Twilight Sparkle has a Pokemon Journey

by Darkmetroidz

Chapter 5- The Gym Leader

Fluttershy had offered Twilight a place to stay for the night, which she graciously accepted. Fluttershy's guest bedroom was small but cozy, allowing Twilight a restful night's sleep. She woke up feeling peppy and alive, and with the smell of pancakes drifting up from downstairs. Following the smell, Twilight walked down the stairs with a spring in her trot. Fluttershy was at the stove, preparing breakfast. "Good morning, did you sleep well?" She smiled, "Are pancakes okay?"

"That'd be fantastic," Twilight answered. Fluttershy returned her attention to her griddle while Twilight sat down, gazing around Fluttershy's house. There were several pictures mounted on the walls of her with all sorts of exotic pokémon, including several kinds Twilight had never seen before. Her bookshelves were stocked with materials on caretaking and breeding. Fluttershy set a piling plate of pancakes down on the table, and after a brief thank you, the two mares dug in heartily.

"So, are you going to challenge the Gym leader today?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight nodded, her mouth still full of flapjack and syrup. "Yep. Everything that I needed to do to prepare is ready, so I think it's time I gave it a shot."

"Will Rainbow Dash be battling her too?"

"Yep! Rainbow thinks she's got what it takes, so she's gonna go for it."

Fluttershy smiled slightly. "How exciting. I'll have to come watch."

"Rainbow said you weren't big into battling." Twilight commented.

Her host shook her head. "No, it isn't that. You see, as you probably realized, I'm a little, well… shy."

"You don't say." Twilight said, trying hard not to roll her eyes.

"It's not that I don't like battling, it's just I'm no good at it. I'm not very good at giving commands to my pokémon, and I can't make the quick decisions you need either. Besides, Rainbow is my friend, I certainly want to be there to cheer her on."

Twilight nodded. "That makes sense."

"Tea?"

* * *

Twilight left Fluttershy's cottage full, rested, and invigorated. Fluttershy had remained behind, but promised to meet them at the gym. She was going to find a few of her and Rainbow Dash's friends to come watch the battle. Applejack was one, but the other two she had mentioned Rainbow Dash had not talked about before.

She met with Rainbow Dash in front of town hall. Her friend was wearing a bright new jacket and hat, both of which had been made by hoof. Their colors, a light red and white, suited her coat and mane well, and were perfect for the springtime weather.

At her side was an alabaster unicorn with a curled purple mane. "Hey Twi, this is my friend Rarity." She said, waving at the mare at her side. "She's a designer, owns the boutique on the other side of town."

She stepped forward to introduce herself. "Hello, my name is Rarity, fashion designer extraordinaire, and this is my partner Kirlia." The small pokémon at her side did a small curtsey, and returned to her trainer's side.

"Hello," Twilight said with a smile, "Are you coming to see Rainbow and I at the Gym today."

"But of course darling. I've been waiting to see Rainbow Dash finally victorious for ages. And I look forward to seeing you too, of course." She added.

Twilight turned her attention back to Rainbow. "You all ready?"

She nodded. "Yep. Me and the team got a good night sleep and we're ready for a battle. Let's go!"

Rainbow Dash and Twilight, with Rarity in tow, made their way down the main road north, until they arrived at a small red schoolhouse. "Is this the gym?" Twilight asked, perplexed. Compared to the Canterlot Gym, which she had toured as a filly, the place was downright tiny. There was a small stadium arranged on the grounds nearby, but most parks in Canterlot had similar setups that were better taken care of, and offered more seating. All there was for seats were four small sets of bleachers, which although they would be enough for their audience, it still came off as relatively underwhelming.

"Yeah." Rainbow answered. "Take a seat, the gym doesn't open for a few minutes. School's still in right now." The mares sat together in the stands and began idly chatting for a few minutes. Eventually, the school's bell started tolling, and a group of foals began to file out of the building. Seeing the older mares seated around the stadium, about half of the class moved to the seats, eager to see a battle.

After the last of the children walked out, a wine-colored mare stepped out of the building, casting her eyes toward her arena. She noticed the challengers, and began a brisk canter over to the field. "Hello, and welcome to the Ponyville Gym." She smiled, "My name is Cherilee, and it's my pleasure to be your opponent today."

Rainbow Dash looked over at Twilight. "Alright Twi, this is it. I'll let you decide if you want to go first or second."

Twilight looked behind them. Fluttershy hadn't arrived yet, and neither had Applejack. Supposedly Rainbow was expecting one more beyond that. "I'll go first, give your friends some time to get here."

"Thanks Twi, now knock 'em dead!" Rainbow gave Twilight a smack on the back, knocking her forward toward Cherilee.

"I don't believe I've seen you in town before." She observed. "May I ask your name?"

"I'm Twilight, and I'm from Canterlot."

"Well Twilight, I'm sure my students will be very appreciative to watch our battle today. Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes!" She answered with unparalleled enthusiasm. Twilight stepped forward onto the grass, taking the side opposite Cherilee.

One of Cherilee's students, an older colt, stepped out into the middle of the field, holding an index card in his hoof. "The Ponyville Gym battle will now begin. The challenger will be allowed to use two pokémon, versus the gym leader's one. The first side to run out of pokémon will be declared the loser. Are both sides ready?"

"Yes." Twilight answered, trying hard to disguise the nervousness in her voice.

"Yes, and you're doing a great job so far, Rumble." She smiled. Twilight couldn’t help but respect Cherilee. She was so sweet and kind, and worked so hard to build her student's confidence. Allowing her students to play such a large role in her gym certainly made them feel important.

"Then let the battle begin!" He shouted, trying to hide excitement. Even though he was acting as a professional, the giddiness a youth felt when watching a battle was unrivalled.

Cherilee produced her pokéball. "Come out, my dear friend. It's time to show them what we can do!" Out from the pokéball appeared a mountain of a pokémon. Twilight cringed. Kangaskhan. She took out her pokédex and pointed it at it.

Kangaskhan, the Parent pokémon. Kangaskhan keeps its young in its pouch for protection. They are fierce defenders of their young, and have been known to cause extreme harm to those they deem a threat.

Twilight cringed. Kangaskhan were supposedly extremely formidable opponents, especially against pokémon who hadn't evolved. She would need to be smart about this if she wanted to win. "Alright, Eevee, let's go!" Eevee popped out of her pokéball with a happy squeal. It understood what was going on instinctively, and despite being dwarfed by the opposing pokémon, still seemed eager to battle.

"Alright Kangaskhan, use comet punch!" The massive pokémon went at Eevee with a brutal series of jabs, each one knocking the poor pokémon around more and more.

Twilight cringed. Kangaskhan had too much sheer power to be able to make this a battle of attrition. She would need to hit fast and hard, but first she would need to make sure Kangaskhan wouldn't bulldoze through her team first. "Use sand attack!" Eevee swept up a heap of dirt off the ground and flicked it right into Kangaskhan's eyes. The pokémon made a cry of annoyance, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Are you alright?" Cherilee asked, smiling through grit teeth. "It will take a lot more than a little sand to stop us! Use bite!" Kangaskhan lunged in to sink its teeth into Eevee, but the small nimble pokémon easily dodged it.

"Alright, go for a tail whip!" Twilight ordered. Eevee immediately began shaking her tail in an alluring way, causing Kangaskhan to drop its guard. "Now use scratch!" Eevee raked Kangaskhan with her claws, causing the pokémon to cry out. Twilight grinned. She was going to be getting this battle moving now.

But Cherilee wasn't going down without a fight. "Use double hit!" Kangaskhan's fist found Eevee, knocking it into the air. The second punch landed, knocking the poor pokémon into the dirt. Eevee could no longer get up- it was surely unconscious.

"Eevee is no longer able to battle!" Rumble announced. "Does the challenger have another pokémon?"

Twilight cradled Bulbasaur's pokéball between her hooves. "It's all up to you buddy." She whispered. "Yes! Bulbasaur, I choose you!"

"Bulba! Saur!" Her pokémon cried.

The battle resumed immediately. Cherilee hadn't lost any momentum, and it was up to Twilight to keep up.

"Comet punch, again!" She yelled. Kangaskhan obeyed, but hadn't entirely cleared the sand from its eyes. It went in for the strike, but Bulbasaur was able to evade.

"Go for a poison powder!" Twilight exclaimed. She knew she wouldn't be able to stall long enough for a poison and leech seed combo to work, but the poison would at least keep Cherilee from getting an advantage.

Cherilee was still smiling. "Alright, Kangaskhan, use power-up punch!" Twilight swallowed. This move would keep hurting her worse and worse if it was allowed to keep hitting. She needed to do something, and fast.

The ground trembled as Kangaskhan charged, its fist cloaked in a red aura. "Use vine whip, on its legs!" Twilight shouted. Bulbasaur immediately reacted, wrapping a vine around Kangaskhan's ankle. The tangling growth ripped its footing out from under it, causing Kangaskhan to stumble into the dirt. It's now or never. This was Twilight's last chance to get something off before Kangaskhan would beat Bulbasaur into the dirt. "Use razor leaf!"

Bulbasaur fired a series of sharp, spinning leaves from its bulb, each one landing on Kangaskhan's head. The barrage of leaves was too much for the bulky pokémon to handle, and after the attack subsided, Kangaskhan was unconscious.

"Kangaskhan is unable to battle! The winner is the challenger!" Rumble announced. There was applause from the students, who although disappointed, were nonetheless happy to have seen such a good battle. On the visitor's side, however, there was a much louder cheering from the four ponies now in attendance.

Rainbow Dash ran over and wrapped Twilight in a hug. "That was amazing! I knew you could do it!"

From the side, Fluttershy joined in. "You and your pokémon did so well. You really should be proud."

"You were divine, simply amazing!" Rarity praised, "You certainly are quite the trainer."

"That was so super incredible!" Exclaimed a pink mare, who dove out of nowhere into the group. "I'm Pinkie Pie by the way, but holy cow you were so awesome!"

"Thanks, everypony." Twilight gave an awkward laugh as she tried to detach herself from the others.

Cherilee approached her, balancing a tray on her back. "Twilight Sparkle, you showed that despite the short time you have known your pokémon, you still share a deep bond with them already. It is my honor to bestow upon you this Equestria Pokémon League badge, the Ponyville Sprout Badge."

Twilight took the pin, looking at it joyfully. She felt herself tearing up staring at the small bud-shaped badge. This was the first step on her journey, and above all else, demonstrated that she was truly a worthy pokémon trainer.

Rainbow Dash approached Cherilee. "Hey, Ms. Cherilee? I've gotten a lot better since I challenged you last. I want to challenge you to a battle!"

Cherilee smiled warmly. "Very well dear, just a moment." She produced another pokéball, releasing its occupant. "Chansey, be a dear and help Kangaskhan, will you?"

"Chansey! Chansey!" It cooed. The pokémon drew the egg from its pouch, and gradually fed it to the downed Kangaskhan. In a matter of minutes, Kangaskhan was on its feet again and ready to go again.

Rainbow Dash and Cherilee took to the opposite sides of the stadium, and Rumble once again stepped out to read off the rules.

"The Ponyville Gym battle will now begin!" He announced, reading a condensed version of his script. "The challenger will be allowed two pokémon versus the Gym Leader's one. The first side to run out of pokémon will be declared the loser. Challenger, are you ready?"

"Oh yeah I am!" Dash grinned.

"Ms. Cherilee, are you ready?"

"Yes I am." She said serenely.

"Begin!" He cried.

Rainbow Dash grinned as she cradled her pokéball. "Alright, let's get 'em Slowpoke!" Slowpoke yawned, and started lazily towards its opponent.

Cherilee giggled. "Aww, how cute he is. Kangaskhan, use comet punch!" Kangaskhan wound up and began jabbing Slowpoke. The pink pokémon didn’t even bother dodging, it just sat there and took it, barely acknowledging the pain.

"Hit 'em back with a water gun!" Rainbow ordered. Slowpoke spat water at Kangaskhan. The move barely seemed to affect it, and Kangaskhan immediately retaliated with another punch.

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight yelled, "You can't win a straight-out fight. You need to use power up moves, or something!"

Power up moves, power up moves… Rainbow thought. Then she finally remembered one Slowpoke could use. "Alright, use amnesia!" Slowpoke seemed to forget everything, and the freed up brain power boosted its abilities. Kangaskhan hit it with another comet punch, this one just as powerful as the last.

Okay, something different… Rainbow dug through her brain, trying to think of moves Slowpoke could use. "Hey, use confusion!" Slowpoke channeled its mental energy to disorient Kangaskhan. Its eyes seemed boggled. She grinned. It was confused.

"Alright, use bite!" Kangaskhan sunk its teeth into Slowpoke, and this time it did show signs of pain. The pokémon fell over from such a strong and super effective hit.

"Slowpoke is unable to battle!" Rumble declared. "Challenger, do you have a second pokémon?"

"Yes!" Rainbow answered. She stared at the pokéball clasped in her hooves. "Alright Pidgeotto, it's your turn. We have to do this. I believe in you." She unleashed her partner, Pidgeotto, who took to the skies around Kangaskhan.

Twilight scanned the stands. Applejack was supposed to come and watch, but so far she hadn't seen her. She hadn't struck Twilight as the kind of person who would break a promise, even accidentally. She scanned the area for her, and out of the corner of her eye, saw the brown leather of her hat sticking out over on the side of the bleachers.

"Pidgeotto, use gust!" Rainbow ordered. Pidgeotto whipped up a wind and sent it straight at Kangaskhan, who dodged it just as easily. Her opponent was far too nimble for ranged attacks to work.

Rainbow Dash noticed that Kangaskhan was still stumbling a bit. Doubtless it was still confused from Slowpoke. Then she had an idea. "Pidgeotto, fly in circles around Kangaskhan, as fast as you can!" Pidgeotto obeyed, encircling her opponent at breakneck speeds. Kangaskhan tried to keep up, but the sheer speed and the effort of turning so quickly made its unsteady gait even more so.

"Hit it with a power-up punch!" Cherilee yelled. Kangaskhan readied its fist, but stumbled on its own feet, causing it to punch itself in the face, hard. It fell over, leaving it wide open for Pidgeotto to deliver the finishing blow.

"Peck!" Rainbow yelled, sensing victory was within reach. Pidgeotto soared up into the air, directly in front of the sun, and dove beak first at Kangaskhan. The hit was solid, and Kangaskhan was totally unconscious.

"Kangaskhan is unable to battle, the winner is Rainbow Dash!" Twilight and the other mares ran over to congratulate their friend. As they embraced, Twilight saw Applejack give an approving nod from the shadows, not moving from her hiding spot.

"Rainbow Dash, I could not be prouder of you." Cherilee beamed. "I've seen you grow into a first-rate pokémon trainer these last few years. I understand that you're meaning to leave on your own journey as well, correct?"

"Yes ma'am!" She answered. "And if a certain mare wouldn't mind, I'd like to join her on her trip around Equestria."

Twilight looked surprised. "Who? Me?"

"Yeah you!" Rainbow laughed. "I think you've got a lot of talent, and you aren't bad company either. I wouldn't mind hanging around you. Just don't go and slow me down, K?"

"Um, okay?" Twilight said, confused.

"I would very much like to join you," Rarity added. "Watching you battle is an inspiration. Surely seeing Equestria would drive my craft to even greater heights!"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to tag along too…" Fluttershy whispered.

"And don’t forget me!" Pinkie smiled.

"Heh. Have fun y'all." They all turned around to see Applejack, smiling wistfully at her friends. "I know y'all will do great. Just remember to write once an' awhile, ya hear?"

Rainbow Dash approached her, looking genuinely sad. "Are you sure there's no way you can join us? We promised we'd leave together…"

"No can do sugar cube." She sighed. "Ain't no way I can get off the farm."

"Well, actually, I got a surprise for you, sis." Applejack's older brother had appeared off near the schoolyard. "I came to pick up Applebloom, and I've been doin' some thinkin. I think me and Applebloom can handle the place ourselves for awhile. You go on sis. I promise, I'll be okay."

Applejack stared at her brother, unable to believe what she was hearing. "A-are ya sure? I mean, there's a lot that needs doin'".

Macintosh laughed. "Nothin' a stallion like me an' my good buddy Piloswine can't handle." His face turned more serious. "Sis, I know you wanna be able an' help out 'round the farm. But everypony should go on an adventure afore they go an' get old. You got plenty o' great friends, and I know that Sprout Badge you won wasn't no fluke neither."

The news was too much for Applejack to handle. She broke out in tears, running into her brother's hooves. "Mac, I can't tell ya how much this means to me." She cried. "I promise I'll make the most of it!" She wiped the tears from her eyes and returned her attention to the five other mares. "Well, I guess I'm going with ya too, Twilight. Let's all meet tomorrow mornin' and ship out." Everypony nodded in agreement, and parted ways to prepare for the journey ahead.

* * *

They met outside the gym the following morning, planning to set out for Fillydelphia for their next gym battle.

"Ready gang?" Twilight asked. Taking their first step simultaneously, the six began a casual trot down the road east.

A few minutes outside of town, Twilight stopped to read a road sign. Scrawled at the bottom corner in black permanent marker was a tiny bit of text that chilled her blood, and boiled it at the same time.

Trixie was here, Twilight is a loser. It read.

Comments

[sakuralovelight]

loved it hope to read more soon

[dakon]

Can't wait for more good story so far

[Steel Stud]

I prefer squirtle over the other 2

[Dabstregous]

i liked charmander but my fav was cydiquill