Dimensional Tales: Pokemon is Magic

by snivygamer97

First published 2nd of September, 2021

Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and friends explore the Pokemon world while living their lives in Equestria.

(I'm in the middle of making edits to the earlier chapters before posting new ones. I finished my first chapter, and am planning on doing more soon.)

One day, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are teleported into the Pokemon world for unknown reasons, with the rest of their friends following after. While living their lives back at home, the group also end up going on a Pokemon journey as well as trying to find out a way to save the Pokemon world from a variety of threats.

Arrival in the World of Pokemon (Edited)

Rainbow expected to have many dreams while asleep that night. From flying through the sky to winning a race, or even being a Wonderbolt or playing pranks with Pinkie Pie. However, the last thing she expected was to find herself lazing on the ground with a weird green snake with legs.
"What the...? Where am I?" Rainbow asked herself as she looked around in confusion. From the corner of her eye, she could see the snake look around with fear and confusion as well. "Well, might as well get this out of the way. Who, or rather, what are you?" Rainbow asked the snake.
However, when the snake opened her mouth, she only heard the snake say, with fear present in her voice, "Sni Snivy Sni Vy Vy."
"Okay? I take it you can't talk, or at least not in the same language?" Rainbow asked with the snake nervously nodding. "Man, I wished that Twilight or Fluttershy were here. They both know plenty of languages from years of study. So, I guess Snivy is your name?" The snake creature nodded. "Well, the name's Rainbow Dash. It's a pleasure to meet ya. Just so ya know, I'm pretty awesome back home and soon to be a household name in all of Equestria!" Rainbow bragged as the snake backed up away from her. "Hey! What are you doing? I'm not that bad! My friends think I'm awesome to be around! Speaking of which, Snivy, why don't I take you to meet my friends sometime? Fluttershy can translate your weird animal name talk and we can get to know each other better."
Rainbow held out her hoof, hoping that the snake would accept her hoofshake. However, before Snivy could react, the went from a grass field to a cocoon inside a strange castle on an island where many other strange creatures were, including what Twilight has met and referred to as humans and her friends and...HER? "Hey, guys! What are we doing here? Why is there another me?! Is this just a dream we're having like you said Luna could do or is this the work of some villain or...?" Rainbow was puzzled to see that her friends couldn't hear her as they failed to respond. "Uh, guys? Huh, maybe it's impossible to hear us within this cocoon?" Rainbow tried to headbutt the cocoon. And then punch it. And then kick it. Nothing happened to the cocoon and she and Snivy were trapped still. "Dang it! How do we get out?!" Rainbow pouted as she sat with her wings flared and her fore-hooves crossed. It was at this point that she also noticed that all that were present were looking at a strange light purple being on two feet.
"You humans are a dangerous species. You brought me into your world with no purpose but to be your slave. But now I'm looking for my own purpose, which I plan to find by proving myself superior to you," The strange creature said mentally.
"Wait. I didn't hear that. That noise just appeared in my head. Snivy, do you know what is going on?" Rainbow asked as the snake shook her head. "Great. I have all this strange stuff happen to me and I can't get answer for it. Guess I have no choice but to listen."
"I get it now. You hate humans, and you plan on fighting us and our Pokemon to prove yourself and find a purpose in life," a young human man with tannish skin and squinted eyes guessed.
"Correct," The creature confirmed. "Your Pokemon sully their respect in my eyes in that they choose to be lorded over by you and willingly be their slaves. Our battle will begin in a brief moment. I'll find my true destiny."
"But can't you see we didn't want this? Or that not all Pokemon are treated like slaves like in Team Rocket?" A girl with blue hair asked.
"Yeah! I treat my Axew here like my little brother!" Another girl with tannish skin agreed.
"Listen here, Mewtwo, you think you understand the dynamic between humans, ponies, and Pokemon, but you couldn't be further from the truth. Pokemon are amazing creatures. By working together with them, we evolve and improve," Twilight countered.
"The gi-er-pony is correct. You seem to believe that our evolution will improve if we both stay separate, but my Servine, Sneasel, and all my other Pokemon think otherwise, right?" A boy with an orange jacket asked as a bunch of strange creatures, including one that looked like a bigger Snivy, nodded in agreement.
"Believe what you want to believe. But just know that I believe that humans are holding Pokemon back from their true potential and embarrassing themselves by acting as servants," The creature, apparently named Mewtwo, mentally said.
"Servants? My Pokemon are my friends! Pikachu, Snivy, and the rest are all very dear and close to me! The last thing I want is for them to be treated poorly!" a teenage boy with a red and white hat said.
"Ash is right! I once made the mistake of thinking I knew better for my Pokemon than they themselves did, but I've learned from that and now Snivy and I are closer than ever!" the Rainbow Dash yelled, as the other people and ponies present agreed.
"When I first became a Trainer, my Dratini and I could have a deep understanding of each other and we both tried our best to better ourselves. I don't want to hear you sully this amazing friendship we've formed by saying we treat them horribly!" Spike yelled as a serpentine dragon, Dratini, nodded.
At this point, a yellow mouse, a blue penguin, and both of the Snivys present in the room walked forward and spoke in a similar type of language that Snivy did.
"So, wait? Are there more of you, Snivy?" Rainbow asked as the snake nodded, scared and confused as Rainbow was, though the pony wouldn't admit it.
"What are they saying?" A red-haired teen asked.
"They're trying to make an appeal to Mewtwo, Misty," The tannish girl answered.
"I just hope this works," The blue haired girl whispered.
"So, you all are saying I am wrong? That you are not these human's servants? You are their friends?" Mewtwo asked as the four creatures nodded. "You are as pathetic as the rest." At this point, the creatures, apparently called Pokemon, were thrown back to some of the other teens like with telekinesis.
"Okay! I've stood on the sidelines long enough! I have to do something, right now!" Rainbow yelled as she tried to dash through the cocoon. However, she and Snivy were suddenly teleported to an island with a lot of the same humans and Pokemon, including what appeared to be human versions of her and her friends. There were also three large birds flying through the sky launching elemental blasts at each other, trying to take each other down. One of the girls began to play an instrument that Rainbow couldn't recognize. Suddenly, Rainbow and Snivy were taken away and ended up in a grassy plains with a pink sky as a young woman was battling a giant rock monster and a strange steel mole with a tiny blue elephant.
In an instant, Rainbow saw several other flashes, including a giant tree monster rampaging through a forest, the teens with the hat and red-hair, along with a few of the creatures and she and Rarity, running through a strange water city, a giant monster with various tentacles, two red and blue creatures that reminded Rainbow of...DNA was it?...fighting a large green dragon, a brown-haired girl and a water droplet creature fighting a pirate, and many others. The last thing Rainbow remembered seeing was a white goat-looking creature with golden chains on it.

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Rainbow quickly fell out of her bed. Since the bed was in a room made of soft and fluffy clouds, she was left unharmed. "Sweet Celestia, was that a strange dream. I don't know what happened. I didn't eat anything different before bed last night, nor did I stay up any later than normal. What would I have done anyway? Read? Ha! I'm not a nerdy egghead like Twilight! She can read all she wants as long as she keeps me out of it! But strange...I don't know what those strange creatures are. Pokemon were they? Gah! I shouldn't think about that right now! I should be getting ready for our picnic in the park today! Twilight has been obsessively planning for it all week! I need to get going and finish my work for the day so I can relax!"
At this, Rainbow got on up and zoomed out of her house after quickly grabbing a blueberry muffin to eat.
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Rainbow was able to complete her work very quickly today. Normally, unless...she was here, she would wait until the last minute to deal with the weather. Not that she didn't want to make sure that Ponyville got the weather it needed, but because she would normally spend her day either napping or practicing her flying to prepare for the day she could become a Wonderbolt. But the thing was that the dream she had last night was still on her mind.
She wasn't the type to normally dwell on something. Twilight was normally the type of pony to do that. But she also had a strange feeling that something bad was going to happen, and somehow she knew that she and her friends were going to be at the center of it.
It may not be all bad, though. She did get to meet a cool looking snake creature, though, and if this really was a vision of the future, they had become very close seeing as how pony her and human her were always on or close to her. Pokemon? Just...what were they?
Suddenly, Rainbow heard a voice call from down below. "Rainbow Dash! It's me, Rarity! Don't tell me that you're going to sleep through our picnic today! After all the planning our darling Twilight put into it, too?" the marshmallow pony reminded.
Rainbow got up off of her back and flew on down to where Rarity was. "Sorry about that. I was just thinking about something. A dream I had last night," Rainbow confessed.
"A dream? Did Luna help you with it?" Rarity asked. "...Wait. You, thinking about something? That isn't like you, darling. You normally just go in first and ask questions later. This must be serious. What's wrong?"
"Well...you see...," Rainbow began to tell Rarity everything she could remember about her strange dream. From the Snivy to the humans, to them turning into humans, even the strange creatures simply called Pokemon.
"That's some story, Dashie," Rarity noted. "And you think that this dream will somehow happen to us?"
"That's right. I know we're all pretty awesome and likely to make it through okay if that stuff does end up happening, but there's also no guarantee things will end happily. And what of these...Pokemon? What if we can't make friends with them so easily? What if they get hurt fighting all those villains with us?" Rainbow wondered with worry.
"Hey, it's alright. We have plenty of time to prepare ourselves for the day if this stuff happens...if it does happen. Hey, why don't we begin by merely relaxing at that picnic," Rarity reassured.
"Thanks Rarity," Rainbow said as she smiled. "So...you wanna go check on Twilight before we go to the picnic. You know, see if she wants to come with us or arrive later?"
"Of course, darling! That would be just splendid!" Rarity agreed as the duo began to head on over to Twilight's.
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Later that day at the Golden Oak’s Library, the unicorn Twilight Sparkle was doing the best she could in order to work on improving her teleportation spell. She had first been able to manage to use it during her fight with Nightmare Moon and since then she was working on using this spell as well as a variety of other spells. However, that wasn’t the only thing she was learning about. She was also learning about the magic of friendship while living in Ponyville along with her dragon brother and number one assistant Spike. Speaking of which…

“Twilight, I know that mastering your teleportation spell is important and all, but can we please take a break? I want to be able to chow down on some sweet sapphires that I helped Rarity scrounge up,” Spike asked as he grew a lovestruck face as he thought of the beautiful unicorn.

“You can take a break if you wish, Spike. But I’m not giving up until I get this spell right! Now, focus Twilight! Celestia wants for you to continue your normal magical studies while in Ponyville. Just because you’re learning about the magic of friendship doesn’t mean you can go easy on your magic training,” Twilight said to herself.

“Come on, Twilight. Just take a break. I’m sure you’ll feel a lot better once you do. The spells won’t disappear just because you take a break for thirty minutes,” Spike tried to console his older sister.

“Maybe… but I’m getting so close. I can’t just give up now!” Twilight declined.

“Oh boy!” Spike said with a shake of the head as he realized where this was going.

Before Twilight could continue trying to master this spell, she was interrupted by the library door loudly being slammed open. “Hey, Twilight! Rarity and I were about to go to the picnic in the park we’ve been planning all week. We decided to check up on you and see if you wanted to go with us or if you’d go later.”

“Rainbow Dash! I know that you love to make an entrance, but you mustn’t behave like a total ruffian when entering our friend’s home. So, how have you been these last few days, Twilight? I haven’t been able to see you much since the Gilda incident and we’d love to be able to chat again,” Rarity said, only for Twilight to not respond.

The two then looked around the room and saw all the books and scrolls scattered across the room, wondering what Twilight was working on at this time to require such a mess. Wow. And I thought I could make a huge mess,” Rainbow Dash bluntly said.

“Darling, I think Twilight has a case of organized chaos, not a simple mess,” Rarity corrected before noticing Spike. “Spike? What is going on with Twilight here? What is she working on?”

“Has her egghead brain cracked or something?” Rainbow bluntly asked, with Rarity and Spike giving her a glare. “So, what is going on?”

“Twilight has been obsessing about perfecting her teleportation spell for the longest time. Hopefully, she’ll get the spell over with so we can go to the picnic. I’m looking to have some delicious sapphires, thanks to you Rarity,” Spike lovingly sighed.

“Okay. Well Twilight, are you ready to go to the picnic?” Rarity asked the obsessed unicorn.

“Just a minute. I feel like I’m so close to mastering this teleportation spell. I just need to work out some final kinks and… oh! I got it!” Twilight realized something.

“Got what?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I think I just found a way to hang out while still finishing up this spell. Can you guys just stand over there next to the table? It will be very quick, trust me,” Twilight said.

“Um, alright? Why do you want us to stand over here?” Rainbow Dash asked bluntly.

“It’s simple. If I have an object and place of focus that I have a strong amount of attachment towards, perhaps I can strengthen the likelihood of the spell working out as intended. So, what do you guys say? Can you please help me out?” Twilight explained.

“I guess we can do this. I could always just be fashionably late for the picnic,” Rarity agreed.

“Well… I guess I can help. Just be quick! I don’t know how long I can bear sitting still and doing nothing!” Rainbow Dash also agreed.

“Perfect! Now all I need is to focus and…,” Twilight put her focus into her horn physically and onto her friends mentally. In an instant, Twilight disappeared and then reappeared right next to Rarity and Rainbow Dash. “It worked? It worked!” Twilight cheered as she jumped up and down excitedly. “See, Spike? It was only a matter of time before I managed to finish up that spell!”

“Yup, I totally see. So, can we go to the picnic now? I’m starving and I bet you are too after all that fretting you did,” Spike said. At this, Twilight’s stomach growled as Twilight blushed sheepishly.

“Perfect! So we can go now! Anyone wanna race me?” Rainbow Dash asked her friends only to pout when none of them agreed. “Lame.”

“Just let me try the teleportation spell out one more time and we can go,” Twilight decided as she hugged her two friends. Twilight put her focus onto the nearby front door this time, hoping that she could manage to teleport again without a direct point of interest. However, instead of teleporting over to the door like she expected, her horn created a bubble that surrounded the three ponies and before Spike knew it, the three of them were gone, much to Spike’s horror.
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One second Rainbow Dash was being surrounded by a magic bubble, the next thing she knew she was waking up on a red sofa. “Oh man! What happened to us, you guys?” Rainbow Dash looked around the room until she happened to see that instead of a hoof, she had a hand. “What the-?!” Finally, looking in a nearby cup of water, she saw her face. Instead of her normal blue pony face, she had a white skin color with no fur and her signature rainbow hair. She also noticed that she was dressed in black pants, blue sneakers, a blue vest, and a rainbow colored shirt. Rainbow Dash proceeded to scream loudly in fear and shock over her transformation, which woke up two other people on blankets on the floor with the same hairstyles as Twilight and Rarity. "W-Wait! I've become a human?! And so soon, too?!"

“For pony’s sake, Rainbow Dash! Can you please be a bit quieter when trying to wake ponies up?!” Rarity demanded.

“B-but! We are no long-” Rainbow tried to fearfully explain.

“I have to agree with Rarity here. You could have just nudged us awake,” Twilight suggested as she looked around.

“B-but I L-look at your hooves!” Rainbow Dash cried out.

“Why would you ask us to-,” Twilight was beginning to ask, confused, only to see that she had hands instead of hooves. Rarity did the same with both Twilight and Rarity screaming as they looked at themselves and each other.

“So, do I seem like a jerk now?” Rainbow Dash asked the duo.

“No, but I have so many questions about where we are and why we ended up like this! I mean, why are we suddenly having fingers. Is this what a human is darling? And...where exactly did you accidentally send us to, darling?” Rarity questioned.

“No idea. I guess we are humans...but why are we...and where are we...and...? Mind is about to shut down,” Twilight muttered.

“Goodness! Are you three okay? I was just looking over the starters to see if they would be ready for the trainers in a few days when I heard screaming,” A voice said. When the trio of former ponies turned to look, they saw what appeared to be an older man version of a human wearing a lab coat, red shirt, and tan pants.

“I have no idea, whoever you are! Why don’t you tell us who you are and what you’re doing with us right now! Rainbow Dash demanded. "I didn't plan on becoming a human today or anytime soon! The last thing I need is to learn this whole thing is a trap!"

"Um, darling? I don't think this is a...," Rarity whispered to Rainbow.

“Rainbow Dash! Please excuse my friend sir. She’s just being cautious!” Twilight awkwardly said.

“Okay? So, if you don’t mind, can you three tell me what happened to you all? I found you right outside my lab about an hour ago unconscious. I got help from a part-time assistant to carry you all in here,” The older man explained.

“Well, you see sir, we are ponies that somehow ended up transformed into the humans we are now. This may be because we’ve ended up in some other world where humans inhabit, or something. As for why we ended up here, we have no idea. So sorry to intrude. We shall get going now,” Rarity explained as she tried to mimic walking on two legs like she saw the older man doing and as she saw in books.

The older man just stood there for a solid minute, thinking over what to make of this story. To be honest, he wasn’t sure if the three of them were crazy or not. Still seeing as how there wasn’t a need for the trio to lie, he decided to give them a chance. “W-Well. That sounds strange. Still seeing as how stranger things have happened in the Pokemon world before, I guess I’ll believe you. By the way, what are your names?” The older man asked.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends Rainbow Dash and Rarity. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr.-,” Twilight greeted.

“Professor Samuel Oak is the name, you lovely ladies. I’ve been wondering something ever since I saw you three. Do you happen to have a place to stay here in Pallet Town?” The Professor asked kindly.

“Not really. Personally, I think I can rough it outside for a while. Twilight maybe, though Rarity will need to get used to it,” Rainbow Dash bluntly said.

“Hey!” Rarity grumbled.

“No need for that. I was actually thinking that maybe you three could stay here with me for the time being. You can work as my lab assistants in my studies of different types of Pokemon,” Professor Oak suggested.

“I’m in!” Twilight agreed.

"Wait. Pokemon?! What are they? And how do you know what they are?!" Rainbow demanded.

"And I thought Spike said I ask a lot of questions," Twilight noted.

"Well...Pokemon are strange, yet wonderful creatures that inhabit our world. There are hundreds of species known and to still be discovered. They live and work with us together in our world. I'm a professor, working to learn more about Pokemon and their relationship with humans," Professor Oak explained.

“So...that's what they are....Should I try to understand them?" Rainbow wondered.

"I'd say it may be good to get used to them at least. Hopefully, you can find some common ground with them," Oak suggested.

"Well...okay. But, Twilight! I’m not an egghead like you or this Oak guy. Can I please do something else to earn my place here?” Rainbow complained.

“Now hold on Miss Dash! This nice fellow here has agreed to take us in. We should be more polite. Still, I do wonder what these Pokemon are. Your explanation didn't help me much,” Rarity asked.

“Wow. Maybe you three really do come from another world. Come, I'll show you some,” Professor Oak explained.

“I must say, being a Professor...Sounds like an amazing profession to have, Professor. I've always dreamed of being able to teach the ponies of my world and sharing knowledge with others. Don’t worry! We’ll do all that we can to give you some much needed Pokemon research assistance!” Twilight said.

“Perfect! We can get started just as soon as I introduce you three to my assistant that’s been helping me for two years now. Follow me,” Oak said as he walked out of this room. The trio did their best to try walking on two legs after Professor Oak, still stumbling quite a bit as they did so. Rainbow Dash was immensely bothered when she realized she didn’t have her wings in this form, but did her best to hide it.

Finally, the group reached a room with shelves of Pokeballs all stacked up neatly.

“Cool! What are these things?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“These are Pokeballs. They can be used to store Pokemon in and carry them around,” The voice of a fifteen-year-old boy said as he turned to see the trio awake. “Oh, it’s great to see that you three are alright! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ash Ketchum!”

Author's Notes:

Hello there! Sorry to restart this story. I just wanted to have a fresh start with fewer characters so that the writing process will be easier. Hope you enjoy this first chapter.

Learning More of the Pokemon World (Edited)

Spike was very worried when he first saw the trio, including his older sister, warp away to who knows where. Spike did all that he could in order to keep himself from screaming in panic.
"This is bad! Where could they have gone? I know Twilight is still working on that teleportation spell, but she's not the type to easily make a mistake that results in vanishing without a trace," Spike said before taking a deep breath. "Okay, calm down there Spike. Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow don't need you to panic right now. Right now, they need you to help. But you don't have normal magic that can contact them. And the one pony that could help me is missing! Only Celestia would... Wait. Celestia! I'll write her a letter right away! She'll know what to do!" Spike realized as he quickly wrote down a letter to the princess.
Dear Princess Celestia,
This is Spike. Twilight was practicing her new teleportation spell to fully master it when suddenly she, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash suddenly disappeared in a weird bubble. I don't know where they are! If you have the time, can you please come over and help me find out where they vanished to? Thanks a lot for your help.
Upon finishing the letter, Spike set it aflame with his fire breath, sending it to Celestia in an instant.
"Perfect! Now all I have to do now is to wait for Celestia to arrive and we can get to work on saving Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow. But...we may need more hooves to help us. I'll go get the others!" Spike decided as he left the library to go and get the others.
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The trio of Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were patiently waiting for their other friends to arrive at the picnic. Applejack had brought some apple related dishes, Fluttershy brought some salad as well as some jewels that Spike had requested, and Pinkie Pie had brought a bunch of cookies and cupcakes for dessert.
"So, Fluttershy, you know anything about that Gilda that we saw a few days ago? I know she was a bit rude, but I doubt that those two would stop being friends entirely after one fight," Applejack asked.
"Agreed! I hoped that after seeing her be a big old meanie that I could cheer her up and help her be less mean. Unfortunately, I was wrong and she refused to open up and be nicer," Pinkie Pie said.
"W-Well, I did encounter her earlier that day before the party and she scared me and some poor duckies away when I accidentally bumped into her. I know I was in her way, but she didn't have to do that to me," Fluttershy explained.
"Did ya tell Rainbow Dash about that?" Applejack asked.
"W-Well...yes. She asked me if Gilda was ever mean to me, to help her decide if she should give her another chance or not. But...yeah. To tell you girls the truth, Gilda has had a history of roaring and yelling at me whenever Rainbow wasn't around. Sometimes I deserved it, but sometimes I didn't even do anything wrong," Fluttershy said. "At times, I wanted to say something, but I always saw how happy the two made each other, so I kept quiet until she directly asked me."
"It's okay, Fluttershy. Not all creatures are nice to us. I mean, that strange horse-like creature Zecora is evil and creepy. I just hope she doesn't hurt any of us like Gilda almost did. The last thing we need is another meanie to go after us or treat us worse than dirt. I mean, dirt may not taste good, but it still helps us grow food and gives us something to walk on," Pinkie Pie said, causing both her friends some confusion.
"Uh, Pinkie?" Applejack asked the strange but harmless pony.
"Yes?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Please don't say her name around us," Applejack said with fear and anger present in her voice.
"Y-Yes please. B-But, to be honest, there are times that I wonder if we really should be treating Zecora this way. I mean, we haven't seen her do bad things before, only hear about them. Don't get me wrong, I still don't trust her, but I'm concerned we're treating her poorly for no reason," Fluttershy said.
"W-Well, Applebloom seems to think that way too. The poor filly will get herself hurt someday if she doesn't think more carefully," Applejack said. "Anyways, let's start thinking about something else. So, what do ya think is takin' the others so long? Normally, Rainbow Dash would be here by now pestering me if I brought any cider for her ta drink."
"I don't know. I saw Rainbow briefly before I came here. She seemed a bit out of it, which isn't normal for her. She usually doesn't let things bother her unless she finds it very huge," Fluttershy said.
"Oh, you don't think she was cursed or anything, do you? Because the last thing we need is for one of our friends to be seen as evil by the other townspeople and banished to the Everfree Forest, forever to be alone and friendless because of some evil pony like Ze-," Pinkie Pie was saying only to be interrupted.
"Don't say it!" Applejack warned as Pinkie Pie stopped talking. "A'm pretty sure that Rainbow may have just had a strange dream or didn't sleep much last night because she was focusing on trying to prepare her routine for the Wonderbolts."
"Yeah...maybe...," Fluttershy began only to be interrupted by Spike''s arrival.
"Girls, we need your help right now!" Spike cried out with concern as he was panting, trying to catch his breath.
"Are you okay there, sugarcube? You look more exhausted than a pony on a bucking bronco in the middle of a rodeo," Applejack asked.
"Yeah! What's the matter?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"It's terrible! Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash just went missing!" Spike cried out as the trio gasped. "And Celestia is on her way to meet me at Twilight's library and help me find them!"
"The princess herself? Boy, howdy does that sound serious. I take it you'll be needing our help then. Well, you got yerself a deal!" Applejack agreed instantly.
"Wait. You're agreeing to help already?" Spike asked, feeling relieved.
"Yeah! I don't want to find out that some mean old meanie pants took our friends away to eat us or anything!" Pinkie Pie agreed as well.
"S-Sounds scary, Pinkie Pie. Still, if you need help finding and helping our friends, I'm ready to help," Fluttershy was shaking, but still willing to help out.
"Thanks girls! Now, let's head on back to Twilight's. Hopefully Celestia is here by now," Spike said as the group left their picnic stuff for now and followed straight after the young dragon to Twilight's tree house.
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"So, you say that Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all disappeared in a strange magic bubble and haven't returned?" Celestia asked Spike for clarification.
"Um, yes. Twilight was practicing a teleportation spell and had just gotten it right when all of a sudden this magic orb appeared and they just up and disappeared!" Spike confessed.
"I see," Celestia said.
"So, where do y'all think they disappeared to. I don't know much about magic, so I'm kinda lost," Applejack admitted.
"Well, it was a teleportation spell. Maybe they just ended up being warped somewhere," Pinkie Pie suggested.
"I was thinking just that. But I don't know if that is what happened. Just to be safe, Spike, do you know where Twilight was trying to teleport before she and her friends disappeared?" Celestia asked the young dragon as her horn began to glow yellow.
"She was just trying to do a simple warp as a final test. She had been using her bond with her friends to help her master the spell," Spike answered.
"Then easy peasy! They'll turn up back with us any minute now!" Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.
"Um, Pinkie? If that were the case, wouldn't they have turned up by now?" Fluttershy asked uncertainly.
"Correct, Fluttershy. It looks like they may have teleported farther away than expected," Celestia said as her horn stopped glowing. "Looks like I found them."
This got the attention of everyone present. "Really?! Where are they?!" Everyone asked.
"I think that they may have accidentally ended up in another world entirely. But, it's strange. Normally, one wouldn't end up in another world like that unless someone wanted you to. And I doubt that Twilight wanted to vanish," Celestia explained.
"So, what? Someone may have brought them somewhere else then?" Applejack asked.
"It's a very real possibility, you four," Celestia admitted.
"This sounds bad! What if they were brought someplace where they eat ponies or they get taken to a zombie wasteland and get bitten or something!" Spike panicked.
"I think you may be reading a few too many comic books, Spike. I bet this is the work of someone wanting a hero to save their world from danger and they are these chosen ones or something cool like that!" Pinkie Pie said.
"And you think he's been reading too many comics?" Applejack snarked.
"I'm not sure when they'll be back to be honest. But, if we want to be safe, I think it'll be best that we bring them back right now. I have the signal for where those three ended up and I can warp you over to them in the world they vanished to and you can find them and in a few minutes I'll teleport you all back home safe and sound," Celestia explained.
"Perfect! Now, let's get going! The sooner we save the others, the safer they'll be!" Spike said.
"Woohoo! We get to go on another adventure!" Pinkie Pie cheered.
"Now, now. I don't think we should go that far, Pinkie. It's true that we're goin' to another world, but there's no guarantee we'll be there fer long. After all, we're just there to find the girls and then head home," Applejack reminded.
"Aw, boo!" Pinkie Pie was saddened.
"W-What do we do if the world they were sent to is in danger, though?" Fluttershy asked.
"Well, in that case, I'll send you back until you help that world out," Celestia explained. "Well, we better get going, you four. We have some friends that need out help. Just get in front of me and I'll teleport you all to the world."
As the three ponies and the dragon gathered in front of Celestia, they felt many things. Excitement, worry, fear, axiousness, and determination.
"Alright. You should be teleported to your friends in Three. Two. One," Celestia said as magic enveloped the four creatures and warped them to this strange world they would find themselves in.
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“My name is Ash Ketchum! What are your guy’s names?” Ash asked the trio.

Rainbow stood there looking rather stunned. After all, she was standing in front of one of the teens that were in her dream, standing up to that psychic bully and a bunch of other threats. But something was missing. The yellow mouse that could shoot electricity. She knew now that Pokemon were a good thing for this world. The question remained; Were they here to help him save this world?

As Rainbow Dash stood there thinking, Twilight interrupted, "Sorry about her. She's normally not the kind of po-er-human to be this trapped in thought."

“Yeah, that normally falls on you, Twilight," Rainbow snarkily said as she got out of her thoughts. "Anyways, my name is Rainbow Dash! And these are my pals Rarity and Twilight Sparkle!” Rainbow Dash greeted kindly.

“So, I take it that you’re the assistant that Professor Oak wanted us to meet?” Twilight asked.

“Sure am! I’ve loved Pokemon ever since I was small and pretty soon I’m going to go on a journey to become a Pokemon Master!” Ash explained.

"A Pokemon Master?" Twilight wondered as she was confused.

"I know, right? I wonder-," Rainbow was about to ask when Rarity asked their question instead.

“So, what is a Pokemon Master anyway?” Rarity asked the young teen.

“Really? You guys don’t know what that is?” Ash was surprised.

“Well, let’s just say that we aren’t from around here, Ash,” Twilight commented.

“Apparently, they come from another world separate from ours,” Professor Oak explained.

“Okay? What kind of world is it?" Ash asked awkwardly.

"Well, the world we come from is kept alive and thriving thanks to magic. Almost everything is managed by it. From the sun and moon cycle, to the weather, even growing plants are linked up to magic in this way. We also have many creatures that are sure to be foreign to your world, mostly ponies in Equestria at least," Twilight answered.

"Sounds cool! Weather here is apparently controlled on its own. What kind of Pokemon do you have there," Ash said.

"Actually...I don't think we have any Pokemon living in our world," Twilight admitted.

"Really? Yikes!" Ash was disappointed.

"So...about being a Pokemon Master?" Rainbow asked again.

"Hey! Don't be rude, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity yelled.

"Yeah! He just wanted to know what our world was like!" Twilight agreed in a hushed voice.

"It's okay. I guess I can answer her question. Well, since you don’t know what a Pokemon Master is, they are among the best Pokemon trainers in the world, and they know a lot about Pokemon as well,” Ash tried to explain the concept.

“Cool! So, what is a Pokemon trainer then?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well, they are people that train Pokemon and battle with them. There are a variety of different ways you can train them. You can train them for Gym Battles, Contests, or just for plain old fun competitions,” Ash revealed.

“Awesome! So, can I battle alongside my Pokemon in a fight?” Rainbow Dash was getting excited.

“Actually, no. You command your Pokemon to use certain moves and to use specific strategies,” Ash corrected.

“Strategies? Well, maybe I’ll like the idea of these battles!” Twilight was getting very invested as well.

“They’re supposed to be tough. Especially if you go up against a Gym Battle. Gym Trainers are very tough trainers that, if you’re able to win you get a badge. Collect eight of a region’s badges and you’ll be able to compete against many strong Trainers in a League,” Ash explained as both Rainbow Dash and Twilight were finding the idea of battles interesting.

“Well, sign me up! I can't believe I was worried about these creatures earlier today!” Rainbow Dash cheered.

“Wait! We still need to help out the Professor!” Twilight reminded Rainbow Dash.

“Well, I suppose I could let you young ladies go out on a journey in a few days when Ash leaves for his. You may find a way to get home by doing so rather than by staying in one place. Besides, you can learn more about Pokemon for me and you if you go out on a journey and catch Pokemon of your own,” Professor Oak suggested.

“Learning more about Pokemon, making up battle strategies, and hanging out with some of my friends at the same time?! This sounds perfect!” Twilight agreed excitedly.

“I know, right?! I can’t wait!” Rainbow Dash was similarly excited. However, there was still a part of her that was concerned about her strange dream from last night. Would the world be in danger so many times with them here?

“Hold on, you two. You may be a fan of these Pokemon battles, but while I’m not against fighting when needed, I think it may be uncouth to get involved with them myself,” Rarity declined.

“Well, if you’re not a fan of battling, then maybe Contests are more your speed,” A female voice from about the same age as Ash arrived. She was wearing a black, white, and pink dress with pink boots and black socks. She also had blue hair under a white knitted hat.

“Dawn! It’s nice to see you! What are you doing here?” Ash was happy to see his childhood friend as they high-fived.

“Simple! I just wanted to visit you and the Professor for a little bit. Though I see you found yourself some new friends. Are they going to go on a journey too?” Dawn wondered.

“Actually, we’re just here to help out the Professor in exchange for having a place to stay,” Twilight answered. "Though he did suggest us go on a journey soon, so who knows?"

"Also, guess what? We are ponies from another world! That blow your mind?" Rainbow asked, planning to mess with Dawn. It seemed to work as she looked confused.

"Uh...what?" Dawn asked.

"I think they're telling the truth. They claim to have been teleported here and are going to look for a way home soon," Ash confirmed.

“Well..., I guess I'll go along with this for now. Stranger things have happened after all. At the very least, hopefully you have fun with the Pokemon around the facility,” Dawn wished them luck.

“So, what are these Contests?” Rarity asked curiously.

“You see, Contests show off the natural talents of a Pokemon, both from moves in the appeal round and from pulling off impressive moves and victories in a battle. The winner of a Contest earns a beautiful ribbon and those that can collect five ribbons can enter a bigger competition known as the Grand Festival. It’s always been my dream to become a Top Coordinator, and in a few days I’ll leave with Ash in order to do just that!” Dawn was saying with a big smile.

“You know, these Contests sound very interesting, don’t you all agree? I love the idea of showing the world the best my potential Pokemon would have to offer! I’m in!” Rarity changed her mind and agreed to the journey.

“Looks like we all are going on a journey together then. So, Professor, what are some of the Pokemon we can choose to go on a journey with?” Twilight asked.

“Well, follow me outside and I’ll show you some of the Pokemon you can befriend,” Professor Oak said as he led the trio outside. When they got there, they saw a variety of different Pokemon. From Oddish to Pidgey to Goldeen, there were Pokemon as far as the eye could see. “So, do you girls like what you see? Rest assured, you’ll find a lot of different Pokemon to love and catch. With them, you’ll have very exciting adventures, or at least you hopefully will.”

“Sure looks like we will! These little guys all look amazing,” Twilight said. “Learning more about all of these Pokemon species and more will be just the best! I just wish all my friends can be here to see this.”

“Yeah. It would be great for all of us to meet these Pokemon and more while adventuring across the land of- wait. What is the name of where we are?” Rarity asked.

“We are currently in the region known as Kanto. There are many different regions located around the Pokemon world, each with their own particular Pokemon,” Dawn explained.

“There are more?!” Twilight was getting even more invested as she approached and looked over the Pokemon.

“Um, yes? According to Professor Oak there are hundreds of different Pokemon species. The ones at the lab are only a small number of the currently identified Pokemon there are,” Ash answered. “It’s nice to have people aside from me and Dawn that seem to love Pokemon. Pallet Town doesn’t really have many Trainers or Trainers-to-be aside from us and Gary. Apparently there are two other Trainers, but I haven’t met them before.”

“Well, hopefully they’ll be nice Trainers and not be mean to Pokemon,” Rarity said before turning her attention to Rainbow Dash. “So, what do you think of all these Pokemon?”

“I don’t know. When I first heard about them in my dream, I believed they would be a lot cooler with how mysterious they were built up to be. These guys look very boring to me. I mean, a radish plant, a goldfish? They might not be all that bad at all, but this is a weak first impression so far. Can’t they be a little more amazing?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Rainbow Dash! Don’t be rude! I’m sure that these Pokemon and more are plenty cool as they are! Just give them a chance! Besides, remember that they are most likely living, breathing creatures like the ones back in Equestria! So please, don’t treat them like trash!” Rarity told Rainbow Dash off for being judgemental.

“I agree with your friend here, Rainbow. All Pokemon can be made to be cool or cute, or anything else that can be appealing to Trainers. At least look at some of the other options first!” Dawn asked almost pleadingly.

“Well… okay. To be fair, this big bird looks kinda cool,” Rainbow commented as she looked at a big brown bird Pokemon known as a Fearow.

“There, ya see? Pokemon can evolve into much cooler and stronger forms with time and training. I just need to do the same with my own Pokemon, like with my starter Pikachu,” Ash said the last part to himself as he looked a bit sad, which Dawn noticed.

“Hey! Just give it some time and I’m sure that you and Pikachu will be best friends in no time,” Dawn tried to comfort her closest friend.

Twilight had just started to calm down over her initial excitement of seeing the various Pokemon and was being brought back to reality. Noticing that Ash looked down, she asked, “Are you okay Ash?”

"Does it have to do with your yellow mouse Pokemon?" Rainbow asked, which surprised and shocked everyone present.

"Wait. How did you know Pikachu was a yellow mouse?!" Dawn was shocked.

"I...had a dream with him in it last night?" Rainbow truthfully answered.

"We...should probably discuss the dream later," Professor Oak suggested.

"Yeah. And Ash, don't worry about Pikachu," Dawn said kindly.

“I'm not trying to. It's just.. hard," Ash answered.

"Maybe talking about it will help," Twilight suggested.

"O-Okay, it’s just that the starter Pokemon I picked doesn’t like me yet. In fact, he kinda hates me,” Ash said.

“Really? What’s the problem?” Twilight wondered curiously.

“It’s just that…,” Ash started, only for Professor Oak to interrupt.

“You see, the Pikachu that Ash is talking about is a special case. He’s lived at my lab for years now and while he is strong and loves to battle like Ash would like…,” Professor Oak began.

“Yeah, he really does seem like a good match. However, he doesn't like or trust people that much. In fact, if anyone gets too close, he shocks them with electricity,” Ash finished.

“Sounds like a tough break to have a Pokemon that seems like a perfect fit only for it to hate you,” Rainbow commented sympathetically.

“We’ve tried everything to get Pikachu to open up, but no luck,” Dawn said as she shook her head.

“Speaking of which, where is that little guy from my dream? Is he hiding somewhere? Also, why does his name sound like something a baby would say?” Rainbow bluntly asked only for Rarity and Twilight to give her a look.

“Though to be honest, I would be curious to see what exactly a Pikachu is,” Rarity commented.

“Yeah! It would be perfect to meet this little guy. Maybe we can help you two bond. If only Fluttershy was here. She would be able to help us understand what Pikachu’s problem is,” Twilight said, already missing her absent friends.

“Well, I guess we can show you girls the Pikachu in question. Just don’t be too upset if you get zapped,” Professor Oak said reluctantly.

“Perfect! Now let’s see this Pikachu you’re talking about,” Rainbow said as the group led the trio to Pikachu, who was laying down in the sun sleeping by the bushes.

“Aw! He looks so cute! Don’t you girls agree?” Rarity cooed at Pikachu’s cuteness.

“Yeah! He looks absolutely adorable! I love him!” Twilight agreed. “We just need to figure out what the problem is now.”

“Meh. Not really my type. What other Pokemon do you have for starters?” Rainbow asked, trying to hide that she did find Pikachu cute too. She just didn’t want to admit it aloud and risk damaging her tough girl image.

“We’ll show you them as soon as we’re done here. Now then, as for Pikachu…,” Dawn said, only for Pikachu to wake up and look mad. “Um, maybe we should back up a little bit.”

“Agreed, Dawn,” Professor Oak said as he, Dawn, and Ash began to back up a little bit. Before Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash could ask, Pikachu’s cheeks began to spark with electricity.

“Now, see here Pikachu. I don’t know why you and Ash aren’t getting along, but I think that you should really be giving your future Trainer a chance. After all, Ash seems to be really nice and he seems to love Pokemon. You don’t need to be peachy right away. You just need to try getting along,” Twilight lectured kindly. Pikachu looked confused for a moment at Twilight’s speech. Ash, Dawn, and Professor Oak wanted to believe that Pikachu was convinced, but they all knew better than to blindly believe that Pikachu was on board. Before Twilight or her friends could say anything else, Pikachu’s cheeks surged with electricity and zapped the trio painfully before the electric mouse went back to sleep.

“Why that little… she was trying to get you and Ash to be friends!” Rainbow snarled, ready to rush the electric mouse only for Twilight and Rarity to stop her by blocking her path.

“Now, I know what Pikachu did was mean, but that doesn’t give you the right to hurt him back,” Rarity warned.

“Rarity’s right Rainbow Dash. Making friends isn’t always easy. It took us going on an adventure for you and the girls to win me over,” Twilight agreed.

“Fine,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “But I no longer think he’s cute!”

“So, you do think he’s cute,” Dawn teased playfully, which resulted in Rainbow blushing as she looked annoyed. “Hey, it’s fine to see Pokemon as cute. We won’t judge you for thinking that way.”

“Who said I didn’t want to be judged as soft?” Rainbow asked hotly.

“Anyways… why don’t we show these girls the starters now?” Ash offered.

“I would love to meet them! Ooh! I wonder what kinds of creatures they are!” Twilight squeed.

“I guess we can meet them. I just hope that they’re cool though,” Rainbow Dash agreed.

“I would like to meet them too. Can we see them, Professor?” Rarity asked the Pokemon Professor.

“Well… sure we can. They’re right back in my lab in their Pokeballs. Follow me,” Professor Oak said as he began to lead the group back inside.

“I have to ask. What are Pokeballs, anyway?” Twilight asked curiously.

“You see, Pokeballs are these spherical devices that can be used to hold onto your Pokemon and make it easier to travel with them,” Dawn explained.

“Interesting!” Twilight was amazed at the tech this world had.

“Wait a second. If you can hold Pokemon in a Pokeball, why not place Pikachu into one?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“You see, not all Pokemon will want to go into a Pokeball. Some Pokemon prefer to stay outside and experience the world freely,” Professor Oak explained to the trio.

“Besides, I doubt that would fix the problem of Pikachu not liking me,” Ash commented sadly.

“Yeah. That wouldn’t fix every problem with Pikachu’s attitude,” Dawn pointed out.

“Noted,” Rainbow said, starting to understand why they didn’t take the easy way out.

“Well, here are the starter Pokemon, you three. These are the Pokemon that will go to three of the four new Trainers. Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, say hello, please!” Professor Oak introduced the trio to the starter Pokemon on the table, after releasing them from their Pokeballs, and vice versa. Both trios greeted each other nicely as they looked at each other with interest.

“So, are you three interested in the starter Pokemon?” Ash asked curiously.

“Sure do! I wish I could have all three of them!” Twilight gushed.

“Now remember, Twilight, we aren’t getting these three as our starters. Besides, we can only pick one Pokemon each. Though I must say that I really find the turtle to be a personal favorite,” Rarity said giddily.

Rainbow, meanwhile, looked impressed with the starter trio. However, she found her attention soon being moved to a grass snake that was laying down by the window looking at her hesitantly. “Wait. Is that the Snivy from my dreams?! I didn't know if I'd see her again! Hey there, girl! You remember me?" Rainbow asked as Snivy nervously nodded before looking away. "So, what is the Snivy Pokemon’s deal? Does she have some baggage with people too? I doubt she's as mean as that Pikachu was,” Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

“Not really. I wouldn’t call her or Pikachu mean. It’s just that…,” Ash began.

“Professor Oak believes that Snivy was captured by hunters as an egg. We found her before she hatched and she’s been very antisocial ever since she hatched. She won’t even interact with other Pokemon. Her species comes from the distant Unova region,” Dawn said sadly.

“That sounds horrible!” Twilight yelled, shocked and appalled that there were people that could have done something to such a young Pokemon.

“I know. Still, she looks kinda cool. I'd like to have her be my pal. Mind if I talk to her?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Now Rainbow Dash. I know you want to battle with an impressive Pokemon, but please don’t try and force the poor dear into battle!” Rarity chastised her brash friend.

“I just wanna see if I can help her, that’s all,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “She looks like an amazing Pokemon, and I want her to reach her maximum potential, that’s all.”

“Well… okay. Just be careful,” Professor Oak gave his blessing to Rainbow Dash.

“Perfect! Let’s go!” Rainbow cheered as she approached Snivy. As she got closer to the grass snake, Snivy started to shiver and look scared. “Hey, Snivy? Look, I know you must be scared of other people. After all, you were mistreated as an egg after all. Still, you shouldn’t give up on battling or on other people all together. You’ll see. Sooner or later, you’ll find a Trainer that understands you and that will be a perfect match for you. So, what do you say?”

Snivy wasn’t sure how to respond to Rainbow Dash’s words. After all, she could tell that the girl was being sincere in her words. However, she couldn’t just trust her or any other person or Pokemon blindly like this, not after what happened to her and her parents when she was still in an egg. So, she just turned away and curled up into a ball, much to the group’s sadness.

“Well, at least she didn’t attack you,” Rarity tried to comfort Rainbow after her failed pep talk.

“I know. I just wish that she could realize her full potential and be a kick-butt Pokemon like I believe she can be,” Rainbow Dash said a bit sadly.

“Well, maybe you can find another Pokemon to bond with before you leave on your journey, right Ash?” Dawn suggested.

Ash just stood there for a moment before responding sadly, “Yeah maybe. I just wish that Pikachu and Snivy could understand that they have people rooting for them and that want to be their partner.”

“Ash…,” Dawn responded sadly.

“Well, maybe you three should go and get some rest for now. You can give me a hand with my research and look over the Pokemon more later after you’ve gotten some rest,” Professor Oak suggested.

“Will do, Professor. By the way, thank you for helping us,” Twilight thanked the Pokemon Professor.

“You’re welcome!” Professor Oak accepted the thanks.

Just as the trio were about to head on back to the sofa and take a short nap, a massive flash of light appeared that blinded the group for a few seconds. After the light faded and the group opened their eyes, they saw that four more figures had joined the group; one with curly and somewhat messy pink hair, one with yellow hair and a cowboy hat, one with curled-up pink hair, and one with green hair. The trio were amazed to realized who the new arrivals were. They were their friends Spike, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Fluttershy.

“Twilight, is that you? Thank goodness we’ve found you! I was worried when you guys disappeared when teleporting and contacted Princess Celestia right away! I also went to get the others in case they were needed for finding you! Also, why are we different creatures from back home?!” Spike was relieved to see that his older sister was fine, though he and the others were confused by the presence of these strange creatures and their change in form to match some of them.

Before they could fully react to the shock of their new forms or the strange world they were in, Twilight decided, “We have to explain a few things to you guys.”

Author's Notes:

Hello there. Since I've gotten back into Pokemon and I'm also into MLP again, I figured I would do some work on this fanfic. I may or may not have more done soon. Hope you enjoy!

The Journey Begins (Edited)

“So you’re telling us that we’re now in a world full of unknown creatures that can be used to fight other creatures? Am I understanding that right?” Applejack questioned Twilight, Rainbow, and Rarity for clarity.

“That’s pretty much it. Sounds cool, right?” Rainbow Dash asked excitedly.

“Sounds a bit worrying if you ask me. What if the poor dears get hurt while fighting? After all, these three sweeties may end up seeing a ton of battles when they get picked out as starters,” Fluttershy worriedly brought up as she petted the starter trio.

“I know. These creatures sound amazing if you ask me, but I don’t want to see them hurt,” Pinkie Pie shared some concern in spite of her excitement.

“I guess I didn’t think of things like that,” Twilight muttered, starting to be worried. “What if the Pokemon start to hate us for forcing them to fight? What if Princess Celestia thinks I’m turning evil if I force them into fights like this?”

“Twilight, calm down. I’m sure the Princess won’t hate you for something you haven’t done yet. Also, it looks like this world isn't in danger, so we don't need to stay. Now we just need to sit back and wait for the teleportation spell to transport us back to Equestria and we can move on with our lives,” Spike said, trying to comfort his older sister figure.

“If you’re worried about Pokemon, don’t be. Most of them love to fight and they rarely get seriously hurt for very long,” Ash reassured.

“Ash is right! Besides, even if you don’t want to battle with Pokemon, you can just live with them like they are pets and companions,” Dawn agreed.

“That does make things sound better, right Twilight?” Rarity asked her paranoid friend.

“Well… I guess so,” Twilight started to calm down.

“Exactly! Now we just pick out which Pokemon we start out with and go on a journey,” Rainbow Dash proposed excitedly.

“Same here! We can end up making tons of new friends both Pokemon and pon-er human to spend time with! I’m not sure if I want to battle very much, but the journey could be nice!” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“Now, now! We won’t be goin’ on a journey right now! We have jobs back at home that we need to do, remember?” Applejack reminded her friends.

“Applejack is right! As much as I love these Pokemon, I have to say that I’m worried what will happen back at home to all my animal friends if we don’t return home soon,” Fluttershy agreed.

“Don’t worry, you guys. Remember, Celestia said that she would teleport us back home a few minutes after we arrived and found the others. We should be returning home any minute now,” Spike reminded the others.

“Oh. Well, it was nice being able to meet you three. If only we could have thrown a hello/goodbye party,” Pinkie Pie said as she bounced a bit close to Ash, Dawn, and the Professor.

“Yeah. Well, maybe you guys can teleport back here someday and we can see you then,” Dawn suggested. "You may have only been able to stay for a while if there was any danger, but that doesn't mean you can't return later, right?"

“Yeah! It’s a shame we couldn’t get to know each other better right now, but it was still nice to meet you and maybe we can see each other again,” Ash agreed.

“Maybe I can find a Pokemon to take home with me before we go. Perhaps that Snivy could be my pal. She may not be able to fly, which is a bit of a negative, but she could hold onto me while I fly at least,” Rainbow suggested, liking the idea of having a Pokemon partner.

“Now, now, Rainbow Dash. I don’t know how the Pokemon will react should they be taken away from their home for extended periods,” Twilight pointed out.

“Twilight is right! What if the Pokemon you picked didn’t like the food you had ready for it? I mean, that Snivy desn't appear to like you or anyone right now,” Rarity agreed.

“Yeah, and it could get lonely not being with their fellow Pokemon,” Applejack suggested.

“Aw man! I really wanted to take one of these three home with me!” Pinkie Pie was upset.

“Same here, Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy said sadly as she shook her head.

"But...she could grow to like me, right? Twilight grew to like us after an adventure!" Rainbow reminded the group.

"Yes, but there's no guarantee that she'll like you, Rainbow," Spike pointed out.

"Maybe...but I can just return her if she fails to like me after a few days, right?" Rainbow suggested.

"Not a bad argument, there, right Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"Maybe...but just to be safe we can try hanging out more the next time we're here. I'm sorry, but we won't take her home, Rainbow. We can't take those types of risks," Twilight decided.

"But-," Rainbow tried to interject.

“End of discussion, Rainbow. Well, as for you guys, goodbye you three. You sure were great friends for the short time we knew each other,” Twilight said goodbye.

“Same here, you guys,” Ash said goodbye back.

“If only we got to go on a journey together before you left,” Dawn said.

“I know! We could have been better friends and fashion consultants if we stayed for longer. By the way, I should have said this sooner, but you look cute in your current outfit,” Rarity complimented.

“Aw! Well, thank you!” Dawn accepted the praise.

At this moment, the group of seven from Equestria were suddenly surrounded by magic rings, about to be teleported back home.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye you guys,” Rainbow Dash said as she waved the trio goodbye.

As the others wished each other well, the magic started to envelop the seven, ready to take them home. However, just as the group was about to be teleported home, the magic enveloping them suddenly disappeared and instead of finding themselves back home as ponies and a dragon, they were still in Professor Oak’s lab with the Professor, Ash, and Dawn.

“Um, hello?” Pinkie Pie said to the trio, confused.

“Hi? Shouldn’t you guys have returned back home?” Dawn questioned, confused.

“Well, we should have. That was indeed a teleportation spell intended for multiple po-er people. But what happened? The Princess is too powerful and all-knowing to make an easy mistake with her magic like this,” Twilight was left confused.

“Well, maybe she made a mistake just this once,” Ash suggested, only realizing too late that Spike was shaking his head at his reply.

“Make a mistake? Make a mistake?! Princess Celestia doesn't make mistakes, Ash!” Twilight yelled, not wanting to accept that her mentor had messed up.

“Well, to be fair, even experts can make mistakes part of the time, Twilight,” Professor Oak tried to calm down the magic user.

“Hey, maybe she wants us to study here for a little bit?” Pinkie Pie suggested, trying to calm the magic user as well.

“If so, can I get Snivy now. Or, failing that, pick a Pokemon now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack yelled disapprovingly at her friend’s tactlessness.

“What? It’s a fair question!” Rainbow countered.

“Let’s focus on Twilight first. Are you okay, Twilight?” Fluttershy calmly asked her friend.

“I-I don’t know,” Twilight managed to say with difficulty.

“Would it help you if we gave you a Pokemon to hug?” Fluttershy asked her friend.

“M-Maybe?” Twilight said uncertainly before nodding slowly.

“Here! You can cuddle with this Bulbasaur while you calm down then,” Rarity said as she handed the Pokemon over to Twilight. In an instant, the Grass-type felt soothed being held in Twilight’s hands, with Twilight also being calmed with the contact.

“Thanks, you guys,” Twilight thanked her friends.

“So, you feel any better?” Ash asked Twilight.

“Kinda. Sorry for snapping at you. I just get really worried sometimes,” Twilight apologized.

“It’s okay! So, what do you think we should do now, Twilight?” Spike asked curiously.

Twilight stood there thinking for a minute, trying to think about what she and her friends should do about their being trapped in this world presently. She thought about how some of her friends were interested in having Pokemon and traveling, including her. However, she also thought about how they still had stuff to do back at home that was important. So, it was with these things in mind that she decided, “You know what? Maybe we should stay here for a few days. We can't exactly contact the Princess for any answers like with the fire breath magic system."

"Wait. Fire breath? Ponies can breath fire?" Dawn asked, shocked and amazed.

"N-Not really. But dragons like me can," Spike answered.

"So, are you sure your world doesn't have some type of Pokemon in it?" Ash asked.

"I'm sure. Anyways, Celestia should be able to find out what is going on with the spell during that time and we can make our way home once she does. Is everyone okay with that?” Twilight asked her friends.

Then, some of the others, mainly Applejack and Fluttershy, looked a little conflicted for a moment before everyone nodded in agreement.

“Perfect! Since we’re going to stay here for a while, maybe we should get started with a party to get to know each other better!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“I’m okay with that,” Dawn agreed.

“Me too. So, Professor, do you want to do that?” Ash asked his mentor.

“Sure! I suppose I can order a pizza and other take-out for us to eat while you all rest,” Professor Oak agreed, trying to find a way to accompany everyone’s tastes.

“Thanks, Professor! But do you mind if I help you out? Back home I’m a master party planner!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Um, sure. I guess I could use some help. Consider your help accepted,” Professor Oak nodded.

“Great! So, can we pick out some partner Pokemon now?” Rainbow Dash asked again.

“Rainbow Dash…,” Applejack sent a warning glare.

“Hey, if we’re going to stay here for a few days, we might as well learn what we can, right?” Rainbow Dash reminded the cowgirl.

“Fine. But try not to get too attached. Remember, we can’t take the Pokemon home with us,” Applejack reluctantly agreed.

“So, while we wait for the party and for more work to do, why don’t we talk for a bit?” Dawn suggested.

“Sounds simply divine, Dawn,” Rarity agreed, wanting to know more about her new friends.
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As the five ponies talked to Ash and Dawn and Pinkie Pie and the Professor prepared for a party, Spike decided to walk around out back and take a look around. He had to admit that the strange Pokemon that he saw were indeed interesting.

When he had arrived in this world with the others, he wasn’t sure how to feel about the strange creatures known as Pokemon or even how to feel about Ash, Dawn, and Professor Oak. He wanted to be nice, however, and to give everyone a chance. He just wasn't sure how well he would fit in with the group of soon-to-be Trainers or the ponies turned human. Eventually, Spike made his way to a small lake filled with a variety of Water-type Pokemon.

"Whoa! Professor Oak's place is huge! I mean, he actually has a small lake back here, and it's not even half of what is here," Spike noted in awe as he walked up to the lake, seeing many Water-type Pokemon pop out of the water. Spike was amazed by the variety of different fish Pokemon, from Goldeen to Staryu to Psyduck and even some Magikarp. However, a denizen hidden under the water would soon pop up that would prove to be a surprise to the former dragon.
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"So, this all seems to be fun, right? We get to know each other better before you all get to go home to Equestria!" Dawn said.
"I know! And we get to understand more about all these Pokemon! This'll be the best!" Fluttershy squeed.
"I take it you really love Pokemon then?" Ash asked as Fluttershy nodded. "I can understand. I've loved Pokemon pretty much all my life."
"As nice as it is to see Fluttershy more open and less shy, I have to ask why you love Pokemon so much already?" Rainbow asked.
"Rainbow Dash...," Applejack warned.
"Yeah. It doesn't matter why she loves Pokemon. All that matters is that she does. Perhaps...," Rarity began.
"She is reminded of some of her animal friends back at home and sees that in them?" Twilight suggested as some of the others looked at her. "Sorry for interrupting. Just...speaking aloud."
"It's quite alright, Twilight. You're kinda right about that. Honestly, though, I also just have some strange feeling of joy and closeness in regards to these beautiful Pokemon," Fluttershy answered.
"Okay...doesn't really answer anything," Rainbow muttered under her breath.
"So...to get to another topic...Ash, why is it that you wanna become a Pokemon Master so bad? Same with Dawn. Why does she want to become a Top Coordinator," Rarity asked the duo.
"Yeah! Is it because you wanna show how awesome you and your Pokemon are or something?" Rainbow asked curiously yet bluntly.
"Kinda. You see...my mom back in her younger days was a Top Coordinator, having piled up victory after victory as one of the best Coordinators in Sinnoh and beyond. She eventually retired after a decade or so, having made enough in victory fees to do so and having wanted to start a family. At times, I wonder if my mom regrets leaving her passion behind, though," Dawn started to answer a bit somberly.
"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked.
"Uh...I'm fine! Anyways, my mom was my hero and I grew up loving Contests just like my mom did. For years, I've wanted to become a Coordinator and for me and my Pokemon to be admired and loved as successful Coordinators. I hope that one day I can match, or even surpass my mom as a Coordinator as well. It's my dream for those reasons," Dawn explained.
"Wow. That's a very interesting story," Twilight noted after Dawn finished talking.
"Sounds like a childhood passion then," Rarity noted. "I mean, I've wished to grow my fashion business in Equestria and eventually make it to cities like Canterlot and Manehattan. I've loved fashion for pretty much my whole life and have wished to make others happy with my passionate art. My dream is just as much for others as it is for myself."
"That sounds sweet," Dawn said. " If only I could have a better reason to become a Top Coordinator."
"Hey, don't worry about it, Dawn," Fluttershy comforted.
"Yeah! You want to make a beautiful performance that the audience and your Pokemon love. Sounds pretty generous and giving to me," Rarity said.
"T-Thanks," Dawn said as she smiled.
"As annoying as Rarity can be, she is known as a very nice and generous pony most of the time...Even though she can be selfish and greedy as well. Trust me," Applejack pointed out.
"What? ME?! Greedy and selfish?! Says the pony without even the slightest of class in her?!" Rarity demanded, feeling offended by the accusation.
"Why you!" Applejack growled, ready to fight with the unicorn only for Rainbow to interrupt.
"Uh, I don't know Rares. You can be a bit selfish when it comes to all those gems and treasure you look for. You even wanna get married to a wealthy prince, right?" Rainbow pointed out.
"B-But...fine. I'll concede that point," Rarity began to calm down. "I hope to meet him at the Grand Galloping Gala someday soon and have my happily ever after."
"Really? Well, good luck with that, Rarity," Dawn said with a bow.
"I don't know. I don't really care for or fully understand that romance stuff to be honest. But if it makes you happy...," Ash said.
"So...I guess the Grand Galloping Gala is a pretty big party then, huh?" Dawn asked.
"Of course! I haven't been to the party before. It's a yearly event that is held to...," Twilight began.
"Oh, don't bore them with the boring stuff, Twilight! Just know that the party is gonna be where I make my dream of becoming a Wonderbolt a reality!" Rainbow said.
"So, what exactly is a Wonderbolt?" Ash asked curiously.
"And why do you want to become one, if you don't mind me asking?" Dawn was interested.
"Seriously? You need me to explain what a Wonderbolt is?" Rainbow asked, annoyed.
"Rainbow, remember. We're in a different world," Twilight reminded.
"One where strange creatures exist and with their own residents to 'em," Applejack agreed.
"Fine...A Wonderbolt is a super fast flier with military elements to them. They serve as both stunt ponies and soldiers at the same time, though the soldier bit only matters when the country is at war, which hasn't happened in forever. Ever since I was a filly, I've been enamored with how awesome and cool they are! They have captured the love and happiness of pretty much everypony in Equestria! I want to be a part of that and show my own skills to everyone and prove I'm the best!" Rainbow answered.
"Okay? Cool," Dawn said. "Um, Ash? I think I remember you were asked about your own dream. Why don't you fill in the blanks for them?"
"Um, okay? It's simple for me. Ever since I was a kid, I've been in love with Pokemon. They always seemed cool and I have pretty much never had a reason to dislike any Pokemon at all. As I grew older, I watched countless battles on T.V., especially those of top Trainers like Cynthia and Wallace. I think I wanna be a master so that I can learn more about Pokemon and have fun and exciting battles with everyone I can! Though, honestly, I'm not entirely aware of my reasoning yet. I wish to also figure that out on my journey," Ash answered.
"That...sounds impressive. Really, it does. I wish I knew what I wanted as well as you all did," Twilight said sadly.
"Uh, Twilight? Y'alright?" Applejack asked in worry.
"Oh, I'm fine. Why don't we talk about other stuff right now?" Twilight suggested.
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One moment, Spike was sitting peacefully by the small lake. The next, the water was starting to bubble. "What in the...? Is something else in the water?" Spike wondered as the bubbles were new. "C-Could it be a shark Pokemon? N-No! That's silly! I mean, sharks live in the ocean, not in lakes! B-But Pokemon work differently. A flesh eating shark could be in here. But what if they're friendly? Yeah, right! A Shark, friendly. I should probably go and ask...," Spike was about to leave when, suddenly, a small serpent-like dragon popped out of the lake, causing Spike to scream as he backed up. "S-Stay back! I won't let you eat me or my friends! So, think again if that was your plan!"

"W-What plan? I just came out to say hi. Also, I don't eat meat like people and Pokemon may do. I eat berries and Pokemon food only," the dragon, with a feminine voice, said to Spike.

"I guess you may be alright then...provided you're telling the truth...wait. HOW CAN I UNDERSTAND YOU?! YOU'RE A POKEMON!" Spike was shocked and wary.

"Beats me."

"Okay, Spike. Maybe you just ate something weird or are being pranked by Rainbow Dash. Though, I must say. Keep her away from Twilight, even if she isn't a threat," Spike noted.

"Really? Is she bad?"

"No, she's great! It's just that...she's afraid of snakes...and ladybugs. There aren't any ladybug Pokemon, are there?" Spike asked.
"Well...there is a few that would be considered that, if I'm being honest. Also, I'm a dragon, not a snake. So, how are you doing?"
"Uh...I'm doing fine, I guess? Minus the freakoutness of talking directly with a Pokemon. And you?" Spike asked.
"I'm doing a bit happier after leaving that lake. I've been there for so long it's not funny."
"That sounds rough. The name's Spike, by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself sooner. Man, it's so cool to be meeting another friendly dragon. By the way, what's your name?" Spike wondered.
"I'm a Dratini. It's nice to meet you, Spike." The two continued to talk for some time...unaware that there were some unwelcome visitors nearby.
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And so, for the next hour, the ponies turned people and the residents of the Pokemon world talked about everything. In addition to their hopes and dreams from earlier, they also talked about things such as interests, favorite foods, and pieces of their childhood.

“So, you’re afraid of these Plusle and Minun Pokemon because they embarrassed you as a child in front of your nursery school class?” Rarity asked Dawn after Ash admitted this, much to Dawn’s anger and embarrassment.

“Hey! I was a little girl then! Right now, I’m fifteen years old and ready to get myself a starter Pokemon!” Dawn cried out, scaring Fluttershy due to her anger. Dawn noticed this, however, and apologized. “Sorry about that, Fluttershy. It’s just something that I really don’t like benign reminded of. I just wish Kenny would let me live it down. I swear he sends me a message about it almost monthly and has called me Dee Dee for years.”

“It’s okay. You know, a while back I ended up falling down a well by accident when helping talk to a skunk and help her remain calm and stop from spraying some nearby ponies,” Fluttershy admitted with a blush, trying to give comfort to Dawn.

“I don't quite understand how you could understand her, but I bet it was a weird situation by the way it sounds,” Ash admitted.

“You better believe it. Though, to be fair, it isn’t exactly easy understanding how things work here. Like, there is no manually controlled weather like in Equestria?” Rainbow Dash agreed. “Still, I must admit that it is pretty amazing to have ended up in this world with all of my best friends and having the opportunity to meet new friends, both people and Pokemon.”

“Agreed. I know we’ll need to go home soon and won’t be able to stay long, but I know we’ll most likely be able to have a strong friendship in spite of that,” Twilight said.

“We won’t be forgetting you guys anytime soon, either way,” Dawn said in agreement.

“Yeah. I can’t believe that there is such an interesting and amazing world out there separate from the Pokemon world. Maybe someday Dawn and I can go there ourselves and see it for ourselves. Still, I can’t wait to see more of the world we’re currently in, with or without you guys,” Ash said.

“If only we could see more of these Pokemon and the world that they inhabit,” Fluttershy sadly said.

“I know, Fluttershy. But remember, we have to return home soon,” Twilight reminded the animal lover. “After all, your animal friends will be missing you soon.”

“Twilight is right. We can’t stay any longer than a few days. The last thing we need is Ponyville falling into chaos without us,” Applejack pointed out.

“Agreed,” Rarity said reluctantly.

At that moment, the group heard a loud noise coming from outside. Worried for the Pokemon that were outside, everyone rushed out right away, hoping that none of them had gotten hurt.
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When everyone got outside, they saw two people wearing black suits with red Rs on the shirts, laughing as they had their Pokemon, a Weepinbell and a Grimer, attack a strange blue dragon serpent known as a Dratini. Dratini did what she could to defend herself from her attackers, but was easily overwhelmed by the much stronger Pokemon. A Razor Leaf and Sludge Bomb later, Dratini had fallen down onto the grass, knocked out of battle but still conscious.

“Ha! I knew it was a good call to come to the old coot’s lab. We managed to find a Dratini, one of Kanto’s rarest Pokemon, with ease,” The woman said as she had her Grimer ready for continued combat.

“I know, right? Imagine what other Pokemon we could come across if we continue our search!” The man agreed with his partner. “If only we had a Fire-type to burn down all this obtrusive plant life. Then there would be fewer places for the Pokemon to hide.”

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Ash, Dawn, and the Main 5 were all starting to get enraged with the thieves that had invaded the Professor’s lab.

"I can't believe it! Those guys are here to steal Pokemon!" Ash yelled.

"It looks like they're after that Dratini. We should do something, fast," Dawn suggested.

Suddenly, Twilight freaked out, with Applejack covering Twilight's mouth with her hand in order to keep her from letting the crooks know they were here. "Tarnation, Twlight, what is the matter?"

"I agree with Applejack here. I mean, that Pokemon personally looks cute to me," Rarity said. "Could be more inspiration for a new dress."

"I'm sorry. It's just that...I'm kinda sorta scared of snakes," Twilight admitted.

"Really? But you weren't afraid of Snivy!" Rainbow protested in annoyance.

"Well...I was a bit. But she had legs so it's still different to me," Twilight explained.

"That doesn't really matter right now, you two!" Applejack whispered loudly.

"We should be focusing on saving that Dratini," Rarity pointed out.

"Before they cause any worse harm," Dawn said.

"I know, right? We can't just let that poor soul be hurt by them!" Fluttershy protested, ready to come out from the hiding spot and yell at the duo...only for Ash to grab her by the back of her shirt collar.

"I understand you wanna help. I do too. But, remember, without our own Pokemon we can't do anything," Applejack reminded.

"I...kinda agree. If it were just the duo I'd be going after them myself. But this is different. They have their own Pokemon with them to fight us with," Ash sadly admitted, even though he wanted to act.
"What do we do then? We can't exactly sit back and do nothing!" Twilight protested.
"I think I have an idea. We can't face them...but the Professor can. Let's go inside and get him now!" Dawn decided.
"Good call! The Professor must have at least one Pokemon on him," Rarity agreed. "Let's go!"

As Twilight and her friends were about to head inside, Ash, Dawn, and Rainbow Dash started to get ready to head on and stop the thieves themselves, not being able to handle their cruelty for much longer. However, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight held back the trio to prevent them from making a rash decision.

“What are you three tryin’ to do? Get yourselves hurt along with the Pokemon?” Applejack questioned Rainbow.

“Come on! Did you see the crooks out there? They are trying to harm innocent Pokemon and then try to steal them!” Rainbow Dash reminded.

“Yeah! We can’t just let them be taken and be used for who knows what!” Ash agreed.

“We have to try and stop them, even though we don’t have any Pokemon of our own!” Dawn also agreed.

“I understand you guys, but without Pokemon of our own we can’t fight back against them,” Twilight pointed out.

“We should do what we were going to do and get the Professor’s help. No need to be rash,” Fluttershy said.

After a moment of thinking, the trio realized that the others were right. While they wanted to be able to save the Pokemon, they also realized they were fighting a losing battle. “Fine. We’ll get Oak’s help,” Rainbow Dash relented.

“I guess it was pretty foolish to think we could deal with these thieves,” Dawn agreed sadly. “Right Ash?”

“Yeah. I guess so,” Ash reluctantly agreed.

And so, the group started to go back inside the lab in order to get help. When it was just Dawn and Rainbow Dash left outside, they suddenly heard from the thieves again.

“Well, I looked around, but it seems that there aren’t any other Pokemon here that are worth stealing. We should just catch the Dratini and get going,” The female grunt said with a grin.

“Shame too. I thought they would have at least found the three starter Pokemon out here,” The male grunt said.

“They could be inside, but the last thing we need is for us to risk failing our mission by getting caught,” The female grunt decided against the risky move.

Just as the duo were about to grab the Dratini and bolt, they heard a voice come from the trees. “Hey! What are you doing with that Dratini?!” Spike demanded as he approached the duo, not wanting his new friend that he found to be hurt in any way.

“We’re gonna take it and give it to the boss. If we’re gonna make a profit and later take over the world, we’re gonna need as many Pokemon as possible, especially rare and powerful ones,” The male grunt revealed.

“So you’re thieves and evil conquerors then?! Well, sad for you that I can’t just let you get away with stealing Dratini!” Spike challenged the duo.

“Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it small fry?” The female grunt asked the kid condescendingly.

“After all, there is only one of you against the two of us and our Pokemon,” The male grunt reminded.

“I don’t care if there are multiple opponents! I’m not gonna let my friend get hurt and forced to do evil!” Spike nervously bit back.

“Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf on the kid,” The male grunt responded as the Grass-type sent sharp leaves that sliced at Spike, causing him pain.

Dawn and Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, were unhappy to see that Spike was getting hurt.

“We have to help Spike! We can’t just let him get hurt by those bullies!” Rainbow Dash whispered loudly.

“I know! But we can’t just jump in without a plan. After all, they have Pokemon and we don’t,” Dawn pointed out.

“Maybe if we’re quick, we can grab Spike and that Dratini and get inside before they attack us,” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“Sounds reckless to me,” Dawn shook her head.

“Have any better ideas?” Rainbow Dash asked the blunette.

Not having any other ideas, Dawn reluctantly agreed with Rainbow’s plan.

“So, have any other ideas to help save your “friend” or are you gonna be a good little pest and leave us to steal the Dratini?” The female grunt asked, wanting to get out of here while the going was good.

“No! I may not know much about this Dratini, but I can tell that she is a peaceful soul that wouldn’t want to go with the likes of you! Plus, she reminds me of myself as well. I don’t know how, but I can understand her and can see that she is an orphan that wants to find herself a family. And maybe I can share with her mine,” Spike explained his reasoning to the grunts, which caused Dawn to tear up.

“You know, that story really speaks with me,” The female grunt said.

“Really? What does it say?” Spike asked, hopefully that the duo would stop.

“It says now that we’re gonna fight back twice as hard,” The female grunt said with a malicious grin. “Grimer, use Sludge Bomb!”

Spike stood there, bracing for impact with the filthy yet powerful shots. However, before they could hit the young kid, a Bubblebeam and Leaf Tornado suddenly burst out and intercepted the attack, much to everyone’s surprise. In an instant, everyone got an answer as to what happened. It turned out that a blue penguin, Piplup, and the Snivy from earlier were the source of the attacks.

“What the?! What are those Pokemon?!” The male grunt demanded.

“I have no idea! But maybe they can be of worth to the boss,” The female grunt said with a grin. “Grimer, use Sludge Bomb on the snake.”

“Weepinbell, use a Razor Leaf on the bird.”

“Whoa! The Snivy is really kicking butt isn’t it? Also, is the blue bird Pokemon supposed to be her friend?” Rainbow asked.

“I don’t think so. I wonder what a Piplup is doing here. They’re supposed to be the Water starter Pokemon of the Sinnoh region,” Dawn wondered.

As the grunt’s Pokemon shot out attack after attack, the Piplup and Snivy did their best to avoid the blows and were even able to get in a few attacks. However, it was also clear that they wouldn’t last much longer against the grunt’s Pokemon.
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Meanwhile, Professor Oak and Pinkie Pie had just about everything ready for the party. They had games, a variety of different food that was vegetarian for the ponies turned human, sweets, music, and drinks that they hoped that the Trainers to be and their friends would love.
"I must say, Pinkie Pie. You really know how to set up a party. I take it you've had experience with it before?" Professor Oak asked the girl.
"Yes! Of course! I don't mean to toot my own horn...seeing as how I don't have one, but I am known as Ponyville's best party planner back at home. Though, actually, it's more like I'm the only one back at home, Oakie, but I'm still considered to be great at it," Pinkie answered.
"Good to hear. So, that is what your job is back at home, young lady?" The Professor asked.
"Kinda. Also, right now, I'm only fifteen," Pinkie Pie corrected.
"Wait. Fifteen?! From how you've talked I thought you were a young adult with a childlike appreciation of the world!" Oak yelled, shocked.
"Oh yeah. Back at home, you're considered an adult when you reach the age of fifteen. You can have a job and home and can manage without going to school unless your special talent requires more knowledge. Doubling as a party planner and a bakery employee at Sugarcube Corner, I've got got plenty of time to know just about everyone in Ponyville and a lor of practice with my special talent. Still, the Cakes still believe that I need more experience and time before I can run the bakery on my own, especially after I accidentally allowed Applejack to make baked bads," Pinkie explained.
"What are baked bads?" Oak asked.
"The unspeakable, Oakie. The unspeakable," Pinkie said seriously.
"Alright then. So...I take it you love your two jobs then?" Oak asked.
"Why, of course! Just seeing the joy and happiness that other ponies have thanks to my work is enough to make all my hard work worth it. At times, though...I worry that-," Pinkie started to confess.
At that moment, however, the others barged in and interrupted.
"Professor Oak! There's trouble going on outside!" Ash yelled out as he entered the room.
"Yes! It's easily the. Absolute. Worst. Thing. Ever!" Rarity over dramatically yelled. As she looked around the room, she noticed the decorations and food before commenting, "Wow. This party looks nice. Good job you two."
"Thanks. Now what was...?" Professor Oak began only to be interrupted.
"Seriously, Rarity? There's important stuff goin' on outside ya know! To answer your question, though, there are some strange thieves outside your lab lookin' ta steal a Pokemon called a Dratini!" Applejack answered.
"Thieves? Looks like Team Rocket are trying to steal from my lab again," Professor Oak said in annoyance and concern.
"Who are they?" Twilight asked.
"Not much is known about their inner workings. All we know is that they are mostly found functioning within the Kanto and Johto regions. They say that they plan on making profit and to take over the world with the Pokemon that they steal," Professor Oak explained.
"So that's why they plan on stealing Pokemon! In that case, we need to go out and save them now!" Fluttershy said bravely.
"Um, you alright, darling?" Rarity asked her suddenly bold friend.
"I'm fine! I just don't want to see innocent animals or Pokemon hurt on my watch!" Fluttershy answered.
"Well, then we have no time to waste. Come on out, Dragonite!" Professor Oak called out as he threw a Pokeball on his lab coat, releasing a big orange dragon.
"W-Wait! A D-Dragon?!" Fluttershy nervously buffered for a moment before forcing herself to calm down as best she could, though she looked less resolved than before.
"Yes. I caught this big guy back when he was just a Dratini, living in an old lake far off to the east," Professor Oak answered.
"Wait. This thing...was a Dratini?!" Twilight was shocked and amazed.
"But of course! I know it may seem surprising, but evolution can do crazy things to how a Pokemon looks and even acts. Still, this Dragonite is a kind soul, you'll find," Professor Oak explained.
The Dragonite walked on over and shook hands with Fluttershy, who immediately calmed down. "Oh, you're just the best, aren't you little fella?" Fluttershy cooed.
"Little fella? Well, I guess I can roll with that," The Dragonite said, surprising Fluttershy a bit.
"Maybe we should stop talking and head outside now?" Ash reminded.
"Yeah! I just noticed that Dawn and Rainbow Dash aren't with us, and I'd rather not have them make the situation worse than it already is," Applejack said.
"Right! Then, let's go!" Professor Oak cried out as the group ran for outside the lab.
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Back with Rainbow and Dawn...
“We should get everyone out of here, now!” Rainbow Dash cried out as she rushed out to fight the grunts and save everyone, getting in front of Snivy. “Hold it right there, you criminals! You’ve done more than enough damage for one day if you ask me! Now let us go and you won’t have to deal with us or the Professor! Right, Dawn?”

At this, Dawn reluctantly got out of the bushes, saying, “You could have kept quiet about me also being here, you know? That would have been stealthier.” Once Dawn reached where the others were, standing in front of Piplup, she pointed at the grunts and said, “Regardless, we can’t and won’t just let you get away with stealing those three Pokemon or hurting our friend!”

“Thanks for the save, you two,” Spike said with a smile.

“You’re welcome. I never leave my friends hanging,” Rainbow Dash said.

“So, two teenagers believe they stand a chance against the two of us? Well then, let’s put the wannabe Trainers down for the count!” The female grunt smirked evilly. “Grimer, smother the girl with the hat.”

“And Weepinbell, crush the rainbow-haired one with your Vine Whip,” The male grunt gave out the cruel order.

Both Pokemon obeyed, attacking the two girls and leaving them both struggling to stay awake. At this point, both Snivy and Piplup looked touched, yet concerned for both Dawn and Rainbow Dash.

“We’re fine you guys! Just get Spike and Dratini and run while you can!” Rainbow Dash said, struggling to breathe.

“Same here! Just go to the Professor right now!” Dawn agreed.

“But, you guys…,” Spike was getting concerned, and he wasn’t the only one. Both Piplup and Snivy looked on in worry, wanting to do something to stop the evil grunts from potentially killing the duo. After some consideration, Piplup ran in front of the two Pokemon and started to glow white. Snivy meanwhile, used Vine Whip to attack both Pokemon, knocking them away from Dawn and Rainbow Dash.

“Ha! The little babies think they can fight back against us?! Grimer, use Sludge Bomb!” The female grunt laughed mockingly.

“We’ll join in too. Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!” The male grunt joined in the attacking.

Rather than dodge the attack, Piplup just stood there and took the attacks. As time went on, Piplup started to look like he was about to fall over. Upon noticing this, Snivy jumped in front of Piplup and attacked with Leaf Tornado to deflect the attacks. Just as the grunts thought they had won, Piplup launched a white energy beam out to blast at the grunt’s Pokemon that knocked them both out.

“What?! Our Pokemon were knocked out by that pathetic bird?! But how?!” The male grunt was enraged.

“That blast… The bird used Bide to absorb damage and defeat our Pokemon!” The female grunt realized.

Having finally recovered, Dawn and Rainbow Dash stood up ready to fight the grunts. “Had enough yet?” Rainbow asked.

“N-No! We’ll be taking those three Pokemon, whether or not we have Pokemon to fight with!” The female grunt cried out in rage.

At this moment, Ash, Twilight, and the others came outside with the Professor having a Dragonite ready to fight the two grunts.

“I understand that you are trying to steal some of the lab’s Pokemon, am I right?” Professor Oak challenged the grunts.

Not wanting to get hurt fighting the powerful Dragon-type, the two grunts returned their Pokemon and ran for the hills.

“Good riddance, you no good thieves!” Rainbow cried out as she stuck out her tongue.

“Rainbow Dash…” Applejack growled unhappily, catching the rainbow haired girl’s attention and scaring her a bit, even though she wouldn’t admit it.

“L-Look! I know we didn’t agree to fight the grunts, but it was the only way to protect Spike and the other Pokemon!” Rainbow tried to defend herself and Dawn.

“Yeah! Look, I know it was reckless, but who knows what they would have done to Spike if we didn’t act!” Dawn agreed.

“We understand, you two. To be honest, if I didn’t go in when I did I would have reacted the same way that you did,” Ash admitted.

“Well, at the very least no one got hurt,” Fluttershy tried to play peacekeeper.

“I wouldn’t say that…,” Spike commented as she noticed that Dawn and Rainbow were bruised up a bit. “Anyways, thanks for saving me and Dratini you two.”

“You’re welcome!” Both Rainbow Dash and Dawn said.

“Yeah! Did you see those two Pokemon fight?! They managed to fight off Weepinbell and Grimer like they were experts!” Pinkie Pie cheered on.

“I have to admit, it was impressive seeing these two be willing to fight off against two dangerous opponents for Trainers they barely knew. Maybe…,” Professor Oak started to think.

“Well, I guess they must think we’re awesome or something,” Rainbow Dash said with a blush. At this, she turned back to Snivy and held out her hand. “Are you okay?” Instead of rejecting her like before, Snivy accepted her hand and shook it.

“Aw! It’s so sweet!” Fluttershy was charmed by the scene in front of them.

“I guess so. So, what about you, Piplup? What were you doing here?” Dawn asked as she held out her hand for Piplup, which he accepted.

“You see, I was going to give you a selection between the three Sinnoh starters for when you begin your journey in a few days, Dawn. However, seeing as how you’ve already bonded with that Piplup, would you two like to travel together?” Professor Oak asked.

“Of course! What do you think?” Dawn asked Piplup, to which he responded with a nod. “Perfect! Piplup, we’ll be competing in the Cerulean City Pokemon Contest soon!” Piplup agreed with a chirp of his name.

“So, now that things are settled, why don’t we head inside and start our party? We have food, drinks, and games!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Well, considering what you guys just went through, it would be great to take it a bit easy for the rest of the day,” Twilight suggested.

“Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go in and have fun!” Ash cried out.
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And so, everyone in the group began to have fun and enjoy the party. Ash, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack ended up competing with each other bobbing for apples, with Ash doing surprisingly well in spite of his lack of experience in the game. Rarity took it upon herself to enjoy some of the soda that Professor Oak and Pinkie had obtained. Also, even though she considered it a guilty pleasure, she also enjoyed some of the pizza, with Dawn also joining Rarity in trying the food. Twilight and Fluttershy looked over the starter Pokemon and asked Professor Oak plenty of questions about the starters and what they liked, taking breaks to dance a little bit every now and then. As for Pinkie Pie, she merely made sure that everyone else was having fun.

Spike, meanwhile, was talking with his Dratini and trying to better understand her and why he could understand her. “So, you’re telling me that you got separated from your parents and, out of fear of what would happen to you, hid in the lake for over six months?”

Dratini nodded at this. “That’s pretty much the gist of it.”

“But why? Why did you choose to show yourself to me? I don’t see what makes me more special than other Pokemon or Trainers. I’m just a boring old dragon where I’m from,” Spike said sadly.

“Hey, cheer up! You’re not boring! You risked everything in order to save me from those mean old monsters. You’re a hero! As for why I came out for you, I’m not sure. I just felt something interesting about you.”

“Really? Thanks a lot Dratini. Hey, would you like to come with me back to Equestria when me and my friends go back? I could probably convince Twilight to let me. She and Fluttershy are going gaga for Pokemon,” Spike asked his new friend.

“Sure thing! It may be a bit difficult to get used to being around others, but it beats being under a lake forever.”

“Perfect! I just need to talk to the others,” Spike said.

“What did you want to talk with us about?” Rainbow Dash asked as she and Fluttershy approached the kid, with Snivy and Charmander following after them. “I noticed you were on the sidelines and Fluttershy wanted to check up on you. After all, this is a party! We all should be having fun.”

“R-Right! So, I take it that you wanted to talk to us about taking the Dratini home?” Fluttershy asked Spike, much to Spike and Dratini’s shock.

“You understood us? But I thought…” Dratini said confused.

“That only Spike could understand you? Well, I take it that my ability to understand multiple languages, especially those of other animals, allows me to understand Pokemon. I was able to talk to Charmander and Snivy earlier and I was also able to understand this Eevee,” Fluttershy revealed as she gestured to a brown fox-like Pokemon.

“Yeah! Both of them are already taking a liking to me! I just can’t say no to wanting to take them home after all that I’ve seen them do and all that Fluttershy has told me about them!” Rainbow Dash said joyfully.

“I wanna evolve and soar through the air like the birds and Rainbow back at home,” Charmander confirmed.

“So, we can take some Pokemon home then?” Spike said hopefully.

“I’m afraid not Spike,” Twilight said as she walked on up to the trio and the Pokemon.

“But they wanna go with us. And besides, we can simply just get Pokemon food from here and fruit from back home to feed them,” Fluttershy tried to defend.

“I understand that, but we would be taking them away from their natural habitat. The last thing we need is to cause havoc back at home or to hurt the Pokemon by bringing them to an unfamiliar environment,” Twilight said as she shook her head.

“Look, Twilight, I understand that you wanna be better safe than sorry, but we should also consider that the Pokemon will want to come with us,” Spike pointed out.

“Yeah! It would be fun to have a bigger family of awesome fighters by our side. I mean, Spike once told me you’ve always wanted a pet,” Rainbow Dash said.

“You don’t think I don’t want to take a Pokemon home with me? I’ve fallen in love with this world ever since we got here and met the Pokemon! But we could be messing with the world order by doing so! I’m sorry, but the final answer is no,” Twilight apologized as she returned to the party, leaving the group to be sadder than they were all throughout the party.

Pinkie Pie was quick to notice this and came over to the sad trio and the Pokemon. “Is everything okay? I couldn’t help but notice that you were all upset. So, me and my friend Poliwag are here to get you sadsacks to crack a smile! What do you say?!”

“Pinkie Pie. I’d leave us alone right…” Fluttershy tried to calmly turn down the offer.

“Okay! Let’s go! What do you call a banana without a skin? A pealin’!” Pinkie Pie joked as Poliwag hit a drum. Unfortunately, the trio wasn’t cheered up by this. “Okay? Not the reaction we expected. But let’s try the next one.” Pinkie suddenly disappeared before coming back wearing a different shirt. “Orange you glad I changed my shirt?” Once again, Poliwag hit the drum with his tail, laughing in joy at the joke. However, the intended targets still refused to smile. “Seriously?! Still no smiles?”

“Thanks for the help, Pinkie Pie, but I’m afraid that cheering us up is something you won’t be doing easily,” Spike said glumly.

“But why?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Well, you see-,” Spike began only for Dawn and Rarity to join the group.

“Well, this is strange. Why aren’t you all enjoying the party?” Dawn asked the others.

“Yeah! Dawn and Squirtle have shown themselves to have almost as much of an eye for fashion as I do. If we could stay longer, I’m sure we could come up with ways to be both fashion queens and Top Coordinators!” Rarity said.

“It’s good that you’re enjoying the party, Rarity. It’s just that Twilight is not going to let us take any of the Pokemon home with us, even if we can find food sources for them,” Spike confessed sadly.

“What?! But Squirtle would be a great assistant with running Carousel Boutique! We could expand our business all the way to Canterlot!”

“I know! It’s just unfair! We’ve enjoyed our time together with many different Pokemon and the Pokemon with us, but Twilight still won’t let us take some home!” Rainbow Dash grumbled, before thinking, "Though, as much as I hate to admit it, she may have a point that there could be trouble. Still, if everyone is like Ash, Dawn, and the Professor, I'd say this world is worth protecting."

“Now, now. Twilight has a valid concern for not wanting to have the Pokemon leave this world. I may be sad over it and the fact that this Eevee won’t be going with me to join Angel Bunny as pals, but I understand it,” Fluttershy tried to be understanding.

“Whoa! You have an Eevee?! They’re supposed to be rare in Kanto!” Dawn was amazed.

“Really? I didn’t know that!” Fluttershy was invested.

Meanwhile, across the room…

“Is it just me, or is everybody suddenly lookin’ a whole lot sadder than before?” Applejack asked Ash.

“I don’t know. Kinda? This is supposed to be a happy time though. What could be the problem?” Ash questioned.

“I think I may know,” Twilight said as she approached the duo. “You see, I gave them the bad news that we won’t be taking any Pokemon home with us.”

“Oh. That makes sense. I myself have made friends with what they call a Growlithe. He reminds me of Winona back at home,” Applejack said as the Fire dog licked her cheek, causing Applejack to giggle a bit.

“Let me guess. You’re going to give me flack for this decision too?” Twilight asked a bit sourly.

“No, not really. I get it, Twilight. You don’t want to hurt the Pokemon or cause issues between the worlds should other ponies take the Pokemon poorly. Am I disappointed that I won’t be able to spend more time with Growlithe? Of course. But I understand your thought process and am willing to accept it,” Applejack said reluctantly.

“Thank you, Applejack,” Twilight thanked her friend as she let Bulbasaur cuddle against her leg.

“Are you sure there isn't a way to let your friends still spend time with Pokemon? After all, you all seem to have become attached to at least one Pokemon each and vice versa,” Ash pointed out.

At this, Twilight looked a bit shocked. “You noticed?”

“Yes. I mean, you’ve had Bulbasaur practically glued to you all night,” Ash said.

After a moment of consideration, Twilight then said, “Okay. I’ll try to find a way to meet both ways. Somehow.”
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As the week went on, the seven Equestrians became more and more attached to their new friends, both human and Pokemon. As they promised, they did what they could to help raise the other Pokemon and to give Professor Oak help with his research.

Everyone was disappointed that their friendships would soon be put on hold after Ash and Dawn would leave as well as with Twilight and the others likely to be returned home any day now. However, everyone still tried to get ready for the big day.

Eventually, it got to the point where Ash and Dawn were about to leave for their journey the following morning.

Before bed...
"Well, I guess it has been pretty fun these last few days, right girls?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I agree. Being around and taking care of all these Pokemon has been like a super relaxing vacation!" Fluttershy practically squeed as she hugged Eevee.
"Maybe, but remember that we'll have to leave soon," Applejack reminded the others.
"Yeah. It's a bit of a bummer, but I-I understand. The Pokemon's own safety should come over our own joy and happiness," Rarity admitted reluctantly.
"If only there was a way we could take our new Pokemon friends home with us...," Rainbow grumbled as Snivy sat down next to her and looked at the rainbow-haired teen sadly.
"Rainbow...," Applejack warned.
"It's fine, Applejack. As fun as it would be, we need to think about how the other Pokemon's own welfare should be put first, not our own. Right, Twilight?" Spike asked, only to see that the girl looked very concerned. "Uh...are you okay, Twilight?"
"What?" Twilight asked as her attention was returned to the others. "Oh, it's fine. Nothing to worry about.
"Look, I know you're lying, sugarcube," Applejack said.
"Yes. You were sitting still lost in thought for a good minute," Rarity agreed.
"Yeah! And shaking like an alarm clock. Brrring!" Pinkie Pie mimicked the noise.
"Please tell us what the problem is," Fluttershy said.
"Yeah! We're here to help, right Snivy?" Rainbow asked as her Snivy nodded.
In response to her friend's support, Twilight smiled before answering, "It's just...I'm worried about things back home. I mean, Celestia still hasn't returned us back home. I've been a little nervous ever since the teleportation spell failed, but I figured that she would fix the problem and we could return home. But...it's been a week and no news has come to us! What if Celestia and Luna are hurt? What if Equestria was conquered by a new villain? What if Celestia doesn't want me as her student anymore? What if...?!" Twilight practically panicked as her friends looked on in concern.
Finally, Spike decided to say something as he placed a hand on Twilight's. "Calm down, Twilight. It's okay. We can figure this out."
"Yeah. That seriously has you worried? Celestia is tough and so are plenty of other ponies, especially in the Wonderbolts!" Rainbow said as Snivy looked at her in confusion. Noticing Snivy's confusion, Rainbow answered, "Oh, the Wonderbolts are a bunch of cool ponies that help protect the Princesses and Equestria from potential danger."
"Anyway, I doubt that things are going that poorly back in Equestria," Applejack said.
"Yeah! It's not like the world is ending due to powerful mega-spells or something like that," Rarity joked.
Twilight meanwhile, was looking as though she was starting to calm down, but was still worried. "Thanks you guys. I still feel as though something is off. How can we be sure everything is fine?"
"Honestly, we don't know. But we can't sit around worrying all our lives. We need to keep on going and, if need be, look for our own way home before things get bad," Spike said comfortingly.
Twilight soon began to smile. "Thanks. I'm starting to feel better. For now, let's get going to sleep. There's no use in staying up all night if we're going to work on getting home tomorrow."
"Um, I think Rainbow Dash may have already nodded off," Fluttershy pointed to Rainbow, who was sleeping soundly along with her Snivy.
"Wow! I'd love to be able to nod off so quickly!" Pinkie said as she quickly fell asleep as well.
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Rainbow opened her eyes to see, once more, she was in a cocoon with Snivy. "Huh? Where are we, Snivy? The last thing I remember, Twilight was being calmed down by Spike so I decided to try nodding off since the situation was being handled."

Rainbow and Snivy looked around the room they were in, trying to find out what the dream was about this time. The room was very dark, with very few people or ponies in it. There were a total of only three figures in the room. A man with pale white skin and red hair and...a pony Rainbow Dash and Snivy chained and caged?!

"W-What is going on?! Why am I a pony in this world?! Who is it that captured us like that?" Rainbow asked as Snivy shrugged, just as clueless as her.

"You Team Flare creeps are stupid if you think you're going to get away with all this conquering the world stuff! My friends will find me and stop you all!" Rainbow yelled as she and Snivy struggled to escape their bindings.

"Oh, Miss Dash, you have such a closed minded view of what our organization is after. We aren't mere conquerors. We plan on keeping this world beautiful eternally," The man said.

"You're joking, right? You can't be after something so small," Rainbow was shaking her head.

"I beg to differ. What Xerosic says is the truth, Miss Dash," Another, much taller man said from the shadows. "Team Flare wishes to simply save the world from itself. For too long foolish humans have sullied the beauty of this world. They've taken the beauty of the many cities, forests, oceans, and more for granted. Those few humans that wish to fix the world have their actions fail to do much due to the greediness and selfishness of those that they've tried to help."

"Okay, I get your speech, Mr. Boss man. Everyone is bad but you Team Flare creeps. So what? You know that the world is filled with plenty of good people that just wanna live their lives peacefully. You can't harm them for just that," Rainbow bit back.

"Oh, but we can. Those "good people" suck the life and beauty out of this beautiful world. The few good people and Pokemon of this world deserve to live a good life, true. But not the rest. And with the help of Zygarde, we of Team Flare will create the world that Pokemon and those few good people deserve," The man explained.

"Okay? So, what do you plan on doing? Kill me and my friends and force our Pokemon to commit atrocities?" Rainbow asked bitterly.

"Actually, no. Not at all. We had something else in mind...," The boss said before the scene in front of Rainbow and Snivy disappeared.

"Wait. What in the world was that?" Rainbow was confused and angry as her Snivy shrugged. "Looks like this world really will be in trouble with crooks like Team Rocket and these Team Flare guys. We have to do something before we return home! We can't just leave this world and its denizens to suffer at their hands!" Suddenly, the duo were taken away from the darkness they were in and ended up in a strange energy field.
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As everyone else nodded off to sleep, Twilight was quick to wake up in a strange energy field with unknown properties. “Hello? Anypony here?” Twilight nervously asked.

“Twilight!” The brainiac heard her younger brother call out as he ran up to where she was. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here! I was worried I was trapped here all on my own. Speaking of which, where do you think we are?”

“I have no idea. I mean, I heard from the Princess that Luna has dominion over dreams. Maybe she’s trying to contact us,” Twilight guessed.

"Maybe we can tell her that this world does need a bit of saving after all," Rainbow said, getting the attention of the adoptive siblings.

"Rainbow Dash? You're here too?" Twilight was surprised and confused. "When did you get here?"

"Before you two actually. Oh, and Snivy is here too," Rainbow answered as Snivy nodded in confirmation.

"What do you think this place is?" Twilight wondered.

"No clue," Rainbow shrugged as Twilight and Spike sighed.

"It could be the Princesses, like Twilight said," Spike suggested.

"Perhaps. But why not say anything yet then?" Twilight asked.

"Maybe they're waiting for all of us?" Rainbow offered.

Suddenly, the trio were surrounded by their other four friends. “Girls! Oh, thank goodness you’re here! I was worried I would be trapped here alone,” Fluttershy gasped out.

“Well, don’t worry about that everypony! We’ll find our way out of here soon. We just need Twilight to come up with a plan,” Pinkie Pie said.

“Right! So, darling, what do you believe we should do to get out of here?” Rarity asked.

“Well, maybe we should just wait. If this is really Luna’s doing like I think we should be back home soon,” Twilight explained.

“Aw man! I couldn’t even say goodbye to Charmander She’ll be mad for sure! At least Snivy will be able to follow us,” Rainbow Dash groaned as she tried to look on the bright side.

"But what about the world order?" Twilight nervously asked.

"Boo!" Rainbow jeered in frustration.

“Now relax, Rainbow Dash, we can always visit them in the future for a short spell,” Applejack suggested.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, Element Bearers,” A voice said. However, instead of it being from Princess Luna like they expected, it instead came from a massive white Pokemon with golden chains, known to the Pokemon world as Arceus.

“Who are you?” Rarity questioned.

“My name is Arceus. I am known as the original Pokemon in the Pokemon world. You see, I’m well aware that you are coming from another world, and I need your help,” Arceus said.

“Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down there partner. What are ya talkin about?” Applejack asked.

“You see, I come from a few years into the future and came to the past to help ensure the world remains safe," Arceus answered.

"Wait. So this world is in need of saving after all?" Rainbow was starting to get excited.

Correct you are, Miss. Dash. There are many people and Pokemon out there that I can tell is in need of help, sometimes to a world saving extreme. Myself included. I need you seven to help keep this world safe from these threats before reality itself can be destroyed,” Arceus explained.

“That sounds cool and all Mr., but how would we even find these threats?” Pinkie Pie asked, confused.

“If Celebi’s future sight is correct, you will stumble upon these threats just by journeying throughout the world of Pokemon. It is for this reason that I’ve brought you all here,” Arceus revealed.

“Wait, what?! You mean you’re the one who has taken us here?! I appreciate being able to meet all these interesting creatures, but what about our homes and businesses? We’d be leaving for months, perhaps years given the time measurement you gave!” Twilight yelled out.

"So, I take it what I saw was these visions of the future then?" Rainbow wondered.

"Correct. In my efforts to bring you here, some of my memories ended up making their way into your mind as I tried to summon you here," Arceus explained.

"Wait. You saw visions of the future, Rainbow Dash?!" Twilight was shocked.

"Yes. I did. There are a few dangers in it, but I doubt it's anything we can't handle!" Rainbow said half-truthfully.

"Sounds like it would be fun and important to stay in this world. But, there's still the matter of our home life...," Twilight remembered.

"I apologize very much for the intrusion. I do, however, have two different offers that will allow you to help out and not be separated from home. First, I will give you these scissors. Dimensional Scissors. With them, you can travel between your home world and the Pokemon world freely whenever you all wish. You can still live your normal lives and be able to travel through the Pokemon world. Second, I’ve affected the scissors so that time will not pass in your home world while in the Pokemon world or vice versa. Hopefully these things will make things a bit easier on you all,” Arceus offered.

“So, what do you girls think? Should we go on these journeys and protect this world?” Twilight asked her friends. After a few minutes of thinking, the group all nodded their heads knowing that they could spend more time with their new friends while still being able to live their normal lives. “Okay, Arceus, we’re in. Where do we start?”

“Like I said. Simply journey throughout the different regions with your friends you should start up in Kanto, though. Well, I’ve already explained everything. You all have a good night’s sleep and enjoy your new journeys.”

At this, Arceus disappeared, allowing the seven Equestrians to go back to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.

Author's Notes:

Hello everyone. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Please leave comments telling me what you all think if you can. Have a good day.

Pikachu, I Choose You! (Edited)

Author's Notes:

Hello. I wasn't able to do as many edits for this chapter and I feel as though the same will be the case with the next few. However, after that, I plan on adding a lot more including some original chapters, one of which being a retelling of Boast Busters. Will anyone be okay with that?

The next morning, the Mane 6 and Spike woke up and discussed what they had experienced the previous night.

“So I wasn’t the only one to experience the dream intrusion by the literal god of all Pokemon, right?” Twilight asked completely stunned by what she had experienced.

“No, you aren’t, Twilight,” Spike confirmed.

“So, how in the hay did ya know Arceus is a god?” Applejack questioned.

“Well… Professor Oak may have said something about it. Also, I’ve taken some time to look over the National Pokedex and the Pokemon in them. Apparently, there are at least close to 900 different species across the lands of this world,” Twilight spouted off.

“So, like we agreed, we can go on a journey across the land and compete to be the best, right?” Rainbow Dash asked for clarification, eyes filled with joy and hope, but also a hint of nervousness that she wanted to keep hidden.

“I’d say so, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said as Rainbow Dash jumped into the air excitedly only to fall over.

“It’ll take some getting used to not flying all the time. Still, Snivy and Charmander will be happy,” Rainbow Dash commented as the duo woke up. “Hey, Snivy! You remember last night, correct?" At this point, Snivy nodded. "Perfect! Oh, guess what Charmander? We’ll be going on a journey together after all!” At this, both Pokemon looked extremely happy, though they refrained from hugging their Trainer and vice versa.

“So, what do you think will be the threat or threats that we’ll need to stop anyway?” Pinkie Pie asked. “Oh! I bet it’ll be some magical destiny business!”

“Honestly, it sounds a bit worrying that we need to step up again like with Nightmare Moon,” Fluttershy nervously shivered. “But… if everyone else is game then I guess I am too.”

“So, what are we gonna do when traveling with Ash and Dawn anyway? I’m still a little too young to compete in a League or Grand Festival. I need to at least be fifteen but I’m still eleven. But I can still offer help and own Pokemon at least, so…,” Spike suggested, currently happy with just staying with Dratini and helping the others with their dreams.

“Well, I guess Rainbow Dash wants to get eight badges and enter the Pokemon League. I guess I’ll also give it a whirl, and you, Twilight?” Applejack questioned their leader.

“Well, I think I’ll also aim for the League! I can’t wait to show the Pokemon world what me and Bulbasaur are capable of!” Twilight cheered as she hugged her Bulbasaur.

“Well, as for me, I’ll try out for getting into the Grand Festival. Dawn said that there is going to be a Contest in Cerulean City, where there is also a Gym, so we’ll be able to hit two birds with a single stone,” Rarity revealed.

“Hey! Maybe I can also compete in some of these Contests too!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully. “Poliwag would just love to make the crowd smile like I do!”

“That… sounds nice,” Fluttershy nervously muttered.

“Hey, Fluttershy, what about you? You wanna be a part of this Contest train? Choo choo! You won’t have to worry as much about hurting your Pokemon!” Pinkie Pie said with a smile.

“W-well… no, girls. I’m afraid I won’t be joining in on Contests or Gym Battles. I’m sorry,” Fluttershy apologized.

“But why?! You love Pokemon, Fluttershy! And, even if you don’t win you can have fun!” Rarity yelled overdramatically.

“W-well. You, see… I have stage fright,” Fluttershy admitted.

At this, Pinkie Pie gasped, “Is it contagious?!”

“Actually, stage fright isn’t a disease. It’s a feeling of intense fear of performing in front of others,” Twilight explained as everyone looked at her. “What? Books can tell you a lot about a variety of topics.”

“Well maybe competing in a Contest or two will help you with your stage fright. Come on, give it a try!” Rainbow tried to encourage.

“Now, now. Remember that this is Fluttershy’s decision, not yours,” Applejack reminded their pushy friend.

“And if she doesn’t want to compete, then that’s fine. Maybe someday you can give it an honest effort, but until then you can just enjoy cheering us on if you wish,” Rarity said calmly.

“Thanks. I’ll be comfortable just cheering you all on for now,” Fluttershy said. “Right Spike?”

“Sure! We can help cheer everyone else on with their dreams, right Dratini?” Spike asked the small Dragon-type who nodded.

“Perfect! Now we can get this show on the road! Let’s go and join the others!” Pinkie Pie cheered as most everyone left the room to see the Professor and tell him the news.

However, when it was just Twilight and Spike, Twilight then said, “I’m worried, Spike.”

“What for? We get to spend time adventuring in the Pokemon world and still experience our lives back home! I don’t see what the problem is,” Spike said.

“It’s just… What if we fail in stopping these threats? What if these threats that Arceus spoke of cause mass destruction to this world and others? I know we all agreed and all, but I can’t help but worry about this, and better yet what Celestia would think if we failed,” Twilight confessed as she teared up.

Spike looked on in surprise for a moment, feeling concerned for his older sister and what she had said. After all, she had a point that these potential threats could cause untold amounts of devastation to the land if they failed to stop them. Eventually, though, he came up with a response, “To be honest, Twilight, I’m not sure what we’ll do or how we’ll deal with these threats. Heck, the others could also be worried for all we know. However, we can’t let those worries control us all our lives! We need to try and live our lives as best as we can in the meantime and hope we can put a stop to them when the time comes. As for Celestia, I’m sure that whatever happens she’ll still be proud of you and your friends.”

Twilight looked over to Spike, a smile forming on her face as she hugged her younger brother. “Thank you Spike. I’m still worried, but I feel a little bit better.”

As Spike returned the hug, the door slammed back open as Rainbow Dash appeared on the other end with Snivy on her right shoulder. “Hey! The others are getting worried about you guys! What’s taking y-?” Rainbow questioned as she stopped upon seeing Twilight in tears. “Oh, I see that I interrupted a sappy moment, right?”

Twilight wiped the tears out of her eyes and said, “It’s okay, Rainbow Dash. Spike was just cheering me up.”

“Isn’t that more Pinkie’s speed? Well, anyways… let’s head downstairs,” Rainbow Dash said as she awkwardly left the room, with Twilight and Spike following after shortly.
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“So, you all are able to go on your journeys after all and you plan on going with Ash and Dawn on their journey today?” Professor Oak asked the others as Twilight, Spike, and Rainbow Dash joined the others.

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what we’re gonna do,” Applejack confirmed.

“Well, that sounds splendid! I’ve kinda expected something like this would happen. And being contacted by Arceus as well sounds incredible! I hope that you seven will enjoy your journey and all that comes with it!” Professor Oak wished them luck.

“Sounds very sweet of you to say that, Professor. Now some of us just need to pick out our Pokemon and we can get going!” Fluttershy said kindly.

“You mean the starters, right?” Professor Oak asked, to which Fluttershy confirmed with a nod. “Well, I have some good news for you all. I’ve ordered another Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle for the other new Trainers today. I noticed that you girls got attached with the starters and wanted you to not feel guilty for depriving the new Trainers of their new Pokemon, so I figured that maybe they should go with you.”

“Thanks a lot Professor! We’ll do you proud! Hear that, Squirtle? We’ll be able to travel together across the Kanto region and beyond!” Rarity said happily as she hugged Squirtle, who returned the hug.

“What do you think, Bulbasaur? Do you want to join me on my journey? We can discover so much together with all our friends,” Twilight kindly asked as Bulbasaur nodded in agreement. “Perfect! We’ll have so much fun together on the road and learning more about Pokemon!”

“So, what about the rest of us? Is it okay if we go with the Pokemon we bonded with?” Spike asked Professor Oak. “I mean, I kinda want to go with Dratini as we’ve bonded, right Dratini?”

At this, Dratini nodded in agreement while saying, “I’d say we have! Going on a journey together will be fun! I just hope we don’t run into any more mean old criminals.”

"Sadly, that may happen. But maybe we can become better prepared for next time?" Spike suggested.

"Well...Okay. I guess we can do that. At least I'll be around you and your nice friends, so I still win, right?", Dratini agreed a bit reluctantly.

"Sounds good! So, Professor, about Dratini and the others...," Spike began.

“Well, none of the Pokemon you’ve bonded with have a Trainer to call their own yet, so sure! You can have the Pokemon you’ve all bonded with,” Professor Oak agreed.

“And that means Snivy can join us, right Charmander?” Rainbow asked as Snivy reluctantly agreed to go with them. “Great! Now the three of us and our other friends can win against any opponent in Kanto! Let’s go, everyone!”

“Hold on! What about Ash and Dawn? Shouldn't we wait for them before we rush out?” Pinkie Pie pointed out, much to everyone’s surprise. “I mean, we can’t just be the only ones having fun on this journey!”

“Is it weird that Pinkie Pie seems weirder when she takes things somewhat seriously?” Spike whispered to Applejack.

“To be honest, I’ve given up understandin’ her a long time ago,” Applejack whispered back.

“Still, Pinkie Pie is right. We should wait for Ash and Dawn to get here and get their Pokemon,” Twilight said.

"Agreed. I just hope that we all will do well. After all, if half of what Rainbow dreamed of was true then we may have our wo-," Rarity was interrupted by Rainbow Dash covering her mouth.

"Oh, Rarity, you say the funniest things sometimes! Of course things will turn out fine! Now, can you excuse us for a moment?" Rainbow asked as she dragged Rarity into a different room.

"Okay, Rainbow Dash, spill it. What in the world is going on? Why are you wanting to keep your exact dreams a secret?" Rarity demanded.

"I-I don't wanna keep things a secret!" Rainbow badly lied.

"Oh, really? Then, why don't we go and tell the others about your dreams?" Rarity asked as she turned to leave.

"No, wait!" Rainbow yelled as Rarity stopped. "Okay, fine. I want to keep the dreams a secret."

"But why? What could make you want to keep them a secret? I thought you'd want to know how awesome you are and let others know as well," Rarity pointed out.

"I have two reasons. One, I'm a bit nervous, okay? What if we end up messing things up somehow? The dreams didn't guarantee a happy ending for all. Especially with Team Flare. The world could be in danger because I failed to stop them in time!" Rainbow explained.

"And the second reason?" Rarity asked.

"I just don't want to worry the others, especially Twilight. I mean, she'd probably die of a heart attack if we told her what I dreamed of Team Flare," Rainbow answered.

"So...Those are your reasons? Well...those aren't the worst reasons for keeping things a secret...but they still are a bit dumb. I mean, you're being a bit judgmental of your friend's ability to handle the bad news and, in addition, you're being a bit selfish by keeping news like that a secret," Rarity pointed out.

"You...have a point. We can tell them a bit later, though. I can't just spoil everyone's fun so quickly," Rainbow responded.

"Well...fine. But we have to tell them eventually," Rarity decided.

"Fine. It's a deal. For now, let's go back to our friends," Rainbow said as the duo returned to their friends.

"-and that is what I currently know about the starter Pokemon in the Kanto region," Twilight finished her lecture about Pokemon with her friends.

Just as Twilight had finished talking, the front door opened and Ash and Dawn entered and, much to their surprise, saw that Spike and the Mane 6 were still here.

“So, are you guys still waiting for Celestia or…?” Dawn asked, confused.

“Actually, there has been a change in plans! We’re going to go on a journey with you two after all!” Rainbow Dash said happily.

“Really?” Ash was sounding happy at this news, with Dawn looking more surprised than Ash but still happy.

“Yepperooni! We’ll be able to travel between home and here while living our lives in both worlds! Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?” Pinkie Pie asked as she bounced around the room.

“That’s wonderful news! That means we can all travel around the world and experience what it has to offer together!” Ash was getting pumped up.

“Agreed!" Dawn cheered before realizing something. "Oh! I just thought of something. Maybe Ash and I can visit your land of Equestria at some point, right Ash?"

"Of course! It would be fun to see the non-Pokemon creatures and perhaps Pikachu and Snivy could meet them!" Ash agreed.

"That would be great! You could experience the wonders of our world and the creatures and lore behind it!" Twilight giddily cheered.

"Yeah, because learning is what they'll wanna do. They'll wanna see the Wonderbolts racing in Canterlot or Cloudsdale!" Rainbow offered.
"Sure thing! A race sounds cool!" Ash agreed.
"Maybe we can bring our Pokemon between the worlds a bit more easily now, right Twilight?" Fluttershy suggested.
"Y-Yes. As long as we're careful who sees them," Twilight decided.
"Speaking of fun things, you'd love Hearth's Warming and Nightmare Night! They're fun holidays!" Pinkie Pie suggested.
"I'll take your word for it, Pinkie. So, Rarity, I take it that you’ll be taking part in the Cerulean City Pokemon Contest?” Dawn asked the fancy teen.

“Of course I will darling! And so will Pinkie Pie! Of course, I plan on being the victor and obtaining my first ribbon at this Contest,” Rarity said confidently.

“Actually, I think that I’ll be the victor in the end,” Dawn said back. “But, either way, I wish you both luck!”

“Why, thanks so much Dawn! You and Piplup will definitely do a fantastic and fun job!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Speaking of which, where is Piplup? Is he doing okay?” Fluttershy asked the bluenette.

“Oh, he’s inside of his Pokeball right now. Piplup, come out and say hello to everyone!” Dawn cheered as she threw her partner’s Pokeball, releasing him. Piplup looked proud of himself as he was sent out, wanting to make a good impression on Dawn’s friends. “Piplup, you remember Twilight, Rainbow, and the others, right?” At this, Piplup gave a nod of agreement and tried to look cute and cool to the group, who were all impressed.

“Professor, can you tell me where Pikachu is? I’ve been meaning to look for him since I've chosen him as my first Pokemon, remember?” Ash asked Professor Oak.

“Oh, he’s upstairs, Ash. But remember, be careful as to not get zapped by him,” Professor Oak warned.

“Don’t worry! I just need to talk with him and we’ll be buddies in no time!” Ash was undeterred.

“Do you need me to help translate? I can help you understand what Pikachu is saying,” Fluttershy kindly offered.

“Well… sure, why not? Perhaps between the two of us we’ll be able to figure out why he’s such a grump,” Ash accepted the offer.

Ash and Fluttershy were quick to go up the stairs to find Pikachu. They were quick to see him lying down on a chair, trying to sleep as peacefully as possible.

“Hey Pikachu,” Ash said, getting Pikachu’s attention. However, rather than acknowledge Ash he pretended to continue sleeping. “You know, today is the day that we start our journey to become Pokemon Masters.” Pikachu opened an eye at this, but was quick to close it. “Look, I know that you don’t like me, but I really like you. Why can’t we learn to get along? After all, life would be more fun to have together than to spend it alone, don’t you think?” Pikachu continued to ignore Ash, however, which made the teen very sad.

“I can take a crack at it,” Fluttershy said as she stepped up to Pikachu. “Hello there little buddy. It’s so nice to meet you.” Pikachu opened both of his eyes and took a look at the teenage girl, looking a bit calmer but still wary. “Look, I know you may be thinking that not all humans are trustworthy, but trust me when I say that Ash and my other friends are worth putting your trust into. We just want to be friends with you and other Pokemon. Maybe you can give Ash a chance. From what I’ve seen he appears to be trustworthy.” Pikachu gave a look over at Ash for a moment before deciding to use Thundershock to zap Ash, laughing afterward. As he turned over to Fluttershy, she gave a disapproving look, which caused Pikachu to stop laughing.

“Shame on you, Pikachu! You oughta be ashamed of yourself for treating Ash that way! Why can’t you just be friends with Ash, anyway?!” At this, Pikachu gave an apology before explaining to Fluttershy his reasons for his behavior. “Oh, so that’s why.”

“What did Pikachu say?” Ash asked curiously.

“Well, you see, Pikachu just isn’t all that trusting towards humans in general. He thinks poorly of them and sees them as pests or even evil. Well, most of them anyway,” Fluttershy revealed.

“Oh. That explains it,” Ash said sadly, looking like he was going to give up on Pikachu, much to Fluttershy’s disappointment. However, Ash was quick to respond, “You know what? I bet that given enough time together we can find a way to get along,” Ash said cheerfully.

“You’re not going to give up on Pikachu?” Fluttershy looked surprised but happy.

“Of course not! I think that together the two of us can become very good partners and buddies,” Ash said hopefully.

“That sounds great! And if you need help up until then, you can count on all of us,” Fluttershy said hopefully.

“Perfect! Now I just need to grab Pikachu and we can be on our way,” Ash said as he reached into his bag and put on the rubber gloves his mom had packed for him, remembering that Professor Oak had made the suggestion to help transport Pikachu a few days back. Ash walked over to Pikachu and picked him up calmly. Pikachu was quick to try and zap Ash, only for the gloves to stop the shock. “Alright! Now let’s get back to the others and get going!”

Just as the Mane 7, Ash, and Dawn were about to leave, the other three new Trainers had arrived in order to get their starter Pokemon. The first to arrive was a woman named Leaf, who went with Bulbasaur. The second to arrive was a man named Damian, who went with Charmander. While Leaf appeared to be strange, she didn’t seem to be too bad towards Bulbasaur. However, Damian appeared to only pick Charmander because he considered him to be the strongest.

After a while, the final of the new Trainers arrived, going with Squirtle seeing as how it was the only starter left. “Make way, everyone! The best Trainer in all of Kanto coming through!” The Trainer, whose name was Gary Oak, announced to the crowd outside of the lab.

“Hey! Isn’t it a bit much to assume you’re the best? How do you know it may not be me or someone else?” Rainbow Dash demanded.

“Well, aren’t you a card? You see, with a legacy like my grandfather’s it only makes sense that I’m going to be the best, if not now then soon enough,” Gary responded mockingly.

“And who, pray tell, is your grandfather?” Rarity questioned the teen.

“Why Professor Oak, of course! He’s one of the best Pokemon researchers in the world and was a great Trainer back in his day,” Gary answered smugly.

“Well, like Rainbow Dash said, there are likely hundreds of other Trainers out in the world. It’s a bit arrogant to assume you’re the best right out of the gate,” Applejack noted.

“Look, Miltank girl, I happen to be the pride and joy of Pallet Town. I’m going to become the best in the world one way or another.” Rainbow Dash just sat there growling, with Applejack shaking her head annoyed until Gary noticed Ash. “Oh, if it isn’t Ashy boy. Long time no see. So, I’m guessing that you’re going on a Pokemon journey,” Gary guessed.

“Well, yeah.. I have a starter Pokemon and everything. Of course I’m gonna go on a journey,” Ash said, not getting at what Gary was saying.

“Well, I was just thinking you were gonna give up and returning home to your mommy considering that you can barely manage to take care of yourself,” Gary mocked.

“Grr, Gary!” Ash yelled angrily.

“Well, I’ve wasted enough time here with my admiring fans. Everyone, I’m gonna leave for my journey now! When I get back, I’m gonna be a master!” Gary yelled out as he got into a car of admiring cheerleaders and drove off with his Squirtle.

“I can’t believe that Gary! I can take care of myself and my Pokemon! It may not be easy to deal with Pikachu, but I’ll find a way,” Ash muttered to himself.

“So, I take it that you and that boy are not on the best of terms? Wouldn’t surprise me seeing as how he makes Rainbow look humble,” Applejack asked.

“No. We’re not. We’ve been rivals for the longest time. I’ve tried to be nice to him, but he still has an ego larger than the sun,” Ash answered as he shook his head.

“Should we try talking to him about his ego problems?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t think that will work. I’ve tried to talk to him about it and he took it as asking him out on a date. He needs to have his ego popped before he can change for the better,” Dawn explained.

“Well, the chances of us running into them again anytime soon isn’t that great. We can just go on our journeys and not have to worry about seeing him or hearing his big headed claims,” Twilight said, trying to be mature about the situation.

“Okie dokie loki, Twilight! Besides, his head doesn’t look that big. It appears to be normal sized,” Pinkie Pie said, to the confusion of the others.

“It’s an expression Pinkie Pie,” Rarity bluntly said.

“Oh,” Pinkie Pie started to get the point.

“Well, regardless of what Gary thinks, we’ll be aiming for the top in no time! Now, let’s get going!” Ash carried out as they all started to walk down the path to reach Viridian City.
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“Ash? Are you sure that there isn’t a train or something we can take to the next town?” Rarity asked, starting to feel all sweaty and tired.

“Last I checked, no. We have to go on foot,” Ash answered as he was pulling Pikachu by a rope while wearing rubber gloves since he refused to walk with him and his friends and not wanting to risk an electric shock hitting him or the others while holding him.

“Hey, don’t worry, Rarity. At least this way we get to meet new Pokemon,” Fluttershy consoled.

“Yeah, I guess. At least when we head to sleep later I’ll be able to nod off in my tent rather than on the cold ground,” Rarity was relieved.

“Personally, I hope to reach the next town before night falls,” Dawn said.

“Well, we don’t know if we will get there on time or not. In my experience, nature is a lot more interesting than you give it credit for,” Applejack put in her two cents.

“I agree with Applejack. I just wish Pikachu would move with us willingly,” Ash said. “Maybe I should give Pikachu the chance to get used to me and not feel forced to come with me.” As Ash said this, he removed his rubber gloves and untied Pikachu. “So, feel any better Pikachu?” Pikachu merely looked away from Ash. “Aw, come on! We just want to be your friend. Why can’t you just be nicer to us?”

“Should we take a break for lunch or…,” Twilight suggested.

“I guess we can break for lunch. What do you all think?” Spike asked the others. After a moment of consideration, everyone took a break in order to eat and take a break from walking.

While everyone was eating, they took some time to talk about where they were going to go next.

“So, where is the closest gym located at, anyway? The Kanto region is so big that I don’t know where to start,” Rainbow Dash asked, half-joking.

“From what I’ve heard from Professor Oak, the nearest gym that is active is in Pewter City, which is past Viridian City and the Viridian Forest. There is supposed to be a gym in Viridian City, but it’s closed,” Ash answered for Rainbow Dash.

“Sounds cool! Maybe we’ll catch some more Pokemon on the way there. I love Snivy and Charmander and all, but I really want to find some more fighting buddies to train with,” Rainbow Dash said as Snivy gave a nod in agreement.

“Just don’t train too much. Wouldn’t want you gettin’ hurt because you got too overeager,” Applejack reminded.

“Aw man! I should have made a good luck cake for all of us before we left Professor Oak’s lab!” Pinkie Pie was disappointed.

“To be fair, that’s likely for the best seeing as how your bags don’t have room for cake in them,” Dawn commented.

“What about the next Pokemon Contest? Where do you think it is going to be at?” Rarity asked Twilight and Dawn.

“Well, the nearest Contest is going to be in Cerulean City in a few weeks,” Twilight answered.

“I’m already looking forward to it! Soon, I’m going to begin my journey to being a Top Coordinator! Oh, and you too Rarity and Pinkie Pie!” Dawn cheered.

“So, where do you think the Pokemon are at? I haven’t seen very many of them since we first started down this road,” Fluttershy asked, confused and disappointed by the lack of Pokemon.

“Well, we may or may not see any depending on the path we take,” Ash pointed out. “Still, I wish we ran into at least one Pokemon.”
Before Ash could say anything more, a purple and tan monkey with a hand on her tail swung from a tree and swiped one of the rice balls the group had out and ate it.

“What? An Aipom! Here? Now?” Ash was shocked as he got up to see the monkey swing again, this time grabbing his hat.

“An Aipom, huh? I wonder what the Pokedex has to say about you,” Twilight said as she got our her Pokedex and scanned the Long Tail Pokemon.

“Aipom. The Long Tail Pokemon. Aipom are known for living in the trees and can use their tails, which are incredibly strong, in order to climb and hang from branches.”

“Hey! Get back here with my hat, Aipom!” Ash yelled as he ran after the monkey-like Pokemon. After some running and entering a clearing, the Long Tail Pokemon stopped and threw that hat down at Ash while poking fun at him.

“Well, we’ll see how gets the last laugh! Pikachu, you game?” Ash asked only to realize that Pikachu didn’t follow him nor would he have listened even if he did. “Oops. I’ll just leave you here. Thanks for my hat back.”

As Ash left, Aipom jumped up and down excitedly on the tree branch she was on before going after him.
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By the time Ash got back, everyone else had finished eating and were ready to continue their trek to Viridian City.

“So, how did it go?” Pinkie Pie asked Ash when he returned.

“Well, I got into a clearing before realizing that Pikachu wasn’t with me or that I had any means of fighting the Pokemon so I just let her go,” Ash answered.

“Oh. Well, hopefully our next encounter with a Pokemon goes better,” Rainbow Dash said. “In fact, I think I see one right now.” Rainbow said as she saw a shadow enveloped bird Pokemon nearby. “Alright! Snivy, use Vine Whip on that bird!”

Snivy complied with Rainbow’s command, whipping the Pokemon. However, instead of going down, the bird, which was called a Spearow, emerged from the grass furious with Snivy and Rainbow. It didn’t help that Ash’s Pikachu began to laugh at the pair’s misfortune, which made Spearow even more angry. In fact, Spearow landed a super-effective Peck attack on Snivy, which hurt her quite a bit. Pikachu combatted the Spearow when it tried to Peck him with his Thundershock. At this, Spearow fell to the ground and then ran off.

“See? We’re able to take on anything that gets in our way!” Rainbow boasted.

“Really? From where I’m standing it looks like Pikachu did all the hard work,” Dawn pointed out.

Rainbow was quick to fall over comically. “Well, we’ll catch the next Pokemon that we come across.”

“Maybe not the next Pokemon we come across,” Dawn nervously said.

“Really? Why not? I think we can capture any Pokemon that’s willing to come with us,” Fluttershy asked.

“B-Because of that!” Dawn pointed at a huge swarm of Spearow and a Fearow that was called by the Spearow from earlier.

“Pikachu, use Thundershock!” Ash cried out as Pikachu, sensing the danger, complied and shocked the Spearow swarm. However, there was too many Spearow for the Thundershock to stop the swarm in its entirety. The others, aside from Twilight and her Bulbasaur and Rainbow and her Snivy, sent out their starter Pokemon and tried to fight off the Spearow swarm. The group did a decent job at fighting them off, lowering the swarm from what seemed like hundreds down to only a couple dozen. However, by this point, all the Pokemon were exhausted. Rather than take their risk with the swarm, the group ran away so that they could save themselves and their Pokemon from harm.

The swarm, however, wasn’t done with the group and decided to fly after the group, attacking all the while. The group and their Pokemon proceeded to dodge the pecks as best as they could, and while they did a good job for the most part, they still got hurt, especially Ash’s Pikachu who Ash needed to pick up and run with. Eventually, the group reached a cliff where there was a raging river in the area beneath them.

“Oh no! What should we do?! We’re cornered!” Dawn cried out, worried.

“Well, there may be one way out of this. We’ll need to jump into the water and hope it takes us to safety,” Ash suggested.

“No offense, Ash, but that sounds like a risky idea,” Applejack said.

“I agree. Who's to say we won’t get injured or lose our supplies when we jump into the raging river,” Rarity agreed.

“Besides, we’re not wearing our swimwear and I’d rather not get my hair or clothes wet,” Dawn pointed out.

“I’d say that we take the risk that Ash is suggesting. After all, do we want to be pecked to death by these Spearow and the Fearow?” Rainbow Dash agreed with Ash’s plan.

After a moment of thinking, the group reluctantly agreed with Ash’s plan and decided to jump into the water, just barely avoiding the swarm.
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Meanwhile, an fifeen year old red-head named Misty wearing a blue swimsuit was under the water later on down the river. She was searching for Water-type Pokemon that she could add to her party. You see, Misty’s dream is to one day be the greatest Water-type Trainer and Gym Leader in the world. To meet that goal, Misty is in need of capturing as many different Water-types as she could.

Finding no luck in finding any unique Water-types, Misty got out of the water next to her bag and bike and was ready to change back into her normal clothes. However, before she could do so, she saw a bunch of people and Pokemon trying their best to stay above the water, some doing better than others. Seeing Pikachu having fallen unconscious, Misty jumped back into the water and brought out the Mouse Pokemon.

“Oh my! Are you okay, Pikachu?” Misty asked the poor Pokemon in concern.

“I don’t know about Pikachu, but I think the rest of us are doing okay,” Ash responded to the red-haired woman.

“I don’t know what happened to you all earlier, but I can’t believe what bad shape your Pokemon appear to be in!” Misty scolded.

“We’re sorry. We’re new trainers that got into trouble with some Spearow and a Fearow miss…” Fluttershy began to apologize.

“Misty. Misty Waterflower. I have to say though that you could do a better job at being trainers if you got into trouble so easily,” Misty bluntly said.

“Hey! That was very rude of you to say!” Dawn yelled back.

“Yeah! We were just trying to find our way to Viridian City when we ran into trouble! You can’t fault us for being new!” Rainbow yelled as well.

“I’m sorry about that. You see, I can be a bit easily angered. I wasn’t trying to be mean,” Misty apologized.

“Hey, do you want me to make you a baked treat in order to commemorate our meeting?” Pinkie Pie offered.

“I guess maybe later?” Misty awkwardly accepted.

“So, Misty, can you tell us how to get to Viridian City so that we can get out of your hair?” Twilight asked.

“Sure. Just head down this path and you’ll be there within an hour,” Misty answered.

“Oh, thank goodness! I’ll be able to rejoin civilization before nightfall,” Dawn sighed in relief.

“And we’ll be able to change into a warm pair of pajamas,” Rarity agrees with Dawn.

Suddenly, the group heard the cries of the Spearow and Fearow as they had finally found and caught up with them.

“Oh no! This is bad! We need to get away from them. Excuse me, Misty, but can I borrow your bike?” Ash asked the red-head. However, before she could give a response, Ash put Pikachu in the basket, got onto the bike, and rushed off to try and avoid the bird Pokemon.

“Hey! Get back here with my bike!” Misty demanded as she put on her normal clothes over her swimsuit and ran after Ash.

“Well, looks like Ash got himself into some trouble. We should catch up to make sure that Misty doesn’t hurt him,” Dawn decided as the others agreed and the group ran after them.
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”Just hang on now, Pikachu, we're almost there,” Ash said as he raced down the path in the rain to try to get Pikachu to safety and escape the swarm. However, eventually the swarm caught up to them and the bike was knocked over, sending them both to the ground.

“Pikachu! Pikachu... this can't happen,” Ash was worried as he placed Pikachu’s Pokeball next to him. “Pikachu, get inside. I know you're afraid of going in there, but if you're inside, maybe I can save you. Please, Pikachu, please listen to me and go inside. After that, then -- After that, just trust me!” Ash got up and walked towards the Spearow and Fearow, planning to defend Pikachu, even if it meant sacrificing himself. “Spearows, do you know who I am? I'm Ash, from the Town of Pallet. I'm destined to be the world's number one Pokémon Master. I can't be defeated by the likes of you. I'm going to capture and defeat you all! Do you hear me?” Ash yelled to the Pokemon. “Pikachu, go inside the Pokéball, it's the only way! Come and get me!” Suddenly, Pikachu got up and ran toward Ash and jumped off his shoulder. Pikachu mustered as much power as he could in order to create a powerful Thundershock. The attack managed to hit the Pokemon, causing them all to flee, except for the Fearow. However, a quick Focus Punch from the Aipom from earlier was enough to send the Fearow packing as well.

Aipom approached Pikachu and Ash, who were both lying on the ground exhausted. “Well, we beat 'em.” As a way of showing that Pikachu is no longer against Ash, he proceeded to lick Ash’s face gently. “Oh, and I guess that Aipom also helped us out. Say, do you want to come with us, Aipom?” At this, Aipom nodded as Ash got out a Pokeball and threw it at Aipom, with the purple monkey being sealed in moments later. “Alright! We’ve got an Aipom!” Ash cheered as Pikachu and Ash made a “V” shape with their hands. Before they could celebrate having a new Pokemon much more, the duo noticed a mysterious rainbow and golden colored Pokemon flying through the sky. “What's that? Is that a… Ho-Oh?” Ash wondered as the Pokemon disappeared, leaving Ash to pick up Pikachu and race off to the Pokemon Center in Viridian City once more.

Pokemon Emergency Part 1 (Edited)

Officer Jenny announces in a megaphone, “Attention, citizens of Viridian City! Attention, citizens of Viridian City! We have reports about possible Pokémon thieves in our area! Be on the lookout for suspicious looking strangers! Repeat - Be on the lookout for suspicious looking--,” She suddenly sees Ash rushing to the Pokémon Center and stops announcing. “Huh? Speak of the Devil?” Officer Jenny rushes to and stops Ash. “Hold it! And just where do you think you're going with that Pokémon, young man?”

Ash explained, “It's my Pokémon, and it's hurt! And I gotta get it to the Pokemon Center right away!”

“Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you might be stealing it. Just show me your ID and you can go,” Officer Jenny asked understandingly.

Ash nervously responded, “ID? Ugh... I don't have any that I can think of. You see we just came here from Pallet with some friends and we--”

Jenny interrupted, “You know, you're the fourth person I've seen today from Pallet Town.”

Ash was surprised to hear this. “The fourth? Oh... That means Gary Oak's here already.”

Jenny then said, “It’s very unusual for someone to carry a Pokémon around in his arms and not in a Pokeball. There are people that do so, but it isn’t the most common thing. How do I know you didn’t steal that Pokémon, especially since you don’t have any identification?”

“Please let me through! I wouldn’t steal a Pokémon, and I’ve got to get Pikachu to the Pokemon Center. Please, Miss!” Ash pleaded with the officer.

Jenny suddenly sees Ash's PokeDex. “Hey, what’s that in your pocket?”

“What? Oh, this?” Ash was confused for a second until he realized, “Oh right! The Pokedex doubles as identification!” Ash then blushed for not remembering sooner.

Jenny grabs the PokeDex “This! This is perfect! A PokeDex, this will solve our problem. Let’s see if you’re the real deal.”

Jenny presses a button on the Pokedex and the device chirps out, “I am Dexter, a PokéDex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet. My function is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their Training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced.”

“So, can I please take Pikachu to the Pokémon Center now?” Ash asked the officer.

“I’ll get you there in no time at all,” Jenny offers Ash a ride. Soon, Jenny and Ash are sitting in the sidecar bike owned by Officer Jenny. “Sit back, hold on, and don't yell.” The duo rides out of garage at full speed.

“Woah!” Ash cried out at the speed he was riding. The motorcycle leaves a huge cloud of smoke in its wake.

“Man! That Ash Ketchum sure can ride fast!” Spike was surprised as the group saw Ash riding off.

“Well, to be fair, he is riding in a motorized vehicle from the looks of it, so of course he would go by fast,” Twilight pointed out.

“Wait. What is a motorized vehicle?” Rainbow Dash asked, confused as Snivy shook her head. "Hey! You do know that I'm new to this world! Remember our dreams?!"

"Well, anyways, I did read about them a little bit during the week at Professor Oak's. They seem very fascinating if a bit hazardous," Twilight explained joyfully.

“Anyways, Rainbow Dash, a motorized vehicle is…,” Dawn started, looking confused at the lack of knowledge of what a car or motorized bike was, only to be interrupted by Pinkie Pie.

“Oh! It’s the same as a go-kart except it has an engine that allows for one to reach higher speeds and to better control stopping and going without slopes,” Pinkie Pie explained, much to the group’s shock.

“Um, Pinkie Pie, How did you know that?” Twilight asked, shocked and confused.

“Oh, I’ve heard about it from Professor Oak at one point, probably around the time Twilight read about it,” Pinkie Pie answered.

"Was that what Gary drove earlier along with those nice ladies?" Fluttershy asked.

"Correct," Dawn confirmed.

"Girls, why don't we find a way to get one? It will make things so much easier to get around and no nasty sweating," Rarity suggested.

"How about no? The exercise will be healthy for us," Applejack denied.

“Okay… so, what is important for us to do now is to find out where Ash is going,” Rarity said.

“Well, he did say something about taking Pikachu to a Pokemon Center. Maybe we should find out where this place is, whatever it is,” Applejack said.

“Good call, Applejack! Also, a Pokemon Center is like a vet or hospital for Pokemon. It helps restore their energy and heal any wounds,” Twilight explained.

“Oh, right! I’ve also read that they have rooms for Trainers to stay in, possible restaurants to eat at, and sometimes even places like a spa. I wish that there is one at the Pokemon Center. I want to really freshen up after our time on the road,” Rarity said.

“I know. I could sure use a bath after such a tough first day. But, regardless, Piplup and ours’ journey is going to be a great one!” Dawn tried to remain hopeful.

“Don’t worry, Rarity! Spa or no spa, your beauty is a near undeniable fact in this world or any other!” Spike complemented his crush.

“Um, thanks Spike. So, how much longer do you think that it will take to reach the Pokemon Center? My feet are killing me after all this walking,” Rarity complained.

“Really, Rarity? We’re going on a journey where we are likely to do a lot of walking, and you’re complaining about it?” Applejack bluntly asked.

“I know! A Pokemon journey isn’t just a part-time deal. You need to be willing to deal with stress full-time on a Pokemon journey, at least that’s what I’ve heard from Ash,” Rainbow Dash said.

"Well...what about using the Dimensional Scissors to move around the region? We can get to towns and cities without worrying about walking," Rarity suggested.

"What are these scissors?" Dawn asked.

"Apparently, they can move to different locations and even worlds by cutting open a portal," Twilight answered.

"Yep. So, can we use them to avoid extra walking?" Rarity asked.

"I'd say no," Applejack denied.

"Yeah! Walking from town to town is not only good exercise, but it means we can find more Pokemon since we'll be in the wild," Fluttershy said.

"I do love getting a good workout," Rainbow agreed.

"And being able to make new Pokemon friends is also great!" Pinkie Pie said.

"So, I'm sorry to say, Rarity and Dawn, but we'll be continuing to walk," Twilight apologized as both girls sighed. "But, if there is no other way to get somewhere in time for an event we'll use the scissors to move about. That sound good?"

"I guess so. But can we at least use them right now? Otherwise, we'll be searching for the center for hours.

“Um, guys? I think we’re almost at the Pokemon Center,” Fluttershy commented. “According to this sign, we are just a few minutes away from the Center and being able to relax.”

“Oh, thank goodness! We’ll be able to rest and get a nice hot meal soon!” Dawn sighed in relief.

“Maybe we should let our other Pokemon out when we get there. They’d be happy to get some rest after fighting so hard for us,” Fluttershy suggested.

“Good idea, Fluttershy! Let’s go!” Twilight said as the group continued onward to the Pokemon Center.

Not too far behind them, Misty was holding her bike, which was severely burnt by Pikachu's electrical attacks earlier that day.

“Hey, What’s the big idea? Come back here!” Misty angrily yells out as she runs after Ash and the others.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in a Meowth balloon floating above Viridian City, a trio consisting of a man with blue hair, a woman with long red hair, both wearing a black and white uniform with a red “R” on their shirts, and a Pokemon named Meowth were discussing something.

“I can’t believe that Cassidy and Butch were placed in charge of Team Rocket’s next heist to steal all the Pokemon in the Viridian City! I thought for certain we were going to get this mission!” The woman, named Jessie complained.

“I know! Sure we may have messed up with stealing Pokemon before, but we’ve also managed to do a few successful heists here and there! I mean, we have wanted posters!” The man, named James, agreed.

“I know,” The Meowth, who could talk, said. Suddenly, he appeared to realize something. “Hey! I just came up with a brilliant idea! If we capture all the Pokemon before the other Team Rocket members arrive, we’re likely to no longer be seen as jokes and even be promoted by the boss!”

“That… sounds like a good idea, Meowth! Soon, we’ll be getting enough money to never go hungry again!” James cheered.

“I know! We’ll also be allowed to use the corporate bathrooms and spa without getting into trouble! I’m so happy to have come up with the plan!” Jessie happily said.

“Um, Jessie? That was my idea,” Meowth commented, only to be met with a glare by the red-head. “Um, never mind! We’ll soon be tasting victory all thanks to your plan!” Meowth changed gears quickly.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Officer Jenny, Ash and Pikachu were on their way to the Viridian City Pokemon Center. In spite of the faster transportation to reach the Pokemon Center, he was still very worried about Pikachu and his well-being. After all, he had expended a lot of his energy fighting the Spearow and was in need of treatment.

Eventually, however, the sight of the Pokemon Center got into view on the horizon. “Finally! The Pokemon Center! Pikachu, don’t worry! We’re almost there!”

“This is tricky. Just hold on. Here we go!” Officer Jenny cries out as she hops her bike onto the entryway. The bike comes to a screeching stop at the desk.

“We have a driveway, you know,” Nurse Joy comments to Officer Jenny.

At this, Officer Jenny blushes. “Sorry about that. We have an emergency! A Pikachu was injured and exhausted fighting off a bunch of Spearow for his Trainer.”

Nurse Joy sees the Pikachu in Ash’s arms. “There is no time to waste! Chancey, get a stretcher for an injured Pikachu right away!” At this, a Chancey came out with a stretcher, put Pikachu onto it, and then took the stretcher into the next room.

“Thank you so much for the help. If there is anything I can do to help Pikachu, please let me know!” Ash insisted.

“For starters, be more careful with your Pokemon and with the battles you fight! This poor Pikachu is in very terrible shape right now!” Nurse Joy criticized.

“I’m sorry! It was an accident that we ended up fighting a bunch of Spearow. My friends and I all tried to fight them off, but Pikachu got hurt during that time. I’ll try to be more careful in the future,” Ash apologized as he bowed.

“I understand, but what’s past is past. Now, we’ll do our best to heal your Pikachu Mr…,” Nurse Joy said.

“Ash. Ash Ketchum,” Ash introduced himself.

“Alright, Ash. It may take a little bit of time to heal your Pikachu, but don’t worry. He should be feeling better in no time,” Nurse Joy said as she left to take care of Pikachu.

After Pikachu and Nurse Joy left, Ash sighed to himself. He was feeling very sad over what happened to Pikachu. It had been his dream to become a great Pokemon Trainer and Master, and his first day ended with Pikachu being hurt and needing medical attention. Needless to say, Ash felt horrible right now.

Noticing that there was a phone nearby, Ash walked over to it and put in the number for his mother Delia Ketchum. Meanwhile, the Mane 7 and Dawn had finally caught up with Ash and were seeing that Ash was about to talk to his mother on the phone.

Eventually, Ash’s mother, who was in bathrobes and with a mud mask on her face, looked confused as to who was on the phone line before being happy upon seeing that Ash was on the other end. “Oh, Ash! It’s great to hear from you! So, where are you calling from, honey?”

“I’m… calling from the Pokemon Center in Viridian City,” Ash answered.

“Yeah! It took us some time, but we ended up here on the first day!” Rainbow Dash cried out as she popped up behind Ash, surprising him to see that the others had just arrived.

“Oh, that sounds wonderful! You know, when your father started his journey, it took him a few days in order to make it to Viridian City. I also see that you and Dawn have made some new friends!” Delia said happily.

“Y-Yeah. I made them about a week ago at Professor Oak’s lab,” Ash said sadly.

“Yeah! Apparently, they come from another world,” Dawn confirmed.

“Really now?” Delia was curious to hear this.

“Yeah! Where we come from, magic is a powerful force that has control over almost everything, from weather to plants growing,” Twilight explained.

"We're ponies that are capable of using magic to fly and stuff," Rainbow continued.

“Things are mostly pretty amazing back home!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Yeah. I bet they are,” Ash sadly mumbled.

“Ash? Is everything alright? You look really down,” Rarity asked in concern upon noticing his mood.

“Yeah! Why don’t we find a way to turn that frown upside down?” Pinkie Pie asked cheerfully before Dawn stopped her.

“Uh, Pinkie Pie? I think we should let him talk for right now,” Dawn suggested.

“I agree. What is the problem Ash? You’ve been dreaming of being a Pokemon Master ever since you were five years old. Aren’t you excited?” Delia asked her son in concern.

“It's just… Today has had a lot of bad things going my way. Pikachu hasn’t been listening to me for most of the day, we both almost died. If it weren’t for the fact that I had my friends with me I’m not sure if I would be even able to take care of myself. How can I become a Pokemon Master if I run into so much trouble on my first day?” Ash revealed to his mother and friends. At the same time, another teen had noticed the call and was listening curiously.

“Look, Ash. I know that becoming a Trainer isn’t easy. But you can’t just give it up. This is your dream. I think you’ll find that with your friend’s help you’ll be able to overcome these worries. Good luck and enjoy your journey young man,” Delia said to try and cheer up her son.

“Like your mom said, if y’all need help with any sad or worrying thoughts, just let us know and we’ll be there,” Applejack suggested to the teen.

At this, Ash smiled as he said, “Thanks you guys. I do feel a lot better now. I just wish that Pikachu would be doing better.”

Fluttershy looked worried as she asked, “So, what happened to Pikachu? Did the Spearow hurt him that badly?”

“I don’t think so. He did get hurt, but I think and hope he’s just exhausted,” Ash answered.

Before anyone else could continue talking, a voice unfamiliar to the group said, “So, your Pikachu got attacked and beaten by a bunch of Spearow? How pathetic.”

When everyone turned around, they saw a teen around their age with purple hair and a scowl affixed to his face.

“Hey! His Pokemon got hurt, you jerk!” Rainbow Dash cried out angrily.

“Your point being?” The teen asked, still scowling until he noticed the Snivy on Rainbow’s shoulder. “What Pokemon is that?”

“She’s a Snivy. Rainbow here found her at Professor Oak’s lab and she is one of Rainbow’s two starter Pokemon,” Twilight explained.

“According to the Professor, she comes from the Unova region,” Dawn added on.

"So, you impressed with her? I'll bet she is the coolest Pokemon ever once she gets used to battling!" Rainbow boasted.

“Doesn’t look all that special to me. To be honest, she looks pretty pathetic. She won’t last two minutes in a proper battle. You’re better off finding a different Pokemon or at least hoping that your other starter measures up,” the teen commented.

“Hey there! Don’t insult Snivy like that. For all you know, she could grow to be a powerful battler!” Ash finally said, unhappy with the teen’s behavior.

“Please! Your friend’s Snivy is a weakling that she’s better off ditching before she weighs her down!” The teen yelled harshly.

“Come now, good sir! You don’t have to be jealous of Rainbow here for having such a rare Pokemon. I’m sure if we all calm down we can find a way to get along,” Rarity tried to play mediator.

“Rarity’s right! Don’t be such a jerk to Rainbow’s Snivy!” Fluttershy agreed, looking angry.

“Who said I wanted your pathetic Snivy?” The teen barked out, much to the group’s shared frustration.

“Look, Mr.-,” Spike began only to realize that he didn’t know the teen’s name.

“Paul,” The teen answered.

“Paul, we’ve all been through a lot today and the last thing we need is for you to be rude to us,” Spike continued.

“Spike is right. You think in the future you can try and be a little bit nicer to people and Pokemon?” Fluttershy politely asked.

“Especially people that you’ve just met at that?” Dawn asked.

“I’ll treat people how I want to treat them, understand? And, sad to say, you all seem to be pretty pathetic Trainers to be this sensitive to me just being honest,” Paul said with a smirk.

“There’s a mighty big difference from being honest and just being a jerk!” Applejack yelled.

“I’m afraid that my friends are right. Can’t you at least try to be less mean?” Ash asked.

“Whatever. So, I can tell from the way you talk that you are all Trainers. Any of you interested in having a battle? Maybe that'll prove if you're worthy of my time,” Paul questioned the group.

“How about I challenge you to a battle, Paul?” Rainbow asked as she cracked her knuckles.

“Same here! Maybe we can find a way to get along in battle rather than talking,” Ash suggested, wanting to find a way to still potentially be friends with Paul.

“Hmm, fine. It’ll be a two on two battle. You each get to battle with one Pokemon against my two. We’ll fight outside the Pokemon Center in five minutes. Be there,” Paul stated as he walked outside.

“Rainbow Dash! Ash! Don’t you think that was a bit rash of you? You both barely know how to battle. You could easily get yourself and your Pokemon hurt. Besides, Charmander has expended energy fighting all those Spearow from earlier. Snivy is still very young and inexperienced. As for you, Ash, Pikachu needs to recover before he can battle again. I’d rather you both not pick a fight with this Paul character any more than you’ve already have,” Twilight warned.

“But Twilight! We can’t just let that jerk do whatever he wants! We need to teach him a lesson in respect! Besides, Snivy should be able to handle whatever that guy throws at us!” Rainbow Dash protested, with Snivy agreeing with a reluctant and nervous nod.

“Look, I understand what you are feeling right now. That ruffian could have been so much nicer to us. However, we shouldn’t stoop to his level by accepting a challenge out of anger,” Rarity reasoned.

“Yeah. Paul may be a jerk but we should just try and walk away from this battle,” Dawn said, trying to be reasonable in spite of her anger.

“You have a point Rarity. But I was thinking that maybe we can find a way to get along with Paul if we share a battle with him. Not all jerks are purely horrible after all,” Ash explained.

“Still, you could have waited for your Pikachu to be doin’ better before battlin’,” Applejack said.

“I was actually able to get myself another Pokemon while I was separated from you guys. Aipom, I choose you!” Ash cried out as he sent out the purple monkey who landed gleefully on her tail. “See? I can battle with her while Pikachu hopefully gets all better,” Ash suggested.

“Sounds good to me! Poliwag and I will root for you, right girls?” Pinkie Pie offered.

“Well… I guess you two can handle yourselves. Just be careful. After all, this is your first battle,” Fluttershy reluctantly agreed.

“Seein’ as how you’re unlikely to give up on this, I guess you can go ahead and battle him. Just don’t complain to us if you both lose,” Applejack agreed.

“I agree with Applejack. The last thing we need is for more Pokemon to need intense care like Pikachu,” Rarity reminded everyone.

“Well, what about you, Twilight? Do you think Ash and Rainbow should go through with this battle?” Dawn asked Twilight.

“It’s not that I don’t trust them. I just don’t want for anyone to get hurt is all,” Twilight was still reluctant.

“Think of it this way, Twilight. Even if they lose, the Pokemon can recover here at the Pokemon Center. Besides, it may be a good learning experience for them,” Spike suggested to his older sister.

“Okay. Okay. They can battle. But don’t say I didn’t warn them,” Twilight said, hoping that things would work out alright.

“Perfect! Now let’s go out there and battle Paul, Aipom!” Ash cheered as the group was about to head outside. However, before he could the group quite literally bumped into Misty, who was holding her burnt bike and looked mad. “Oh, um, hi? Sorry about your bike,” Ash apologized.

“Well, I’m glad that you’re willing to apologize, but that alone won’t cut it! You trashed my bike! How am I supposed to travel around the world now?!” Misty demanded in anger as she put down her bike, giving a massive glare towards Ash, who looked a bit scared.

“Well, to be fair, you could travel with us if you’d like. We could always use more friends to travel with,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“I know that it won’t help, but Ash didn’t mean to destroy your bike. If you want, we can find a way to make it up to you. What do you say?” Twilight asked the red-haired teen.

“Simple. Just pay up for the damages to my bike and we’ll be golden!” Misty yelled at the nervous Twilight.

“Um, I’m afraid we don’t have enough money to pay for your bike Misty,” Dawn nervously apologized.

“Oh, come on! How much could a bike cost?” Rainbow Dash asked without thinking.

“A bike costs a lot, about 1,000,000 Pokedollars,” Dawn answered a bit meekly.

“Sweet Celestia, that's a lot of money!” Rarity was shocked.

“Wait. How much is that in bits?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Look, I know we can’t fix your bike at the moment. But, please! We have a journey to go on and I only took your bike in order to help out my Pikachu,” Ash explained.

Suddenly, Misty’s glare softened a bit. “Is Pikachu doing okay?”

“I just asked Nurse Joy and he currently is healing up from the Spearow attack. With enough rest he should be fine,” Fluttershy answered.

“Well that’s good. Now, back to you paying for my bike…,” Misty began as Applejack tried to keep her from slapping Ash out of anger.

“Slow down there! We need to calm down. Now, is there a way we can pay off the damages to your bike?” Applejack asked.

“Not that I can think of. I’m not going to let this go, though,” Misty said as she came up with a plan. “I have an idea. Until you can pay me back, I’m going to go with you all. I’d rather not be scammed out of the money for my bike, understood?”

“Um, I guess?” Spike was a bit confused at the request.

“Well, Misty, we’ll be sure to try and make things up to you as soon as possible,” Twilight agreed as the others gave their support to the decision, as confused as they were.

“Perfect! Now let’s go ahead and battle that Paul!” Rainbow Dash cried out as she and Ash ran outside with Aipom and Snivy in tow.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right out front during sunset, Paul was waiting for the group to arrive, with Ash and Rainbow moving to stand right across from the new Trainer.

“You’re late. I thought I said to be out here in five minutes. Still, I suppose I can still fight you,” Paul smirked.

“You know, I heard that Pokemon battles have referees. I guess I can try to see if I can do that,” Twilight suggested.

“There’s no need. Like we discussed inside, it’ll be a double battle and the battle will be over when either side’s Pokemon can no longer fight,” Paul decided.

“Sounds good to me! Snivy, let’s go!” Rainbow cried out as Snivy jumped forward, looking at Rainbow nervously. “Don’t worry about this, Snivy! We got this battle in the bag!”

Meanwhile, unknown to the group, another Snivy that had left her Trainer was watching the battle that was about to happen.

“Aipom, are you ready for our first battle together?” Ash asked the purple monkey, who answered with a nod. “Great! Now let’s get this battle underway!”

“Fine then. Turtwig and Elekid, standby for battle!” Paul called out as he sent out a green and brown turtle and a yellow and black creature with a plug on his head, who proceeded to say their names as they held glares on their faces.

“Wait. A Turtwig? Isn’t that supposed to be a Sinnoh starter Pokemon? And who is that other Pokemon?” Spike wondered.

Rarity and Dawn, meanwhile, got out their Pokedexes and scanned the two Pokemon.

Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. Its shell is made of earth and when it absorbs water, it becomes harder.

Elekid, the Electric Pokémon. Elekid is the pre-evolved form of Electabuzz. It generates electricity by spinning its arms.

“Yikes! Those two Pokemon look a lot less relaxed than the ones I’ve seen as Gym Leader,” Misty muttered to herself. Fluttershy, however, heard this.

“Wait. You’re a Gym Leader?” Fluttershy was surprised, with everyone else having heard what she had said.

“Misty’s a Gym Leader?!” Ash was shocked.

“Yes, I am. Of the Cerulean City Gym. However, right now I’m taking a break so that I can search for more Water-types,” Misty explained, with a bit of bite aimed at Ash.

“Well, anyways, let’s get on with the battle!” Ash decided.

“So, can we go first?” Rainbow Dash asked impatiently.

“Can’t you wait just a little bit longer, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“Well, I guess as long as Paul is okay with it we should be fine, right Dratini?” Spike asked the dragon-type.

“U huh. Hopefully our friends will win,” Dratini said as she nodded happily.

“I just hope no one gets hurt,” Fluttershy said.

“Be my guest. I don’t care either way,” Paul decided.

“Why you…!” Rainbow growled before deciding, “You know what? It doesn’t matter. Let’s battle! Snivy, start things off with a Tackle on that Elekid!” In an instant, Snivy took off in a powerful dash attack with Paul looking unconcerned.

“Protect,” Paul commanded as Elekid formed a green barrier around himself. Snivy hit the barrier, only to receive no damage at all.

“What the?!” Rainbow Dash was shocked at what occurred. “Shouldn’t have Elekid taken damage from that?!”

“Rainbow… Protect is a move that blocks an incoming attack and prevents damage,” Twilight scolded.

“The girl is correct. The battle has just started and you already seem pathetic,” Paul commented.

“You could do without the insults, you know!” Dawn called out.

“Well then, looks like we’ll have to pull our own weight, Aipom. Use Scratch on Turtwig!” Ash cried out. Aipom jumped using her tail and landed next to Turtwig, causing some damage to the Tiny Leaf Pokemon. “Perfect! We did some damage!”

“Huh? That all? Turtwig, attack both of them now with Razor Leaf!” Paul ordered as Turtwig nodded and sent a barrage of sharp leaves at both Pokemon.

“Dodge it, Aipom!” Ash called out as Aipom launched herself into the air. Unfortunately, Rainbow didn’t give Snivy a command in time and she got hurt by the leaves, though thankfully not too much damage was dealt by the attack.

“Are you okay, Snivy? Not that I’m worried or anything,” Rainbow asked, trying to keep her ego intact as Snivy nodded.

“I swear, that Rainbow Dash has the biggest head I’ve ever seen,” Applejack shook her head.

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t Snivy take too much damage from the attack?” Rarity asked.

“That’s easy. Moves and Pokemon all have one of eighteen types. Damage can change depending on the type of move and Pokemon in question,” Dawn answered.

“So, since Razor Leaf and Snivy were the same type, they took more limited damage?” Fluttershy asked.

“In this case, yes. However, this isn’t the same for every type,” Twilight confirmed.

“Elekid, use Thunder Punch on Aipom!” Paul called out as Elekid’s left hand was surrounded by electricity.

“Aipom, block with Focus Punch!” Ash cried out as Aipom’s tail hand glowed blue and met the electrified hand with a punch, with neither side taking damage.

“Elekid, use Brick Break with your other hand!” Paul called out as Elekid nodded and positioned his hand for a chop. Aipom got hit, knocking her back a fair way. “Now, Turtwig, use your Giga Drain!”

Turtwig sent out a green energy stream at both Snivy and Aipom. “Snivy, dodge it and use Vine Whip!” Rainbow yelled out as Snivy’s Vine Whip hit Turtwig on the head, though it did minimal damage.

Aipom, meanwhile, was about to be hit by the move. However, Ash quickly got in the way of the attack, getting hurt in the process. This surprised the wild Snivy as she never would have expected for a Trainer to do such a thing for their Pokemon.

“Pathetic. Are you expecting for such a move to save yourself from losing in an official battle?” Paul snidely asked.

“Hey! I just didn’t want for my Aipom to get hurt like my Pikachu!” Ash countered.

“I actually agree with Ash. You shouldn’t shame him for keeping his Pokemon safe. Still, you’re better off not doing that in an official battle. That’s cheating,” Misty commented.

“Good to know,” Spike commented to Dratini.

"Still, it is a very sweet gesture." Dratini said.

“Now then, Aipom, use your Swift Attack!” Ash called out as stars were sent out at both Turtwig and Elekid.

“Snivy, use your Leaf Tornado to help power up that Swift!” Rainbow called out as Snivy launched a leafy tornado from her tail.

“Elekid, use Thunder and Turtwig, use Razor Leaf!” Paul called out as all four moves clashed with each other, resulting in an explosion.

“So, Poliwag, do you think Ash and Dashie won?” Pinkie Pie asked as Poliwag jumped up and down supportively, but uncertain.

“We’ll just have to wait for the dust to clear,” Dawn pointed out.

In a few moments, the dust cleared, though all four Pokemon were knocked out from the battle. “So, it ended up being a tie,” Applejack said.

“What?! Boo! Our first battle and we already lost?!” Rainbow Dash was unhappy.

“I know. We could have done so much better. Still, not bad for our first battle. So, Paul, what do you say?” Ash asked the purple-haired teen.

“I think that Elekid and Turtwig need to shape up. They did pretty pathetically together, even though they did half-decently normally,” Paul insulted his Pokemon.

“Hey! Pokemon are living creatures, not data!” Fluttershy yelled, unhappy with Paul’s comment.

“Fluttershy’s right! You shouldn’t talk that way about your Pokemon!” Ash agreed.

“Hmm. Whatever. I can see that there’s nothing special about any of you. I’m leaving,” Paul said as he walked away.

“Um, Paul? What about healing your Pokemon at the Pokemon Center?” Pinkie Pie asked the teen.

“What about it?” Paul apathetically asked without turning around.

“The point is that they worked hard!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“Rainbow’s right! You should at least heal them before leaving,” Ash argued.

“Fine,” Paul begrudgingly agreed as he walked into the Pokemon Center, with the others following. The wild Snivy, meanwhile, was debating what to think about Ash after saving his Aipom from harm.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was night by the time everyone got inside the Pokemon Center. While Paul was giving his Pokemon to Nurse Joy, Ash and Rainbow Dash were talking with their friends.

“I can’t believe that Paul is such a jerk!” Rainbow yelled out, not caring if he heard or not.

“Now, calm down there Rainbow Dear, we don’t know if Paul is only a jerk to his Pokemon or not,” Rarity tried to be fair.

“If nothing else, his Pokemon are decently powerful and neither of them seem to resent Paul,” Fluttershy agreed reluctantly, deciding not to listen to her more negative thoughts.

“True, but that doesn’t give him the excuse to act like Pokemon are disposable,” Dawn argued back.

“You’re not wrong. Dratini and I wouldn’t want to run into this guy again,” Spike said.
"He's kinda scaring me," Dratini admitted.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from him if need be," Spike consoled.

“Yeah! How can he be so mean?!” Pinkie Pie said.

“I don’t know. All I know is that hopefully Paul has a change in attitude by the next time we run into each other,” Ash said as he looked over some stone tablets boredly. Suddenly remembering Ho-Oh from earlier, he decided to call on Professor Oak. “Excuse me for a moment,” Ash said much more excitedly as he got up and walked over to the phone.

“Um, Ash? Is everything okay?” Twilight asked Ash.

“I can understand being sour over our loss or even sad, but you shouldn’t let Paul worry you. He isn’t worrying me,” Rainbow Dash lied, though thankfully no one saw through it.

“Didn’t you both tie, though?” Misty asked.

“I don’t think he’s sad, you guys,” Dawn said, noticing that Ash looked more curious than anything.

Eventually, the screen turned on and showed Professor Oak on the other end. “Oh, Ash! It’s good to see you! So, where are you currently at? Is Pikachu still with you? Have you or your friends caught any Pokemon yet?”

“Well, I did manage to catch myself an Aipom. She’s currently healing after her first tie. As for Pikachu, he’s healing after a fight with a bunch of Spearow. However, that isn’t why I called,” Ash admitted.

“Oh? Then why did you call, Ash?” Professor Oak asked.

“You see… I think Pikachu and I saw a Ho-Oh earlier today,” Ash said.

“R-Really? Are you sure?” Professor Oak asked in a hushed voice.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Ash confirmed. “If only I could have taken a picture of it.”

"Um, I'm confused. What is a Ho-Oh?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah. Is it a big deal? It seems to be one by the way Ash and the Professor are acting," Rainbow noted.

"A Ho-Oh is a legendary and powerful Pokemon that lives primarily in the Johto region. I read about them, but not much is known in Kanto about them," Twilight answered.

"Maybe you'll learn more about them there then?" Spike suggested.

“Well, either way, this is an interesting thing to have happened. Not many people or Pokemon have ever seen Ho-Oh in their lifetimes,” Professor Oak was amazed.

“Are you sure you didn’t just imagine it?” Misty teased Ash.

“Hey! I did see it! And Pikachu will agree with me!” Ash countered.

“Well, either way, it appears that it was a good decision to take you on as an assistant and Trainer. Hope all your travels will bring you more exciting adventures,” Professor Oak said with a bow as the phone call ended.

“Yeah. We’ll all have more adventures in no time!” Ash said happily.

“That’s the spirit, Ash!” Dawn agreed.

“So, Misty, are you sure that you want to go on adventures with us?” Pinkie Pie asked the red-head.

“Maybe. I’d rather just be able to get my bike back and return on my own journey,” Misty admitted.

Before the group could continue talking, the lights went out all of a sudden.

“W-What’s happening?!” Fluttershy cried out in fear.

“I don’t know! Do you think this was the work of a dangerous Pokemon?!” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Oh no! What if we can’t face them yet and we get hurt?” Rarity and Twilight were losing their cool.

“Now, calm down everyone. This is most likely a power outage,” Spike tried to remain calm.

“Spike’s right. We just need to calm down. We won’t get anywhere by bein’ scared,” Applejack agreed.

“Any idea what could have caused it?” Misty wondered.

“No clue. I just hope they solve the problem before bed. I want to be able to have power again in order to ease myself to sleep,” Dawn said.

“What about our Pokemon? What about Pikachu?!” Ash was still worried. “They still need to recover!”

“You’re right! We need to find the cause right now! We can’t just sit and do nothing while our Pokemon are hurt!” Rainbow Dash agreed.

“You both are right. Let’s go find out what the problem is,” Twilight decided.

However, before the group could go, an explosion destroyed part of the roof in the room they were all in.

“W-Who’s there?! What’s going on?!” Fluttershy cried out in fear.

“Prepare for trouble!” The red-haired woman from earlier yelled as a rope came out from under the balloon and the trio slid down it slowly.

“Make it double!” The blue-haired man continued.

“To protect the world from devastation!”

“To unite all people’s within our nation!”

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!”

“To extend our reach to the star’s above!”

“Jessie!”

“James!”

“Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!”

“Surrender now or prepare to fight!”

“Meowth, that’s right!”

Pokemon Emergency Part 2 (Edited)

“Hold on. What were your names again?” Pinkie Pie asked, causing the Team Rocket trio to comically fall.

“Didn’t you hear us? We’re Jessie, James, and Meowth of Team Rocket!” Jessie cried out.

“Oh, okay,” Pinkie Pie said with a smile.

“Who in the world are these three? And what exactly is this Team Rocket?” Rainbow Dash asked, confused.

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re heroes that are planning to help out with the power outage,” Fluttershy suggested.

At this, the trio laughed, unnerving the Mane 7 as a result.

“I don’t see what exactly is so funny,” Applejack said.

“Of course you brats don’t,” James said as he started to stop laughing.

“Brats?! Why you ruffians! Where we come from we’re all respected ladies and gentlemen!” Rarity yelled.

“You know, I agree with Rarity. I don’t think they’re good guys. What do you think, Twilight?” Spike asked his older sister.

“I think you’re right, Spike. I’ve heard that there are Pokemon thieves running around Kanto. This may be them,” Twilight agreed.

“I think so too. They have the exact same giant R on their outfits that those crooks back at the lab had,” Dawn reminded everyone.

"So, these people are thieves too!" Rainbow yelled, looking ready to fight.

“Personally, they could look so much better with different outfits,” Rarity gave her two cents.

“Why you…! I look so much better than you do, you brat!” Jessie countered.

“But you are correct that we are indeed criminals. We were the ones who took out the power to this Pokemon Center. You’ll soon see that Team Rocket has glorious plans for the Kanto region and beyond,” James confirmed.

“And those plans would be?” Ash and Misty asked the group.

“Well, since there’s no harm in telling you twerps, we’ll give you an answer. Team Rocket’s goals are simple. We plan on having complete control over the world and to get filthy rich in the process,” Meowth answered.

“Wait a moment. A talking Meowth?! But… Pokemon can’t talk! I…this…what the..but…,” Twilight started to break down due to the lack of an explanation.

“I must admit this is pretty amazing, though,” Dawn said.

“Agreed! But what is he doing here with the Team Rocket crooks? Is he being forced into this?” Fluttershy brought up her concerns.

“And these crooks are after world domination?! This is just like with Nightmare Moon all over again! We need to stop them!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“Oh, please! Stopping the whole organization as a whole will be next to impossible! We have dozens of grunts working for the great Giovanni!” James revealed.

“I take it Giovanni is your boss?” Applejack asked.

“And that you’re here to steal some of the Pokemon here at the Pokemon Center?” Ash guessed.

“The twerps can think! We’re here as an advance force to steal as many rare and/or powerful Pokemon we can find here at the Pokemon Center!” Meowth explained.

“That sounds terrible! You can’t just steal Pokemon from their Trainers!” Ash cried out.

“Yeah! Think of the bonds you would be severing and all the sad Trainers and Pokemon. Meowth, please consider that what you are doing is wrong and that you three can do so much more with your lives!” Fluttershy cried out pleadingly.

“Listen, twerps, we aren’t total softies like a bunch of other Trainers out there. We don’t care of the bonds we’d be breaking or anything like that! We’ll become rich and powerful while you all are left in our dust!” Meowth cruelly made it clear he was choosing to do this, much to Fluttershy’s disappointment.

“Look, do you really believe that you can just steal the Pokemon and expect them to listen to you?” Misty questioned the trio.

“You know, she does have a point Jessie,” James whispered to his partner in crime.

“Listen, kids, we’re going to steal every Pokemon here that we can and you’re not going to stop us!” Jessie yelled.

“You’re not going to get away with this!” Twilight yelled, having finally regained her cool.

“Yeah! If you think that we’re just going to do nothing while you try and steal our Pokemon, then you have another thing coming!” Spike cried out.

“These Pokemon are our friends, not property!” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“They’re right! Pikachu and the other Pokemon here will not be stolen by you!” Ash yelled out.

After exchanging a quick look, the Team Rocket trio proceeded to laugh at Ash.

“Do you honestly believe that we care enough to steal an insignificant little Pikachu from a no-good Trainer like you?” James asked as he laughed mockingly.

“You can keep that worthless little mouse for yourself,” Jessie agreed.

“Hey! Pikachu isn’t worthless!” Fluttershy yelled.

“Yeah! We are just beginning to become friends, but I can tell that he is an exceptional Pikachu, you bullies!” Ash cried out, though a part of him wasn’t entirely sure of what he was saying.

“How do you expect to stop us? With all of your pathetic Pokemon? Very well, bring them out and we’ll see if they even are worth stealing! Go ahead, entertain us!” Meowth mocked.

“Oh, we will get our Pokemon!” Rainbow Dash challenged as she and Ash ran into the back to get their Pokemon.

“Wait, Rainbow Dash! Come back!” Applejack yelled, frustrated that the brash girl and boy had run off without them.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash and Rainbow Dash were quick to find Nurse Joy struggling to turn back on the power to the Pokemon Center.

“Hey Nurse Joy! Any luck in turning back on the power?” Ash asked the nurse.

“I’m afraid we’re having trouble. The main generator has had its cords cut and even the backup generator appears to have been tampered with. I must say that the Team Rocket grunts here have really thought things through,” Nurse Joy shook her head.

“W-What about Pikachu, Aipom, Snivy and everyone else?” Ash asked in worry.

“Yeah! We need our Pokemon back so that we can put a stop to those grunts, and fast!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

“They’re right here, with everyone but your Pikachu and Snivy being in their Pokeballs. However, most of them aren’t fully healed so I’m afraid they may not be in the best shape for intense fighting,” Nurse Joy warned.

“Maybe not, but if we don’t do something those three Team Rocket guys will steal all the Pokemon!” Ash yelled out in concern.

“Yeah, and apparently more of them are on the way here. We gotta do something and fast!” Rainbow was worried, even though she wouldn’t like to admit it.

“Well… Fine. As long as you don’t push your Pokemon too hard you can fight with them. I’ll try to contact Officer Jenny and see if she can be of help right now,” Nurse Joy agreed.

“Thanks. Pikachu? I know we don’t know each other that well, but we have to work together and fight off these really bad people from Team Rocket. If we don’t, countless Trainers could lose their Pokemon. So please! Help us out,” Ash pleaded to the electric mouse as he walked over to the table Pikachu was on. Thankfully, Pikachu, albeit with some difficulty, got up and was ready to fight off the intruders.

Snivy, meanwhile, tried to get up and jump onto Rainbow’s shoulder, only for Snivy to fall over. “Come on, Snivy! If we’re going to fight off this crime organization we need to be ready. So please get up!” At this, Snivy, albeit a bit hesitantly, got up and successfully got onto Rainbow’s shoulder. “Nice! Now, let’s kick some evil butt!” Rainbow cried out as she picked up the rest of the gang’s Pokeballs that weren’t with them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, is anyone else going to get their Pokemon or not?” James questioned the others.

“Of course we are! Piplup, let’s go!” Dawn yelled out as she sent out her starter, who gave out a happy cry upon being sent out.

“What is that?” Jessie questioned, having never seen the penguin Pokemon before.

“I remember going to Sinnoh a few times and have seen that Pokemon before. It’s the Water-type starter of the Sinnoh region, a Piplup,” James revealed to his teammates.

“Do you think that this Piplup will make the boss happy?” Meowth asked gleefully.

“Of course it will!” James giddily answered as he got out a Pokeball. “Koffing, lay waste to these twerps!” James sent out a purple sphere Pokemon that had a big smile on his face.

“So, your big amazing Pokemon that you plan on fighting us with is a big purple ball?” Spike snarked.

“Hey! Koffing is a Christmas gift I received when I was much younger! Anyway, we’ll defeat that wimpy starter and take all your Pokemon!” James countered.

“Well, at least they care about their Pokemon,” Fluttershy was feeling a bit relieved that the trio weren’t super cruel.

“I don’t think that changes things that much,” Applejack whispered.

“Hold on! I’m not going to let you have all the fun in trouncing these twerps. Ekans, you’re up!” Jessie cried out as she sent out a snake Pokemon.

“Ahhhhhhh!” Twilight cried out in fear as she hid behind Spike and Dawn.

“Is everything okay, Twilight?” Dawn asked in concern.

“I'd say no," Applejack said.

"Yeah... Remember, Twilight has a bit of a fear of…,” Spike began to explain.

“Snaaaakes!” Twilight cried out as she turned away in fear. “I’m sorry! I know I should be more helpful, but why out of the nearly 900+ Pokemon did they have to have a snake?!”

“It’s okay, Twilight. Remember, we’re all here to help you,” Spike said comfortingly.

“Yeah! We won’t let that mean old Ekans hurt you or your Bulbasaur!” Pinkie Pie said as she tried to comfort her scared friend.

“If you want, we can face off against the Ekans while you and Bulbasaur face the Koffing,” Dawn suggested.

“Thanks, you guys. Team Rocket, we’re not going to let you get away with robbing this Pokemon Center!” Twilight challenged the trio as Rainbow Dash and Ash returned with all their Pokemon.

“Girls, we have all the Pokemon ready. Let’s fight off these crooks!” Rainbow Dash challenged.

“Aipom, Pikachu, are you ready to fight these jerks off?” Ash asked as both Pokemon nodded in agreement. “Perfect! Then let’s go!”

At this time, the Mane 7, Ash, and Dawn had all sent out their Pokemon and were ready to fight the Team Rocket trio.

“So, what about you Misty? What Pokemon do you have to fight with?” Ash asked the red-headed tomboy.

“Well, I have plenty of Water-type Pokemon back at home that I left for my sisters to use in case challengers showed up, but I’m afraid that I currently only have one Pokemon with me. And, well…,” Misty said as she sent out a Goldeen that proceeded to just flounder around on the ground before Misty recalled her. “Maybe I should take some of my Water-Pokemon with me before I continue my journey.”

“Oh, you think?” Rainbow snarked in annoyance.

“Rainbow Dash, be fair! Remember, you’ve done your own fair share of stupid stuff in the past,” Applejack said with a disapproving glare.

“Fine. Don’t worry, Misty. We’ll more than be able to fight off these jerks!” Rainbow Dash said, trying to be more sensitive.

“Anyone else starting to think it was a bad idea fighting these twerps?” James whispered to Jessie and Meowth, seeing how massively they were outnumbered.

“Come on, James! We won’t get that big promotion if we don’t take risks! We’ll beat all these twerps and steal their Pokemon for the boss!” Jessie yelled in anger.

“I agree! We’ve succeeded before and we will again! Even when the odds were against us we haven’t given up! I say we fight to the end! Do you agree?” Meowth asked as he held out his paw. In a moment, James and Jessie placed their hands on Meowth’s paw and sent their hands/paw into the air. “Good! Now, let’s fight off and steal these Pokemon before the rest of the grunts arrive!”

“Um, I think we may be a little too late for that,” James whispered to Jessie and Meowth.

“What makes you say that?” Jessie demanded.

“Because they just arrived and are right behind us,” James revealed.

“To everyone’s horror, a large amount of Team Rocket grunts forced their way through the front door, each with at least one Pokemon with them. Most of them were Grimer, Rattata, Spearow, Drowzee, and Mankey. However, there were also a Hitmontop and Raticate being used by the leaders of the grunts, Cassidy and Butch.

“Whoa! So many Pokemon! I wonder what they all are?!” Pinkie Pie was amazed as she tried to get out her Pokedex. However, Rarity stopped her before she could.

“Um, Darling? Right now isn’t really the time for this,” Rarity said as she had Pinkie pocket her Pokedex.

“Drat! Why did Cassidy have to arrive here before we could make our mark in Team Rocket history?!” Jessie seethed.

“Simple. Because we’re the superior Team Rocket members and always will be! Isn’t that right, Brent?” Cassidy gloated.

“I’ve told you and everyone else the name is Butch!” Butch yelled, unhappy that his name was once again forgotten.

“You know, Jessie, if you really wanted to prove yourself, you could have easily just gone down to the local candy shop and stole a paper bag. After all, that’s all you’re going to manage to steal at this rate!” Cassidy taunted.

“Well, at least my hair color is natural, you harpie!” Jessie argued back.

As Cassidy and Jessie started to argue, the others just gawked at the argument before them.

“So, I guess they weren’t kidding that they were an advance force,” Ash whispered.

“More like wannabe criminals by the looks of it,” Misty whispered back.

“It doesn’t matter how dangerous they are. We need to put a stop to them before they steal all the Pokemon,” Twilight said as she and Bulbasaur stepped forward.

“-and another thing…,” Jessie was yelling.

“Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!” Twilight yelled as sharp leaves hit many of the grunt’s Pokemon, knocking out a good number of the weaker grunts.

“Well done, you two! Let’s get this on the road! Piplup, use Bubblebeam!” Dawn cried out as more Pokemon fall to the ground in defeat in response to the attack.

“No fair! You’re attacking when we are distracted!” Butch complained.

“You really think we should be fighting fair when you are criminals willing to steal other Pokemon, Bith?” Misty snarked at Butch, who was angry to have his name have been gotten wrong again.

"Really?! I even said my name! Why do you keep getting it wrong?!" Butch wailed.

“Okay, Snivy and Charmander! You ready to trounce these fools?” Rainbow Dash asked her two Pokemon who both nodded in agreement. “Perfect! Then let’s go! Snivy, use Leaf Tornado! And Charmander, use Metal Claw!” At this, more grunts and their Pokemon were knocked onto the ground, unable to battle.

At this point, things started to get a lot more chaotic. The group all had their Pokemon battle against the various grunts and their Pokemon. While a lot of the weaker ones were defeated in one shot, two at the most, other more powerful grunts and their Pokemon were able to do a whole lot more and were more of a challenge, not that they didn’t appreciate the challenge.

“What is going on?! You’re a part of Team Rocket! You shouldn’t be beaten this easily!” Cassidy yelled out, outraged that the grunts were losing so poorly.

“My, my, my. The great and powerful Cassidy’s team is losing to a bunch of kids? And here I thought you were one of the best that Team Rocket had to offer,” Jessie mocked the blonde Team Rocket commander, who was proceeding to growl.

“You know what? I’ll take on those twerps myself. After all, if you want something done right you do it yourself!” Cassidy yelled as she had her Raticate use Bite on Twilight’s Bulbasaur. Thankfully, Twilight and Bulbasaur noticed this just in time and Twilight called for Bulbasaur to dodge the attack.

“Phew! That was close! Looks like we’re dealing with a Trainer that isn’t playing by the rules,” Twilight said as she and Bulbasaur prepared to fight.

“But of course! You really believe we’d play by the rules?” Cassidy taunted.

“As a matter of fact, no. But we can still find a way to defeat you!” Spike said as he and Dratini walked up to be side by side with Twilight and Bulbasaur.

“Spike! Thanks, but I think we can more than handle this lady and her Raticate,” Twilight said kindly.

“Maybe, but I’d still rather help if I can. I don’t want to leave my sister alone to potentially fight a losing battle,” Spike said, believing in Twilight but still wanting to be of help.

Twilight stood there for a moment, considering what Spike had said. However, after a moment or two, she nodded, “Sure. I guess I can use some help. The two of us can more than handle Cassidy’s Raticate by working together.”

“Who says she’ll be fighting alone? Hitmontop will be able to defeat you brats and gain us plenty of new Pokemon!” Butch said as he walked up to join Cassidy, with a cruel look on his face.

“So, I guess we’re about even with two Pokemon each. I wonder who is going to win,” Cassidy said as she prepared to have Raticate attack Bulbasaur again. “Raticate, use Bite!”

As Raticate rushed towards Bulbasaur, Twilight ordered, “Bulbasaur, dodge it and use Vine Whip!” Bulbasaur was able to jump out of the way before striking at Raticate with Vine Whip. Raticate was quick to get back up though still hurting a little bit from the blow.

“Raticate, use your patented Ice Beam!” Cassidy ordered as a blue beam formed from Raticate’s mouth and was about to hurt both Bulbasaur and Dratini.

“Like that will stop us! Dratini, help Bulbasaur dodge and then use Twister!” Spike called out as Dratini was able to dodge the beam, pushing Bulbasaur out of the way in the process, and created a mini tornado that struck at Raticate.

“Thanks a lot, Spike!” Twilight thanked her younger brother.

“Aw, it was nothing!” Spike blushed as he accepted the thanks.

“Grr! I can’t believe those brats are winning! Hitmontop, spin into both Pokemon with your Rapid Spin!” Butch cried out as Hitmontop spun like a top towards both Dratini and Bulbasaur.

“Dratini, stop their spinning with Dragon Tail!” Spike yelled out as Dratini’s tail glowed blue and struck Hitmontop’s head, causing him to lose control of his spinning and get very dizzy.

“Why you little brat! I’ll teach you to hurt my Pokemon! Hitmontop, use Low Sweep!” Butch ordered, which resulted in Hitmontop sliding toward Dratini, hitting her before Spike could order for a dodge.

“Now that your little serpent is weaker and slower, Raticate, use Ice Beam!” Cassidy ordered once again. This time, however, even though Spike ordered for another dodge, Dratini was hit and dazed.

“Dratini! No!” Spike cried out in worry. Just as he was about to run towards his Pokemon, Raticate and Hitmontop both attacked and knocked over and knocked out Spike, with Raticate using Tackle and Hitmontop Mega Punch.

“Spike!” Twilight cried out in worry before she started to look very angry.

“Now that we’ve defeated the brat and his Pokemon, we can just finish that Bulbasaur and the rest of the brat’s Pokemon and turn in the haul to-,” Cassidy was saying only to be interrupted.

Twilight interrupted by growling in anger, “You won’t be doing anything! How could you do that to him?! He wasn’t even trying to hurt you or your Pokemon! Bulbasaur, use your Razor Leaf!” Cassidy and Butch ordered their Pokemon to counter, with Hitmontop using Rapid Spin and Raticate Ice Beam. However, the Razor Leaf was still able to strike at them before the moves could finish, knocking over both of them hard.

“Grr! Let’s keep up the pressure Bule! Raticate, use Bite!” Cassidy ordered.

“The name’s Butch! Hitmontop, use another Low Sweep to slow down that plant!” Butch yelled out.

As both Pokemon rushed towards Bulbasaur, Twilight commanded, “Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip on both of them!” The Vine Whip hit both of the duo’s Pokemon, stunning them. Meanwhile, Twilight calmed down and approached Spike, trying to wake him up. “Spike! Please wake up! Please be alright!” Thankfully, Spike woke up and managed to pull himself to his feet after a few seconds. "Oh, thank Celestia, you're okay!"

"Of course I am. So, how is the battle going so far? Are we winning?" Spike asked.

"Well-," Twilight began.

"She may have gotten herself a few lucky attacks on us. But, the two of you are about to lose and your Pokemon are coming with us!" Cassidy threatened.

"But...we'll be merciful. Give up your Pokemon now and we'll let you go," Butch offered.

"Of course not! Our Pokemon are our friends! Dratini, make use of your Flamethrower!" Spike cried out as his Dragon-type burnt the two Pokemon and their Trainers, knocking them both out, much to the duo’s shock as they angrily recalled their Pokemon. Realizing they stood no chance, the duo fled to fight another day, not caring if the others were arrested in the process.

Meanwhile, seeing that there weren’t many grunts left fighting and that most of the other Pokemon were getting tired out, Jessie, James, and Meowth decided to try and steal any Pokemon they thought looked exhausted enough to not fight back. After looking over the Pokemon, they decided that the Pokemon that best fit the bill were Ash’s Pikachu and Rainbow’s Snivy.

As the trio approached Ash, Rainbow, Pikachu, and Snivy, they quickly heard the trio and turned to face them.

“So, it all comes down to facing you three then,” Ash said as Pikachu sparked his cheeks threateningly.

“Seeing as how we managed to defeat most of your buddies, we can easily take on you three and win! So, who would like to go first?” Rainbow Dash taunted as Snivy jumped in front of her.

“We’ll both take on you twerps! Ekans, use Poison Sting!” Jessie cried out as small purple needles were shot out of Ekans’ mouth.

“Snivy, use Vine Whip to jump into the air! Then use Leaf Tornado to attack!” Rainbow commanded as Snivy launched herself into the air and launched the tornado at Ekans, making him dizzy and knocking him over for a few moments.

“Koffing, use your Clear Smog on that Snivy!” James demanded from his Pokemon as Koffing created a white gas cloud from his mouth.

“Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Koffing!” Ash commanded as Pikachu rushed into Koffing, causing him to fall a little bit before he regained his balance.

“I can’t believe we’re losing to these pests! We need to do something fast!” Jessie cried out.

“I have an idea! Taste my Fury Swipes!” Meowth cried out as his claws extended and he sliced at Pikachu and Snivy, knocking both of them over.

“Snivy/Pikachu!” Both Trainers cried out in worry for their Pokemon.

“Good job, Meowth! Now, let’s finish this up and steal some Pokemon! Koffing, use Tackle!” James yelled out.

“Ekans, use Bite!” Jessie ordered as well.

“Ash, this is our last chance. We need to defeat them right now!” Rainbow said.

“I know, but what do we do?” Ash questioned. Pikachu and Snivy, however, were quick to get back up, ready to make one final attack. “You wanna try and beat them?” Ash asked as both Pokemon nodded to their respective Trainers.

“Perfect! Snivy, use your Leaf Tornado!” Rainbow yelled out as she created a twister that knocked both Pokemon back towards the Team Rocket trio, freaking out the trio a little bit.

“Now, Pikachu, use your Thundershock! Full power!” Ash cried out as Pikachu zapped the crooks, causing a lot of damage to the ones being shocked, far more than what was possible for a normal Pikachu. Eventually, the power of the electricity affected Koffing’s body and exploded, sending the trio blasting off as Pikachu fell to the ground, thoroughly exhausted. “Pikachu! Are you okay?!” Ash asked in concern as Pikachu sat up, panting from how tired he was, but mostly okay. “Oh, thank goodness!” Ash proceeded to hug his new partner.

“Well, it looks like we’ve sent some criminals flying. Literally. So, I take it we’re done fighting for now?” Rainbow asked as they looked and saw that all the grunts and their Pokemon were defeated and unconscious.

“I’d say so,” Dawn agreed as she and Piplup approached the duo and their Pokemon. “Man, I can’t believe we were able to defeat all of these bad guys so easily.”

“I wouldn’t say it was that easy. After all, all our Pokemon are looking as though they ran out of steam,” Applejack reminded everyone.

“I agree! Squirtle and I really got in a hard and sweaty workout from all that fighting,” Rarity said.

“Well, at least our Pokemon and the Pokemon of everyone else here is safe,” Fluttershy said, looking on the bright side.

“Yeah. Our Pokemon have definitely earned themselves a good rest after everything that just happened,” Ash said with a sigh. Suddenly, Ash felt a tug at his pants leg. Upon looking down he saw that the Snivy from outside was the culprit. “Another Snivy? Do you think they’re the parent of Rainbow’s Snivy?” Ash wondered as Snivy shook her head.

“So, what do you think she wants anyway?” Dawn asked curiously.

Snivy began to grab one of Ash’s Pokeballs from his bag as she began to talk in her Pokemon language to the other Pokemon.

“So, Fluttershy, what does this Snivy want?” Dawn asked curiously.

“Does she want herself one of my cookies?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Actually, she was impressed with Ash’s battling skills for a rookie and his care for his Pokemon and would like to go with him,” Fluttershy answered.

“Really?!” Ash looked excited to have a new Pokemon friend.

“Wait. You got all that from her saying her name?” Misty questioned snarkily, confused.

“Actually, Fluttershy here has the ability to understand other Pokemon and what they are saying,” Rarity revealed.

“Okay?” Misty was not completely convinced but decided to trust them on this for now.

“It’s a deal, Snivy! Rainbow, looks like your Snivy will have a friend!” Ash said excitedly as he grabbed the Pokeball and threw it at Snivy. She got sucked in and the Pokeball stopped after a few seconds. “Alright! I caught a Snivy!” Ash cried out with a pose as Pikachu mimicked the pose. Almost instantly, the Snivy popped out of the Pokeball, wanting to be out of her ball rather than confined to it.

“Ash, isn’t it exciting to already have three Pokemon?” Dawn questioned her friend happily.

“Sure is!” Ash answered.

“Still, you didn’t fully earn it in my book. You didn’t even fight her before capturing her. She basically pitied you,” Misty said as she shook her head.

“Hey, the Pokemon wanted to go with him, so I’d say he still earned this capture either way,” Spike countered.

“Fine. But the next time we encounter a Pokemon and you want it, at least try to catch it before acting like you’re a bigshot,” Misty said as she shook her head.

“Anyways, what should we do about these crooks?” Applejack asked the others.

“So, do you think we should try to give these meanies a party and see if it helps better their behavior?” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“I doubt it will work out that well. Still, Twilight, what should we do about all these criminals?” Spike asked Twilight.

“I think maybe we should contact this Officer Jenny lady and see if she and any other officers know what to do,” Twilight suggested.

“No need. I’m already here,” Officer Jenny called out as she and a bunch of other officers with Growlithe arrived on the scene. “I heard from a boy and a girl with purple hair that there were Pokemon thieves attacking the Pokemon Center and that they took out the power. So we booked it over here as fast as we could. Still, I can’t say we expected for the crooks to have already been defeated by all of you. Thank you all for your service. Men, arrest all these crooks.” At this, the remaining officers proceeded to arrest all the grunts and their Pokemon. “Ash, if there is anything that I can do for you and your friends to help, please let me know.”

At this, everyone’s stomachs began to growl, everyone not having had the chance to eat dinner before all this craziness. “Well, can we have pizza, ramen, or something like that for dinner?” Ash asked.

“Sure thing! Any suggestions on what should be on the pizza?” Officer Jenny asked as she began to take the order for both vegetarian and meat topped pizzas.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio had managed to return to their Meowth balloon, aching at their most recent loss and fearing that the boss would be mad when they reported their most recent failure.

“Aw man! I can’t believe we failed once more. And we were so close this time too!” James wailed miserably.

“I know, right? At this rate, we’ll never be able to reach the top of the Team Rocket business!” Jessie agreed.

“Maybe,” Meowth said before a thought came to him. “Hey, you two lugs, I have an idea,” Meowth said.

“What is it?” Jessie asked.

“We saw how powerful and rare those twerps' Pokemon were, right? Especially that Pikachu?” Meowth reminded the duo.

“Of course we do. We lost to them, remember?” James still wasn’t getting the point.

“How about we follow them and then when the time is right we snatch their Pokemon and give them to the boss! Soon enough, we’ll be rich! All three of us will be on top of the world, baby!” Meowth revealed his plan as he laughed evilly. Soon enough, Jessie and James joined in on the laughter, all three of them looking forward to catching the twerps’ Pokemon and making a name for themselves.

Author's Notes:

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. If you have any problems with this story that you want for me to address, please let me know.

A Clash of Spirits Part 1

The following day…
The group were eating their breakfast in the cafe section of the Pokemon Center. However, Ash, Rainbow, and Twilight were eating much faster than everyone else. The sight caused their Pokemon and human friends to look on in concern.
“So…does Ash usually eat this fast?” Fluttershy shyly asked Dawn.
“Yeah…he often just eats without thinking or savoring the food he has. I’ve gotten used to it, as rude as it is,” Dawn pointed out. “And your pals here?”
“Twilight can eat a lot very quickly when she is hungry,” Spike answered.
“As for Rainbow, she tends to treat things as a race or competition of some sort,” Applejack confirmed.
“Now, now, Applejack. You tend to get caught up in competitions yourself,” Rarity reminded.
“Maybe…but I often tend to choose my battles more carefully, and this isn’t a battle I care for,” Applejack explained.
“Okay? You think we should make their food war a competition? The one who eats the most the quickest is the winner?” Pinkie Pie suggested.
“How about no? The last thing we need is for them to choke or something,” Misty denied.
“Perhaps we should stop them before things get that bad?” Fluttershy suggested nervously.
“Agreed. Twilight?” Spike interrupted his older sister’s eating.
“Yes, Spike?” Twilight stopped for a moment as Rainbow and Ash continued their self-imposed race.
“Maybe you should slow down? You’ve already eaten like five plates of pancakes and hash browns already,” Spike reminded.
“Oh…, sorry Spike,” Twilight blushed as she put down her fork and took a break from eating.
“Aw, come on Twilight! You wanna give up already?” Rainbow said.
“Well…I’d probably end up putting myself at risk of choking if I don’t stop, so…,” Twilight said.
“Yeah…maybe you should stop too, Ash and Rainbow,” Dawn suggested.
“Okay…,” Ash decided to stop eating as well. “I was getting full anyways.” Pikachu looked at the food and took a bite of pancakes for himself as Ash’s Snivy shook her head and grabbed Pikachu so that he wouldn’t get himself sick with the syrup drenched food.
“Looks like I won then!” Rainbow boasted as she suddenly felt sick. “Ugh! I don’t feel so good!”
“Well, that’s what happens when you eat too much too fast,” Misty pointed out.
“Yeah…it may not be smart to eat a lot of food in such a short time,” Twilight agreed.
Rainbow’s Snivy tried to move Rainbow’s food so that she wouldn’t be tempted to eat more.
“Oooh! You think Rainbow’s Snivy wants to race as well?” Pinkie Pie suggested.
“I don’t think so, Miss Pie. If anything, she looks like she’s trying to keep the food away from Rainbow Dash,” Rarity pointed out as Rainbow’s Snivy moved the food off the table and handed it over to an employee, who took the plate away a bit confused.
“Well, now that you all are done racing…what do you think we should do before heading into Viridian Forest? After all, we’ll have to be going through there for a few days, as much as I’d rather just skip the forest all together,” Dawn said.
“If I remember your guidebook correctly, Viridian City is home to quite a few different shops that we can go to. It would be fun to buy some extra clothes for ourselves so that we don’t have to wear only one outfit all the time,” Rarity said.
“I can do just fine with the one outfit, thank you,” Rainbow declined.
“But what about clothes for warm or cold weather? Unlike in Equestria, we can’t just go without wearing clothes to places,” Twilight reminded Rainbow.
“As much as I’d also like to wear only the one outfit too, Twilight has a point. We’d probably get into trouble if we smell too bad for too long. At least, according to some ponies,” Applejack snarked the last part under her breath.
“Hey! You know, you and the others could do with a few extra outfits to dress up in. Also, it would be best for you all to bathe at least once a day,” Rarity countered.
“Um, I’m not one for shopping, but I can understand Rarity’s point. I’ll join her for clothes shopping…if that is okay,” Fluttershy nervously finished.
“That sounds splendid! I’ll join you for clothes shopping!” Dawn practically squeed.
“You know what? Why don’t we all go shopping? It would be best for us all to get more outfits for a variety of purposes,” Twilight suggested.
“Thank you, Twilight! We can go shopping in a few minutes. Ooh! This will be the funnest!” Rarity was excited.
“Um…I guess,” Fluttershy meekly mumbled.
“Y’all can go shopping if ya want, but I think I’ll stay here and train with Growlithe. We’ll need to get used to battlin’ if we’re gonna win battles, right?” Applejack declined.
“But…Applejack, don’t you wanna at least try to get a new look that fits with your southern flair?” Rarity was getting annoyed.
“Am sure,” Applejack confirmed.
“So…does anyone else want to stay behind and get some training in when we have weeks to get ready for our battles…,” Rarity asked. “...Or would you rather go out for a fun day of shopping with Dawn, Fluttershy, Twilight, and me!”
“I think shopping will be a fun time! Count me in!” Misty agreed.
“I’ll go anywhere you want to go, your beautifulness,” Spike said dreamily.
“I’ll be having fun either way, but I’ll join you guys for a while and then return to training for a bit!” Pinkie Pie decided.
“I’ll stay here. I have more than enough clothes thanks to Dawn here,” Ash decided.
“No thanks to the shopping. That’s kinda too girly for me. I’m looking to improve my skills so that I can demolish Paul the next time we run into him!” Rainbow explained egotistically, making her Snivy a little nervous.
“Hey, it’s okay. Rainbow is just being a little bit overeager,” Fluttershy tried to comfort the Pokemon.
“Yeah…but if she wants to continue practicing for battles that’s her business. After all, we can just get her more to wear without her. We just need her clothing size,” Twilight decided as Pinkie Pie grabbed Rainbow’s shirt collar and looked at the size.
“Watch it!” Rainbow grumbled.
“Well…according to this tag, Rainbow’s shirt size is a cozy large!” Pinkie Pie chirped as she let go of the shirt collar.
“Okay…so, now that we know that, I take it we should go shopping now!” Rarity said gleefully.
“Uh huh! This will be a blast!” Dawn agreed.
“Don’t forget that we also need to buy some food and medicine for the road,” Twilight practically said.
“Okay, sure! But don’t forget to have fun while we’re out!” Pinkie Pie noted.
“Twilight? Have fun? Give her a bunch of books to read or things to organize and she’ll have a blast,” Spike joked.
“Spike!” Twilight blushed in embarrassment.
“Maybe we should get going now, provided that everyone is done eating,” Fluttershy suggested to try to stop Twilight from feeling embarrassed..
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After their friends left to go shopping, Ash, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash decided to go out back with their Pokemon and do some training.
“Alright! If we’re gonna win our first ever badge and eventually work our way into the Indigo Plateau, we’re gonna have to do some training!” Ash said as Pikachu, Aipom, and Ash’s Snivy nodded in agreement.
“I hear ya! We’re gonna need to work very hard if we’re lookin’ to get ourselves our eight badges. Growlithe, you ready to practice your Fire-type attacks?” Applejack suggested, with Growlithe barking and nodding in agreement.
“So, why do we need to train here?” Rainbow Dash asked, with both Trainers and all of the group’s Pokemon looking baffled by what Rainbow just said.
“Uh…Rainbow Dash?” Applejack began to say something before Ash interrupted.
“You do realize that Pokemon aren’t just machines? They do need to practice in order to get stronger,” Ash said.
“Seems like Ash has a point. Remember, we’ve only got as strong as we currently are by practicing,” Applejack reminded Rainbow.
“Work on my strength and speed? Please! This is all natural and born into my body! I bet it’s the same with Snivy and Charmander too!” Rainbow boasted.
“That’s…not how it works, Rainbow,” Applejack facepalmed.
“Agreed. It may be a good idea to work on your Pokemon’s strong points rather than just recklessly jump into a battle with no practice,” Ash said.
“Look, Snivy, Charmander, and I are plenty strong! You’ll see once we reach Pewter City’s Gym!” Rainbow claimed.
“Or…you’ll lose and take it poorly like you’ve normally done whenever I’ve beaten you in the past,” Applejack warned.
“I only lost because you got lucky! I could beat you in a Pokemon battle easily! Anytime! Anywhere!” Rainbow challenged.
“Okay then. Let’s prove it!” Applejack accepted. “We’ll have a battle in two hours. The winner can consider themselves the strongest of our group and the loser will have to accept the winner’s point.”
“Uh…girls? Maybe we should…,” Ash tried to interrupt, with both Snivy’s trying to push the Trainers away from each other. However, their efforts were ignored by the stubborn Trainers.
“Deal! We’ll see who the superior Trainer is in no time at all!” Rainbow accepted the deal, spitting her hand and holding it out for a handshake, with Applejack accepting the handshake. Afterwards, Rainbow began to walk away from the battlefield.
“Wait. Where are you going?” Ash asked, confused.
“My Pokemon and I plan on taking a nap. Our power is sure to be enough to score us an easy win in no time!” Rainbow boasted.
Meanwhile, Rainbow’s Snivy looked fairly alarmed to hear what Rainbow just said and tried to pull on Rainbow’s leg in order to stop her from making a fatal miscalculation.
“Don’t worry, Snivy! We’ll beat that fire dog easy!” Rainbow boasted as Snivy looked over to Applejack and Ash, not wanting to betray her Trainer, but also not wanting to face a painful loss. So, she decided to run on over to Ash’s Snivy and chose to be with her for comfort, hugging her. Ash’s Snivy was confused at the gesture and awkwardly accepted the hug.
“Snivy? What are you doing?!” Rainbow demanded.
“I don’t understand. Why is Rainbow’s Snivy coming here rather than going with Rainbow?” Ash was confused.
“Ah think she is lookin’ to join our team to train because she realizes that just sitting on your butt and relying on faith won’t win you a battle! Am ah right?” Applejack asked, with Rainbow’s Snivy giving a reluctant nod. “See? Still think y’all shouldn’t do at least some training prior to accepting any future challenges?”
“What?! But-I-well…Fine! Charmander and I don’t need Snivy to win a battle! We’ll beat you with our natural strength and our bond! Agreed, Charmander? Or are you gonna betray me too?” Rainbow bitterly asked as Rainbow’s Snivy shook her head, wanting for her Trainer to understand that she didn’t want to go against her.
“I don’t think she’s betraying you, Rainbow…,” Ash said, hoping for the fighting to stop.
Meanwhile, Charmander looked a bit nervous. She did want to please her Trainer, but she also knew better than to think that no training would be a wise move. However, in the end she figured that Rainbow may have more going on than she made out, so she reluctantly walked over to Rainbow, ready for whatever would come later on.
“Well, good! It’s nice to see I have at least one loyal Pokemon! Come on, Charmander! It’s nap time!” Rainbow said as she and a reluctant Charmander walked off.
“Hmph! That Rainbow is more stubborn than a mule sometimes! Still, hopefully she’ll learn her lesson after Growlithe and I defeat her Charmander,” Applejack grumbled as Rainbow’s Snivy looked almost despondent and in tears after what Rainbow just said. Ash’s Snivy looked concerned, but also uncertain as to how to deal with the crying baby Pokemon. Noticing this, Applejack and Pikachu tried to pat Rainbow’s Snivy on the head, and consoled the young Pokemon. “Aw, don’t worry. Rainbow probably will calm down once she loses. She is very loyal, believe it or not. Apparently, she represents the Element of Loyalty back at home.”
“The Element of what?” Ash was confused before remembering Rainbow’s Snivy’s mood. “I agree with Applejack. Your Trainer has went on about how much she loves you in her sleep. She won’t be done with you because of one little disagreement. You’ll be back on good terms in no time. You’ll see.”
Rainbow’s Snivy sniffled as she began to calm down. The crying stopped, but she still looked sad.
“Don’t worry. Ah’ll make Rainbow pay for makin’ y’all cry. She’ll see how dumb she’s being and how she needs to grow up and learn that training is indeed important,” Applejack consoled as Rainbow’s Snivy looked uncertain.
“Well…hopefully you both will realize you are both correct and that we shouldn’t be fighting,” Ash thought.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, on the way to the next, and hopefully last, store…
“I can’t believe we managed to find a bunch of cute dresses at such a low price!” Rarity yelled gleefully.
“Me neither! I just need to pick one to wear for our upcoming Contest debut now!” Dawn agreed.
“I’m sure we’ll look splendid, darling. I mean, we all looked so cute in our dresses after all!” Rarity squeed.
“R-Really? You think so?” Misty blushed with a smile.
“Of course! Eevee and I can attest that you all looked very pretty,” Fluttershy noted as Eevee was petted by Fluttershy lovingly.
“Thanks for the compliment. This is the first I’ve been called that by anyone from what I can remember,” Misty said under her breath.
“I don’t see why no one would think that. You look as cute as a button. Well, maybe not button. Buttons are mainly kinda just there. I’d say you look as cute as a star. I mean, they brighten up the night sky and all that other stuff,” Pinkie Pie rambled as Twilight covered her friend’s mouth.
“So, are you girls done shopping? We’ve gotten a few different types of clothes for a variety of different situations and we’ve got some medicine and food ready for us all to eat on the road,” Twilight asked her friends. “Besides, I don’t think Spike can hold much more stuff without our help.” Twilight gestured over to Spike…who had mysteriously seemed to have vanished.
“Uh…where did Spikey go off to?” Rarity asked. “Hopefully he’s okay.”
“Well…he took a bathroom break a few minutes ago and asked me to watch the stuff until he returned,” Fluttershy answered.
“I just hope he’s okay. Being alone in such a big city can be overwhelming,” Dawn noted in concern.
“Spike should be able to handle himself in the city. He was able to help me out just fine in Canterlot after all,” Twilight reassured.
“Still…maybe one of us should go looking for him. I…think I’m done shopping?” Fluttershy nervously suggested, not wanting to offend her friends.
“Yeah…I promised to see Dashie and the others train so I think I’ll return to the Pokemon Center. Besides, someone has to eat my cookies and the clothing shop workers said no,” Pinkie Pie said.
“I’ll go looking for Spike. Fluttershy, Pinkie, you girls can head on back to the Pokemon Center and meet up with the others….,” Twilight said.
“And maybe you should take our stuff back to the Pokemon center. Don’t wanna overwhelm Spike anymore than we already did,” Dawn said with an embarrassed blush.
“Okie Dokie Lokie! Sounds like a plan! Come on, Fluttershy! Let’s get this show on the road!” Pinkie Pie said as she grabbed a bunch of stuff in her two hands and walked on back to the Pokemon Center, with Fluttershy struggling with the remaining stuff as she followed.
“Well…I’ll go and look for Spike. See you girls back at the Center,” Twilight said goodbye for now as she walked off to look for Spike.
“So…I take it we head off to the last store on our list and then return to the Pokemon Center then?” Dawn asked.
“But of course! Sad to see that this shopping spree is so close to ending, but it was fun while it lasted!” Rarity said.
“Yeah…it was a lot more fun to actually be the one shopping for a change rather than be the workhorse holding everything,” Misty admitted as Rarity and Dawn looked at Misty in confusion. “Anyways, let’s get on to the final store.”
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While Twilight went off to look for Spike, Spike meanwhile had just gotten out of the restroom of a nearby restaurant. Upon getting outside, Spike noticed that the girls had left the clothing store without him.

“Aw man! I can't believe I got left behind!” Spike was annoyed with his rotten luck as his Dratini popped out of her Pokeball.
“Has this happened a lot back home? You know, both the being left behind and the holding everyone’s stuff?” Dratini asked in concern.

“Kinda? To be fair, I’m kinda used to holding a buncha stuff for Twilight and my friends usually help me out when holding things becomes too much for me. They also get me some stuff in order to thank me for my help,” Spike explained.

“You really love helping out others, don’t you?” Dratini asked in awe.

“Of course! The work may be a bit hard, but in the end, I believe it is worth it upon seeing the happy faces of my friends after I’ve helped them out. Especially her,” Spike sighed.

“You mean the one you call Rarity?” Dratini asked.

“I guess. I saw the loving look he gave this Rarity person a little bit earlier while waiting for his pals outside,” An unfamiliar voice said.

“I guess…Wait! Who said that?!” Spike demanded, shocked at the intruder in his conversation as he looked around, until he finally saw a girl around the group’s age with large purple hair, dressed in cream and pink colored clothes.

“Yep. That’s me. Sorry to interrupt. I couldn’t help but listen to you and your Dratini talk. You both look so cute and precious together!” The teen girl gushed.

“Yeah…we have gotten very close…Hold up! Only Fluttershy and I can understand Dratini!” Spike yelled out.

“Maybe she’s just good at guessing?” Dratini suggested.

“Why thanks, but no. You see, I’ve grown a deep bond with nature and Pokemon. In fact, I can kinda understand what Pokemon can say,” The girl blushed.

“Wait…You can understand Pokemon?!” Spike was shocked.

“Uh huh. I’ve been able to do so ever since I was little. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true,” The girl said, looking a bit nervous.
“Are you sure you should be telling him about that? Remember how your classmates reacted to you? You’ve told me countless horror stories,” A strange voice said.

“Well…I don’t know,” The girl admitted.

“Um, who said that?” Spike asked a bit nervously.

“Oh, that was my buddy Axew. He lives in my hair,” The girl explained as a strange green dragon popped out of the girl’s hair. “We’re in the middle of a journey and plan to become stronger. And we plan on finding and ressling up plenty of Pokemon friends in the meantime!” The girl gushed before remembering she was talking to a person and blushed. “I must sound like a real freak right now, don’t I? Even from a fellow kindred spirit, I sound nuts,” The girl said cynically yet sadly.

“Are you kidding? That sounds like a cool ability to have! My friend Fluttershy can understand Pokemon too! And, as you can tell, I can understand dragons!” Spike reassured.

“Really?” The girl looked surprised, yet touched.

“Of course! Besides, judging others based off of small stuff like that is very dumb! If you wanna judge someone do so based on who they are as a po-er-person, not for their abilities. Though, to be fair, I have a lot of friends that I’m sure would love to meet you miss-er,” Spike said.
“Iris. The name is Iris. And…I don’t know…I mean, a lot of people see me as a freak. I don’t know if I should take that risk mr.-,” Iris admitted.
“Spike. But…won’t you be better off at least trying rather than living in fear or indifference? I mean, my sister believed friendship was pointless until she met our other friends. You may be happier being with someone other than Axew. Come on, just give it a try!” Spike suggested as Dratini and Axew nodded.
Iris looked at Spike, contemplating if she should trust him or not. After all, she had met people that had claimed to be nice only for them to stab her in the back and mock her behind her back. The last thing she needed was more of the same. However, Spike seemed to be different. He could understand Dragon-types. Not only that, but she could see that he appeared to be genuine rather than false like some of the people she met in the past. Just as she was about to answer, she was interrupted from her thoughts.

“Spike! Where are you?!” Spike, heard a familiar voice say as he looked around. Spike soon saw Twilight was looking around for him.

“Oh, that’s my sis, Twilight! She’ll prove my point to you!” Spike said as he ran over to his older sister. “Twilight!”

“Oh, Spike! Thank goodness you’re okay!” Twilight hugged Spike tightly.

“Well, nice to see you care. Where did you guys go?” Spike asked in faux annoyance.

“I was out looking for you as soon as I noticed you were gone,” Twilight answered.

“Well, I guess something good came out of this. I met another person like me and Fluttershy. Her name is Iris and I’d like you to meet…” Spike gestured to where Iris was…”her?” Spike was confused to see the girl was gone. “That’s strange. She was here just a moment ago.”

“Well…maybe we’ll see her at the Pokemon Center later. We are still gonna be here until tomorrow after all,” Twilight suggested.

“Fair point…Hopefully we’ll see each other again soon,” Spike said sadly as the two of them left, hoping that he could prove to the girl that they were worthwhile friends.

Author's Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Sorry it took so long. I'll be sure to get the next chapter out very soon.

A Clash of Spirits Part 2

It had been nearly two hours since Rainbow Dash and Applejack had challenged each other to a battle. While Rainbow had been napping and was lazily loafing around, Applejack was training hard with Ash in order to prepare for the upcoming battles she and Growlithe had to worry about.

“Growlithe, use Bite on Aipom!” Applejack yelled out as Growlithe’s teeth glowed white.

“Like that’ll work! Aipom, dodge and then use Astonish!” Ash called out as Aipom jumped out the way, looked away for a second, and then turned back with a creepy expression. This move scared Growlithe for a moment as the fire dog tried to look away from the fearful expression.

“Growlithe, are you okay?” Applejack asked in concern. Thankfully, the fire dog was able to turn back to Applejack and nodded. “Good boy! Now’ let’s return the favor with our own attack! Growlithe, use Ember on Aipom!” Applejack commanded as several mini fireballs were shot at the purple monkey.

“Aipom, counter that attack with your Swift!” Ash called for a counter, with both attacks successfully canceling each other out. “Man, Growlithe is strong! Now, Aipom, use Scratch!” Aipom began to get in close and scratched Growlithe in the face, causing some damage. “Looks like Growlithe can’t counterattack now, can he?”

“I wouldn’t be too overconfident about that if I were you. Growlithe, use Bite on Aipom’s tail!” Applejack countered, with the Long Tail Pokemon failing to stop Growlithe from biting down on her tail. She was quick to freak out and ran across the arena to try and get the fire dog to let go, but to no avail.

“Oh no! This is bad! We have to do something!” Ash worried as Pikachu and his Snivy cried out, trying to get Ash to calm down. Ash was quick to notice his Pokemon and was quick to realize what they were saying. “You’re right. I can’t just freak out. I need to remain calm and think of what to do.” Ash thought over the situation, trying to think of a way to get Aipom free before she took enough damage to be knocked out. It was then that he realized that Aipom’s tail could still use attacks. “I got it! Aipom, use your Focus Punch to knock Growlithe off!” Ash commanded.

Aipom’s tail glowed blue as she punched the fire dog, knocking him off before Aipom took any more damage.

“Not bad, Ash. I thought I had ya fer a moment there. Still, this battle isn’t over yet. Growlithe, use Ember once more!” Applejack commanded as a flurry of small fireballs were shot out.

“Oh no ya don’t! Aipom, use Swift to counter the Ember once more!” Ash yelled as stars were sent out from Aipom’s tail. Both attacks collided, canceling each other out once more. “Great! Now, use Focus Punch to finish this battle off!” Ash yelled out as Aipom’s tail hand glowed blue once more.

Just as the move was about to hit, Applejack called out, “Okay, that’s enough fer now!” Ash and Aipom were confused for a moment, but understood what Applejack was getting at.

“Okay, we’re done for now, Aipom. Let’s take a good rest,” Ash called out with Aipom stopping her punch just a bit away from Growlithe. Aipom quickly jumped on back over to where Ash’s other Pokemon were. “You did very well in this battle, Aipom. Oh, and so did you Applejack and Growlithe. You did an amazing job keeping us on our toes.”

“I agree. I thought you were gonna lose fer a second there when my Growlithe bit down on Aipom’s tail hand,” Applejack agreed. “Still, you clearly were the winner of this match. So, ya think I’m ready?”

“Oh! Ready for what? To eat a delicious sweet treat?” Pinkie Pie ecstatically asked as she and Fluttershy had walked out onto the field.

“Um, Pinkie? I don’t think…,” Fluttershy began to interrupt only to be talked over.

“If you’re wondering, Applejack and Rainbow Dash challenged each other to a battle almost two hours ago. In fact, they’re gonna battle any minute now. Also, Applejack, I do think you are ready for a battle right now. Good luck to you both,” Ash wished luck to the cowgirl.

“Thanks, but Growlithe and I won’t need it. Rainbow Dash is gonna see that lazing on yer tail one bone on its own won't earn ya a victory. Maybe then she’ll learn her lesson and train with us,” Applejack said.

“She didn’t train with you? Why not? Training sounds like a lot of fun! Imagine all the tricks you can pick up with them in battle and appeal practice! It’ll be just the best!” Pinkie Pie noted.

“I…agree. I mean, Rainbow can be pretty stubborn, no offense. But it still seems weird that she wouldn't wanna train,” Fluttershy suggested.

“She’s just bein’ too overconfident if ya ask me. We’ll need to find a way to deal with that problem at some point,” Applejack said.

“Well, you might get a start on it now. Here she comes,” Ash said as Aipom and Pikachu pointed over to a cocky Rainbow Dash and her Charmander.

“Well, well, well, Applesmack. You actually kept your end of the deal and showed up for our match. For a second I thought you would have given up in light of our awesome power!” Rainbow boasted as the others looked on either in annoyance and/or awkwardness.

“Of course I showed up! And you’ll see why training to take part in battles will help out. After all, Pokemon on their own are only powerful if ya help them reach their full potential,” Applejack said.

At this moment, Twilight and Spike had arrived back at the battlefield, a bit confused at the sight of their friends looking ready for a less than good-natured battle. “Um, is everything alright? You and Applejack look a bit intense for just training,” Twilight asked in concern.

“I can see what you mean. I’m sorry to say, but Applejack and Rainbow are being…,” Fluttershy began only to be interrupted.

“We’re just battling in order to show whose ideas about Pokemon’s power are correct. I believe I don’t need to practice like back at home in order for my Pokemon to be strong and that our bond alone is important while Applejack believes we need to train hard a lot in order to become strong. I plan on showing the strength of my Charmander here in a straight up battle!” Rainbow explained as her Snivy looked on over to her. Rainbow was too busy focusing on their friends to notice Snivy, who looked sad. In response, Ash’s Snivy and Pikachu glared a bit.

“Well…okay? Personally, while I believe that Pokemon can have exceptional power, we also need to help them grow into their best selves,” Twilight noted.

“I agree. But I doubt we can convince these two of that. After all, both of them seem to be pretty stubborn,” Spike noted.

Very quickly both girls turned their heads to Spike and angrily yelled, “We are not stubborn!”

“Okay, okay! Maybe we should calm down and battle now? Please? I’m sorry…,” Fluttershy nervously buffered.

“I agree. Hopefully this battle will be cool and help everyone involved grow into tougher Trainers,” Ash said.

“Oh! Okay! But wait! Shouldn’t Twilight referee once again? I mean, she did do such a good job last time,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“R-Really? Well…I guess…,” Twilight nervously blushed as she nodded in agreement and everyone got into position. “This will be a one on one Pokemon battle! The battle will be over as soon as either Trainer’s Pokemon are unable to battle. Furthermore, there will be no substitutions. Are both Trainers ready?”

“We are!” Applejack and Rainbow said with a nod.

“Then, begin!” Twilight yelled.

“Charmander, use Ember!” Rainbow cried out as the fire lizard shot out multiple fire balls.

“Hmph, child's play. Growlithe, use Ember as well,” Applejack countered as several more fire balls were shot out. Both groups of fire hit each other, both being just about equal.

“They’re looking pretty even so far,” Ash noted.

“They must be equally strong!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Yeah…but remember that was only one move,” Fluttershy reminded the others.

“Fluttershy has a point. This battle has just begun,” Spike said.

“Growlithe, use Bite of Charmander!” Applejack called out as Growlithe rushed for Charmander, teeth glowing white.

“Ha! This’ll be a breeze! Charmander, use Metal Claw!” Rainbow called out as the lizard’s claw glowed white and both the Bite and Metal Claw collided, with neither party being damaged much.

“Attack once more!” Both Trainers yelled as they rushed for each other yet again. Both Pokemon’s attacks collided once more, though this time Growlithe’s Bite won out and damaged Charmander.

“No! Charmander!” Rainbow yelled as Charmander stumbled a bit before righting himself. “Good to see you’re okay. Now, use Dragonbreath!” Rainbow called out as Charmander sent out a blue energy stream from his mouth.

“Growlithe, dodge the attack and use Ember!” Applejack called out, with the fire dog dodging and striking the fire lizard with yet another attack, knocking Charmander down. “Alright! We’re doin’ pretty good right now, as I expected!”

“I don’t get it! We got our Pokemon around the same time! And Charmander isn’t a weak Pokemon! So, how come we’re currently losing?!” Rainbow demanded.

“It’s because you were being lazy, Rainbow Dash!” Applejack yelled, getting Rainbow’s attention. “Ya see, like with being a normal athlete, ya have ta practice a lot in order to improve. Even with someone gifted like you, ya have ta practice sometimes in order to get better. Failing to do so could cause ya to lose power and endurance. Yer Charmander may not be weak, but choosing not ta train has proven to be a detriment to ya,” Applejack explained.

“You know, I may not be an athlete, but I can understand that. Training is something you have to do in order to get better,” Spike noted.

“Even someone like me needs to keep on practicing with mind games in order to make sure I don’t have my thinking skills diminish,” Twilight pointed out.

“Yeah…but don’t Pokemon just begin as powerful and we just need to battle with them?” Rainbow asked.

“Pokemon can be born strong, yes, but they also are in need of training in order to gain more power and skill necessary to win battles,” Ash pointed out.

“Ash has a point here, Rainbow,” Dawn said as she, Rarity, and Misty had finally returned, with bags of clothes settled in their arms. “So, it looks like you were in the middle of a lecture in the middle of a battle then?”

“Yeah. Aren’t lectures more reserved for after a battle is done?” Misty asked.

“Darling, do keep in mind that how a battle is handled can vary depending on the individual. Though, I suppose you do have a point that this idle chit chat could have been saved for a better time,” Rarity said.

“Let’s…get back to the issue at hand,” Fluttershy said.

“Agreed. Rainbow, I can understand that you want to believe in the power of your bonds. That is fine! But you can’t just enter a battle and expect to win with courage and will power alone,” Ash said.

“Yes. You think I’ll ever get close to entering the Grand Festival without practicing my routines with Piplup and the others?” Dawn asked.

“Look, the decision is up ta you. But, if ya don’t try ta improve yer Pokemon’s strength at all, yer not gonna get far in the Indigo Plateau,” Applejack finished.

Rainbow looked very contemplative with what she was told. She had to agree that what everyone was telling her made sense. Not only that, but it was helpful advice that came from a place of caring and could help her and her Pokemon in the future. After all, she had to work for years to improve herself and prove her worth as the fastest flier possible. She might have gotten a bit too complacent in more recent years with her skills and growth. But, the truth was, as both a flier and as a Trainer, she couldn't do that. She needed to work to improve now before she faced a devastating loss.

So, with these thoughts in mind, she smiled and said, “I will train. And I will work hard with my Pokemon and not just expect for them to learn and grow without proper training.”

“Perfect! Now…maybe we should continue this battle?” Misty suggested.

“Agreed! Growlithe, use Ember once more!” Applejack called out as fire balls were shot out of his mouth.

“Please! Charmander, use Ember to shoot those fire balls back!” Rainbow commanded. Both Pokemon’s Fire attacks clashed, hitting each other evenly and creating a layer of smoke.

“I can’t see anything!” Dawn said.

“I can’t either! Do you think the league will have cameras that can make this easier?” Pinkie suggested as the others looked at her weirdly.

“Now, Charmander, use your Dragonbreath!” Rainbow called out as the blue energy blast shot through the smoke and hit Growlithe, knocking him down as the smoke cleared.

“Growlithe! Are you okay?” Applejack asked as her Growlithe got back up with some difficulty. “Perfect! Now, let’s end this with our newest attack! Use Flame Wheel!” Applejack cried out as Growlithe rushed for Charmander before rolling into a large fireball that approached the fire lizard.

“Charmander and I can handle this! Use your Metal Claw right now and grab the Flame Wheel!” Rainbow cried out as Charmander’s claws glowed and grabbed the Flame Wheel, trying to hold back the mighty attack. However, in the end, the attack proved to be too much for Charmander and she was knocked over by the attack. When the smoke cleared, while Growlithe has been damaged by the Metal Claw, Charmander turned out to have gotten knocked out.

“Charmander is unable to battle. Growlithe wins and the victor is Applejack!” Twilight made the call.

“Perfect! You did great with yer Flame Wheel there, Growlithe!” Applejack congratulated her Pokemon as Growlithe licked her face, with Applejack laughing gleefully.

Rainbow, on the other hand, wasn’t sure how to react. She did lose and she hated to lose. However, she was still coming out of this battle feeling as though she and her Pokemon would do better in the future. “You did great, Charmander. I’m proud of you. Take a good rest for now,” Rainbow humbly said as she looked over to her Snivy, who flinched sadly for a moment. Realizing that she was a bit of a jerk to her Pokemon, she walked on over to her partner and said, “I’m sorry about what I said earlier, Snivy. I just got so caught up in my own ego and overconfidence that I said some dumb things to you. If you wanna leave, I won’t blame you.”

At this, Rainbow began to walk away sadly. However, her Snivy, albeit a bit reluctantly, followed her and used Vine Whip to get up on her trainer’s shoulder.

“Well, Dashie, looks like Snivy forgives you!” Fluttershy said.

“I know! Maybe we should celebrate with some cookies!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“That sounds good. But give us them a moment first,” Dawn noted as she saw that things weren’t quite done yet between everyone.

“Snivy, Charmander? I was being dumb when I thought our bond alone would help us improve. And for that, I‘m sorry, everypo-er-everybody. But the three of us plan to improve and soon we’ll give you a great rematch that is worthy of the Indigo Plateau. How does that sound?” Rainbow asked.

“I agree. Looks like it took ya long enough to stop bein’ stubborn,” Applejack said. “Though. Ta be fair, I’m sorry too. I coulda been nicer with how I tried to help ya.”

“Well, we were both being a bit dumb, me more than you. So, let’s just improve and do better with all our friends. Agreed?” Rainbow asked as she spit on her hand and held it out for a handshake.

“Agreed,” Applejack accepted the handshake.

“Little gross, but I guess it gets the point across,” Rarity awkwardly noted.

“Took you kids long enough! But I must say this was a bit dumb” Misty said.

“Hey, they learned not to be jerks when helping each other out and not to be caught up in overconfidence to the point of not improving!” Dawn countered.

“So, please just be nicer, Misty!” Ash suggested.

“A lesson? Well, Spike. Looks like we have another lesson for Celestia out of all this,” Twilight noted.

“A letter to Celestia?” Misty asked, confused.

“We’ll tell you more later,” Dawn whispered.

“So, what will it be?” Spike asked as he looked for a pen, only for Ash’s Snivy to give him one and for Pikachu to hand over a piece of paper.

“Just say what Dawn said, of course and then we can all enjoy some delicious cookies!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Twilight?” Spike asked.

“I guess just do that?” Twilight said awkwardly as Pinkie handed her a cookie with green frosting.

Author's Notes:

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If anyone has any suggestions or questions please let me know.

The Gang Catch Pokemon Part 1 (Edited)

The next day,

The Mane 7 and their new friends were walking down the path through Viridian Forest.

“So, tell me again why we are going through this forest with all these creepy crawly bugs?” Misty asked.

“What’s wrong with bugs? I think they’re adorable myself,” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah! I think all Pokemon can be cute or cool in some way,” Ash agreed.

“Just as long as they aren’t ladybugs or snakes,” Twilight said.

“Well, darling, after last night I can see you are definitely afraid of snakes,” Rarity said sympathetically.

“But what’s wrong with ladybugs?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

“Yeah! Those itty bitty little guys with their itty bitty spots are just the cutest!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Um, guys?” Spike warned as he saw that Twilight was looking scared of being reminded of ladybugs.

“Maybe we should stop. I mean, Twilight is looking scared. I mean, Plusle and Minun scare me and I’d rather not be reminded of them if I can help it,” Dawn pointed out.

“I agree. We shouldn’t push the issue on Twilight if she doesn't want to,” Applejack agreed.

“But, back to Misty, what is your problem with bugs, if you don’t mind me asking?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“What did I just say?” Applejack reminded Rainbow Dash with a look of annoyance.

“It’s just…Bugs get me all bugged out! Just keep them away!” Misty fearfully cried out.

“Sounds to me like Misty has a case of Entomophobia,” Twilight said.

“What now?” Ash asked, confused as Snivy and Pikachu shook their heads.

“Yeah. What does that have to do with opening doors?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“It means that Misty has a fear of bugs,” Spike answered.

“Yeah! I’ve looked into it, and entomophobia is the fancy scientific name for a fear of bugs,” Fluttershy confirmed.

“Sadly, we’ll be seein’ a bunch of bugs in this forest. The guide says that most of the Pokemon found here are either Bug-types or Grass-types with the occasional Flying-type or Pikachu,” Applejack said, making Misty more freaked out to be reminded of that.

“There, there, darling. We should be out of the forest in…,” Rarity asked the others.

“According to the guide it’ll be at least a three day hike,” Applejack confirmed.

“Aw! Three days?! I already aren’t big on traveling on foot, but now you tell me we have to be away from civilization for three days?!” Rarity complained.

“I’m afraid so. Hopefully, we can find a way to manage things away from civilization,” Dawn said.

“Hey! Look over there!” Ash interrupted, going a bit forward upon seeing a green worm Pokemon. “I can’t believe I found a Caterpie!”

“You mean the bug?” Rainbow asked as Misty looked away fearfully.

“A Caterpie is a caterpillar-like Pokemon that eventually is able to evolve into a butterfly-like Pokemon called a Butterfree,” Fluttershy answered.

“They aren’t the strongest long-term, but they are great for starting Trainers,” Twilight explained.

“You really are a walking fact book, aren’t you Twilight?” Dawn asked as Twilight blushed.

“And look!” Fluttershy pointed to a pink Caterpie that was close by. “Looks like Ash’s future Caterpie has a girlfriend.”

“So, I take it you wanna catch Caterpie, Ash?” Rainbow asked.

“Of course! I wanna make as many new friends as possible on my journey!” Ash confirmed.

“I relate! I love making new friends back in Ponyville! I’m an expert at making friends!” Pinkie Pie said joyfully.

“Now, Pokeball, go!” Ash cried out as he threw a Pokeball. Shocking everyone at how forward he was being. “What? I don’t wanna hurt the little guy if I can help it.”

“Well…I guess to each their own,” Spike mumbled, but to everyone’s surprise, Fluttershy also threw one at the pink Caterpie.

“Um, Fluttershy? So, I take it that you wanna catch that Caterpie as your new friend?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Yes. I figured the couple would miss each other if I didn’t catch the other one, so I decided to catch one,” Fluttershy explained.

“That’s very sweet of you, Fluttershy,” Twilight complimented her friend’s kindness.

The two Pokeballs hit their target, the Caterpies within struggle to break out, but they end up getting captured.

“Yes, I did it! Ha ha! I did it! I got Caterpie!” Ash cheered as he took Misty's hand and starts running around with her. "I did it all by myself! I caught myself another Pokémon!” Ash cried out joyfully as Pikachu cried out as well and Ash's Snivy shrugged apathetically, though she did smile. “This is yet another step on my way to becoming the number one Pokémon master in the whole world.”

“Hey! Wait a minute. I'm getting dizzy! Ash, you’re gonna get me sick! Quit it!” Misty protested.

“Oh! I like this game! Can you spin me next?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Uh…darling, I don’t think this is a game,” Rarity pointed out.

“Look out, Pokémon! Nothing's gonna stop me now!” Ash cried out.

“I know you’re excited to have a new friend, but can you please calm down? You are acting a bit too overeager,” Dawn told her excited friend, who blushed in embarrassment.

"Yeah. No offense, but you're acting more like a filly than a grown-up," Applejack pointed out.

“Oh, sorry. It’s just that this is one of my first captures and my first Bug Pokemon,” Ash said as he got a bit close to Misty.

“That’s good, Ash. I just need to find myself a Pokemon to catch now,” Dawn smiled, though she also looked a bit sad at not having a Pokemon other than Piplup. Piplup noticed the sadness in his Trainer’s eyes and hugged her leg.

“Thanks, Dawn! Hopefully you’ll find some Pokemon in the forest. We’re going to be here for a few days, anyway,” Ash reminded as he tried to contain his excitement.

"I'd still rather we just teleport out of here with the scissors," Rarity muttered.

"And miss out on finding some new Pokemon friends? No way!" Pinkie Pie responded.

“I just hope we get out of here fast. Like with Rarity, the last thing I need is to rough it out here for days on end,” Dawn said.

“Seriously? You plan on becoming a Trainer yet you aren’t willing to rough it? Weak,” Misty said in annoyance.

“Hey! I can handle it out here for a couple of days! I’d just prefer not to!” Dawn hotly protested.

Ash interrupted by saying, “I understand your annoyance Misty. I had similar conversations with Dawn over the last few months.”

“Hey!” Dawn yelled in annoyance.

“Still, I’ve grown to understand thanks to my mom and Professor Oak that not everyone will love nature like me and not be bothered by it. Dawn can find some beauty in nature and Pokemon, but she still prefers to sleep in a real bed, for example,” Ash said as his excitement returned. “Look! Inside this ball is one of the very first Pokémon I ever caught in my whole entire life.”

“Well, someone sure is excited still…,” Dawn noted.

“Hey! I’m just happy to have a new friend and family member join our crew. Remember, the bigger the team, the easier it will be to become a Pokemon Master someday!” Ash pointed out.

“When you put it like that, it makes sense to be excited, if a bit childish,” Dawn said as Ash looked annoyed, but was quick to shake it off.

"In that case, it may be a great idea to catch some more Pokemon myself. I just need to find one that fits us, right Snivy?" Rainbow asked as Snivy cried out. "Uh, translation Futtershy?"

"She says she's a bit nervous about making new friends, but she's willing to try for your sake," Fluttershy confirmed as Rainbow's Snivy nodded.

"Okay...? Well, thanks I guess...," Rainbow was confused.

"Don't worry, Snivy. You'll soon see that making friends is gonna be the best!" Pinkie Pie said.

“So, Misty, what do you make of my brand new Caterpie?” Ash asked as he held the Pokeball near Misty.

“Great. Just keep it away from me. Will you?” Misty warned.

“You're not afraid of an itty bitty Caterpie in a Pokéball, are you?” Rainbow Dash was in disbelief.

“Yeah! Our two Caterpie's aren't even with us right now! Though I’d love to see them soon!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Now, now. Let’s be respectful. Just because we don’t have a fear of bugs doesn’t mean we should ignore it,” Applejack tried to remind the group.

“Agreed. But I suppose if we have our two Caterpie keep their distance perhaps we can let them out,” Dawn suggested.

“Maybe…Then again, I don’t have a problem with bugs,” Fluttershy said.

“Really? Looks like we know what to avoid around her…I guess. Still won’t stop me from loving Caterpie as much as I love Pikachu and Snivy. I like bugs, even when not in Pokéballs. It must be great for Caterpie inside the Pokéball, all cute and comfortable inside there. I love my new little Pokémon,” Ash cooed at his new Pokemon.

“I guess it takes a worm to love a worm,” Misty mumbled.

“Little rude, don’t you think?” Rarity asked.

“Yeah! He’s just happy to have a new Pokemon!” Rainbow agreed.

“Yeah, very funny. Pikachu, Snivy, we’ve got a new friend,” Ash cheered as Pikachu and Snivy cried out in agreement. “Oh, Pikachu. Snivy. I’m glad you both like him. And from now on we’ll catch a whole bunch of new friends. Caterpie, you‘re sticking with us.”

“Same to you, my adorable little friend!” Fluttershy squeed as she held her Pokeball.

“Does that mean …,” Misty was dreading where this was going.

“You better believe it,” Fluttershy said gleefully.

“Caterpie, come out!” Both Ash and Fluttershy said as the Pokéballs opened. Misty runs for her life, screaming as she does so. Both of the Caterpie materialize and nuzzle against each other.

“Aw they’re little lovebirds!” Rarity found the sight cute.

“Hey, Misty. I bet if you gave Caterpie a chance you’d like her,” Fluttertshy suggested.

“Yeah! There’s nothing to be scared of. Come on Caterpie. Climb up on my shoulder,” Ash said as he held a hand out to Caterpie. Ash’s Caterpie is about to do so, but he spots Misty and runs towards her. “Hey, Caterpie, come back.” Ash’s Caterpie starts rubbing against Misty's leg.

“Aw! That’s so precious!” Dawn cooed.

“I know! Caterpie likes you, Misty!” Rarity agreed.

“You wanna give Misty a chance, too?” Fluttershy asked her Caterpie, who responded by nuzzling against Misty’s leg as well.

“Isn’t that cute, Misty? You have yourself a new friend!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Well, this is interesting. A Caterpie attracted to someone with Entomophobia. I wonder how things will go,” Twilight was curious.

“Get these disgusting bugs away from me. Please don’t come any closer to me!” Misty fearfully cried out.

“What? You think Caterpie is disgusting?” Ash asked, a bit hurt and sad.

“I think our Caterpie are adorable to be honest,” Fluttershy said.

“Now, now. Misty can like or dislike any Pokemon she pleases,” Applejack reminded.

“Still, it is a little mean to not at least give the Caterpie a chance,” Rainbow pointed out.

“Oh! I know! You be friends with those creepy bugs and I’ll be friends with Pikachu,” Misty suggested.

“Pikachu only likes me and Fluttershy right now. He zaps anybody who tries to..,” However, Ash is surprised when Pikachu likes the attention Misty is giving him. “Pikachu!”

“Well…So much for that approach, eh Ash?” Spike teased.

“Yeah. Yeah,” Ash grumbled.

“Well, at least Pikachu is opening up to more people. That means something, right?” Dawn said.

“I guess,” Ash reluctantly agreed.

“Well, I’m afraid Pikachu isn’t distracting Misty anymore,” Twilight said as she pointed back to a fearful Misty.

“It's so gross. Ash, put that slimy thing back in the Pokéball! You too, Fluttershy! Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!” Misty cried out.

“Aside from your attitude, what are the other disgusting things?” Ash sarcastically asked.

“Ash…,” Fluttershy warned.

“Very funny. Carrots, peppers, and bugs. Everybody has something they don't like and I don't like bugs!” Misty noted.

“And we’ll do our best to respect that. Right girls?” Applejack asked the others.

“Right! We’ll do our best not to give Misty a heart attack over bugs,” Rainbow bluntly said, causing the others to give her glares. “What”

“I should probably not be a sour sport about the subject,” Rarity agreed with Applejack.

“I may catch myself some Bug-types for study, but I’ll try to keep them away from Misty,” Twilight said.

“Good call,” Spike agreed quietly.

“As for me, I suppose it was kinda mean of me to expect you to like Caterpie when you were scared. In fact, Caterpie return,” Fluttershy said as she recalled her pink Caterpie. “Also, I get that you don't like bugs. I’ll do my best to respect that. But you should be thankful Caterpie doesn't see you as a threat. Because according to the Pokédex…”

Fluttershy’s Pokedex chirped, “Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon. Using the suction cups on its feet, Caterpie can climb trees in order to camouflage itself from predators. It also releases a stench from its bright red antenna to drive off predators.”

“You see, Misty? If Caterpie wasn’t that much of a fan of you, you'd be smelling its repelling odor about now. That must mean something, right?” Twilight asked.

“Maybe, but that still doesn't change the fact that bugs are as disgusting as carrots and peppers!” Misty said.

“Yeah? Well, I like carrots, and peppers, and bugs. What I don't like is the way you're hurting Caterpie's feelings with your silly fear of bugs,” Ash chided Misty.

“Maybe we should be more respectful of Misty’s fear like Applejack said,” Dawn whispered to Ash.

“Fine. As for my new Pokemon, I don’t think you’re ugly or disgusting at all Caterpie. Come on. Climb up on my shoulder,” Ash suggests to Caterpie, who does so. “You’re not gonna scare Misty anymore.”

“What do you mean he won't scare me,” Misty hotly protested.

“Well, to be fair, you were more afraid of him than vice versa,” Dawn said.

“True. Ash, maybe you should recall your Caterpie,” Rarity suggested.

“But I wanted to spend more time with him,” Ash said.

“I do too, but Misty is obviously scared,” Fluttershy said.

“Right. Well, if she still wants to travel with us, she can keep her distance from us,” Ash countered.

“I think we should go on without her if she’ll be this much of a hassle,” Rainbow suggested.

“But what about our friendship?” Pinkie Pie was worried.

“To be fair, we aren’t exactly friends yet. But, maybe we could be on better terms, even if that will be difficult,” Ash was conflicted.

“Oh, yeah? I’ll show you!” Misty protested as the girl stood still, annoyed for a moment as the others walked on past.
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“Uh, Ash? Are you sure that we should have just left Misty like that? I know she was being difficult, but that was mostly due to her phobia,” Dawn pointed out.

“It’s not just that. She was actively treating Caterpie like trash for trying to be nice to her. She couldn’t even appreciate his kindness or at least try to!” Ash yelled.

"I agree! She was ruining our journey by being a spoil sport!" Rainbow noted as Applejack and Twilight gave her a glare. "What?"

“Okay? But remember, she only has a Goldeen on her right now. She’ll get into trouble if she runs into a dangerous wild Pokemon or more of those Team Rocket crooks,” Dawn reminded.

"I know! Those crooks could have hurt us back at the Pokemon Center!" Fluttershy muttered.

"Hmph! I wasn't scared! And neither should any of us! Remember, those bad guys stood little to no chance against us!" Rainbow boasted.

"This coming from someone who wasn't knocked out," Spike grumbled.

"What was that?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Nothing!" Spike said.

“Yeah…you all do have a point," Ash noted.

"Maybe we should go back for her before...," Applejack began before being interrupted.

"But, at the same time, those crooks won’t care for a Goldeen that could easily be caught anywhere and as long as you stay on the path you don’t have to worry about wild Pokemon,” Ash reasoned.

“I guess so…,” Dawn mumbled.

"I have to admit it does make sense. I mean, the guidebook does say that most dangerous wild Pokemon don't go down the main path, like Ash said," Twilight agreed.

"Then we have nothing to worry about! Let's get going to look for more Pokemon now!" Rainbow yelled.

"But...what about Misty?" Fluttershy asked in concern.

"What about her?" Rainbow grumbled.

"Well...we don't know for certain if she'll remain safe the whole way through the forest. I don't want to see her get hurt, even if she was being a bit insensitive," Twilight noted.

"Ah agree with Twilight. We should go and give Misty a second chance. Phobias are no reason to shun a person," Applejack said.

"Agreed...But what if she says no? How do we pay her back then?" Ash asked.

"Well, she said she was a Gym Leader in Cerulean City. Maybe we can visit her when she's home?" Dawn suggested.

"And if she's not, we can leave the money with whoever else lives at her home," Rarity said.

Suddenly, the group was stopped by the bushes shaking nearby with a big purple mass sticking out of them, catching all the teen’s attention. “Do you think it’s a Pokemon, Ash?” Dawn wondered.

“It could be. Let’s check the Pokedex,” Ash said more quietly, in order to avoid getting the mass’s attention, as he scanned the mass.

Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew marks its territory by making scratch marks on trees with its tusks, which regrow if they fall out.

"Aw! Axew looks so cute, don't you all think?" Fluttershy cooed.

"I have to agree, he looks so adorable in his Pokedex entry!" Pinkie Pie agreed.

"Yeah, but I guess this Axew had something happen to them," Rainbow rudely noted.

"Rainbow Dash! That was very rude of you to say!" Rarity protested. "But, to be fair, both the creature in front of us and the image in the Pokedex don't look anything alike."

“I agree with Rarity here. That mass looks nothing like an Axew,” Ash noted as Pikachu nodded in agreement.

“I know. Do you think the Axew is living in that mass?” Dawn wondered.

“Could be. You said that some Pokemon live on a Torterra’s back, right Twilight?" Ash asked.

"Correct. Torterra is so big, that many smaller Pokemon choose to spend their entire lives on their backs," Twilight confirmed.

"Aw, that is so cute and sweet of them!" Fluttershy squeed, along with Twilight.

"Maybe this is another one of those situations,” Spike suggested. "Though, I have to say something about that mass looks familiar..."

“Apparently, according to the Pokedex, Axew is another Unova Pokemon. Strange to see one stuck in Kanto, right?” Dawn asked.

"They could have been abandoned here by some jerk," Rainbow noted.

"Aw, don't be a sour sport, Dashie! They could have just flown over here!" Pinkie Pie suggested.

"Axew doesn't look like he has wings," Applejack snarked.

"Maybe he took a plane?" Pinkie Pie guessed.

“All I know is that it’s cool to see yet another cool Pokemon to become our friend," Rainbow said.

"I know! Our family is about to get even bigger! You can have this one, Dawn,” Ash offered. “I’ll try if you fail.” At this, the rest of the humans along with Pikachu, Piplup, and both Snivy fell comically as Piplup protested.

“Um, thanks Ash,” Dawn awkwardly accepted the offer.

"Hey! Why can't I catch the Axew?! He looks cool to me!" Rainbow countered.

"Because I don't have any Pokemon other than Piplup while you have two starters?" Dawn reminded Rainbow.

"Oh right. Hehe...," Rainbow blushed in embarrassment.

"Way to be rude, Rainbow...," Applejack grumbled.

“Since the mass isn’t attacking, the Pokemon must not have seen us yet," Twilight noted.

"I agree. They could be asleep. I’ll try to avoid a battle right now by throwing a Pokeball. Pokeball, go.” Dawn said.

And so, Dawn threw her Pokeball at the mass. However, instead of opening and sucking in the mass or the Axew, the Pokeball bounced off the mass as it yelled, “Ouch!”

“Wait…Ouch?!” Dawn started to realize that she and the others had made a mistake.

“Okay what was that for?!” The mass, revealed to be a girl with large purple hair and dressed in cream and pink clothes, called out in rage, not happy to have been bopped on the head.

"Wait...Iris?!" Spike was shocked to see the teen girl again.

"Y'all know her?" Applejack asked Spike.

"Uh huh. I met her just the other day," Spike confirmed.

"Oh, so that's why the mass didn't look like an Axew! It was this cute little girl instead!" Pinkie Pie realized.

"Thanks I guess. But that still doesn't excuse you jerks from bopping me on the head! I mean, one minute I'm getting berries to feed my friend...The next you jerks threw a Pokeball at me!" Iris protested.

“Sorry about that, miss! We didn’t mean to hurt you or interfere with whatever you were doing!” Dawn apologized.

"Y-Yeah! We didn't intend to do anything bad, right girls?" Twilight asked the others, who all nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, we really didn’t. You see… Dawn here was just trying to catch a Pokemon.” Ash awkwardly responded.

“So what you’re really saying is that I look like a Pokemon?” the girl responded in suppressed rage, “Your Pokedex, tell me, is this cute face in there? Tell me, is it?!” She suddenly shrieked out.

“No, uh… sorry?” Ash asked in fear of this girl.

“Fine. I accept your apology. But still, you have a long way to go as trainers if you make a mistake like that. Right, Axew?” The girl lifted the berry in her hand up to her hair. As she did so, the Axew from the Pokedex entry popped out of her hair and took a bite out of the berry.

“So, we were right. The Axew was in your hair,” Ash said, amazed…before remembering the insult directed at him and Dawn. “Hey! You know, we did just start off as Trainers! We still have room to grow!”

“Agreed!” Dawn nodded.

"Same here! I may have just started out, but I can grow into the very best like no one ever was!" Rainbow protested.

"Now, hold on girls! Maybe we oughta not break out into a fight over this girl's poor choice of words!" Applejack said as she pulled the trio back.

"Wow. You're pretty strong," Dawn noted.

"Yeah! Iris here probably didn't mean anything negative by that! Right, Iris?" Spike asked as the girl looked at him in shock.

"Of course not! I was just being hon-Hold on. Spike?! Is that really you?! I was so distracted by being bopped on the head I didn't notice you. How's it going?" Iris asked a bit shyly.

"It's going good! Ash and Fluttershy each got a Caterpie a little bit ago. Dawn would have caught an Axew if it wasn't already yours," Spike noted.

"Uh...I guess they're friends of yours then?" Iris asked quietly.

"Uh huh. Everyone, I'd like you to meet my new friend, Iris," Spike introduced Iris.

"Yup, that's me!" Iris greeted.

"I guess she may be cool. I mean, she has a Dragon Pokemon, so she probably is!" Rainbow yelled out.

"Axew is a D-Dragon-type?" Fluttershy nervously asked.

"I think so. At least according to the Pokedex," Ash said as Fluttershy looked nervous.

"Don't worry about it, darling. See? This Dragon looks relatively harmless," Rarity comforted.

"I know! He looks kinda cute!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

At this, Axew couldn't tell if he should be flattered or sad at the comments. "Uh, is your Axew okay?" Twilight asked in concern.

"Oh, Axew wants to be a powerful Haxorus someday. So, calling him weak can hurt his feelings. So, please don't say that again in the future," Iris answered, saying the last part with annoyance.

"Got it! Sorry!" Fluttershy apologized.

"You know, it may be for the best that we introduce ourselves. I'm Dawn Berlitz," Dawn suggested.

"Uh huh! My name is Twilight Sparkle. And these are Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Ash!" Twilight introduced the others. "So, this is the girl you wanted us to meet yesterday, right Spike?"

"Uh huh. And she can...," Spike began only to be interrupted by Pinkie.

"Well, looks like we will be best buds already! So, what is the first thing we should do as friends?" Pinkie Pie asked.

“Maybe we can understand each other better with a battle. I’m sure Ash would be happy to give you one,” Dawn suggested.

"Or I could! I would like for me and Snivy to test out our skills against a tough Dragon Pokemon! Right, Snivy?" Rainbow excitedly asked as her Snivy thought it over.

"Now, Rainbow...give Ash here a chance to battle!" Rarity suggested.

"Yeah! Y'all should probably train first," Applejack reminded.

"You can battle with me and Eevee latter if you want...," Fluttershy reluctantly offered.

"Well...alright. Snivy, let's watch this battle. Ash, it's all you," Rainbow decided.

“Yeah, okay! I haven’t been able to have a real battle yet aside from Paul. It would be great to see how I’d manage myself against a real Trainer. Let’s go!” Ash agreed to the challenge.

Suddenly, Iris looked very nervous. “Uh…, You know what, why not do so another time? I mean, I’m a pretty tough customer and can beat rookies like you all very easily.”

“Hey! We’re not rookies!” Ash protested…only to simmer down and admit, “Actually, we did just get our first Pokemon a few days ago, so yeah…"

"Coulda remembered that sooner?" Dawn teased.

"Maybe...I’d still like to battle soon, right Pikachu?”

In an instant, the girl went from nervous to ecstatic in seconds. “Wait. Is that a Pikachu?!” The girl cried out as she picked him up and hugged him tightly, rubbing his face against hers. “You have got to be the sweetest thing ever. So cute! And these cheeks,” The girl proceeded to flick Pikachu’s red cheeks. “You can’t find anything this jiggly in Unova! I’ve been in and out of this forest for a few days looking at all the Pokemon this forest has in store, but I’ve never seen a Pikachu before, even though this forest should have some. You’re so lucky to have one!” The girl squeed as she held out her free hand. Meanwhile, Pikachu uncomfortably struggled to get free from Iris’s grip.

“It’s nice to meet you and it's nice that you love Pikachu,” Dawn greeted as she looked at Pikachu and saw his negative mood. “Um, Ash?”

“Oh, right,” Ash began to understand. “And maybe you should let Pikachu go before he-,” Before Ash could finish, Iris got zapped by Pikachu, causing Iris to fall to the ground with Axew avoiding the fall thanks to Iris using her free arm to hold Axew up. Piplup and Axew worriedly shook Iris and tried to get her back up. Snivy, meanwhile, shook her head before trying to get her back up with Vine Whip. In a few seconds, the teen girl was back on her feet.

“Uh…sorry about that, Iris,” Dawn apologized with a bow.

“Yeah. We didn’t mean for you to get hurt. Pikachu still isn’t exactly in love with everyone yet,” Ash agreed.

"Yep. He still can get all zappy with just about anyone! I mean, he zapped me this morning when I tried to give him cookies!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Didn't y'all try and shake him awake?" Applejack asked.

“You know what? It’s fine,” Iris accepted the apology quickly. “To be honest, I am pretty curious what you all are doing wandering the forest alone. You planning on going to a Gym? Looking for Pokemon? Any of you on a date?” Iris asked the last one jokingly, but both Ash and Dawn blushed in embarrassment.

“N-Nothing like that, Iris!” Dawn answered nervously.

“Well…not the date part. You see, I’m planning on entering and winning the Indigo Plateau Conference that is coming up in the next several months. It’s been my dream to enter that Conference and become a Pokemon Master someday," Ash explained.

"Same with me, Applejack, and Rainbow! We plan on making it as far as possible in the League," Twilight said.

"I plan on winning!" Rainbow said.

"Kinda rude, don't you think?" Dawn asked.

"As for Dawn, she’s just following me because we’re friends and so that I can support her in Contests starting with one in Cerulean City," Ash explained.

"Yep! I plan on being a Top Coordinator someday!" Dawn agreed.

"Same with me and Pinkie Pie here. Ooh! I can't wait for Squirtle and me to show that crowd what we're made of!" Rarity squeed excitedly.

"Regardless, we’re all looking for Pokemon to help us with our goals,” Ash answered.

“Oh, interesting. I guess that none of you are lovebirds, but it’s nice to see I got the other two reasons correct at least,” Iris said.

“So, what about you, Iris? What are you doing out here?” Dawn wondered.

"That's a good question. I never learned what you were doing back in Viridian. Are you planning on entering the League as well?" Spike asked curiously.

"Would be a bit strange to not battle if that was the case," Rainbow snarked.

"Rainbow...," Applejack scolded.

"Or be a Coordinator? It would be so exciting to have another rival!" Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Uh…,” Iris suddenly became a lot more nervous upon being asked this question, which Axew noticed and tried to wave his claw in front of her so that she would regather her thoughts.

“You know, if you were planning to head over to Pewter City, you can come with us. I’m always open for more friends to travel with,” Ash suggested.

"Same here! Friends are the best! The more the better I always say!" Pinkie Pie agreed.

"And she may need our friendship considering how she feels about...," Spike said, only to be interrupted.

"Now, now. We shouldn't be too intrusive if she isn't comfortable," Rarity consoled.

"The last thing we need is for Iris to have a panic attack," Dawn agreed.

"I agree. But can you all please let me fin-," Spike tried to talk only for Iris herself to interrupt.

“A-Actually, I agree with Ash and Spike here...and the girl with the weird name. I can go along with you all to Pewter City. I mean, I kinda have some doubts that you all could survive the forest without my help. Forests are practically made for people like me. I’m an expert on finding berries and Pokemon that are likely to make for good catches. Right Axew?” Iris asked her dragon partner, who nodded and said his name a few times. “Looks like you agree with me again. But what do ya mean I should be less rude? They're the ones asking all the intrusive questions.”

“Uh…Iris?” Dawn asked, confused.

“What?” Iris asked bluntly.

“You see-,” Dawn began.

“Did you just talk to Axew just now?” Ash asked.

"Uhhhh....," Iris nervously buffered.

"Looks like she's broken," Pinkie whispered.

“Ash! Pinkie! Don’t be rude!” Dawn scolded.

“But I was just asking!” Ash countered as Snivy shook her head.

"And I was just worried!" Pinkie said.

"Good to be concerned...but maybe next time we don't be too forward," Twilight whispered.

“Don’t worry! I’ve been asked this before. Yes, I did just talk to Axew,” Iris sadly admitted.

“You did? But how? Only Pokemon can understand Pokemon,” Ash asked as Snivy and Dawn sighed in frustration for failing to read the room.

“Ash? Let’s not intrude or be blunt here!” Dawn warned.

"Yeah! She could be awkward over that fact. Is she, Spikey?" Rarity asked the young boy.

"Kinda?" Spike answered.

“It’s okay, Dawn. I guess… I don’t know why, but ever since I was a little kid, I was able to understand what Pokemon can say. Not just Dragon-types, but all Pokemon," Iris explained.

"Aw! There is someone out there just like me!" Fluttershy was very interested.

"Even so, Dragon-types have always gotten more than just words that I can understand. I can understand their feelings and thoughts at times as well. Someday…,” Iris was about to continue until she realized she was about to get too personal and stopped talking.

“Uh, someday what?” Ash asked as he and Pikachu were both on the edge of their seats.

“Uh…maybe some other time. Sorry to unload all that understanding Pokemon stuff on you. You probably think I’m some insane weirdo, right?” Iris asked with a red face, trying to hide how self-conscious she was feeling right now.

“Actually, that sounds pretty cool! I wish I could understand Pokemon any time like you can!” Ash admitted.

“Yeah! What you have is a gift. I’m surprised more people aren’t happy to have it,” Dawn agreed.

"I don't see a problem with your power. It must be pretty handy!" Twilight said.

"If anything, it makes you pretty awesome like Fluttershy here!" Rainbow yelled out.

"Um...yes?" Fluttershy blushed.

"If anyone made you feel bad in the past, then they're the ones in the wrong!" Applejack said.

"See? I told you they'd be understanding!" Spike said.

“R-Really? You think so?” Iris asked as she smiled big with a tear in her eye. “Thanks so much! You’re the first people other than Drayden to think so.” Before Iris could say anything else, she felt Axew be confused at something behind her. Upon turning around, she saw that both Snivys had turned around. “Uh, excuse me, but I think your Snivys are trying to say something,” Iris pointed to the Unova Grass starters who had just turned around as they heard something. Suddenly, Pikachu turned around as well.

“So, what is Pikachu saying? What’s the problem?” Ash asked.

Pikachu and both Snivy all talked at once, but they were saying the same thing. “Apparently, some teen girl named Misty is following us currently. I’m just not sure why. You think she needs help traveling through Viridian Forest?” Iris wondered.

“Look, I’m sorry about your bike, really I am, but…,” Ash began.

“I think I can guess what you plan on saying,” Spike interrupted.

“Yeah! You don’t have to follow us when you clearly are miserable and crabby all the time!” Rainbow Dash yelled out as her Snivy was about to nod only to stop upon seeing Ash’s Snivy shake her head.

“Kinda rude there, darling,” Rarity whispered to the woman.

"And...if you're finding us so unbearable, why are you even bothering with us?" Ash demanded.

“So, I’m confused. Are they crushing on each other mad or mad mad?” Iris asked.

“Mad mad,” Dawn answered. “These two are just incredibly stubborn to an annoying degree.”

“You want me to break up their fight?” Iris suggested.

“If it goes on for much longer, I’d say yes,” Dawn admitted.

“I won’t give up until I get my bike paid for! Besides, I’m not following you. This happens to be the fastest way through the woods,” Misty pointed out.

“Um, Iris? Is this really…?” Dawn asked only to be interrupted.

“Yes, yes it is. It’s a bit childish to think I’d have to be asked something this simple,” Iris answered, with her latter comment annoying Ash and Dawn.

“Gee, thanks,” Dawn grumbled.

“Well...fine. I don’t mind the extra company, so you can come with us if you want,” Ash suggested half genuinely and half annoyed.

“Same here. It would be interesting to travel with a Gym Leader,” Twilight noted with excitement and curiosity.

“By the way, what type is your Gym, anyway?” Fluttershy kindly asked.

“I happen to run a Water-type Gym,” Misty said proudly.

“Well, no offense, but Pikachu and Snivy will kinda have an advantage against you and your sisters,” Ash pointed out.

“But, I will have a disadvantage with my Growlithe, if that helps you,” Applejack said, trying to cool Misty’s anger before she could become frustrated again.

“Hmm…Like I said last night, I’m going with you guys. I still wanna see the world after all. But that doesn’t mean we’re friends!” Misty decided.

“Well, okay…,” Dawn answered.

“Hopefully you’ll change your mind soon,” Ash said with annoyance.

“Bellsprout!”

Everyone’s attention was turned to a small plant with a yellow bell-shaped head.

“Aw! He’s so adorable!” Fluttershy gushed.

“I know, right!” Dawn agreed.

“Looks a little creepy to me,” Rarity admitted.

“Still, it could be a helpful Pokemon to have travel with us,” Applejack decided.

“So, what’s his name?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“It’s a Bellsprout!” Ash answered.

"Oh yeah! I just saw one a little while ago!" Iris noted.

"Did you find out anything special about them?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not really...," Iris admitted lamely.

“Oh, right! I remember seeing one at Professor Oak’s lab!” Twilight remembered.

“Well, let’s see what the Pokedex says,” Dawn said as she got out her Pokedex.

Bellsprout, the Flower Pokémon. A Grass and Poison type. Bellsprout loves high temperatures and humidity. It can be lightning fast when it extends its vines in order to grab something.

“So, who do you think should capture it?” Fluttershy asked.

“Ooh! Can I catch it? He looks like he’d make a good playmate to my Poliwag!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Come on! I only have two Pokemon and I’ll need more in order to compete in the League!” Rainbow Dash complained as her and Ash’s Snivy shook their heads.

“Same with me. But, to be fair, four Pokemon should be more than enough for now,” Ash said.

“Besides, Rainbow Dash, you started off with two Pokemon instead of one,” Rarity reminded the brash girl, Rainbow blushing at the reminder.

"So, yeah...you're probably the last one to talk about wanting more Pokemon," Iris noted as Rainbow looked annoyed.

“Why don’t we find a way to reasonably decide who gets the Bellsprout, preferably before he escapes,” Dawn suggested.

“Why don’t we draw straws?” Twilight suggested.

“Perfect! We just need to find some straws. Does anyone have some?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, I do!” Pinkie Pie answered as she got out many straws of varying length.

“Where did you get them from?” Dawn asked.

“Trust me when I say, ‘It’s Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it,’” Spike whispered to Dawn.

“Hey, Misty, you wanna try to catch the Bellsprout too? He’s pretty cute! And not a bug!” Fluttershy asked politely.

“I’m good. I’m more into my Water-types and cuties that are associated with water,” Misty declined, being polite for now as she took her focus away from Caterpie.

"Okay? You may need to have more than just Water-type Pokemon in the future...," Iris noted, not being sure if she was being hypocritical or not.

And so, everyone but an apathetic Misty drew a straw, and Applejack drew the longest one so she got to fight against the Bellsprout.

“Okay now, Growlithe, let’s get the show on the road!” Applejack said as the Bellsprout looked interested in Applejack and her Pokemon, wondering if she would make a good Trainer or not. “Now, Growlithe, use Ember!” Growlithe shot out some fire pellets as Bellsprout sent out some sharp leaves.

“He’s using a Razor Leaf attack!” Twilight warned.

“Yeah, but maybe the Ember will burn them,” Ash suggested.

“I think they are!” Spike pointed to the now burnt leaves as some of the Ember hit Bellsprout.

“Perfect! Now then, get in close with Bite!” Applejack commanded as Growlithe rushed in to attack. Suddenly, Bellsprout sent out a purple liquid.

“What’s that?” Dawn asked.

“I think Bellsprout is using Acid!” Twilight realized.

“Does that mean Growlithe will melt?!” Fluttershy asked in worry.

“Relax. Acid, the move, won’t melt substances that are organic. However, it will still sting,” Misty noted.

"Uh...how does she not know that?" Iris questioned suspiciously.

"Trust me. You don't wanna know," Spike answered.

“Quick! Dodge the attack, Growlithe!” Applejack called as Growlithe jumped over the spray and bit down on Bellsprout. “Great job!” Suddenly, Bellsprout used Vine Whip in order to knock Growlithe off of him.

“That has got to hurt,” Ash noted sympathetically.

“I know, right? Still, it’s kinda cool that Bellsprout has found a way to counter Acid being dodged as well as dealing with that Ember,” Rainbow said as her Snivy nodded.

“I know! I wish I was the one to capture Bellsprout!” Twilight squeed.

“Calm down now, Twilight,” Spike said to try to bring Twilight back to reality.

“You’re a pretty tough customer, Bellsprout, but this battle is just about over! Growlithe, use your Flame Wheel to finish things up!” Applejack called as Bellsprout tried to counter with a Razor Leaf. However, Growlithe burned through the leaves and tackled into Bellsprout. “Alright, let’s do this! Pokeball, go!” Applejack threw an empty Pokeball that proceed to catch Bellsprout in the Pokeball. A few shakes later, the Pokeball caught the Bellsprout successfully. “This is perfect! Looks like we caught ourselves a Bellsprout!”

“That’s great Applejack! I should get out some cookies I baked last night to celebrate this new capture!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Uh, maybe we should do this after we leave the forest full of creepy crawlies!” Misty yelled out.

“We’ll get to that, darling! I honestly wish we could be out of here ourselves. All the sweat and humidity is a lot to take in,” Rarity noted sympathetically.

“Same here. But we’ll have to make do with all the issues that come with being in a forest for now,” Dawn said reluctantly.

“Like what?” Twilight wasn’t seeing the problem.

“Yeah! Forests outside of the Everfree Forest are pretty relaxing and peaceful. And one filled with animals or Pokemon are even better,” Fluttershy gushed.

“Well…for one thing it is very easy to get messy in the forest with all the mud and leaves,” Rarity confessed.

“And they would do a number on your hair to boot,” Dawn agreed.

“Seriously? That’s it? Sure, forests are dirty, but getting a little messy won’t kill us,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Yeah! That is a very kiddish reason for not wanting to be involved with a forest. Like Fluttershy said, nature is beautiful," Iris noted in awe along with Axew.

“Says the girl who lives in the clouds and the one who was built for forests,” Applejack snarked. “But, to be fair, I’ve been camping out at least once a year and I can tell that being in the woods is no issue.”

“Yeah! Like Fluttershy said, imagine all the Pokemon we will meet! We may even see more bu-,” Pinkie Pie was interrupted by Ash and Twilight covering the bubbly girl’s mouth before she could remind Misty of her fears.

“Maybe we should focus on getting out of the forest before things get worse for us,” Twilight said nervously.

“Sure thing! But first, maybe it will be a good and relaxing thing for us to take a break for Pinkie Pie’s cookies,” Ash suggested, hoping everyone would calm down if they did so. Thankfully, his suggestion worked and everyone happily sat down for cookies.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later, our heroes have stopped for the night.

“So, Dawn, what are we going to have for dinner?” Ash asked curiously.

“Uh…,” Dawn nervously looked in her bag to see that nothing was in it. “I forgot to fill our bags, Ash. I spent most our time shopping looking for clothes and stuff. Looks like we’re gonna have to skip out on dinner tonight. Great! First I have to rough it out here for a few days and now we have no food!”

"I agree! This is the worst. Possible! Thing!" Rarity over melodramatically wailed.

"Don't worry, Rarity. I packed some food back in Viridian. We can eat tha-," Twilight reassured as she opened the bag...only to see that it was empty.

"Uh...where's the food, Twilie? Oh! Did you shrink it for portability?!" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Not really. I think I kinda...sorta...left part of it back at the Pokemon Center. We ate what was left of it for lunch earlier," Twilight admitted with a blush.

"For the record, I don't mind...," Fluttershy began only to be interrupted by Rainbow.

"Seriously?! We've been walking around for hours and you couldn't have remembered that sooner?!" Rainbow yelled out.

"For your information, Miss Dash, I was focusing on a myriad of other issues other than our food!" Twilight countered.

"Now, now, girls. Let's not jump down each other's throats," Applejack stopped the fight. "We'll just have to use the Dimensional Scissor and go get it."

"...Provided no one stole it," Rainbow snarked.

"Should I just go and check?" Spike suggested.

“Well then, it looks like you all are just gonna have to wait a few days to eat. Where’s the annoyance in me now?” Misty said a bit smugly.

“What? And you have food?” Ash retorted as Pikachu and Snivy tried to hold him back.

"Yeah! I don't see you eating!" Rainbow agreed.

“As a matter of fact, Mr. and Mrs. Master, I d-,” Misty looked in her bag only to see that she also forgot to fill her bag back at the Pokemon Center.

“Looks like you all forgot to gather some food back in Viridian then? Looks like I really am dealing with little kids. Don’t worry. A little bit earlier when we stopped for a break, Axew and I gathered a bunch of berries for us all to eat. Dig in!” Iris said as Axew nodded and opened Iris’s bag filled with berries for the group to eat. The group all drooled greedily upon seeing the many different types of healthy berries that they could have for dinner.

"Well...looks like we're gonna eat after all," Fluttershy said in relief.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little bit later, after the group had finished their delicious berry meal…

"You're telling me that you all come from another world entirely?!" Iris asked.

"Uh huh! And We are pretty famous heroes where we come from too!" Rainbow boasted.

"Uh...we only saved Equestria once, remember?" Applejack reminded.

“Not only that, but Pikachu here was willing to risk everything to save you even though he spent the whole day and weeks prior hating him beforehand?” Iris asked for confirmation.

“Uh, huh! He saw how much I was willing to risk for him and he began to see me in a different light,” Ash admitted.

“That must have taken a lot of courage to do something so risky, though,” Iris said shyly.

“No, it didn’t. Well, maybe a little bit. I just did what needed to be done,” Ash said.

“Really? Cool,” Iris said as she thought, “Maybe someday I could do something similar to help out Axew or Excadrill.”

“Oh, Ash! Tell him that last part. You know, before we ended up going to the Pokemon Center!” Dawn said.

“Oh, right! Before we left, and after I caught my Aipom, Pikachu and I both saw a Ho-oh in the sky, just like that!” Ash said gleefully.

“You did?! But…seeing one in your life is supposed to almost never happen!” Iris was amazed.

“Well, Pikachu and I were lucky enough to be among those rare few,” Ash said.

"Well...if you all aren't lying, then I'd say I made some pretty cool friends," Iris said.

"Trust me. All that happened is true, and A'm not the type to lie," Applejack said.

"Yeah! Applejack is kinda not that good at it anyway," Rarity noted.

"Really? I couldn't tell!" Pinkie Pie said innocently.

“We‘d better get some sleep you guys. Tomorrow’s gonna be a big day,” Ash said as he got into his sleeping bag as Pikachu nodded in agreement and Snivy gave a confused look.

“Don’t we have to wait a few more days to get to Pewter City, though?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah! According to our map, we still have to wait a while to get out of the forest,” Spike agreed.

"And it's only been a single day so far," Iris reminded.

“The sooner we leave the better, I’d say,” Rarity said.

“Let me guess, Ash. Being on your journey more will bring a lot of joy to you and it also means meeting more Pokemon and people. Am I right?” Dawn asked.

“Well…yeah. How did you know, Dawn?” Ash asked with a blush.

“Lucky guess. Personally, going through this forest wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. As long as my hair doesn’t get messed up I should be fine prior to returning to civilization again,” Dawn sighed in relief as she turned to hide a blush as well.

"See? Traveling around isn't so bad!" Iris said, happy to have been proven right.

“I kinda wish we could be here longer. After all, it would be interesting to see the different lives and habits of the various Pokemon,” Fluttershy said with a squee.

“Now, hold on there, Fluttershy. I know you wanna do that. But remember that we all are on a journey and I think we only have a specific amount of time to get our Ribbons and Gym Badges. Do you really wanna inconvenience us like that?” Applejack reminded the shy girl gently.

After a moment, Fluttershy blushed before apologizing, “Sorry.”

“What about us all getting some sleep? I mean, the sooner we sleep, the sooner we can wake up and find more Pokemon,” Rainbow Dash huffed in annoyance.

“Well, we’d all get some sleep if you shut your big mouth. And if your pals would just settle down!” Misty grumbled in annoyance.

“You know what? I think we’ve done enough talking for tonight. We‘d better get some sleep you guys. Tomorrow’s gonna be a big day,” Dawn suggested.

“You have a point, Dawn. It would be easier to sleep if Ash and Misty here weren’t arguing like little kids,” Iris said, which got the two blushing angrily.

“You know, she has a point,” Spike agreed reluctantly. “Let’s go to sleep, Dratini.”

“Yeah. I really would rather have plenty of energy tomorrow than stay up. Good night!” Dratini said as she dozed off.

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite,” Rainbow grumbled, trying to get under Misty’s skin in anger.

“Haha! Very funny. Now, go to sleep now!” Misty yelled sarcastically.

"I got it, okay?!" Ash grumbled.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

During the night, Fluttershy woke up, having had trouble sleeping due to being excited to meet new Pokemon. Before she could try to return to sleep, she noticed that some of the Pokemon, including both Caterpie, were awake and talking. “Um…is anyone awake?” Fluttershy asked the others. For the most part, everyone was asleep. However, as it turned out, Dawn was also still awake.

“What is it, Fluttershy? It is the middle of the night,” Dawn reminded Fluttershy.

“I just woke up and I’m hearing our Pokemon talking,” Fluttershy answered.

“What? Oh right. You can understand what Pokemon say,” Dawn remembered.

“Yeah! And, I don’t mean to intrude, but I’m finding their conversation interesting,” Fluttershy said.

“What’s going on?” Dawn asked as the two Caterpie were looking at the moon in awe.

“Ash’s Caterpie is in awe at the moon, along with my Caterpie. Not only that, but both Caterpie wish to be able to evolve into Butterfree and be able to fly through the sky freely, especially in the beautiful night sky,” Fluttershy explained.

“Really?” Dawn was surprised. “Wow. I guess being able to understand Pokemon is a really special gift to have. I kinda wish I could do the same. Maybe then I could be closer with my Piplup,” Dawn admitted.

“Well…it is a helpful gift. But that doesn’t mean you and your Pokemon can’t be close. It just means that when your connection does grow it will be due to your own talents,” Fluttershy said.

After a moment, Dawn smiled. “Thanks, Fluttershy. Perhaps we should go back to sleep now.”

“Yeah. Well, goodnight, Dawn,” Fluttershy said as she laid down to rest.

Author's Notes:

I hope you all are enjoying the story. I'm sorry it's been a while since I've last posted. I'm trying the best I can in order to continue work on this and other stories both on and off this site. Please leave comments on what you think and what you want to have happen later on.

The Gang Catch Pokemon Part 2 (Edited)

The next morning...

Dawn and Piplup woke up early, with Dawn screaming loudly after a quick look in the mirror. Dawn was quick to get out of her sleeping bag and went into the changing tent.

Ash, the Mane 7, and Iris, along with their Pokemon, were quick to be woken up by the scream and were able to see the duo enter the tent.

"Well...that can't be good," Twilight said.

"I agree. Do you think some angry Pokemon spooked her or something?" Rarity asked.

"If so, then Snivy and I can scare them off!" Rainbow boasted.

"Right...so, what should we do?" Applejack asked.

"Maybe we should check up on Dawn?" Fluttershy suggested. "And if it is the work of an angry Pokemon, we can politely ask them to leave?"

"Hmm...not a bad idea, Fluttershy. Between us to translate, we should be able to solve whatever the problem is. Anyone object?" Iris asked the others, who all had no objections.

"Sounds like a plan! And maybe I can give them a berry as a sign of friendship!" Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.

"Yeah...because that sounds like a good idea," Spike snarked.

"You're welcome!" Pinkie naively said.

"So, who should be the one to ask what is happening?" Twilight asked.

"I'll do it!" Iris decided as she walked over to the tent. “Uh, Dawn? Is there something wrong?” Iris asked.

“You better believe there is something wrong!” Dawn confirmed.

“I bet it must be serious seeing how loudly you yelled," Applejack noted.

"Agreed. So...What’s the matter? Did you see a scary Pokemon or is it related to puberty or something?” Iris asked.

Even though no one could see, Dawn was blushing at Iris’s comment. “What? No! I’m not on my period or anything like that! It’s much worse than that, anyway!”

"What can be worse than an angry Pokemon or a period?" Rainbow asked.

"Maybe she cut herself or got a bad sprain!" Applejack suggested.

"Or maybe she has a bad hair day!" Rarity suggested as the others looked at her.

"Yeah because that sounds reasonable," Iris and Applejack both snarked.

Axew was quick to ask Iris something.

“Oh, you wanna know what a period is? Well, remember when I had blood flowing from my-,” Iris began only for Ash to cover her mouth.

“Can we please not have this conversation right now?” Ash pleaded.

“But Axew-,” Iris tried to argue.

“Can be told this story later. I’d rather not have to hear about sensitive girl business before I even ate breakfast,” Ash said.

"Yeah! I already have to deal with Twilight bleeding once a month for an hour. I don't need to know how else people have them!" Spike agreed.

"I guess periods work differently in your world then?" Ash questioned.

"Typically yes, at least from what I read. But perhaps we-," Twilight began only for Rainbow to interrupt.

"Not that blood talk bothers me, but maybe we should get back to Dawn here?" Rainbow suggested.

"Yeah! We still need to know what's going wrong right now!" Fluttershy agreed.

“To be fair, though, I think I have a pretty good idea what the matter is, Iris,” Ash said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"And y'all couldn't have said something earlier?" Applejack asked.

"No offense, but maybe skip the cynicism and get to finding out what the issue is?" Fluttershy asked.

“Really? Well, that’s good for us. So, what is it?” Iris asked.

“I…I have really bad bed hair,” Dawn admitted.

Everyone fell over comically except for Rarity and Pinkie Pie. "Well, looks like Rarity was right about that!" Pinkie Pie said.

"Oh, the poor dear! Don't worry! We'll help you in any way we can!" Rarity said.

"Are ya serious?" Applejack groaned frustrated.

"Yeah! Messy hair really shouldn't be an issue when we're smack dab in the middle of a forest!" Rainbow agreed.

Iris, meanwhile, was quick to become very frustrated upon hearing what Dawn said, even more so than the others. “Really? Really?! You woke us up very early and acted like it’s the end of the world all because you have some less than perfect hair?!” Iris yelled in disbelief.

“It is a big deal to me! I can’t just walk on out and let other people see my hair in such a state!” Dawn yelled.

“Then just brush it and get out of the tent,” Iris said.

"It can't be that bad! I've helped Rarity and Twilight with their hair a few times. Maybe I can-," Spike suggested.

“No! No one sees my hair! Besides, I-I’m trying, but my stubborn hair isn’t getting into place!” Dawn yelled.

"If that's it, then let one of us in! It's not like you're naked in this world right now!" Rainbow yelled.

"I know but...," Dawn whined.

"Wait. That's a problem here?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Yes. In this world, unlike in Equestria, it is very rude and somewhat illegal to not have clothes on when not in certain designated spots," Twilight confirmed.

“I don't care about all think junk! Right now, Dawn, you’re really acting like an annoying kid right now, you know that?” Iris said before turning her attention to Ash. “Is she always this petty and annoying when it comes to looks?”

"I wouldn't say that...," Twilight defended the girl.

“Yes, she is. With most things she can be fairly mature for her age. But get her mad by insulting her or get in the way of looking pretty and she goes from 1 to 100 very quickly,” Ash answered as Iris sighed.

“Why me? I just happened to have to lead a girl that cares more about her looks than practicality,” Iris groaned.

"I agree. Rarity can get pretty frustrating at times too," Applejack noted quietly.

"Excuse me?!" Rarity protested.

“Uh, Dawn? Do you have any ideas on how to fix your hair? Iris and some of the others are getting annoyed,” Ash asked his best friend.

“I don’t know!” Dawn whined for a moment…until she remembered Piplup. “Of course! Piplup, use Bubblebeam on my hair!” Piplup looked confused, but he complied and did just that. In a moment, the knotted hair ended up being fixed by the water. “ Ah! That’s much better!” Dawn got out of the tent joyfully, showing off her hair.

"Well...looks like we have nothing left to worry about this morning," Fluttershy said.

"Uh huh! Now, let's get on with the mor-," Twilight said, only to be interrupted.

“You couldn’t have thought about that sooner? We’re wasting time on trivial stuff when we could be getting out of the forest or even looking for Pokemon!” Iris yelled.

"You know, I agree! Some of us need to get more Pokemon!" Rainbow yelled.

"Yeah! I wanna make more Pokemon friends!" Pinkie Pie said more innocently.

“Looks are important for a lady, you know!" Dawn protested.

"I agree! I'm surprised not all of my friends think the same way!" Rarity agreed.

"Now, come on! Ash? She’s being ridiculous, isn’t she?” Dawn demanded from her friend.

“A-Actually…Iris has a point. We wasted a good five minutes we won’t get back by focusing on your dumb hair. Next time, don’t make a big fuss about it,” Ash tried to not anger or offend his friend.

"I kinda have to agree with Ash here. I don't like my hair being frazzled either, but I can handle my hair not being perfect most of the time," Twilight said.

“Fine! Anyways, Iris, have you found any berries for breakfast yet? I’m hungry right now,” Dawn calmed down.

“Wow, that was quick,” Iris noted. “Well…I haven’t yet, but I can get more.”

"Oh! Can I help? I wanna be a jungle scavenger!" Pinkie Pie asked cheerfully.

"I'd rather help too! No sense in doin' nothing when I just got up and at em'," Applejack agreed.

"Well...sure! I can use the help!" Iris agreed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A half hour later…

The group, except for Misty, had gotten dressed and ready to face the day. Iris had managed to get some berries for everyone to eat.

As they ate, everyone moaned in satisfaction.

“These berries are delicious! Thanks so much for the meal!” Dawn complimented as she ate.

“I know! You definitely know your way around the forest,” Ash said.

At this, Iris blushed. “Thanks. But I really just know the basics compared to other people.”

Misty, meanwhile, wakes up to find, in her mind, a nasty surprise. “Ah!” Misty screamed, waking up everyone.

“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Ash asked as he sprung off of his seat.

“Is it actually something important this time and not something trivial like how you look?” Iris asked.

“Um, maybe not be so rude, please?” Dawn asked, trying to avoid an argument.

“Yeah! So, what's the problem? Is there an angry Pokemon prepared to attack us?” Twilight asked.

“If so, maybe I can talk to them and calm them down,” Fluttershy offered.

“No, it’s much worse than that! Look!” Misty cried out as she pointed into her sleeping bag. Upon looking, the group saw that Ash’s and Fluttershy’s Caterpie decided to sleep next to Misty.

“Oh, right. I remember now. You’re afraid of insect Pokemon. Yet another trivial situation being blown up,” Iris said as she suddenly heard Ash's Caterpie speak. “Also, the boy Caterpie sounds sad that you snubbed him again.”

“Great. So, can we go back to eating now?” Rainbow Dash asked, annoyed to have been interrupted.

“Now, Rainbow Dash. Don’t be so insensitive,” Applejack chided.

“Applejack is right, darling. I mean, I’d probably be scared if I had an unpleasant surprise in my sleeping bag as well,” Rarity agreed.

“Still, why the pair wanted to sleep with Misty specifically, I’m not sure,” Dawn wondered.

“I guess they really like her a lot,” Fluttershy offered.

“Yeah. Sure. They like me! Now, what are these things sleeping near me?" Misty demanded.

“Caterpie just wants to be your friend. Why don’t you give him and his girlfriend a chance?” Ash asked.

“Yeah! I bet they can use their stringy thread to make you a scarf or some other pretty thing!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

"Would that work?" Twilight asked Iris.

"Don't look at me. I don't know everything about Caterpie. I just met them," Iris said.

“I won’t be giving them a chance because they’re gross! If those things want to be my friend, they can stop bugging me already. If you're a Pokémon, get out of my face and into that Pokéball!” Misty demanded.

“Hey! That’s kinda rude, don’t you think?” Twilight said.

“Yeah! The Caterpie just wanted to be nice,” Fluttershy agreed. “Still, if my Caterpie really does bother you…,” Fluttershy turned to her Pokemon and got out her Pokeball. “Caterpie, return.”

“You know, the girls have a point. Misty you are so unbelievable, Caterpie means no harm, why it likes you I'll never know, but you shouldn’t be mean to him and his girlfriend,” Ash said as he shook his head. Suddenly, Caterpie ran off on his tiny stumps. “Caterpie, what’s the matter? Hey, hold on, Caterpie!” At this Pikachu and both Snivy tried to grab Caterpie with a cry. However, the trio failed to stop the sad Pokemon as Caterpie entered the Pokéball.

“Way to go, Misty. You went and hurt the feelings of a Pokémon,” Applejack said.

“Maybe you should apologize to him,” Dawn suggested.

“Feelings? Humph! That thing is gross and I don't care about gross things!” Misty yelled out.

"That's kinda heartless to say, Misty," Iris looked mad.

“Just because something is gross doesn’t mean we should be mean, darling,” Rarity said.

“Yeah! Caterpie is probably crying in his Pokeball all sad because of you!” Pinkie Pie protested.

“I’m not sure that a Pokeball works that way, to be honest,” Twilight said.

“I agree! You shouldn’t be mean to any creature for such petty reasons!” Fluttershy yelled out angrily.

“Uh, maybe we should calm down Fluttershy?” Rainbow nervously asked. “I mean, you can be a bit scary when you’re angry.”

“Either way, the girls are right, Misty! You owe Caterpie an apology! Pokémon have feelings too, you know! Come on, Caterpie. Don’t you worry, someday we’ll show her,” Ash whispered to his Pokemon from the Pokeball.

“I think we should just calm down for now and have ourselves some breakfast. Now, who wants muffins?” Pinkie Pie suggested as everyone else looked at her.

"Wait. How did y'all make muffins without supplies?" Applejack asked.

"Or an oven? IT's impossible!" Twilight cried out.

"Oh, that's easy I went snip snip with the Dimensional Scissors and returned to Viridian City's Pokemon Center. So, who would like to eat?" Pinkie asked once more.

“Oh! I’d love to have some! Are they chocolate?” Rainbow asked.

“I’d rather have blueberry myself,” Rarity said.

"Any would be fine with me. Do you have Oran Berry?" Iris asked for Axew's sake.

“You know what? It actually would be a good idea to sit back and eat before tensions rise anymore. What do you think, Ash?” Dawn asked.

“I think…that would be a good idea. Should I send back out my Caterpie to join us?” Ash asked innocently as his Snivy facepalmed.

“No!” Misty protested. “Not unless that thing and its girlfriend keep their distance!” Misty protested.

“Hey!” Fluttershy yelled.

“Okay, fine. But can you at least try to not hurt their feelings?” Ash asked.

“I think that would be fair,” Twilight said as she grabbed a blueberry muffin and took a bite out of it. Suddenly, another Pokemon shows up and jumps toward Twilight, grabbing her muffin before she could eat more. “What the…?! What was that?” At this point, the Pokemon landed in front of the group and finished up the muffin. The Pokemon was a brown and cream colored bunny, with one ear rolled up. It was… “A Buneary?”

“A what?” Rainbow was confused.

“A Buneary. A Pokemon more commonly found in the Sinnoh region,” Twilight answered as she scanned the Pokemon with her Pokedex. “Buneary, the Rabbit Pokémon. By quickly extending its rolled-up ears, it can launch a powerful attack against its enemies.”

“I wonder what they are doing here,” Ash wondered.

“I don’t know. What I do know is that it is adorable!” Dawn cooed.

“I know, right? They remind me of Angel bunny back home!” Fluttershy agreed.

"I take it that it is another non-Pokemon creature from your possibly made-up world?" Iris asked.

"Well, bunnies are real in our world. They love to hop hop hop!" Pinkie said as she mimicked hopping.

"Great...," Iris responded uncertainly.

“I wanna catch them!” Dawn and Fluttershy said simultaneously only to turn and look at each other awkwardly.

“Y-You know what? Why don’t you catch this one Dawn? I mean, I already have gotten myself a second Pokemon,” Fluttershy tried to be nice in order to avoid conflict.

“No you can have it Fluttershy. If it really is a reminder of your friend then it would be best for you to be the one to catch them,” Dawn declined.

“You wanna draw straws for it? I kinda want her too,” Pinkie Pie suggested as she got out the straws again only for everyone to look at her. “What? The Pokedex says Buneary is female.”

“Um, sure?” Fluttershy agreed.

"That was the weird part of that question?" Iris asked Spike.

"Trust me when I say "it's Pinkie Pie, don't question it," Spike responded.

"Got it," Iris agreed. "So...I guess I'd love to have a cute Pokemon with me, so I guess I can join," Iris decided.

“Um, okay! Anyone else wanna try catching Buneary? I won’t be mad,” Dawn reassured.

“Well… I kinda want to get myself this Pokemon. So, why not?” Rarity agreed.

“I’ll pass. I already have myself a second Pokemon. I’ll be fine,” Applejack declined.

“I am curious about how such a rare Pokemon got here in Kanto. So, sure, I’ll join,” Twilight agreed.

“I think being around her will be enough for me,” Ash decided.

“What about you, Rainbow Dash? You game?” Spike offered. “I’m not really into catching Buneary for myself.”

“Same here, Spike. Cutsie Pokemon don’t really do it for me,” Rainbow declined as her Snivy looked a bit sad for a moment, but she hid it well.

And so, everyone who wanted Buneary drew a straw. In the end, Dawn was the winner.

“So, Piplup, you ready to battle Buneary?” Dawn asked her starter, who nodded in agreement. “Okay then, Piplup attack with your Bubblebeam!” Piplup was quick to launch a torrent of bubbles from his beak. Buneary, however, was quick to leap over the attack with Bounce.

“So, this Buneary knows Bounce then? This’ll be interesting,” Twilight said with a fangirlish squeal.

"Uh huh! It's a good move for avoiding attacks while dealing damage," Iris said.

“Piplup, try to attack once more with Peck! Maybe attacking up close will help!” Dawn cried out. Piplup rushed toward Buneary, hitting Buneary and knocking her back. “Great! Now, hit her with another Peck attack!” Piplup rushed toward Buneary once more only this time Buneary attacked with Dizzy Punch. The attacks clashed a few times, only for Buneary to eventually hit Piplup, causing him to have Torchics appear above his head. “Oh no! Piplup’s confused!”

“Hold on. Why is he confused?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“And why is this a thing? Just keep attacking!” Rainbow Dash protested.

“It won’t work. There’s a strong chance he’ll hit himself,” Spike said.

“But, why?” Applejack asked.

“You see, confusion is a status condition where the Pokemon afflicted won’t be able to fight normally for a while. You can wait a while for them to snap out of it or you can just return Piplup to his Pokeball,” Twilight answered.

"I'd just return him. No sense in wasting time and potentially hurting your Pokemon," Iris said.

"Sounds like a good move to me!" Applejack said.

“Right! Piplup, return!” Dawn recalled Piplup real quick. At this moment, Buneary started to bounce off, with the group running after the Buneary, except for Ash, Rainbow Dash, Iris, Misty, and Spike who were about to follow when suddenly…a bird-Pokemon flew over the smaller group.

“Whoa! A flying Pokemon?! That’s incredible!” Rainbow said in awe.

“I don’t know everything about Pokemon yet. But I guess that flying is impressive,” Spike noted.

“Actually, a lot of Pokemon can fly. I don't see why it's a big deal," Iris shrugged.

"Still, this is great, guys! Pikachu, Snivy, we can catch a Pidgeotto!” Ash cried out as he got his Pokédex out.

“Pidgeotto, an evolved form of the Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous, approach with extreme caution.”

“That it? I could learn more about her by simply talking to her or being around her for an hour. That Pokedex have anything useful to say?” Iris asked Spike.

“Let’s see.. The Pokedex does say that Pidgeotto can claim territory of more than 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, and they'll defend it fiercely,” Spike answered.

“Do you think we’re in her territory?” Misty wondered.

“Probably, judging by how she sped on by,” Iris answered.

“All right, Pidgeotto. I’ll show you who’s the dangerous one around here,” Ash said as he was about to send out Aipom.

“Let’s get ourselves another Pokemon, Snivy! Pokeball go!” Rainbow Dash threw her Pokeball at the Flying-type. Unfortunately, the Pidgeotto knocks the Pokéball away with ease.

“Um, Rainbow? You can’t just throw a Pokeball on sight,” Ash said.

“But why? It worked yesterday with you and Fluttershy’s Caterpies,” Rainbow noted.

“You don’t get it, do you? You have to make it battle and weaken it first. The only reason Ash and Fluttershy got to catch their Caterpies is because they’re already weaklings,” Misty rudely noted.

"Coulda been nicer, but accurate. The weaker the Pokemon, the easier it is to catch," Iris noted.

“Correct. Pokemon prefer to form bonds with Trainers that have earned respect through battling. Well, at least that is what Twilight said,” Spike added on.

“Oh, right,” Rainbow said as she began to blush.

“Better leave this to Ash. He has a bit more knowledge of this world,” Spike noted.

“Only because he’s lived in it,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Thanks. Also, Misty, can you please quit picking on Caterpie? And now if you kindly keep your big mouth of hurtful words shut, you’ll see how it’s done. Go, Aipom!” Ash cried out as Aipom got out of her ball. “Now, Aipom, let’s get ourselves another new friend to join our family! Use Swift!” Aipom followed the command, sending stars out from her tail, hitting and knocking back the airborne Pidgeotto. “All right! Way to go, Aipom!” Pikachu and both Snivys cheered only for Pidgeotto to use Quick Attack to dash towards Aipom. Ash’s Snivy was quick to try and point this out to Ash. “What is it Snivy?” Snivy pointed to Pidgeotto, who was close to Aipom. Quick! Dodge it and use Double Team!”

“Double Team?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s a move that creates illusions of the user that can be used to make attacking them tougher. I’ll give Ash this. He isn’t as dumb as I thought,” Misty answered.

"He acts a bit like a kid, but I agree. He can battle decently for being a new Trainer," Iris agreed.

And so, Aipom created multiple duplicates of herself, making it hard to find her.

“Now, Aipom, use Swift once more!” Ash cried out.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile…

Dawn had managed to corner the Buneary and was ready to fight once more upon being cornered. “Now then…Piplup, come on back out!” As Piplup materialized, he started to pant, still tired from the earlier fight.

“Uh oh! Looks like Piplup is tired,” Applejack pointed out.

“Already? But shouldn’t they have more energy to fight with?” Pinkie Pie asked, confused.

“You see, Pokemon only have so much energy. They may have more than the average person or pony, but they still have their limits. Why do you think there are Pokemon Centers?” Twilight asked.

“To have fun and meet new friends?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Um, Pinkie Pie, I think that was a rhetorical question,” Rarity pointed out.

“Piplup looks tired. You want me to send out my Caterpie and give you a hand?” Fluttershy offered.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think I can handle myself fine,” Dawn politely declined the help. “You ready, Piplup?” Piplup gave a nod in agreement. “Now, use your Bubblebeam!” At this, Piplup sent out another torrent of bubbles, which managed to hit the Buneary. “Great! Now, get in close and use Pound!” Piplup used his flipper to try and attack Buneary only for her to counter with Dizzy Punch once more. Piplup jumped back to avoid being hit. “Great! Now, try Bubblebeam again and fast!” As Piplup tried to hit Buneary, she responded by creating an Ice Beam from her mouth freezing the bubbles, causing them to burst into sparkles.

“Sweet Celestia! That Buneary is tough!” Rarity was shocked.

“I know! Having a move like Ice Beam means that this Pokemon has experience. I wonder if she was owned before…,” Twilight wondered.

“Maybe she can help us make snow cones or something once we catch her,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Are you sure you don’t need help, Dawn?” Fluttershy offered once more.

“Yes! We can handle her a bit longer. Right, Piplup?” Dawn asked her partner as Piplup nodded while looking close to falling over. “We better end this quickly. Piplup, use Bubblebeam!” Dawn cried out, hitting Buneary, who was starting to look tired. “Okay. Pokeball, go!” Dawn cried out as she threw a Pokeball. It hit the panting Buneary, who went in. The ball shook for what felt like forever. It shook. And shook.

Only for Buneary to break free. “Rats! It was so close, too!” Applejack kicked a nearby rock in frustration.

“Quick, Piplup, use Bubblebeam one more time!” Dawn cried out. However, just as Piplup send out more bubbles, Buneary responded by using Bounce to jump over them and then hit and freeze Piplup with Ice Beam.

“This is bad! Piplup is now frozen solid!” Rarity said in worry.

“Well…maybe he’s fine. Piplup, blink twice if you’re fine!” Pinkie said only for Piplup to remain still.

“I think he’s up a creek, girls,” Applejack bluntly said.

“Does anyone have an Ice Heal?” Fluttershy asked the others.

“I think I have one!” Twilight said as she searched through her bag.

“I have a better idea. Growlithe, come out and use Ember!” Applejack yelled as she threw her Pokeball and the fire dog materialized. Just as he was about to thaw the penguin, Buneary rushed at them with Dizzy Punch. Most of them dodged only for Twilight to be caught in the crossfire.

However, as Twilight was about to be hit, Fluttershy, sent out her Caterpie and commanded, “Caterpie, use String Shot now!” And so, her Pokemon proceeded to bind Buneary so that she couldn’t move anymore. “Now, use Tackle!” The Worm Pokemon complied and rushed for Buneary, knocking her out in one hit.

“You were incredible, Fluttershy! Just like with that dragon, you defeated that mean old Buneary!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Well, to be fair, Buneary likely wasn’t mean,” Dawn defended.

“Maybe, but I still have to say you should be ashamed of yourself, Buneary! How can you be so mean as to attack us when we weren’t doing anything other than try to catch you?!” Fluttershy demanded.

Caterpie nodded as she began to glow. Everyone, including Buneary, looked on in awe as the Worm Pokemon started to evolve, creating a cocoon around herself for good measure. “Metapod!”

“I can’t believe it! Caterpie evolved into Metapod!” Fluttershy cheered. “Oh, Dawn, sorry for interfering earlier. I just didn’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

“It’s fine. I understand that you only wanted to defined us. Still, who do you think should catch Buneary?” Dawn asked.

“Well, Dawn was the one to get the longest straw, so I say her,” Twilight said.

As everyone else agreed, the gang noticed that Buneary was trying to escape her silk bindings. “Um, maybe we oughta help out Buneary before Dawn catches her,” Rarity suggested.

“I’m on it! Bellsprout, use your Razor Leaf to free Buneary!” Applejack cried out as Bellsprout materialized and sent out sharp leaves, freeing Buneary.

Buneary was quick to get back up and run in the bushes in panic.

“What do you think she’s doing?” Dawn asked.

“You think she wants to be friends?” Pinkie Pie asked sadly.

“I don’t know. You think we should leave her alone?” Twilight asked.

“I think we should at least see what the fuss is about before we…,” Dawn said as she opened up the bushes and gasped.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Aipom, wrap this up with Focus Punch!” Ash cried out as the two panting Pokemon prepared to attack each other. Pidgeotto, however, responded by making a dash for Aipom before disappearing suddenly. What the…?” Ash was confused. Suddenly, Pidgeotto came back and hit Aipom, knocking her out. “Oh no! Are you okay, Aipom?” Aipom nodded as she tried to get back up. “No, please! Get some rest for now.”

“So, can I please try and catch her again? If so, I bet Snivy would be ready for battle!” Rainbow suggested as she freaked out and shook her head as Ash’s Snivy gave a glare. “What? Was it something I said?”

“Really?! It’s because your Snivy is a Grass-type! And Grass and Bug Pokemon are weak to Flying-types! Sniivy and Caterpie would be bad choices for this battle! What? You want her to get hurt?!” Misty yelled out.

“No! I don’t! Can you please stop hounding me for being a rookie?!” Rainbow demanded.

“Wait. I thought you didn’t like Caterpie,” Iris reminded.

“What? I may not like him, but I’m not a monster,” Misty said.

“Looks like you care after all,” Ash pointed out.

“No! I don’t,” Misty denied, albeit a bit more reluctantly.

“Anyways, I think I can end this easily. Pikachu. You ready?” Ash asked as Pikachu nodded. “Great! Pikachu, Thunder Shock now!” Pikachu complied as he zapped the Pidgeotto. “Pokéball, Go!” The Pokéball hits its target, Pidgeotto struggles, but she's ultimately caught. “Yes, We got Pidgeotto!” Ash cried out as he posed, with Pikachu mimicking the pose.

“I coulda caught it myself, but it’s cool that you succeeded,” Rainbow said.

“Though the pose is a bit much. Maybe avoid the pose next time,” Iris notes.

“I am the greatest!” Ash cheered as Pikachu and both Snivy appeared to agree.

“You are the worst. You have no idea what you are doing. It’ll be a long time till you’re a Pokémon Master, like, a million years! Same with this Rainbow Dash friend of yours!” Misty protested.

“Hey! He just wanted to catch more Pokemon and have some new friends!” Spike protested.

“Yeah! I don’t see the problem here!” Rainbow agreed.

“I agree with my pals here. I’m trying to…,” Ash said.

“You should try to learn something about Pokémon first. With Pokémon you’ve got to use strategy. Pidgeotto is a bird. Caterpie is a worm. Birds eat worms, Mr. Pokémon Master. Think before you catch it!” Misty pointed out.

“Technically, Ash, Pidgeotto is a Flying type, while Caterpie is a Bug type which is weak against Flying types,” Spike corrected.

"I think Spike makes a good point. Having variety in a Pokemon team is important. However, Misty isn't wrong that we need to be careful with our Pokemon choices here," Iris tried to play mediator.

“See? Iris here kinda agrees with me! What if she tries to eat your Caterpie?!” Misty pointed out.

“Isn’t there special food that Pokemon can eat instead of each other?” Rainbow asked.

“Technically there is, but we don’t have any on us yet. Just regular food,” Spike answered.

“Well, if you work hard and just try hard enough, things will work out, won’t they?” Ash asked.

“NO, Ash! I’m afraid things won’t just work out if you try hard enough. The Pokémon trainer's judgment is more important than anything else and unfortunately for you, the trainer has to have a brain both in and out of battle!” Misty yelled out.

“Are you saying we don’t have brains?!” Rainbow yelled as she approached Misty.

“I wasn’t before, but I’m saying it now!” Misty yelled as she and Rainbow were right in each other’s faces.

“Enough of all this bickering, you guys! What matters here is that we have a new family and team member. Ash can find a way to deal with the dietary issues of his Pokemon later," Spike said.

"Seriously, the more time I spend with you guys, the more I question my choice of sticking around," Iris grumbled.

"Besides, can you really call yourself a master as a Gym Leader when you leave all your Pokemon behind and only bring a Goldeen?” Spike questioned.

“Well, I, uh…,” Misty nervously said as Rainbow grew a smug smile.

Soon, familiar laughter is heard. “Ahahahaha…,” Jessie laughed.

“So, we meet again,” James said smugly.

“I know that voice,” Ash said.

“As do I,” Spike agreed.

“Looks like those Team Rocket jerks aren’t done,” Misty says.

“Team Rocket? You mean those crooks that have wanted posters everywhere in Kanto?” Iris asked.

"Yep," Spike nodded.

“To protect the world from devastation,” Jessie began the motto.

“To unite all peoples within our nation,” James continued.

“To denounce the evils of truth and love.”

“To extend our reach to the stars above.”

“Jessie.”

“James.”

“No. Not this again,” Rainbow was getting annoyed. “You’re telling me we have to deal with these clowns again?!”

"Clowns? Are they really that pathetic?" Iris asked.

"Thankfully, they aren't super strong, but they are annoying!" Rainbow said the last part loudly.

"Hey! Don't call us annoying or interrupt our motto!...Anyways...," James yelled back.

“Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light,” Jessie said.

“Surrender now or prepare to fight,” James began to wrap things up.

“Meowth, that's right,” Meowth finished.

“Wait. They have a Meowth that can speak like a person?!” Iris was shocked to see.

“Yes, but now is not the time to talk about that. Can we deal with you clowns later?” Rainbow asked in annoyance.

“Yeah! We’re kind of busy now, so if you…,” Ash began only to be interrupted.

“Quiet, little boy. We’re not here to listen to you. We’re here to get your Pokémon,” Jessie demanded.

“Hand over that Pikachu. And while you’re at it give us those Snivy that we don’t know much about,” James commanded.

"Uh...Snivy is the Grass-starter from the Unova region. Not that we'll let you steal our Pokemon, right Axew?" Iris asked as Axew nodded.

“Yeah, this is my Pikachu. Go out and find your own,” Ash protested.

“I agree! Go out and catch a Pikachu if you want one so badly! And while you’re at it go to Unova and leave us alone!” Rainbow yelled, causing the trio to fall over comically.

"Wouldn't they be a problem for people there then?" Iris asked.

"Considering how weak they were back then, I'd say no," Spike whispered.

“The only Pikachu we want is that one,” Jessie revealed.

“It’s like we said back in Viridian. We’re only looking for the rarest, most valuable Pokémon in the world, kid,” James said.

“And that special Pikachu is just the kind of Pokémon we need to make it big with the boss!” Jessie cheered.

“You idiots! Stop giving away all our secrets!” Meowth protested as he prepared to use Fury Swipes.

“As if looking for the rarest and most valuable Pokémon is a Team Rocket secret. You already told us what you’re after,” Spike pointed out.

“Yeah! So just get out of here and we can be on our way,” Rainbow said.

"Or we'll be willing to use greater force against you to stop you!" Iris warned.

“I knew Pikachu was strong for his species, but…Is my Pikachu really that special?” Ash wondered.

“Your Pikachu’s power has impressed even me. I really got a charge out of its incredible attack the last time we met. Its powers exceed its evolutionary level. Your Pokémon…,” Meowth said in awe.

“Now you're the one giving away all our secrets!” Jessie yelled as she punched Meowth on the head.

“Shut up before you tell them everything!” James agreed.

“I'm in charge of our trio! Cut it out!” Meowth yelled.

“Is all this really new?” Spike asked.

“Not really. They already told us most of this stuff back in Viridian,” Misty muttered.

"Man, these Team Rocket people really are very nonthreatening, right Axew?" Iris asked as Axew nodded.

“Can we just send them blasting off again and get this over with?” Rainbow suggested.

"Whoa! Another rare Pokemon?! Today is our lucky day!" James cheered.

"I know! With all these Pokemon being given to the boss, his army will grow tenfold!" Meowth agreed.

“Enough talk! Everyone! Make things easy and hand over that Pikachu and his little buddies,” Jessie ordered.

“Forget it!” Ash obviously refused.

“Then you leave us no choice,” James said with a smirk.

“Pokémon battle. Ekans, Go!” Jessie called out her Pokemon.

“Koffing, go get them!” James also called out as both Pokémon materialized.

“Looks like we’re gonna have to fight two on two, Ash. You ready?” Rainbow asked as she sent out Charmander.

“Of course! Pikachu, let’s go!” Ash yelled as Pikachu jumped in front of him.

“Koffing, Sludge attack, now,” James called out as Koffing used the attack to blind not only Charmander, but also Pikachu and both Snivy.

“What a cheap shot! Dratini, come out and help us!” Spike yelled as he sent out his Pokemon, which amazed the trio.

“Wait! That boy has a Dratini?” Jessie was shocked.

“I know right?” James agreed, looking giddy.

“I bet if we catch that Dratini too, we’ll really become a big hit with the boss!” Meowth decided as the trio turned back to the battle.

"That's assuming you can even beat us in a fight. Axew could probably beat you, even with his eyes closed!" Rainbow gloated.

"Um, thanks? But, seriously, I don't know if...," Iris began awkwardly before being interrupted.

“That's not a bad idea there...Koffing, use Sludge once more!” James commanded with a smirk.

“Dratini, dodge it!” Spike yelled out, as the serpent dodged.

“So, you plan on making things difficult? Ekans, use Bite on Dratini!” Jessie yelled as Ekans jumped and bit Dratini, causing pain.

“We can still win this, Dratini! Use Dragon Tail!” Spike ordered as Dratini flung Ekans off of her and was ready to continue fighting.

“Koffing, use Clear Smog while he’s distracted!” James commanded quietly, catching Dratini by surprise and knocking her out.

“No! Dratini!” Spike yelled out as he tried to recall her only for Ekans to block him.

"Sorry, but that Dratini belongs to us now!" Jessie faux apologized.

"And you wanna know why? It's simple. Because we'll steal him!" James agreed.

"First, Dratini is a girl. Second, you won't be getting away with your cruel scheme as long as we can help it!" Iris challenged.

"Does that mean that you and Axew will fight? Because that would be awesome!" Rainbow cried out.

"Yeah! Let's see what you've got!" Spike agreed.

Iris suddenly looked a lot more nervous. "Well.....we're kinda saving some energy for an emergency and...."

"What's not more of an emergency than this?!" Misty countered.

"Come on! Do something, Axew! Please!" Rainbow yelled.

"W-Well...maybe Ash's Pokemon can do something. He has a few, right?" Iris suggested.

“I do. And...If you think you can use your dirty tricks to beat us, you’re wrong,” Ash said as he picks up Pikachu and hands him to Misty. “If what I’m thinking is right, they might try anything to get what they want, but no matter what happens don’t let them have Pikachu, understand? Misty, come on!”

Misty takes Pikachu, before asking, “But what about the other three?”

“Grr! I’d use my Pokemon, but I can’t do anything while they’re blinded!” Rainbow growled.

“So, what’s your big battle plan?” Jessie mockingly asked.

“I can’t send Aipom. It’s too weak from the last battle. Also, I don’t know how battle capable Caterpie is. Pidgeotto, Go!” Ash decided.

As Pidgeotto materialized, she took to the skies very quickly, though she was panting.

“This may be the break we’ve been looking for! Without everyone else here, Pidgeotto taking to the skies and battling from there may be our only chance right now!” Rainbow cheered.

“Yeah, but she’s tired from the last battle,” Spike recalled.

"Perhaps now would be a good time to have Axew battle?" Misty suggested.

"If you're as awesome a Trainer as you say you are, then this should be a breeze!" Rainbow cheered.

"Uh, thanks. But we'll pass," Iris declined.

“Koffing, It’s grime time,” James said sadistically as Koffing used Tackle.

“Ekans, go get dinner!” Jessie agreed as Ekans used Bite.

Thankfully for the group, Pidgeotto dodges both Pokemon.

"Really? REALLY?! We're all in danger of losing our Pokemon friends and you still don't wanna fight?! Are you that heartless or prissy?!" Rainbow yelled.

"N-No! I don't wanna see anyone lose their Pokemon!" Iris said.

"See, Rainbow? Let's not be harsh to Iris here," Spike said.

“Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!” Ash commanded.

“Ekans, go underground with Dig!” Jessie yelled out

“But… Dig is a Ground-type move and it won’t work on Flying-types. What are these three planning?” Spike wondered.

“Pidgeotto, behind you. Watch out!” Ash cried out as he saw Ekans pop up behind Pidgeotto and use Poison Sting, with which Ekans manages to strike.

“Pidgeotto!” Misty cries out in worry.

“We're gonna get a Pokemon!” The Team Rocket trio cheered three times.

“Gust counterattack, now!” Ash yells out as both Pokemon are weakened by Gust, but still standing.

“Koffing, use Clear Smog!” James ordered as Pidgeotto gets knocked out of the sky.

“Pidgeotto, return,” Ash recalls his Pokemon.

“Hey, Ash! Maybe if we defeat the Trainers, we can put a stop to their plans!” Rainbow suggested.

“Let’s give it a shot! I’ll show you. All right, let’s go, put em' up!” Ash charges in to try and fight Team Rocket himself, with Rainbow trying to rush and punch Jessie, only for both members to dodge and push them back.

“Ha! What a fool! In Pokémon battle, only Pokémon can fight each other,” Meowth laughs.

“Are you OK?” Misty asked. “Need me to try and buy you time to escape?” Misty suggested, ready to distract them with Goldeen.

“Guess you’ve got no choice. Let Pikachu and your other Pokemon in and watch Team Rocket win!” Jessie cheered.

Pikachu growled upon hearing this, cheeks containing electricity that was being let out. “No, Pikachu. You can’t battle in this condition,” Misty denied Pikachu out of worry.

“She has a point. Battling without seeing would be difficult. There’s no guarantee we won’t be hurt in the process,” Spike said.

“We have to try!” Rainbow pointed out. "We can't let these jerks win! Send out Axew to battle, right now! Before it's too late!" Rainbow commanded.

"I-I can't," Iris admitted.

"But why?" Spike asked sympathetically.

"Probably because she thinks she's better than us," Rainbow bit back.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," Misty whispered.

"It's not like that!" Iris rejected.

"I agree with Rainbow here! You're wasting possibly our only chance to save our friends over pride and ego?" Ash was annoyed.

"N-No. That's not it!" Iris shot down the idea.

"Then what's your problem then?!" Rainbow demanded.

"The problem is we're weak!" Iris finally admitted, much to the group's shock. "Axew is just a baby and he's still new to battles. He'd be defeated easily," Iris answered with tears in her eyes.

"But...don't you have other Pokemon to battle with too? Like other dragon-types or something?" Misty questioned.

"I only have one other Pokemon and currently he hates me for being weak," Iris admitted. "He won't listen to me no matter what I say or do."

"So...that's why you're avoiding battles then? To avoid losing all the time?" Ash asked.

"Correct. I've tried to fix my issues and grow as a Trainer. However, I currently am not doing so well with that," Iris confirmed.

"I-I had no idea...I'm sorry," Rainbow genuinely apologized.

"So...now that the new twerp is done with her pity party, hand over your Pokemon to us now!" Jessie demanded.

Suddenly, Ash walked forward with a Pokeball in hand.

“You know we can't catch the Pokemon of another Trainer, right?” Misty reminded the group.

“Wait, are you gonna…?” Rainbow realized with Ash was gonna do.

“I don’t know how strong you are yet. But now, Caterpie, you’re my only hope. Just give it your very best shot! Caterpie, go!” Ash sent out Caterpie, who materializes.

“What’s that?” James asked.

“It’s a bug. A measly little bug,” Meowth muttered, unimpressed as Team Rocket laughed.

“Let's get the bug spray,” Jessie mocks as Pikachu and Rainbow’s Charmander both look ready to try fighting.

“Hang in there,” Misty pleads.

"Axew? Have any ideas to get us out of this?" Iris asked, not sue to trust Caterpie's strength or not.

“Come on, little guy! Please be strong!” Spike says as he crosses his fingers.

“Well, maybe I can try another punch,” Rainbow decided.

“Caterpie, String Shot now, followed by Tackle!” Ash commands as the attack binds both Pokemon and Caterpie sends Koffing flying into Ekans with a Tackle.

“Wow! In one hit?!” Spike was amazed.

“I should have known that Caterpie was strong! Sorry I ever doubted you!” Rainbow apologized.

“You doubted him?” Ash asked.

“A little. And once again, I’m sorry,” Rainbow said.

"Yeah...same here. I guess...," Iris noted.

“Beaten by a Caterpie?” James asked in shock.

“That really bugs me,” Jessie says.

“Now watch a real Pokémon in action,” Meowth says, ready to battle. Fortunately for our heroes, Meowth gets webbed up by another String Shot.

“So, looks like you’re out of Pokemon, huh? Looks like we win!” Spike said.

“It’s time Team Rocket blasted off,” Jessie said as she grabbed Meowth and both Team Rocket members recalled their Pokemon.

“You may have won this round, but we’ll be back!” James yelled out in warning.

“Come back anytime. We’ll be glad to beat you,” Misty said.

“We may have had trouble this time, but next time we’ll be ready and have friends!” Rainbow said optimistically.

“Won’t you be annoyed?” Spike asked.

“Maybe once we find out their weaknesses, they can make for good training,” Rainbow suggested.

“We did it! We won our first Pokémon victory fair and square! Caterpie, I’m very proud of you. You really did your best and we won because of you!” Ash said with a smile.

“You’re stronger than you look, Caterpie,” Misty complimented as Pikachu and the other Pokemon agreed, having finally wiped off the gunk.

“Well, Misty. I guess you feel different about Caterpie now,” Ash said with a grin.

“Fear or no fear, I take it you’re finally warming up to him at least,” Rainbow noted.

“Well, I…,” Misty said with a blush.

“So why don’t you two make up. Just pat Caterpie on the head and say thanks for a really great job. You like Pokémon, so it’s only right to congratulate one for doing a good job,” Ash suggested as he picked up Caterpie.

“Yeah! He saved us all back there!” Spike agreed.

"Yeah...I thought we'd lose our Pokemon for sure," Iris said.

“I guess you’re right,” Misty admitted. But as Misty reaches to pet Caterpie, it glows and sprays mist-like silk into the air above it, spooking Misty.

“Caterpie? What...?” Ash was curious. Ash sets Caterpie down.

“It's evolving!” Misty realized, amazed.

"Already? Didn't you say you got him yesterday?" Iris asked.

“Caterpie, this is so great!” Ash was getting excited.

“No wonder he was so strong! I bet if his girlfriend is in the same boat, Fluttershy will have a…?” Rainbow was uncertain as to what the evolved form was called.

“A Metapod,” Twilight said as she and the others had returned to the small group.

“Right! Wait…you guys are back!” Rainbow grew excited.

“Yep! And you’ll never guess what we found, either!” Dawn said happily.

“Well, I’m sure that whatever it is, it can wait,” Spike said.

“But why? Is it because we need to eat still or is it because of the glowin- oh!” Pinkie Pie realized.

The silk encases Caterpie in a shell, creating its evolved form. Afterwards, Ash gets out the Pokedex.

“Metapod. Caterpie’s next stage of evolution. It has encased it's body in a hard shell. This specimen reached this stage faster than any previously discovered Pokémon of this variety.”

“Congratulations, Metapod! And look!” Fluttershy said as she sent out her Metapod. “Your girlfriend evolved as well!” Both Metapod jumped up to each other and snuggled.

“Aw! It’s so cute!” Rarity said.

“And curious that Pokemon we only got yesterday evolved so soon,” Twilight said.

“Hey, maybe that means it could keep on changing and go on to the next stage right away,” Ash said as Pikachu agreed and Snivy shrugged uncertainly. “Nice to meet you, Metapod,” Ash greets his new Pokemon, chuckling. “Not in the mood to talk?”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow said as her Snivy looked curiously at Metapod.

“It could be that his personality changed due to evolution,” Fluttershy suggested.

“Yeah! Professor Oak did say something like that back at the lab,” Twilight agreed.

“I never knew anyone like them. They really do love Pokémon,” Misty said in surprise.

“Misty, you two were just about to make friends. You didn’t forget did you,” Ash reminded the red-head.

“I didn’t forget, but I..,” Misty nervously said.

“I take it you’re still scared of bugs?” Spike asked.

“Uh…,” Misty was uncertain as to what to say next.

“It’s okay if you are,” Applejack comforted.

"Yeah...a little dumb, but understandable," Iris noted as Applejack looked annoyed.

"Seriously?" Applejack asked as Iris blushed.

“To be honest…,” Misty began as another bug Pokemon flies overhead, frightening Misty.

“Well, that’s a yes,” Rainbow said.

“There goes a Beedrill!” Fluttershy said excitedly.

“I know, right? You think there are any more close by?” Twilight asked.

“Um, maybe we should slow it down,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“I agree. Misty looks petrified right now,” Spike pointed out.

“Oh. Sorry,” Both girls apologized.

“I’m not sure if it helped,” Dawn noted.

“Please! I’ll do anything, let's just get out of this forest!” Misty pleaded.

“Not yet, Misty. Besides, there’s still plenty more Pokémon in this forest,” Ash said.

“Oh, but first…what did you have to say earlier?” Rainbow asked.

“Did you manage to catch that Buneary?” Ash asked.

“Kinda. But there’s something else to show you!” Dawn said cheerfully.

“Yeah! Follow us to see a pleasant surprise!” Pinkie Pie cried out as the group walked in the direction they went earlier.

“W-Wait for me!” Misty cried out in fear of more bugs.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few minutes of walking, the group finally made it to the spot where the Buneary was guarding earlier, with Fluttershy’s Eevee standing in front of the spot.

“So, can you tell us what the surprise is?” Rainbow asked impatiently.

“You’ll see!” Dawn said teasingly.

“I do have to ask. Is it related to Pokemon?” Ash asked.

“Kinda!” Fluttershy said gleefully.

"You think they found a cute friendship, Axew?" Iris asked her partner, who shrugged.

“Well, it has Fluttershy happy so it’s probably a good…,” Spike began only for him and pretty much everyone else look happy upon seeing what was in that spot. A bunch of young Eevee. “You found a bunch of Eevee?!” Spike was excited.

As all the Eevee played, Dawn sent out her newly caught Buneary. “It turns out that the Buneary and all these Eevee were pretty much abandoned by their Trainer at some point and Buneary has been watching over them for some time,” Dawn explained.

“So, Fluttershy was able to convince the Buneary here to come with us so long as we have the Eevee stay with us and/or at the Professor’s lab,” Applejack said.

“Well, you can see that we said yes!” Twilight said.

“And look! There’s one for each of us aside from Fluttershy! But she already has one, so it be good!” Pinkie Pie said.

“So, what do you think, Misty? You want an Eevee?” Ash asked.

“Well…I guess I can take one. They are cute and I could always try to have them evolve into a Vaporeon,” Misty decided as the group one by one got out their Pokeballs and caught the Eevee, who were more than happy to go with their new friends.

"Iris?" Ash asked as he got a moment to talk with the girl.

"Yes?" Iris asked.

"Why were you keeping Axew's strength a secret? Don't you trust us?" Ash asked.

"Yeah. It's not like we would have laughed at you or anything," Spike agreed.

"What's that now?" Pinkie asked as she appeared next to the trio.

"W-w-well-I-I," Iris nervously buffered.

"Aw, don't worry darling. We won't laugh or anything. You can tell us," Rarity consoled.

"Yeah! It can't be that bad," Twilight agreed.

"So...what's the problem?" Dawn asked.

"Iris isn't really that great of a Trainer yet and only has one Pokemon other than her baby Axew," Rainbow bluntly said.

"Seriously, Rainbow? You couldn't be any nicer?" Spike snarked.

"Sugarcube? Is Rainbow tellin' the truth?" Applejack kindly asked.

"I-It's the truth. And... I had no way of knowing how you'd all react. Though...it's just...I was scared," Iris admitted.

"Scared of what?" Ash asked.

"I've grown up with very few friends in my life. Even the ones I got don't fully accept everything about me. I feared...you would be more of the same," Iris admitted.

"Well...that's kinda dumb! I may be new to lots of pals, but I have learned that they should accept each other!" Rainbow said.

"Right...," Spike rolled his eyes, not quite trusting that Rainbow would practice what she preached.

"Still, Rainbow has a point. Friends should accept the interests of other friends and not see them as lesser," Twilight agreed.

"We're not gonna laugh or mistreat you for not being the strongest yet! Heck, strong as I may be, I have a ways to go to being a Pokemon Master!" Ash said half-overconfident and half-genuinely.

"So, if you need help reaching your Pokemon's potential and yours as well, we'd be willing to battle and train with you in the meantime," Spike suggested.

"We can get stronger together! It'll be a breeze!" Rainbow agreed.

At this point, Iris and Axew teared up with happiness. "T-Thanks! Soon enough, we'll be able to make it to our true potential and be the greatest dragon-type Trainers in the world!" Iris said as the group all hugged each other.

“I do have one question, though. Why did their past Trainer abandon them? Not only are they cute, but Eevee are rare in Kanto,” Ash asked the group.

“Well…Fluttershy asked and all that the Buneary said is that they abandoned them after talking to a strange group of people. They apparently called themselves members of Team Plasma,” Dawn answered, leaving the group with even more questions.

Author's Notes:

I worked hard to get out the second half of this story. I hope you enjoy. I'll try to get out the next one soon.

Challenge of the Samurai! (Editing)

A few days later…
The gang were getting closer to leaving Viridian Forest and continuing on their respective Pokemon journeys. But for now, the group found a small lake in Viridian Forest just a day away from the forest’s exit and decided to go for a swim.
While Ash was in the changing tent changing into his swimsuit with Spike, the girls were outside of the tent changing into theirs.
“This’ll be fun, right guys?” Ash asked the girls.
“Of course it will be. Being in water with all the Water-Pokemon is sure to be a blast!” Misty said.
“I agree. Maybe we can even find ourselves some new Pokemon pals while we’re here,” Iris suggested.
“That would be great! For all we know we can make some Pokemon pals who will invite their friends and their friends to join us! I can't wait!" Pinkie cheered.
"But…are you sure we should be going into this water? I mean, there’s no telling if the water is even clean, right?” Dawn asked.
"Agreed. The water could be filled with parasitic organisms!" Rarity noted.
"Or...it could be just water with a possible Psyduck," Rainbow grumbled.
“Hey, it’s not like going into this water will kill us, right? It’ll be harmless to take a dip, right Iris?” Ash asked the wild child.
“It should be. I wouldn’t want to add germaphobe to the list of annoyances I’ll face with you guys, right Axew?” Iris asked as Axew nodded.
"Iris has a point. It's not like the water was poisoned or something, right Twilight?" Applejack asked.
"True. Though honestly, we can't know for sure without testing it. Oh, if only I had my basement's science kit! I could find out what organisms-," Twilight got into science mode.
"Twilight? You're doing it again," Spike pointed out from inside the tent.
"Oh...right!" Twilight blushed as she finished changing.
In a few minutes, everyone but Misty were in their swimsuits, ready to take a break from their trek through the forest.
“Alright! I’ve gotten changed and by now the girls should have changed as well. Let’s go, Pikachu!” Ash cried out as he and his partner began to run out of the tent with Spike following…only for both Snivy to push them back with Vine Whip and Piplup with Bubblebeam.
“Hold on a second, Ash! We’re not all ready yet!” Dawn cried out.
“Yeah! For some reason, Misty hasn’t changed yet," Twilight said.
"And I can tell that she’s the type to get angry if you see her naked. Just give us a few more minutes and we can swim,” Iris warned.
"Then why not change with us? She's holding up our swim time right now!" Rainbow groaned.
“Actually, you won’t have to worry about that, Ash. I can even get changed with you out here and you won’t see anything,” Misty said as she removed her outfit, her swimsuit being on underneath her clothes. “Tada! I’m ready!”
“Wait! You have your swimsuit underneath your clothes?” Dawn asked the red-head.
“Of course. I mean, I’m a Water-type Gym Leader and I’m bound to be in water a good amount of the time, so I figured it would be easier to have my swimsuit on at all times rather than waste time changing. Better than getting seen naked by some perv while changing into it all the time,” Misty explained as the other girls and Ash blushed briefly.
"Not a bad idea there. Perhaps we spould take some notes for changing clothes in this new world, girls?" Rarity asked.
"Well...it may be a good idea to do," Fluttershy agreed.
“So, can Pikachu and I get out of the tent now? We really want to get to swimming!” Ash asked.
"Yeah! We can talk about this extra clothing junk later!" Rainbow complained.
"I gree' with Rainbow here. Can we move on?" Applejack asked.
“I guess there's nothing holding us back anymore," Twilight noted.
"Yes, you can, Ash!” Dawn answered.
“Perfect!” Ash said as he, Spike, and Pikachu left their tent, only to start blushing in response to seeing how cute the girls looked in their swimwear.
“Is something the matter, Ash?” Iris asked the teen boy.
"Yeah...you look like how I do around Ra-," Spike began only to blush as he saw Rarity and began to look away.
“Oh! I-It’s nothing!” Ash lied.
“I doubt it’s nothing, Ash. Your face is all red,” Dawn pointed out.
“T-Then maybe I have a fever. But it’s no big deal! I can still swim!” Ash lied once more.
“Oh, I get it! You think we look attractive, don’t you?” Misty teased.
“N-No! It’s not that! I-I just got distracted by a Pokemon!” Ash lied.
"Ohh! A Pokemon? Where?!" Pinkie asked.
"Um...maybe they already left?" Fluttershy suggested.
"More like there wasn't one at all...," Applejack snarked.
“I agree. I know you well enough, Ash, to know that that isn’t the case. You blushed just like this the one time we shared a bath when there wasn’t much water at my house during our sleepover,” Dawn said with a mischievous grin.
“Don’t mention that, please!” Ash blushed even more as Pikachu looked sympathetic and Snivy shook her head.
“Look, if it makes you feel any better, Ash, we won’t judge you for finding us cute. It may even be seen as a bit flattering,” Iris pointed out.
"Yeah! There's no reason to be uncomfortable liking the way a lady looks....within reason," Rarity said.
“Just don’t do anything creepy or perverted and we’ll be fine,” Misty agreed.
“Well…Okay, fine. You all are cute. But don’t get all big headed about it. It’s not like it means anything. Now, let’s just get to swimming,” Ash admitted as he sent out his Pokemon and then jumped into the lake, with Pikachu jumping in with him.
“Okay then. Axew, you wanna jump in too?” Iris asked as Axew shook his head nervously, being scared of jumping in. “Oh, I see. Well, if you want I can just help you get into some shallow water until you feel braver,” Iris suggested as she gave her partner a sympathetic look. Axew agreed to the idea and Iris placed Axew into the shallow end of the water where he could wade safely. Iris, meanwhile, joined Axew after jumping into the water.
“You know, having gotten used to the water over the years, I can dive into almost any pool of water gracefully,” Misty claimed.
“Really? Let’s see you do that,” Ash challenged.
“Fine. I’ll show you, Mr. Pokemon Master,” And so, Misty dived gracefully into the water headfirst, popping up a few seconds later. “See? Graceful.”
“Right…So, Dawn? You gonna join us or are you gonna sit on the sidelines?” Iris asked as Axew splashed her with some water.
“Um? Can I wait for a minute, please?” Dawn asked the wild girl.
“Seriously? You just wasted a few minutes changing into your swimsuit and you aren’t going to jump in or even swim? Are you still worried about the water being hygienic?” Iris sighed in annoyance.
“K-Kinda. I know it’s probably fine, but I don’t want to take that risk yet,” Dawn admitted.
“Are you kidding?! Why even bother changing then?!” Iris was annoyed.
“To be fair, Dawn has always been a bit worried about her health and being clean in the past. As annoying as it can be, I’ve done my best to be patient with her,” Ash explained.
“Thanks a lot, Ash,” Dawn grumbled, half accepting but half annoyed.
“If she doesn’t wanna swim, she doesn’t have to swim,” Ash said.
“Uh huh. But she’ll be missing out if she decides to stay on the sidelines,” Misty said as she swam around the edges of the lake to get some exercise.
“I…guess I can give swimming in this lake a try. What do you make of it, Piplup?” Dawn asked her partner who was sitting next to her, longing to jump in and have fun. Piplup talked for a moment, leaving Dawn confused due to the language barrier.
“He’s asking if you can please go swimming with him. He’d go in either way, but he doesn’t want you missing out on this fun time,” Iris translated as the others looked at her. “What? He really said that! I’m just trying to be helpful here.”
Dawn laughed for a moment before deciding, albeit reluctantly, “O-Okay then. I’ll go in. I need to get used to swimming like this anyway.” And so, Dawn dipped a toe into the cool water. In a few seconds, she began to get used to the water and dipped the rest of her foot into it. Dawn, upon getting used to it, found the water cool and refreshing and eased the rest of her body in. Dawn swam in place for a few moments before her nervousness started to fade and she became relaxed. “This really is refreshing.”
“See? The water won’t bite,” Ash reassured.
“Yeah! Once again, I turned out to be right,” Iris gloated a bit.
“What’s important is that Dawn took a big step towards getting used to swimming in lake water,” Misty noted.
“Yep. Though, admittedly I still am a bit uncomfortable. But, for you guys and Piplup, I’ll be willing to at least try,” Dawn admitted as Piplup jumped in joyfully.
“Sounds good! Now, let’s get to relaxing!” Ash cried out.
“Oh! Since I’m here, I send out…Buneary! Come on out and join us!” Dawn throws a Pokeball, Buneary materializes as she pops out and sees Pikachu, having hearts in her eyes as she does so. “Hey. Why are you looking at Pikachu. Are you…in love?” Dawn asked, looking a bit excited.
“Well, Pikachu, looks like you’ve got yourself an admirer! How does it feel?” Misty asks, as Pikachu looks awkward when Buneary nuzzles up next to him.
“Okay? So, this is happening. Well…I guess it’s no big deal she feels this way about Pikachu. But maybe Buneary should calm down a bit. She does seem to be coming on a bit strong,” Ash said as Pikachu nodded awkwardly.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And so, the group spent a good hour relaxing in the lake, spending the time swimming, resting, and, in Ash’s case, taking some time to begin training his Pokemon to fight underwater in case it was necessary. Pikachu and Snivy did decently, though Metapod and Pidgeotto did poorly.
“This has been really fun, you guys. I’m really enjoying our swim,” Dawn admitted.
“See? Kinda makes you feel silly for acting like you did earlier, right?” Iris asked half-teasingly.
“I guess…,” Dawn said with a blush.
Suddenly, Misty’s stomach growled, causing the girl to blush in embarrassment.
“Well, I did see a tree filled with Oran berries a little bit down the path. Why don’t you go get one?” Dawn asked.
“Um…,” Misty was nervous for a moment.
“The berries should be fine to eat, Misty,” Iris confirmed with Axew backing her up.
“Okay. I’ll be back in a minute,” Misty said as she got out of the lake.
“Anyways, it sounds cool that you three all have some goal in mind, even if you don’t have all your answers yet,” Iris said.
“Hey, I bet you have a goal as cool as ours are,” Ash said.
“Yeah! Even if it isn’t the grandest, it’s still gotta be important to you,” Dawn agreed.
“Yeah…right,” Iris said awkwardly.
“Speaking of which, if you don't mind, what exactly is your goal, Iris?” Ash questioned.
“M-My goal…?” Iris nervously wondered what to say for a moment.

“What's wrong now?” Ash asked.

“Is it those Team Rocket folks again?” Applejack asked.

“Is it a dangerous Pokemon like a Beedrill?” Fluttershy asked.

“Don’t remind me!” Misty freaked out.

“I think that it may be her Entomophobia kicking in again,” Twilight noted.

“Oh! What bug do you think it is this time?” Pinkie Pie asked as Rarity covered her mouth before she could say anything more.

“No offense, darling, but maybe we be quiet about bugs in front of Misty,” Rarity whispered.

“It could be worse. At least we’re leaving the forest soon,” Dawn noted.

“So, what is it Misty? Is it another bug?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes! I think I see another bug! Gross!” Misty admitted.

“Wanna bet it’s a COWterpie?” Pinkie Pie joked, trying to lighten the mood. However, everyone falls over at Pinkie's terrible joke.

“Can you not make a joke that bad again, Pinkie? That was terrible,” Ash noted as his Snivy shook her head.

“Yeah! No offense, Pinkie, but that joke wasn’t very good,” Twilight said.

“It kinda stunk,” Rainbow bluntly said as Applejack lightly shoved her for her mean comment.

“And kinda offensive considering Misty’s fear of bugs,” Rarity noted.

“You better believe it is! That's not funny! You know I hate bugs and I saw one right over there!” Misty yelled out as everyone looked over to a small worm-like Pokemon.

“You mean another worm?” Rainbow snarked.

“That’s not a worm. It’s…,” Dawn began.

“A Weedle!” Fluttershy cooed.

“A Pokemon that doubles as a weed?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“No, Pinkie. It’s another Bug-type that has double stingers on their body. They also evolve into a giant bee called a Beedrill. I’m kinda surprised to see one out here. After all, Weedle are usually around the evolved form at this stage of life, unlike Caterpie,” Twilight noted.

“A giant bee, huh?” Rainbow was getting interested as she got out her Pokedex.

“Weedle. The stinger on this Pokémon's head guarantees that any attacker will get the point right where it hurts.”

“Two stingers, huh? Now there's a challenge,” As was getting interested.

“I can help you catch him. I kinda would like getting a giant bee on our team,” Rainbow was also invested as she turned to her Snivy, who was looking nervous.

“Why are you excited about a bug with two stingers? Make it go away!” Misty protested.

“You gotta be kidding! You can't possibly expect a Pokémon trainer worth talking about like me to let a Weedle escape. I'm gonna catch it!” Ash protests as reaches for a Pokéball.

“You’re not worth talking about yet, you know!” Misty reminded.

“Yes we are! We’ll be piling up victory after victory in no time!” Rainbow yelled out.

“Bit big-headed of you, eh Rainbow Dash?” Applejack muttered.

“Hey!”

“Now, now. Misty has a point. We need to earn our Pokemon Master status. This is just one of the early obstacles we need to overcome.” Ash, fortunately, realizes his mistake before he makes it. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot! You have to weaken a Pokémon before you can capture it. Let's go, Pikachu.”

To everyone’s disbelief, they see Pikachu sleeping, wanting to take a nap after a few hours of walking.

“Did we really walk that much?” Spike wondered.

“I don’t know. Still, walking around and being much smaller than us would definitely add up,” Dawn noted.

“The poor little fella must be tired. Let him take a rest, Ash,” Fluttershy said.

“I got it. Besides, I have a lot of other Pokemon ready to battle with. And I know the perfect fit for battling the Weedle,” Ash said.

“I know what you’re gonna say. Snivy, let’s…,” Rainbow began.

“Pidgeotto, I choose you!” Ash called out as he sent out his Pokemon, the bird materializing.

“Oh, r-right,” Rainbow corrected with a blush as Snivy sighed in relief. “Don’t worry, girl. We’ll fight the next Pokemon we run across.”

“Did you seriously expect to fight a Bug with a Grass-type?” Rarity asked.

“No!” Rainbow defended herself.

Misty notices the Weedle is right next to her and screams. “Don't just stand there, catch it!”

“It’s good that Ash is taking into account type matchups. I just hope Rainbow will learn something from this,” Twilight said to Spike.

“Knowing her, it will take a while,” Spike muttered.

“Pidgeotto, Gust attack!” Ash called out. The attack lands and blows the Weedle back. “That's the way to do it!”

“Is it just me or did Misty just vanish?” Dawn asked, noticing that Misty was gone.

“I think she’s still here. She’s just a distance away,” Spike pointed to her being a few feet away.

“Her fear of bugs is really starting to get on my nerves. Still, it will be cool to have a new Pokemon to battle with in a few minutes,” Rainbow noted.

“Come on, Ash! Take him down!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

Meanwhile, Misty was hiding behind a tree like Spike pointed out. “This whole forest is crawling with slimy, disgusting Pokémon. I wish they'd all just bug off!” Suddenly, a young man leaps out of the bushes in a samurai helmet and points his katana at Misty.

“HIIIIII-YAAAAA!!! Greetings, oh shrieking maiden. Are you by chance the Pokémon trainer who comes from Pallet?” The strange man asks.

“No. That's not me!” Misty nervously answered.

“Alas, my search continues. I advise you to refrain from further shrieking while passing through this forest, unless your goal is to attract a horde of Beedrills,” The Samurai warned as he walked on.

“What a weird kid! I wonder why he'd be looking for a Pokémon trainer from…,” Misty wondered before she gasped. “That's Ash!”

Meanwhile, the Weedle charges with its front stinger pointed at Pidgeotto. “Uh oh. That Weedle is using that two inch stinger Twilight mentioned,” Dawn warned.

“Still, being as small as he is he can’t do much,” Rarity noted.

“Of course he can’t, Rarity,” Spike agreed with a lovestruck grin.

“Uh, remember that both Caterpie we have easily defeated bigger Pokemon on their own,” Applejack pointed out.

“Fair, but Weedle can’t use much except for his poison,” Twilight reminded the group.

“Pidgeotto, watch out for its Poison Sting!” Ash warned, Pidgeotto dodging in time. “Ha! Nice work!” Pidgeotto swoops in and knocks Weedle against a tree. “Okay, here we go,” Ash said as he gets out a Pokéball. “Weedle, I've got you now!” Suddenly, the Samurai approached Ash.

“Uh, who is that guy?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know. But his armor definitely looks stunning,” Rarity noted.

“I think it’s cool. But why is he here at this point?” Rainbow wondered.

“I dunno. Maybe he’s off on a world saving journey?” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Greetings. Am I addressing the Pokémon trainer who comes from Pallet?” The Samurai asked.

“I'm a Pokémon trainer from Pallet, but I'm a little busy catching a Pokemon for me and my friend. We can talk in a minute,” Ash answered.

“I have found you at last!” The Samurai said happily as he unsheathed his katana.

“Ash!!” Misty and Dawn cried out in worry, Ash’s Snivy giving a glare after getting over her shock.

“Look out, he's drawing his sword!” Rainbow cried out as she rushed and punched the guy in the face.

“Ow! What was that for, less than fair maiden?” The Samurai asked.

“You’re threatening my friend with that sword, of course!” Rainbow yelled out.

“Technically it’s a katana,” Twilight whispered.

“Not the time,” Spike whispered.

“I’m doing no such thing!” The Samurai yelled out. “Now then, back to business.”

Ash turns and sees the stranger point his katana at him. “That sword doesn't scare me! There's no way you're stealing my Pokémon!”

“I am no Pokémon thief like those dishonorable Team Rocket grunts,” The Samurai noted.

“Well, that’s a relief. Just give Ash a minute and we can continue talking,” Dawn said.

“Who are you then?” Misty asked.

“Am I suddenly invisible?” Dawn grumbled to Ash’s Snivy and Pikachu, who had just woken up. Snivy gave a sympathetic look while Pikachu gave her a smile.

“I am Samurai. I am also shrewd, fearless, and completely invincible in combat. I have been searching the forest for you,” The Samurai revealed.

“Kinda literal name there,” Applejack whispered.

“Still, at least he wears it well,” Rarity whispered back.

“I’ll make this quick, but what do you want from me?” Ash was curious.

“A Pokémon match! Let us see who triumphs,” The Samurai answered as Pikachu cried, looking ready for battle.

“Perfect! That should be fun! Just let me catch this Weedle and we can get-,” Ash said only to be interrupted.

“Wow, Ash! I didn’t know that you wanted Weedle to slither off!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Oh no!” Ash yelled out as he turned and saw Weedle trying to escape. “I'll get it! Pokéball, go!” Ash throws the Pokéball, but the Weedle escapes.

“This is a classic case of why it's important to focus on what you're doing before turning your attention to something else,” Twilight said.

“Not everything has to be a lesson, Twilight,” Rainbow grumbled in annoyance. “Now where are we gonna get a Beedrill?”

“We can always see if there is one in the forest to catch,” Pinkie suggested.

“I’d rather not!” Misty protested.

“Seeing as how Beedrill are quite hostile, maybe we’re better off without one,” Dawn agreed.

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry I wanted one,” Fluttershy apologized meekly.

“Pidgeotto, return!” Ash recalled his Pokemon. “You know, that Weedle only got away because you mixed me up. Next time, wait to talk to me or anyone else.”

“Don't blame your failure on me. Your Pokémon handling is dimwitted and clumsy,” The Samurai protested.

“Hey! We’re not bad Trainers! We could beat the sword off you easily!” Rainbow protested as her Snivy nodded.

“Katana,” Twilight said.

“Not now!” Rainbow yelled in annoyance.

“I have to agree with Rainbow. I have a full team of six Pokemon. I have an advantage,” Ash said.

“There is one way to find out,” The Samurai noted.

“A battle, huh?” Rainbow was intrigued.

“You’re on!” Ash agreed.

“Can we not? I want out of this forest!” Misty protested.

“Maybe we should get out of the forest first?” Fluttershy suggested nervously.

“We can have the battle out of it, like Fluttershy said,” Dawn agreed.

“Why when we can battle here and now?” The Samurai declined as Ash got ready for battle.

Soon, both combatants are ready.

“Let’s begin the ba-,” Rainbow said.

“WAIT!” Pinkie Pie interrupted.

“What is it, Pinkie?” Dawn asked.

“We need a referee to judge the match,” Pinkie Pie answered.

“But who could do that? None of us have any experience,” Applejack pointed out.

“Why not let Twilight do it? She’s read the rule book inside and out,” Rarity suggested.

“Yeah! She can do it!” Spike agreed, confident in his sister’s abilities.

“Well… I guess I can give it a try. I wasn’t able to do so back in Viridian City, so I guess I can try now. This will be an all out match! Each trainer will use all the Pokémon they have at their disposal until either trainer has no Pokémon left. Samurai! Ash! Let the battle begin!” Twilight decided.

“Pidgeotto, do your stuff!” Ash said as he sent out his Pokemon. As Pidgeotto emerged from the Pokéball, it was sprawled to the ground and panted out. “Uh oh. She still hasn’t recovered from battling that Weedle.”

“Ash, don't you know that you have to let your Pokémon rest once in a while, especially once a battle is over!” Misty yelled out as if it was common knowledge.

“Well, I…,” Ash awkwardly said.

“Only a novice goes into battle with a pooped out Pokémon! Your blunder will cost you dearly!” Samurai noted smugly.

“It’s okay. You’re still new to being a Trainer like I am,” Dawn comforted Ash.

“Yeah! I bet you’ll remember to give your Pokemon rest in the future!” Pinkie Pie agreed.

“I’ve heard that there was a Pallet Town maiden that was into Contests. Am I right to assume it is you that I’ve heard about?” Samurai asked.

“Of course! My name is Dawn and I plan on becoming a Top Pokemon Coordinator! I take it you wanna battle me too?” Dawn confidently said.

“Not really. And, sorry to say, but I believe that a maiden such as you shouldn’t sully the name of the town of Pallet with such a decision,” Samurai commented.

“Why you…!” Dawn growled.

“Everyone has the right to their own decision! You shouldn’t talk down to us for being interested in Contests!” Rarity argued.

“Look, maybe you can save the argument for after the battle?” Applejack interrupted.

“I agree with the Miltank girl. Let’s begin! Pinsir, assume battle mode!” Samurai called out as he threw his Pokeball and Pinsir materialized.

“Whoa! He's got a Pinsir!” Ash was amazed.

“I-It looks terrifying!” Misty shivered in fear.

“I think he looks cool, personally,” Rainbow said. “Unfortunately for him, he’s gonna lose!” At this, Rainbow gets Dexter out.

“Pinsir. This fearsome Pokémon uses its powerful claws to put the squeeze on its opponents.”

“That Pinsir looks pretty tough,” Spike notes.

“I can tell from the looks of it that yer not kidding,” Applejack said.

“Yeah! I’ve read that thing can lift things that are twice its own weight! Seeing that a Pinsir weighs 121.3 pounds, that means it can lift 242.6 pounds! Phew! Who knew nature can be so fascinating,” Fluttershy said in awe.

“It may be strong, but Pidgeotto can beat it! At least…I hope she can. Pidgeotto, Sand Attack!” Ash commands his Pokemon. The attack envelopes Pinsir in a cloud of sand.

“That might be smart,” Twilight noted.

“In what way?” Rainbow asked.

“By blinding that Pinsir, their accuracy is lowered and is also more likely to miss with future attacks,” Twilight answered.

“That sounds great! Keep it up, Ash!” Pinkie cheered.

“I just hope Ash decides to take to the skies and fight from a distance. It may be the only way to win at this point,” Dawn noted.

“I just wish it was something I could still do,” Rainbow muttered to herself sadly.

“Now, Pidgeotto, take to the skies and then use Gust!” Ash cried out, as Pidgeotto knocked back Pinsir by the wind. “Perfect! Now, fly in close and use Aerial Ace!” Pidgeotto was quick to make the dash into Pinsir.

“Pinisir, try to use your Focus Blast!” Samurai called out. Pinsir shot out a blue orb at Pidgeotto, before the bird disappeared for a moment much to most everyone’s confusion, before returning to dash into him causing a lot of damage.

“Wait. Why risk going in close with that attack?” Applejack asked.

“And why did Pidgeotto disappear for a moment?” Rarity agreed.

“That’s just how Aerial Ace works,” Twilight noted.

“Huh?” Most of the other girls were confused.

“I’ll tell you. You see, Aerial Ace is a move that is guaranteed to hit once called. It cannot be dodged. The only way to evade is to try and counter with your own attack,” Twilight answered.

“So that’s why Ash chose to go for it. He’s gonna win this for certain!” Rainbow cheered confidently.

“Maybe. The attack was a Flying-type move, making it super-effective against Pinisr. However, Pidgeotto is still tired,” Fluttershy reminded everyone.

“Ash better recall Pidgeotto, before she gets hurt,” Dawn noted.

“Are you okay, Pinsir?” After getting confirmation, the Samurai said with a smirk, “That's child's play! Pinsir, X-Scissor it!”

“Dawn may have a point. Pidegeo-,” Ash began only for X-Scissor to hit, the attack knocks Pidgeotto out in one strike.

“Pidgeotto is unable to continue! Pinsir is the winner!” Twilight made the call.

“In one strike, with a bad type matchup too. Ash may be in trouble,” Dawn noted in worry.

“Don’t worry, Dawn! Ash can still win this and we can have a party to celebrate his first full win!” Pinkie Pie comforted.

“Yeah, and keep in mind that Pidgeotto was already tired beforehand,” Applejack reminded.

“Also, Pinsir was hit super-effectively twice. Pinsir won’t last much longer,” Rarity agreed.

Samurai laughs, “Your Pokémon is beaten! Not bad so far, but I’m afraid you won’t beat me, Novice!”

“Oh no. Pidgeotto, return!” Ash said as Pidgeotto is recalled.

“Novice, are you ready to surrender?” Samurai asked confidently.

“No way, I'm just warming up. Metapod, I choose you, now!” Ash cried out as Metapod materialized.

“Watch and weep as Pinsir crushes your Metapod in half!” Samurai gloats.

“No!” Ash is horrified as he imagines what Pinsir's claws could do to Metapod. “Those claws… Maybe I should send out Aipom or even Pikachu.”

“Good idea, Ash! Call off Metapod. Not even a bug deserves this,” Misty calls out in genuine concern.

“This looks bad, right Twilight? I mean, Metapod isn’t able to attack, right?” Spike asked his older sister.

“Well…,” Twilight was uncertain how to respond.

“To be honest, I’ve heard that some Metapod can still use their Tackle and String Shot moves with enough practice. The question is if Ash’s can,” Fluttershy said, hoping Ash’s could still attack.

“Metapod, use Tackle on Pinsir!” Ash cried out as Metapod dashed into Pinsir, causing some damage.

“Perfect! Metapod can fight back!” Rarity was relieved.

“Yeah! Considering that Metapod isn’t very mobile, I was worried he’d get hurt,” Fluttershy sighed in relief.

“But Pinsir is still standing. Metapod may still be in trouble,” Spike reminded the group.

“Yeah…Wait! All Metapod can still use Harden, right? Ash can still defend Metapod!” Dawn realized.

“This match has already been won! Pinsir, use Vice Grip!” Samurai cried out as he had Pinsir prepare to lift Metapod.

“Metapod, Harden, now!” Ash calls out as Metapod Hardens just as Pinsir picks it up. Right on cue, the pointy ends on Pinsir's claws fail to break Metapod..

“It worked! Metapod is still standing!”

“Great! Now, Metapod, use your Tackle once more!” Ash cried out as Pinsir is tackled into and knocked out.

“Pinsir is unable to continue! Metapod is the winner!” Twilight makes the call.

“Great! Ash was able to find a way to turn things around! If only I was as good at doing the same…,” Spike notes sadly.

“What was that, Spikey?” Rarity asked, not certain what she just heard.

“Oh, nothing!” Spike dismissed nervously.

“You know, Spike, if y’all ever want to talk to us about anything, we will be more than happy to listen,” Applejack said.

“Yeah! We don’t want you feeling down about stuff,” Fluttershy agreed.

“Maybe later I can go back to Equestria to get you a gem-cake to cheer you up,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Thanks, but uh…,” Spike began.

“Humans can’t eat gems like dragons can, Pinkie,” Twilight answered.

“So, now who's the novice?” Ash confidently asked.

“Yeah! You’re down one Pokemon out of… whatever you have left!” Rainbow agreed. “Isn’t that right, Snivy?” At this, Snivy gives a nod.

“I have two other Pokemon remaining compared to your five. But the battle isn’t over yet. Pinsir, return!” Pinsir is recalled. “Pokéball, go!” A Metapod materializes.

“Another Metapod,” Ash noted.

“This battle will be so cool, girls! A Metapod on Metapod battle! Which one do you think will win?” Pinkie cried out excitedly.

“Yeah, but remember, not all Pokemon are on equal footing just for being the same species,” Dawn warned.

“What do ya mean?” Rainbow asked.

“She means that Samurai’s Metapod could be weaker or stronger than Ash’s. Whatever the case is for this one will decide the battle,” Misty answered.

“Go ahead and fight back against us, Novice! We’ll be ready for all of your Tackle attacks,” Samurai boasted.

“We’ll see about that,” Ash challenged back. “Metapod, use your Tackle attack!”

“Metapod, Harden, right now!” Samurai called out. And, to everyone’s surprise, Samurai’s Metapod was able to endure the attack.

“What the-?!” Rainbow was shocked.

“I guess the answer may be that Samurai’s Metapod is the stronger one?” Spike mumbled.

“Silly Novice! I’ve trained my Metapod well, more than well enough to take plenty of hits from your pathetic Metapod!” Samurai revealed.

“Looks like Ash may be in trouble from a battling perspective,” Rarity noted nervously.

“Ash still has the advantage. After all, he still has plenty of other Pokemon to battle with,” Applejack reminded.

“We might be in trouble if we can’t deal much damage against Samurai’s Metapod. Metapod, re-,” Ash called out as he prepared to recall his Metapod. However, before he recalled him, Metapod looked to Ash confidently, looking as though he still wanted to battle. “Are you sure?” At this, Metapod nodded. “Well, okay. Metapod, use another Tackle attack!”
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is wandering around the forest in a tank they made.

“I'm tired!” James complained as he walked on.

“James, stop whining!” Jessie yelled.

“But, Jessie, what's the point of dragging this tank around?” James asked.

“To protect us from Beedrills. Ever been stung by one? It hurts!” Jessie reminded her partner in crime.

“Hey, down there! Quit chattering! Get a move on!” Meowth cried out rudely.

“What are you doing up there?!” Jessie demanded.

“Why don't you come help us?” James agreed, angrily.

“Wish I could, but due to my height being only a foot and four inches, I'm riding lookout,” Meowth answered smugly.

“Well, look out for this!” Jessie yelled and she grabbed Meowth and threw him off the tank.

“Hey, wait a second! Come back! Meowth!” Meowth cried out as he ran after the human duo.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, the battle is still a standstill…

“Use your Tackle attack, full power once more!” Ash cried out as his tired Metapod rushed at Samurai’s Metapod.

“Metapod, full power Harden!” Samurai cried out, blocking the attack once more.

Meanwhile, Misty, having been getting a tan until now, finally spoke up. “We could be stuck in this forest for the rest of our lives. Boys can be so stubborn. Why can’t they just use different Pokemon?”

“Hey! Not all boys are stubborn, Misty,” Spike protested.

“Maybe, but plenty are,” Rarity agreed. “No offense, Spikey.”

“None taken,” Spike sighed dreamily.

“If a’m bein’ honest, Rainbow Dash here is also pretty stubborn herself,” Applejack pointed to the brash girl.

Rainbow, who until now was watching the battle intensely, turned to Applejack and yelled, “Hey! Don’t forget that you’re pretty stubborn yourself, Applejack! Remember how you stayed up for over a week during Applebuck season?”

Applejack, at this, blushed horribly.

“Look, let’s not fight, please,” Fluttershy pleaded.

“You know what? Fluttershy here is right. We need to not argue amongst ourselves. Still, this battle has been going on for far too long,” Dawn admitted as she shook her head.

“Should we try to call off the battle?” Rarity asked.

“What do you think, Twilight?” Spike asked his older sister.

“Well…they have been stuck in an endless attack and defend cycle for a while now. Let me see if there is an official rule that can end the battle,” Twilight said as she got out her book and looked through it.

Finally, Ash and Samurai collapse like statues, finally having gotten tired. “Don't, give, up!” Ash gasped out in exhaustion.

At last, Misty has had enough, yelling, “You two are more hard headed than your Metapods! Can we please move on and get out of this forest, please?!”

“But we were just battling!” Ash countered.

“Maybe…but to be fair, this battle has gone on long enough. Just call it a draw and move on-,” Dawn suggested.

“What?! But what about completing the battle?! We can't just let this Samurai punk have the last laugh after all this!” Rainbow yelled.

“To be fair, Rainbow, we’re not goin’ anywhere fast staying here and fighting a losing battle,” Applejack reminded.

“You know, we could just call it a draw and skip to our remaining Pokemon,” Dawn suggested.

“Good idea, Dawn! What do you think, Twilight?” Spike asked…only to see that Twilight was still pouring over her rule book.

“You know what, Metapod? I think they’re right. You did your best and that’s what matters most. Now…what Pokemon should I choose to battle with next?” Ash wondered as he looked over his Pokeballs.

“You know what? I’ve had enough of spectating. I wanna be a part of this battle, Samurai!” Rainbow cried out as she placed her Snivy in front of Samurai’s Metapod. “Now, Snivy, let’s win ourselves a battle!”

“Less than fair maiden, you’ll see that this battle was a poor decision on your part! Metapod, return! Scyther, slice and dice your way to victory!” Samurai said as he recalled one Pokemon and sent out his final Pokemon. Immediately, Rainbow’s Snivy looked on nervously at the tougher opponent.

“Ha! There’s no way Snivy and I are gonna lose to some insect without putting on a strong fight first! Let’s go!” Rainbow cried out as her Snivy looked on at her opponent in fear. Ash’s Pikachu and Snivy looked at the sight and looked on protectively, with Ash’s Snivy looking mad at Rainbow’s behavior.

“Uh, Rainbow? Maybe you should be a bit nicer to your Snivy there. She looks scared right now,” Fluttershy noted quietly.

“You know, Fluttershy has a point. Maybe you should battle with a different Pokemon, Rainbow,” Dawn agreed.

“The last thing we should do is make the poor dear feel bullied into a fight,” Rarity said.

“What?! I’m just trying to show her and everyone else that she’s a cool and powerful Pokemon, that’s all!” Rainbow countered, not wanting to believe she was being a jerk.

“Rainbow…,” Applejack growled warningly.

“Rainbow, please don’t be a meanie pants,” Pinkie Pie pleaded.

“I’d fight with Charmander if I were you,” Spike noted as he suddenly started to hear something in the distance. “Huh? Anyone else hear that?”

“Hear what?” Twilight asked as she got out of looking over the book and listened carefully. She then noticed that the sound, that being a buzzing sound, was getting louder.

“Huh? What's that noise?” Misty asked nervously. “Please tell me that isn’t what I think it is.”

“I’m afraid so. It's a Beedrill swarm approaching us!” Fluttershy confirmed as she pointed to a swarm of Beedrill.

“Correct, dear and sweet maiden! A Beedrill swarm approaches, Our match must end, not so fair maiden! Scyther, return!” Samurai recalls his Scyther. “The Weedle that got away from you has informed the rest of its kind! Good day!” At this, Samurai runs off.

“Please tell me they’re peaceful Beedrill that don’t wanna hurt us,” Rarity said pleadingly.

“I can hear them, and apparently they plan on fighting the one who attacked their baby,” Fluttershy noted.

“Seriously?!” Spike was annoyed.

“Looks like the Samurai was right about that,” Dawn mumbled.

“Yeah, and we might have avoided this whole thing if the Samurai didn’t interrupt us,” Rainbow muttered.

“To be fair, we could have paid better attention…,” Ash was feeling conflicted over whether or not this was his fault or not.

“Looks like we might have ta fight them. How many are there?” Applejack questioned.

Twilight looks at the swarm before answering, “I think there might be over 50 of them!”

“So much for fighting them. Running it is!” Applejack noted.

“Hold on a second! We can't just run! We’re Pokemon Trainers and we can’t just run from a fight like this!” Rainbow yelled as she prepared to send out her Charmander and Eevee.

“I vote we take the option that means we all live,” Misty said full of fear.

“I’d say we run before these mean ol’ Beedrill take any more of our Pokemon,” Pinkie warned.

“Yeah, we should run!...Wait what do you mean by any more?” Ash asked.

“Oh, because a Beedrill just Pokenapped your Metapod,” Pinkie pointed towards a Beedrill that was in the sky.

“Metapod, return, now!” Ash cried out as he tries to recall Metapod, but the Beedrill moves fast enough to avoid the recall beam.

“It's no use! That Beedrill's going too fast!” Twilight said as she sadly shook her head.

“Um, girls? I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but we should try to run and look for Metapod and Rainbow’s Snivy later!” Dawn warned.

“Don’t tell me she got captured too,” Rainbow said pleadingly.

“I’m afraid so,” Rarity responded as she pointed to another Beedrill carrying Snivy.

“Oh no! They got away! We gotta get outta here and find them right away!” Ash cried out.

“Agreed! Snivy is tough, but Metapod may not be able to handle things for long!” Rainbow agreed as the others looked at Rainbow in annoyance.

“Girls, Beedrill bomber at six o'clock!” Dawn warned as a few Beedrill aimed for Ash’s Snivy and Pikachu. Before they could be captured, Snivy used Attract to make all but one of the Beedrill lovestruck and Pikachu zapped the remaining Beedrill. The attack lands, but it also hits Ash as well.

“That was a smart move on your part, you two! But next time, try to warn Ash before you do that,” Twilight said as she pointed to a burnt looking Ash.

Misty, who had regained her nerve, grabbed Ash by the hand and tried to drag him, “Come on! Let's move it!”

“But, Metapod. And Rainbow’s Snivy… We gotta find them now,” Ash said sadly.

“Twilight will come up with a plan to rescue Metapod and Snivy later, but let's just run now!” Spike yelled as everyone runs for it.

Unfortunately for everyone, the Beedrill didn’t let up. “They're gaining on us!” Misty yelled fearfully.

“Beedrills are pretty fast!” Twilight and Fluttershy noted.

“Talk later, run now!” Rarity cried out.

“Quick! Duck in there!” Applejack said as she noticed nearby bushes that looked pretty big and spacious.

“Good thinking, Applejack!” Dawn said as she and everyone else dives into a bush and hides from the swarm, and then sigh with relief.

“Phew! That was a close one! Should we celebrate with chocolate chip cookies?” Pinkie asked.

“Not yet, girls,” Spike noted as he notices something. “Uh oh. Nobody. Make. Any. Sudden noises. Or movements. If you. Know what’s. Good for us.” Everyone soon sees what Spike was worried about.

“A whole hive of Kakunas,” Samurai said as he appeared suddenly next to everyone. At both the Samurai's sudden appearance and being surrounded by bugs, Misty screams.

“Can ya please be quiet! Those Kakuna could see us and fight!” Applejack warned.

“To be fair, the Kakuna are practically harmless in this state,” Fluttershy noted.

“Remember Metapod, though? They could still put up a fight,” Twilight reminded Fluttershy.

Ash gets out Dexter.

Kakuna. A transitional stage between Weedle and Beedrill. Kakunas remain inactive until they evolve into deadly Beedrills and hatch.

“Anyone else ready to fight these Pokemon?” Rainbow offered.

“I don’t think so,” Rarity declined.

“Yeah! We shouldn’t be big ol’ meanies to these Kakuna,” Pinkie Pie agreed.

Ash’s Pikachu nudges Ash and points at his Metapod within the Kakuna hive. “Hey! Over there, it's Metapod! And Rainbow’s Snivy, too!” Ash cheered as he noticed that Rainbow’s starter was close by.

“Really?!” Rainbow yelled excitedly as she saw that both Pokemon were indeed present, though they were tied up in String Shot threads.

“Keep your voice down!” Misty hissed.

“Um, girl?” Dawn whispered as she notices one of the Kakuna glaring her way. “Uh oh. We've been spotted.” The Kakunas start cracking and a glow comes from within.

“Now we're REALLY in trouble,” Spike shook his head. Right on cue, the newly evolved Beedrills emerge from the glowing cocoons.

“Beedrills! They evolved!” Misty cried out in fear as the Beedrills quickly went on the attack.

“Sure we can’t just leave with our Pokemon peacefully?” Rarity asked Fluttershy.

“Um…they seem to be really mad that we disturbed them, so no,” Fluttershy answered. “B-Beedrill? Can we please-.”

“Forget the begging! Grab the Pokemon and run!” Applejack rejected the idea.

Almost everyone runs for it once again, with Ash and Rainbow trying to get through and get back their Pokemon.

“Hey! It’s okay, Metapod. I’ll get you and we can get away from that dangerous swarm,” Ash said, trying to be gentle.

“Come on, Snivy! We can escape and fight these Beedrill together!” Rainbow said confidently.

However, the Beedrill that were present rushed at Ash and Rainbow and, in spite of their normal instincts, their fear gave out and they ran after their friends.

“This forest is huge, how are we gonna escape them?” Twilight asked.

Soon, they spot a cabin up ahead. “Maybe we can escape into that cabin over there!” Spike suggested.

“That cabin belongs to me! Still, good eye young boy! I think we can make it!” Samurai said as they continued to run.

“It's gonna be close! These Beedrill are catching up!” Dawn noted.

“And they got their business ends pointed at us!” Misty cried out as the Beedrill point their stingers at the group.

“These Beedrills are business men?” Pinkie asked as the others shook their heads. Thankfully, everyone manages to get inside just as one Beedrill sticks its back stinger through the door.

“Phew. That was close,” Ash sighed in relief.

“Too close for comfort,” Spike agreed.

“Perhaps we should add Beedrill to the list of things to avoid,” Rarity said as she tried to catch her breath.

“Agreed. They may be almost as high on the list as ladybugs and snakes,” Twilight said.

“What is that one maiden speaking of?” Samurai asked Dawn.

“Maybe we should discuss this later?” Dawn nervously responded.

Samurai takes off his helmet as our heroes catch their breath. “I hope you've learned your lesson, novice! Your letting that Weedle escape almost cost our lives.”

“Take back that novice crack!” Ash yelled out.

“Yeah! The two of us aren’t novices! Ash only made that mistake because you drew that sword of yours on him!” Rainbow pointed out.

“Katana,” Twilight corrected.

“Look, I understand that tensions are high right now. But playing the blame game won’t help anyone. So, where are Metapod and Snivy?” Dawn asked as she noticed Rainbow and Ash look at each other nervously.

“I guess you just forgot?” Pinkie asked as both Trainers sighed, feeling guilty for leaving their Pokemon friends hanging.

“Actually, I do take it back, because not even a novice would abandon his own Pokémon as you both did,” Samurai scolded.

“I tried to save Metapod. I just got scared. I’m sorry,” Ash admitted sadly.

“To be fair, I don't see how we could have saved it without attracting the attention of those Kakuna,” Fluttershy tried to console.

“I still could have done something,” Ash noted miserably.

Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, didn’t respond right away, looking blank, before responding in anger, “This is all the Samurai guy’s fault! If he didn’t distract us earlier none of this would have happened!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack scolded.

“This isn’t my fault!” The Samurai protested before the others gave unconvinced looks.

“To be fair, the Beedrill wouldn't have appeared if you didn’t stop Ash from catching Weedle,” Dawn noted.

“I agree. That disgusting and dangerous swarm is at least partly your fault,” Misty confessed.

“Okay, maybe a little. I could have waited before addressing you. But you still chose to leave your Pokemon behind! Your Metapod and Snivy will pay for their trainer's inexperience. The other trainers from Pallet would never have been so irresponsible.”

“Other trainers from Pallet? Did you have a match against Gary and the other trainers from Pallet?” Ash asked, his mood lifted a bit upon being distracted.

Samurai thinks back to the battles. “Correct. That Gary with his Squirtle and the other two faced me in three spectacular matches, each more challenging than the last. All three really know how to raise Pokémon. Even though I was defeated all three times, I was inspired to redouble my own training. I had been eagerly preparing for that day when, finally, I would beat the next Pokémon trainer from Pallet.”

“So THAT'S why you've been waiting around here for Ash to show up,” Misty realized.

“Did you meet some jerk named Paul while you were here?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“Of course. He was dishonorable in behavior, though his skill and power were unparalleled. Even that Gary didn’t command such power,” Samurai admitted.

“Well, looks like someone has a fanboy,” Twilight whispered snarkily.

“Really? I thought he didn’t like him,” Pinkie said as Twilight facepalmed.

“I will say one thing, though. Compared to all four of my opponents, Novice, here,and the dishonorable maiden is a joke!” Samurai said as if it were fact. At this, Ash just looks down in disgrace and sorrow. Rainbow looked angry, though she also held back a tear at this comment.

“You could be nicer, you know,” Dawn said.

“Yeah! They did all that they could to save their Pokemon and I bet they will try and get them back!” Fluttershy agreed.

“They just got afraid, that’s all!” Spike defended.

“I’m never afraid!” Rainbow protested.

“Not helping your case, RD,” Applejack whispered.

Suddenly, Fluttershy’s Metapod broke out of her Pokeball and looked around in worry at the absence of her mate and then turned to Fluttershy.

“I agree, Metapod, we should go and search for your mate and Rainbow’s Snivy. But…Look, we can wait to save Snivy and Metapod. The Beedrill don’t have a reason to eat them and they are too fired up to face head on. For right now, we should wait for the anger of the Beedrill to die down and then we can grab them when they fall asleep,” Fluttershy suggested.

“That’s a pretty smart plan, Fluttershy,” Dawn noted happily.

“Why, thank you!” Fluttershy blushed.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That night, everyone was asleep except Ash and his Snivy, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and her Metapod, Spike, and Dawn. Dawn and Spike were concerned to see that both of the brash Trainers were not getting any sleep, still deeply concerned for their Pokemon.

“Metapod,” Ash sadly muttered as Snivy put a comforting leafy hand on his knee.

“Snivy,” Rainbow muttered, almost despondent.

“Um, are you two okay?” Dawn asked as she sat right next to them.

“Of course we’re okay!” Rainbow Dash protested.

“Not really,” Ash admitted to his childhood friend.

“Let me guess. You’re both worried that your Pokemon are in danger, right?” Fluttershy asked, Ash responding with a guilty nod. “Look, you made a mistake and want to correct it. None of us blame you for leaving your Pokemon behind.” At this, Fluttershy’s Metapod made some angry sounding noises. “Well…almost everyone?”

“Don’t worry. Dratini and I are more than willing to help you face those Beedrill right now if you wish,” Spike said, faking confidence.

“First, we should wait until we know the Beedrill are asleep. Second, are you doing fine, Spike? You looked a bit sad again,” Dawn asked.

“O-of course I am!” Spike badly lied as Snivy gave a sarcastic look before looking sympathetic.

“You know, if you want, we can talk out whatever the problem is,” Fluttershy suggested.

“I-It’s just…so far on this journey, Dratini and I have done nothing to help you all out. Twice now we needed to step up and fight and both times we failed to be of much help,” Spike admitted. “I’m…just a useless failure.”

“No, you’re not! Look, you may not have done the best so far, but you can still find ways to improve and prevent things from going wrong,” Dawn said comfortingly

“Besides, we just got Pokemon a few days ago. I think we can be excused for making mistakes,” Fluttershy consoled.

“I haven’t made any mistakes!” Rainbow denied, though the others could tell it was a lie.

“You think I know everything there is to know about Pokemon? Or Twilight? Or even Professor Oak? We all make mistakes from time to time. For now, we should get some sleep. We can get your Pokemon back and try to work out our emotional baggage later,” Dawn suggested as everyone tried to get some sleep.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning when all the bug types were still asleep, Ash, Rainbow Dash, Dawn, Fluttershy, and Spike went to find Metapod and Rainbow’s Snivy.

“Hm,” Ash sadly sighed.

Dawn consoled quietly, “Don't worry Ash, Metapod will be just fine, I know it. We can still save them.”

“If my knowledge of other creatures is correct, the Beedrill should still be asleep,” Fluttershy said.

“And if we need to fight, Dratini, Eevee, and I are more than willing to help,” Spike said.

“We’re almost there,” Dawn said as she pointed to the hive. “Keep down, and be very quiet. We'll just quietly sneak over to Metapod and Snivy and return to the sanctity of the Samurai’s cabin.”

Suddenly, Meowth lands on Ash's head from above. “Do you know what Meowth's favourite game is?” Meowth asked smugly.

“Get off!” Ash commands in annoyance as Meowth scratches Ash.

“Scratch, and sniffle,” Meowth chuckles as he jumps to the ground and Ash cries out in pain.

“Meowth? That can only mean…,” Spike said with some worry, but also some relief.

“Guess who?!?” James said with a malicious grin.

“I take it you three are gonna be a recurring thing then?” Dawn whispered in annoyance as she turned and saw the trio appear before them.

“I guess so? Can we deal with you later?” Rainbow asked in annoyance.

“Prepare for trouble!” Jessie begins.

“Make it double!” James continues.

“I guess not,” Rainbow muttered.

“To protect the world from devastation!” Jessie loudly says.

“To unite all peoples within our nation!” James continues almost as loudly as Snivy and Dawn try to shush them.

“To denou…”

“No! Not again! Not now!” Ash pleads.

“Never interrupt the Team Rocket motto!” Jessie yells, offended.

“You meanies don’t understand! There are Beedrill…,” Fluttershy pleaded.

“Ahem! To denounce the evils of truth and love!” Jessie continues.

“To extend our reach to the stars above!” James says.

“Jessie!”

“James!”

Ash quietly protests, “Keep it down before you wake up the Beedrills!”

“I don’t think we can,” Dawn shook her head along with Ash’s Snivy.

“Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!” Jessie finishes.

“Surrender now, or prepare to fight!” James finishes his bit.

“Meowth! That's right!” Meowth ends the motto.

Unfortunately for everyone present, the Beedrills wake up and spot the intruders.

“Great! Now you three have done it! Looks like we may have to fight after all. Dratini, I choose you!” Spike called out as he sent out the tiny dragon.

Ash, Fluttershy, and Rainbow, meanwhile, scream in panic, though Rainbow would deny it.

“You foolish teens, why don't you give us your Pikachu and all your other rare Pokemon? There's no use trying to resist us, so be smart and hand over the Pokémon!” Jessie demands.

“I don't have Pikachu with me, and even if I did, I'd never let you take it or any other Pokemon of ours!” Ash protested.

“Yeah! What do you take us for? Cowards?” Rainbow bit back.

“Hey, I have an idea. Follow me!” Dawn said as everyone else followed her.

“Come back here!” Team Rocket yells as they give chase.

“So, mind telling us what the plan is?” Ash asked.

“This seems to be a bit too risky for battling them!” Spike noted nervously.

“I can take them!” Rainbow yelled out.

“Simple! If we rush into the hive at just the right moment, we can escape the Beedrill as they’re distracted by Team Rocket,” Dawn explained.

“As mean as they are, it does seem kinda mean to let them be hurt,” Fluttershy noted sadly.

“Maybe, but it’s our best bet to save everyone! This is gonna be close! NOW!” Dawn cried out. Everyone dives under the Beedrills at just the right moment, and the Beedrills proceed to go after Team Rocket.

“Huh?” Team Rocket are confused for a moment before looking scared at the swarm.

“The tank will surely come in handy now!” Jessie noted.

“It was worth the struggle dragging it here,” James agreed. Unfortunately for the trio, it's revealed that some Weedle were eating the tank.

“Meowth! They're eating the tank!” Meowth yelled with fear present in his voice.

“But we made it from paper to reduce the weight!” James revealed.

“Who knew?” Jessie asked.

“Numskulls!” Mewoth yells as the Beedrills continue after Team Rocket, forcing them to retreat, the trio screaming all the while.

“Way to go! Team Rocket is pacified for now!” Spike cheered.

“Hopefully, they’ll be okay. But for now, hurry up you two and get your Pokemon back!” Fluttershy said.

“We’ll be on the lookout for the Beedrill returning. Be quick, though!” Dawn warned as Ash and Rainbow saw their Pokemon trying to break free from String Shot.

“So there you are! I was so worried about you, Metapod!” Ash sighs in relief as he gets out his Pokéball. “Here. Into the Pokéball, hurry!” Ash tries to recall Metapod, only for him to shake his head. “Metapod?”

“What is going on?” Fluttershy asked.

“I think he no longer trusts Ash after leaving him in the nest earlier,” Dawn answered.

“Well, we can deal with this fallout later. For now, let’s get going Snivy!” Rainbow said as she grabbed her Snivy. However, she flinches and turns away from Rainbow. “What the…what did I do?!”

Fluttershy listened as Snivy explained her feelings. “Oh, you see, Snivy here also feels betrayed by being left behind. Not only that, but she is accusing her of not caring at all about her due to her trying to force her into battles she doesn’t want. Rainbow…,” Fluttershy said warningly.

“What?! I just wanted to show her that she’s a cool Pokemon!” Rainbow protested.

Suddenly, they hear a buzzing sound.

“Uh oh! Looks like the Beedrill are coming in fast!” Spike yells out. “Dratini, use Dragon Tail on those Beedrill!” Spike’s Dratini responded, knocking out some of the Beedrill. Still more were on their way.

“There’s too many of them! The best thing to do is run!” Dawn yelled as she sent out her Buneary and Piplup, both using Ice Beam and Bubblebeam to fight them off. “Hurry up and get out of here!”

Ash and Rainbow were quick to get up and everyone tried to run as Fluttershy’s Metapod, Spike’s Dratini, and Dawn’s Piplup and Buneary kept the Beedrill at bay.

“I’m sorry for abandoning you, Metapod. I shouldn’t have been afraid. I could have saved you if I acted braver. I’ll try not to do the same to you or any Pokemon again,” Ash apologized as Metapod contemplated his Trainer’s words.

“Hopefully, things will work out between you two. As for you, Snivy, I hope you’ll see that I didn’t make any mistakes. It was the Samurai’s fault we got into this mess,” Rainbow claimed as Snivy looked away from her once more. “What?! What did I do?!”

“You mean when you abandoned her or when you tried to force her to fight?” Spike snarked as the last of the current part of the swarm were knocked out.

“But…I…,” Rainbow started to look on in sadness as she and Snivy fell to the ground. “Look, I’m sorry alright?!” At this, Snivy turned back to her, but still looked wary. “I messed up big time. I shouldn’t blame my own insensitivity and fear on the Samurai!” Rainbow admitted as her voice started to hitch and tears entered her eyes. “L-Look, the truth is…I wasn’t thinking about how my actions were hurting you! Ever since we got to this world, I’ve wanted to prove myself to my friends and even to myself! That I’m worthy of being called a Trainer! A-And being called a good friend. But I was wrong! I’m just a worthless and cowardly failure that tries to hide her fears and insecurities with my massive ego! Just break free and run, Snivy! Maybe you’ll find a Trainer that can bring out your best without treating you horribly.”

“Oh, Rainbow…,” Fluttershy looked on sympathetically.

“We can talk more later. But for now, I’m sorry,” Dawn said, trying to be sympathetic.

Suddenly, more Beedrill approached as the others approached and saw the scene play out in front of them.

“Oh no! Watch out!” Misty cried out.

“The Beedrills Twin Needle attack is dangerous!” Samurai warned.

“Applejack, get out Growlithe, now!” Twilight cried out.

“Right!” Applejack said as she prepared to get out her starter, with Rarity doing the same.

Before anyone could react and as the Beedrill drew close, Metapod charged forward at Beedrill, and was fatally injured with a cracked hole in his shell, Ash caught Metapod just in time.

“H-He saved Ash!” Fluttershy said in shock as her Metapod flashed and her shell began to crack.

Suddenly, another Beedrill rushed for Rainbow. As she braced for impact, Snivy’s tail glowed green and sliced her way free from the String Shot and then knocked out the Beedrill with her new move; Leaf Blade.

“S-Snivy! You saved me!” Rainbow was shocked as Snivy gave a confident nod. “Thank you!” Rainbow thanked her Pokemon as she failed to hold back her tears of joy.

“Snivy just learned a new move! That was a Leaf Blade attack!” Twilight was surprised.

“Great! Maybe we can save everyone from those meanie old Beedrill!” Pinkie said.

“Metapod!” Ash cried out as he held his first Bug-type, Ash’s Snivy attacking and knocking out the Beedrill with a Leaf Storm. “I’m sorry! You sacrificed yourself for me! If only I got you sooner…” Suddenly, a glowing light shines from the cracks in Metapod's shell.

“Wait! I think Metapod’s evolving!” Dawn cried out.

“And by the looks of it, so is your Metapod, Fluttershy!” Spike said as he pointed to the glowing Metapod. From the cracks and the fading lights, emerge two Butterfree.

“I can't believe it! They both evolved!” Fluttershy said in joy as she hugged her new Butterfree.

“Butterfree…,” Ash said in awe.

“Butterfree's so beautiful,” Misty admitted happily as Pikachu cried out.

“That's a surprise to hear someone with Entomophobia call Butterfree beautiful,” Applejack teased playfully.

“Yeah, yeah,” Misty blushed in embarrassment.

Ash scans Butterfree's entry.

Butterfree. Less than one week after Caterpie evolves into Metapod, it again evolves into Butterfree.

“Hold on. Didn’t Butterfree only evolve into Metapod a little bit ago?” Rarity asked.

“Hmmm…Maybe it has to do with what the Pokedex said earlier. Wonder if they eat pollen,” Pinkie said, confusing the group by the contrast in her words.

Suddenly, the group hears buzzing once more.

“Uh oh! We have company!” Applejack said as she sent out Growlithe.

“They just keep on coming, don’t they?” Rarity noted as she sent out her Squirtle.

“Wanna face them with me, Snivy?” Rainbow asked as Snivy nodded, ready to fight.

Meanwhile, both Butterfree looked ready to fight. “You wanna fight?” Ash asked his Butterfree, who responded with a nod.

“What about you? You wanna fight too?” Fluttershy asked her Butterfree, who also nodded.

“Okay then! Butterfree, hold them in place with Confusion and then knock them out with your Sleep Powder!” Ash and Fluttershy cry out. Both Butterfree use Confusion to hold the Beedrill in place before using Sleep Powder. One Beedrill fell, then another, and another, Butterfree kept using Sleep Powder over and over, it also put the Weedles to sleep as well as Team Rocket.

“Yay! You and your mate put all of them to sleep! Butterfree, you're the best! Hooray!” Ash cheers as he hugs his Butterfree and Fluttershy does the same with hers.

“You both were able to handle your Pokémon so well, just after they evolved! Most impressive.” Samurai said, impressed. “And the fair maiden’s Pokemon learned a new move for her to save her… that is also impressive.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon, Samurai and our heroes are at the exit of the forest…

“This trail will lead you to Pewter City, and your first Gym Battle!” Samurai noted.

“Perfect! First Gym Badge, here we come!” Rainbow cheered.

“Don’t forget we can also practice for the upcoming Contest,” Rarity noted.

“Yeah! Poliwag and I can bring smiles to everyone’s faces!” Pinkie agreed.

“Just do your best, girls,” Twilight said supportively.

“Oh, but before we leave you, Samurai, we still have to finish our match,” Ash remembered.

“Yeah! Charmander and I still have to see if we could defeat your Scyther!” Rainbow said as she looked at her Snivy.

“Compared with you and Ash, my friend, I am the novice. But I will keep perfecting my technique, and one day, we will meet again,” Samurai said.

“I'm sure it will be a most spectacular match,” Ash said.

“Tell me about it!” Rainbow said.

“That is guaranteed,” Samurai agreed.

“Just promise not to match up Metapod versus Metapod again,” Dawn said. “Look, I understand we should be nice, but can we go? I really want to be able to rejoin civilization again.”

“Little rude, but I agree,” Rarity noted.

“Fine. We can go. The sooner we get away from those bugs the better!” Misty agreed.

And so, everyone said goodbye as the group of heroes left the Viridian Forest behind them, ready to see what their journey would bring them.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Team Rocket is up in a tree and wrapped up like cocoons…

“Do you have anymore bright ideas?” James yelled.

“Well, unlike you, at least I have ideas,” Jessie countered.

“Yeah, they're all bad!” Meowth yelled out.

“Who asked you?!” Jessie yelled.

However, all the fussing they make wakes up the Beedrills in the tree. Much to the trio’s dismay.

Author's Notes:

Hope everyone enjoys the chapter. Sorry it took so long to update. Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner.

The Gang's First Gym Battle Part 1

“To protect the world from devastation,” Jessie began the motto.

“To unite all peoples within our nation,” James continued.

“To denounce the evils of truth and love. To extend our reach to the stars above,” Both villains said simultaneously.

“Jessie,” The red-haired woman said.

“James,” The blue-haired man said.

“Meowth! I don't get why you two are always talking and I'm stuck doing all the work!” Meowth complained.

“We haven't got much time. If they're heading for Pewter City, they'll have to pass this way,” Jessie reminded.

“And they'll fall right into our trap. Their Pokemon, including those Unovan amphibians and that Pikachu, will be ours!” James said gleefully.

“Come on! Dig it deeper, and we'll cover it up so well, they'll never guess its a trap. Ha! Perfect!” Meowth said giddily as the trio finished their pitfall and covered it up.

However, as soon as they cover it, James loses track of it. “Um, guys we have a problem!” James screams in panic. “I can't even tell where the trap is!”

“Wasn't it here?” Jessie suggests as she points to the left.

“Is this it?” James says as he points right.

“Where did it go?” Jessie asks as the trio starts moving around.

“It's over there!” Meowth yells as they try to look for it to the left again.

The trio wonder where the trap is as they notice too late that the ground gives way under them and they scream as they fall into their trap.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash notices Pewter City out in the distance. With Pinkie Pie and Rainbow cheering in delight. “It took us a few days, but we did!” Ash cheered.

“So, that there is Pewter City! I thought it would be smaller,” Pinkie Pie was amazed.

“I'm glad we finally made it out of that forest,” Dawn sighed in relief.

“I know, right? As beautiful as that forest admittedly was, I’m relieved to finally be free from all that icky sweating and dangerous bug Pokemon,” Rarity agreed.

“Really, you two? You should be happy for your friends and how we’re gonna face off against our first Gym Battle,” Applejack scolded.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. So, Ash, which Pokemon do you plan on using for the Gym Battle, Ash?” Dawn questioned.

“Simple. I plan on winning with my Pikachu, Snivy, and Aipom,” Ash answered cheerfully.

“As happy as I am to finally be in this city and one step closer to our goals, I do feel sad to be away from the forest Pokemon,” Fluttershy noted.

“Agreed. If we had more time, I would have tried to study those Butterfree and Beedrill more,” Twilight said in disappointment.

“Maybe that’s a good thing?” Spike whispered.

“I agree. We’ll be away from those creepy bugs for a while now. Yay Pewter City!” Misty cheered.

“Phew. While I understand loving the forest you guys, I have to agree with Dawn and Rarity. For a while there I thought I was going to be in this forest for the rest of my life!” Ash cried out as Pikachu and Snivy cried out in agreement.

“Pewter City is gray, the color of stone. This town has always been famous for stone,” One man on the side of the road said as the group approached the man and sat on nearby rocks.

“Huh? What the? Who's this old guy?” Ash asked in confusion.

“No offense,” Twilight noted.

“So, does anyone know who this old geezer is?” Rainbow bluntly asked as her Snivy facepalmed.

“Rainbow Dash! Don’t be rude to this gentleman. Give him the right clothes and I’m sure he’ll look great!” Rarity scolded Rainbow.

“Why, thank you young lady. Sorry to say, but I haven’t met you before,” The man noted.

“I haven’t met him before. He’s new to me,” Dawn said.

“Same here,” Misty agreed.

“If you don’t mind, can you tell us who you are?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yep! And maybe we can manage to be best friends,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Okay? Also, the name's Flint, and some of you are sitting on some of my merchandise,” The man, named Flint, snarked.

“Oh! Sorry,” Ash and Fluttershy apologized as they got off the rocks.

“Merchandise? You mean you sell rocks?” Applejack asked, confused.

“Oh, I bet they hold some historical significance!” Twilight cheered.

“Could be. The guidebook says that Pewter City is a mining city,” Dawn noted.

“Yeah, yeah. This is all really interesting and all, but remember that these things are still just dumb rocks,” Rainbow reminded them.

“Hey! Rocks can be great! My family runs a rock farm back home! Heck, my sister Maud even has a pet rock,” Pinkie Pie scolded Rainbow.

“But…wha…?” Misty was confused.

“It’s Pinkie Pie. Don’t question it,” Spike whispered to Misty.

“Your friend here is kinda rude to be honest. But maybe some of the rest of you’d be interested in these stones. They’re Pewter City souvenirs. Wanna buy some?” Flint asked.

“Sure we do! Maybe we can get Bolder a playmate!” Pinkie Pie said giddily.

Before Pinkie could get out her money, Ash interrupted, “No thanks. I'm traveling, trying to become a Pokémon trainer.”

“And we’re traveling with him,” Twilight said.

“Oh, and listen up! Some of us plan on becoming Pokemon Coordinators!” Pinkie Pie said cheerfully.

“Are you now?” Flint asked.

“Yep, it’s true. I plan on surpassing my mom someday,” Dawn confirmed.

“Anyway, can you tell us where we can find a Pokemon Center? I really need a good bath right about now,” Rarity asked.

“Same here,” Dawn agreed.

“I’ll do you one better. I can see that some of your Pokémon may be worn out, especially that Pikachu. Why don't you all follow me? I'll show you to the Pokémon Center,” Flint offered.

“Thanks. We appreciate it,” Fluttershy bowed respectfully.

“See? Looks can be deceiving. He's a really nice guy,” Ash noted.

“I'll say. Things seem to be looking up for us,” Twilight said.

“Are you sure?” Misty asked cynically.

“I agree with Misty. For all we know, this guy could be a thief or even a killer!” Rainbow warned.

“I don’t think he is,” Applejack said as she shook her head.

“Oh, by the way, that'll be a two dollar charge for resting on my rocks,” Flint noted as if there wasn’t a problem. Everyone falls over in disbelief, except for Pinkie Pie.

“Can I still buy and name one?” Pinkie asked.

“No, we won’t. Sorry, Pinkie,” Twilight noted.

“I’ll say! You gotta be kidding me!” Spike was shocked.

“Would you accept gems or bits as payment?” Fluttershy asked as Applejack and Misty shook their heads.

“Uh, no offense sugarcube, but these folks don’t use them, remember?” Applejack whispered as Fluttershy blushed.

“I'll handle things here, you guys. But for now, Ash, Spike, girls, you all need to get your Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. I’ll meet you at the Gym,” Twilight said as she got out her wallet.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.

Our heroes head toward the Pokémon Center…

“Please, revitalize my Pokémon,” Ash asked politely as he motioned to Pikachu and Snivy as well as holding his remaining Pokeballs.

“We ran into some trouble and our Pokemon are exhausted,” Rainbow admitted.

“Sure, right away, Ash, Rainbow. I’ll be more than happy to help you and your friends,” The Nurse Joy replied back.

“Huh? Nurse Joy?” Ash was confused.

“Yes, I'm Nurse Joy,” The Pokemon nurse confirmed.

“But this isn't Viridian City, this is Pewter City,” Rainbow was confused.

“I know. How can she be in two places at once?” Rarity wondered.

“Maybe she has clones?” Pinkie suggested.

“Or maybe she’s an imposter!” Rainbow accused.

“Now, now everyone. Let’s not jump to conclusions. She may just have a big family like me,” Applejack suggested.

“Reading the guidebook, I think you may be right Applejack,” Dawn agreed.

“She is?” Rarity asked politely.

“Correct. You see, the Joy in Viridian City is my little sister. I'm the older Joy,” Nurse Joy explained.

“I wouldn’t worry too much at first, girls. I was confused at first myself,” Misty admitted.

“Seeing how you like to complain to us, I’m surprised to hear you say that,” Rainbow snarked. Spike nudged Rainbow and gave her a disapproving look as Misty looked mad. Fortunately, Nurse Joy intervened.

“You know, I've heard nice things about you and your friends, Ash. Very nice,” Nurse Joy noted.

“Uh, thank you,” Ash said with a smile.

“Yeah, I get it. We’re awesome,” Rainbow said with a blush as her Snivy nodded in agreement.

“Speaking of which, can you please look over all our Pokemon bit by bit?” Rarity asked kindly.

“Sure thing! Say, did any of you see that poster?” Nurse Joy asked as she pointed at a poster right behind everyone. Everyone looks at the poster.

“The Pokémon Regional Championship at the Indigo Plateau. All right!” Ash cheered.

“So, this is the League that we’ve been hearing about entering,” Applejack noted with interest.

“Well then, we can compete for the right to enter this competition! I'll enter the Pokémon League and win! We’ll prove that we’re the best!” Rainbow said as she high fived her Snivy.

“Don’t forget about me and Twilight! One of us can be the winners, ya know!” Applejack warned. “Though, I’m aimin’ for the winner ta be me.”

“We’ll see, Applesmack!” Rainbow said while giving a glare.

“Just do your best everyone,” Dawn said.

“Yeah! Win or lose, you guys will be winners in our books!” Pinkie Pie said gleefully.

“Good luck to you all!” Fluttershy said politely.

“When I win, I’ll be one step closer to victory and becoming a Pokemon Master,” Ash said to himself as Dawn gave a happy look.

“Ha!” Misty said doubtfully.

“Huh? What's the matter?” Ash asked, confused and with some annoyance.

“To compete in the Regional Championships, you need to beat gym trainers from different towns and get their badges as proof. Can you do that?” Misty asked, not believing he could manage the task.

“Of course I can!” We just need eight victories to get our badges!” Ash argued back.

“Same here! Snivy and our other pals can beat Pewter’s Gym Leader and advance to the big leagues!” Rainbow agreed.

Suddenly, Flint laughs at what was being said. “Don't tell me you two plan on challenging Brock, the Pewter City gym leader.”

“Of course we do! As soon as Pikachu and all our Pokémon are all better, we'll have no problem,” Ash argued.

“Just point us in the right direction and we'll beat that Brock!” Rainbow yelled.

“Now, hold on. Twilight did say something about certain Pokemon doing better at certain Gyms,” Fluttershy noted meekly.

“Yeah. The guidebook says that Brock makes use of Rock-type Pokemon in his Gym,” Dawn said.

“Ooh! Do you think he runs a rock farm too?!” Pinkie Pie wondered, much to everyone else’s confusion.

“Not really. The types of Pokemon you’d do best with include…,” Dawn began to read before Rainbow interrupted.

“Aw, come on now! We don’t need to read some stupid book in order for Snivy and our other pals to beat some dumb stones! We’ll beat them easy!” Rainbow boasted.

“Maybe we should listen…,” Ash actually agreed.

“Well, Rainbow, maybe we should read the book. Could come in handy with figurin’ a way ta win the Gym Battle,” Applejack said.

Flint, however, continues to laugh. “You three will beat him?” Flint laughs as he leaves.

“Why you little.....!” Applejack growled in anger.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh, that Flint! Trying to make a fool out of me and my pals!” Ash protested as he and the others were eating in the diner that was part of the Pokemon Center..

“Yeah! We’ll show him. By this time tomorrow we’ll have our first Gym badges before Pinkie can come close to buying one of his rocks!” Rainbow Dash boasted.

“Now, Rainbow Dash…,” Applejack warned.

“Do you really think you can win? Gym leaders are different from your everyday Pokémon trainer, they're much much tougher,” Misty warned.

“Misty’s right. If I remember right, certain Pokemon may do better in certain Gyms. Like our Snivys are great for facing Rock-type Pokemon!” Ash agreed.

“Looks like we’ll win just fine then!” Rainbow noted.

“You can only go so far with one Pokemon in a Gym. Rock Pokemon would do poorly against Water, Grass, and Fighting Pokemon, though. You know, if you three ask me really nicely, I can help out. I can transfer some of my Pokemon from my Gym to help out…,” Misty noted.

“Maybe you should…,” Fluttershy began to suggest.

“I appreciate yer concern and offers, but I kin handle this Gym Battle without yer Pokemon’s help!” Applejack stubbornly said.

“You guys may lose with that attitude,” Spike whispered to the friends.

“A’m still gonna prepare, but I won’t borrow Pokemon ta win,” Applejack said.

“Same here! I want my win to come from my Pokemon’s abilities, not those of someone I borrowed!” Ash agreed.

“You hear that? We don't need your help, Misty!” Rainbow yelled. “Still, if you wanna see us reach success, you’re more than welcome to watch us win!”

“Is that so? Fine with me! There's no way you'll beat Brock in the Pewter City gym, even with a Pokémon of the right type!” Misty yelled as she left, much to Rainbow’s anger.

“That red-head thinks she knows more than us just because she’s a Gym Leader! Well, we’ll show her once we’ve beaten eight Gyms who the best Trainers are! She’ll come to respect us soon enough!” Rainbow boasted.

“Um, Rainbow Dash? Can you please try and not get into fights with our friend?” Fluttershy asked.

“She’s not my friend!” Rainbow protested.

“Are you sure? We are traveling together, right?” Rarity reminded.

“Yeah! We’ve been through quite a bit in such a short time! Come on, Dashie! Remember, all it took for us to become best pals was to find a shared interest!” Pinkie Pie reminded.

“Just give her a chance,” Dawn said.

“Look, I understand what you’re getting at, but Misty has been down on me and Ash for a while now! I’ll become her pal once she lightens up, right Ash?!” Rainbow yelled.

“Actually… maybe we should at least try to be nice. That’s more likely to work out than being hostile,” Ash suggested.

“Seriously, Ash?! You too?!” Rainbow groaned as she looked at the bill that the waiter put down as the friends were talking.

“Well, everyone. No more waiting. All your Pokémon are all back to normal,” Nurse Joy said as she handed Ash and Rainbow back their Snivys and Pikachu.

“That's great! Alright!” Ash cheered as Pikachu got back on Ash’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Nurse Joy,” Fluttershy said with a bow.

“We appreciate all you do for us,” Rarity agreed.

“So, can we go to the Gym now?” Rainbow asked impatiently.

“But Rainbow…,” Dawn began to protest.

“Aw, come on, Dawn! We can go now! The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can get our first badges!” Ash said almost pleadingly.

“But-,” Fluttershy tried to interrupt.

“Yer seriously not gonna get ready at all?” Applejack asked.

“You’ll probably be steamrolled, you know!” Spike agreed.

“Look, I don’t wanna wait any longer to take that next step in our journey, Dawn. I wanna show that all the effort my Pokemon and I have made doesn’t get taken for granted. So please, trust us,” Ash said.

“Yeah! And…it would be awesome to have our friends support us!” Rainbow said, trying to give a forced cute look.

“Wow. She must really want to challenge that gym,” Rarity noted.

“I know! I didn’t think Dashie could look so cute!” Pinkie cheered.

“Okay, fine! You win! But, if you both lose, don’t blame me!” Dawn relented.

“Perfect! Now, then. Let's head for the gym!” Rainbow said as she and Ash, along with their Pokemon, began to leave the Center.

“Well…we might as well see how well or poorly our friends do,” Rarity said as she followed after.

“Agreed. You coming with us?” Dawn asked the others.

“No thanks. I need ta prepare as soon as I can! Fluttershy? Spike? You two wanna help a girl out?” Applejack asked the two friends.

“I guess I can be of service! Eevee and Dratini could use the battle practice!” Spike agreed.

“Of course! I’d be more than happy to help. But…Ash and Rainbow…,” Fluttershy was conflicted.

“You guys can stay! Pinkie Pie and Dawn should be more than enough support! All right! Let’s go!” Rainbow said.

The Gang's First Gym Battle Part 2

The group of five heads for the Pewter City gym and stop just outside.

“So, this is Pewter gym?” Rainbow asked.

“Correct! I’ve seen it countless times in Dawn’s guidebook and in my dreams! I can’t believe we’re finally here!” Ash was pumped up.

“I still think that you could have prepared more. But…just be careful, okay?” Dawn asked.

“Alright, then,” Ash nodded in agreement as they opened the door…only to see that there was already a challenger battling.

“Elekid, standby for battle!” Paul called out as his Electric-type was sent out against the opposing Rhyhorn.

“Not him again!” Rainbow seethed to the frowning teen, though he didn’t notice or care.

“Looks like we’ll get to see a battle before we can have a go!” Ash looked on the bright side. “Still, what Pokemon is Brock fighting with?” Ash wondered as he got out his Pokedex.

“Rhyhorn, the Spiked Pokémon. Rhyhorn is known for its physical power and its considerable offensive and defensive battle skills. Rhyhorn is also known for being ridden on as part of Rhyhorn races, which are famous in the Kalos region.”

“An Elekid, huh? Let’s see what you plan on doing against my second Pokemon,” The Gym Leader, Brock, wondered. “Rhyhorn, Horn Attack into Elekid,” Brock commanded as Rhyhorn rushed towards Paul’s Elekid.

“Well, it looks like Paul is gonna be crushed against Brock’s Rhyhorn. This should be fun!” Rainbow said gleefully.

“Now, now, Rainbow Dash. Keep in mind that Paul is a skilled Trainer that was able to give you and Ash trouble,” Rarity reminded the athlete.

“Yeah, and while Gym Leaders are tough, they and their Pokemon are not invincible,” Dawn agreed. “Still, don’t expect a victory to come easily.”

“We’ll see how Paul does. It may be a good indicator on how strong Brock is,” Ash said as Rainbow nodded.

“Protect,” Paul said as Elekid created a blue barrier around himself, holding back the Spiked Pokemon’s attack. “Now, use Brick Break! Let’s go!” Elekid used a karate chop in order to knock back the rhino-like Pokemon without a lot of effort.

“Whoa! Paul’s Elekid is good!” Pinkie Pie was amazed.

“Yeah. I know that Fighting-type moves work well on Rock-types, but for Paul to do so well…that’s impressive,” Rarity agreed.

“Now Paul can light up the show with an Electric-type attack!” Pinkie Pie yelled out, trying to be nice to their enemy as she gained the attention of Paul and Brock.

“Uh, you friends of the challenger or do you plan on battling after him?” Brock asked.

“They are not my friends. I would hardly even call them rivals. For now, let’s just focus on our battle,” Paul said.

“Uh, you wanna save the cheerleading for us, Pinks?” Rainbow asked in annoyance.

“Sorry. Just trying to be friendly,” Pinkie apologized.

“To be fair, it wouldn’t work. Electric-type moves have no effect on Ground-types,” Ash noted.

“Ash is right. Pikachu may end up being in trouble during Ash’s Gym battle since Pikachu’s only moves right now are Thundershock and Quick Attack,” Dawn pointed out.

“Makes me wonder why you plan on battling with him if he can’t do that well,” Rarity pointed out.

“It’s clear you’ve raised your Elekid very well, Paul. But…the battle is far from over,” Brock said. “Rhyhorn, use your Stone Edge attack!”

As Rhyhorn shot out a barrage of stones, Paul called out, “Elekid, use your Thunder to destroy the stones!” Elekid’s Thunder hit its mark, destroying all the stones with ease. “Now, use your Brick Break on Rhyhorn’s head!” At this, Elekid karate chopped once more, landing a super-effective hit on Rhyhorn.

“Impressive. I mean, I knew Paul was tough, but he’s already gaining the lead and the battle is just beginning,” Ash was amazed.

“I know, right? Paul may be at a disadvantage, but he’s still in complete control,” Dawn agreed.

“I may not have had Elekid for long, but I have prepared him to fight against any Rock-Type Pokemon that would dare stand in our path!” Paul noted. “Now, Elekid, Brick Break once more!”

As Elekid rushed towards the rhino, Brock made his next call, “Rhyhorn, shake up the field with Bulldoze!”

“Elekid, use Pr-,” Paul called too late to counter Bulldoze as the field got shook up.

And shake up the field Rhyhorn did. The quake was quick to hit Elekid, who was still on the ground when the attack hit. The attack, tellingly for an Electric-type against a Ground move, did a lot of damage and left Elekid struggling to stand as soon as the attack was over.

“Grr! Get back up right now, Elekid!” Paul demanded harshly.

“Don’t you think you should treat your Pokemon nicer?” Ash asked as Pikachu and his Snivy called out in agreement.

“I agree! If Pokemon battles are like I think they are, you should at least treat your partner decently!” Rainbow agreed.

“Who asked you?” Paul asked bitterly.

“Uh, excuse me? Maybe we should calm down and stop before we end up fighting?” Brock politely but firmly asked. “Rhyhorn, use your Horn Attack!”

As Rhyhorn rushed at Elekid, Paul made another call. “Elekid, use your Brick Break on the Horn Attack!” Elekid hit Rhyhorn clear on the head, causing a fair amount of damage and making Rhyhorn dizzy. “Perfect! Now use Brick Break once more!” Paul cried out as Elekid’s arm glowed brown.

“Let’s finish this! Rhyhorn, use Bulldoze!” Brock yelled out.

“Elekid, grab onto Rhyhorn’s head!” Paul ordered as Elekid jumped before he could be damaged by the Bulldoze and landed on top of Rhyhorn, with the Spiked Pokemon tried to shake off Elekid. “Don’t let yourself be shaken off! Hold on tight!”

“What did you…? Impressive!” Brock said. “But you won’t last for much longer. Rhyhorn, use Stone Edge on Elekid!” Rhyhorn tried to send out a barrage of stones, only for the move to miss its mark.

“I don’t understand. Why didn’t Elekid just use Protect? It seems weird that he’d jump onto Rhyhorn to dodge if he can’t do much more damage up close,” Rarity was confused.

“I know, right? Do you think that it has to do with keeping away from the ground?” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“I think that is what is going on, girls,” Dawn answered as Rarity and Pinkie turned to the bluenette.

“Clarify please,” Rainbow asked.

“You see, Paul knows that using Protect wouldn’t allow Elekid to dodge Bulldoze for long. Plus, he could be outsped and not be able to even get off Protect to begin with,” Dawn explained.

“Yeah! And since most of Rhyhorn’s moves only work when Rhyhorn’s horn or legs can reach the target, that leaves Brock with very few options to fight back,” Ash continued.

“Of course! Not only that, but the only move Rhyhorn could still use could easily miss due to Stone Edge only being able to hit forward!” Rainbow realized. “Am I right?”

“Spot on! Now, it’s only a matter of Paul finding an opening to fight back,” Ash said, amazed.

“Hopefully that doesn’t happen! I’d rather not see that jerk win!” Rainbow said.

“But..shouldn’t we at least be hospitable, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie asked innocently.

“Maybe…but remember that Paul still doesn’t seem to be treating Pokemon well,” Ash said sadly.

“Rhyhorn, we can still win this battle! Shake off Elekid and use your Bulldoze on him!” Brock called out.

As Rhyhorn’s shaking got more intense, Elekid had a harder time of staying on and avoiding the Ground-Type move being used. Just when it seemed as though Rhyhorn was going to win, Paul suddenly smirked and said, “Elekid, use Brick Break on Rhyhorn’s front legs!” Paul’s Elekid did just that, causing Rhyhorn to fall to the ground and off of his feet.

“What? Hmm, impressive there. Your Pokemon seems to be even stronger than I had anticipated,” Brock said with a smile.

“I tend to make sure I grab and catch all the strongest Pokemon for myself. I don’t deal with the weak or average,” Paul responded as Rainbow, Dawn, and Ash shook their heads in frustration and sadness. “Now, Elekid, finish this battle up with your Brick Break!”

As Elekid approached Rhyhorn, Brock yelled out, “Counter with your Horn Attack!” Rhyhorn tried to counter…only for the Spiked Pokemon to fall over before he could rush at Elekid. “Oh no!”

And so, Elekid was quickly able to hit Rhyhorn with another Brick Break, knocking out the opposing Rhyhorn.

“Rhyhorn is unable to battle. Elekid wins! The victory goes to the challenger, Paul of Veilstone City!” A younger kid around Ash and company’s age gave the call.

“Well, it looks like we’ve lost for the second time today. You were great, Rhyhorn. Take a nice and long rest,” Brock said as he recalled Rhyhorn to his Pokeball and walked over to Paul. “I must say. While I think that your attitude could be improved, you were a very strong battler. Your Slowpoke and Elekid proved to be very strong. Hopefully, soon you’ll be able to make it to the Indigo Plateau.” Brock got out his badge, the Boulder badge, and handed it over to Paul. “You earned this.”

“Hmph. Thanks a lot, sir. I’ll be on my way,” Paul bowed in respect to Brock and turned to leave.

“Wait a second! Paul, maybe you could stay a little bit and see Ash and Rainbow here battle,” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“What? But-,” Rainbow tried to object.

“Pinkie Pie? Maybe we should think about this for a moment,” Rarity tried to interrupt.

“I don’t see a problem with it. Maybe this way Paul can see the heart and teamwork side of battling and not just power,” Ash said.

“But- Why should we expect this jerk to change if he just wants to never form bonds with others?!” Rainbow demanded.

“Look, I’d rather get going instead of seeing these two clowns fail. Though, maybe a loss would show them that power is important and all that should be focused on,” Paul said insultingly.

“This isn’t what I was expecting at all…,” Pinkie said sadly.

“I know, Pinkie,” Rarity tried to be comforting.

“I don’t see how this would be interesting, so I guess I’ll just leave,” Paul said as he began to leave once more.

“Wait! Look, maybe Pinkie and Ash have a point. While we may not fully like each other or agree, that mainly is because we don’t understand each other’s points of view. Besides, we got to see some of your battle. Wouldn’t it be fair to see Ash and Rainbow battle a bit too before writing them off as weak?” Dawn suggested.

To Dawn’s confusion, Paul just stood there looking confused.

“Um, is something the matter?” Dawn asked

“Who are you supposed to be?” Paul asked.

In an instant, Dawn’s mood turned into a burning forest. “Excuse me! We’ve met already! Back at the Viridian City Pokemon Center, remember?!” Dawn yelled out.

“Don’t remember you,” Paul bluntly responded.

Dawn’s anger got even worse, now being as bad as a volcano. “You think this is funny, well do ya pal?! Apologize right now or else!” Dawn yelled as she tried to rush at Paul.

“All right! Give him a good punch in the nose for me!” Rainbow cheered only for Rarity and Ash to stop Dawn and for Pinkie to shake her head.

“Look, Rainbow Dash, I understand your anger and distaste for the guy, but maybe we shouldn’t pick a fight,” Rarity said.

“But-,” Rainbow muttered in annoyance.

“Yeah. As mad as he makes me, I’d rather try and be friends rather than fight all the time,” Ash said.

“Agreed. Please accept my apology, Paul,” Dawn, albeit begrudgingly, apologized.

“Hmph,” Paul grunted in annoyance as he was about to go. However, Brock was quick to interrupt.

“You know, you could learn a few things by watching the battles of fellow Trainers. I’d stay and watch at least some of the battles,” Brock suggested.

After a moment of thinking, Paul decided, “Fine. But I already have a feeling this will be a waste of time.”

“We won’t be wasting your time, you jerk!” Rainbow yelled back.

“Come on, Dashie! Being a grumpy jerk won’t solve our Paul problem. I say you show how powerful you and your Pokemon are. And maybe we can have cupcakes at the diner to celebrate you and Ash’s wins!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“You know what, Pinkie Pie? That sounds like a great idea! Snivy, Charmander, and I will defeat Brock and whatever Rock-types he has!” Rainbow Dash boasted.

“Little overconfident, are we?” Dawn muttered awkwardly to herself.

“She tends to be very courageous and cocky. I’ll admit that much. But, it’s better than picking a fight,” Rarity admitted.

“So, anyway, we should get back to our challenge and my victory,” Rainbow boasted.

“I can admit you have spirit, challenger. However, I must request you wait until Twilight returns with my other three Pokemon,” Brock declined the challenge.

“If they are anywhere near as tough as the Pokemon I faced, then I’d say you and your pathetic pals are gonna lose,” Paul said.

“Wait, Twilight?! So, she was here?!” Ash was surprised.

“I thought we made an agreement that I’d be the first challenger between us,” Rainbow grumbled.

“Uh, Dashie? I don’t remember an agreement like that happening,” Pinkie innocently said, causing Rainbow to fall comically.

“Well, to answer the one guy’s question, yes! Twilight and I did battle earlier. I found her looking over her guidebook looking for something. I learned she was a challenger and we battled just before lunch. It was amazing to see such a thoughtful challenger pull out a win,” Brock admitted.

“So, she won then? That’s so good to hear!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Wait. Why did you send her to the Pokemon Center? Don’t you have Gym aids or something?” Dawn asked, confused.

“Normally it’s just me and Forrest looking after the Gym. I was about to leave to heal my Pokemon when Paul showed up looking for a challenge. I have a variety of different Pokemon that I have on hand to battle with and I also go to the Pokemon Center a few times a day so that I can challenge multiple Trainers a day. I was caught at a bad time, but Twilight offered to take the Pokemon over to the Center and I saw she had no intentions of stealing them so I let her take them over,” Brock explained.

“That sounds very sweet,” Rarity cooed.

“I know, but kinda risky,” Dawn agreed.

“Hey, Twilight is no thief. I’d say Brock has nothing to worry about,” Rainbow said.

“Look, I have places to go and battles to train for. So, can you please get things over with so that I can go?” Paul rudely said.

Rainbow was about to make a snippy comment back at Paul only for Pinkie Pie and Rarity to motion not to do so. So, she begrudgingly decided not to make a comment and sit down. “So, am I still going to go up against Brock first?”

“You know, Rainbow Dash, perhaps you should wait for Ash to go first? After all, he has been waiting for longer than you to challenge his first Gym,” Rarity suggested.

“And doing so would allow you to get a better idea of what you’re up against,” Dawn agreed.

“Well…,” Rainbow was about to protest over not being able to battle right away. However, upon looking over at Ash and seeing that he was giving a pleading look, Rainbow begrudgingly decided, “Fine. You can go first, Ash. But I plan on going next.”

“Agreed. We just need to wait for…,” Brock began only for Twilight to arrive holding three Pokeballs in hand.

“I’m back, Brock! I asked Nurse Joy to do a full examination of your Pokemon, just like you said you normally do. I hope that the examination meets up with the high standards your Gym must have,” Twilight said, looking simultaneously lovestruck and nervous all at once.

“Um, is it just me or…?” Rainbow Dash began to ask.

“Does it appear as though Twilight has been hit by cupid’s arrow?” Dawn finished the thought everyone was having.

“Well, judging by those red cheeks and my knowledge of romance novels, I’d say yes,” Rarity said.

“Uh, what are you guys talking about? I’m just being a pal to Brocko here. He needed help and I decided to give it to him, see?” Twilight denied as her cheeks turned redder.

“Yeah, you are perfectly subtle, Twilight,” Rainbow muttered to herself.

“So, anyway, I take it that the others went elsewhere for the time being. You know, seeing as how they aren’t all present to watch Ash and Rainbow battle?” Twilight nervously asked, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest.

“Yep. Applejack seems to think we need to waste time preparing like you normally would. So, Ash and I decided to get our badges from this Gym and then watch her challenge when she’s ready,” Rainbow answered.

“Uh huh. And speaking of which, I should go ahead and get started. Sorry we didn’t introduce ourselves earlier. I'm Ash from Pallet Town. I challenge you,” Ash said.

“My name is Rainbow Dash. Don’t wear it out. I’m gonna be the greatest Trainer in the world soon enough. And these are our friends Dawn, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow said as she pointed to her other friends.

“So, I take it that these are both your first gym matches?” Brock asked seriously.

“Uh huh. And we plan on winning!” Rainbow boasted as Paul and Twilight sighed, the former in annoyance and the latter in concern and lovestruck.

“Why do you ask?” Dawn asked.

“A gym match is different from other battles. This match is for Pokémon League authorization. There are special rules,” Brock answered.

“What do you mean by special rules?” Pinkie Pie asked curiously.

“Yeah! What rules are there other than defeating your opponent?” Rainbow asked.

“I’ve heard these rules before. Like when I battled the Samurai in the forest, we can use multiple Pokemon to battle with in one battle,” Ash answered.

“And the battle will be over when either side is unable to continue,” Twilight answered. “Oh, sorry about that. I am just very interested in Pokemon and battles and stuff like that.”

“That’s okay Twilight. Anyways, both you and Ash are right. We will use two or three Pokémon each. Understood?” Brock asked.

“Understood,” Ash nodded.

“So, can we get to the battle now? Snivy and I are looking forward to our own battle where we’ll definitely win!” Rainbow boasted.

“Of course. Well, Ash. How long have you been with those Pokémon?” Brock asked, referring to Ash’s Snivy and Pikachu.

“About a week, I guess. You see, Pikachu is my first Pokemon and this Snivy was the second one I ever caught. I have to admit I’ve gotten very close to them,” Ash admitted as Snivy and Pikachu gave happy looks, with Snivy’s also looking surprised.

“I don’t know much about this Snivy of yours, so I can’t tell how that battle will go. As for your other Pokemon, I can say your Pikachu is in its cutest stage,” Brock said as Pikachu looked happy for the compliment… Only for Brock to finish, “It can't win.” Pikachu nearly falls over in disbelief.

“I understand that Pikachu isn’t the best fit for this Gym, but I'll worry about my Pokémon and you worry about yours, alright? Besides, I plan on battling with my Snivy and Aipom first, got it?” Ash said, half-respectfully and half-annoyed.

“Suit yourself. As a gym leader, I have to accept every challenge. So let's just get this over with,” Brock said as he snaps his fingers, Ash and company raced for their side of the battlefield as Twilight handed over the three Pokeballs before joining her friends.

“I'll be the judge,” Forrest says.

“Let the match begin!” Brock calls out.

“Alright. Okay, Snivy, I choose you, buddy,” Ash says as Snivy jumps down to challenge the opposing Pokemon.

“Aerodactyl, I choose you!” Brock calls out as she materializes with a roar.

“An Aerodactyl, huh?” Rainbow muttered.

“Whoa! An Aerodactyl?! So cool!” Ash gushed.

“Looks like you are pretty lucky Ash! Facing off against such a rare Pokemon. Still, I’m kinda surprised to see one here. I mean, I thought that Aerodactyl were mostly extinct now,” Dawn admitted.

“Oh, you see…,” Twilight began only for Forrest to interrupt.

“You see, as Gym Leader, Brock has access to the local mine’s fossils. We have a prototype machine that can restore some fossils, like Aerodactyl here. We’ve only been able to restore a few, however,” Forrest answered.

“So, let’s see what an Aerodactyl is all about then,” Dawn said.

“This will be a three on three Pokémon battle! If either competitor has no Pokémon left, they will lose the match! If the challenger wins this match, he will receive the Boulder Badge! The challenger, Ash, has chosen Snivy. The gym leader, Brock, has chosen Aerodactyl! Battle, commence!” Forrest calls out as the battle begins.

Author's Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I apologize for not having Ash's battle in this chapter, but I promise to have it appear in the next. If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do in the future, please let me know.