Flash and Doc face off in the final round of the Hoof Cup to determine who is the better Pokémon trainer.
- Bait-and-Switch: Despite Flash being the main protagonist of the series and the expected winner, it's Doc who actually wins the battle and gets crowned the victor.
- Bittersweet Ending: In an upset conclusion, Flash loses to Doc in the Hoof Cup, but this doesn't dishearten him in the slightest, who vows to continue his journey to become a better Pokémon trainer anyway. In a broader sense, the other protagonists have gotten to show off their growth as trainers in the tournament and remain content with their own defeats. Perhaps most cathartic of all, Doc's victory means that Lightning didn't end up winning the tournament.
- Bookends: The Hoof Cup's first and final battles both feature Springer in them. However, the first battle was him and Flash winning a one on one match while the last one dissapointly had them lose without Springer getting a single win in the match.
- Breaking the Fellowship: Now that the Hoof Cup is concluded, the protagonists and supporting cast go their separate ways until they meet again:
- Trixie agrees to become Luna's apprentice to home her Pokémon training skills.
- Rainbow and Fluttershy go back to training, with the former expressing hope that she'll become the victor next time. An excited Pinkie Pie joins them on their venture.
- Celestia returns back to her lab so that Sunset won't have to work alone for too long.
- Applejack and Rarity head back home in Applewood City. Flash's main group decides to accompany with them, until Flash can pick where to head next.
- Graceful Loser: Flash shakes hands with Doc when he loses the final match, congratulating him for all his hard work and determination.
- We Will Meet Again: The only one who isn't happy about the outcome of the Hoof Cup is Lightning, who's still sulking outside from last chapter and swears that he'll beat the protagonists in another tournament some day.
