//------------------------------// // Where the Stampalo Roam // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Adventures // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// "There it is!" Twilight announced as everyone looked out the window, eyes going wide as they saw Appaloosa City in the distance. The destination of their desert journey was finally reaching its conclusion. Joined by their friend Derpy, they blinked at the sight of now appearing large wall of rock. "That doesn't look like a city," Spike commented, Twilight rolling her eyes before pulling out her journal, opening the map to show them an aerial image of Appaloosa. The screen showed a giant circle of stone with a single opening, a bunch of different buildings inside. Seeing the rocks as the town's defense from the desert, a waterfall could also be seen on one side of the city, originating from a rock face and formed a river that ran through the town before reaching a tunnel on the other side that fed into a river leading to the edge of the picture. At the same time, a few trees could be seen on that edge. And as the train got closer, everyone's eyes went wide as they saw a huge orchard inside the desert, surprised something like that could exist in this environment. As they watched, Twilight adjusted her glasses while saying, "I've read that Appaloosa's always been a pretty traditional place. Focusing on the old ways of living that they first learned from the native Desert Equestrians." "Desert Equestrians?" Flash replied, he and Springer raising an eyebrow at this. Twilight nodded back, "When the settlers first came here, they had trouble surviving at first. But then the Desert Equestrians came and helped teach them the ways of the land, allowing them to eventually find a place to live that gave birth to Appaloosa. Since then, the descendants of the settlers and Desert Equestrians have lived in harmony together." "Wow." Derpy chimed in, "That's amazing. Two different people in origin, finding a way to live together." "It sure is," Doc added as they now saw the tunnel they would be going through. As the train continued to move, Doc then saw a crane on the mountain, making him say, "Huh?" He barely got a second to look before the train entered the tunnel. The mountain was so large that it took almost a whole minute to get through, the group soon seeing the town that looked exactly like it had in Twilight's journal before coming to a stop. And as they stepped onto the station, a gentle breeze blew past them. "Nice," Flash commented as he stretched his arms, "This place feels good." "Ri..." Springer added as he mimicked his trainer. "Alright Twilight, which way to the gym? I'm ready for me battle!" Flash exclaimed as he slammed his fist into his palm. Twilight shook her head while rolling her eyes, sighing next as she pulled out her journal. "Seems I still need to teach you things Flash." "What do you mean?" She stared back up at him, "Shouldn't you check to make sure your team's in fighting fit condition? We did just cross a large desert without stopping once at any center." "Oh...that's a good point." Flash muttered out, slightly looking away next, "Maybe a little rest is in order." "Not only that..." Twilight looked down at her sand riddled clothing, "I'd really like to take a bath." The others all nodded in agreement, Twilight now guiding them to the town's Pokémon Center. As they travelled, they saw many people working and playing on the streets, mainly seeing multiple Ground-types like Sandshrew, Cacnea, Trapinch, Hippopotas, Sandile, Redog and...several of a Pokémon they had never seen before. The Pokémon was a giant furry cow-like creature covered from head to toe in brown fur. L-shaped horns were sticking out of each side of its head, and on each was a large head set of white feathers. And as they watched them, they saw that all of them had a different number of feathers on their head. Each were doing some form of manual labor, many pulling wagons and ropes to lift objects while one was helping push the wall of a building up, keeping it in place as it was nailed together. "What are those things?" Spike asked as Flash pulled out his Pokedex, only for a voice to call out. "Why they're our town's pride and joy!" Everyone spun around to the voice, now seeing a man with yellow skin and hair that was a mixture of orange and cream. He wore an orange button up shirt under a brown leather vest and blue pants with brown leather boots. The man was also wearing a stetson and had a pin on his vest shaped like an apple. "Howdy partners!" He tipped his hat at the five, "Noticed ya'll were taking a shine to the Stampalo." "Stampalo?" Derpy asked as Flash finally scanned them. Name: Stampalo Category: Stampede Pokémon Type: Ground Info: This Pokémon is so powerful that when it charges, its incredible force can cause an earthquake. The feather like appendage on its head holds a legend, that each one is earned through an act of bravery. Everyone turned back to the man as he tipped his hat again. "Name's Braeburn. Ah noticed ya'll folks were new to town and wanted to say howdy." "Well howdy back," Flash replied, "Name's Flash Sentry. This is my partner, Springer." "Riolu!" "I'm Twilight and this is my little brother." "Spike," he pointed at the Terragon on his shoulder, "This is Peewee." "Terra!" "And you can call me Doc. The girl with us is Derpy." "Very nice to meet you," she bowed. "Your home is very nice." "That it is little missy, that it is." Braeburn chuckled. "Say, if ya'll wanna really get to see it, ah'd be happy to show ya'll around." "You'd really do that?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow, "We don't wanna be a bother." "No bother at all. It's mah business to make sure the city gets the recognition it deserves. So, anywhere particular place ya'll wanna see?" "Well first, we need to get to the Pokémon Center," Flash responded, "After that, I need to find the Gym so I can get my fifth badge." "Oh?" Braeburn clenched his teeth at this, "So yer here the challenge the gym?" "You know it," Flash nodded while Springer got into a battle stance. "Ri riolu!" "Well ah'm afraid ya'll are up a creek right now. Dah gyms closed today." Flash slumped over at that. "Sorry. A trainer recently came through and completely whooped the leader. They had a pretty powerful Frostoak, which took down all but one of his Pokémon. But the last one fell soon after, earning him a badge." "Sounds harsh," Spike commented as Flash typed the name into his Pokedex. The image of a humanoid Pokémon appeared onscreen. Their skin was snow white and they were wearing a light blue hooded cloak covered in snowflake patterns, with a light blue scarf covering its mouth and nose. It had shape fingers that looked like they could carve through ice and its legs were thin and after the knee, the skin vanished to reveal icicle like spikes with no feet. Name: Frostoak Category: Snow Cloak Pokémon Type: Ice/Fighting Info: This Pokémon lives in cold places where snow is common. The cloak it wears is a second skin it uses to defend from the cold. "Cool..." Flash commented as Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. She turned back to Braeburn, "I'm guessing your gym leader's a Ground-type expert?" "That he is little missy." "Makes sense given the Pokémon that live in this area." Doc added. "Alright, let's get to the Center!" Braeburn spoke up as he turned to the street, "It ain't too far away." He let out a whistle and within seconds, a Mudsdale drawn carriage galloped up to them. "Need a ride?" The driver asked as they all climbed inside. "Pokémon Center, if yah kindly." "No problem." Once the doors were shut, the group felt the carriage rumble, galloping through the town and over a bridge across the river. The Center was situated not far through the river, the wagon pulling up in an instant. "Thanks again," Braeburn replied as he tipped his hat at the carriage driver. "Always happy to help," he called back as the carriage left to pick up another passenger. Over the next two hours, their Pokémon underwent several examinations while they all took a shower and changed into some clean clothes, their dirty ones now in the center's washroom. "Thank you for waiting," Nurse Redheart said as they all came out of the showers. "I'm happy to report that all of your Pokémon are now completely fighting fit." "Ri!" Springer cheered as he and Peewee jumped off the table while the others picked up their Pokeballs. "Looks like we're ready to go," Doc told the others. "We're just waiting on Derpy," Twilight added as she pointed at Swirlutz's Pokeball still on the table. "I'm here," Derpy called out as she ran over to them, "I just had to check in with my boss and tell him I arrived. He's gonna send a message when we get confirmation of the package I need to pick up arrives." They all nodded back as she picked up her Pokeball, Braeburn speaking up next, "Well then, now we can get our tour underway. So, what would you like ta see first?" "What would you suggest?" Twilight asked, only to gulp as she saw Braeburn shine a huge grin. "Oh, Appaloosa has everything one could possibly want in a city. Come on!" Everything after that was a blur for the group, Braeburn seemingly pulling them across the city so fast that they left a cloud of dust in their wake. And when they came to a stop, they found themselves staring at a large barn full of Mudsdale and carriages. "We have horse drawn carriages." He then pointed at a group of Mudsdale standing behind art supplies, their trainers placing pencils and brushes in their mouths. "And over there are horse drawn horse drawn carriages. "What?" Twilight yelped, only to feel herself being pulled to another sector of the city. "And here we have the local watering hole: The Salt Block." As he said that, the doors were thrown open as an old man was suddenly sent flying out. "That's enough salt for you!" Someone yelled from inside the building. The other man skidded across the dirt before trying to get up, moaning out, "Can't ah at least...get a glass of water?" He then flopped over, Flash about to help him before Braeburn pulled them to another area of town. "Here's where we have our wild west dances!" He announced while pointing into a building filled with people dancing to super quick music, Braeburn then pulling them to another building. This one showed people dancing to much slower music. "And here's where we have our mild west dances." He grabbed them again and pulled them to one of the edges of the town, exclaiming with a giant grin, "And of course, this here is the most important part of Appaloosa!" "A bench?!" Spike asked with spirals in his eyes. Braeburn just laughed back, "Good one partner. No, it's our orchard of course. Situated right outside of town." "Oh yeah," Derpy added, "We saw that when we arrived here, though we didn't really get a good look on the train." "Well, you can't really appreciate the orchard without getting a good up close look at it." Everyone expected him to drag them to the orchard, only to whistle for another taxi carriage. "Orchard please!" The man nodded and as soon as everyone was in, the Mudsdale galloped down the street toward the opening in the rocks. And as they enjoyed the slow downed part of the journey, Braeburn continued to divulge the history of each building in the city. The journey to the exit took about an hour, but the time just flew by thanks to Braeburn's tour speak and question answering. But as they reached the exit, Doc noticed a large stone pathway built into the side of the mountain that was large enough to allow several Pokémon could go up it. And as they got to the edge of the mountain, the orchard came into view as Braeburn got out of the wagon. "And there it is," he announced as the rest saw the valley of trees, "This orchard has stood on this land for six generations." The group blinked at the sight, gasping at the many trees. As they did this, Doc noticed a difference in the ground below them, the gym leader now bending down to find that the sand was mixed with rather damp soil that was likely from the river that was flowing through the orchard. "Impressive..." he commented as he now saw the trees. Apples, peaches, plums, figs, pomegranates, nectarines and apricots tree lined the ground while along the sides of the river were bushes growing grapes and strawberries. "This place in amazing," Twilight added. "No kidding." Spike said with a nod, "It could give Sweet Apple Acres a run for its money." "Sweet Apple Acres?" They turned to Braeburn as he raised an eyebrow at their statement, "So you've been to mah cousin's farm?" "Cousin's farm?" Flash asked before remembering what Applebloom had said when they decided to come here. "Wait, you're Applejack's cousin?" "The one in the same," he tipped his hat. "Who do yah think gave her Winona? There ain't any other place than Appaloosa that you can find Redog. That and best fruits you can find." He then walked up to a tree and pulled a peach off, throwing it over to Spike. The teen quickly caught it before taking a bite, his eyes going wide at the flavor. "Wow! This is the best peach I've ever eaten!" "Thanks," a female voice called out, making them turn to the voice's owner, "We work really hard to keep the trees safe so they can produce the best fruit possible." They now saw the owner, which was a girl with brownish orange skin and long blonde hair. She wore a light brown top with a dark brown sash around her waist and a purple shirt with green leggings and brown boots. On her head was a headband with two feathers on it. "Hey there Braeburn. Who are they?" "Howdy Strongheart. Just showing mah new friends around the town." He patted Flash's shoulder, "This lad is here to challenge the Gym Leader." "Oh really?" Strongheart replied while tilting her head, a smirk appearing on her face next. "Does he know the Gym Leader's super strong and ready for whatever is thrown at him?" "Not as a fact, but I figured he would know anyway." Strongheart laughed at this, Doc turning to see a bunch of people wearing similar clothing to Strongheart while carrying baskets. "What's going on?" he asked, Strongheart pointing at the group of people. "Oh, we're just about to begin the harvest." "Really?" Derpy saw the people step away from the baskets as they placed them under the trees, "But this place is massive! It'll take forever to pick 'em all." "You'd think so, but you'd be wrong." Strongheart replied, giggling at the same time. And before they could respond, the ground suddenly started shaking. "Aaaah! What's going on?!" Spike yelped. "An earthquake?!" Twilight gasped, grabbing her brother's shoulders as they both shook. But as they did this, Braeburn and Strongheart shook their heads. "Nope. Something better!" They pointed to an area of the orchard where there weren't any trees, seeing a large straight path with a giant cloud of sand racing down the road. "Whaaat is thaaat?" Flash asked while they slowly started to backpedal. "Relax," Braeburn told them. "Just stay clear of that pathway and you'll be fine." "But what is it?!" Spike screamed as Doc took out his binoculars, going wide-eyed as he saw what the cloud was. "Stampalo." he gasped before giving Flash the binoculars, the teen now also seeing a large group of Stampalo charging at the orchard at max speed. And as they did this, the ground around them shook, making everyone shiver in fear before seeing several people riding atop a herd of Mudsdale galloping alongside the stampede while Redog ran with them. "Holy Mankey! They're gonna crash into the trees!" "No they won't." Strongheart replied while puffing out her chest, "My dad will keep 'em in line." "Your dad?" Twilight asked as the stampede reached the trees. As they did this, several turned to the line of trees. "Now!" A loud voice yelled as several of the Redog used Quick Attack, zipping past the crowd before glaring at the Stampalo. "Sandstorm!" "REEEEED!" The pack howled before the sand below them blew into the air, forming a large cloud that took the shape of a funnel. The Stampalo saw this and screamed, turning away from the cloud and back in line on the path. Everyone then saw the Stampalo stomp down the path, many almost falling over due to the shaking. While this happened, the trees around them shook, their flexible trunks and branches shaking without breaking as the fruit began to pop off. As this happened, everyone gasped as they saw all the fruit fall into the baskets as the Stampalo began to slow down while reaching the end of the path. And when they came to a stop, every tree in the orchard was bare. "That was awesome!" Spike cheered while Peewee roared in agreement. "And so elegant," Twilight added while clapping her hands, "The shaking picked the orchard clear within seconds, a task that would usually take hours. And the Redog...that was amazing!" They then turned to the entrance of the orchard, now seeing the sand cloud fade away. As they saw this happened, Braeburn commented, "Like Strongheart said, her dad knows what he's doing." At that moment, the man who had been directing the Redog got off his Mudsdale and moved over to them. He was a large bulky man with the same skin as Strongheart, only his hair was a dark brown, almost a black color. The man was wearing traditional native clothing with a headset on his head similar to what the Stampalo wore. He gave the newcomers a low glare, Braeburn tipping his hat at him. "Great work chief. You sure gave our new friends here a show they'll never forget." The man's focus remained on Flash and the others, "More outsiders. Are they here for one of those silly little trinkets as well?" "Trinkets? You don't mean Gym Badges, do you?" Flash replied, the man growling in response before walking off, "What's up with him?" "Father's not a big fan of our gym," Strongheart replied while shaking her head, "It was established about five years ago and since then, Appaloosa's been flushed with travelers." "Isn't that a good thing?" "Ya'll would think, but Chief Thunderhooves thinks it's a terrible idea." Braeburn responded with a sigh, "He thinks the outsiders will destroy the town's way of life. It also doesn't help that the town is beginning to expand." "Wait..." Doc looked up at the top of the mountain, "Is that what those cranes I saw before are for?" Braeburn nodded back, "The city decided that it was time to join the modern age, and the mountain's large enough to support what we're planning on building. In a few years, Appaloosa will be a bustling metropolis that can rival Canterlot, Fillydelphia and even Manehatten." "It's an outrage!" They heard Thunderhooves yell, the man now standing beside the many Stampalo. "It's bad enough these outsiders keep coming to our home with no desire to actually learn about our way of life, but now our own people wish to abandon them." "Father..." Strongheart grumbled while crossing her arms, "We're not abandoning the old ways. We're just trying the make life easier for our people. I'm sure our ancestors would want us to be as comfortable as possible." "She's right sir," Braeburn added, "Heck, we don't even have a proper hospital." "We have healers. They've served us well for many generations." "Even the healers voted for this expansion," Strongheart countered, "They want to learn more modern medicine to help with the practices they have now." Thunderhooves growled before turning to Braeburn. "This is all your fault! Ever since you opened that accursed gym of yours, it's done nothing but blind everyone to the true values of our people!" "Wait...your gym?!" Flash gasped as he turned to the cowboy, "You're the gym leader?!" Braeburn shined a tiny smile while scratching the back of his neck, "Yeah...sorry. Ah wanted to keep it a surprise. But yeah, ah'm the Gym Leader: Keeper of the Dust Badge!" Thunderhooves growled again. "You and your gym may be destroying the old ways, but as long as I'm around, they'll survive and I'll fight this expansion to the end!" With that, he turned to walk off while leading the Stampalo herd away. And as he left, Braeburn sighed as fell to his butt. "Ah'm not trying to destroy the old ways." Strongheart placed a hand on his shoulder, "I know you're not. No one respects the old ways like you do." "It's true I want the town to be more modern, but that doesn't mean I want to abandon our history. That's why I opted to build on the mountain, so the old town could stay the way it was. If only Thunderhooves could see that." As the two Appaloosians sighed at the sight, the others simply remained quiet, none sure how to help cheer Braeburn up. Several miles away... Thunderhooves and many other workers were now placing the Stampalo in their pens. They regularly kept them far from the city so the Stampalo could run around without causing the entire city to shake. The fencing was extra enforced so they wouldn't accidently break through it, while the ground was covered in grass thanks to the river that ran through the pen. Here the Stampalo could run wild and free, the way nature intended. And once the Stampelo were safely penned up, all but Thunderhooves returned to the city. The chief would remain there, living in a simple tepee that his people had lived in for generations until Appaloosa was built. But before he could rest, the man checked over every single Stampalo he could, making sure all of them were okay. But as he did this, the argument he just had kept going through his head. A long sigh left his breath, his eyes darting around as he decided to just check things quickly today. But as he did this, his eyes missed something slithering out of the sand and into the grass of the pen. That night... As the sun set below the mountain, Flash and friends were now getting ready for bed in the Pokémon Center. Derpy and Twilight had just walked out of the bathroom in their pajamas, seeing Flash and Spike already in their bunk-beds while Doc took the room's only single bed. "Rough day, huh?" "It was pretty fun...until we ran into Thunderhooves." Spike sighed, the others nodding in agreement. After that event, Braeburn had been too bummed out to really give them the rest of the tour. "At least he agreed to give you a Gym Battle tomorrow," Twilight told Flash. "Yeah, though it won't be until the afternoon." "True. Braeburn did say he was helping move several new construction vehicles up the mountain. That's definitely gonna take all day." "At least it'll give you time to prepare," Doc added. "Actually, I kinda wanna watch." Flash muttered out as he sat back, "I've always thought diggers and bulldozers were cool, but never got the chance to see ones up close." "Maybe Braeburn will let us watch if we don't get in the way," Derpy responded, the others nodding again. "We can always ask," Doc finished, "Now, let's get some shuteye." At the same time... Braeburn was now sitting on top of a mountain with his legs hanging over the side. As he watched the moon rise above the mountain and shower the city with its light, he simply sighed while wondering if building up the town was a mistake. "I thought you'd be here." He turned to see Strongheart walk up and sit down beside him, "Finished sulking yet?" "Ah'm not sulking. Ah...ah'm just contemplating mah recent decisions as of late." "So...sulking." Braeburn growled at her as she continued, "I hope you're not letting my father get under your skin." "Maybe a little." "Well get him out from under it. What we're doing isn't a bad thing, no matter what he says. Remember, you weren't the only one that agreed to this. The whole town wants to bring Appaloosa into the future. You can't hold the town back because of one stubborn fool." Braeburn sighed and shook his head, "You're right. Thanks." He turned to her with a big grin, "I'm glad I've got you in my life." Strongheart nodded back before hugging his arm and placing her head on his shoulder. "And I'm not going anywhere." With that, the two sat in silence to watch the moon raise higher and higher into the sky. The next morning... As the sun began to appear on the horizon, Chief Thunderhooves came out of his tent as he stared at the Stampalo. The Stampede Pokémon were now all slowly waking up, most taking a drink from the river or grazing on the grass. A big smile appeared on the chief's face, happy to see the peaceful nature of the Pokémon. But as he did this, one of the Stampalo was pulling a long piece of grass out of the ground, only to see something hidden under the green weed. It blinked at the sight, now seeing a yellow and blue snake creature with tiny wings, a bubble attached to its nose that grew larger and smaller as it snoozed away. "Dunce...sparce. Dunce...sparce." That Stampalo quickly gulped down the strand of grass, its eyes squinting as he growled at the sight. The Pokémon did not like seeing something in its home, making it roar out, "Stamp!" It then slammed its hooves into the ground, causing the ground to shake. The rumble went out like a wave, making the Dunsparce almost flip over from the sudden attack. "Dunce?!" it yelped as it opened its eyes, only to look up and now see a large herd of Stampalo glaring down at it. "DUNCE!" It cried before turning to bounce away as fast as it could. But before it could get out of the pen, the Stampalo slammed their hooves, shaking the ground as it knocked the Pokémon flying over the fence. "DUNSPARCE!" It screamed as it crashed into the sand. "What's happening?!" Thunderhooves asked the Stampalo, now seeing them all staring at the same spot. He then saw the Dunsparce pull itself out of the sand before glaring at the Stampalo, its body now glowing pink. "DUNCE!" It screamed, the light shooting off as the sand around it went dark and morphed it into mud, firing the muck right into the faces of the Stampalo. "STAMP!" They all roared, fear hitting them all as they lost their ability to see. And when Stampelo get scared, they only have one reaction: stampede. "STAMPALO!" They all began to run, the ground now shaking like crazy. "STOP!" Thunderhooves yelled, but his words fell on deaf ears as they ran through the usually sturdy fence. The terrified Stampalo stomped out of the pen, all in a pure frenzy as the whole herd galloping off in one direction. "Oh no," Thunderhooves gasped as he saw where they were heading. "Appaloosa, the orchard....Strongheart!" He took out a Pokeball and summoned a Mudsdale, the bulky man jumping onto its back as they both galloped after the herd. Meanwhile... Back in town, the teens had just arrived at the slope of the mountain, now seeing Braeburn and Strongheart. "Hey!" Flash yelled as he waved at them. "Howdy partner! Lookin' forward to our match?" "You bet," Flash replied, nodding as well. "But we also wanted to check out all those cool construction vehicles." "Well you're in luck," Strongheart giggled as she pointed to the opening that lead out to the desert. "Here they come now." A whole convoy of different vehicles rolled up as if on command, all showing crane trucks, excavators, bulldozers, and rollers. The group rolled up the slope, all climbing as the everyone watched them in awe. "Those things look so cool," Flash commented with stars in his eyes. The teen had always been a bit of a hot-rod lover, hoping to one day have his own tricked out vehicle. "How possible is it for me to drive one of those things?" Braeburn laughed at this question, "About as possible as me catching a Groudon." "So...fifty-fifty?" Everyone started laughing as Braeburn then flagged one of the bulldozers down. The machine came to a stop, all climbing in before going up the slope. Once atop the mountain, everyone gasped at the sight of the desert surrounding them. "Wow..." Derpy whispered, "It's so vast." "Tell me about it," Doc chuckled, "You should try crossing the whole thing by foot." Derpy laughed again as they kept looking out at the desert, only to squint her eyes as she pointed at something, "Hey, what's that?" The others followed her gaze, now seeing a moving giant cloud of dust in the far off distance. "A Sandstorm?" Twilight guessed, Braeburn and Strongheart moving over to the edge, only to go wide-eyed. "That's no sandstorm." Strongheart gulped as she turned to Braeburn. "Its a stampede!" The Gym Leader exclaimed as he ran over a nearby bulldozer, "Get on!" He told everyone, Strongheart jumping on first while the others clambered up as he started the engine. They rode the machine back down the slope and out of the city, rolling their way over to the orchard as they saw the workers staring at the dust cloud. "Guys!" Strongheart yelled, "What's happening?!" "We don't know!" one of them replied. "We were just about to head out and check on them when we saw it. But we have another issue, they're not running towards the normal path! They're gonna run into the trees!" Everyone's eyes went wide in shock, a galloping noise now making them turn to see Thunderhooves racing up on his Mudsdale. "Quickly everyone! The Stampalo are out of control!" "Yeah, we noticed!" Flash yelled back. "What happened?" Braeburn added. "A Dunsparce snuck into their pen. When they saw it, they kicked it out and it used Secret Power on them." "Secret Power changes depending on the place..." Twilight gasped, "In sand, it blinds the opponent. That must be why they're stampeding." "So what do we do?" Spike asked next. "Nothing. We will handle this," Thunderhooves told them while shaking his head, "My people have dealt with Stampalo for generations. We know how to stop them when they're in a panic." He turned to the workers. "Gather the Redog. We'll create a sandstorm wall that will scare them away from the orchard and out into the desert. Once out there, they can run wild until they calm down." The workers nodded back and began to gather the Pokémon, only for Strongheart to see a grimace on Braeburn's face. "What's wrong?" "I don't think it'll work," he replied, "Stampalo startle easily, but they're tougher than they think. If they've been blinded, they won't see the sandstorm, and since they're Ground-types, it won't do any damage to them." "Nonsense," Thunderhooves scoffed as the workers returned with the Pokémon. "My people are experts when it comes to these situations. This will work. Maybe if you understood our ways, you'd see this." He turned to the approaching cloud, looking back at his daughter with an expectant face, "Strongheart! What are you waiting for?! Come help us!" The girl stared at her father for several seconds, only to look back at Braeburn before looking back at him, "No. I trust Braeburn's judgement. If he thinks this plan won't work, then I believe him." Thunderhooves let out a low growl, "Foolish girl, your trust in this boy will doom our people." "No, your arrogance and refusal to accept the changing times is what will doom us. Go ahead and try it your way. If it works, then great. But if it doesn't, we'll need a backup plan." Thunderhooves didn't reply before turning and joining the team. And as he left, Strongheart turned to Braeburn. "So what's the plan?" Braeburn's eyes shifted up to the mountain, staring at the many vehicles, "Thunderhooves is right to try and scare them away, but he's using the wrong sense." He got back in the bulldozer and started it up, the others climbing on. "Let's try something else!" Thunderhooves and his workers were now as close as they could get to the herd, the ground now shaking like no tomorrow. "Alright!" He pulled his Mudsdale to a stop, "Here's good everyone, get ready!" They were now between the herd and the orchard, making sure they had enough room to run away and make sure to completely circumvent the trees. "Redog!" The Ground-type dogs barked as they jumped in front of the riders. "Arrow formation!" One by one, each Redog got into a spot that took up a V-shape with the tip pointed at the Stampalo. "Time to end this. SANDSTORM!" "REEEEED!" They howled before the sand around their feet exploded off the ground, forming one giant V-shaped wall of sand that stretched up a good fifteen meters. Meanwhile... Up on the mountaintop, Braeburn and the others had just arrived when the cloud appeared. "Wow!" Spike gasped, "That thing is awesome!" "It doesn't matter if it's awesome," Twilight added, "What matters is if it works." "And we need to be ready for if it doesn't," Braeburn continued as he turned to the other workers. "Listen, I need every vehicle down near the orchard. We can't spare a single one." The workers nodded and got into the many vehicles, Flash and Springer climbing onto a bulldozer. "Alright!" He clapped his hands together, "Let's do this thing. How do you start this thing?" "You don't," Flash turned to Strongheart. "I turn the key and drive it." She pushed them out of the seat, both pouting as they had to get into another seat. And as she started it up, the many construction vehicles followed Braeburn as he drove back down the slope. While this happened, Strongheart stared at her father, sighing as she whispered, "Please be okay." Down the mountain... Thunderhooves shined a huge grin as he saw the Stampalo reach the sand wall. Waiting for the herd turn as soon as it hit the sand wall, he crossed his arms in confidence and looked away. But as he did this, his ears went up as he heard a loud cry. "RED!" His head shifted back to the sand wall, the Redog's voice catching his attention. And as he did this, his eyes went wide as he saw something charge right through the sand: The Stampalo. "No..." he whispered before seeing them all get through the wall. "RUN!" He immediately yelled, pulling his Mudsdale's reins and kicking him into high gear, his men doing the same as they began their escape. The Mudsdale were much faster than the Stampalo, quickly allowing them to get distance from the herd. And as they rode, Thunderhooves' mind was in shambles. "No...why didn't that work?! Don't tell me...was he right?!" But as his Pokémon continued to move, he looked up to see a line of machines in the same V-shape they had had the Redog in. "What?!" "Alright!" Braeburn yelled as he parked his dozer so there was a large gap in the tip of the V. "Once the riders are in place, we pump the engines has loud as they can go." He looked back at the others, "Everyone understand?" "YES SIR!" They all replied, turning back to the stampede as they saw the riders get closer. But as they did this, Braeburn's eyes went wide as he saw Thunderhooves, noticing his Mudsdale was slowing down. Braeburn wasn't the only one noticing it. Thunderhooves found the gap between him and his men growing, the herd catching up. As he rode, he remembered that he hadn't fed his Mudsdale or given it any water today, which made sure it wasn't at top form. "Please Mudsdale," he told it. "You have to go faster." But as those words went into the Mudsdale's ears, its hooves tried to move faster...only to hit an unexpected rock sticking out of the sand. With a single blow, the horse let out a neigh of pain as it and Thunderhooves were sent tumbling to the ground. "FATHER!" Strongheart screamed, seeing her father now crawl over to Mudsdale. "NO!" Everyone froze as they saw the Stampalo about to run him over. But as this happened, Braeburn hopped off the bulldozer and looked back at Flash, "FLASH!" The teen blinked at him, Braeburn pointing to the seat. "Ya'll know what ta do." Flash's eyes went wide before he ran up to the vehicle as the Gym Leader pulled out a Pokeball. "Let's go, partner!" He tossed the ball, unleashing a swirl of red energy that took shape to reveal a Stampalo with more feathers than any other. "STAMPALO!" It yelled as Braeburn leapt onto his Pokémon's back. "Let's go!" The Stampalo roared again as it charged ahead, Braeburn holding onto its fur. "BRAEBURN!" Strongheart screamed, now seeing him race toward the stampede. The Gym Leader raced to the cloud as fast as he could, seeing Thunderhooves return his Mudsdale before getting up and trying to escape by himself. However, he was limping, showing an injury from his fall. Thunderhooves didn't even notice Braeburn as he got within a few feet of him, looking up to see him and Stampalo approach before racing by. They did a quick sliding turn before shooting back, Braeburn holding out a hand. "Grab on!" Thunderhooves reached out and grasped his hand before he was pulled up onto the back of Stampalo. The non-startled stampede Pokémon seemed to be strained under the intense weight of both, but it refused to slow down as it galloped at max speed. But with each second that passed, the weighed down Pokémon's lead over its fellow Stampalo lessened. "Come on..." Flash whispered from his bulldozer seat. And as they continued to run, Braeburn suddenly yelled, "NOW FLASH!" The teen hopped in his seat before kicking the machine in gear, the bulldozer rolling backward as the Stampalo inched through the shortening gap. And seconds after it was through, the machine came to a stop and plugged up the hole. "DO IT!" Braeburn roared as his Stampalo pulled itself to a stop. With that, the many vehicles revved their engines as loud as they could. The sound hit the Stampelo's ears, making them scream out before turning away from the source, splitting into two groups that ran alongside the V-shape of vehicles. And as the very last Stampalo ran past them and into the desert, Thunderhooves limped over to the machines and saw how the Stampalo and their trees were now safe. "Amazing..." "Father!" He turned to see Strongheart run over to him, throwing her arms around his waist. "You're alright!" "Yes," Thunderhooves patted his daughter's head before looking over at Braeburn, "Thanks to you." He let go of her before limping over to the Gym Leader, "You saved me." Braeburn blushed and looked away while scratching the back of his head. "Well ah couldn't just leave ya'll out there." "But you also saved my people's livelihood. Even when I insulted you." "Of course. Because it's not just your people's livelihood. It's my people's too." "Yes...it is." Thunderhooves sighed while nodding, "The Settlers are just as much responsible for what we've built. Of course you'd want to save it." "That's not what he means father," Strongheart responded while walking over to Braeburn. "Appaloosa isn't just a collection of two people living together. At least, not anymore. That might be how it started, but it's not that. The last Settler and Desert Equestrian died generations ago. In their place now exists one type of person: Appaloosians." Braeburn chuckled at her words as he spoke up, "Sir, ah know yah care about the old ways. So do ah. But there's one thing we all have to remember. When dah two people first met, dah old ways ya'll care about didn't exist. They came to be because our people worked together and forged those ways. Dah Desert Equestrians taught da Settlers to live off the land while dah Settlers taught the Desert Equestrians how to build houses and medicine that were integrated into yer healing abilities. Our people came together, and in doing so, their culture evolved into what we have now." Thunderhooves hummed at his words, "I...suppose you're right." "And that's what we're doing now," Strongheart added, "The world is changing father, and some of our ways can't keep up with it." "That's the inevitability of the world," Twilight chimed in, "The world is in constant flux, and many cultures have two choices. Evolve with it, or be overtaken by time." Flash nodded in agreement, "Heck, I bet if your ancestors were here right now, they would be proud of how you've managed to keep their ways alive....but they'd also asking why you're still using them when there's something better." Thunderhooves raised an eyebrow at this. "I mean, the only reason they used the ways you care about is because they didn't have anything better." "He's right," Doc said next, "If they lived now with the advancements we have, I'm sure they would choose to use them instead of what they had." "Yes...you're right." Thunderhooves turned back to Braeburn and held out his hand. "Maybe it is time Appaloosa stepped into the modern day." "While never forgetting the honor and wisdom of our ancestors." Braeburn responded as he took Thunderhooves' hand and shook it. As this happened, everyone shined giant smiles of joy as the chief showed he would both respect the past but also make sure to respect the present and not always live in the past. Over the next few hours, everyone worked to gather the Stampalo. The bulls tired out as they kept charging, the workers riding up to them and carefully wiping the mud from their eyes. By mid-afternoon, the last Stampalo was back in its pen. "And...done," Braeburn panted as he hit the last nail into the wood, finishing the broken fence. "Maybe it is time for a more...modern solution," Thunderhooves added as he patted the fence. "Perhaps one that can stand the force of a rampaging Stampalo." "I don't think a strong enough fence has been invented," Braeburn joked, he and Thunderhooves laughing as Strongheart watched them with a big smile. "Geez louise..." moaned another voice, Strongheart turning to see Flash and Springer sitting against the fence. "I'm wiped." Twilight giggled at the sight, "Still up for your Gym Battle?" "I don't think I'm up for even getting up," he groaned as Braeburn walked over. "How about you and I have our match tomorrow then," he replied, "Then we'll both be fully rested and ready to go." "And I'd very much like to see how a Gym Battle works," Thunderhooves added. Flash giving both a thumbs up as he said, "I'm up for that. Tomorrow it is." With that, he slumped against the fence, snores instantly coming out of his mouth. Everyone else laughed at this, all liking the idea of taking a break and relaxing as they watched the Stampalo roam. Their arrival to Appaloosa had been an exciting one, filled with many twists and turns. Now, Flash's Gym Battle was about to happen, and one can only wonder what excitement this town has in store for the incoming battle. As the journey continues.