//------------------------------// // Delivery // Story: Pokémon: Harmony and Chaos // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// With Fillydelphia City just a day or so's walk from them, our heroes continued their journey. Currently, the group found themselves travelling over a small rocky pass that they came across in the woods. Having finally reached the summit, the group looked down, only to see more woods ahead of them. "Great...more trees." Spike moaned, Peewee imitating him. "Oh hush up," Twilight told him as she sat down on a rock and took off her boots. She then started massaging her aching feet, checking to make sure she had gotten any blisters. "We'll be there soon enough." Doc reached into his bag and pulled out a pair of binoculars, using them to check the surrounding area. "I'll say. I think I can see the city right now." "Really?" Flash asked before being handed the binoculars, which he then saw on the very limit of the binoculars' sight a bunch of unnaturally square constructs. "Hey, you're right! I see it too!" he handed Springer the binoculars. "If we hurry, we might be able to get there before dark." "Ri..." Springer replied as he looked through the binoculars. He then turned to the left, only to see Peewee's eyes staring right at him through the binoculars, "RI!" He leapt back in surprise and fell onto his butt, causing the Terragon to laugh. "So what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Spike added, his feet tapping in frustration. "Come on!" "Give me a minute," Twilight told him as she pulled her boots back up her legs, moaning as her feet were once again confined. "You really need better travel clothes," Flash commented, only to get a glare from the only female of the group. Twilight opened her mouth, ready to yell before- "RUN!" The group looked around, trying to figure out where the sudden voice came from. They then spotted a girl rushing towards them just a bit higher up the pass. She had gray skin and blond hair, and was wearing a light blue shirt with a yellow tie underneath a dark blue jacket and black running shorts. On her head was a blue hat with a badge of it and also had a large bag slung around her shoulder. Besides her was a purple lizard like Pokémon, one on all fours with a yellow underbelly and lower jaw. It was about the same length as Peewee, with large fluffy ears on the top of its head. It's tail looked about six feet long, but it was hard to tell since it was curled up into a spiral. It's eyes also appeared to be pointed in any direction except the one it was running in, making them amazed that it could actually see where it was going. "Swirl, swirl, swirl...lie!" The girl and Pokémon rushed towards them, running down at such high speed that the two just zipped past them. As soon as she did, the group shared a confused look. "What's her problem?" Spike asked, only to get his answer when the ground beneath them started to shake. They then turned to where the girl came from, only to see a bunch of incoming rolling rocks. While the others blinked at the sight, Doc instantly realized what they were and yelled, "Graveler!" "RUN!" Flash screamed before turning with the others, all of them now running towards the same direction as the girl. They soon spotted and caught up with the girl, who was repeatedly yelling, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!" Twilight looked back over her shoulder, "they're catching up!" "What do we do!?" Spike asked in as Peewee clutched to his back in pure panic. In that moment, Flash and Springer both skidded to a halt and turned back to the Graveler. "We got this. Springer, Double Team!" "Ri!" Springer quickly created a dozen copies of himself, all standing in a line to block the path. "RIOLU!" "That won't stop them!" Twilight screamed over her shoulder, but Flash just smirked. "No, but this might! Aura Sphere...BARRAGE!" The Springers all put their paws together, each creating a sphere of blue energy between them. "Rio...LU!" The fakes all charged at the oncoming stampede, thrusting the smaller then usual orbs right into them. But as the Aura Spheres exploded, causing the fake Springers to disappear, the Graveler continued their run, showing no damage from the attack. Both Flash and Springer both paled at the sight. "Okay, you were right! It didn't work!" Flash yelled as he and Springer ran up to the others. "This isn't good...at this rate, we'll be crushed!" Twilight screamed as she looked back again. "Oh no....Someone, please help us!" Seeing it was up to him, Doc looked up and saw a large rock up near the edge of a higher ledge, giving him an idea as he pulled out his Pokeball. "Tockwork!" He tossed the ball into the air before it opened, releasing the red energy that flew over to the ledge and took shape. The light faded to reveal the mechanical Pokémon. "Tock?" "Tockwork!" Doc cried, "push that rock over the edge!" "Tockwork..." he nodded before turning to the rock, his robotic strength soon shoving it forwards. One push was all it needed, gravity soon working on the rock as everyone looked up and saw the rock rolling towards them. Seeing this, they all picked up their speed and rushed beyond its impact sight. The only ones still behind were Flash and Springer, with the Graveler right behind them. And as the boulder was inches away, Flash quickly grabbed the Riolu and leapt forwards. Seconds before the rock landed, Flash's feet cleared the distance. BOOM! Everyone came to a stop and looked back, seeing the rock blocking the path and separating them from the Graveler. They all looked down at Flash and Springer, the two heavily panting from the run and adrenaline of nearly being crushed. Flash looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes, making sure he still had them all. "Phew!" He sighed before laying back and catching his breath. "Cutting it a bit close there, weren't cha Doc?" Doc shook his head as he watched Tockwork climb down from the cliff. "If I had waited any longer, I might have crushed those Graveler. They're strong, but I don't know how much weight they could handle. Better to play it safe and just block their path." "Safe...yeah, that sounds nice." Flash moaned as he patted his Riolu's head, "Tell that to the guy who almost got crushed." The blonde girl looked down at the ground, rubbing her hands together in front of her stomach. "I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry." She started bowing again and again while the Pokémon next to her did the same. "Swirl, swirl, swirl, swirl, swirl, swirl Swirleye." "It's fine, don't worry about it." Twilight told her as she waved her hands, obviously a little uncomfortable at the continuous bowing. "But uh...how did that um...happen? If you don't mind me asking." The girl stood back up, her thumbs now twiddling as she replied, "Oh....well you see...Swirleye and I were crossing through when we came across a field where those Graveler were all sleeping. Going around them would have taken to long, so were tried sneaking through them." "And you woke them up?" Spike guessed. "Not when we were passing. It just um...it happened when we reached the other side. We were so happy for not waking them up that we uh...well, we kinda...celebrated." "Celebrated?" Doc asked with a raised eyebrow. The girl started to blush in embarrassment as she looked away from the group, "I jumped for joy and....it must have caused a rock or two to come loose." The others quickly realized what she was getting at as Twilight asked, "You caused an avalanche, didn't you?" "Yeah...I'm sorry. I didn't mean too, and..." her face was now completely red as she stared at the ground. "Anyways, the avalanche came down and buried the Graveler. They were okay, but they didn't seem too happy with the whole....avalanche waking them up. Then they decided to chase me....so uh...sorry. I'm really sorry." "Well, you're okay now, and its obvious you meant no harm. We forgive you." Doc told her as he walked up and grabbed her shoulder. "Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Time Turner, but you can call me Doc." "I'm Flash," the teen said as he picked himself up. "This is Springer." "Ri." "I'm Twilight, and this is my little brother." "Spike! This is Peewee." "Terra." "Tock...work." The girl once again bowed before looking back up and opening her eyes. It was then that they noticed her eyes were like the Pokémon besides her, completely out of focus. "I'm Derpy. Pleased to meet you all." She pointed to the Pokémon beside her, "and this is my partner, Swirleye." "Swirl," it replied, its eyes moving in a way that the others couldn't tell if it was actually looking at them. "Swirleye?" Flash asked as he pulled out his Pokedex. Name: Swirleye Category: Cross Eyed Pokémon Type: Psychic Info: Its odd eyes allow it to see in all directions. This is both a blessing and a curse, as Swirleye often end up becoming disoriented and fall over at times. Doc squatted down and looked the little Pokémon over. "Quite an unusual Pokémon you have, but I have to admit that its very cute." He reached out and began scratching Swirleye under the chin, causing it to show a big grin. "Swirl..." it said slowly. Derpy smiled at this exchange. "Thank you. She's my best friend, so you have no idea how much that means." Twilight took this moment to look over the girl's clothing, snapping her fingers as she asked, "Are you a mail courier?" The girl smiled as she tipped her hat. "That's right. I just started, and this is mine and Swirleye's first assignment." Her crossed eyes suddenly went wide, "oh no!" She took her bag off her shoulder, opening it up to show a metal case inside of it. She pulled the case out by the black handle and looked it over, sighing in relief. "Oh thank goodness...it doesn't appear to be damaged." "What is that thing?" Spike asked as he pointed at it. "I have no idea. Its locked so I can't look inside, but I know its important. My job is to deliver it to a power relay station in these woods, which is responsible for transferring power between a far off power station and Fillydelphia City. Apparently, some really important parts have short circuited and this is the replacements." "So the city's blacked out right now?" Flash yelped as he realised what she meant. Doc shook his head at this. "It's likely they have emergency power Flash, though I suspect it won't last long." Twilight frowned and nodded at this. "A big city like Fillydelphia is reliant of electricity. Pokemon Centers, the Gym and other places will all need the power to run." "So its really important that the relay station get these parts?" Spike asked as he turned to his sister. "Exactly," Doc said before looking back at Derpy. "I'm a little surprised such an important assignment was made your very first. They must really believe in you." Hearing this, Derpy let out a low nervous laughing as she started scratching the back of her head. "Well actually...I uh...I was the only courier they had on call...when the order was delivered, that is." "Swirl..." Swirleye added with a sigh. "Oh..." Doc replied, slightly gulping before patting her shoulder, "Well, I'm sure you'll do fine." Flash nodded at this. "Yeah! After all, you're in the home stretch if the place is just in these woods. And after the Graveler incident, what else could go wrong?" Twilight and Spike both nodded as well. Derpy smiled at hearing this, "You're right. Thanks." She lifted the box up and held it on her palm, a look of confidence now appearing on her face. "Nothing will stop me from finishing this delivery. Absolutely nothing." In that moment, a black blur shot between them and the box suddenly disappeared. Derpy looked back down, blinking two to three times before her eyes went wide. "AAAHHH! ITS GONE!" "What the heck?!" Spike yelped as he and the others started to glance around, trying to figure out where the blur came from. It was here that Springer felt the light of the sun suddenly hit his face for a moment, causing him to look up. "RI!" He pointed up, making everyone else do the same and see the box. It was currently in the talons of a Pokémon that almost all of them knew. It was a two foot tall bird creature with a black and white body. The front of its body, wings tips and head were white while the back of its body along with the rest of its wings and tail were black. It also had a black hood like construct around its head that gave it a more menacing look. "Its a Scampie!" Flash cried out as he pointed at the Pokémon, remembering the familiar looking creature from his last encounter with Lightning. "Scampie..." the magpie Pokémon hissed as it flew off towards the forest with case in talon. "Give that back!" Derpy cried before looking down at Swirleye. "Swirleye, use Confusion!" "Swirl!" Swirleye's eyes focused on Scampie before they fired of a mental laser, which struck the Pokémon, only for no damage to happen. "What the-what just happened?!" Derpy yelled as she put both hands on top of her head. "Swirleye hit it but it didn't do a thing!" "Scampie's a Dark and Flying-Type," Doc commented as he bit his lip at the sight. "Psychic-Type attacks won't work on them." "Oh no...Swirleye's all I got!" Derpy moaned, her eyes now getting watery. "Don't worry, we got this!" Spike yelled as he pointed at the fleeing Pokémon, "Peewee, grab that box!" "But be careful," Twilight added. "We don't want to damage the part inside." "Terra!" Peewee flew towards Scampie, ready to strike the Pokémon. "Scampie!" It cried out, the voice echoing through the trees. Seconds later, a barrage of Scampies suddenly shot out of the forest's canopy. They all flew in front of Peewee while the thief Scampie flew past them. "SCAM...PIE!" They all screeched out as in unison, their wings now flapping as they unleashed a large burst of powerful wind. "Terr!" Peewee cried as he was struck by the wind, sending him straight back to the ground. "Peewee!" Spike yelped as he watched the Terragon begin to fall, only for Twilight to pull out her Pokeball, returning the Pokémon before he could crash. Everyone watched as the Scampie flew back down into the forest and disappeared, the one carrying the case long gone. Seeing the object of her first job disappear, Derpy fell to her knees as tears filled her eyes. "No, I can't believe that just happened!" With that, the waterworks burst as the liquid flew out of her eyes and into the ground. "WHAT AM I GONNA DO?!" Everyone frowned at the sight while Swirleye patted its trainer on the knee. It was here that Spike spoke up, "Hey uh...why'd that Scampie take the case anyways?" "Scampie are known for stealing shiny items to decorate their nests," Doc explained as he tapped his chin in thought. "When it saw the case, the sun's light must have reflected off it and caught its eye." Twilight nodded at this. "That's true, but Scampies usually live in cities. With Fillydelphia being so close, why are they out here?" "Good question Twilight...and I'm not sure on the answer." Doc replied as he looked back at Derpy, "Granted, the better question now is what she do about that Scampie stealing the case." Flash stepped up, getting everyone's attention as he pounded his fists together. "Here's what we do, we find those Scampie and get that case back. Fillydelphia City needs it, so we have to get it back." Everyone smiled at this, nodding in unison. Then, Twilight spoke up, "Okay. For starters, those Scampie are somewhere in this forest, but it'll be somewhere where they can make a nest. There's a lot of places for that." Derpy stopped crying at this, though her eyes remained wet as she looked up at them. "You'd really help me, even after all the trouble I caused you earlier?" Everyone nodded at her as Doc crouched down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't mean any harm and I know you're trying your best. This is your chance to prove yourself to everyone and we're gonna help you." He then pulled the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the last few tears out of her eyes, a small blush appearing on her face as he did this. "So come on, let's get your case back." Derpy smiled and nodded, soon picking herself back up as Swirleye climbed up onto her shoulder. "You're right. I can't let this little set back stop me. I'll find those Scampie and get my parcel back, mark my words." With that, she turned and took a step forwards...only to immediately trip over a rock. "Augh!" Everyone watched as the girl and her Pokémon fell forwards and rolled down the remainder of the mountain pass, then into the forest as they both cried out. Spike let out a long sigh as he said, "This is gonna be our whole day, isn't it?" Twilight replied by smacking him the back of his head, while the others began to make their way down the path and followed Derpy into the woods. In the deepest part of the forest, the Scampie flock had reached their destination. There, a giant tree with a thick trunk and many branches could be seen. The trunk also had a large hole inside it, which was big enough for twenty Scampie to fit inside. In front of this tree was where the flock of Scampie landed to, all of them placing whatever shiny object they had managed to get their talons on. Then the case carrying Scampie landed, leaving the case before jumping back to a safe distance. "Scam." A pair of bright yellow eyes illuminated inside the hollow tree, its owner soon walking out. This Pokémon looked like a giant version of Scampie, standing at roughly four and a half feet. The white on its body was almost completely gone, with all that remained being on its face and inner wings. The rest of its body was pitch black, its hood even darker. "Pitch," it squawked out as it spread its wings and flew down to towards the pile. It began to rummage around, looking for anything that might take it's interest but nothing seemed to catch its eye. "PITCHAWK!" It cried as it knocked them away with a slap of its wing, only to then spot the case. "Pitch?" It looked it over before smiling, soon picking it up in its beak before flying back up into its nest. The Scampie then grabbed the rest of the shiny stuff and flew up into the tree's higher branches, where their nests resided. The lot of them began placing the items in those nests, arranging them in a way that the little sunlight that broke through the canopy would shine off them. And as the sun reached the perfect angle for the light to shine, the entire tree was soon illuminated by the reflective glow radiating off the stolen objects. As for the large Scampie, it sat on its nest and looked over the best of the best shiny stuff, all of it stolen from the city and travelers by its flock. Life was good when you were at the top. As the group traversed through the forest, they continued to search for any sign of the Scampie. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on their side as they reached the hour mark of searching. It was here that they looked up into the sky, soon seeing three flying Pokémon coming their way. "Chick/Hoo/Terr," said Skyler, Owlicious and Peewee as the flew down to their owners. "Any luck?" Twilight asked as the three of them all landed, then shook their heads to say no. Three sighs followed before Twilight continued, "Alright, that's enough flying around. Why don't you all take a break?" The Pokémon nodded before flying up onto their trainers' shoulders as they themselves sat on some nearby logs. "Resting for a bit might not be such a bad idea," Flash added as began to pat Skyler's head. "And I've got the perfect snack to re-energize us," Doc finished as he reached into his backpack. He then pulled out a lunchbox and opened it to reveal an array of multicolored muffin like snacks. Derpy licked her lips at the sight as she asked, "Are those....what I think they are?!" "Poke-Muffs," Doc replied before offering the box. "Want one? There's plenty to go around." "YES!" Derpy yelled as her eyes watered at the sight. She quickly swiped one, her eyes glaring at the treat like it was the last piece of food on earth. She slowly took a little bite out of it, savoring it with tiny mouse like nibbles. Everyone tried not to giggle at her enjoyment of the treat. "Someone's obviously a fan of Poke-Muffs," Flash commented as he and Springer bit into a pink one. "...and this is still better than anything I can cook. Darn." Derpy did a low embarrassed giggle as a blush appeared on her face. "Is it that obvious?" "Maybe a little," Twilight replied as she handed Skyler, Owlicious and Peewee a red Poke-Muff while she and Spike ate a pink one. "I can't help it," Derpy told her as she kept tiny biting into the treat. "They're just sooooo good. Especially these ones." "Glad to see my creation is appreciated," Doc chuckled as he gave Swirleye a green one before biting into a blue one. "Oh...they are," Derpy sighed in delight. "I might as well enjoy this while I can, since it'll likely be the last bit of joy I experience for a while. If I don't get that case back, I'll be fired for sure." Spike turned and glared at the girl, "Don't say that. Its not you're fault this happened." Derpy almost sunk into the log as a long sigh followed, "Hate to say it...but maybe it is." this made everyone blink and glance at each other. But before they could say anything, Depry continued, "I always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Wherever I go, bad things always seem to happen. That's why I was so happy to get such an important assignment for my first job. I thought if I managed to pull it off, maybe my curse can finally be lifted." Another sigh followed as her eyes started to water again, "But it seems my optimism was no match for the powers that be." Doc shook his head at this, pulling his sleeve to rub her eyes again. "Don't talk like that. I don't believe in stuff like curses, as I believe there's no unseen force that decides what good or bad stuff that happens to us. The only ones who decide our fate is ourselves." "He's right," Flash added as he finished his Poke-Muff. "Sure you can't control when bad stuff happens, but you can control what you do when that bad stuff happens." Twilight nodded at this. "Well said Flash." She then turned to Derpy, "Derpy, my mentor Professor Celestia used to tell me that life is an endless series of obstacles, some coming at us all at once. It's not a matter of can we overcome them, but how." Doc nodded, liking that saying as he patted Derpy's shoulder. "They're right. Besides, you're just starting out. Of course you're gonna mess up, sometimes very badly, but you'll only truly be at fault if you don't learn from those mistakes. When I first started inventing, I made a loads of mistakes, but I didn't let that stop me. Instead, I learned from my failures and worked to improve myself because of it." Everyone smirked at this, Derpy especially as she looked down at Swirleye. Trainer and Pokémon smiled at one another, knowing the others were right as she replied. "Okay...I see your point. Thanks." She then let out a nervous chuckle, "I just hope you're right about me. After all, I make so many mistakes." Flash just waved his head at this as he said, "Eh, experience is just the name we give our mistakes." Twilight turned to him, blinking at his oddly profound statement. "Your grandmother tell you that one?" Flash shook his head, patting Springer on the head as he did. "No, someone else. Its the person who made me want to be a trainer," He then saw several expectant looks, only for him to shake his head again, "But this is no time for story telling." He quickly picked himself up and pumped his fists again, "We need to find those Scampie and get that case back. And you know what? That little break helped me come up with a plan." Everyone raised their eyebrows, memories of the last time he had a plan flashing into their minds that involved a horribly designed monster costume. "What kind of plan?" Twilight asked, only to be met with a smirk from Flash. Said plan ended up involving the group looking through all their stuff and finding the most reflective object they had. This turned out to be one of Doc's cooking pots, which they left it out in the open while they all hid in nearby bushes. "Okay...so once a Scampie comes along, it'll see the pot and take it, then return to its nest." "Then all we have to do is follow it," Spike finished, getting a nod of confirmation from Flash. "I gotta say Flash," Twilight commented as she readjusted her glasses. "This is actually a good idea." Flash turned to give her a questioning look. "What do you mean, actually a good idea?" Before Twilight could start fumbling for an answer, Derpy spoke up. "How do you know the Scampie that takes it will even return to the same place as where my Scampie went?" "Considering the way they all worked together to take Peewee down, I'd say it's a fair bet they're in the same flock." Doc replied as he reached into his coat and pulled out a blue flashlight. "Now to make it shine." He switched on the light and made it shine on the pot, the metal reflecting the light perfectly. They waited for several minutes with nothing happening, only to then hear some movement off in the distance. A Scampie flew into sight, its eyes catching sight of the pot. It soon landed next to the pot and looked it over, tapping it with its beak a few times before deciding to take it. Everyone watched as it flew off with the pot in its talons, and started to follow it from a distance, just enough to not be noticed. Eventually, the group found themselves watching as the Scampie arrived at a large hollow tree. Staying hidden, they watched as the pot was dropped in front of the tree before the Scampie flew up to its nest. "So this is where they keep their loot," Spike commented as he blinked at the tree. "Dang, that thing's huge!" "But where's the case?" Derpy asked as she looked at the pile the pot was now in. "I don't see it." "It must be in one of the nests," Doc replied as he pulled out some binoculars. He began to scan the tree, only to be almost blinded by the lights coming off the metal objects. Despite this, he looked over every branch before saying, "Drat. I'm seeing it on any of these nests." "So where is it?" Derpy added. "Wait...look at that hole Doc." Flash pointed to the hole in the trunk, which Doc checked and nodded. "Ah! There it is! The case is right at the back of that tree trunk!" As soon as he said that, Derpy rushed out of the bushes and ran towards the tree. "Derpy wait!" Twilight cried, but it was too late. "Scampie!" One of the magpie Pokémon spotted her and flew out of its nest, aimed straight at Derpy and Swirleye. "Quick Attack!" Flash's voice yelled before Skyler shot out of the bushes and struck Scampie, sending it crashing into another tree. The rest of the group rushed out and stood besides Derpy, all of them now seeing the whole flock of Scampie staring down at them. Skyler circled the trainers while Springer, Owlicious and Peewee prepared for battle. Doc called out Tockwork, the mechanized Pokémon ready to battle along with the others. "SCAMPIE!" They all cried as they leapt out of the nests and flew down towards them. "Here they come!" Twilight yelled as she pointed at the incoming group. "Springer, Aura Sphere Barrage!" Flash ordered, the Riolu quickly making as many copies of himself as possible, each clone creating a single Aura Sphere before leaping up at the opponent. "RIOLU!" They roared as they fired the attacks at the Scampie, knocking several back as the clones disappeared. Due to their typing, the Aura Sphere only did basic damage, but managed to leave them all open. "Steel Wing!" "Sky Drop!" "Gear Grind!" "Dragon Breath!" Skyler's wings glowed as he flew around the flock, taking as many down as possible. Owlicious grabbed one in its talons and spun it around before throwing it to the ground. Tockwork fired its gears at them, the two bouncing from one Scampie to the other. Finally, Peewee's attack filled the sky, his breath sending the remainder of them flying away. And as the smoke of the attack cleared, the Scampie could all be seen unconscious. Everyone smiled at their victory, only for- "PITCHAWK!" From up above, a flurry of purple rings shot down and struck Skyler, Owlicious and Tockwork. "CHICK/HOO/WORK!" The three cried as they were all knocked down immediately. "What the heck?!" Spike yelped as he hopped back from the sight. "Good heavens! That was Dark Pulse!" Twilight screamed as she looked up, Springer and Peewee doing the same. It was here that a bright light started to fill their vision. That light was coming from a glowing object that shot down from the canopy and struck the two Pokémon, the force sending them crashing into a nearby tree trunk. "Springer!" Flash cried. "You okay Peewee?" Spike asked his partner. Doc looked back at the shining object, knowing said light was due to it using Sky Attack as the light faded to reveal a large black bird. "Pitchawk." "Pitchawk?" Flash asked as he picked up Springer and then pulled out his Pokedex. Name: Pitchawk Category: Pitch Black Pokémon Type: Dark/Flying Info: The evolved form of Scampie. Mostly active at night, Pitchhawk's black feathers help it blend into the darkness before striking with tremendous force. The hood over its head is used to conceal its face in the darkness. Pitchawk flew down and landed in front of the tree's hole, its wings spreading as it screeched, "PITCHAWK!" "Who wants to bet that the nest in the tree is his?" Flash commented as he closed his Pokedex. "No doubt," Twilight added, growling at the sight. Derpy, despite being incredibly intimidated by the Pokémon due to him knocking away the other Pokémon so easily, stepped forward. "Please Pitchawk, I need that case in your nest. Its really important." "PITCHAWK!" The dark bird screeched back, making her step back as its roar shook the area. "Looks like its not gonna give it up easily," Doc commented as he started to walk up to Derpy, only for Swirleye to flash his hand at him, making him come to a halt. The Pokémon then tapped Derpy on the face, causing her to turn to the lizard. Swirleye stared at her directly in the eyes before nodding, "I understand. Thank you Swirleye." The Pokémon then leapt down from her shoulder as she glared back at the bird. "Alright, I'll battle you to get it back!" Pitchawk raised an eyebrow at this, obviously not expecting a fight. It then chuckled at this, pointing at her as if to gesture 'bring it on'. "Pitchawk." Derpy nodded, knowing this was her only chance. "Okay! If I beat you, I get that case back Pitchawk!" The Pokémon nodded back. "Let's go then! Bring it on!" "Derpy, wait!" Twilight yelled as she pointed at the bird, "Pitchawk's a Dark-Type. Psychic-Type moves won't work on it." "I know Twilight. Thankfully, me and Swirleye still have other attacks! Use Scratch!" "Swirl!" Swirleye rushed forwards, it's claws glowing as it got close. Pitchawk smirked at the sight, quickly flaring its wings as it leapt into the air, dodging the swipe before firing off a Dark Pulse. "Dodge it!" Derpy cried as Swirleye leapt out of the way. It then landed on the tree trunk before starting to climb the massive pillar of lumber. "That's the way Swirleye! Now use...um...Scratch again!" Swirleye leapt off the tree and flew at Pitchawk, managing to scratch it on its face. "HAWK!" Pitchawk yelped as the attack got dangerously close to its eye. It spun in midair and tried to strike Swirleye with its wing, but the lizard unfurled its tail and wrapped it around its body. Now anchored to its opponent, Swirleye began slashing at its back again and again. "Swirl, swirl, swirl, swirl!" Pitchawk grunted in pain as the scratches continued, only to flare its wings as it shot into the air. Doing this, it started to spin like a top in midair, the force of the bird now pushing Swirleye's grip. Then, it's grip stopped and the lizard fell like a rock. "Swirleye!" Derpy cried as she saw Swirleye fall, the lizard soon landing and letting out a cry of pain. Doc placed his hand on her shoulder. "Stay calm. Just focus on your next attack." Derpy took a deep breath and nodded, her head starting to think as she tried to remember what other moves Swirleye knew. Then her went wide as she looked and pointed at the Pitchawk, "Swirleye, use Miracle Eye!" Swirleye picked itself up as its eyes shot open, a pink light shining from them as it flew through the sky and hit its opponent in the chest. Then, the light passed over Pitchawk, only to show no damage. "Pitch?" "What happened?" Spike asked as he stared with the same confused look that the Pitchawk was showing. Twilight smirked at the sight, "Miracle Eye. Its a move that causes any Dark-Type hit by it to be effected by Psychic-Type moves." Derpy heard this and smiled, this happy accident giving her a chance. "Confusion!" Swirleye unleashed a blue beam from its eyes, striking the Pitchawk on the side of its wing. "Pitch!" It cried as it was zapped, not used to this feeling due to its immunity. It wasn't very effective, but it was enough to make it slowly float towards the ground. Seeing this, Derpy remembered Swirleye's last attack and called it out. "Thrash!" Swirleye hopped towards Pitchawk and unfurled its tail, which it started slashing and wildly whipping at it. "Hawk, hawk, pitch, hawk!" It cried as the blows continued to strike the bird. It then flapped its wings again, soon getting back up into the air while Swirleye landed, only to start staggering around strangely. "What's wrong with Swirleye?" Spike asked as he pointed at the Pokemon. "It looks really...dizzy." "It's confused," Twilight explained with a grimace. "It can be a side effect of using Thrash." "Oh no..." Derpy gulped before looking up, only to see Pitchawk charging up a Sky Attack. "Swirleye, you need to attack! Use Confusion!" "Swirleye!" It cried as it unleashed a blue beam, only for the laser to fly a few inches away from Pitchawk. "No! You missed!" Derpy screamed in fear, "you have to try again! Use Confusion!" Once again, Swirleye fired the mental blast, only to miss again. "This is bad," Twilight commented as she looked up, "Pitchawk's almost ready to attack." As these words left her mouth, the black bird shot down, its target a sitting duck. "It's coming!" Flash shouted as he pointed at the bird. "Do something Derpy!" Doc added. Derpy's mind was turning to mush at this, her brain telling her that her curse was the cause of this. But as she through this, she felt Doc's hold on her shoulder, making her turn and she a determined look on his face. Seeing this, confidence swam into her mind as she the took a deep breath and screamed, "SWIRLEYE!" Her voice echoed through the trees, the sound slamming Swirleye's ears. Suddenly, the dizziness seemed to lessen and it opened its eyes to see Pitchawk flying at it. "Swirleye!" It cried as it fired off a Confusion, this one striking the Pitchawk with incredible force. "PITCHAWK!" It cried as the overpowered blast sent it flying backwards, crashing into the tree. Everyone was shocked as they watched Pitchawk fall to the ground from the blow. "No way," Spike gasped as he saw the bird slump down. "How'd that attack get so strong?" Flash asked before turning to Twilight and Doc. Twilight snapped her fingers at this. "Of course! Swilrleye must have the ability Dizzy Drive! When it's confused, the ability allows all of its stats to get boosted." "That's just what Derpy needs," Doc said as he turned back to Derpy. "Finish it off!" Derpy nodded before turning back to Swirleye. "Thrash!" The now recovered Swirleye charged towards the recovering opponent, then unfurled its tail and started swiping away. The attacks were relentless and strong, Dizzy Drive having made the attack much stronger until finally, Swirleye curled up its tail be fore leaping up and slamming the whole thing into Pitchawk's chin. "PITCHAWK!" it screeched, its body slumping into a heap as Swirleye leapt away at the same time. Derpy was in awe at what she and Swirleye had done. They had beaten their opponent. "I did it," she whispered before feeling something pat her on the shoulder. "You sure did. You should be proud." "But we need to hurry," Twilight told them as she pointed at the bird. "We need that case before these guys wake up. I doubt we'll get a second chance after this." Derpy nodded, rushing over to the tree and reaching into the hole. She grabbed the case and pulled it out, but as she did. "PITCHAWK!" She spun around to see Pitchawk had picked itself up, panting heavily as it did. Derpy frowned, not wanting to hurt it anymore. Instead, she placed the case on the floor and stepped away. "Please, let me have this case. It has very important and delicate parts inside it that need to be delivered. If they aren't, the whole city will be without power. That means hospitals, Pokémon Centers and other important places won't be able to do what they need to do." She saw Pitchawk raise an eyebrow at this, making her see her plea was working. "Please, just let me have the case for a little while. Once the parts are delivered, you can have it back." She fell to her knees and bowed, her head down with eyes closed. "Please...believe me!" She looked back up and made eye contact with Pitchawk, the two staring at one another for several moments. Until finally, Pitchawk nodded. Derpy let out a sigh of relief, smiling as she wiped her teary eyes. "Thank you." As the sun began to set, the group found themselves arriving at the other side of the forest. There, they found a stone building situated atop a hill that overlooked the entire city and would normally allow them to see the whole thing. But the darkness of the night shrouded the city, which had none of its lights on. As they stepped up to the building, the doors opened and a man stepped out. "Oh thank Arceus," he gasped as he noticed Derpy's clothes. "Please tell me you're the courier sent to deliver the parts. The back up power went out an hour ago." Derpy smiled before stepping up, offering up the case. "They're all in here. I'm sorry we're late, but we ran into some...issues." The man noticed the Pitchawk next to them and nodded understandly, obviously recognizing the bird from an earlier experience. He then took the case before heading inside. Several minutes later, he stepped back out. "Thank you, we should have the power back up in no time." He then held out the case. "You wanted this right?" "Yes," Derpy replied before taking it and turning to Pitchawk. "Here you go, just like I promised." Pitchawk smiled before taking the case in its talons. "Hawk!" It cried before flapping its wings and taking to the sky, disappearing back into the darkness of the night. Everyone smiled at seeing it go as Doc placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You did great Derpy. It wasn't the battle that won Pitchawk's cooperation, but your kind and honest heart." Derpy smiled at this, nodding as a blush started to form on her face, only to feel Swirleye climb up onto her shoulder. "Thank you...all of you. I couldn't have done it without you." She then turned to her Pokémon, "Especially you. Thank you Swirleye." "Swirleye!" it cheered, hugging her cheek soon after. Everyone giggled at the sight as Spike then asked, "so what are you gonna do now?" Derpy turned to him with a huge grin, "I'm going back to base. No doubt they'll want to know everything that happened on my first assignment." "You might want to leave out the part about the package being stolen," Flash suggested with a smirk. Everyone laughed at this, all agreeing that the situation might be best left between them and their memories. But before anyone could say anything else, a bright light suddenly assaulted their vision. They all turned and watched in wonder as the night sky was now illuminated by the lights of the city. "Beautiful," Twilight gasped as she readjusted her glasses at the sight. "Yeah...it sure is," Flash added, nodding in agreement. Doc patted Derpy on the shoulder one last time. "And it's thanks to you that we get to see it. Thank you Derpy." Derpy's smile increased at this, happy she had managed to help the city of Fillydelphia in its time of need. Seeing this, Twilight would later write to Celestia that it just goes to show that no matter how many mistakes you make, if you try your best and don't give up, nothing is impossible. Now, Flash's second Equestria League Gym Challenge was only a night's sleep away. Who will his opponent be? How will they battle? And can Flash find a way to defeat them and earn his badge? Stay tuned to find out.