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// Chapter 4-Evidently, Shopping 
// Story: I'm on a Master Quest 
// by Purple Pony 
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How did I get into this mess?
I had unpacked my bags, and Sunshine saw that I didn’t have much. After about 5 seconds, she grabbed me and leapt out the window, all the while smiling and shouting “SHOPPING TRIP.”
Now, it’s been about two hours, my back hurts from carrying bags, I’m almost asleep on my hooves, and I’m hungry. Standing beside me, Umbreon and Jolteon are also carrying bags, and looking like they are at their wits end as well. 
Sunshine and the rest of the team, on the other hoof, are still going strong. This is our fifth clothing store, even though both ponies and Pokemon don’t wear clothes, and they’ve bought several outfits for both themselves and us guys. She’s also gotten me some stuffed dolls, several books, an mp3 player, and other trinkets that I really didn’t need.
“Hey, Sunshine? Could we take a break for dinner? And drop this stuff off at the dorm? And generally stop rushing everywhere?”
She turns around, her golden mane catching the sun just right and blinding me momentarily. “Oh, sorry Cloud. I did this a lot with my family, and since they aren’t around to keep me in check, I kinda went overboard. Sure, we can stop. To be honest, I almost forgot you were there.”
She almost forgot about me? She hasn’t noticed that we haven’t been dealing with other ponies in these stores because of me? Or the fact that the cashiers keep looking at me with fear? 
“I noticed them. Don’t worry. Not everypony is used to thestrals.” Sunshine tells me from in front, without looking. 
I really should stop questioning this mare and what she does. Not worth it.
Anyways, we make the long trek back to the dorms. The girls finally take some of the bags (with Espeon taking Glaceon’s load to prevent them from getting wet), giving me time to mess with my mp3 player. It’s quite simple, and I look around for some songs that pique my interest. I find some upbeat rock music, and plugged the headphones in and turned it on. 
TOO STINKING LOUD! HOW DO YOU LOWER THE VOLUME ON THIS THING? There, got it. That was terrible. Okay, note to self, volume needs to be at about 3 for optimal listening pleasure. 
After dropping our stuff off at the dorm, I left a note for Sky that we were out to eat, and then we (yet again) jumped out the window. “Do you have an issue with doors?”
“Nope. I just like the rush I get” is the reply. Okay, so she is a hyperactive mare with near limitless energy and acts like an adrenaline junkie. These next three months are going to be interesting at best. At worst, I will kill myself to get away from her. 
“Do you have any idea about where we should eat? I’ve been here for all of about 5 hours, so I’ve got no idea.” I ask Sunshine.
“Several places come to mind. We could go to a Burger Princess if you want something quick. If you want to eat a lot, we could go to Golden Stables. Or if you want to eat somewhere fancy, we could…”
“NOOOOOOOO! No, thanks. These Pokemon have terrible table manners.” (as do I, but she doesn’t need to know that). 
Agreed. Let’s eat at Golden Stables, I’m hungry. Umbreon says. Rapid agreement from the rest of the Pokemon finalizes the decision. 
“Hang on, Sunshine. Do…”
“Please, just call me Sunny. I don’t like it when ponies call me by my full name, especially friends.”
Friends? What? This mare is always about five steps ahead of schedule. “Okay, Sunny. Do you have any Pokemon of your own? You haven’t sent them out since I’ve met you if you do have any.”
Sunsh-SUNNY (gotta get used to that) looks at me with the same face as earlier, when she said “SHOPPING SPREE” and this whole mess began. “How could I have forgot?! I only have one, and I’m not sure exactly what it is. But, here it comes!”
After a flash, I look and see a small, white Pokemon about a foot tall, with what looks like an egg still covering most of it. I doesn’t look very old, either. I remember seeing this in a book before. What was it…Ah! Yes, “Togepi.” I say out loud. 
“So that’s what its name is. Thanks! It’s such a cutie, but it’s definitely not very strong.” Sunny beams at me. Togepi continues to waddle toward Sunny, clearly attached to it. 
A swift breeze is all I feel, and Togepi is gone. 
It takes me about two seconds to see the offender, a Pegasus flying toward the train station. And Togepi is in its hooves. 
It doesn’t take me long to know what to do. “Jolteon, follow it. Sunny, fly after it. Everyone else, get ready for a fight.” The other five quickly disappear in a red flash, and then Sunny, Jolteon, and I start chasing down the thief.



Meanwhile, at the Crystal Palace, Sky Song was saying goodbye to Flurry Heart and her parents. As she started to fly back towards the dorms, she noticed three flying shapes in the distance (superior vision is clearly superior). At first, she dismissed it, but then she noticed the outline of bat wings on one of the ponies. “What is Cloud doing? Better go see what’s up.”



It took about five minutes, but eventually, we caught up with the pony. Of course, it’s easy when your prey gets a nasty shock courtesy of Jolteon. The pony landed on the roof of an apartment, then turned around to see me, bat wings spread wide, eyes narrow slits, fangs glinting from the sunlight. “Let the Pokemon go, sir, and nopony gets hurt.” 
“Nothing doing, kid. Go, Houndoom!” One bright flash later, and a Houndoom stares back at me, glaring menacingly. Well, only one option here.
Another flash, and Vaporeon is glaring back, clearly not phased. “Vaporeon, be a dear and take care of the Houndoom. I’ve got a pony to threaten.”
All due respect, but Sunny beat you to the punch. Vaporeon tells me, before unleashing a Hydro Pump in the Houndoom’s face. I glance over at the thief, and see Sunny screaming at him (now that he’s standing still, I can see that he’s a he), using language that I should not repeat in front of my mother. I calmly walk over, after glancing back at the battle. 
It’s one sided. The Houndoom isn’t comfortable in a fight without orders, and with Sunny yelling in the thief’s face, he can’t give orders. Vaporeon (and the rest of my team, for that manner), however, is very comfortable with fighting without orders. As a result, I leave them be, and continue to walk over to the other two ponies.
“Sunny, please calm down. I’ve got this.” I say to her.
“Fine, just make sure this (expletive) doesn’t get away.” She says back. She managed to retrieve Togepi from the thief’s hooves. 
“Don’t worry.” My wingblades pop out. “He’ll be too busy begging for his life.”
The thief did the only sensible thing he had done all night. He passed out at the sight of the blades, curling up into a ball.
Shortly after, Vaporeon knocked out the Houndoom with an expertly-timed Aqua Tail. Now that the excitement was over, I pulled my wingblades back in and proceded to start tying up the thief with some rope we found on the roof. Sunny was holding Togepi close, saying soothing, comforting words. 
About fifteen minutes later, mom flies in, lands on the roof with a thump, and quickly surveys the situation. After seeing the thief hogtied and the Houndoom K.O.’d in the corner, she looks at me and asks, calmly, “Why haven’t you tied up his wings yet?”
“He showed no signs of resistance after I flashed my wingblades at him. Besides, I have the leash, and Jolteon is right here.”
“What did he do?”
“Tried to steal Sunny’s Togepi.”
“And the Houndoom?”
“All Vaporeon, and his.”
“Good work, soldier.”
“Thanks, Cap.”
Sunny decided that now was the best time to intervene. “Excuse me, Sky? I get that you are a guard, but HOW ARE YOU TAKING THIS SO CALMLY?!” 
“Because this isn’t the first time. He’s always defended anyone willing to be his friend, and you, Sunshine Drops, have apparently become his friend in the past few hours.”
“That, and he was stealing a Pokemon. I can’t take that lightly.” I input.
“True. Anyways, shall we go to the Police Station? These two look like they need to recover from you, Cloud. And they were on the other side of the law.” Sky asks/tells us.
“Okay, but afterwards, I’m going out to eat. I still haven’t eaten since lunch.” I reply.
“BOTH of us are going out to eat.” Sunny says pointedly in my ear. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Cloud, and I’m hungry too.”