//------------------------------// // Chapter 7- Team Umbra // Story: Twilight Sparkle has a Pokemon Journey // by Darkmetroidz //------------------------------// A long road east would lead the group from the rural fields of Ponyville to the city of Fillydelphia. It was one of the larger cities in Equestria, not quite as large as Manehattan, but regardless it was one of the biggest cities in the region. But to get there, they would have to follow Route 3, a long road that cut through the countryside that would eventually bring them to the urban center that was Fillydelphia. "Ugh, how long have we been walking?" Rarity griped, draping her hoof over her head dramatically. Rainbow Dash just rolled her eyes. "We only left yesterday and we've taken plenty of breaks. You're fine Rarity." A loud rumble soon came from Rainbow Dash's stomach, quickly turning every pair of eyes towards her. "Maybe lunch would be a good idea?" Twilight suggested with a giggle. The six set down their backpacks and began the process of setting up for a meal. Applejack and Twilight went off to forage, leaving the other four to set up for a picnic. Pinkie Pie seemed to be able to carry everything conceivably necessary in her backpack. She produced a picnic blanket, a small cooking iron, and a few canned drinks. She hummed as she set about preparing sandwiches for the group. Hopefully Twilight and AJ would return with some fruit to go along with the meal. * * * "I'm not seeing much of anything out here, Applejack." Twilight sighed, her eyes still scanning the treetops. The two had ventured into the woods off the path in order to look for wild-growing fruits, but so far their efforts had been in vain. Furthermore, they had gotten turned around awhile back and now weren't entirely sure which way they'd come from. "Rotten luck, I say." Applejack groaned. "Ah well, it can't be helped. C'mon sugarcube, let's get outta here and get back to the gang." She looked around the forest, trying to figure out which way was out. "I think it's this way." Twilight followed Applejack. They could see sunlight seeping in through the trees a short way ahead of them. Surely that was the way out. Applejack broke into a canter, and Twilight followed suit. They reached the forest's edge in less than a minute, breaking out into the open. "Shoot. Looks like we got it wrong." They had emerged on wrong side of the forest, in the wide-open wilderness that lay beyond Route 3. There was nothing but flowing grass and rolling hills as far as they could see. Off to their right, near a small rocky hill there were sounds of commotion. The mares immediately focused their attention that way, their predicament forgotten for now. It sounded like ponies yelling at a pokémon. "You'd better fork over the bone, Cubone, otherwise you're going to end up like your mother." One of the two, a red stallion, taunted. "Yeah," Added a second, this one a dark blue mare. "That Rare Bone is the property of Team Umbra." Twilight could tell something was not right. "Hey, what are you doing to that pokémon?" She yelled, beginning to gallop towards the thugs. Applejack followed suit, staying close to Twilight, making sure she had her pokéballs on hoof. The two ponies, dressed in sleek black uniforms, turned their attention away from their original target to the two trainers. "Well, well, well. It looks like we have ourselves some peeping twerps. Hey Panic Attack, what are we supposed to do to nosy trainers who stick their muzzles where they don't belong?" "Beat 'em senseless and take their pokémon, Crimson Comet." Panic Attack answered, flipping her flat purple mane. Twilight was aghast. "Y-you can't take another trainer's pokémon! That's illegal!" The two crooks howled with laughter. "Kid, you have no idea who we are." The first one laughed. "We're Team Umbra. And we're bad news to brats like you who get in our way." "Our goal is to one day take over Equestria, and to do that we need to make sure we're the only ones who have pokémon. So kindly fork over your pokeballs and let us get back to work." "If you want our pokémon so badly, you'll have to beat us in a battle!" Twilight cried without thinking. "Go Bulbasaur!" She threw out Bulbasaur, Applejack following suit with Phanpy. The goons rolled their eyes. "Alright, if you want to be difficult, fine. Let's make this difficult. Houndour, front and center!" "Pawniard, you too!" Cried Panic Attack. Their pokémon both growled menacingly at Twilight and Applejack and their pokémon. Twilight was shocked by how hostile these pokémon were. Then she remembered something Cadence had told her long ago, when she had been foalsitting her one summer. "There's no such thing as a bad pokémon. They only follow their trainer's orders." She had said. These pokémon had only become aggressive because their trainers raised them to be like that. Still, it didn't change the fact that neither trainer or pokémon would give them any mercy. "Alright Phanpy, let's get 'em with rollout!" Phanpy curled into a wheel and rushed straight at Pawinard and Houndour. "Dodge!" The goons ordered. The two pokémon easily jumped out of the way, only to immediately take the offensive. "Houndour, use ember on Bulbasaur!" Crimson Comet yelled. Houndour spit fire right at Bulbasaur, threatening to burn the grass pokémon. "Intercept that, Phanpy!" Applejack cried. "Use protect!" Phanpy darted in front of Bulbasaur and intercepted the flames. With the attack, Twilight and Applejack could make a counterattack on the members of Team Umbra. "Twilight, they're too fast for Phanpy to hit. You reckon you can hold that Houndour down so we can get 'im?" Twilight nodded to her friend. "I think I have an idea. Bulbasaur, use vine whip on Houndour!" Bulbasaur complied, extending his vines out toward the fire type. "What are you stupid kid?" Crimson Comet laughed, "Grass moves barely hurt fire types." What he didn't immediately notice was the vines wrapping around Houndour's torso, keeping it held firmly in place. "Phanpy, another rollout!" Applejack yelled. Phanpy curled again and rolled straight into Houndour. With the vines holding him down, it was easy to score a clean hit. As soon as Phanpy made contact, Bulbasaur released his vines, letting Houndour go flying. Crimson Comet was furious. "What the heck? These kids are tough." Panic Attack grit her teeth. "The Boss isn't gonna be happy when we tell him we lost the Cubone." "Relax, this was only a job from the Admin. Besides, this job ain't all that important anyway." Crimson Comet turned his attention to the two trainers. "Listen up brats. Next time you run into any of us, you're in for a world of hurt. Team Umbra doesn't take kindly to pests. Consider this a warning." They recalled their pokémon then retreated off into the forest. "What was all that about?" Twilight asked, still trying to process what she had seen. "I heard bits an' pieces about these Team Umbra fellers, they're bad news." Applejack explained. "They wanna overthrow Princess Celestia and rule Equestria. Most folks think they're just nutjobs, but Miss Cherilee sure took 'em mighty seriously whenever she'd warn us fillies about 'em." The Cubone, which had ran off and hid when the fighting had started, had come out of hiding and cautiously approached Twilight. "Cubone, Cu, Cubone!" It peeped. "Poor little feller's all alone." Applejack observed. "Poor thing musta lost it's momma recently." "How do you know that?" Twilight gasped. It seemed to be a bold prediction, even after seeing what Team Umbra had tried to do. "See that skull it's wearin? It belongs to its momma." She sighed. "It's kinda the hallmark of all Cubone." The poor pokémon was truly all alone, and there was still the risk that Team Umbra might come back once they left. Twilight knew there was only one thing to do. "Cubone, do you want to come with me?" "Cu! Bone! Bone!" It cried enthusiastically. Twilight dug out a pokéball and gently pressed it onto Cubone's skull mask. It was absorbed by the ball's red aura and was captured. Applejack slapped a hoof on Twilight's back. "Well look at you. Darlin' I've never seen somepony who gets on so well with pokémon, at least other'n Flutteshy. Y'all got a gift or somethin'." "Thanks Applejack, but I don't think so." Twilight laughed. "I'm nopony special." * * * It took another fifteen minutes of wandering through the forest for Twilight and Applejack to find their way back to the rest of the group. Pinkie had long ago finished making lunch, and in their impatience, everypony else had eaten already. "You guys get lost or something?" Rainbow asked sarcastically. "Didjya find any fruit to eat?" Pinkie asked excitedly. "No, we couldn't find anything." Twilight sighed. "But we did find another mouth to feed," Applejack added jokingly. Everypony looked at them confusedly. "Show 'em Twi." Twilight let Cubone from his ball to show her friends. "He was being attacked by some goons who called themselves Team Umbra. I couldn't leave him." The mention of the organization made the group cringe. "Be mindful of those ruffians," Rarity advised. I've heard many an awful tale about their antics." "Thank goodness you rescued this cute little guy." Fluttershy said while fawning over Cubone. "Poor thing most be awfully shaken up. Here, let me introduce him to my pokémon." Fluttershy produced two pokéballs, releasing their occupants. Her two, Buneary and Teddiursa, eagerly greeted the new arrival. The rest of the group followed suit. Pinkie Pie tossed out her two. "Come out Lombre! You too Steve!" Her two pokémon, a Lombre and a Hoppip emerged. Twilight couldn't help but notice how strange the nickname was, but she went along with it. Rarity revealed her only pokémon, her Kirlia. Rainbow released Slowpoke and Pidgeotto, and Applejack her Mareep and Phanpy. Twilight finally revealed Bulbasaur and Eevee, who eagerly went to meet their new friend. If the onslaught of new faces overwhelmed Cubone, he didn't show it. He very casually began socializing with the others, communicating in their poké-speak. Twilight left the pokémon to themselves and sat with the other mares, taking her sandwich and heartily eating it. She'd had a stressful afternoon and needed the food. "So, do you know anything else about Team Umbra?" Twilight asked, her mouth still full of lettuce, tomato and cheese. Everypony shook their heads no. "They're real sneaky-like about their doings." Applejack explained. "Nopony who ain't part of their team knows much of anything about 'em." "All anypony knows are rumors." Fluttershy continued. "But all of it is horrible. I heard somewhere they cut tails off of Slowpoke and sell them for money. "Somepony said once they kick Lillipups for fun." Pinkie added. "I heard they use a Casino in Las Pegasus to make money and sell stolen pokémon. " Rainbow commented. Slowpoke turned its head their way at the mention of the maiming of its tail. All of the stories she was hearing made one thing clear to Twilight- she would have to stay clear of Team Umbra in the future. Judging by what her friends had told her, if they were ever to end up unable to defend themselves, they wouldn't think twice about hurting them- or worse.