It's another bright and beautiful day as our heroes have decided to stop for lunch in the nearby woods. Following the Canterlot City Tag Battle, both groups decided to head north toward the two gyms in that direction. Until they reached the cross path, they had decided to stick together. In addition, before leaving, Velvet had allowed Spike to go with his sister on the condition that he would listen to her every command and not disobey her. Less, she tracks him down and drags him back home. Spike received the warning from his mother as he promised not to be a pain in the ass... for the most part.
The teens also had all their Pokémon out to help prepare things for lunch. However, one was just off to the side and observing the others. Fletchling, now belonging to Sky after Sunset had freed it, was looking about. He was confused as he didn't know what to do or if he should do anything. The small robin began to flashback to a memory.
It was a memory of when it was with Sunset and the others. The girl placed a can of Pokémon food in front of the robin and her other Pokémon. The others all began to much away as Fletchling began to dig in.
"Hurry up, everyone. We still got more training to do," said Sunset to her Pokémon as she walked away.
The memory ended as Fletchling's name was being addressed.
"Fletchling!"
The small robin looked up as Sky was shown bending onto a knee and presenting the Pokémon with a food bowl.
"Here you go. Eat up," said the boy to his Pokémon as the small bird merely looked at it. Fletchling looked to his side as he saw the other Pokémon eating away in two rows on the blanket. He then looked back at its new Trainer. "It's good. Trust me." Sky merely patted its head before returning to the table to eat.
The small robin looked at its meal before grabbing a piece of food and gobbling it down. The Pokémon enjoyed the taste as he began munching on its meal. Once everybody had finished lunch, the group was having their Pokémon have fun, and in most cases, they battled against each other. Everyone was broken into pairs as they sought to improve their Pokémon pals.
"Ready, Aj?" asked Sky as he had his Pikachu before him.
"Give me yer best shot, cowboy!" said the girl as she had her Heracross.
"Pikachu, start off with Quick Attack!"
The yellow mouse took off as it was zigzagging toward the beetle.
"Heracross, prepare to block it!" instructed Applejack.
The beetle put his arms up as Pikachu collided headfirst into them. The rodent was trying to push back its foe as Heracross held on. Heracross fended off Pikachu as the mouse flipped back onto all four legs in front of his Trainer.
"Focus Punch!"
"Iron Tail!"
Applejack and Sky gave their Pokémon their commands as they lunged forward. Heracross had one of its limbs glow as he thrust it out; meanwhile, Pikachu turned with its tail glowing in a metal coating. The two limbs collided as the force behind them created some wind. Both Pokémon were pushed back as they skidded to a halt before their Trainers.
"Now, Bullet Seed!" instructed the farm girl.
"Dodge it, Pikachu!"
The mouse quickly moved out of the way just as Heracross' attack was fired.
"Now, Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu charged itself up before releasing its electric attack.
"Dodge it!" said the country gal.
Heracross spread its wings out and flew out of the path of Pikachu's Thunderbolt.
"Follow it up with Megahorn!/Volt Tackle!" shouted Sky and Applejack.
Both their Pokémon let out a battle cry as they lunged forward. Heracross dived with its nose angled as Pikachu charged and leaped into the air. The two met again as they tried to outpower the other in the stalemate of their clash. While this was happening, Fletchling was watching with interest. Pikachu and Heracross were pushed back once again.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu spun and twisted its body so that it could land on one of its front legs. It quickly pivoted to make its back legs land and push off immediately in the blink of an eye. The rodent made contact with Heracross as it collided with the beetle in mid-air and pushed the larger foe back. Heracross tumbled on the ground as it rolled and quickly recovered, giving a defiant look.
"Alright, that's enough!" said Twilight as she decided to call the training there.
"Great work, bud," said Sky to his Pikachu as he petted his head.
"Pika!" said the rodent as he enjoyed his Trainer petting him.
"Excellent job," stated Applejack to her Heracross.
"Your Pokémon are looking to be in great shape, you two," said Twilight.
"I have to hand it to Aj. I'm surprised Heracross could keep up with Pikachu's moves."
"Thanks, partner. And that Focus Punch was mighty powerful!" said the farm girl to her beetle.
Heracross gave a bashful response as he looked away, to which Sky's Pikachu approached it to give an encouraging response. Aj's Pokémon took pride in hearing the comment from the small yellow rodent. Watching this small interaction was Fletchling, as the small robin was slightly confused. It soon had another flashback memory.
It showed the small robin battling against Sunset's Chimchar in a practice match. It fired its Razor Wind attack as the blades of wind made contact with the chimp and sent it tumbling to the ground. It was defeated as the bird was happy to have won. Sunset recalled her Pokémon as she gave Fletchling a look that caused the robin to stand at attention.
"It took you five minutes to defeat Chimchar after it'd managed to beat the others. Only take pride when you defeat an opponent using your own power. Anything less is unacceptable. Understood!" said the girl as the small robin nodded.
"Fletchling!"
The Pokémon was snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Sky approaching him. He bent down to eye his new team member.
"So, what do you? Want to do a little battling?" asked the boy.
The small robin put his head down as he was unsure about the idea, potentially making Sky regret his decision to catch it. At that moment, Aj's Boltund appeared as it proudly accepted the challenge of being Fletchling's sparing partner.
"Well, I think Boltund's volunteered," said Aj to her doggie as it licked her face when she bent down to rub its tummy.
"Hear that. Come on, let's work together!" encouraged Sky to his new Pokémon.
Soon Aj and Sky had their respective Pokémon out, ready to train.
"Boltund, use Thunderbolt!" instructed the country gal.
The dog charged up as it let loose its attack.
"All right, Fletchling, Double Team!"
The small robin dodged Aj's attack, and soon multiple copies appeared before the dog.
"We don't know which one is the real Fletchling. So keep a sharp eye out!" said Applejack to her dog.
The dog looked at the many small robins flying about and circling it. Soon approaching from behind was it had a clear shot at Boltund.
"Fletchling, Steel Wing!" said Sky.
His Pokémon had its tiny wings encased in a metal coating as it made contact with the dog.
"Quick, Boltund, counter with Quick Attack!" said Aj.
Her dog recovered on its feet and immediately pushed off as he charged at the small robin. It made contact with Fletchling as the small robin felt it. Buneary practiced with Turtwig as the bunny hopped over its tackle when they noticed the battle between Fletchling and Boltund. Soon, the other Pokémon all stopped the training they were doing and looked on as well.
Boltund and Fletchling were trading Steel Wing and Wild Charge attacks as they were looking to get the upper hand. Eventually, all the other Pokémon began cheering for the pair as they moved about the field in an intense battle.
"Fletchling, use Double Team once more!"
The small robin made copies of itself just as Boltund charged into several of them and looked up at the many circling it. Once again, the real one was coming from behind.
"Fletchling, Razor Wind!"
"Boltund, Thunderbolt!"
The dog noticed the small bird from the corner of its eye. It quickly turned and charged its body. Fletchling let loose its attack as wind blades shot out; Boltund released the electricity it stored and fired a single massive bolt of lightning. The two attacks made contact and met in the middle, putting on a display of power. Fletchling was concentrating on trying to put more power in its attack like Sunset had told it so many times in the past to outmuscle its opponent. Boltund had a more focused expression as its electric attack slowly overpowered Fletchling's attack; the small robin was sweating hard as it ran out of steam.
Eventually, the Thunderbolt pushed back the Razor Wind and contacted Fletchling. The other Pokémon gave worried sounds as the small robin crashed onto the ground.
"That's it!" said Twilight as she decided to call the training match there.
"Great work!" said Applejack to her dog as it ran to her and stood on its hind legs to lick her face, getting the girl to giggle.
Meanwhile, Fletchling was struggling to get up from the grass. Another flashback memory, the events of the Tag Battle Competition, came rushing into its mind. It recalled how it was pinned down by the Vigorth and ignored Sunset's command because it let its fear take over. Then Sunset releasing Fletchling after that battle.
"You and me... we're done," said the girl as she released her Pokémon.
The final image of Fletchling begging Sunset for one more chance to prove its worth.
The small robin finished recollecting as it had a scared look on its face. Thinking that it failed another Trainer and wasn't getting any stronger. Just then, Sky was shown picking up his robin. It prepared for the scolding the boy would give it for failing him.
"Fletchling, what's wrong?" asked Sky as he saw the face his Pokémon was making and was concerned.
The small robin opened its eyes and was surprised Sky wasn't upset.
"Wow, that was awesome, Fletchling! You're really strong, you know!" said Sky with a smile.'
The boy's comments confused the small robin even more.
"Hey, look at it this way, you almost defeated an opponent that's a tough match for you!" said Sky, trying to look at the glass half-full.
Turtwig came up on Sky's side as the small green creature gave an encouraging response.
"You used some great variations in your moves, and it was amazing to watch," said Twilight as she came by Sky's side and offered the small robin, also words of encouragement.
Fletchling was shocked.
"You looked fabulous, darling," said Rarity. "That was a beautiful display of your Razor Wind attack."
The fashionista smiled warmly as she held her Sewaddle, who responded encouragingly. Soon the other Pokémon all began to shout words of encouragement toward Fletchling. The small robin didn't know how to feel as it freed itself from Sky's grip and perched itself on his shoulder before nuzzling his cheek. The boy chuckled before he began to pet its tiny head.
It was nighttime, and the group was now sleeping in their tents. The teens had their Pokémon out as they all slept on the giant blanket, with some leaning against the nearby trees. Among the group, Fletchling was curled up as it seemed to have a bad dream.
The dream was another memory from its past as it relived an encounter with Sunset. A wild Gliscor was shown hurling stones at Fletchling. The small robin was looking to get out of the way.
"Don't dodge!" shouted Sunset to her Pokémon.
Fletchling looked at her, confused.
"You've got to learn to be able to use your powers under pressure!" instructed the bacon-haired girl.
Fletchling turned as it braced itself from the stones its opponent threw as they made contact.
"You're strong! So show me that power you have inside!" said the girl.
Fletchling immediately woke up as the sudden memory of his past jolted him. He looked about as the rest of the others were fast asleep. The small robin put its head down and flapped its wings as it descended into the forest. Turtwig, snoring on his back with his mouth open, sensed something as he noticed a shadow just flew over him.
The small robin flew to a small cliff overlooking the lovely moon that lit up the night and the forest below. It sat down on a stump and had a sad look. A rustling was heard as it turned to the bush and saw a small green twig sticking out.
"Twig!" said Turtwig as he made his presence known and said hello to his new teammate.
"Ling," responded Fletchling as he put his head back down.
Turtwig approached the small stump and stood on his tiny stubby back legs. He turned his head sideways as he asked the robin what was wrong. The small bird responded as he was venting to its new teammate about whether it should stick around with Sky and the others as it feared the same thing that happened with Sunset would happen again. Turtwig sat on its behind and began to talk with the robin all throughout the night.
"Do you really want to leave, kid?" asked Turtwig.
"I don't have the best track record regarding wins and losses," responded Fletchling.
"Neither do I. But that doesn't stop me from doing my best. Even if the others don't always win, we never give up. We keep on fighting till the bitter end." smiled Turtwig.
"I'm just not used to being praised, even when you fail. My former Trainer only celebrated when you produced results. Anything less, she didn't care."
"I know it's tough to adjust to a new lifestyle but trust me, being with Sky is the best experience," smiled the green little creature. "He's the best Trainer we could ever ask for. He's willing to do anything for us. He'd even give us the shirt on his back if we asked him."
"But what do I bring to this team? I'm not his first Pokémon like you. I'm not his ace in the hole like Pikachu. I'm not the powerhouse of the team like Buizel. I'm not even as intelligent as Noctowl. What do I have to offer as a team player?" asked Fletchling.
Turtwig had to think momentarily as he wondered what quality Fletchling had to make it part of the team.
"You got heart," the small green Pokémon smiled.
"What good does that do?" asked Fletchling.
"Everything. A good heart is better than all the heads in the world."
"I don't get it," responded the small robin.
"I don't either. But the point is, you got spirit, kid. That can go a long way." said Turtwig as he smiled before returning to camp.
Fletchling just looked as Turtwig was heading back to the others. The small robin looked to the night sky as he saw the stars light up.
Morning came, and the gang was getting things ready for breakfast. Once again, Fletchling stood off as it watched its comrades run about, doing their part to help. Fletchling put its wing out, trying to see if it could help in any way, but it seemed the others were taking care of everything.
"Fletchling?" said Sky as the small robin looked at its Trainer. "Come with me while I get some water, okay?"
The teen was holding some containers that needed to be filled by the nearby lake, as Fletchling seemed happy about getting to help. Sky handed one of the containers so that Fletchling could carry it in its beak while he carried the others. Soon the pair set off to get the water they needed.
Rarity was leaning against a tree with her notepad on her knees. The girl's Sewaddle was next to her as it enjoyed being scratched by the fashionista who was trying to put the finishing touches on her latest design.
"There," said Rarity as she showed her design to her Pokémon.
"Sewaddle," said the caterpillar as he liked the design of his mistress.
"Oh, my little, cute Sewaddle," said the girl as she grabbed her Pokémon, lifted it to her face, and pressed her forehead against him. The Pokémon was smiling as he loved Rarity's touch.
"So if we continue down this path, we'll reach the fork in the road," said Twilight as she was with Silverbolt and showed him the map on her device.
"This path leads to Dodge Junction, and this path here will lead to Mt. Aries," said Twilight.
"You guys are heading to Dodge Junction, and we're gonna head to Mt. Aries. This means this is where we'll be splitting up," responded Silverbolt, pointing at the crossroads just a bit up the road.
"So, Applejack, why are you on this journey?" asked Pinkie as she prepared breakfast pancakes.
"Well, since I was a young'un, I always wanted to travel," replied the country girl as she continued to stir the pot. "However, my family owes an apple orchard and farm for years and years. Workin' hard and bein' responsible have been something that's run in my family for as long as I can remember. So, I kinda had to ignore my dream of settin' out."
"Ah, that's sad. And nobody deserves to be sad. But hey, now you get to live your dream!" said Pinkie as she wrapped her arm around the farm girl. "So, are you gonna also enter the league like Dashie and Bolt?"
"At first, I was just glad I got to travel. But after seein' Sky and how he battles with his Pokémon, I was convinced," confessed Applejack.
"Well, just know that I'll be rooting for you as well," said Pinkie with a smile as she hugged her friend, to which Aj patted her shoulder.
Sky was with Fletchling down by the lake as they filled their containers with water. The small robin was flying overhead with the container in its beak as it dived down so that the container was angled and able to pick up the water and fill it.
"Nice work, Fletchling!" said Sky as he saw his Pokémon flying toward him with the last water container.
The boy grabbed the container from the robin's beak and put the seal on.
"Great job," said Sky as Fletchling landed before him.
He then presented a treat to his Pokémon, and the bird was surprised. He looked at the food in his Trainer's hand and his face, seeing the boy smiling. The small robin shook his head as he put a wing out to push back the treat, which confused the teen.
"Fletchling, it's yours. Consider it a reward for doing a good job," said Sky, explaining to the bird that the treat was for him.
The bird still felt like he still needed to earn the treat.
"If you do a good job, you get a reward. You helped me, so you've earned this. Trust me." said Sky with a hopeful smile.
The bird looked at the teen, holding his innocent smile. The Pokémon was conflicted as it was still used to following the ways of Sunset and how she did things. He knew Sky wasn't like her and that he offered encouraging words as indicated by their training session yesterday when he failed to overpower Boltund's attack. But he'd been with Sunset for so long that it was hard not to forget about the girl and her antics. It wasn't something that could be easily forgotten.
"Trust me," repeated Sky.
The small bird looked at his Trainer as he took the treat in his beak and began to nibble on it. Sky smiled as he was pleased to see Fletchling accepting his offering.
"Fletchling, I don't care if you fail. It just means I fail with you. We're a team, and whatever we do, we do together. You're strong, and I know it's somewhere inside you. You have an array of moves. So don't worry, we'll get there. Together."
The bird listened to what the boy was saying as he let it sink in. In a way, it knew where Sky was coming from. But it contradicted the way Sunset did things. In the end, the Pokémon nodded as he at least understood what was told.
"Great. Come on, let's get back to the others," said Sky as he grabbed some containers.
"Ling," responded the Pokémon as the bird grabbed the last container in his beak and began to follow the boy back to their camping ground.
"Torkoal, Overheat!" instructed Rainbow to her Pokémon.
Torkoal opened its mouth and fired a powerful stream of fire as it hit a nearby tree. The bark was left with a burnt mark to signal its attack's power.
"Awesome work, Torkoal!" said Rainbow to her tortoise.
"Torkoal!" responded the Pokémon to his Trainer.
"Wow, Dash. Training again? You're taking this whole thing pretty seriously." stated Silverbolt as he was shown walking up the small hill the girl was practicing on.
"It's just my daily training. Maybe you could be a little more eager yourself?" responded the chromatic-haired teen to her friend. "If I'm gonna be the best Trainer, I've got no choice but to put the effort in."
"No choice? You're making life too difficult. Trainers don't have to be perfect." responded the boy. "All I'm saying is I've seen some pretty sloppy Trainers."
"That's not going to be me. I'm going to be the most awesome Trainer—cool and powerful!" exclaimed Rainbow.
"Cool and powerful? Are you kidding me?" stated Silverbolt as he put his hands in his pockets.
"What, you got a problem with that, huh Bolt?" said Rainbow, addressing her friend by his nickname.
"No, I got no problem. It's just you think very highly about this thing. Have any Trainers become great just by thinking highly of themselves?" questioned Silverbolt. "Think about this. Pokémon are supposed to live in harmony with people. Protect them and earn their admiration. Isn't that right?"
"Well, yeah. So, what are you getting at?" asked Rainbow.
"Seize people's hearts!" stated Silverbolt.
"What do you mean?"
"You want people to love you? Offer them something they haven't got. Guess what that is? It's you, Dash. They don't have you!" stated Silverbolt. "Help others, and don't think just for yourself."
"Help others? Don't just think for myself? What are you insinuating?" stated Rainbow as Silverbolt was beginning to leave.
The girl watched her friend leave as she lulled over what he said about getting people to love her by giving them something they didn't have. To help others and not think about herself. Rainbow was trying her hardest to understand what Silverbolt was trying to tell her fully.
Once the group finished breakfast, they all began to head out. They continued to follow the road on Twilight's map as they headed toward the fork. It wasn't long before they came to a signpost with two different arrows pointed.
"Alright, looks like this is where we split," said Rainbow as they stood in front of a sign with arrows going in opposite directions.
One of the arrows pointed toward the grass gym as it read: Hayseed Swamp. The other arrow read: Mt. Aries, home to the water-type gym. The group of kids all looked at the arrows before each split into their respective teams.
Sky, Applejack, Twilight, Rarity, and Spike stood on the left path as Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Silverbolt were on the right path. Everyone was looking at each other as Sky stepped forward. Silverbolt did the same as they looked at each other.
"Guess, this is it... for now," stated Sky.
"Yeah. Good luck in your gym battle," said Silverbolt as he put his hand out.
"You as well, bud," smiled Sky as he shook his friend's hand.
With the gesture done, each group turned their back on the others as they began to walk. The teens knew they would see each other down the road as they needed to go their separate routes. Though this was a sour goodbye after reuniting, the group knew the end goal was still the same. The Equestrian League.
Author's Notes: Following the Canterlot City Tag Battle, our heroes decided to stick together for just a bit longer. However, it seems Sky's newest Pokémon, Fletching, is trying to adjust to this new change as it's so used to how Sunset did things given how long they were together. But now we have our new headings: the Gym in Dodge Junction for one half and the Mt. Aries Gym for the other.