The group meets Grand Hoof, the former Equestria Champion before he lost his title to Shining Armor six years ago. Not long later, Grand is challenged by his grandson, Lightning Blitz, to a battle.
- Broken Pedestal: Lightning used to idolize his grandfather and thought he was the strongest trainer that ever has and ever will live. But then six years ago he saw Grand lose his championship to Shining Armor, who Lightning viewed as a "nobody". That, and seeing Grand smiling after his defeat shattered Lightning's view of his grandpa, seeing him as a disgrace to the family name who lost the title to somebody that doesn't deserve it.
- Cool Old Guy: Unlike his grandson, Grand Hoof is completely respectful and happily chats with Flash and the others after his battle with Lightning.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Grand Hoof completely decimates Lightning's entire team with just his Hariyama. Also, since Hariyama's opening move was Belly Drum, it essentially means he beat Lightning's entire team with only half his health.
- Freudian Excuse: Lightning's bad attitude is revealed to stem from watching his grandpa lose his championship title to Shining six years ago. Seeing his grandpa lose after idolizing him as the strongest trainer ever shattered Lightning's worldview, and seeing Grand smiling happily after the battle left him enraged. Now he is obsessed with becoming the strongest trainer himself, with the single-minded goal of taking back the title that he believes Shiningstole from his family.
- Graceful Loser: Grand was smiling after he lost his championship to Shining six years ago, since it meant he was no longer burdened by the responsibilities of being champion and could relax and spend time with his family, and was satisfied that Shining would be a worthy successor.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Flash remarks that Lightning's battle with Grand isn't that different from his own battle with Shining Armor, since they both challenged champions they knew they couldn't beat just as a way to test themselves. The biggest difference is that while Flash was satisfied with how things went against Shining, Lightning is of course unsatisfied by failing to beat even one of Grand's Pokémon.
- Retired Badass: Grand might have lost his championship title to Shining, but he shows he's still got it by giving his grandson a crushing defeat.
- Throwing the Fight: Lightning believes Grand might have lost on purpose against Shining, since the team he used against him was made up of almost entirely new Pokémon with only his Hariyama remaining from his original team. Grand absolutely denies this though, saying that he released or retired most of his original team for various reasons, and he gave everything he had against Shining that day, with Shining earning his place as Grand's successor.
