Twilight groaned, knocked for a loop after she and her friends were sucked into her backfired spell. From the unfortunate dogpile, hearing her friends groan as they all rolled off each other, she began to feel a little nauseous as she rolled onto her stomach, no longer in the library and out in a field of grass.
"What the heck happened to them?" Squinting her eyes open, Twilight grunted as she tried to stand up, only to collapse on her belly again with a grunt as her hooves felt different. "Whoa! Hey, are you alright?"
She was helped up by whoever was nearby, but they helped her up on her hind legs, making her immediately lose her balance and fall on her back with a grunt. "Ow. Why did you-?" Twilight sat up to berate the one who attempted to stand her up, only to gasp when she saw the Riolu and Charmander, strange creatures she never saw before. She didn't know if they were dangerous beasts, just staring at her, waiting for her to make the first move before they pounced her. "Uh oh..."
"You ok there, miss?" Scott asked.
Hearing the blue and black canine talk made Twilight squeak in surprise. "Y-You can talk!?" she exclaimed, her reaction making the Riolu and Charmander look at each other in bewilderment.
"Uhh, yeah, and so can you," Scott stated dumbly.
"Scott," Johann hissed, grabbing his friend's tail and pulled him away from Twilight, giving him a disapproving leer before looking back at her with a friendly smile. "Forgive my friend. You're probably just a little confused from that fall you took. I'm Johann. What's your name, Miss Ralts?"
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, and-" Twilight paused, raising a brow at the Charmander. "...What did you call me?"
"Well, you are a Ralts," Johann explained. "That's what kind of Pokemon you are...or do you not remember what kind you are?"
"Huh?" Confused, Twilight brought her hoof up to scratch her head, only to pause with more confusion when, instead of her fur or mane, she was rubbing a strange dome-like hat. Shifting her eyes up, she now noticed half of her vision was blocked by her "bangs", which were green, and felt like the very same dome she was wearing. She then looked at her hooves, gasping in shock that her limbs weren't purple, or even hooved; they were white and thin. "W-W-W-What in the name of Celestia!?"
"Uhh, Cele-who?" Scott questioned.
Twilight began to freak out, then looked down at herself to see what else had changed. Her body was as white as her arms, far smaller than probably Spike, and two legs with wide feet, though it looked like she was wearing some sort of dress or nightgown when it was a part of her new body. While looking at her dress, she could see her cutie mark was still there, the fuchsia star and the smaller, barely visible white stars against her "dress" marked on both sides. She felt above her head for her horn, but instead of her spiraled unicorn horn, she felt a thinner, flatter one in the front, and there was another smaller one in the back. Her breath caught in her throat, her pupils under her "hair" shrinking to pinpricks, then let out a scream in terror, startling Scott and Johann.
"What did I turn into!?" Twilight screamed, trying to stand up, but her new bipedal body made her wobble, and one single step made her trip over her new feet, but Johann quickly caught her before she fell again.
"Hey, take it easy," Johann said, trying to calm down the hyperventilating Ralts. "Try to remember what happened to you and the others."
"O-Others?" Twilight asked, then gasped in shock. "My friends! W-Where are they!?"
"Twilight?" Twilight heard Spike's voice, quickly turning to see the group of new creatures lying on the ground, some trying to recover from the disorienting pull of her backfired spell. The one that got up was a Gible, marks similar to what Twilight had on his sides, only the stumpy-looking land shark had a scroll with green flames behind it. The Gible rubbed his head groggily, senslessly looking around. "What happened to us?"
"S-Spike!?" Scrambling out of Johann's arms, she wobbled over to Spike, stumbling a bit before grasping her baby dragon assistant's transformed face with her hands. "Spike, is that you!?"
"Yeah," Spike said, his vision clearing up when he finally saw Twilight, letting out a yelp in surprise. "Whoa! Twilight!?"
"Yes!" Twilight nodded rapidly while Spike tried to look at himself.
"Did...Did I shrink?" Spike questioned, wiggling his shorter limbs angrily. "Why do I feel so stubby!?"
"...Do these guys have amnesia or something?" Scott asked Johann.
"I'm not sure," Johann uttered.
The other Pokemon began to stir and come back to reality. "Ow. At least that wasn't as bad as when I crashed and busted my wing." Twilight and Spike heard Rainbow's voice come from a bird with gray, black, and white feathers, Rainbow's cutie mark located on its wings. The Starly brought a wing to its face, only to flinch when it focused on its face. "Huh? A...beak!?" Rainbow looked over herself, letting out a yelp in shock, then glared angrily. "Why did I turn into a bird!?"
"Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.
Rainbow quickly turned to look at Twilight, her beak dropping when she glanced at the familiar cutie mark on the Ralts' dress. "Twilight?" The Psychic-type nodded. Rainbow glanced at her wings, thankful to still have those despite being an avian instead of a pegasus, along with her cutie mark now that they moved to her new anatomy's coverts. "Where are we? And...WHAT are we!?"
Before she could try to answer, they heard Applejack growl like a dog, which she ironically transformed into when Twilight, Rainbow, and Spike saw the trio of apples of her cutie mark on the brown canine with yellow cheeks and a small, lightning bolt tail. "That hurt," the Yamper grumbled, shaking her body before trying to reach a paw up to her head. Applejack noticed her shorter limbs, gasping in shock. "What in tarnation!?"
"Whoa, Applejack! You're a dog!" Rainbow exclaimed.
"Thanks, Rainbow Dash, Ah could see-" Applejack turned to leer at her friend/rival, her annoyance dropping along with her jaw when she noticed her friends' changes. "...Whoa nelly. Twilight, what in Equestria happened to us?"
"I-I think my spell went haywire when Pinkie scared the hay out of me with her party cannon," Twilight mumbled nervously, worried she poured too much magic to not only send them to this world against their will, but also transform them into the creatures of this world permanently.
"At least we're all together, right?" Spike asked.
"Hopefully." Applejack looked around, letting out a sigh of relief when she found her stetson resting on a whitish-looking mass of fluff. "Thank goodness mah hat's still here," she said, walking over to her hat while getting used to her stubbier legs. After Applejack grabbed her hat in her mouth, then flipped it back on her head where it belong, she looked down at the fluff, only to yelp when she saw a face on it. What was more surprising was the three balloons on its cheeks, two blue and one yellow, matching the similar cutie mark Pinkie Pie had. "P-Pinkie Pie???"
The fluffy creature squinted, blinking a few times as if it was waking up from a nap. "Applejack?" It was indeed Pinkie Pie, sitting up with her new form. The Swirlix looked at Applejack, smiling groggily and tried to pat her on the head, but the only appendage she had was a small tail. "Hello, cute puppy. Have you seen Applejack?"
"Pinkie Pie, it IS me," Applejack stated. "Are...are ya some sort of livin' cloud?"
"Hmm?" Pinkie glanced down, blinking curiously as she moved her small tail attached to her fluffy head. "...Oh...my...gosh..."
"Uhh, it's not as bad as it seems, sugarcube," Applejack said to reassure the party pony turned cotton candy Pokemon.
"Not as bad? I'M LIVING A DREAM!" Pinkie shrieked with joy, somehow able to leap as high as the Nidos' home. Her reaction baffled her fully conscious friends and the Riolu and Charmander trying to figure out what the Swirlix was talking about. Pinkie landed back down, gently plopping on the back of a pink and white kitten with a slender tail, though with a bulky pink section at the end, three pin-like structures with yellow ball-like tips at the end of the appendage. "I've turned into living cotton candy!"
"...What?" Twilight muttered, her deadpanned expression hidden under her bowl-cut hairstyle.
Rainbow snickered as she and the others watched Pinkie stick her tongue out and lick her fluffy body. "Mmm! I taste like strawberries!" Pinkie said, then licked her lips, tasting more of her flavored body. "Who wants to try!?"
"P-Pinkie, you're...sitting on me." Pinkie's little pink ears on top of her fluffy body twitched, looking down where she heard Rarity's voice coming from the small kitten. Pinkie bounced off the Skitty, who let out a disgusted groan. "Eww. Why does my back feel sticky?"
"Oopsie. My new cotton candy body must be a lot more stickier than I thought," Pinkie giggled sheepishly. "Sorry kitty cat who sounds like Rarity!...Wait, Rarity?" While the Skitty stood up, Pinkie noticed the three blue diamonds cutie mark the fashionista had was on the pink kitten. "Hey! It is Rarity! And you're a kitty! Way cuter than Opal, with those squinty eyes and cattail tail!"
"Pinkie, what in Equestria are you babbling-" Rarity turned to look at Pinkie, her jaw hanging open mid-sentence in shock as she saw the earth pony was now a piece of cotton candy on a fluffy stick-like tail, along with the rest of her friends and the two rescue team Pokemon, who were still silently watching them as they had their moments to reacting to their situation. And Rarity was next when she looked down at herself, starting to panic as she turned around and examined every inch of her. "W-What am I!? W-Where's my beautiful tail!? My coiffed mane!?"
"It's all gone, and now you're a kitty cat!" Pinkie cheerfully explained, which wasn't a good idea as, even though her eyes were squinted, Rarity frowned in shock and disbelief.
The Skitty then let out a loud shriek, her high-pitched wail causing everyone to wince and cover their ears. Scott and Johann grimaced, the former especially with his sensitive hearing.
"Agh! I didn't know Skitties could use Screech!" Scott exclaimed.
"I don't think they can!" Johann stated.
Rarity's screeching wails woke Fluttershy up, instinctively grabbing her ears, somehow far more sensitive with sound than usual. "Ow. What's with all the loud noise?" Fluttershy stood up, falling on her rear end with a squeak, feeling more of her body was off than just her ears. She first noticed a fluffy yellow lower half, her new paws sticking out from the fluff, then her brown paws. "Am I...a bunny?" she asked herself, running her new paws over her face. She didn't have buck teeth like a normal rabbit, but she did have the long ears, the back of them covered in the same yellow fluffy fur that was below her waist. She still had her trio of butterflies cutie mark on her hips, but nothing else about her as a pegasus. "Oh my..."
"Well, at least one of them was relatively calm about who they are," Scott said.
One of Fluttershy's new, long ears sprang up while the other remained folded on her head, looking over to where the male voice came from. When the Buneary saw Scott and Johann, she gasped in awe, eyes sparkling at the new, adorable critters watching her, and the animal loving side of her came out.
"Oh my gosh!" Fluttershy squeed, quickly climbing on her feet and hopped over to the two Pokemon, her fascination more important than her transformation. She didn't even have any troubles adjusting to her movements, too focused on the fire lizard and fighter lupine, coming to a stop between them and shifted her head to look at the two of them with an open-mouthed grin. "You two are so adorable!"
"Uhhh," both Pokemon stammered, glancing at each other for a brief moment before Fluttershy pounced Johann first.
"Aww, what a cute lizard!" Fluttershy gushed, rubbing Johann's head, who blushed in embarrassment at the attention. She wasn't even aware of the flaming tip at the end of his tail, too focused on cuddling and nuzzling the Charmander, the orange of his smooth skin turning a deeper shade of red, making him look like a mini-Charmeleon. "And such warm body heat. Are you warm-blooded, little guy?"
"U-Uhh, I-I-I am a...F-F-Fire-type, so, umm..." Johann continued stammering, glancing over to Scott, silently begging for his help.
The Riolu just snickered, watching his friend's new "mate" snuggle with him, his bashfulness being the funniest thing he's seen on the Charmander. Fluttershy then turned her sights on Scott, who immediately stopped his sniggering and gulped nervously, the unfortunate next victim as she leapt away from Johann. Twilight and her other friends watched Fluttershy hopping around without a care as she devoted her attention to the two Pokemon.
"Well, at least Fluttershy seems to fit in well," Spike said.
"So much for being afraid of 'big, scary monsters' in another world," Rainbow mumbled.
"And what kind of puppy are you?" Fluttershy asked Scott, grimacing at being called a puppy.
"Uhh...A Riolu?" he said nervously. "Haven't you ever-?"
"How cute!" Fluttershy squealed, then began to scratch the back of Scott's head with her paw, making him stiffen in surprise with a shocked gaze. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy!?" the Buneary cooed, wishing she had a dog treat to give the Riolu.
Though his body was frozen, an instinct inside of him enjoyed it. His tail began to wag, willing it to stop despite how good the scratching behind his ear felt. His right leg twitched when he desperately kept his tail straight out, giving light thumps to the ground. His subtle satisfaction to Fluttershy's amazing scratching skills didn't go unnoticed by Johann, who snickered right back at him now that he was on the receiving end of the Buneary's affections.
"Enjoying yourself?" Johann asked with a snort.
"N-No," Scott answered, gritting his teeth to try not to pant in exhilaration.
"Then why is your tail wagging like that?" Scott flinched, quickly grabbing his traitorous tail, which made Johann burst out laughing, falling to the ground and rolling around while clutching his sides.
Now it was Scott's turn for his face to go beet red. "Ok, that's enough!" he exclaimed, backing away and leaping up into Nidoqueen's berry tree.
Fluttershy was disappointed to have her new animal friend feel embarrassed from the petting and scratching. "Oh, please don't run away. If you don't like scratchies, I can give you more pets," she bartered.
"Neither would be great, please and thank you!" Scott yelled out, then turned to glare at Johann, who was still laughing uncontrollably. "You better not tell the others in the guild about this, Johann!"
Nidoking stepped outside, hearing Scott's yelling and went to check his backyard. "What's going on out here? You boys try practicing your fighting in my mate's garden, she's gonna-" As soon as he got around the house and made his presence known, the girls froze in terror at the sight of the large, senior Pokemon. Nidoking blinked, swearing he thought there were only two Pokemon working on his and his mate's yard, and there were seven more that were here on his property. "...Uhh...Who are you lot?"
All the newcomers sans Fluttershy screamed, scrambling away and hid behind the tree Scott was in, some tripping over their new limbs while Pinkie bounced and rolled away. Nidoking scratched his head, looking to Johann and Scott for an answer. Scott jumped from his perch, landing on the ground as light as a feather, then peeked around the tree to find the fallen Pokemon cowering in fear.
"W-W-What is that thing???" Twilight questioned.
"It's gonna eat us!" Pinkie screamed. "I'm too delicious to be eaten!"
"You were licking yourself earlier," Scott stated, giving the Swirlix a deadpanned glare.
"Exactly! Only I can eat my cotton candy sweetness!" The Riolu's eye twitched, suddenly feeling a headache coming on just from trying to reason with the goofy Fairy-type.
"...Right." Scott looked back to Johann, surprised to see Fluttershy wasn't as frightened as her friends were as she stood next to him and admired the flaming tip on his tail she just now noticed he had, then to the baffled Nidoking. "Well, you guys don't have to worry about Nidoking. He's not going to hurt us."
"Dude, he's a giant monster!" Rainbow exclaimed. "He towers over us like a mountain!"
"He's not THAT scary," Scott said. "Mostly confused because he thinks it was just me and Johann here helping fix up his yard."
"...Say what now?" Applejack questioned.
"Yeah, I know. Pretty lame mission for the start of our rescue team," Scott grumbled.
The girls and Spike looked at each other, then back to the Riolu. "Rescue team?" Twilight asked.
"What, you guys haven't heard of Pokemon rescue teams?" Scott waited for a response, but the looks on their faces showed genuine confusion. "...They travel across the land to help others in need? Search through Mystery Dungeons to find lost Pokemon or items?"
"Mystery...Dungeons?" Spike questioned.
Scott stood silently, a little baffled how a group of Pokemon like them have never heard of rescue teams, or even Mystery Dungeons. Curious, he closed his eyes, focusing his aura to sense their inner feelings, a basic skill Riolu like him can perform. Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie, and Spike wondered what he was doing, watching the two appendages that almost looked like droopy ears on the sides of his head begin to rise up on their own. Ignoring their fascination, he could sense they were confused, frightened, and anxious. He gasped and opened his eyes, glowing a light blue when he sensed something else mixed in with their auras, something that wasn't like the normal aura energies he's seen while practicing enhancing his aura-sensing abilities.
"W-Why are his eyes glowing?" Rarity asked nervously. "Is he going to use magic on us???"
Scott blinked, the glowing aura in his eyes disappearing as the black appendages flopped down, shocked by what he felt. "What...was that?" he uttered to himself. He had to tell Johann what he saw while also wondering if Fluttershy had the same mysterious energy the others had. "Uhh...Wait here..."
"As if we want to get eaten by that...whatever you called that thing," Twilight grumbled.
Scott ran over to Johann and Nidoking, making sure to avoid Fluttershy and her wonderful scratching techniques. "Uhh...I didn't sound that aggressive, was I?" Nidoking asked. "Are they all friends of yours? Or future rescuers like you boys?"
"I don't think you'd believe us if we were completely honest," Johann said.
"Well, with all the hard work you boys did on our yard so far, I'll trust you to telling me what's going on," Nidoking said.
Scott and Johann looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders before facing their first client. "They...kinda fell from the sky," Scott said first. "There was this...purple lightning that shot through the sky, then this strange light appeared from it, and they fell through it and right on top of us. I'm kinda surprised you and Mrs. Nido didn't hear that earlier."
Nidoking looked up at the sky, humming curiously. "Well, it's a pretty nice day. Not a cloud in the sky," he said. Glancing over at the tree the other Pokemon hid behind, they quickly hid back when he looked in their direction. "Hmmmmm...Maybe that little Ralts got a bit too eager and used Teleport, sending herself and her friends here and winding up in the air."
"Ok, but that doesn't explain the mysterious lightning and the bright light they fell from," Johann said. "You don't think this is one of the natural disasters still giving this land trouble, is it?"
"More like unnatural," Scott said. Johann looked at his friend with a confused tilt of his head. Looking at Fluttershy, Scott sensed her aura, and just like with her other friends, she had that same mysterious energy within her aura. Fluttershy stared at his appendages in awe, reaching out to touch them. Scott could still see her while seeing through his aura, quickly opening his eyes and grabbed her paw, startling the Buneary. "I know you're interested in...us, but, do you think you can persuade your friends that nothing's gonna hurt them?"
"Oh. Umm, ok, Mr. Riolu," Fluttershy said.
"It's Scott," he corrected, then let go of the Buneary's paw. Scott then smirked and pointed at Johann. "But you can call him Mr. Lizard."
"Hey, I have a name, too!" Johann exclaimed. "It's Johann!" Fluttershy nodded, then made her way over to her friends. Johann grumbled as he glanced at his friend, slightly annoyed by the remark he made. "'Mr. Lizard'? Couldn't have come up with something better, 'puppy'?"
Scott growled at the nickname, especially when Johann smirked right back, getting the upper hand. "I guess I'll tell the Missus to make some more cookies. Never expected more guests today," Nidoking murmured to himself, making his way back inside and left the starting rescue team to themselves.
Scott just sighed, draping his arm around Johann's shoulder and guided him around the building. "Ok, serious talk," he said.
"What? What is it?" Johann asked.
"I'm actually not sure myself, but I think those girls and Gible really have no idea where they are, let alone what kinds of Pokemon they are," Scott explained.
"So, do they really have amnesia?" the Charmander asked.
"Maybe, maybe not, but when I looked at their aura, it was...different." Johann tilted his head curiously at the claim with a hum in thought.
"Different how?" Johann asked.
Scott rubbed his chin, thinking of a way to explain it to his friend. "...Well, think of aura like a stream of water," he explained. "If it's calm, the water flows gently down, and if something disturbs it, it ripples or splashes. Aura acts the same way and can be influenced by things like stress, adrenaline, fear, even excitement." He poked Johann's chest with a grin. "Yours is like a tsunami with all that positive energy in your core."
Johann let out a small laugh, taking the compliment in stride with a grin. "Jeeze, don't flatter me too much," he said bashfully. "But, what's so strange about their aura that we needed to talk in private?"
"Well...It's a lot harder to explain," Scott said. "Uhh...Well, say that stream of water has...something spilled into it, and it mixes and blends with that water to...illuminate."
"Like a Chinchou or Lanturn's antennae with those glowing lights?" Johann guessed.
"Well, maybe not like that, but it glowed...something," Scott said with uncertainty. "I have no idea what it was, but...they don't have any ordinary aura inside them." Peeking around the corner, he saw the girls and Gible talking to each other, having their own personal meeting. The Riolu sighed, then looked back at Johann. "But, since I don't know if their aura's dangerous, they seem pretty harmless. And if they're lost, as a rescue team, we should help them."
"Yeah, you're right," the Charmander agreed.
While the two discussed what to do, Fluttershy was still trying to convince her friends that the Nidoking wasn't as scary as the others thought. "Are you loco in the cocoa, Flutter-bunny!?" Pinkie exclaimed while bouncing up and down. "I saw that look on that Nido-Meano's eye! He had a hankering for some cotton candy!"
"I didn't think he was that bad," Fluttershy said. "Besides, he seems pretty elderly for his size and stature."
"Ah think Fluttershy's right," Applejack said. "Plus, he didn't even go after them other two critters. Said they were workin' on his yard."
"You know, when you say that, it's kind of strange to think that these creatures are civilized," Rarity said.
"Rares, we TURNED into some of these creatures!" Rainbow reminded the Skitty, flapping her wings wildly in frustration, then turned to Twilight. "Twilight, take us back home!"
"I-I don't know if I can! I don't think I even have my magic!" Twilight exclaimed.
"W-Well try, then!" Rainbow exclaimed. "I don't want to be stuck as a bird!"
"Alright, I'll try." Twilight took in a few deep breaths to calm herself, then tried to focus her magic. She strained her hardest to get her new horns to light up, but nothing came as she let out the breath she was holding. "I-I can't," Twilight uttered, tears beginning to well in her eyes. "I-I have no magic...I can't bring us back home."
The others gasped, shocked by the unfortunate news. "You mean...We're really stuck here?"
"I'm sorry, everypony," Twilight sniffled.
"Well, it wasn't entirely your fault," Rarity uttered.
She then leered at Pinkie Pie, the Swirlix giggling sheepishly. "Maybe I should have kept my party cannon at home."
"You think!?" Rainbow exclaimed. "You startling Twilight got us into the mess! And if we don't get back to Equestria, I'll never be a Wonderbolt!"
"But you can still fly?" Pinkie said, trying to find some good news out of the terrible situation they were in.
"I DON'T WANT TO BE A BIRD!!!!" Rainbow shrieked, flapping her wings hard, accidentally creating a powerful Gust that sent Pinkie tumbling backwards.
"Rainbow Dash, calm down!" Applejack scolded, pouncing the Starly. "It was an unfortunate accident! Nopony's blamin' nopony! Y'all can still fly, so don't look a gift pony in the mouth!" Rainbow pouted, folding her wings across her chest while looking away from the Yamper. Getting off the grumpy Starly, Applejack approached Twilight, gently patting her leg with her paw. "Don't worry, Twilight. We'll find a way to get back home. Until then, Ah suggest we try to get used to our new bodies and ask them two critters if they can help us find a way to our world."
"Well, I don't think it's that bad here," Fluttershy said.
"Yeah, yeah, because you love animals, and this world has plenty of them for you to gush over," Rainbow grumbled.
"But I'm not an animal," Pinkie stated. "I'm living candy. And it's the best thing ever."
Pinkie began licking her fluffy face, making Rainbow groan irritably at the semantics. Seeing there was nothing they could do to return home, they all agreed with Applejack's plan to try to make due with their current situation and ask Scott and Johann if they could help them. Luckily, the two Pokemon came over to check on them.
"You guys doing ok?" Scott asked.
"As well as we can be," Applejack said with a nervous chuckle. "Ah know this might be a bit out of the blue, sugarcube, but...ya think the two of ya can help us? We...don't really know where we are, or what's happened to us. In exchange for helpin' us, we could help y'all in return."
Scott and Johann looked at each other, the latter giving a grin and shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Well, I did sort of call us finding some new Pokemon to drop out of the sky," the Charmander reiterated, earning a playful nudge from the Riolu.
"Then you jinxed them along with us when they decided to drop in on us," Scott replied with a snicker, then looked at the lost newcomers. "As a rescue team just starting out, this is the perfect opportunity to help Pokemon in need."
"Pokemon?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head in curiosity. "Is...that what we are?"
Scott and Johann's eyes grew wide after hearing Fluttershy ask such a question, along with the others' confused but curious expressions about what they were. "Wow. They really don't have any idea, do they?" Johann whispered.
"Huh? 'No idea', what?" Fluttershy asked, her raised ear twitching slightly.
The two rescuers blanched, almost forgetting just how sensitive a Buneary's hearing can be. "Uhh, n-nothing! Ignore Johann! He's not that bright!" Scott quickly said, Johann nodding hastily in response, only to pause in shock, then glared at his friend.
"Hey, I didn't daydream during our briefing when we signed up in the guild!" Johann exclaimed.
"Most of it wasn't all that important, right?" Scott nonchalantly asked. Johann let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "Anyways, if you need a place to stay, you can crash at our base."
"Well, how generous of you," Rarity said. "Even in this place, there is some chivalry that seems to be lacking back home."
"Since you're going to stay with us, let's introduce ourselves," Johann said. "My name's Johann, and this is my partner, Scott, the lazy, know-it-all Riolu with his head in the clouds." Scott gave the Charmander a sideways leer with a grumble, but remained silent, promising to get back at him later. "We got Twilight's name earlier when she woke up, and I'm guessing you also have names, too."
Before the others could give their names, Pinkie chimed in. "I'm Pinkie Pie!" she said, then hopped over to her friends to introduce everyone else for them. "This is Spike, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity!"
"Nice meeting you guys," Scott said. "We'll guide you to our base once we're done with our first job. Just a bit of pruning with Nidoqueen's garden and we should be good."
The Mane Six and Spike nodded, leaving Scott and Johann to continue their work as they fixed up the garden. While the two Pokemon worked, the girls and Spike watched while sitting in the shade. They stared in awe when they noticed Scott's metal stubs on his paws extended into claws, carefully cutting overgrown branches and trimming some with those claws. They had no idea what these Pokemon were capable of, nor what they could do if they were turned into the creatures of this world.
"Wow. I wonder what else they can do," Fluttershy wondered aloud.
"That...actually is pretty cool," Rainbow mumbled.
After their work was done, Scott and Johann signaled to their new friends to follow them, going around the building to the front door. Johann knocked on the door, where the Nidos came out to examine the work the rescue team had done.
"Well, boys, this yard's a whole lot cleaner," Nidoking said.
"And I saw you two helping with my garden! How sweet of you two!" Nidoqueen said, then gave the two another round of hard cheek pinching and pulling.
"Ahh! Not again!" Scott squealed in agony, the girls and Spike snickering at the comedic stretching of the rescue team's cheeks and hearing the Riolu's anguish while he flailed his arms.
Nidoqueen finally let go, their cheeks snapping back to their faces. "I made more berry cookies for you and your friends to share. I didn't know you brought friends, but Nidoking let me know, and they do look a bit hungry."
She then pulled out a basket, a heavy aroma of delicious berry cookies wafting from inside. Johann's mouth watered as he reached for the basket, but Scott dragged him away from it.
"She said it was for THEM," he stated to his still hungry partner. "We already had our snack, and they could probably eat something."
"Uhh, heheh. Right," Johann giggled sheepishly.
"You two did an amazing job. Far better than any others have tried on their first go," Nidoking said. "Such dedication will get you far in life."
"Uhh, thanks, Mr. Nido," Scott said.
"And, as I promised, not only will we approve a job well done for your guild, but a little bonus for you two." The two wondered what their bonus was as Nidoking headed back inside, then came back out. "Hold out your paws, boys."
Scott and Johann obeyed, holding out their arms and opened their palms. Nidoking then hovered his large paw over theirs, placing a few seeds in their hands, the "bonus" confusing Twilight and her friends.
"Seeds?" Spike questioned. "Is...that all they get for doing somepony's chores?"
Though the group didn't know, Scott and Johann knew just what kinds of seeds they were: a Quick Seed, increasing a Pokemon's speed temporarily, two Joy Seeds, which enhance a Pokemon's strengths and defenses permanently, and two Warp Seeds, which warps anyone who eats it to another room on a floor of a Mystery Dungeon. "Wow! These seeds will definitely help us in the future!" Johann ecstatically said.
"Good luck out in those dungeons, you two," Nidoking said, encouraging the beginner rescue team.
"But be careful," Nidoqueen added. "It's really dangerous work, and two cuties like you shouldn't be pushing yourselves too hard."
"You don't have to worry about us," Scott said with confidence. "You're looking at the next best rescue team in the world! We won't let anyone down!"
The Nido couple laughed in amusement at the Riolu's enthusiasm, even when they could see how adamant he seemed about their first rescue team mission handling an old couple's overgrown yard. The Nidos thanked Scott and Johann again, Scott taking the basket of freshly baked cookies while Johann placed their seeds in their new toolbox for future use. After saying their goodbyes, Scott and Johann began making their way back to their base with the Mane Six and Spike following behind.
The casual stroll down the road took a while, the two rescuers slowing down at times for their friends to get used to their bodies. While Fluttershy seemed fine and Rainbow flew circles around everyone, Twilight wobbled and stumbled as she was forced to learn how to walk on two legs, Applejack, Rarity, and Spike waddled awkwardly with their stumpier legs. Pinkie bounced along while humming a random tune, Scott and Johann thinking they were hearing the sound of springs with each bound she made. Whatever it was, they left the Fairy-type be, considering she had been trying to eat herself, though they were a bit curious about the strange marks that they had on them.
"So, Twilight, why do you guys have those marks?" Scott asked curiously. "Are they some sort of tribal marking? Weird scars?"
"They're our cutie marks," the Ralts explained.
"Cutie marks, huh? They're pretty neat," Johann complimented.
"And they also show what our talents represent!" Pinkie added, bouncing her way in front of their guides while eyeing the cookies Scott was carrying for them.
"Talents? For what? Performing or something?" Scott asked, being wary and kept the basket far away from the hungry Swirlix.
"Well, for me, I love throwing parties and making ponies happy!" Pinkie said.
"Uhh...'ponies'?" Johann asked, her statement confusing him and the Riolu. "You mean Ponyta and Rapidash? Just for those Pokemon?"
"No, silly! I'm talking about parties for you, and my friends, and new friends I can't wait to meet!" Pinkie reiterated.
"...Ok..." Scott ignored Pinkie and her strange word choices, which the others must have as well judging by their reactions, he noticed Spike's cutie mark. "Spike, what's your...'talent'?"
"Actually, I don't have a cutie mark," Spike stated, unaware of the scroll and green fire mark on his sides. "I'm actually Twilight's number one assistant."
"But Spikey, you do have a cutie mark," Rarity said after finally noticing it.
"Huh? I do???" Spike tried to turn his head, which seemed impossible for the Gible as he mostly turned around. "Is there a mirror or a lake that can show my reflection?"
"I think we have a pond out in the forest behind our base," Scott said.
"Well, what's it look like!?" Spike asked.
"A scroll with your green fire breath in the background," Twilight said.
Spike was a bit stunned, almost looking disappointed before he jumped for joy. "Awesome! Just what I thought it would be if a dragon like me DID have one!"
"But...you are a Dragon-type," Johann stated. The girls gave each other confused glances, having no clue what the Charmander meant. "Seems like we're gonna have to teach them about Pokemon types, along with their strengths and weaknesses."
"Yeah," Scott agreed. They soon arrived at the simple-looking hut that was their base. "Well, here we are. Welcome to Team Rescue Rangers' base."
"Ooh. Cozy!" Pinkie complimented.
"Kinda small for a base, isn't it?" Rainbow questioned.
"Well, we just got approved as a rescue team today, and the Nidos' yard work was our first official mission," Johann said.
"And we also just got this base today, but we can get some renovations done to make it bigger," Scott added. The two rescuers lead the group inside. The hut had only one large room, a few potted plants to decorate the room, some small tables to place their belongings, and only two beds of hay at the far end of the room from the entrance. "...And it looks like I'll have to ask the guild for some extra beds. Heh."
"We're going to have to sleep on the floor?" Rarity whined. "And...on hay?"
"Well, what else is there for us to rest on?" Scott asked rhetorically, giving the Skitty a deadpanned stare.
"How about an actual bed!?" Rarity exclaimed. "And there's no bathroom! How am I supposed to get clean after I get all sweaty and need to groom my fur!?"
"...The pond I mentioned to Spike earlier," the Riolu grumbled, slowly getting a little annoyed with the whiny fashionista and her higher standards of living.
Rarity let out a disgusted mewl and whined more. "Egh! Really!? Is there no indoor plumbing in this world!?"
"'Indoor plumbing?'" Johann asked with a scratch of his head.
"Rarity, quit your fussin'," Applejack chided the prissy Skitty. "You're gonna have to deal with what they've got."
Rarity grumbled, then let out an annoyed huff. "...Fine...At least I don't have to worry about...cleaning my mane..."
While the others got the layout of their temporary home, Scott walked over to Johann, who set down their toolbox on the table. "Hey, you think you can handle watching our guests while I take Twilight to the guild master?" he asked.
"For the...strange aura?" Johann whispered.
"Yes, and if we can get more beds and renovate our base a little earlier than expected," Scott said. "I'm not sure if it's allowed for a rescue team to allow Pokemon in their bases as guests, and considering their situation, they might not really be from around here."
"...You don't think..." Johann paused, looking over his shoulder to make sure their guests weren't listening in, especially Fluttershy's highly sensitive hearing. Luckily, they were content snacking on Nidoqueen's berry cookies, though most of them had to keep Pinkie from jumping in the basket and scarfing down every last cookie inside. "...Would it be just like that one story?"
"I doubt it. I didn't sense any malice when I checked their auras," Scott said. "But if their sudden appearance causes the natural disasters to get worse again like what happened a few years ago, I don't want them to get run out of the area over something out of their control." Johann nodded, then both Pokemon walked over to the snacking group. "Hey, Twilight, can you come with me for a moment?"
"Umm...sure?" Twilight stood up after taking the last bite of a cookie she had, wondering where the Riolu would take her. "Where are we going?"
"Out of all of you, I think you're sort of the 'go-to leader' out of your friends?" he asked.
"W-Well...I guess you can say that," Twilight answered sheepishly, not wanting to be rude and dismiss her friends and loyal assistant as anything beneath her.
"Ok. I'm gonna take you to our guild to see our guild master and see if we can acquire enough beds for the rest of you," Scott said.
"You mean you don't own the base yourselves?" Fluttershy asked.
"There's a lot to go over when it comes to guilds and the rescue teams they're a part of," Johann explained, then gave Scott a blank stare. "And one of us was too busy thinking about how great we'd be without listening to all the rules."
"You're still going on about that?" Scott questioned bitterly. Johann just stuck his tongue out in response, making the Riolu grumble. "Whatever. Let's go, Twilight. 'Fire lizard' over there can explain everything to your friends."
Scott heard Johann snicker as he turned to leave, ignoring him while making sure Twilight didn't fall too far behind. "Take care, 'puppy'!" the Charmander teased, laughing uproariously as he watched his friend stumble slightly, then quickly turn around to glare at him with a blush on his cheeks before storming off with an embarrassed growl.
Twilight followed Scott down the road, seeing what appeared to be a town in the distance after several minutes of walking. Once they reached the gates, Twilight stared in awe, seeing far more Pokemon than she thought there would be. Scott had to take her hand to guide her through Pokemon Square while she was both highly curious and a little startled by the different types there were in the large settlement. He would have to give Twilight and her friends a tour with Johann when everyone else was with them. They walked around Pokemon having a chat with each other, waiting in line in the many different shops, even younger Pokemon playing in the middle of the square or those in a hurry to run errands, deliver messages, etc.
After passing through the main square, they made their way to the north end of town, where they took a left on a forked path, the one on the right leading to a pond where the elder of Pokemon Square resided. Further ahead on the path was a building that was much larger than Team Rescue Rangers' hut and the shops in town. Outside, there were a whole lot more Pokemon, some gathered around a wide message board near the entrance, training with others, or guiding newer members on certain tips or rules. Twilight figured this must be the guild Scott and Johann mentioned, but when she saw the sparring Pokemon nearby, a Bewear and an Ursaring, she winced when she could feel some of the painful impacts both ursine Pokemon unleashed.
Making their way inside, Scott paused, causing Twilight to bump into him. "What? What is-?" When she saw what the Riolu was looking at, her face went pale and quickly hid behind him. Peeking around, Twilight trembled when she saw a Pokemon that looked like a huge, orange dragon in the middle of the foyer, looking at a few envelopes in his claws. "W-W-W-What...is...that???"
"That's Charizard, one of the guild master's partners in their old rescue team," Scott said. "He's also Johann's father."
"T-That's his dad!?" Twilight shrieked in shock. "...T-Then...does that mean...Johann's gonna grow up into...a dragon!?"
"Well, technically, Charizards are Fire/Flying-types." Scott's explanation only baffled the Ralts more, clearly seeing a dragon-like creature glancing at the letters. "With enough training, Johann will evolve into a Charmeleon first, then into a Charizard."
"Evolve?" Twilight questioned.
Charizard looked up from his mail, immediately leering at Scott, followed by a disgruntled sigh when he approached the fire dragon, Twilight cowering behind the Riolu and sticking to his back closely. "Hi, Charizard, sir."
"What do you want, kid?" Charizard asked, feeling annoyed. "If you're still waiting for your team's toolbox, Johann already picked it up, along with your badges."
"Uhh, I know," Scott said sheepishly. "But, we got our first mission done, and we did a really good job."
Charizard snorted bitterly, smoke flowing out from his nostrils as he huffed. "We got word of your 'mission' being accomplished," he grumbled. Scott felt a little uneasy with how irritated and aggressive Charizard was toward him. Johann told him all about his father's greatest feats, but he never mentioned how harsh and terrifying he seemed to behave toward anyone. "So why are you here? If you're expecting your pay, you'll get a cut from it sent to your team's account at the Felicity Bank."
"N-No sir. I...I was wondering if...I could talk to the guild master about something?" Scott asked, feeling very intimidated.
Charizard grumbled, lowering his long neck and stared right in the Riolu's eyes. "Is it pointless? If you waste our time, I'll make sure you and Johann run a thousand laps around the entire area. With no breaks."
Scott gulped nervously, quickly shaking his head in response, but the words failed to come out. "Hey, Charizard! There you are!" Coming up from the main doors leading to the guild master's room was another dragon-like Pokemon to Twilight, only lacking wings, its green scales almost seemed to look like it's made of stone, though it seemed a bit more friendly than Charizard. "Any decent missions for us to cover solo?" The Pokemon looked around his friend, finding Scott and Twilight looking really uncomfortable with Charizard leering at them. "Hey, if it isn't one of the new rookies. How'd your first mission go?"
"U-Uhh...G-Good, Tyranitar, sir," Scott answered with a shaky salute.
"Hmm? What's up?" Tyranitar asked. Glancing at his friend, he placed a paw on Charizard's shoulder, getting the fire dragon to twist his head and look at him. "You trying to scare off the newbies?"
"...What if I am?" Charizard questioned. He shoved the envelopes into Tyranitar's paws, keeping one as he stomped off. "I'm doing this one."
"...Ok. Weird," Tyranitar mumbled awkwardly, then looked down at the trembling Ralts and Riolu. "Uhh, sorry about Charizard. Guess he's having a bad day or something."
"Uhh, y-yeah," Scott stuttered, finally able to relax now that Charizard was gone. "Anyways, umm...Can I speak with the guild master?"
"Sure. Let me check if he's not too busy." Tyranitar turned and entered the guild master's room. While they waited, Twilight looked around the interior of the guild's main base: spanning two floors with many different rooms other Pokemon of different kinds wandered about, some rooms for training or briefing on the first floor while dorms were on the second. There was an entrance to a kitchen for guild members assigned as chefs to feed the residing Pokemon, and whatever they were cooking actually smelled delicious. Despite seeing creatures that seem feral, Twilight was amazed by how intelligent the Pokemon were. Tyranitar came back out, holding only one envelope as he must have placed the rest in the guild master's room. "His schedule's free for the day. Go on in, kid."
"Thanks, Tyranitar, sir," Scott said with a salute.
Tyranitar chuckled in amusement, patting the Riolu's head. "You've got the enthusiasm of a rescuer, kid. Good luck on your future missions," he said before making his way out the door to his solo mission.
"Well, at least he wasn't as scary as Charizard," Twilight mumbled. "What was wrong with him?"
"I don't know. Johann never really talks about his dad," Scott said. "Maybe he doesn't like me or something..." He shook his head, forgetting the terrifying encounter with one of the greatest rescue team members ever known. "Let's just see the guild master."
Scott led Twilight to the guild master's door, inviting themselves in. Inside, there was a plethora of books, maps, even dozens of letters sitting on many of the tables and shelves placed evenly on the sides of the room. The scent of a calming incense wafted from the small purple pots hanging from sconces on the walls, which affected Twilight and gave her that same sense of calm from the scented smoke. At the other end of the room was a Pokemon of gold and brown, really thin, a long mustache drooping from its upper lip, and levitated itself over a mat while hovering a pair of metal spoons in an orbit around its floating, meditative position.
Scott and Twilight silently approached the Pokemon, standing before it, though the Riolu didn't announce their presence. Twilight was going to speak up, but as she opened her mouth, she paused when the Pokemon's eyes shot open, looking down at the two who entered his room. The spoons orbiting it flew into its hands, slowly leaving its sitting position as it placed its feet down on the ground.
"I suppose neither of you have heard of knocking," the Pokemon said, then let out a small chuckle. "But, then again, I had a feeling you would show up, Scott."
"You...knew, Alakazam, sir?" Scott asked curiously.
"Alakazam??? That's its name???" Twilight uttered to herself, both impressed by its powers, but disappointed that the name of this Pokemon was a phrase magicians like Trixie would have made up while performing a trick.
"Yes, that is my name," Alakazam said, startling Twilight as she quickly covered her mouth, fearing she disrespected the powerful Psychic-type. Giving the Ralts a small, teasing smile, Alakazam glanced at Scott. "So, what is it you wish to ask of me, young Riolu?"
"Uhh...Well, a lot, actually," Scott answered sheepishly. "This is...Twilight Sparkle. Johann and I met her and her friends while we were working on Mr. and Mrs. Nidos' yard."
"Already making some new friends, eh?" Alakazam asked curiously.
"Yeah...but, how we met is...kinda interesting." Scott then went into detail with the guild master about his and Johann's meeting with Twilight and her friends.
Alakazam listened intently, remaining stoic and waited for the Riolu to finish. Once Scott was done, the guild master hummed in thought, glancing over at Twilight curiously.
"So...they do not know what kinds of Pokemon they are after falling from the sky," Alakazam restated. "And by some type of portal created by mysterious lightning..."
"Johann thinks that their lack of anything about Pokemon and their strange appearance might be related to that infamous story we're all told," Scott added.
"Story? What story?" Twilight asked.
"You mean the tale of the miscreant human who turned into a Pokemon after abusing some from his world?" Alakazam asked. Scott nodded in response, but Twilight was confused by what this story was, or what a human even was, let alone the Pokemon in THIS world. "Hmmm...Even if they were human, they should have at least heard of us Pokemon and knew what kinds we are, or even what they turned into. And, as one of us, they would be able to understand how their new forms functioned." Wanting to test something, Alakazam held out one of his spoons, then used his psychic powers to levitate it out of his hand, making it float over to Twilight. Confused, Twilight caught the spoon as it approached her. "Miss Twilight, I would like to see you bend this spoon."
"...Umm...ok?" Twilight uttered.
She was about to try to bend the metal utensil with her hands, only to pause when the stronger Psychic-type cleared his throat, getting her attention. "Not with brute force," he corrected, then tapped the side of his head with a finger. "With your mind."
"H-Huh? My...mind?" Twilight asked nervously.
"Yes. As a Psychic-type, a Ralts like yourself can easily manipulate objects this small with their psychic powers," Alakazam stated. Twilight gulped nervously, unsure how to do that without her horn. She at least tried, staring intensely at the metal spoon to bend it by at least a millimeter with her thoughts. Scott and Alakazam watched silently for a couple minutes before Twilight gave up, hanging her head in shame. "Hmm...not even an ounce of psychic energy was unleashed."
"I-I...I don't even know how to use psychic energy," Twilight admitted. "Even if I could bend it, I can't even use my magic at all."
"Magic?" Scott questioned, raising a brow in confusion as he looked to Alakazam to explain.
To the Riolu's surprise, the guild master was just as speechless, eyeing Twilight with curiosity and caution. Raising his free hand, he used his psychic powers to take back his spoon, startling the Ralts when she felt it move in her hands.
"Miss Twilight, who are you?" Alakazam questioned calmly. "And please be honest. We have had a couple incidents where we have judged certain Pokemon without hearing their side of the story, or not acquiring every single fact to prove their innocence."
Twilight bit her lower lip, glancing over at Scott for assurance. She knew Scott and Johann don't really know who they are, but the look the Riolu gave her surprised her; he trusted her, but had a gut feeling that she was no ordinary Ralts. Dreading their reactions, she nervously took in a deep breath and exhaled to compose herself.
"...My friends and I...aren't from this world," Twilight admitted. "We're not these 'humans' you mentioned, either. We call our home Equestria, and myself and my friends are ponies whereas Spike is a baby dragon. I'm actually a unicorn, not a Ralts. And how we got here...I don't think I can take us back home, even if I tried."
"You mean...you were the one who created that strange portal you guys fell through?" Scott asked in surprise.
"It wasn't meant to be a portal; just a viewing window to see other places I've seen before, or explore others within my world I've never seen with my own eyes or other locations beyond our own," Twilight continued. "In Equestria, any other place didn't require that much magic for me to use, but when I think we were watching yours, Pinkie blasted her party cannon at me, throwing off my concentration and accidentally pour too much magic in my spell, which caused that window to turn into a portal that sucked us in like a vacuum." Alakazam nodded silently, letting Twilight finish her story, although some of the things she mentioned flew over the Riolu's head. "I promise you that we're not in any way dangerous. We're trapped in these new bodies, and I can't get us back home without my magic, or even any psychic powers as a different creature I know nothing about."
Twilight began to tear up at the silent gaze Alakazam gave her, fearing they weren't going to be accepted by the Pokemon. Scott felt a bit concerned, sensing Twilight's anxiety even if her hair hid most of her face. The guild master then looked at Scott.
"Scott," he called out, snapping the Riolu to attention. "I know that Riolu and Lucario have the ability to use their aura to sense others, including emotions. Is Twilight being truthful?"
"...W-Well...I'm kinda surprised by all this news, but...even without sensing it, I know she's telling us the truth," Scott said, giving Alakazam the confirmation he needed with a nod of his head. "But...maybe that explains why their aura was so...different..."
"Different how?" Alakazam asked curiously.
"...S-Sorry, guild master, but...it's hard to explain," Scott admitted. "Maybe it's this 'magic' Twilight mentioned that's...mixed with their aura, but it wasn't dangerous."
"...I see..." Alakazam looked back at Twilight, giving the nervous Ralts a calming grin. "You have no need to worry, Twilight. If Scott believes you are innocent, then you and your friends will not need to worry."
"T-Thank you, Mr...Alakazam," Twilight said. "...Sorry if it sounds weird knowing that's your name."
"It's the name of my species, but whether or not I was given another name, I am still the Pokemon that I am," the guild master said.
"Right...I guess there's a whole lot my friends and I will have to learn until you help us find a way back home," Twilight said with a nervous laugh.
"Sadly, I don't know how to send you back home, but I will look into what I can to help you return to your world," Alakazam promised.
"Thank you, again," Twilight said. "But, I am a bit curious about this 'human' story you mentioned, and how that made my friends and I seem...suspicious."
"I suppose that should be explained." Alakazam cleared his throat, sitting back down in his meditative pose, Twilight and Scott sitting down as well, the Ralts catching the Riolu's twitching ears, seeming excited to hear a story he's heard several times over. "In our world, Twilight, we Pokemon try to live in peace. However, others may like to start trouble, and natural disasters shake our world, threatening to destroy it and harm us. For many years, even before I was born, Pokemon formed rescue teams to help those in need; from an earthquake that would decimate homes, to active volcanoes threatening to burn anyone that isn't a Fire-type and engulf lands in magma, brave Pokemon come to others in need of their assistance.
"A very popular story was the claim to the natural disasters getting worse and worse as the years progressed, though it was mostly speculation and rumors that made everyone believe it could come true. This story involved a human, from another world, who was turned into a Pokemon, and sent here as a punishment for the harmful actions he's done to any Pokemon he sees." Twilight was shocked, appalled how someone could actually be so hurtful toward creatures who not only had incredible powers from what she's seen, but also intelligent, and for those like Scott and Johann, kind of cute if they acted like household pets. "This human pulled many pranks on Pokemon, finding it funny to inflict pain on us for his amusement. Ironically, he had a Pokemon partner who kept him from getting hurt: a Gardevoir."
"A Gardevoir?" Twilight asked. "What does that look like?"
"It's what a Ralts like you will evolve into with enough training," Scott said.
"Scott, an illustration can explain much more than mere words, especially when Miss Twilight and her friends have no idea what we Pokemon are," Alakazam chided. The Riolu winced, letting out a sheepish giggle as he rubbed the back of his head. Levitating a book over to them from his many shelves, the pages flipped to show the evolution line of the Pokemon Twilight was. Already turned into a Ralts, she would turn into a bigger Pokemon that looked like a ballet dancer, named Kirlia, then splitting up into two different, taller Pokemon: one that looked a soldier with blade-like elbows named Gallade, the other a maiden with a flowing dress, which was what Gardevoir looked like. "This is a Gardevoir. Male and female Kirlia will evolve in this form, but a male can become a Gallade if they come in contact with an item called a Dawn Stone."
Twilight grimaced as she imagined a male Kirlia, or even a male Gardevoir. "I hope the Gardevoir in the story was a female."
Scott snickered at the thought while Alakazam continued with the story. "The human's Gardevoir was always by his side, always protecting him from the Pokemon who were irritated by his malicious pranks toward other Pokemon. The last Pokemon he harmed would be his downfall in life, and Gardevoir's." The pages flipped again, showing an illustration of a large, radiant, nine-tailed fox with tannish-white fur with each tail at the tip orange. "The human's next target was a Pokemon called a Ninetails, this specific Pokemon of her kind able to travel between our world and the human's world." Twilight was about to ask, but Alakazam seemed to know exactly what she wanted to say. "Sadly, she might not be able to help you and your friends return to your world. I know where she lives, but she could be here now or currently be in the human world."
"Oh..." Twilight felt disappointed, but she didn't expect to find a solution so soon. "Sorry. Please continue."
Alakazam nodded and resumed where he left off. "The human grabbed one of Ninetails' beautiful tails, and pulled harshly. She did not approve his behavior, speaking to him and scaring him. For his cruel acts toward Pokemon, she placed a curse on the human as he cowered in fear...However, Gardevoir, being the loyal protector she was, took the curse for her partner, but the human fled as she reached out to him, pleading for his help as she perished from the deadly curse meant for him." Twilight let out a horrified gasp. She looked at Scott, who shook his head, letting out a low growl at the awful human leaving his Pokemon to die for him and be forgotten like a thrown out rag. "Disappointed and feeling sympathy for the fallen Gardevoir who protected her partner unconditionally, Ninetails followed the human, and instead gave the human a new curse: turning him into a Pokemon and transporting him to our world, as judgement for not only the harmful pranks he's done toward other Pokemon, but leaving his Gardevoir to die for him without so much as feeling any remorse for his actions, nor the loss of his partner."
"That's...That's terrible," Twilight uttered. "But...if the Ninetails in the story exists, does that mean that human is really in this world still?"
"Possibly, but we have no idea which Pokemon he turned into," Alakazam said. "Many different species the exist on this continent and across the seas."
"But, there was another human, and Alakazam and his teammates were saved by him and his rescue team," Scott added, surprising Twilight as she looked at the Riolu, then back to the guild master.
Alakazam nodded, giving in to telling another factual story he experienced for the eager Riolu's sake. "There was indeed another human who came here, but he was far different than the other one," he confirmed. "I even had the pleasure of meeting him face to face, even what kind of Pokemon he was: a Squirtle."
"Wow. Just how many Pokemon are there in this world?" Twilight asked, flabbergasted as she feared she might actually get lost with learning about each Pokemon and what they look like.
"Quite a lot, but I have plenty of tomes detailing a vast majority of Pokemon, from the most common to see to the powerful legendaries," Alakazam said, seeing Twilight's eyes sparkle under her hair at the mention of his library of books. "Moving on with this tale. Squirtle woke up near a Mystery Dungeon called Tiny Lake, where he met his partners, a Charmander and Chikorita, and called their rescue Team Go-Getters. However, despite going along with his new friends, Squirtle had no memory of his past aside from the fact he recalled being human. Surprisingly, they were a very talented rescue team, completing missions far faster than my own team had when we started out."
"What was your team's name?" Twilight asked.
"Team A.C.T.," Scott answered faster than Alakazam could respond. "They were the best before Team Go-Getters managed to outrank them, even rescuing them from one of the most powerful legendary Pokemon ever known!"
"A.C.T.?" Twilight questioned. "Is that...an acronym?"
Alakazam let out a sigh, quickly using his psychic powers to silence the excited Riolu before he constantly interrupted him. "Yes. A.C.T. is an acronym for mine and my partners' names: Alakazam, Charizard, and Tyranitar, which also spells out the word 'Act'."
"Ohhh. That's really clever!" Twilight complimented.
"Yes," Alakazam mumbled, clearing his throat after freeing Scott's muzzle, giving the Riolu a stern glare to keep quiet until he was properly finished. "Things went well for Squirtle for a time, but when he eventually heard of the former legend of the terrible human, he thought he was the one who was responsible for the natural disasters coming more frequently. It didn't help that the story included the Gardevoir appearing in the human's dreams to haunt him, and Squirtle was seeing her in restless nightmares, which only worsened the guilt he thought was his. Word had eventually got out, and the Pokemon in the square turned on him and tried to harm him.
"Luckily, I offered the Pokemon to give Squirtle and his team a chance to prepare themselves for their long journey to find Ninetails, the only Pokemon who would give them the proof he needed to show he wasn't the very same human she cursed. My team caught up with Team Go-Getters as they reached Ninetails' home, and lo and behold, she proved his innocence. Squirtle, Charmander, and Chikorita were welcomed back with opened arms and apologies for the Water-type for the mistaken identity.
"They've faced many tough Pokemon, as Scott mentioned, including rescuing my own team when we tried to stop the legendary Pokemon who shifts the earth, Groudon, from the constant earthquakes he kept causing for weeks. We failed and were held hostage, but through the odds, Squirtle and his team entered his domain, defeated him when their sizes pale in comparison to the gargantuan legendary, and rescued us." Twilight was impressed, though she was terrified to know what Groudon looked like, so she remained quiet, wondering what happened next. "Though, Squirtle's last rescue mission involved a meteor that was heading straight for our world, and it would have decimated everything."
"A meteor!?" Twilight exclaimed.
"Yes. There is yet another legendary Pokemon, named Rayquaza, who flies around the atmosphere of the planet, protecting everyone from threats that could come from space," Alakazam explained. "Distracted by the effects of the natural disasters throughout the world, he didn't even notice the meteor until Team Go-Getters volunteered to bring him back to his senses at a Mystery Dungeon in the skies that Rayquaza makes as his home known as Sky Tower. They succeeded, Rayquaza blew up the meteor with a Hyper Beam, but with how close the large mass of space rock was, the powerful attack ricocheted smaller beams, striking Squirtle and his friends, nearly killing them, but they woke up after we recovered them after falling from the top of the tower."
"...Wow...So, where is Squirtle? I'd sure like to meet him after hearing everything he's done," Twilight said.
Alakazam frowned slightly, closing his eyes with a slight bow of his head. "...He returned to his world," he said.
"...Really?" Twilight asked, stunned to see the calm guild leader look upset.
"Yes. It was his last mission, and...it was a tearful goodbye for everyone present as we watched Squirtle, Charmander, and Chikorita undertake such a dangerous job," Alakazam said. "The whole town was going to celebrate, but Squirtle began to fade away as glowing orbs flew from his body. He never wanted to leave, but he had no choice, and if he told us all that this mission would be his last, he thought all of us would have refused to let him do it."
"I heard it was pretty tough for Squirtle's partners, having bonded with him for so long through the best and worst times," Scott said. "I never met Team Go-Getters myself, but it's a painful feeling to say goodbye to a friend. Even when you know they'll be gone forever."
"I wouldn't know," Twilight uttered. "I've only just learned about friendship not that long ago, and I cherish being with my friends after realizing how important they are to me."
"Indeed," Alakazam agreed, then stood up, followed by Scott and Twilight. "Team Go-Getters are still active, though, keeping their human companion's memory in their hearts. And, Squirtle had inspired me to do more good in this world, thus creating this guild to create more future rescuers who have the same courage and determination to helping others in need, no matter how tough the road ahead may lie." Alakazam glanced over at the Riolu. "And I have a good feeling about you and Johann, Scott."
"R-Really, guild master?" Scott asked, his tail wagging eagerly.
"The enthusiasm you both have, albeit slightly different, shows you two have promise to be an incredible rescue team," Alakazam complimented, making the Riolu beam with pride. "However, you need to pay attention to the rules and guidelines of the guild. Overconfidence can be your downfall if you underestimate your opponents, or brushing aside what experienced veterans like myself can teach you to be the 'best rescue team'. Understand?" Scott's smile turned to an embarrassed grimace, nodding his head as he humbly heeded his guild master's advice. "Good. Always fight with your head, not just your strength."
"Yes, Alakazam, sir," Scott said.
"Now, is there anything else you'd like to say?" Alakazam asked.
"Well, since my friends and I are staying with Scott and Johann until we find a way home, there isn't much for bedding in their base," Twilight said for the Riolu. "Are we allowed to stay in their base with them? And...can we get more beds for us?"
"Hmmm..." Alakazam stroked his mustache in thought. "...How many of you came through again?"
"Seven," Twilight answered.
"Mhmm...Well, since the base is assigned to Team Rescue Rangers, I'm afraid guests who will be staying in the base are not allowed," Alakazam stated, turning his back toward the Ralts and Riolu. Scott and Twilight flinched, Scott giving the Ralts an apologetic look, but he wouldn't stop helping her after knowing just how truly lost she and her friends were. "However-" The guild master pointed a finger up, snapping the other two Pokemon out of their disappointment. "-multiple Pokemon who are part of the same team are allowed to stay in their base if they are recruited by the leader, or leaders, of said rescue team." He turned back around, giving Scott and Twilight a smirk, hoping the young Fighting-type would get the hint. "Scott, have you and Johann decided on adding these new Pokemon to your rescue team?"
Again, Scott and Twilight looked at each other, surprised by Alakazam's implications. Applejack had promised Scott and Johann they would pay them back for helping them out, and if the others agreed, they won't have to find somewhere they can live until there was a way for them to return home.
"Umm...As members of Scott and Johann's rescue team...does that mean I can peruse any information the guild has?" Twilight asked curiously. "Like studying this world, what we can do as Pokemon, history, and so on?"
"Yes, even in my personal library as long as you share more information about your world," Alakazam said.
Twilight let out an excited squeak of a gasp, then quickly looked at Scott and nodded her head rapidly, who took the hint and faced his guild master. "Guild master, I know Johann will agree with me when I say we both are recruiting Twilight and her friends onto Team Rescue Rangers!"
"Very well." Alakazam gave the two Pokemon a nod, then stared behind them, his eyes glowing blue for a few seconds before they returned to normal. "I just informed the delivery crew about your new beds, and they'll arrive later this afternoon."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Alakazam!" Twilight gratefully said. "I'm going to borrow a lot of different subjects for us to read over! Where's the guild library?"
"Down the hall on your left as you leave my room, and it's all the way down the hall to the door on the left," Alakazam informed.
Twilight giggled and ran as fast as her new legs could carry her, acting like a filly in a candy store as she made a beeline for the library. "...I guess I'm going to have to carry those books for her," Scott uttered, then faced Alakazam. "...Sooo...since we're getting new beds...you think there's any way we can get our base renovated to fit all of us?"
Alakazam chuckled slightly, then held out his arms, his spoons bending as he used Psychic on the Riolu. Scott felt his body float, yelping in panic as he flailed about, hovering upside down as he was moved toward his guild master, the amusement in his expression gone and replaced with deadpanned seriousness.
"Don't press your luck, young one," he warned. "Raise your rank enough, and we'll see if you've accumulated enough Poké through your missions to upgrade your base."
"Heheheheh! I-I was just kidding! New beds are good for our new teammates!" Scott exclaimed with a nervous laugh.
Alakazam let out a small grunt, bending his spoons back to normal, dropping Scott from his Psychic hold. Scott quickly landed on his paws and flipped back, smiling sheepishly as he backed away, then zipped out of the guild master's room to catch up with Twilight. Alakazam shook his head, a small laugh escaping his lips as he made his way back to his mat and went back to meditating.
"The energy of the youth of this generation is immeasurable," he uttered to himself before returning to his serene trance, taking in deep breaths, inhaling the incense billowing in his room.