//------------------------------// // Day 6: Stubborn like a Diamond // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// It is Day 6 at the Pokemon Festival. There is one day remaining until it is over. Right now, the group are spending their time at the Crystal Empire, experiencing what they have to offer during the festival. They all got up to the usual activities that they enjoyed. Just generally having fun at the festival while it still lasts. Ash was hanging out with the CMC, just being good friends as usual. But this didn't sit well with a particular pony by the name of Diamond Tiara, who was watching this very closely with her Purrloin right next to her. "I don't get it at all.." She spoke. "What don't you get?" Silver Spoon asked, petting her Glameow. "I don't get why somepony as amazing as Ash decides to hang out and have time with those...blank flanks. He's always with them too like it's nothing." "I don't get it either...but what do you want me to do about it?" "Nothing. I'll do something about it. All I have to do is grab Ash's attention, bringing it all to me, and he'll forget about the blank flanks in no time. I mean, they have no Cutie Marks anyway." "Good idea! That way you'll become even more popular if you're his best friend! I think..." Silver Spoon looked up, placing her hoof on her chin. Diamond Tiara, thinking that she's got this plan laid out perfectly, got off the chair and trotted over to Ash. Sweetie Belle noticed Diamond Tiara walking over here as she winced. "Oh no..." She then nudged her friends to grab their attention. She pointed her hoof at the direction of Diamond Tiara as they winced as well. "Diamond Tiara...what do you want now?" Scootaloo sighed. "I'm not here you for you, blank flanks. I'm here for Ash." Diamond Tiara turned to him. "I've been waiting for this for a while!" "Me?" Ash pointed at himself. "Pika?" "Mhm. I've always wanted to talk with Ash Ketchum the Heroic." She smiled. "Ugh. No way! You around Ash spells disaster. Sweetie Belle got in front of Ash. "Forget it!" "I don't see why I'm not allowed to be around him but you blank flanks are." Diamond Tiara scowled at them. The CMC narrowed their eyes as they were seething at Diamond Tiara. Ash could see the fire in their eyes, noticing that they were not on good terms with each other. "I guess you guys don't get along?" Ash spoke. "Me? Get along with them? As if!" Diamond Tiara scoffed. "They don't even have their Cutie Marks yet and they've been chasing it for so long without any success. It's pretty funny actually." "Well, we don't get along with you because you're always mocking us!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "You think you're so great just because you have one!" "Of course I think so. Because I actually have my Cutie Mark. You're all still blank. And I don't get why Ash is even hanging out with you." "Why you..." Scootaloo pulled out her Pokeball. "I'll show you! Ponyta g-" "Hold on. Let's not go wild yet." Ash stopped Scootaloo from escalating the situation. He could tell what kind of character Diamond Tiara was. Ash had encountered someone like her before in his journeys. Multiple even. "How about this. I'll actually hang out with you." "Pika." "WHAT?!" The CMC all said, shocked. "See?" Diamond Tiara felt like she was getting the win here. "But, I'm only gonna do it to show you that it doesn't matter who I talk to or hang out with." Ash got down to her level by getting on one knee. "We can understand each other in no time." "Hmph. I guess so. If it's coming from you, then it's likely. But I still don't think you should hang out with them." "Who does she think she is? She can't just decide who should hang out with Ash." Sweetie Belle was talking through her teeth. Her, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were resisting the reflex to throw their Pokeballs and let their Pokemon go crazy on Diamond Tiara. But Ash was willing to give Diamond Tiara some time. The CMC restrained themselves, hoping for Ash to handle this seemingly impossible to handle pony. "So. Your name's Diamond Tiara right?" Ash asked. "That's right. And I'm a pretty big fan of you. The way you handle every situation really sticks to me. I even look up to you as an idol even." Scootaloo felt like she was going to throw up in her mouth from hearing Diamond Tiara talk sweet. If anything, Scootaloo was a much bigger fan than her. "An idol, huh? Pretty awesome." Ash replied. "Pika-Pika." "Mhm. I even wanted to try and have a go at Pokemon battling. But I don't think it's for me." "Yeah cause we'd flatten you with our Pokemon..." Scootaloo said silently. "But I want to try some other Pokemon professions. What do they have at your world?" "What do we have?" Ash stood up, pondering. "Let's see...other than being a trainer... you can have a go at Pokemon Coordinator or even a Breeder. There's a lot of choices really." "Well, what's a Pokemon Coordinator do?" She asked. "Do you remember what happened back at Canterlot with Celestia and Luna on the second day?" Ash was referencing the Rainbow Raindrops sight from the showcase they did. "Oh. That. I remember I was there on that day. Is that what Pokemon Coordinator's do?" "Yep. They can pull off some pretty fancy stuff as a coordinator. It's the best role to show off awesome moves." "Pika!" "Oh...me... A Pokemon Coordinator." Diamond Tiara started to daydream about being a Coordinator. She could see it now. Her standing on stage with her Pokemon, pulling off flashy and stunning moves that have never been seen before, impressing everypony and human there while she does it effortlessly. "Yes! That's the Pokemon profession I want!" "Okay then. It's settled. You've found what you wanna do." Ash gave off a smile to her. The CMC were impressed but not surprised by how easily Ash was talking to Diamond Tiara. But what they were surprised about was how she wasn't acting like herself. From the number of times they've been around Diamond Tiara, she's constantly had a snobbish and snooty attitude that just emanates from her, no matter what. But in this scenario, around Ash, all of that was non-existent as she sounded like a sincere happy filly. It was actually terrifying to them. It didn't feel like the Diamond Tiara they knew. "Great! So, are you going to teach me?" She asked. "Well, I'm not a Coordinator, but there's an attraction that lets you practice. Just like Celestia and Luna. We'll just get you started there, okay?" Ash picked Diamond Tiara up. Just then, the CMC could see the look in Diamond Tiara's eyes. And as if they weren't surprised enough, Diamond Tiara was looking at Ash with stars in her eyes along with a wide smile. She was enjoying being picked up by her idol. "This is so weird... She's so...nice." Sweetie Belle whispered to her friends. "I know... it's creeping me out." Scootaloo felt a shiver down her hooves. The Crystal Empire had many of the same attractions that Canterlot did, including small Pokemon showcases for Coordinators or anyone wanting to take an interest in becoming a Coordinator. Ash led Diamond Tiara to the attraction, ready to let her have a go at being a Coordinator for the first time. "Hello, hello. Are you here to involve yourself in our attraction?" The lady running it asked. "Mhm. This little pony wants a go at being a Coordinator. Her first time." Ash kneeled down to pat Diamond Tiara on the head. "Alright. We'll let you have a go at a practice showcase and see what you can do. Do you have a Pokemon to participate?" She asked. "I do. My Purrloin." Diamond Tiara looked over at her partner. The Devious Pokemon stepped forward to also give this showcase a try. "Good. Once you've practiced with your Pokemon, we'll have you go up against someone else...hmm..." The lady looked around, searching for anyone to pit Diamond Tiara against. "I'll go." Sweetie Belle's voice suddenly called out as they turned to her. "This is my opportunity to show you up." "Hmph. Of course you'd only want to join out of spite." Diamond Tiara smirked as they took gave each other intense stares. Ash and the lady looked at each other, knowing that this could get ugly. Meanwhile, over at the Frozen North, a second rift had opened up in the sky. Meaning that universal travel was involved as well. Outside of this newly opened rift emerged a black alicorn with purple hair that almost resembled that of Luna. Her entire appearance even matched that of Nightmare Moon. On her dazzling teal eyes, she wore glasses that she adjusts with her hoof. This pony came from an alternate universe in another Equestria. Her name was Nyx, and she was here, not for a visit, but for important business. "No doubt about it. This is an alternate Equestria. The gateway that opened up 2 days ago led straight to here. But who did it?" The alicorn wondered. "It couldn't have been the rift...unicorn magic was involved not cosmic energy. I'll have to find out somehow." Back at the festival, Diamond Tiara and Sweetie Belle were practicing with their Pokemon. An instructor came in to give them a quick rundown on contest moves and how they. Then she let them decide on a motif they wanted to focus on. Diamond Tiara chose the clever motif for her Purrloin and Sweetie Belle went for the cute motif for three of her Pokemon. Espurr, Plusle and Minun. "Hey, how is that fair? She gets to use three Pokemon!" Diamond Tiara looked up at the instructor, pointing her hoof at Sweetie Belle and her Pokemon who had smug faces on them, other than the emotionless Espurr. "Well, you're allowed to use two Pokemon in contests. And Plusle and Minun are Pokemon that work together and come in pairs so they're allowed to tag along with one other Pokemon." The instructor shrugged her shoulders. "Ugh...I only have one though..." Diamond Tiara sighed. "Alright. You've got your motifs and you've gotten the basics down. Now it's time to show your stuff on stage, my little ponies." The lady pointed over to the curtains as there was a small crowd of ponies ready to watch the showcase. "Good luck you two. Have fun." Ash said. "Pikachu." But the two of them weren't about to have fun. They were competing against each other now. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were rooting for Sweetie Belle, but Ash stayed neutral on it. "I'll get started. Take a good look at this." Sweetie Belle went first. "Plusle, Minun, use Swift. Espurr, hold it with Psychic." The two Cheering Pokemon had thrown out magical stars into the air. Espurr held the stars in place with Psychic. "Now rearrange the stars." Next, Espurr had rearranged the Swift stars, changing them into a word. The swords of the stars showcased the words 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'. This one was for her friends. The crowd were impressed by how they managed to make words out of moves, and they even blend well with the skies. Makes them wonder how beautiful it would look like at night time. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom approved of this the most, as an applause was given to the performance. "Beat that, Diamond Tiara." She smirked. But Diamond Tiara actually didn't know how to compete with that. She only had one Pokemon and Dark-Type moves aren't exactly the most stunning moves out of all 18 types. They can have some fancy tricks, but not many. To make matters worse, Purrloin is a Pokemon that doesn't know many stunning and dazzling moves. It is very limited to physical moves and Pokemon contests always have the Pokemon use special moves. Not to mention the fact that her Purrloin was still a fairly weak Pokemon that didn't have many moves at its disposal. So the ranged moves that it can know are not available to it at the moment and the only one it actually has is Thunder Wave. "Ahem. It's your turn." The lady said from the curtains. Everypony was looking at Diamond Tiara, anticipating what she's about to do. "Um...Purrloin. Use Thunder Wave." She finally gave the command. Her Purrloin looked back at her, seeing the worry in her eyes, but she went for the move anyways. It was greatly underwhelming. All that came out was a wave of thunder and that was it. The audience were unimpressed. Compared to what Sweetie Belle did, that was lackluster. It was just a normal Pokemon move being shown. She was about to give it another go, but suddenly, fear struck her. The worst possible emotion to obtain at a situation like this. Diamond Tiara suddenly ran back into the waiting room, passing the lady. Sweetie Belle and the CMC felt proud of themselves, but Ash and Pikachu weren't feeling it.. Him and Pikachu went backstage to check up on Diamond Tiara. There, they saw the little earth pony sit on the couch with her head down. Right next to her, Purrloin was sitting close to its trainer. "Diamond Tiara." Ash called out. "Go away. I don't wanna talk right now." She replied with an upset tone. Ash could see how down Diamond Tiara was and how happy the CMC were. From what he could tell, he's seen a situation like this before. Where the tables turn and the sides are switched. Ash can see that not everything is in black and white. Diamond Tiara may be stuck up and full of herself, but she's still a young filly and a pony like them. The Cutie Mark Crusaders may have no Cutie Marks, but again, they're still young too. Each of them have their own views of each other. The CMC and Diamond Tiara can't stand being next to each other, and neither of them wants the other to get the better of them. But the one thing the CMC didn't take into account is that Diamond Tiara, despite everything that goes on with her, has emotions. Just like how she got all giddy and happy when she finally got to talk to Ash and how he picked her up. "You didn't want to lose to Sweetie Belle did you?" Ash asked. "No...I don't want to lose those blanks at all. But I also wanted to do something amazing with my Purrloin." "And you got worried, huh?" "Yeah..." She slowly nodded her head. "No need to worry. I know how you feel." Ash patted her head as she looked up at him. "I understand that you don't want to lose to someone you wanna best. I've gone through that a lot in my journeys. From Gary, Paul, Morrison and so on. Just like you, I don't want to lose." "Yeah but...I was so afraid back there. I didn't know what else to do afterwards." "I hear you. But there's nothing wrong with feeling fear. It's fear that helps us learn and overcome certain things, like accidents or our weaknesses. Your Purrloin may not have the right moves, but I can tell that it wants to better itself so that you can advance as a Coordinator." Ash looked over to Purrloin. "Purr." The Devious Pokemon nodded. Diamond Tiara turned to her Pokemon, seeing how much she wanted her to succeed. Back there, Purrloin knew that Diamond Tiara was worried, she knew that Thunder Wave wouldn't dazzle anypony, but she went for it anyways. Even if she was a Dark-Type Pokemon, she still cared for her trainer. Just like any Pokemon does. "Have confidence in yourself. As much as it stings, not all of us are born with special talents and skills by day 1. I was a pretty bad Pokemon trainer when I first started my journey, but it was my bumps and faults that helped me grow and grow, and look where I am now. I've got a great buddy, some awesome Pokemon and some more just waiting for somewhere out there in the world." "Really...? You think I can improve as a coordinator?" "I know so. My friend Dawn was the same. Even when she lost a contest, she picked herself back up and kept on going. I know that it's not easy to recover from a loss that quickly. It takes time. But no need to worry. As long as you have your Pokemon beside you, who wants you to succeed with all your might, you'll go far." Ash stood back up. "Pikachu!" Hearing this lifted Diamond Tiara's spirits up as she gave off a smile. Her Purrloin went up to her face, purring next to her. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had heard this and they felt a bit bad. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom nudged Sweetie Belle forward to talk to her. "Hey, uh Diamond Tiara." She spoke. "Hm? What do you want?" Diamond Tiara sighed. "Here to rub it in my face?" "No...though that would be so wonderful...I came here to well...apologize a bit. To be honest, I really did end up joining in just to show you up. I didn't do it for fun, and you were right. It was out of spite. What would Rarity say in this situation...? It's unladlyike of me. So, I'm sorry." Sweetie Belle mustered up the strength to apologize to Diamond Tiara for the first time ever. "...Well, I accept your apology I guess. But don't think we're on good terms now. You're still blank flanks." Diamond Tiara's stubbornness was as hard as a diamond. She took the apology and even gained a small respect for Sweetie Belle, but her usual attitude was still there. "But I still don't get why you hang out with them, Ash?" "Why? That's easy? Cause why not? I don't care if they don't have any marks. I don't even care what they look like or what they are. A friend is a friend, no matter what." Ash replied. "Pikachu!" "I guess so...right, it's settled!" Diamond Tiara stood up. "I'm going to pursue my dream as a Pokemon Coordinator, and I'll be the best one out there. Count on that!" Diamond Tiara sneered over at Sweetie Belle. "We'll see! With a sister like Rarity on my side, my moves are gonna be even more amazing in the future!" The little unicorn sneered back. Ash could see that they were now competing as rivals. And to him, that was good enough. Chapter 108 End!