Twilight is given a pokemon and sent on a journey to the Cristalla region.
Pokemon, beings of unimaginable power. Some use these creatures for battling, others keep them as pets and friends, while some study them to understand more about them. The Cristalla Region is the first of many to introduce Pokemon to the general population and in an attempt to understand them more, Professor Maple has entrusted Twilight with the task of raising her own! Following the Professor's request, Twilight journeys to the Cristalla Region on a quest to raise her pokemon, meet new friends, defeat new foes, capture Pokemon, and share the magic of friendship!
In my recent years I have learned of your perilous journey's across Equestria and of your efforts to save it! I am also aware of your assignment from Princess Celestia to study friendship and the magic it brings! Your efforts continue to amaze me and it's what has convinced me to entrust you with something. I have conversed with the Princess on this matter, and she has allowed me to send you a very important package! In this box I have placed 3 very special creatures. Ones that we have just recently discovered in the far away Cristalla region! Inside you will also find a train ticket, and a backpack to store your items. I ask that you take one of these Pokemon to raise as your own and travel to the Cristalla region! I have a very important item to give you once you get here! I shall be waiting at the train station in Azure Town for your arrival. Best of Luck!
Sincerely,
Professor Maple
P.S. If possible, see if any of your friends would be interested in raising one of the other two!
Twilight Sparkle lowered the letter onto the table top. Her eyes shifted to the wrapped box sitting on the other side. It was in the middle of summer and the librarian had worn a lavender tank with blue shorts and her mane was tied up in a ponytail. She had found the package with the letter on top waiting on the table and when she had asked Spike where it came from all he said was that someone named Professor Maple had sent one of her Aides to deliver it, then he had departed to Sweet Apple Acres to hang out with Applebloom. Twilight untied the bow, ripped open the wrapping, and opened the box. She squeezed her fingers inside the flaps and forced the top open revealing a silver cylinder, a ticket, and a white backpack. Everything the professor mentioned was in here, but where were the Pokemon? Twilight lifted the backpack out of the box and set it aside, next she removed the cylinder and inspected it. It was moderately heavy with a gold trim and button in the center. Twilight pushed the button and the top half of the container popped open.
Inside were three red and white balls with buttons in the middle of them. They looked like a capsule of some kind or another container like the cylinder. There was a sticky note attached to each one with a different name on them. The first one read Bulbasaur, the next read Squirtle, and the last one read Charmander. Twilight picked up the one that was labeled Bulbasaur and examined it. The ball was relatively lighter than the cylinder it came in, and it was rather bland looking with nothing cosmetic about it.
"I don't get it." Twilight said aloud. "Where's the Pokemon?"
As she spoke, her finger slid across the button and pushed it making the capsule snap open immediately and a large popping sound coming from it. Twilight shrieked and dropped the ball on the floor as she shirked away from it. A red light flashed from inside and jerked outside onto the floor. The red light began to morph into a figure, then the figure finalized into a green creature with a plant bulb on the back. It's beady red eyes stared at Twilight and it looked almost amphibious. The giant bulb on it's back was a dark green while it's body was teal with darker spots all over. Twilight slowly stood up, but leaned against the bookshelf, her hands reaching for something to protect her in case this thing wasn't friendly.
"Bulbasaur!" It exclaimed.
Twilight froze and stared at it. "W-what?"
"Bulba, Bulbasaur!" It yelled again.
"Are you Bulbasaur?" Twilight asked.
"Bulbasaur!" It yelled. It smiled and jumped.
"Well, nice to meet you, Bulbasaur!" Twilight smiled back.
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur yelled.
Twilight then picked up the red and white ball.
"So you were in here huh? I wonder..." Twilight closed the ball and looked towards the other two sitting on the table.
Twilight stood up and walked over placing Bulbasaur's ball in it's pocket and picking up the one labeled Squirtle. Bulbasaur walked over next to Twilight and watched her mess with the ball.
"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur yelled then grabbed it's pokeball off the table.
"Squirtle. What are you like?"
Twilight was about to push the button when she heard another popping sound. Her head snapped quickly over to where it came from and she caught a glimpse of Bulbasaur morphing back into the red energy it was and returning to the inside of the ball.
"Ah! Bulbasaur!" Twilight yelled.
The lavender mare dropped the ball onto the ground as she leapt for Bulbasaur's ball. Twilight clutched the ball as she tried to find it's edges. Her hands clenched both sides and she tried prying the ball open, but found that opening it was harder than it looked. As she tried opening Bulbasaur's ball, a popping sound echoed behind her and she heard something yell.
"Squirtle!" The thing yelled.
Twilight turned around and saw a baby blue turtle standing in front of her. It had beady black eyes, stubby arms and legs, a tail that curled at the end, and a brown shell to accompany it. It strongly resembled a turtle except for the light blue skin tone and beady black eyes. Judging by how it said Squirtle in a similiar manner to Bulbasaur, Twilight saw Squirtle's ball open and assumed the turtle in front of her was Squirtle. Twilight placed Bulbasaur's ball gently back in it's place as she eyed Squirtle intriguingly.
"Hello." Twilight said.
"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle replied.
Twilight bent down to inspect Squirtle. There was nothing to it really, it looked like a regular turtle, but that was on the outside. Squirtle was bouncing around as Twilight examined it. It had a genuine smile plastered on it's face and it just stared back at Twilight mimicking her eyes. Twilight reached a hand out to Squirtle dangling it just in front of it's face. Squirtle stared at it, then promptly chomped on Twilight's hand.
"Ah! Let go!" Twilight screamed.
Twilight tried yanking her hand out of Squirtle's mouth, but it wouldn't let go. Then Twilight tried again, but harder this time and it still wouldn't budge. Finally, Twilight braced her hand on her arm and braced herself for an even harder pull. Once she was sure she had a good enough grip on it, she yanked again, but this time Squirtle opened it's mouth and freed her hand as she was forcefully pulling it. Twilight wasn't prepared for the unexpected release and she stumbled backwards a couple of steps before falling onto the floor. She sat back up and saw Squirtle with an amused look on it's face. Twilight glared at Squirtle, but it didn't faze it in the slightest making Twilight even more irritated. The unicorn picked up the ball and was about to touch Squirtle with it when the ball popped open itself and Squirtle disappeared inside it. Twilight smiled and placed Squirtle's ball back in it's place.
Finally, the last ball read Charmander. Twilight picked it up and pressed the button, mentally bracing herself for another trouble maker. In front of her appeared an orange salamander. It had Squirtle's black eyes, but it stood taller and it's tail was on fire.
"Wait, fire!?" Twilight screamed.
Her eyes widened when she spotted Charmander's tail fire, and she immediately sprinted to the kitchen. She quickly ran the faucet filling up a bucket of cold water. Once the bucket was halfway full, Twilight snatched it out of the sink and ran back to Charmander. Charmander looked more curious as to what Twilight was doing rather than it's tail burning, but when it spotted the bucket of water it's curiosity turned to fear. Twilight was about to throw the water on Charmander to put out the flame when Charmander leapt up onto the top of the stairs.
Twilight tried using her magic to try to grab Charmander, but when she tried Charmander would spit embers at her in an attempt to stop her.
"I'm trying to help you!" Twilight screamed.
Charmander, instead of aiming for Twilight, aimed it's embers at the bucket in her hands. Twilight promptly dropped the bucket to avoid having her legs burnt and the water spilled everywhere. Twilight stood shocked for a moment before glaring angrily at Charmander. Charmander looked relieved and hopped down in front of Twilight.
"Why did you do that!?" Twilight yelled. "I was trying to help put out the fire!"
"Charmander! Charmander Char!" Charmander replied. It moved it's arms to cover it's flame then pointed towards the water soaking the wooden floor, then it pointed back to it's tail and shook it's head violently.
Twilight stared at the water, then at Charmander's flame, then back towards the water. From what she could gather, she assumed that Charmander's tail wasn't supposed to be dowsed and it was to burn continuously throughout the duration of Charmander's life. Twilight sighed heavily and sat down. Charmander went around grabbing various books off the shelf, opening them, staring at the pages, then closing it and tossing it onto the floor. Twilight heard the thump of the book and turned her head to see Charmander tossing a book into the water puddle.
"Hey!" Twilight yelled.
She quickly grabbed the book in her magic saving it from a watery demise. Charmander continued tossing books off the shelf onto the floor and occasionally onto the water puddle.
"Stop throwing them!" Twilight shouted.
"Chaaaaaar." Charmander replied.
Twilight sighed and grabbed Charmander's ball promptly returning Charmander inside of it.
Now that Twilight knew what she had, it was time to choose her partner. Squirtle was definitely the most mischievous one, while Charmander had a reckless attitude, but Bulbasaur on the other hand was the most calm, collected, and best behaved of the group. Considering the pros and cons of each one, Twilight ultimately decided to choose Bulbasaur. She grabbed Bulbasaur's ball and stared at it. Once she choose she was unable to choose another as the bond between the two would be sealed. Twilight hesitated for a few seconds.
Is Bulbasaur the Pokemon I really want?
After a few more seconds, Twilight smiled and nodded her head. Bulbasaur was her choice and it would be her first Pokemon. She placed Bulbasaur's ball on the table and grabbed her backpack out of the box. She placed the ball inside the side pocket and slung it over her shoulder. She then reached inside and drew out the ticket leading to the Cristalla region. It was yellow with various bolded writing on it and it read Ponyville > Azur City and the train listed was the Tidal Express. Twilight glanced around at the library once again. The puddle of water had now dissolved into the floor and the other two Pokemon still rested on the table, and some books were still on the floor.
Maybe I should leave a note for Spike. I'm sure he'll enjoy cleaning all this if it means he gets to spend time with Rarity.
Twilight giggled at the thought. The little dragon still hadn't gotten through to the mare of his dreams, even though she already knew how he felt. Twilight grabbed the post it note attached to Bulbasaur's ball and put the ticket in her pocket. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pen from the counter and scribbled on the note.
Spike,
I'm going to be gone for a while. I've recently gotten a new task from Princess Celestia that requires me to be away from the library for a prolonged period of time. I don't know when I'll be back, but please clean up the mess, then you'll be staying with Rarity until I get back.
Twilight
Twilight set the note on the table and walked out towards the lobby. She grabbed Bulbasaur's ball off the table, holding in her hand for a moment. She ran her thumb over the smooth surface and as she did so the ball began shrinking till it was the size of a golf ball. Twilight stood bewildered and curious. She wondered what else this ball could do and what the creature inside was capable of. She'd find out in time though thanks to Professor Maple sending her on a journey to raise one. If there were more pokemon out there in Cristalla, Twilight wanted to meet as many as she could and learn all about them. Twilight was so intrigued with the Pokemon that she didn't hear to door to the library open letting inside two very mischievous pranksters.
"Is she home?"
"I don't think so. C'mon, Pinkie, let's swap 'em before she gets back."
"Don't worry, Dashie! We'll have plenty of time!"
Twilight heard the two whispering and judging by the names spoken she could only assume that Rainbow and Pinkie had attempted to sneak in and prank her. Twilight decided to play her own prank as payback for the invisble ink prank they had played on her last time.
Twilight cast a spell of invisibility over herself. Once the librarian was certain she couldn't be seen, she tiptoed over to Rainbow floating cautiously in the air. She wore a light blue tank top and black shorts with matching boots. Her tail was dangling just low enough for Twilight to grab and give a sharp tug.
"Gah!" Dash yelled. She glared angrily at whatever had grabbed her tail, but nothing was there.
She switched to a look of confusion as she hopelessly scanned for whatever had grabbed her. She slowly floated back down to where she was before and crossed her arms. Twilight then grabbed a hold of some books off the shelf and brought them over to her. She then moved the books underneath Rainbow and positioned them to begin a swarm attack.
"Hurry up, Pinkie!" Dash yelled.
"Done!" Pinkie yelled back.
The party mare bounced down the stairs and smiled up at her associate. She wore a pink t-shirt and deep blue jeans along with white sneakers. The jeans had her cutie mark sewn into the sides.
"All good?"
"Yepperunie! This'll be so funny!"
As both mares tried to depart, the book armada that had remained hidden shot out from nowhere and surrounded the two pranksters.
"Whoa! What's going on!?" Dash shouted.
"Ooh I know I know! They're ghost books!" Pinkie replied.
"Ghost books? Really?" Dash asked.
"I wonder if Twilight knows her books are haunted by ghosts! We should help her get rid of them!" Pinkie replied.
The books advanced on the two trapping them in a corner.
"Well I don't care if they're haunted, nothing's gonna stop me from leaving!" Dash boasted.
The speedster raced for the door, but slammed head first into a wall of hard covers. She bounced back and winced her nose taking most of the impact. She glared angrily at the wall of books blocking her path.
"Stupid books! Move!"
Dash backed up and shot towards the wall of books again and as she braced herself the wall moved at the last second causing her to blast through the wooden door, which had also shot open, and into the dirt in front of the tree. Dash laid stunned on the ground for a few moments, before adopting a look of annoyance. Pinkie Pie still waited inside laughing as her friend had been duped by ghost books. She didn't notice that a good chunk of her tail had disappeared.
"Hey! Gimme back my tail!"
Pinkie ran around the lobby searching for the ghost who had stolen her tail when she caught something on the table. Twilight followed Pinkie's gaze towards the two balls sitting in their spots on the table. Twilight felt her heart leap into her chest. She quickly decloaked and raced over to her friend. Pinkie took some steps forward and examined the balls on the table. She reached out a hoof to touch the button in the center when both balls floated away from her.
"Hey! Come back!" Pinkie pleaded.
The two balls levitated over to Twilight. She snatched them out of mid-air and stuck them in her bag.
"Hi, Twilight!" Pinkie shouted. "What's in the balls?"
"These things called Pokemon." Twilight replied. "Someone named Professor Maple sent them to me. I'm supposed to leave for Azur Town in a little bit."
"Neato! So what are Pokemon?"
"Actually, I don't know. Professor Maple sent me three and asked me to pick one to raise."
"Wowie! What about the other two though? Won't they be super lonely?" Pinkie asked.
"Well the Professor asked me to see if either you or one of the girls wanted to raise one of the other two." Twilight replied.
"Oh oh me me me!"
"I don't know, Pinkie. These seem like a big responsibility."
"Aw, but I'm responsible! I've babysat Pumpkin and Poundcake before! It's super duper easy peasy lemon squeezy!"
The better half of Twilight told her that maybe Pinkie wasn't the best choice to raise a pokemon, but the party mare did have a point. She had babysat foals before, but Twilight wasn't certain that Pokemon were the same thing. Whatever the reason may be, Twilight decided that if Pinkie really wanted to raise Squirtle or Charmander, then Twilight should at least let her try.
"Ok, Pinkie. You can pick one."
"Yay!"
Twilight watched as Pinkie examined each ball. Neither one noticed a very annoyed and distressed pegasus fly back into the lobby.
"Twilight, what's up with your books!? A whole swarm just attacked me!" Dash yelled.
"They're just mad you swapped my ink with invisible ink." Twilight said with a smirk.
"That was you!?" Dash's jaw dropped as she realized she had been messed with.
"Yep." Twilight replied. "All me."
"Not cool!" Dash pouted to accentuate her displeasure.
"Maybe now you'll think twice about swapping my ink." Twilight giggled.
"Whatever." Dash said. "So what're you doing?"
"I'm letting Pinkie choose a Pokemon."
"What's a Pokemon?" Dash asked.
"I don't know, but I'm hoping to learn more about them when I leave for the Cristalla region."
"So why are you giving one to Pinkie?"
"Professor Maple asked me to see if any of you guys wanted to raise one of the other two. I was allowed to choose only one."
"I want this one!" Pinkie yelled.
Pinkie threw the ball into the air and watched as it twirled for a few before popping open and releasing Squirtle.
"Squirtle!" Squirtle shouted.
"Ooh! He's so cute! I want this one!" Pinkie yelled.
"Squirtle Squirt!"
Squirtle jumped up and grabbed the tip of Pinkie's mane in it's mouth.
"Hey! Two can play at that game!" Pinkie replied.
Pinkie then grabbed Squirtle's tail in her own mouth causing the Pokemon to glance down and release her mane which resulted in Pinkie dropping Squirtle's tail.
"Squirtle!"
"Hey, Twilight?" Dash asked.
"Yes, Rainbow?" Twilight replied.
"Do you have anymore Pokemon?"
"I have one more, but this one is kind of...a handful."
"Let me see it."
Twilight gave Dash the ball labeled Charmander and groaned inwardly as Dash threw it up into the air.
"Charmander!" Charmander shouted.
"Whoa." Dash whispered. "This is so cool!"
Charmander crossed it's arms at Dash and blew a puff of smoke.
"Oh yeah, I'm so taking this one!"
Now that everyone had their pokemon, Twilight inwardly laughed. Each pony had gotten a pokemon that resembled their personality. Charmander and Rainbow looked like a perfect match as did Pinkie and Squirtle. Twilight reached into her bag and grabbed Bulbasaur's ball.
Maybe you and I aren't so different after all
"Twilight! Which one did you get?" Pinkie asked.
"Huh?" Twilight replied.
"Yeah, Twi. Which one did you pick?" Rainbow asked.
"Oh, I picked Bulbasaur." Twilight replied.
The unicorn tossed her ball in the air, watching as the ball shot open and the red light that was to be Bulbasaur appeared. The bulb like creature formed next to Squirtle and Charmander staring intently at Twilight.
"Bulbasaur!"
"He looks so cool! He's like a plant frog!" Pinkie said.
"He looks kinda lame." Dash replied.
Bulbasaur gave dash an annoyed look that mimicked Twilight's.
"Rainbow! He's not lame!" Twilight said.
"Hey all I'm saying is he's not as cool as Charmander here!" The pegasus explained.
"Char!" Charmander added.
"Oh really?" Twilight asked.
"Really." Dash replied.
Neither mares noticed Bulbasaur and Charmander staring at each other with a fire in their eyes.
"I bet Charmander could outclass Bulbasaur in everything!" Rainbow shouted.
"Prove it." Twilight replied.
Without any warning whatsoever, the two mares teleported to opposite sides and a dome of light encased the two. Charmander and Bulbasaur appeared in front of their respected owners, and the battlefield was cleared of all debris and furniture. Twilight stood across from Rainbow on a diagnol, both mares shocked and confused beyond their wildest dreams.
"What happened!?" Twilight yelled.
"I-I don't know!" Dash yelled back.
In front of the two mares a menu appeared with the options FIGHT, ITEMS, POKeMON, and RUN were laid out in front of them. Above that was a green bar with their Pokemon's name above it and a level to the side. Bulbasaur and Charmander were both level 5 with green health bars. Twilight reached her hand out slowly towards the RUN option until she rested her hand on it. Immediately the text changed and said There's no running from a trainer battle!.
Twilight tapped the FIGHT option on the menu and before her was a list of moves. TACKLE and GROWL were the only ones available as the others were just blank spaces with dashes in it. Twilight selected TACKLE and the menu went blank. It was a second before new text appeared.
BULBASAUR used TACKLE!
Bulbasaur immediately shot forward ramming it's body into Charmander and sending the pokemon flying into the wall. Bulbasaur jumped back to it's starting position and stood triumphant over Charmander. Charmander leapt back to it's feet with a new fire in it's eyes.
CHARMANDER used SCRATCH!
Charmander dashed forward a little slower than Bulbasaur dragging it's claw across Bulbasaur's face. Bulbasaur was pushed back a bit from the impact and it shirked away from Charmander. Charmander jumped back to it's starting position with a smirk on it's face. Bulbasaur shook it's head and walked forward.
Twilight inspected Bulbasaur and found that it's bar was a quarter of the way down while Charmander's was a little more than a quarter. Twilight pressed the ITEM option on the menu and another box popped up with something labeled as a POTION in it, but there was only one. Twilight wondered what a potion was, but decided that now may not be the best time to find out. Rainbow had finished selecting her moves and was now waiting impatiently on her friend to select hers. Twilight backed out of the ITEM slot and pressed on FIGHT again. This time she selected GROWL.
BULBASAUR used GROWL!
Bulbasaur took a defensive stance, lowering it's front end and growling furiously at Charmander. Charmander jerked away and looked intimidated by Bulbasaur's growling and both mares got a message on screen that said
CHARMANDER's ATTACK fell!
CHARMANDER used SCRATCH!
Charmander did the same thing as last time although Bulbasaur didn't go as far back. Bulbasaur shrugged off Charmander's attack and patiently awaited it's trainer's command.
Twilight assessed Bulbasaur again and found that his bar was still green and a little above the halfway mark. Bulbasaur stood triumphant in front of her althought that didn't stop it from beginning to pant. Twilight could tell it was already getting tired which pushed her to end the battle as fast as she could. She pressed the FIGHT option again selecting TACKLE.
BULBASAUR used TACKLE!
Bulbasaur took a running start and flung it's body as hard as it could at Charmander. Charmander took the full force of the impact sending it flying across the field and into the barrier surrounding the two mares and pokemon. Charmander flopped onto the ground and didn't get up.
Critical hit!
Twilight glanced at Charmander's bar and saw that it was in the red with a little bit left. Charmander placed both hands on the ground and forced itself back on it's feet. The lizard was panting heavily with a few scratches on it's body. Charmander looked drained and tired, but that didn't stop it from attacking. Bulbasaur took little damage and only now began to pant more noticeably.
Twilight selected tackle one more time, watching as Rainbow looked up at Charmander, then back to her menu.
BULBASAUR used TACKLE!
Bulbasaur tackled Charmander one more time, knocking the pokemon onto it's back and out cold. Rainbow stared at Charmander, then up at it's bar which had nothing left.
CHARMANDER fainted!
BULBASAUR gained 69 exp!
BULBASAUR grew to level 6!
Twilight's menu disappeared and text replaced it.
PkMn Trainer Rainbow Dash was defeated!
"I can't believe I lost..." Rainbow said.
Twilight got 89P for winning!
The dome disappeared and the two friends were back in the lobby of the library. Pinkie was still playing with Squirtle and it appeared she had no idea of what had transpired between the two. Twilight looked over at Rainbow and saw both her and Charmander sitting with their heads down. Bulbasaur looked healthy again which prompted Twilight to return it to it's ball for safe keeping. She placed Bulbasaur in it's ball and moved the ball back to the bag. She then walked over to Rainbow.
"Rainbow?" Twilight asked.
"I lost..." Rainbow replied.
"Rainbow, come on. It was really fun battling with you!"
"I still lost though..."
"I don't think it was a total loss!"
"How?"
"You and Charmander grew closer and stronger!"
"Charmander!" Charmander said.
Rainbow looked down at her pokemon and smiled.
"You're right, Twilight. We did didn't we! And we'll only get stronger! Next time we battle, I won't lose!" Rainbow said bravely.
Twilight giggled. "We'll have to see won't we?"
"You'll have to see when I beat you!"
Twilight smiled and glanced up towards the clock. The minute hand was at the 10 and the hour hand was almost to the 11.
"Oh! I gotta get going!" Twilight said as started out the door.
"Go where?" Pinkie and Rainbow asked in unison.
"To the Cristalla Region!" Twilight declared.
"
Episode 2: Riding the Rails on the Battle Train! v.2
Twilight sat on the bench flanked by Pinkie Pie while Rainbow sat up on the roof of the ticket counter. All three mares sat in silence, Rainbow constantly fidgeting and glancing at Charmander's ball and Pinkie Pie doing all sorts of tricks with her ball; like spinning it on her finger, or rolling it up her arm, across her shoulders, then down the other arm again. Twilight had placed Bulbasaur's ball in the side pocket of her bag, the bookbag hung across her shoulder and chest to her left. It had six diverse pockets with each one being specific for different things. One was labeled ITEMS, another MEDICINE, TM's&HM's, BERRIES, POKeBALLS, and KEY ITEMS.
Twilight closed the book bag and sighed heavily. Her and Rainbow's battle had tired both pokemon out especially Charmander, who was unable to battle let alone stand. Pinkie's pokemon on the other hand was still perfectly healthy granted she had taken no part in the battle nor had she battled afterwards much to Twilight's relief. She pulled out her train ticket, wrapping it around her fingers and just feeling it's material in her palms.
The whistle of a train could be heard crossing the field to the train station. Twilight glanced up at the clock watching the hands tick and tock across the face.
It's early. Twilight noted.
"Ooh! Here it comes!" Pinkie said enthusiastically.
"About time!" Rainbow stated.
The train that pulled in was different from the other trains. This one had a pointed nose and a pure white exterior. The windshield was slanted back as well as the whole front of the train and the wheels hardly made a sound as it pulled into the station. It lightly hissed to a stop in a few seconds letting the passengers get off. A conductor stepped off as well his dark blue suit and handlebar mustache fitting the rather standard depiction of railroad conductors.
"All aboard for Azur Town!" he called.
Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow all got up and walked towards the doors. Rainbow was the first to arrive where the conductor promptly asked for her ticket.
"Hello, Miss, may I see you Eon Ticket?" The conductor asked.
"Eon Ticket?" Rainbow replied. "What's an Eon Ticket?"
"It's the ticket you need to get on the train." The conductor said factually. "No ticket, no ride."
"What!? But I need to get on!"
"Sorry, Miss, but no ticket, no ride. It's as simple as that."
"I have an Eon Ticket!" Twilight called. "I'm Twilight Sparkle. Professor Maple requested that I meet her in Azur City as well as my friends."
"Twilight Sparkle huh? Yes Professor Maple did mention that the Princess's student was to get on this train, but she didn't mention anything about the other two. " The conductor said.
"I'm sure you just misheard." Twilight replied. "She said that there would be two more boarding with me."
"I'm not so sure. If there were two more boarding with you, then why didn't the Professor send three Eon tickets instead of one?"
"She forgot to send the other two. She was in quite a rush to send out the package that she forgot to add the other two tickets in case any one wanted the other two pokemon."
The conductor hesitated a bit. "Not likely. You, get on, the other two-" The conductor looked around and saw that Rainbow and Pinkie had disappeared. "Hey! Where'd they go!?"
Twilight slipped around the confused conductor inside the first car. There seemed to be just regular passengers lining the sides of the car, some reading the newspaper while others were on some sort of gear that they talked into. Twilight had never seen anything like it in Equestria and she couldn't help but stare curiously at the piece of equipment.
"...then I said, hold on." the pony put her hand over the, whatcha-ma-call-it, and adressed Twilight. "Do you mind? It's not polite to eavesdrop you know!" She said in a sassy tone.
"What is that?" Twilight asked continually examining the item.
"It's a PokeGear! It let's you make calls, look at the map, and listen to the radio!"
"Where did you get it?"
"I bought it in Caprico City!"
"Is that in the Cristalla Region?"
"Nope! Straight from the genius that is the Sut Region! Why? You're not planning on going to Cristalla are you?"
"Actually, yes I am."
"Seriously?" The mare asked in disbelief.
"Yes." Twilight replied.
"Wow! You must be from Equestria. Only Equestrians would be dumb and lame enough to go to Cristalla."
Twilight's curiosity disappeared.
"And what makes Sut so high and mighty?"
"Well, for starters, Caprico City is home to the best clothing stores in the Region as well as the birthplace of the PokeGear and hit shows like PokeFacts with Professor Yew and Caprico Central! We have the Pokeathlon as well as the annual Bug Catcher's Contest!"
While Twilight had no idea who Professor Yew was, or a Pokeathlon, she still couldn't let this mare off the hook. Not after she had called her dumb and lame!
"well, if everyone from Sut is just like you, then I'd rather go to Cristalla. Hopefully they won't be rude like you." Twilight stated.
"Oh yeah? Well at least we aren't weak unlike the trainers over there. Seriously, a gust from Pidgey here could knock half of their Pokemon out!"
"I'll believe it when I see it." Twilight replied.
Just as Twilight was about to walk to the next car she felt a hand grab her arm.
"Then why don't I show you in a Pokemon battle!" The mare proclaimed.
"What!? Here!? On the train!?" Twilight said.
"Of course! The train's designed for battles! Jeez you really are clueless. You'll fit right in with Cristalla." The mare remarked.
Twilight pouted and drew her pokeball from her bag. She tossed it up in the air just above her head. She watched as it snapped open letting Bulbasaur out. The mare drew her own ball from her pocket and tossed it up as well revealing a new Pokemon. This one resembled that of a bird but with eyes like a pony's and a small beak. It looked no bigger than the blue jay's in Fluttershy's cottage. It spread it's wings as far as it could and let out a screech.
"Pidgey!" It shouted.
Pidgey? This must be another Pokemon! Twilight thought.
"C'mon, Pidgey! Let's show them how superior we Sut really are!" The mare shouted emphasizing her point by shooting out her arm, palm open.
Twilight noticed that this time the shield did not appear around the two battlers, rather, the passengers already on the train backed up to previous car peeking in through the windows. The seats also made a hissing sound as they moved forward and opened up letting the cushions retract into the walls. Twilight noticed that the car was now completely empty except for the two trainers. Twilight's surprise was evident to the opposing battler and she smirked while rolling her eyes.
"What? Never seen a battle train before? Man, you really are clueless!"
Twilight's surprise faded refocusing on the battle at hand. Bulbasaur stood ready to go while the opposing Pidgey preened it's tiny wings. Finally, the same menus Twilight had encountered in the library appeared before her again. The same options were listed along with the green bar and level for each Pokemon. Twilight noted that while Bulbasaur was level 6, her opponents Pidgey was level 7.
Pidgey is a level higher than Bulbasaur. Does that mean her Pidgey is stronger?
The mare had already finished selecting her moves and she resumed the call she had on her PokeGear. Twilight brought her hand up and gently touched the FIGHT option. The same moves were listed and as Twilight went to select her move, she felt her heartbeat quicken, but only for a split second. The unicorn hesitated, wondering what had caused the sudden increase in her heart beat. She shrugged it off and touched TACKLE.
Time to show this pony just how strong Equestrians are!
Meanwhile...
An impatient Rainbow Dash and bouncy Pinkie Pie awaited their friend's arrival in the middle car of the train. While Twilight had come up with the bluff, the duo were able to sneak onto the train via the opening in the roof. Before they had arrived at the station, Twilight had already told them that she would get them on the train even if they didn't have their Eon Tickets. Needless to say she did get them on and the trio were all ready to go explore Cristalla with their partners. However, Twilight had said she would meet them on the train as soon as she got on, but problems arose when the final call for boarding was announced shortly after they had gotten on.
"Ugh! Where is she?" Rainbow demanded.
"Maybe she and the conductor got into a battle! Or maybe she's using Bulbasaur to sneak in like us! Or-"
"Shhhh! Pinkie! Don't be so loud! Do you want everyone to know we snuck on!?"
"Oh, so we've got a couple of stowaways huh?"
Rainbow and Pinkie turned to meet a sleek stallion in a navy blue suit. His mane was slicked back and he held one hand in his pocket the other held a pokeball. His confident grin irked Rainbow as did his arrogant demeanor.
"So what if we are, what're YOU gonna do about it? Huh?" Rainbow asked in a rather hostile tone.
"Well, since you've been so kind to ask, I could throw you off the train, or report you to security, but where's the fun in that? How about if I beat you in a Pokemon battle, then you and your pink friend there must leave the train. If you win, then I'll say nothing of this incident, and guarantee both of you safe passage to your destination as my guests."
The stranger outstretched his hand. "So, do we have a deal?"
Rainbow looked at his hand, then to his eyes again. She felt a fierce determination to make this guy taste defeat, and of course to train Charmander to best Twilight. Rainbow cautiously outstretched her hand and grasped the stranger's. His confident grin morphed into a devilish one as he smiled and laughed internally. The two stood back and glanced at each other, scanning for any sign of weakness.
"Oooh! This is going to be so much fun! Dashie versus this guy!" Pinkie shouted excitedly.
"My name, young lady, is Miles. Miles Tone."
"Oh! Nice to meet you Mr. Tone! I'll be sure to throw a party for you when we stop in Azure Town!"
"That would be lovely. Now, Dashie, was it?" Miles asked.
"My name is Rainbow Dash." Rainbow said through gritted teeth. "And are we gonna battle or what!?"
"Yes, let's get right to it shall we?"
Miles threw his ball up into the air and Rainbow did the same. The two orbs popped open and each trainer's respective pokemon appeared in front of them. Rainbow with her Charmander, and Miles with a pokemon Rainbow had never seen before. The pokemon resembled a kangaroo.
"I do hope you don't disappoint me, Rainbow Dash! It'd be a shame to have such a lovely mares kicked off this train!" Miles taunted.
To Rainbow's surprise, no bubble appeared around the two battlers, although the menu popped up again. Rainbow when Rainbow opened the fight tab, a new option had appeared. The option was three question marks next to growl and scratch. Rainbow selected the mystery option just as Miles selected his own move. Charmander immediately shot out fiery embers at the other pokemon, leaving burns marks on it's skin. The attack didn't seem to phase it as it didn't even wince.
Miles laughed. "Come now, Ms. Dash! Surely that's not your best? If it is then I must have underestimated you! Kangaskhan, if you will."
Kangaskhan leaped towards Charmander with it's paw outstretched. The paw formed a fist and collided with Charmander's face sending it flying.
Whoa! This guy is crazy strong!
Rainbow glanced up at Charmander's health which was now just below half-way. If she didn't do something fast, she was going to lose this battle. Rainbow opened the fight menu again and surveyed her options. She tapped the growl option and awaited Miles' input. Miles smirk disappeared and was replaced with a frown. Rainbow didn't understand why Miles was frowning, he was winning the battle!
"You know, battles can be a very exciting thing." Miles remarked. "However, that's only when you are battling against those equal in strength or those who exceed your' own strength. When you battle against people weaker than you, it tends to be awfully boring. So please, Rainbow Dash, do make this battle more interesting."
"Oh I'll make it interesting when I crush that Kanga...whatever it's called!" Rainbow replied.
Miles' smirk returned as Kangaskhan leapt forward again with a fist raised.
Twilight watched as Bulbasaur tackled the airborne Pidgey sending the bird pokemon down into the floor. It tried standing up, but ultimately fell down on it's side defeated. The mare on the other side rushed over to her Pidgey and cradled it.
"Oooooh, my poor Pidgey!" She tapped it with the ball sending it back inside. "You take a nice rest, you deserve it."
Twilight did the same with Bulbasaur and returned the ball to her belt pocket.
"Why are you putting it in your pocket?" The mare asked.
"Where else am I going to put it?" Twilight asked.
"Uh, on your belt? You do have holsters for your Pokeballs."
"Pokeballs?"
"Yeah! You know, the thing you keep your pokemon in? Man, you really are clueless!"
Twilight took Bulbasaur out of her pocket and placed it on her belt.
"Name's Crystal, Crystal Rel. And you are?" Crystal asked.
"Twilight Sparkle."
"Well, Twilight, that was some awesome battling! I have to say that I didn't expect much from you considering you don't seem like you've ever dealt with a pokemon before."
"I haven't dealt with pokemon before. This is my first time hearing about them to be honest."
"Wow! So you're a fresh trainer! Come on, take a seat and I'll educate you on the world of Pokemon!"
Twilight noticed that the seats had returned with the same hissing sound they departed with. Passengers started flooding in again and taking their seats. Much of their chatter was about the battle that had just taken place. Crystal took a seat towards the front and beckoned for Twilight to take a seat next to her. The lavender trainer walked over and sat down placing her bag at her side.
"So, Twilight, why are you going to the lame-o Cristalla region?"
"Well, I got a letter from Professor Maple that said she wanted me to take one of the pokemon and journey around Cristalla raising it."
"Huh, wonder why Mom decided to give you a pokemon?"
"I have no clue eit- wait wait wait did you just say Mom!?"
"Yep! Professor Maple is my mother." Crystal replied nonchalantly.
"But you've been talking bad about Cristalla since I met you!" Twilight shouted.
"Yeah, when I was younger Mom would send me to summer camp over in the Sut region and I guess Sut just felt more like home to me. Been living there ever since with Pidgey here."
"So why are you on a train heading to Cristalla?"
"I'm visiting for a few days. Plus, while Sut does have some good trainers, I get homesick from time to time. It's not all fun and games being away from home for such a long time after all. Anyway, so what exactly are you going to do when you get to Cristalla anyway, Twilight?"
"Well, first I'm meeting Professor Maple in Azure town. After that," Twilight stopped to think for a minute. She didn't actually know what she was going to do after she did meet the Professor. "I have no clue actually."
"Well, seeing as how you're a newbie and all, I could accompany you on this journey of yours. Maybe give you a few trainer tips. Plus I'd like to actually enjoy traveling through Cristalla again as a resident and not a trainer!"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Okay, then I will gladly accept your help! Plus if you're Professor Maple's daughter you must have some knowledge of Cristalla!"
"Of course! I did grow up here after all." Crystal flicked her mane, which was cut short with silver bangs dangling in front of her eyes.
Twilight took a moment to inspect her new friend. Crystal had a silvery mane with light teal eyes. She wore a white shirt with a light blue jean shorts and she had a gray coat.
"So, if my mom gave you three pokemon to choose from, where are the other two?" Crystal asked.
"Oh! I gave them to my friends Rainbow and Pinkie." Twilight's eyes shot open. "Oh goddess! Rainbow and Pinkie are still waiting for me!"
"Who are Rainbow and Pinkie?" Crystal asked.
"Crystal, I'll be right back I need to find my friends!" Twilight shot off the seat and bolted for the door. As she was opening it she heard footsteps behind her.
"Why don't I come with? If you're as naive as you make yourself out to be you'll need some help with this." Crystal smirked.
Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm not that naive, but the help would be appreciated."
The duo proceeded through the door into the next car.
Rainbow stared anxiously as Charmander dodged yet another one of Miles' attacks. His Khangaskhan was something else. Charmander's scratches didn't seem to faze Khangaskhan in the slightest, and Rainbow could tell this fight would be over soon if she didn't do something fast.
"Ms. Dash I do believe I was promised an enticing battle, yet this reeks of mediocrity. Please, for your sake, do make an effort."
Rainbow growled angrily, which lead Charmander to do the same. Khangaskhan and Miles both laughed at the small salamander. Miles motioned for Khangaskhan with an outstretched palm, to which his pokemon responded with a strong right hook to Charmander's stomach. Charmander wretched on the ground, clutching its stomach with hands and tail alike.
"Well, seeing as how this is just about over I think I'll finish this and promptly return you two to the station. Shall we, Khangaskhan?"
Khangaskhan's roar rocked the train slightly, and it delivered a swift kick to Charmander's jaw that sent it flying into Rainbow knocking both of them to the ground.
"Owww! What the hay!" Rainbow yelled. Her wings flared out and she took to the skies again to settle this fight with fists instead of pokemon.
"Now now," Miles calmly replied. Khangaskhan swatted Rainbow away with a paw. "No one likes a sore loser. As per the agreement you must leave this train. I don't care where you go as long as it's not here."
"No way! How could I lose again..." Rainbow stared at the ground, disheartened.
"You lost because you are weak." Miles' glared at Rainbow. "The weak have no place in this world. The strong survive by eliminating the weak. That is why you lost and I won. That is the nature of this world, Dashie. Get out of my sight."
Miles returned Khangaskhan to its pokeball and turned to leave the car.
"Hold on just a minute, buster!" Pinkie was spinning her pokeball in her palm. "I won't let a mean bean talk to Dashie that way! Prepare to be squirted."
Miles scoffed. "No. Remind yourself that your friend made a deal. If I won, you'd remove yourselves from this train. Stowaways have no place here, or in Cristalla."
"So why are you still here then, Miles?" Crystal chirped.
Just then, Twilight and Crystal stepped through the door.
"Girls!" Twilight cried.
"Twilight!" Both Rainbow and Pinkie said simultaneously.
The trio all engaged in a quick group hug while Miles and Crystal starred at each other.
"Ah, Ms. Rel." Miles said.
"Miles." Crystal replied.
"How have you been?"
"Good, you?"
"Excellent. How has your mother been fairing?"
"Don't know, haven't seen her in a while."
"Ah, do you know if she is going to be in Azur?"
"Why don't you wait and find out for yourself."
"Such rudeness! And to think Professor Maple would have raised such a child!"
"Oh shut your trap! You're just mad because Mom kicked your sorry flank and showed you as the arrogant jerk you really are!"
Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie all turned to look at Miles and Crystal. Rainbow leaned over next to Twilight's ear so that the two ponies wouldn't hear her.
"Hey, Twi? Who is that?" Rainbow whispered.
"Oh, that's Crystal Rel, she's the daughter of Professor Maple. The one who sent me the pokemon. Who's the guy in front of her?"
"Miles Tone."
"Miles Tone?"
"Yeah! He's some jerk who-" Rainbow's eyes widened as she realized Charmander was still on the ground near where she crashed. "Scorch!" Rainbow dashed over to where Charmander was laying and cradled the pokemon. "Are you okay!?"
Charmander replied with a weak ember. Rainbow looked at Twilight, fear creeping into her eyes. "Twi, what do I do..."
"Release him." Miles interjected. "You clearly have no right being a trainer."
"Oh! And you do?" Crystal crossed her arms.
The trio watched as Crystal and Miles went at it back and forth in a bitter argument. Crystal looked at Miles with disgust while Miles stared at Crystal with his signature grin. Even from a distance Twilight could tell the two had a history filled with tension.
"You two know each other?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, sadly." Crystal said. "This motherfu-"
"Ah, ah, ah! Language Ms. Rel! And to answer your question, yes we do know each other. I traveled through Cristalla with her mother! Ah, but where are my manners? My name is Miles Tone, I'm the gym leader for Topa City. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Twilight Sparkle." Twilight eyed Miles up and down.
"Twilight Sparkle? As in the student of Princess Celestia?" Miles asked.
"Yes." Twilight replied.
"I truly am honored to have met you, Ms. Sparkle! And please, call me Miles."
"Hmph, honored my flank." Rainbow grumbled.
Crystal turned to address Miles in a less hostile manner. "So why are you even here? Shouldn't you be in Topa being a jerk?"
"I was on my way back from a gym leader meeting in Pisce Town. I'm now returning back to my gym to await new challengers! Hopefully I will see some of you there. Now if you'll excuse me I do believe I have someone waiting for me in the other car." Miles smiled. "I bid you, adieu."
Miles opened the door to the next car and stepped through. The door promptly slid shut, leaving all four mares still standing in an empty car. The seats slid out from the sides again and unfolded.
"Crystal? Crystal!" Twilight shouted.
"What!?" Crystal's hands were clenched in a fist as though she were going to hit something, or someone.
"How do we help Charmander?" Twilight motioned to the wounded pokemon being cradled in Dash's arms.
Crystal's fury died out and her grimace switched to a concerned look. "Crap, okay hold on I have something that might help for the train ride."
Crystal pulled a small, white packet out of her pocket and opened it. Inside was a tiny white powder that she poured into her hand and brought it to Charmander's mouth. Charmander sniffed it and shirked away from the powder.
"Whoa hold on here lady, what is that?" Rainbow clutched Charmander in her arms and recoiled from Crystal.
"Okay, two things. First, it's Crystal. Second, this is an energy root."
"Ooooh! What does it taste like?" Pinkie's eyes glistened as they rested on the powder.
"Bitter. Real bitter. That's why Charmander isn't too happy to take it." Crystal moved the powder closer. "C'mon bud, it'll help you feel better, I promise." she cooed.
Charmander reluctantly opened it's mouth. Its fangs were trembling as it awaited the root, but when Crystal moved her hand forward to place it on its tongue, Charmander shirked away again.
"Let me try!" Rainbow snatched the powder from Crystal's hand.
"Hey!"
"Cool it, he's my pokemon remember?"
"Him? You can tell what sex Charmander is?"
"...yeah! Of course I can!" Rainbow sheepishly claimed.
Rainbow turned to Charmander and forced the powder onto his tongue. Charmander struggled in her grasp and Rainbow almost dropped him trying to feed it. Charmander winced as the powder went down and coughed as the herb settled in his stomach.
"All better." Crystal deadpanned. "Put him back in the pokeball so he can rest."
Rainbow placed Charmander back in his pokeball and pocketed it.
"Will he be okay?" Twilight asked.
"For now, but he's gonna need to go to a Pokemon Center."
"Pokemon Center?"
"Yeah, they're like hospitals for Pokemon. There's one in Azur City right next to the station so we can stop there when we arrive. For now, though, we just gotta sit down and enjoy the ride."
Twilight and Crystal sat on one side while Rainbow and Pinkie sat on the other. Rainbow slouched slightly and placed her arm on the back of the seat behind Pinkie's head staring out the window at the passing trees. Pinkie laid out on her back tossing her ball up in the air. Twilight pulled a book out of her saddlebag to read while Crystal took out her Pokegear and tried tuning into a radio station.
Once they were all settled, the four relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the train ride.
Rainbow stared at the pokeball in her hand. The battle against Miles had been a tough one pushing both her and Charmander to their limit. Twilight and Pinkie had both dozed off and were sleeping soundly. Crystal was on her pokegear talking to the Professor. Rainbow didn't catch much of what was being said, but she picked out the words: Miles, Mom, Trouble, and Team Quake. Crystal looked very serious while she was talking, constantly flipping her mane to and fro. Rainbow didn't pay her too much mind. The cyan pegasus was too busy scanning the car for anyone to battle with. Although she hadn't realized it yet, Miles had ignited the competitive fire within her that was currently driving her to best any and all who came across her. After all, the only way to get stronger was to keep on battling!
Crystal clicked a button on the gear and placed it on the seat beside her. Her and Rainbow both made eye contact for a few seconds. The two stared at each other in silence before Crystal decided to chime in.
"So, Rainbow right?" Crystal asked.
"Yeah..." Rainbow replied.
"You going to Cristalla too?"
"Yeah, what of it?"
"Oh nothing. So what's up between you and Miles?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"Rainbow, I don't know if you're as clueless as Twilight here, but Miles is bad news. There are rumors floating around about him being linked to Team Quake."
"Who's Team Quake?"
"They're a bunch of thugs who use pokemon to commit crimes. They've been robbing trainers of their pokemon and selling them!"
"Whoa, and Miles might be linked to these jerks!? Wait till I get my hands on him!" Rainbow stood up and bolted for the door.
"Calm down! It's just a rumor right now, but I still don't trust him."
Rainbow grunted and sat back down. She crossed her arms across her chest directing her attention back to the window. It didn't stay like that for long, however, as the train shook vigorously from side to side. Rainbow jumped up out of her seat as Crystal held onto the seat. Twilight and Pinkie were both roused from their dreams and brought back to reality.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked.
"I don't know, but I bet Miles has something to do with it!" Rainbow shouted.
"I'm all for figuring out what just happened. Kinda hard to be comfortable with all this shaking." Crystal said nonchalantly.
"Maybe it's some ponies who snuck on just like us!" Pinkie stated.
Shouting from the car behind the foursome dispelled that theory. Twilight crept up to the door and peeked through the window. Inside were multiple stallions. Each one had the letter Q tattooed onto their bicep along with red hankies tied around their necks. One was dressed in a black jacket with white sweat pants and he shouted something at the others. His raggedy light blue mane dangled above his steel grey eyes. His coat was a darker blue and his body was well built. Half of the group bolted down into the other car while the other half headed in Twilight's direction. Twilight jumped from the door as it was flung open. The dark blue stallion stepped forward with his hands at his sides. He eyed the four mares in front of him and snickered.
"Ladies! If you would kindly hand over your poke-balls then we can be on our way." The stallion said arrogantly.
"How about no! If you want I can give you a beat-down as compensation!" Crystal yelled.
"Very tempting, but I'll have to pass on that. How about you hand 'em over right now, and I won't have to put you in a hospital bed? It'd be a shame to see that beautiful face all poisoned now wouldn't it?"
"Who are you?" Twilight asked. "And why do you want our pokemon? They're not yours!"
The stallion laughed. "Who am I? I'm the one and only Aftershock! Second in command of Team Quake! We're on a mission to conquer the world and lucky for you your pokemon have been recruited to join our orgnization! Now why don't you hand 'em over before thing have to get nasty. I wouldn't want to see those pretty faces of yours all full of poison."
"No way! If you want Charmander, you're going to have to go through me first!" Rainbow shouted.
"Oooh, looks like Grimer gets to have some fun after all. I've got the leprechaun you five get the others."
"Yes sir!" The five grunts replied.
Twilight watched as two of the grunts jumped at her at the same time. They each pulled out pokeballs and tossed them. One of the pokemon was a purple and white rat with big buck teeth and a curled tail. The other was another bird, but this one had a sharper beak, red and black feathers with a fiery look in it's eyes. Twilight readied herself and tossed Bulbasaur in the air.
From a distance, Crystal took note of the battle Twilight was in. Against a Spearow and a Rattatta, Twilight's Bulbasaur wouldn't be strong enough. Crystal turned to Pinkie who was messing with one of the other grunts.
"Pinkly! I mean Pinkie!" Crystal cried.
"Pinkly? That's a funny name! Whatcha need Cryssi!" Pinkie shouted back.
"Help Twilight, I've got these guys!"
"Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie sang as she bounced towards Twilight.
"Cryssi? Seriously? That name is so lame!" Crystal muttered. She pulled out another pokeball and faced the three grunts in front of her.
Rainbow tossed Charmander in the air. In a second the flaming reptile was in front of her ready to go. Aftershock smirked and tossed his own pokeball letting loose a purple sludge that looked like it was fished out of the sewers.
"Oh man, I am going to enjoy this! The boss is going to be thrilled when he finds out I snagged a Charmander." Aftershock taunted.
"More like he'll be disappointed when you go back with nothing!" Rainbow snarled.
Rainbow entered in her attack. Aftershock doing the same. In an instant Charmander lunged towards Grimer with claws outstretched. To Rainbow's surprise, however, Grimer shrunk down until it was no longer visible. Charmander was just as confused as Rainbow, frantically searching for it's opponent. Aftershock laughed at his foe's confusion.
Where did it go!?
This time Rainbow went with ember, hoping the tiny flames would expose the miniature pokemon. Charmander sprayed embers all over the floor, but couldn't land any on Grimer. Seconds after Charmander was seemingly knocked flat on it's back by nothing. Frustration started building up in Rainbow, and Aftershock's constant laughing only built it up further. Rainbow picked ember again and this time the attack landed. Grimer's health plummeted till there was roughly a quarter left. Aftershock's laughing stopped immediately and was replaced with a cry of worry and anger. Upon further inspection it appeared Charmander had gotten a critical hit on Grimer. resulting in the pokemon's re-sizing. Rainbow smirked with pride. The battle was just getting started.
Twilight was just about to initiate the battle when squirtle popped up next to Bulbasaur. She looked to her right to see Pinkie's bouncy mane going up and down as she bounced. It would be an understatement to say that Pinkie was excited for her first battle. She was practically emanating her own energy which in turn made Twilight's excitement rise.
"Hey, Twilight! Let's show these meanies who they're messin' with!" Pinkie shouted.
Twilight nodded. The two friends entered their commands as their foes did the same. In a moment, Bulbasaur's body was hurled towards the purple rat knocking it into a wall.
"Ah! Rattatta, no!" The grunt cried.
Twilight smiled with triumph while Squirtle mimicked Bulbasaur, throwing it's body towards the opponent's Spearow. Spearow dodged, however, and instead of countering Squirtle, it sped towards Bulbasaur with it's beak leading. Bulbasaur took the impact head on the vicious attack taking a significant amount of it's health. Twilight looked at the menu. It read, It's super effective!. Twilight mentally noted that as she entered her next command.
Crystal stood ready and waiting. The three grunts in front of her each threw out what looked to be giant hamsters.
"So you're gonna use Raticates huh? That's so lame! At least spice it up for me." Crystal taunted.
"Careful girlie." One of the grunts said.
"If you keep talking like that we'll have to get real nasty." Another remarked.
Crystal snickered and tossed up three pokeballs.
"Look, how about you guys answer to my good ol buddies. Charles, Tessie, Vexal, please take care of these jerks."
Out of the pokeballs came a Charizard, a Lapras, and a Pikachu. The three grunts looked in terror at the ensemble before them. Their power seemed to emanate from them, it was obvious that these pokemon had undergone grueling battles and had grown stronger because of it. Crystal laughed at their reactions.
"So boys, we ready to get started or do your diapers need to be changed first?" Crystal taunted. "Let's get started shall we?"
Crystal entered her commands on a device on her wrist. She crossed her arms and waited for the inevitable. She listened to the device as it read off the battle's execution.
"Charles used Flamethrower!" Crystal's wrist narrated. "Tessie used Ice Beam! Vexal used Thunderbolt!"
In seconds a flurry of ice, fire, and lightning spewed out at the trio of Raticates knocking each one out cold. The grunts all stood in shock as Crystal smirked and returned each one to it's respective ball.
"Better luck next time. And please, try to get some different pokemon. You guys are dorks for using the same ones. Crystal then turned her attention to Twilight and Pinkie.
Squirtle made full contact with Spearow, sending it into the wall of the car. The impact took a nice chunk of health out of Spearow, but it didn't K.O. it. Bulbasaur followed suit with it's own tackle effectively knocking Spearow out of the battle.
Twilight saw Bulbasaur's level go up to 8, following the level up was a notification saying that it had learned Vine Whip.
"What's Vine Whip?" Twilight asked.
"Maybe you take a vine like the one's Zecora has and you use it as a whip!" Pinkie suggested.
"That would make sense. The title is pretty self-explanatory."
"Hey look! Squirtle learned bubble! Now I can have bubbles at my parties!!!' Pinkie shouted gleefully.
Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes.
Their moment was interrupted when a loud slam came from the battle on the other end. Charmander has scratched Grimer across the face, sending the purple sludge into the wall. Aftershock's face was contorted into one of frustration and anger while Rainbow's showed her intense focus and determination to win. Charmander was just below half while Grimer had a sliver left.
"Agh! WHY AM I LOSING TO THIS WEAKLING!?" Aftershock screamed.
"Maybe because you don't have what it takes to beat me!" Rainbow remarked.
Aftershock could only watch as Charmander landed one final attack to knock out Grimer. The embers dragged across Grimer's face depleting the last of it's health. Twilight and Pinkie cheered for their friend while Crystal did her own little dance to celebrate.
"Way to go, Rainbow!" Twilight cheered.
"Yeah, Dashie, that was amazing! You totally showed that meanie weenie who's boss!" Pinkie said.
"Thanks guys." Rainbow smiled.
Aftershock stared in disbelief before collapsing to his knees. Never in his career had he lost to some rookie trainer. One of the grunts from the other car showed up and whispered something into his ear. His despair disappeared and he started laughing manically much to everyone's confusion.
"You, you think you've won!? This is only the beginning! You won't be cheering for long! Quake! Move out!" Aftershock shouted.
One of the grunts threw down a smokeball that blinded all four mares. The smoke made each one cough and sputter with their eyes closed. When the smoke cleared, Team Quake and Aftershock were gone. Twilight surveyed the scene, but found no clues regarding the criminals. Eventually, the seats came back out and the group could sit again. Twilight thought to herself in silence, thought's of the encounter ricocheting back and forth in her brain.
What did he mean? What is this the beginning of? Whatever it is, it definitely means trouble for us and possibly for Equestria. I have feeling this isn't the last time we'll encounter these guys. Whenever that is, I'll have to be ready.
The conductor came over the intercom. "Attention passengers. We are now approaching Azure Town."
"Home sweet Home." Crystal said.
Twilight grabbed her bag and approached the door. Rainbow was right behind and so was Pinkie and Crystal and the four waited patiently to enter the world of Cristalla.
Did you retrieve it?
Yes sir.
Good, I take it there wasn't too much trouble getting it?
No sir, but we did run into a snag. Three mares and that Crystal Rel kid again.
Three mares?
Yes sir. Intelligence says their names are Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie. Montes said he ran into them on the train.
Hm, this is most troubling indeed...send word to Jade. If these four are going to be an impediment to our goal, then they need to be eliminated.
The party of four stepped off the train one after the other. The station was just like the ones back in Ponyville. Small and compact, there weren't too many people there and the ones that were were dressed in a homely manner. If Rarity had come with, she would have had a heart attack. Twilight laughed internally causing Rainbow to give her a confusing glance.
"What's so funny?" Rainbow asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just that if Rarity were here she'd go on a fashion spree." Twilight replied calmly.
"Yeah, when it comes to flare, Azure Town lacks it. They don't seem to mind it, but this town can be a real drag sometimes." Crystal commented dryly.
"I know what this place needs!" Pinkie shouted excitedly. "It needs a party! That'll get things going!"
"Yeah...I don't know if that's what they need. You see, the people here are very laid back." Crystal stated.
"What're you talking about, Crystal! Everybody loves parties!!! It'll be so much fun!"
None of them noticed another person approach them. She wore a sky blue lab coat and her brown mane flowed in a curly fashion down to her shoulders. She wore a white T-shirt and gray pants while her coat was a light shade of green. She approached the group with a sincere smile. Twilight and Rainbow didn't notice her until she was only a few feet away and even they were surprised when she made a straight beeline for Crystal.
"Crystal! It's so good to see you again hon!" The mare said happily.
"Mom!" Crystal said as she hugged her mother. "How is everyone doing?"
"They're as chipper as ever, Sweetie. Although when they heard you were coming I could hardly keep them from stampeding over here!"
"Um, excuse me." Twilight said politely. "Are you, Professor Maple?"
"Indeed I am, and you must be Twilight Sparkle, yes?" Maple asked. Twilight nodded. "It's good to finally meet Celestia's prized pupil in person! I'm so glad you decided to help me with this! And who are your friends?"
"I'm Rainbow Dash! The coolest and fastest flyer in Equestria." Rainbow smirked confidently.
"And I'm Pinkie Pie! You're Professor Maple right?" Pinkie asked.
"That's right! And I hate to interrupt, but there's something I need to ask of you."
"Of course, Professor. What did yo-" Twilight started.
"What!? Goddess did you need to scream like that!?" Crystal yelled angrily.
"We need to have a party first!"
"Uh, a party for what?" Rainbow asked.
"To celebrate our first step in Cristalla! And to brighten the mood of these town-folk! A party never hurt anyone!"
"If you'd like we can celebrate back at the lab? I'm afraid the townspeople don't like parties too much." Maple replied.
"I already told her, Mom. " Crystal commented.
After much persuasion, Pinkie Pie decided to exclude the townsfolk "for their sake" as the Professor said. As they walked through town to the lab, Twilight spotted many different Pokémon. Some looked like pigeons, while others resembled purple rats which struck her as an odd occurrence.
"What are those?" Twilight asked pointing at the two Pokémon.
"The bird is called Pidgey and the purple rat is called Rattata." Crystal informed.
The party of five continued onward out of town. The cobblestone path slowly turned into a dirt road littered with footsteps of trainers who had probably gone to see Maple in order to receive a Pokémon. The tree leaves shook and swayed as they strolled by, the denizens of the forest milling about and inspecting their visitors with curious gazes. Professor Maple and Crystal continued forward a little ahead of the others. Twilight was at the front of the group while Rainbow hovered just above the canopy of the forest. Pinkie bounced along spinning and twirling around looking for other kinds of Pokémon.
"So have you guys decided to name your Pokémon yet?"
"We get to name them!?" Pinkie shouted ecstatically.
"If you're into that sort of thing, then yeah!" Crystal replied. "Personally, it makes it easier to call them by a nickname rather than say their actual name. Sort of gets confusing when you're battling a trainer who has the same Pokémon as you."
A nickname huh...
Twilight pondered what sort of name she would give her Pokémon. What would be most suitable for a Pokémon with a plant on it's back?
"Nicknames have also been known to be a symbol of friendship between Trainer and Pokémon." Professor Maple stated. "I remember when Crystal first got her Charmander, it's a Charizard now, but the name she gave it is so cute!"
"What'd she name it?" Rainbow asked.
"Charles." Crystal replied curtly.
There was a moment of silence before the trio began giggling at the nickname.
"What?" Crystal asked with a concerned look.
"Charles the Charizard!" Rainbow cried out, breaking into laughter.
Crystal turned slightly red, embarrassment seeping into her cheeks. "T-There's nothing wrong with that name!"
"It sounds funny though! Rainbow you should name your Pokémon Charles!"
"No way! I'll name him something like Spitfire!" Rainbow shouted bravely.
Twilight giggled. Her friends enthusiasm added to her own and her eagerness made her walk just a little bit faster. It wasn't until she was drawn from her friends antics did she realize just how close she had come to running into Professor Maple, who had stopped in the middle of the path.
"Why did we stop?" Twilight asked.
Crystal pointed to a flock of birds settled in the middle of the road. They were all gathered around feeding on some blue fruit that lay scattered around. The birds were peculiar ones in that they had sharp beaks with bright red wings. Their talons were much sharper compared to a Pidgey's and their movements were aggressive and frantic for a creature that was so small. Rainbow and Pinkie stared in confusion at the flock of birds blocking their path, wondering what was so menacing about them.
"These Spearow are blocking out path." Professor Maple explained.
"So why don't we just make 'em move?" Rainbow inquired.
"Spearow are very territorial and are an aggressive Pokémon. In a whole flock like this if we were to spook them they'd surely attack us."
"If we didn't have an electric type ready to take them all down." Crystal replied drawing a ball from her belt.
"Wait! What're you doing!? Didn't your mom say not to attack them?" Twilight asked worriedly.
"Yeah, but again, that's if we didn't have an electric type." Crystal replied throwing the ball up in the air.
A yellow Pokémon with black stripes ringing around it's neck, tail, and ears shot out into the field. It had a shining red orb in it's forehead and a larger version of it on its tail. It stood about up to Twilight's chest, tiny currents of electrical waves rolling across it's tail. Crystal stood confidently next to it with her hands on her hips. She brushed her bangs back and issued commands in an authorative tone.
"Alright, Statix, Discharge!"
The Pokémon channeled electricity into it's tail and forehead. Both orbs began emanating electrical currents in the air and in the blink of an eye lighting shot forth from the Pokémon striking down all the Spearow violently and promptly. Despite the range of the attack, there were a few Spearow left unharmed who had taken to the sky and begun bearing down on their assailants.
"Now Thunderbolt!"
Crystal succeeded in taking down two of the Spearow currently diving on them, but there remained seven left who were undeterred by their brother's injuries. Statix attempted to dodge by leaping from side to side. The first three missed entirely while the remaining four all scored direct hits on Statix, sending him into a nearby tree.
"Crap."
"Language!" Professor Maple scolded her daughter.
"Really, Mom!? You wanna do this here!?" Crystal remarked in disbelief.
Statix leapt from the bushes he was buried in unscathed and rearing to go. It was bewildering how Statix could take four hits from four different Pokémon and seemingly be unfazed by them. It had a renewed fire in it's beady black eyes, one that reciprocated the feeling from its trainer. The duo stood against the seven Spearow who had grouped up for another attack. Crystal didn't seem worried in the slightest as she issued another command to her Pokémon.
"Discharge again!"
Another strike of lighting took down all but one Spearow who had swiftly dodged the flurry of electricity which had struck down all the other birds in it's flock. It had the same determination Statix had, but this was directed at the enemy who had taken down his entire flock. Spearow dove down on it's prey, shifting from left to right unpredictably. Statix attempted a thunderbolt, but the Spearow proved to be too fast and it scored a direct hit on Statix sending the Pokémon into the ground.
"Seriously!? Jeez how lame is this Pokémon!?" Crystal shouted.
"Actually, Crystal, if you don't mind could you use this instance to demonstrate how to properly catch a Pokémon?" Professor Maple said happily.
"Seriously." Crystal deadpanned while her mother nodded.
Rainbow leaned over to Twilight's ear and whispered in a low tone. "You think we'll find a Pokémon like that here?"
"It's certainly a possibility." Twilight replied.
"What're you guys whispering about?" Pinkie asked startling the two mares.
"Girls, please pay attention. We're going to show you how to catch a Pokémon!" Professor Maple exclaimed.
"Really!" Pinkie jumped up and down excited. "Ohmygosh this is so exciting! I can't wait to catch a Pokémon and then throw it a welcoming party and then become really really good friends with him and..." She squealed with excitement.
Professor Maple smiled. "Now watch carefully, first thing's first, you need to weaken your target. A healthy Pokémon is quite difficult to catch so try to weaken it wherever possible."
Crystal let loose a barrage of thunderbolts only managing to graze the Spearow's wing, but not enough to ground it completely. She pulled out a red handheld device that was different from the poke-gear Twilight had seen on the train. Crystal flipped it open and pressed the button on the top of the device lighting it up with a display of the Spearow and Statix, a yellow bar underneath Spearow and a green bar under Statix. Crystal shrugged her shoulders and slid the device in her back pocket.
"Did you see that?" Twilight asked.
"No, what'd you see?" Rainbow inquired.
"Was it another adorable Pokémon!?" Pinkie asked.
"No! That device Crystal pulled out. It had two Pokémon on it with colored bars."
"Weird, what do you think it is?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe we'll find out once we get to the lab."
"Alright, Mom, give me a ball." Crystal demanded holding out her hand.
Professor Maple grabbed ball from her pocket, letting the others see it first. "Once the Pokémon is weakened, you want to throw a poke-ball at it."
Professor Maple tossed the ball into her daughters hand enlarging it as it drifted through the air. Crystal watched the Spearow carefully as it rounded back for another dive. She waited until it was about halfway when she cocked her arm back and launched the ball at Spearow. The ball was perfectly arced towards Spearow's rate of descent, placing it right in front of the vengefully Pokémon. The ball knocked into Spearow's side and plummeted towards the ground, bringing Spearow with it and locking it inside the capsule. The ball plopped on the dirt below and shook once, then twice, then a third time before making a clicking noise and ultimately cease it's shaking. Crystal sighed and walked over to the ball, picking it up and inspecting it.
"Then, once you've weakened it and thrown the ball, you have to wait for it to either be caught or break free. Sometimes a weak Pokémon can still break free of a ball so don't let your guard down! Once you hear that clicking noise it means you've caught it!"
"You were one tough bird you know that?" She threw the ball to Professor Maple. "Here, Mom, I can't carry anymore."
"Why not?" Twilight asked with a confused look.
"There are only six slots on your belt. You can catch more Pokémon if you like, but you'd have to get rid of one if you wanna use the one you just caught."
"That's stupid! What if I want to carry more than seven?" Dash argued.
"Hey, I didn't design it! Believe me I'm not a fan of it either."
"Well, I trust that you've all properly learned how to catch a Pokémon?" Professor Maple inquired.
All three nodded their heads in agreement.
"Splendid! Then let's continue towards the lab shall we? It's not far now, just up the road."
The party of five continued down the path, noting all the new Pokémon they saw on the way to the lab. Twilight asked more questions about Cristalla and how long ago they had discovered the existence of Pokémon.
"Well, it was about 7 years ago when we first discovered them. The first one to be documented was Rhydon, then slowly the other 149 were discovered a few months later."
"There's a 149 different Pokémon out there!?" Dash shouted.
"We're starting to think around 200 now, but at first yes!"
Dash stared slack jawed at the Professor who was enjoying herself. Dash then shifted her attention towards Twilight who found humor in the brash mare's bewilderment.
"That means there's a 149 more friends to make out there!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I can't wait!"
"You won't have to any more, because we've arrived!" Professor Maple shouted.
The lab itself wasn't a stand out lab. It's tan brick walls and circular windows we simplistic in design, yet it was charming in it's own way. A single red smokestack jutted out from the roof, and the building was in a secluded spot in the forest surrounded by the towering oak trees. Professor Maple opened the doors for Twilight allowing the trio to walk in and explore the lab. There were a few people milling about, each one with lab coats on and running between different machines. One resembled an incubation chamber while another held a wall of poke-balls with unknown Pokémon inside. Various documents were pinned up on a bulletin board titled Evolution coupled with diagrams of Pokémon changing from one form to another with little side notes that said, what causes it? or how does the stone affect it? each question further intriguing Twilight.
Professor Maple approached a desk towards the back of the lab, rummaging around and tossing papers aside. She opened a few drawers, pulling out a few papers and looking inside them.
"Now where did they go? I swear I had them right- oh there they are!"
She grabbed three red devices that looked similar to what Crystal was carrying. She walked over to the group of Equestrians who had gathered near her desk.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why I gave you your Pokémon correct? Well, it's because I want you to have these!" Professor Maple handed each of the girls their device.
"So what exactly is this thing anyway?" Rainbow asked inspecting it.
"It's a Poke-dex! A high tech encyclopedia designed to record data on every single Pokémon in the region! I am giving these devices to you so that you can record data on all the Pokémon found in the Cristalla region! There are still a great many things we don't know about Pokémon and by sending you three on a journey to complete it, hopefully you can find some of the answers we're looking for! Now these devices are very precious, so I hope you treat each of them with care! The same goes for your Pokémon, I want you three to develop bonds with your partners and with the other Pokémon you catch in the future! This is a great undertaking in Pokémon history so please do your best to complete the Poke-dex!"
"You can count on us, Professor. Right, girls?" Twilight looked towards her friends.
"Yeah! I'll have it done in ten seconds flat! Don't you worry Professor!" Rainbow replied with a smirk.
"Okie Dokie! Let's go find us some Pokémon!" Pinkie shouted happily.
"Excellent! Now before you go I have one question for you." Professor Maple smiled gratefully.
"What?" The trio asked in unison.
"Have you decided on a nickname for your Pokémon?"
