//------------------------------// // Chapter 26: Sitrep // Story: Equestria, I Choose You! // by BronyDJ //------------------------------// "So," Gale began. "Your plan to is to find as many of these supposed Legendary Pokemon and catch them?" "Forgive me, Stephen, but I must agree with Miss Swift," Mirror spoke up from his position opposite of the fire. We had just recently directed the small group of surviving Changelings toward Canterlot so that they'd reach a safe haven, so I wasn't surprised to hear him being so solemn. "That sounds absolutely dangerous." "I'd rather risk my life catching them and saving them," I retorted. "Than to risk their deaths causing catastrophes at home." "Catastrophes?" Gale repeated, her wings outstretched behind her as through she were about to take off. "Like, in the weather?" "Worse." I shook my head. "That Pokemon down there, Darkrai, was a Legendary responsible for giving people nightmares, though it wasn't out of malice. Cresselia, its counterpart, would bring upon good dreams in return." "That sounds like Princess Luna split in two." High Marks noted aloud. "And why is it bad for this Darkrai to disappear? Doesn't that mean there'll be no more nightmares?" "Not so," I shook my head. "There's some sort of equilibrium between all of the Legendaries. Good and Bad, Dark and Light, Time and Space. Each needs the other to inhabit a realm to help the other exist." "That's... deep." Gale said. Mirror simply nodded. "You came up with all that yourself?" "No, there are plenty of libraries back where I come from." I answered. "Plenty of books on lore and Legendaries kept me entertained on rainy days." "So where does that put us now?" High Marks asked. "Our original objective was to confront Corruption and take back your beloved, but now we have to be careful with each of those Legendaries and not kill them?" "Exactly." I stood up, stretching and hearing the satisfying pop in my shoulders. I turned to see that Patrician was once again snoozing soundly by the fire. I then looked to my pack and knelt down and checked my pockets. I began counting aloud, "Twenty, fifteen, ten, ten, and... one?" "Whatcha countin' Stephen?" Swift approached my side, trying to peer into my pocket. "What're those balls and why are they so... colorful?" "These are Pokeballs." I answered. "They're capsules that vary in strength that depends on either their model or even their surroundings. I have thirty-five relatively average balls, ten balls that are better at night and in caves, and ten balls that can catch most Pokemon pretty easily. And one... I don't remember having before." I pulled out a dark blue ball with small bumps on the top of it. I've seen in schematics in Bill's lab; it was something he worked on with Silph a few years ago. I turned my wrist to examine it. On the rear, where my palm would normally rest, was a gold-scripted quote: Good Luck, You May Just Need It. "Bill... buddy," I mused under my breath. "You have no idea." "What does that bumpy one do?" Asked Gale, looking at the sheen of the purple ball in the fire's light. "This is, cornily named, Master Ball." I said. "These... aren't sold in any stores. Anywhere." "Didya steal it?" Gale queried. I shook my head. "No," I answered. I wouldn't dare steal from Silph Co. That was a good amount of years in jail. "It was... a gift from a friend apparently." "Calling it a 'Master' ball sounds pretentious." High Marks said. Oh, how ironic his statement was. "It's an appropriate name, I promise you." I said with a smirk. "This can catch any Pokemon without fail." "Then use it!" Mirror said. "You can use it on the Legendaries!" "I can use it on one Legendary." I corrected the Changeling. "Only one Pokeball per Pokemon. The economy for them would be horrible if that wasn't the case." Mirror nodded in understanding. "You'll have to save that for the one that causes the most problems, then?" Marks asked, no doubt calculating the value of the item for our mission. "That's the plan." I nodded. High Marks turned his gaze over to Gale, who nodded. The same exchange occurred with Mirror. "Then you'll have more training to do." Said the unicorn, quenching the flames in the pit with magic. "We've got to make sure you're on your feet in the event of any of these Legendaries going rampant." "Definitely." I held out a Pokeball from my sash and recalled the sleeping Patrician. "I look forward to it." My mission is now much worse than I thought it would be. Kara's in danger. Her Pokemon's in danger. Equestria is in danger. My home is in danger. Before I enter my tent, I sighed and looked up at the moon. "We need to get to Corruption and end this." I muttered. ~~~~~ "Oh, hello Maple!" Fluttershy greeted the Leafeon softly as it approached her. Volta slept soundly in a small bed. Fluttershy cast her gaze from the dozing Electric-type to the Psychic-type still in a comatose state in the normal bed. A look of worry came upon her face, that is, until the Grass-type nuzzled into the Pegasus's side. Fluttershy stroked her hoof across Maple's back. "Everything will be okay, Maple." Life had been interesting, to say the least, ever since Stephen gave her the job of watching over his remaining Pokemon. At least she had this "Poke-ee-deck" that Twilight sneaked her. Apparently Celestia thought it would be interesting to have a little insight into the human's world. While Twilight was interacting with Stephen over the mini-PC, the purple student quickly made a duplicate of the red device and brought it to Fluttershy to examine while taking care of Stephen's little friends. "There's... so many of them, Maple." Fluttershy tapped at the Pokedex's screen, marveling at the number 470 above the digital image of Leafeon. "Have you met them all before?" Maple shrugged as she scratched behind her ear with a rear leg. Fluttershy sighed and returned to scanning through the Dex's archive. There were multitudes of little critters she'd love to talk to and play with and take care of! Then there was the big ones. Some of them looked friendly; that Ursaring reminded her of Barry back home. Kangaskhan looked very sweet too, with her little baby in her pouch. There were so many creepy ones. Gengar and Sableye and Banette, oh my! "H-have you fought any of these scary ones, Maple?" Fluttershy asked the Leafeon, who looked over at the Dex and nodded. "W-was it tough to fight such scary m-m-monsters?" Maple smiled and shook its head before rising from the spot beside Fluttershy. The Grass-type slowly walked over to the bed and gestured to Nova. Maple then made a small show of having her leaves glow softly with a yellow light. "She was there to fight them with you?" Asked the pegasus. Maple nodded once more, relaxing and the light dissipate. Then it ran over to Volta, whose tail twitched cutely in its sleep. "And Volta?" Maple nodded again, before attempting to stand on it's two hind legs before falling back on all fours. "And... Stephen." Maple nodded enthusiastically at this response. "He makes you fight, doesn't he?" The Leafeon shook its head adamantly, bouncing around in a circle, an obvious sign of its delight and eagerness upon the idea of fighting. "And all Pokemon are like that? Both wild and... tamed?" Maple nodded, before yawning. "He means a lot to you all." Maple smiled and returned to Fluttershy's side. The pony smiled as she watched the Leafeon nuzzle once more into the pegasus's side and closed its eyes. Looking back at the Pokedex display and looking through the many creatures Stephen had met, Fluttershy sighed contently and said,"I hope he'll be alright."