gave a cry as the ground began to rumble. Pikachu was getting to his feet when he felt the field shake. Soon rocks began to spike out as they collided with Pikachu, who cried out in immense pain.

"Pikachu, no!" yelled Sky as it hurt him that he couldn't do anything to help his pal.

"Let's wrap this up with Solar Beam!" stated Flash Magnus.

Altaira began to absorb the sun's rays as it opened its mouth. Within seconds, it shot out a green beam of light as it collided with the spot where Pikachu was as another smoke cloud explosion went off.

"PIKACHU!" yelled Sky as his voice echoed throughout the hangar.

Pikachu tumbled along the ground again as he didn't move.

"Say, talk about a perfect landing," mocked Flash Magnus as he enjoyed going overboard in taking down Sky's Pokémon.

"Talk about overkill," said Fluttershy softly as the others gulped at what Flash Magnus did to Pikachu.

Speaking of the Pokémon, the yellow mouse was stirring as it slowly got back to its feet.

"Are you okay?" called out Sky.

"Huh? How could Pikachu still get up after my special combinations of moves?" said Flash Magnus, shocked to see the bruised Pokémon get to his feet and still want to fight.

Pikachu turned to look at Flash and Altaria as it had an angry look, expressing that it still wanted to fight. However, the pain caught up with the yellow mouse as he began to fall backward.

"Pikachu!" shouted Sky.

The boy jumped out of his podium and dove with his hands out as he managed to catch Pikachu from falling to the ground. The boy then sat on his heels as Pikachu looked up at his trainer.

"It's alright. You did great, Pikachu," smiled Sky at his Pokémon.

"Pika," responded Pikachu as he smiled while apologizing to Sky for failing to win.

"Don't worry, you just leave the rest to me," the boy said as he picked up his Pokémon.

"Pikachu's unable to battle, which means Altaria is the winner!" said the assistant.

"What a battle!"

"Great!"

"Unbelievable!"

The kids in the stands expressed their love and praise for Pikachu and Sky's performance.

"Hmm," smiled Flash Magnus as he admired the bond Sky was showing his Pokémon.

The boy returned to his podium and set Pikachu by his feet.

"You can rest here with me. I promise we're gonna win," assured the boy as he placed the yellow mouse by his feet.

"Pikachu," said the Pokémon as he sat on his hind and was tired.

"Wow, Pikachu got defeated," said Applejack as she was shocked to see one of Sky's powerful Pokémon lose. Especially cause the teen counted on the yellow mouse to win.

"That's true, but remember. The battle isn't over yet," said Silverbolt.

Sky looked ahead as he pulled out the only Pokémon he had left.

"Noctowl! Once again, I choose you!"

Noctowl appeared as it was on the ground.

"Can you still battle?" asked Sky to his owl as he turned his head and let out a hoot. "Alright then. Use Sky Attack!"

Noctowl took off in the blink of an eye as it grazed Altaria again.

"Altaria!" shouted Flash Magnus.

"Now, Air Slash!" instructed the teen.

"Dodge it!" yelled the Gym Leader.

Noctowl was coming back around as Altaria regained itself. It then took off as the smaller bird chased after it. Noctowl fired off its multiple slash attack as Altaria dodged all over the place. One hit her in the back as she lost altitude and headed toward the ground.

"Now, Noctowl, use Extrasensory and wrap this up!" instructed Sky.

"Altaria, Aerial Ace!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Noctowl in front of the Altaria's path as its eyes began to glow as it was looking to catch the bird. However, at that moment, Altaris disappeared before reappearing as Noctowl was shocked. It was soon knocked to the ground as it crashed and tumbled.

"Noctowl!" shouted Sky as he saw his Pokémon on the ground.

"No, please," muttered Fluttershy.

"Look!" said Pinkie.

Everybody saw that Noctowl was getting to his feet as he looked back at Flash Magnus and Altaria. The owl gave a courageous hoot as he wasn't willing to go down just yet.

"Noctowl wants to keep fighting, huh? Very well," smiled Flash Magnus. The Gym Leader then pushed a button on his wrist.

At that moment, the podiums he and Sky were on began lifting up. Everyone was shocked by what they saw as the two rose up the pole and extended past the open roof. They stood just a few inches past the hangar's open roof as the TVs came on inside so the crowd could see the two via a drone.

"What's going on?" asked Sky as Noctowl hovered before him.

"This is what I call the final challenge!" declared Flash Magnus as everyone looked at the screens. "You've proven you and your Pokémon are tough. Now the question is, can you hang with us in our domain. The Air Battle!"

"Altaria!" screeched the Pokémon as she let out a fierce cry.

"Then lets Air Battle!" stated Sky as Noctowl let out a fierce hoot. "Air Slash!"

"Ascend quickly and dodge it!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Altaria quickly did as Flash Magnus instructed as she zoomed upward and avoided Noctowl's attack.

"Stay on Altaria's tail!" shouted Sky.

"Pika!" stated Pikachu as he cheered on his teammate.

Both birds flew even higher than they were as they were about to touch the clouds. They were flying so high that even the drone had trouble keeping up to broadcast the battle to the people inside.

"You know, Altaria's not trying to fly away. Circle around and use Dragon Breath!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Altaria did what her trainer said as she did a huge U-turn as she was now positioned behind Noctowl. She hovered in place and fired her attack as Noctowl moved, with the attack grazing his tail feathers as he recovered while in mid-air.

"Use Dragon Breath once more!"

"Noctowl, fly up quickly!" said Sky.

Noctowl shot upward as Altaria chased after it. It was now firing its attack as Noctowl was using all sorts of crazy flying tricks to shake off its chaser. The two birds were flying in crazy formations; both looked like they were dancing to show their air battle skills.

"Noctowl, Air Slash!" said Sky.

Noctowl turned as it fell back first and pointed its wings at Altaria. Its attack shot out as the multiple slashes made contact with the cloud-like Pokémon, who started to shake.

"Follow it up with Sky Attack!" said the boy as he was looking to go in for the killing blow.

Noctowl then changed its body and flew upward, glowing with its attack.

"Alright, let's use Aerial Ace!" instructed Flash Magnus.

Noctowl was about to contact Altaria before it quickly flew out of the way. It did a loop-de-loop to avoid Noctowl's attack, and when it came back up, it collided with Noctowl's underside. Sky was stunned, not by the attack, but by how Flash Magnus used the move. And he wasn't the only one. Inside the hangar, everyone was shocked by what Flash Magnus did.

"Hold on! I thought Aerial Ace was an offensive attack?!" said Silverbolt as him being stunned meant that Flash Magnus did something incredible and unexpected.

"Yeah, but somehow Flash Magnus managed to use it for defense. How'd he do that?!" stated Applejack.

"When someone uses an Aerial Ace like that, they're almost unbeatable. Unless Sky finds a way to stop that attack, there's no way he's gonna get that win!" declared Twilight.

The defensive counter from Altaria had rocked Noctowl as it struggled to stay in the air. Altaria appeared behind him as it was looking to chase down its prey.

"Flash's Altaria is right on Noctowl's tail!" said Rarity.

"Is he gonna attack with another Aerial Ace or a different move?!" shouted Pinkie.

"You gotta speed it up, Noctowl. Go to full speed and shake it!" yelled Sky.

Noctowl kept moving from left to right in an attempt to throw Altaria off its tail, but the larger Pokémon kept the smaller owl in her sights. Not to mention, Noctowl wasn't flying as fast as before, with all the damage starting to affect him.

"Sky's Noctowl just isn't fast enough," stated Fluttershy with a concerned look.

"Twilight, you were right. When it comes to this kind of battling, that Altaria is just too good," said Applejack as they looked at what was happening on the screen.

"There's gotta be something we can do to shut down that Aerial Ace once and for all," muttered Sky. The boy was looking down when he said as soon he saw something.

The teen saw the field below him as he stared at the ground. Just then, a light bulb went off in his mind as he recalled earlier in the match when Noctowl was avoiding Emolga's electric attack and how it created a veil of dust when they made contact on the ground.

"Of course! If we do that, I know we can win this," said Sky.

"I must compliment you, Sky, for making it this far in our Gym Battle. This is the kind of fight that I love. And you've given me plenty of it." smiled Flash Magnus at the teen. "But... I'm afraid this is where it ends."

"Altaria, we'll use Dragon Breath and wrap this up!" instructed Flash Magnus.

"Oh no! It's all over! I can't watch!" shouted Pinkie as she stood up and had her arms over her eyes as she didn't want to see Sky lose.

Fluttershy and Rarity seemed to believe that as they turned around to avoid seeing Sky have his dreams crushed while the others and Rainbow's family kept looking.

"Okay, Noctowl! This is it! Use Sky Attack, and then after that, use dive!" instructed Sky as he pointed downward.

Noctowl heard his trainer's command as he tucked in his wings and rocketed downward.

"Launch your Dragon Breath! Go!" shouted Flash Magnus to Altaria.

Altaria finished charging up its attack as it aimed at where the small bird was. Noctowl saw the attack coming out of the corner of its eye as it moved from side to side while still continuing to dive. The attacks missed as Altaria was second behind Noctowl and about to catch it. The two entered through the roof and headed straight for the ground.

"They're both headed straight for the ground!" said Rarity as she, Fluttershy, and Pinkie turned to see what was going on.

"What's going on here?! They're both gonna crash!" yelled Pinkie as her heart couldn't take what was happening.

"Pull up! I can't take it!" said Fluttershy as she turned her head away to close her eyes.

"Now, Altaria! Aerial Ace!" said Flash Magnus.

Altaria did a loop-de-loop and was coming at Noctowl with power.

"Noctowl, use Air Slash full power and aim it straight at the ground!" yelled Sky.

Noctowl gave a screech as it put its wings together, and a giant sphere of wind formed. It took shape, and the owl launched it at the ground just meters below him as the dust from the ground picked up and created a veil. The dust spread out for a moment as the shadow of Altaria was shown, and Noctowl saw where it was located.

"Look at that!" said Twilight as everybody saw it.

"Now, Noctowl, this is it! Sky Attack!"

"Altaria, keep flying high!" shouted Flash Magnus as he saw what Sky did.

Noctowl put all its energy and remaining strength into its attack and took off toward Altaria. Altaria began to ascend upward as it was about to escape from Noctowl's grasp when the small owl came crashing into her back and sniped her out of the air. An explosion cloud occurred that everyone saw as it held for a few seconds. Just then, something dropped from the cloud and crashed to the ground. It revealed Altaria in a dazed state.

"Altaria is unable to battle, and that means Noctowl wins. That also means the victor is the challenger, Sky!" said Flash's assistant as she pointed her arm in the boy's direction.

"We did it, Noctowl! You were great!" shouted Sky as he pumped a fist.

Noctowl landed on the teen's shoulder as he nodded and rubbed against his cheek as Sky petted his owl's head. The kids cheered for Sky and his Noctowl while Sky's friends and Rainbow's parents fell back and lay on the gap between the bleachers.

"Gees, I didn't think Sky could pull that one off," panted Rarity as even her hair was fried from all the excitement that Sky took them on.

"Talk about a rollercoaster ride," said Applejack.

"Shutting down that Aerial Ace took some serious skill. Firing an Air Slash attack on the ground to reveal his opponent's position in a curtain of dust right as it was flying in was a smart strategy. And then launching a Sky Attack just as Altaria was looking to escape.

"It had bull-eyes written all over it, snipping it out of the air," said Pinkie as she finished Twilight's explanation.

"Hard to see it through all the dust, but it worked. Sky certainly has his own style," said Twilight.

"An amazing aerial battle, Altaria. You were great," said Flash Magnus as he recalled his Pokémon. The Gym Leader looked at Sky as he was still smiling with Noctowl.

After the battle, everyone was outside the hangar as Sky, and his Pokémon stood in front of Flash Magnus.

"Thanks for that battle, Sky. I never dreamed of the day when a challenge would catch me off guard," said the Gym Leader.

"Aw, it was nothing," chuckled the boy sheepishly.

"Here, as proof of your victory. Here's your Stratos Badge. You've earned it." said Flash Magnus as he held a plate out with the badge.

"Thanks so much!" said Sky as he picked up his badge. "Alright, I just got the Stratos Badge!" declared the boy as Noctowl, Buizel, and Pikachu all appeared on the screen with him and gave hearty responses.

The boy then pulled out his badge case, opened it, and placed his newly acquired badge next to his previous one.

"My second badge. Soon I'll have all eight. And then I'm off to winning the League!" stated Sky.

"Time to celebrate!" shouted Pinkie as she made a cannon appear out of nowhere and pulled the string to shoot confetti as everyone laughed.


"What?! You're leaving already?!" said Sky.

"Yeah," responded Rainbow.

The chromatic-haired girl, along with Fluttershy and Silverbolt, were in front of the rest of their friends. They were all gathered in the Pokémon Center as the trio had their backpacks on their shoulders. As it turned out, Rainbow wanted to head out and get the rest of her badges to qualify for the Equestrian League.

"This is unexpected. I kinda thought we'd all travel together," said Sky.

"Sorry, bud. Look, I got nothing against traveling with you guys, but... I want to get my badges as quick as I can. And with you guys, it might slow..."

"I understand," said Sky. "Don't worry, I'm not upset. We each have our own way of doing things. Just promise me one thing. That you get all eight badges so I can whip your ass in the Equestrian League."

"Please, I'm gonna be the one to kick your ass," snickered Rainbow as she looked at her friend.

"Don't forget about me, guys," said Silverbolt.

"Y'all forgetting one, sugarcubes," said Applejack as she made her presence. "This country gal ain't one to lie down for no one."

"Take care, guys. We're gonna miss you," said Twilight.

"You too," said Fluttershy.

"Don't worry, darlings. I'm sure our paths will cross again," smiled Rarity.

"Yup, and when we do, I'm gonna throw a "Glad We're Back Together Party!" said Pinkie as she made confetti appear. The pink-haired girl packed her stuff and decided to tag along with the trio.

"Goodbye," said Silverbolt.

"See ya later, pal," said Sky as he put his hand out for Bolt to shake.

Sky, Rarity, Twilight, and Applejack were shown outside the Pokémon Center as they waved goodbye to their friends, who were starting to head toward the city's exit. Fluttershy, Silverbolt, Rainbow, and Pinkie also waved goodbye as they said farewell to their friends and their journey. While it was a bittersweet moment to see their companions no longer traveling with them for a bit, they all knew that they would be back together one day. Especially when each of their paths had the same dream: getting to the League.

Author's Note: Talk about a fierce and intense battle. Not only did Sky managed to catch Flash Magnus off guard with those final moments, but was able to secure the win and earn himself his second badge. However, it seems that Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Silverbolt are all heading off. The reason I had this happen was so that it could be easier for me if I didn't constantly have to worry about how to include eight characters in every chapter. This way, it'smuch more manageable. But don't fret, while majority will be focused on Sky's group, they'll be chapters where we switch over to see what the other group is doing.

On a side note: I managed to get this chapter out in time for the new Pokemon games to drop. So far, I enjoy it. As someone of Spanish heritage, I like all the little nods of Spanish culture, in terms of food, language, even designs that region is based on. Anyways, leave a review expressing your comments and thoughts on the chapter.