//------------------------------//
// Chapter 18- Success 
// Story: Twilight Sparkle has a Pokemon Journey 
// by Darkmetroidz 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight ran faster than she ever could, recklessly tearing down busy streets, keeping her eyes to the sky, scanning for any sign of Aria's Staraptor. Twilight was not going to take any more chances with this delivery. She had already lost it one time too many. 

"You an' Rainbow Dash go catch yer train." Applejack ordered. "We'll get our stuff from the hotel an' meet you back in Ponyville." 

Twilight couldn't afford the breath to give her an okay. She simply nodded and took off down the street, following the signs for the train station. Rainbow Dash sent Pidgeotto into the air to screen the streets for any signs of Team Umbra. 

Twilight reached the train station, gasping desperately for air. "I need-" She wheezed, "To get in better shape…" They produced the train passes Cadence had ordered for them and they made their way into their car, Twilight clutching tightly onto her bag. She had already fought once to retrieve that ball, she wasn't going to lose it again. 

After a paranoid few hours, their train pulled into Canterlot station. Twilight eased up, finally being in familiar territory. She took in a breath of the mountain city's cool air and breathed a sigh of relief. Home. 

More than anything Twilight wanted to show Rainbow Dash around the city. But before that she needed to get to the palace. Although Cadence wasn't expecting them until tomorrow, she would surely be worried that Twilight hadn't called after she had retrieved the Master Ball. She must be worried sick… She thought guiltily. 

The guards at the gate stood aside to allow Twilight and Rainbow entry. They had surely been notified of Twilight's arrival, and wouldn't dare impede her. Twilight had seen first-hoof the tongue-lashing Cadence could give to a guardspony who held up her business. Twilight shuddered to think what Cadence would have done to those Team Umbra thugs who dared steal her precious Master Ball. 

Cadence stood waiting in the courtyard, ironically in the same place where she had given Twilight her first pokémon many weeks ago. She was seated under a large shade tree, tossing treats to her Wigglytuff. Twilight smiled. When she was younger, Cadence went everywhere with her Jigglypuff. That pokémon was just as much a part of her foalsitting experience as was Cadence. Wigglytuff apparently recognized her too, as it spotted them before Cadence did and waved. 

"Twilight!" Cadence smiled, "Good to see you! Did something happen? You're back so early."

"We ran into… trouble." Twilight sighed, eyes glued to the floor. A part of her was still quite ashamed she had managed to almost botch the job Cadence had given her. 

The pink Alicorn's eyes turned deathly serious. "Team Umbra?" Twilight answered with a nod. "Oh no…"

"But we have it!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, "We tracked down Team Umbra and stole it back!" Twilight held out the Master Ball as proof. 

Excitedly, Cadence snatched up the ball, eager to examine it. "This really is it! Finally, we have it!" She looked over it again. "Funny, I imagined it'd be bigger…" 

"Hey Cadence, you never told us what you wanted that Master Ball for." Twilight murmured. Cadence had never actually mentioned why she needed it, and the curiosity was beginning to eat Twilight alive. 

"Perhaps I should have been more forthcoming to you." Cadence admitted, rubbing her neck awkwardly. "I need the Master Ball to capture a legendary Pokémon." 

"What?" Twilight and Rainbow gasped in unison. The worry Twilight had pushed aside as mere paranoia had proven true- Cadence truly wanted it for the same reason as Team Umbra. 

"Now hold on, let me explain myself." She said, getting a defensive glare. "I ordered that ball months ago to capture a legendary pokémon, because it's the only thing who can possibly stop Team Umbra's plans." 

"What do you mean?" Twilight still wasn't sure what to make of all of this. 

Cadence offered them each a seat on the stairs. "I suppose I owe you a story. Several month ago, just before you left on your journey, Auntie Celestia and I had decided to plant a mole inside Team Umbra in order to find out exactly what they were up to. He discovered that their plan is to capture and use the horrific powers of Yveltal against all of Equestria." 

"Yveltal?" Rainbow Dash parroted, "What kind of pokémon is that?"

"Yveltal is death incarnate." Cadence cryptically described. "It commands horrific dark power, and in order to power itself, it absorbs the life force of all living things. Yveltal awakens every thousand years, but its power is so great it can bring ruin onto Equestria whenever it emerges."

"But I don’t understand!" Twilight interrupted. "If a pokémon that awful exists, why hasn’t anypony ever heard of it?"

"Yveltal has been mostly forgotten except by ancient legends." Cadence explained. "There is only one pokémon capable of undoing the destruction Yveltal brings, and that is the Life Pokémon, Xerneas."

"Xerneas?" 

"Xerneas is a magnificent pokémon who, like Yveltal, only awakens once a millennium. Unlike Yveltal, once it goes back to sleep, it imbues the world with life energy, essentially replacing what Yveltal takes."

Twilight still wasn't understanding. "Well then why did you need the Master Ball? Especially if there's a risk of Team Umbra using it to capture so horrific a pokémon?"

"If Team Umbra tries to capture Yveltal, the only thing that would be able to stand up to them would be a trainer who has captured Xerneas. I planned to seek out Xerneas and capture it so that if Team Umbra were to get their hooves on Yveltal, somepony would be able to stop them."

"Okay, I understand." Twilight sighed. "I just wish there was another way."

"So do I Twilight, but as long as Team Umbra is a threat, we need to be ready." 

"Hey Cadey, how's my special somepony been doing?" Rang a familiar voice from outside the garden.

"Shining Armor?" Twilight excitedly gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Cadence smiled knowingly. "Well, for one thing, he's my coltfriend, and I invited him here. And, Shining Armor would happen to be our mole in Team Umbra." 

Twilight's jaw dropped. "What? Shiny?"

Shining Armor chuckled. "Hey, that's 'former mole' to you. I got out of there as soon as I found out about Yveltal."

"Your sister knows all about Team Umbra, she had to fight her way through some of their officers to get this Master Ball back here."

"You what?" Shining Armor exclaimed, "Who?" 

"Aria, Sonata, and Adagio." Twilight answered. "It wasn't a real battle, not really. We were just trying to distract them while out friend swiped the Master Ball."

"I'm just glad you're safe." Shining sighed, wrapping his sister in a hug. "Those guys are no joke Twi. They won't hesitate to hurt you. "

"I know big brother. But I'm hardly defenseless." 

"Speaking of which, I've got a present for you sis. I wanted to wait awhile before I gave it to you, but I think you're ready by now." Shining dug through his bag and presented her a shiny red pokéball. "Go ahead, open it." 

Twilight hesitantly pushed the button on this lid. A small bluish shape sprung out of the ball. "Gible!" It growled. Twilight gasped. 

"Gible can be difficult to train but if you can manage him he's one of the strongest and most loyal pokémon you're likely to find." Shining beamed. "Of course, I think anypony who could stand up to Aria, Sonata and Adagio all at the same time is good enough a trainer to handle this little guy."

"Thank you so much!" Twilight smiled, hugging her brother.

"You're welcome Twily." 

"Ahem." Cadence coughed. "I assume you're still looking for your next gym?" 

"Yes!" Twilight answered without hesitation. "Silverstar said it was at Hive Omega. Where is that?" 

"It's the city of the Changelings." Cadence explained. "If you go due west from Ponyville you should get there in about two weeks along Route 14. There's no trains unfortunately, so you'll need to take the hike."

"Can you tell us anything about the Gym leader there?" 

Cadence nodded. "Chrysalis is an expert on bug-type pokémon. She is a pokémon researcher like myself, but in the past she's gotten involved in some, well… shall we say shady experiments." 

Twilight cocked her head. "What do you mean by shady?" 

"All sorts of questionable research. Cloning, genetic modification. Her laboratory has given rise to at least six new species of Pokémon and it's entirely possible she's created more since then."

"Oh." Twilight was unsure what to think. On one hoof, the idea of creating new kinds of pokémon was exciting, but also extremely frightening. 

"It will be an enlightening experience to say the least." Cadence awkwardly laughed. "I'll send her a message and ask if she'd show you around her lab. We may not always see eye to eye but that doesn't change the fact that she's a brilliant scientist." 

"Okay, thank you Cadence!" Twilight waved. Although she was happy to see Cadence and her brother once more, she was still eager to get back out onto the road. After all, there were still five gym leaders to defeat, and Twilight didn’t want to wait. 

"Forgetting something?" Cadence laughed. She held up a brand new red pokédex, Twilight's promised payment for her work.

"Thank you Cadence!" She smiled. She flipped open the cover and began looking through the detailed lists of pokémon. She had missed having such a powerful tool at her hooves. 

She looked at it again, noticing the inside of the cover. A small inscription had been etched into the red plastic. 

Go forth and become a pokémon master. If anypony can do it, it's you. 

Twilight smiled. The penmanship was certainly Cadence's. She looked again, there was another message, this one in her brother's heavier print. 

Try not to break this one. These things are expensive.