"Everybody ready?" asked Applejack.
"Just about," stated Rarity as she had Delcatty sitting in front of her as she was giving her Pokémon a brushing of its coat. Sewaddle was curled up next to the fashionista as he was snapping.
"Sky?" asked Twilight to their male companion.
"I heard you girls," said the boy as he was at the counter of the Pokémon Center.
"You're Pokémon are all healed up," said the woman as she had a tray full of Pokéballs.
"Thanks so much," said the teen as he grabbed his Pokémon and put them away.
"Have a safe trip," said the nurse.
After Sky's recent win at the Cloudsdale Gym, he and Twilight, Rarity, and Applejack decided to stay the night and head out the next morning. However, the day prior, the rest of their friends, Silverbolt, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, had all decided to be on their way. So with a hearty farewell, our heroes said goodbye to their friends, knowing they would cross paths again soon.
"Y'all ready to hit the road?" exclaimed Applejack as she slung her backpack over her shoulder.
"You bet!" said Sky as he stepped through the doors of the Pokémon Center. "Let's get the show on the road!"
While the boy made a declaration, a brisk wind blew in his face as he felt the power of it and turned. A small balloon was shown floating by as it was riding the wind's current. Soon a Wingull was shown as it caught the balloon; more importantly, it got the object attached to it.
"Excellent work, Wingull. We're sure to win today's contest!" said the Pokémon's trainer.
"Contest?" said Rarity as she and the others exited the Pokémon Center.
"Well, hey, kids!" said a voice.
"It's Flash Magnus!" said Twilight as the four of them saw the Gym Leader approach them as Emolga was on his shoulder.
"Hey, Flash Magnus!" said Sky as he greeted the Gym Leader.
"I thought you kids would have left already," replied the man as he rubbed Emolga's head.
"Well, we decided to stick around a bit longer. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Bolt, and Pinkie all left yesterday," said Applejack.
"I see. I'm sure you'll see them again," Flash Magnus said.
"Excuse, Mr. Magnus. But we overheard someone mention a contest of sorts?" asked Rarity.
"Ahh! You're talking about the Pokéringer contest!" said Flash Magnus as Emolga gave a response.
"Pokéringer?" said all four teens as they had no idea what the Gym Leader said.
Flash Magnus led the four teens to the nearby plaza, where many people gathered. There were also people in hot air balloons as they were in some practice areas with their Pokémon as they instructed them to fetch after the ring that was on a balloon's string.
"This is Pokéringer!" said Flash Magnus.
"Wow!" said the four teens as they took in how big of an event it was and how many people seemed to be fans of it.
"But uh... just what is Pokéringer?" asked Twilight.
"Pokéringer is a really fun competitive sport here in Cloudsdale. It's a competition where Pokémon and Trainer have to work together. The objective of the sport is to grab the ring while simultaneously taking your opponent out. Whoever places that ring on one of the three goal hooks is declared the winner." said Flash Magnus.
"Wow. Sounds like fun!" said Applejack.
"And it so happens that today there's a contest being held. And I have to officiate it," said the Gym Leader.
"I'd love to get in on that!" said Sky.
"Well, you can. All you need is Flying Pokémon, and you can participate in the competition," said Flash Magnus.
"In that case, I'm entering with Noctowl! After our Gym Battle win, this'll be a nice bonus to help us get stronger and prepare for our next battle!" said Sky as he was already raring to compete.
"You're sure fired up, huh, Sky?"
"Yup, 'cause I'm in it to win it!" declared the boy to the Gym Leader.
"What about you, Applejack? Care to try your hand at Pokéringer?" asked Flash Magnus.
"Um... sure, why not," stated the farm girl, "What's the worst that can happen?"
Soon all four were led by Flash Magnus to the registration table as Aj and Sky entered themselves and the Pokémon they would be using for the competition. Twilight and Rarity were seated with the other people as they prepared to watch their friends compete. The winds of Cloudsdale began to blow as the many windmills and pinwheels began to spin rapidly.
"I can't believe what a huge competition this is," said Rarity as she and Twilight looked around the plaza and down at the field below them.
"It says here that when you win a Pokéringer competition, the hosting town makes you an honorary citizen if you're not from here. Not to mention other prizes, like a bunch of special Pokémon food and stuff." Twilight stated as she looked through a small guide that Flash Magnus gave her about the sport and its history.
True to what the bookworm said, there was a small prize that the winner would receive as there was a box upon a pedestal for whoever won today's contest. Soon the sound of the speakers overhead was heard as everyone turned their attention to the field below. Standing in the center was a cannon aimed upwards; it shot out something as it soared into the air. The object in question was Flash Magnus as he soared through the air, he came crashing back down and dove head-first toward the ground.
The Gym Leader then pulled the string of the backpack he was wearing as it transformed into glider wings. The man soon began to pass through some hoops placed in an obstacle course-like pattern as he twirled and spun through each of them with ease. Soon Flash Magnus caught an updraft as he spun a bit before he descended and landed like a superhero in the middle of the field; he stood up and gave a two-finger salute as the crowd went wild.
"Thank you! Thank you all!" said the Gym Leader as he had a mic attached to his ear to project his voice for all to hear. He then turned to look at the hard camera as he began announcing the competition's start.
"It's time for the glorious Cloudsdale Pokéringer contest that you all love!" said Flash Magnus to the cam as the crowd made some noise. "This sport, since it was first introduced, has been seen as a test between Pokémon and Trainer. To see if they could work together, and based on the competitors who are competing here today, it seems they want to prove that they are the best! So let's get started, shall we!"
The crowd roared even more as they heard Flash Magnus' statement.
"Today's Pokéringer contest will be single elimination! The team who wins all their matches is the winner! Now then, let's put on the screen the past winners of this competition!" said Flash Magnus as he pointed at the screen behind him.
The computer began to do its job as, one by one, all the past Pokéringer winners flashed on the screen for all to see. Safe to say, two profile pictures that were shown really got the attention of our heroes.
"Huh? I didn't know that Rainbow and Silverbolt were former winners," said Rarity as she was shocked to see their portraits on the list of victors for the contest.
"Well, given Rainbow's competitive spirit to always win, I wouldn't put it past her. As for Bolt, as he was a former Champion in his own right, it makes sense that he competed in an event like this," stated Twilight.
"Now, enough talking! I'm sure you're itching to get this started, right?" Flash Magnus asked the crowd as he got a rowdy response. "Then let's see who the first matchup will be!"
The Gym Leader pointed at the screen behind him as the portraits of the past winners vanished. It brought up two portraits and then began to randomize the competitors as it was selecting the two trainers for the first match. Soon it stopped as two portraits inflated for all to see.
"Our first matchup will be Team Sky vs. Team Taylor!" stated Flash Magnus.
"Great! We're the first match!" said Sky as he looked up and saw his picture.
"I can't lose!" said the boy named Taylor as he looked up and saw his icon.
"Looks like Sky is kicking things off," said Rarity.
"Can't wait to see which Pokémon his opponent will use," added Twilight.
Two holes on opposite sides of the field began to open up as hot air balloons were shown floating upward. On them were Sky and Talyor as they were looking at each from afar. Another hole in the field opened up, showing a balloon with the ring attached.
"The balloon ring has been released, and the Pokéringer contestants are being raised to the official altitude!" said Flash Magnus as the hot air balloons soon stopped as they were high above the ground. The screen behind the Gym Leader was shown as the drone kept track and broadcast the match for the audience to see.
"Round one, match one. Start!" shouted Flash Magnus.'
"Noctowl! I choose you!" said Sky as he threw his Pokéball.
"Skarmory! Let's go!" shouted Sky's opponent.
Noctowl appeared as it gave a sound while hovering in place. As for Talyor, he revealed a Pokémon that looked like an ostrich clad in steel armor, with long, sharp-taloned legs and a head that looked like it was wearing a steel helmet covering its beak. It also had red feathers.
"What Pokémon is that?" said Applejack as she was in the waiting area with the other contestants watching the screen. The girl pulled out her Pokédex to scan Skarmory.
"Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokémon! Skarmory sheds its sharp-edged feathers as it grows, and warriors of old would collect them for use as weapons. Skarmory stays in its nest when it rains, so its metal doesn't rust."
After Aj had finished checking Skarmory, both airborne Pokémon were shown moving on the screen.
"And both Pokémon race toward the ring at full speed!" said Flash Magnus as he called the play-by-play for the match.
Both Noctowl and Skarmory zoomed toward the ring as the smaller owl managed to get there first and snatched the object in his beak and dove just as Skarmory was looking to grab it.
"Now head straight for the goal, quick!" instructed Sky to his Pokémon.
"Stop them by using Swift!" instructed Talyor.
Skarmory cried as he opened his mouth and fired several yellow stars. The attack was heading straight for Noctowl, who didn't see the attack that was launched and collided with the owl's back.
"And Skarmory lands a clean hit! Could their strategy be to slow down Noctowl and steal the ring?" said Flash Magnus.
With Skarmory launching its Swift attack and nailing Noctowl, it caused the small owl to let go of the ring. Skarmory then swooped by and grabbed it using its beak as it dove.
"All right! Now to the goal!" stated Talyor to his Pokémon.
"Take back that ring, Noctowl!" said Sky.
Noctowl gave a determined sound as it dove after its foe. Skarmory was heading for the goal when it noticed out of the corner of its eye was Noctowl as the smaller bird was right on his tail feathers.
"Chase it away with Fury Attack!" instructed Talyor.
Skarmory quickly stopped in mid-flight as it turned to face Noctowl. The metal bird then rushed toward the owl.
"Dodge it!" instructed Sky.
Noctowl avoided the initial lunge by Skarmory as it moved to the side. Soon the birds were rotating and spinning in a circle as Noctowl was trying to avoid getting hit b Skarmory. An aerial display of moves was shown as the drone, nor Flash Magnus could narrate what was happening based on how fast the bird Pokémon were moving. Soon they broke apart as Skarmory let go of the ring for just a moment on instinct. Noctowl grabbed that small window between his beak and dove toward the goal as he had a clear path.
"All right! Now, Noctowl, the goal!" shouted Sky.
"Get ahead and use Sand Attack!" instructed Talyor.
Noctowl was diving toward its objective as Skarmory was shown diving next to them before he zipped past. The larger metal bird was near the goalpost as it used one of its wings to kick up the sand near the post and launch it in Noctowl's direction to blind the Pokémon. The sandy veil caused Noctowl to stop and shut its eyes for a moment to avoid getting sand in its line of vision.
"Now let's use - Air Cutter!" shouted Talyor.
Skarmory let out a cry as its wings glowed white. It then flapped them outward as small curves of wind were shot out, heading toward Noctowl, who still had his eyes closed.
"Noctowl!" shouted Sky as the Pokémon couldn't see the attack coming.
At that moment, a gust of wind blew in, as shown by the flag on the goalpost and around the arena. The wind caught Noctowl's wings that were spread out as it lifted the Pokémon upward and made it avoid the attack by Skarmory.
"Unbelievable! Noctowl was saved by one of Cloudsdale's famous wind gusts!" said Flash Magnus.
"That was a powerful Air Cutter too!" said Rarity as she and Twilight saw what happened from their seats.
"A direct hit, and it would've all been over," said Twilight as she could tell Noctowl got lucky with wind deciding to blow in their direction.
"You all right, Noctowl?" asked Sky to his Pokémon.
Noctowl shook off the last bit of sand as it hovered in place with the ring still in its beak. It looked at his trainer and nodded.
"Okay, now head for the goal!" said Sky.
"Unleash Air Cutter again!" said Talyor.
Noctowl was heading for the goalpost as Skarmory was looking to cut it off.
"Get as close to it as you can," said Sky.
Noctowl kept flying forward as Skarmory came in fast, and its wings glowed. The two were moments from colliding as Noctowl just held a determined look.
"Now dodge it with Sky Attack!"
Noctowl's body glowed as the smaller Pokémon quickly dove upward. It avoided the Air Cutter that was coming at it.
"That's fast!" said Taylor as he and Skarmory were stunned to see Noctowl's reaction time.
"It's time! Go!" yelled Sky as Noctowl was heading for the goal.
Noctowl was still using its Sky Attack as it dove much faster. Soon it approached the goalpost and flew by it while dropping the ring on one of the hooks.
"Goal!" said the screen for all to see.
"And Team Sky moves right along to the second match!"
"Good job, Noctowl!" said Sky to his Pokémon.
Noctowl gave a pleasant response as the boy called back his Pokémon. The hot air balloons were now descending as they entered the holes and were back in the room underground.
"All right, folks, it's time for our next match. Who are our next two teams?" said Flash Magnus as he looked at the screen.
"Well, what do we have here! This team has won four competitions in the past. They're the unbeatable four-time champions. Team Striker!" said Flash Magnus as it showed the image of the man. Some of the crowd cheered and applauded. "And competing against them will be. Team Applejack!"
"Aj?" said Sky as he had just gotten out of the hot air balloon and was about to exit the room.
The boy had overheard Flash Magnus make the announcement and was stunned. Soon entering the room was none other than the cowgirl herself.
"Nice work out there, cowboy," stated Aj.
"Thanks," responded the teen, "You ready?"
"No," answered the country gal honestly.
"Don't worry, you're gonna do fine," said Sky.
"Thanks, sugarcube," stated Applejack with a smile.
The girl walked past her friend as she hopped into the balloon and made some final adjustments before it was lifted into the air.
"Good luck, Aj!" said Sky with a smile as he left.
"Now that both second-match contestants are in their places. Let's begin!" said Flash Magnus.
"Start!" said the screen.
"Heracross, lend me yer strength!" said Applejack as she threw her Pokéball.
"Dragonite, let's go!" said Aj's opponent.
Out came a large, orange, bipedal dragon with two turquoise wings on its back.
"It's Dragonite against Heracross," said Sky as he pulled out his Pokédex.
"Dragonite, the Dragon Pokémon. A Dragonite rescued a man from a shipwreck and flew him off to a Dragonite paradise on a faraway island. This calm and kindly Pokémon is slow to anger, but once roused, its wrath can be incredibly destructive."
"And Heracross zooms to the ring!" said Flash Magnus as it showed the bettle Pokémon making the first move on the screen.
"Heracross's gotten a head start, but Dragonite's faster! Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" instructed Striker.
Dragonite let out a roar as he opened his mouth, and a green sphere of energy formed before shooting toward Heracross.
"Dodge it!" said Applejack.
Heracross zoomed by Dragonite and dove.
"Get going! And use Fire Punch!" said Striker.
"Heracross, Focus Punch!"
Hearcross turned around as it had one of its fists glow. It reeled back and collided with Dragonite's Fire Punch as the two attacks met. It held for a bit before both were pushed back.
"Dragon Rush, now!" said Striker.
Dragonite quickly recovered as it launched its attack. It collided with Heracross in the back as the Pokémon felt the attack.
"Wow! What a powerful move! And a clean hit as well!" said Flash Magnus.
The ring that Heracross had flung from its mouth as it was heading downward.
"Get it, Dragonite!" shouted Striker.
"Take back that ring!" said Applejack.
Both Pokémon were diving side by side. The pair was rushing toward the falling object as Heracross managed to pull ahead and grab the ring first.
"All right, use Dragon Rush again!" instructed Striker.
"Aerial Ace!" instructed Applejack.
Dragonite surrounded itself in its attack as it headed toward Heracross. Aj gave Heracross an order as the beetle was encased in its attack.
"Heracross's fast, but my Dragonite's faster!" declared Striker.
Dragonite was closing in with a determined look on its face. Applejack saw the Pokémon closing in as she then felt a wind blow from her side, as her hat flapped a bit.
"Ride the wind and dodge it!" shouted Applejack.
Heracross heard the girl's command as it felt the wind current blowing, allowing it to carry him up and out of Dragonite's way. Dragonite was shocked at seeing Heracross dodge that it was soon caught in the updraft and threw it off balance.
"What the!" shouted Striker.
Dragonite was now in front of Heracross as the beetle rammed into it as Aerial Ace was still in effect. It hit Dragonite in the back as it was starting to fall.
"Nice! Now head for the goal!" declared Aj as she had a clear path.
Heracross dove as it was moments away from putting the ring on one of the goalposts. Just then…
"Hyper Beam!" yelled Striker.
Dragonite recovered as it opened its mouth and fired its attack.
"Heracross!" shouted the farm girl.
The Pokémon saw the attack coming at him from the corner of his eye, but he couldn't avoid it in time as it collided with the beetle. The Pokémon fell to the ground as a sand cloud shot up, with the ring flying from its grip and into the air.
"Heracross!" shouted the country gal.
The cloud disbursed as there was the Pokémon on the ground with sails in its eyes.
"And Dragonite's powerful attack ends the battle!" said Flash Magnus for all to hear.
Dragonite was shown smirking as he had the ring twirling in one of its fingers before placing it on the goalpost.
"Goal!" said the screen.
"Team Striker has defeated Team Applejack and moves onto round two!" said Flash Magnus.
"Tough break for Aj," said Rarity as she felt sad to see her friend lose in the first round.
Aj had a sad expression on the screen as she was being lowered. Sky saw how disappointed the farm girl was as he sympathized with her.
"Aj," stated the boy.
"Let's keep those matches coming!" said Flash Magnus.
Round after round flew by. While Aj was upset, she still showed support for her friend. Sky and Novotel kept riding their wave of momentum as the team was winning their matches. At the same time, Striker and Dragonite were also sweeping the competition in their bracket as soon, only two teams remained.
"Alright, everyone, we're coming down to the final round!" said Flash Magnus. "And our two finalists are. Team Sky and Team Striker!"
The images of the two participants appeared on the screen for all to see.
"Sky made it to the finals. Not bad for a first time competing in this event," said Twilight.
"No doubt, this will be a fierce battle," stated Rarity.
"Let's do this!" said Sky as he was in the hot air balloon basket.
The boy had the Pokéball of Novotel in his hand as he spoke with his Pokémon and gave some encouraging words. The balloon began to lift as Sky saw Striker ahead as he had a smirk.
"Be careful, Sky," said Applejack.
"This one is for you, Aj," said the boy as he lifted his Pokéball. "Now, Novotel, I choose you!"
"Dragonite, let's go!" shouted Striker.
Both Pokémon appeared in a flash of light as Noctowl quickly headed toward the floating ring.
"And Noctowl takes the lead," said Flash Magnus.
The smaller Pokémon made it and grabbed the ring in between its beak, and took off.
"Noctowl, great work!" said Sky with a smile.
"Use Dragon Rush!" shouted Striker.
Dragonite rushed toward Noctowl as it was encased in its attack.
"Noctowl, counter with Sky Attack!" said Sky.
Noctowl heard the boy's command as he was encased in his attack. Despite being smaller, he wasn't backing down from the larger Pokémon. The two attacks met in the middle as a huge collision occurred in the air. The force of the attacks pushed Noctowl back, and he started to fall with the ring still in his mouth. Dragonite appeared through the cloud as it taunted the owl.
"Fire Punch, go!" shouted Striker.
Dragonite zoomed toward Noctowl as its fist was ignited.
"Now dodge it!" said Sky.
Noctowl heard Sky's command as he recovered. The small bird used his smaller size and stature as he dodged the attack from Dragonite and quickly flew away.
"Noctowl! Head for the goal!"
Noctowl was diving as Dragonite chased after him.
"Dragon Breath!" shouted Striker.
Dragonite opened his mouth as he fired his attack at the owl. It collided with Noctowl as the ring flew from Noctowl's mouth.
"Noctowl!" shouted Sky as he saw his Pokémon get hit.
The smaller Pokémon shook off the attack as he quickly grabbed the ring back in its mouth.
"And Noctowl dives straight for the goal!" said Flash Magnus.
A wind blew as it caught Noctowl off guard and blew him back with force. Sky and the girls gasped as they saw Noctowl being flown back.
"And it's another sudden wind gust!" said the Gym Leader.
"Ride the wind and use Dragon Rush!" said Striker.
Dragonite encased itself in its attack and rode the wind; Noctowl saw the attack coming as it managed to move just as Dragonite clipped his tail feathers. The wind still kept blowing.
"Hurry, Noctowl, get out of that wind and head for the goal!" yelled Sky through the wind to his Pokémon.
Noctowl heard Sky's command as he refocused and began to steady himself.
"Use the wind to your advantage with back-to-back Dragoon Rushes!" shouted Striker through the wind.
Dragonite felt the wind as he managed to steady himself before taking off.
"Dodge it!" shouted Sky.
Noctowl saw Dragonite coming as he moved out of the way using his smaller size. However, Dragonite managed to find a blind spot and collided with the owl as he was knocked back. Dragonite grabbed the ring as he saw Noctowl shaking the attack and giving a frustrated look.
"Dragonite, now head for the goal!" yelled Striker.
The dragon took off with Noctowl trailing behind him.
"Use Sky Attack and get that ring back!" said Sky.
Noctowl surrounded itself and headed toward Dragonite.
"Dodge it!" said Striker.
Dragonite noticed Noctowl out of his eye and did a loop-de-loop to avoid the attack as he was now behind the smaller Pokémon.
"Use Air Slash and fly down!" instructed Sky.
Noctowl flew upward before concentrating and making its attack into a giant and one sphere as he launched it down. Dragonite stopped himself just as the sphere fell before him. However, the ring that was once in his mouth was gone. As it turns out, the attack was a distraction as Noctowl immediately dove after launching his attack and was able to fly by and snip the ring from Dragonite's mouth.
"Awesome! Now head straight for the goal!" said Sky.
"Dragon Rush!" shouted Striker.
Dragonite took off as he connected with Noctowl, who felt it and was starting to lose altitude.
"Fire Punch!"
Striker kept on the offense as Dragonite closed in on another attack on the owl.
"Counter it with Sky Attack!" said Sky.
The small owl turned as he took off to meet Dragonite in the middle. The dragon merely barrel-rolled over the Pokémon and was shocked along with the boy.
"We're not falling for that same trick twice," said Striker.
Dragonite then launched his attack, and it collided with Noctowl's back.
"Wow, Dragonite dodged Noctowl's attack," said Rarity as she was stunned by what she saw.
Dragonite launched another attack as it made contact with Noctowl, sending the bird to the ground as he landed near the goal, but he still had the ring in his beak as he refused to let it go.
"This isn't good; if Sky Attack isn't good enough, then I'm afraid they don't have any more moves to match Dragonite's speed," said Twilight, as the pair didn't have many moves to make.
"Show them how strong you are, Noctowl!" stated Sky.
The owl tried to push himself up but struggled as the pain started to set in.
"Honestly, you think a little "encouragement" would do anything? Wrap it up with Hyper Beam!" said Striker.
Dragonite opened his mouth as he looked to finish off the smaller bird. The attack was fired as it headed toward the downed Pokémon.
"Dragonite mercilessly unleashes Hyper Bean on motionless Noctowl! Is this it for Team Sky?" said Flash Magnus.
The attack got closer and closer as it was moments away from connecting. Noctowl was still struggling to stand as it didn't seem he would avoid it.
"You can do it, Noctowl!" shouted Sky at the top of his lungs.
Noctowl's eyes shot open as the cry from his trainer gave him the strength to get up and move out of the way, just as Hyper Bean made contact. Dragonite and Striker were shocked to see that the small bird still had some fight left in him, despite the beating he had taken up to this point.
"Stay calm! Fire Punch!" instructed Striker.
Dragonite let out a growl as it had its fist ignite into flames. The dragon swung at Noctowl, dodging the swings by the larger Pokémon. Eventually, one of them made contact as it collided with Noctowl as the ring was released from his grip and started to fall.
"Grab it!" shouted Striker.
"Grab the ring before, Dragonite!" said Sky.
The two Pokémon heard the command from their respective trainers as they dove after the ring. However, Noctowl trailed behind Dragonite a bit as they got closer to the goal.
"With all the damage Noctowl has taken, it's lagging. No doubt, he's reaching his limit," stated Twilight; based on how fast the Pokémon were falling, Dragonite would reach the goal first.
"The ring is falling right near the goal! Whichever team grabs the ring first will be our big winner!" shouted Flash Magnus through his mic.
The ring was falling as Dragonite seemed to have the advantage due to its longer body.
"Noctowl, you can do it; use Extrasensory and put it on the goal!" yelled Sky.
The owl gave one final effort as he moved upward and had his eyes glow. His psychic powers activated as they surrounded the ring, and he used his mind to fling it out from Dragonite just as the dragon was looking to snatch it. The ring flew forward as it soon landed on one of the goalposts.
"Goal!" said the screen.
"And the winner is… Team Sky!" stated Flash Magnus.
The crowd stood up and cheered as a thunderous roar came over.
"We did it, Noctowl!" said Sky to his Pokémon as he nodded and landed on the boy's shoulder.
"My word, that had my heart racing!" said Rarity as she nearly fainted from being on the edge of her seat.
"Leave it to Sky to surprise you every time!" said Twilight as they applauded.
"Great work, sugarcube," smiled Applejack.
In the hangar, Striker recalled Dragonite as he looked over at the boy and his Pokémon. He didn't say anything as he walked past them, and they followed him. He was about to exit when he stopped and turned his head to give them a quick thumbs up as a sign of respect. The teen smiled as he returned the gesture as the man walked out.
It was now later, as Sky was being awarded for his victory.
"As you can see, the winner of the Pokéringer competition, Team Sky, has been handed an honorary citizenship certificate from Cloudsdale's mayor!"
The screen showed Sky receiving the plaque from the mayor as he then turned to the camera. A snap was heard as the picture of him with Noctowl on his shoulder was taken so the pair could be added to the list of winners.
Once the contest was over and Sky had Noctowl healed up at the Pokémon Center, the teens were with Flash Magnus.
"Excellent battling, Sky. That was some fine Pokéringer!" said the Gum Leader.
"It was a blast!" responded the boy.
"So, you kids heading off?" asked the man.
"Fraid so. It's time we get goin' and catch up to our friends," said Aj.
"In that case, I wish you all a safe journey. And Applejack and Sky, good luck in your Gym Battles. I'll be expecting to see you two at the League."
"Count on it!" declared the boy.
"Thanks for everything, Flash Magnus," said Twilight.
"My pleasure," smiled the Gym Leader.
"Farewell!" spoke Rarity as she and the others all began to leave through the city's exit while waving at Flash Magnus.
The Gym Leader waved goodbye as he saw the kids off until they were gone from his sight, and they entered the forest.
Author's Note: Nothing brings Pokemon and people together like a sport that requires them to work as a team. And if there was any doubt as to why Sky has a Noctowl on his team, you can see why. Thought it may be small, it's got a big heart that's for sure. And now that the second half of the group is now headed on their way, it's time for the journey to continue. As always, leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments.