//------------------------------// // Rookies in two ways // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Ponyville, day. It was a relatively normal day today. Nothing eventful at all. Although, whenever somepony expects an uneventful day usually, something eventful does happen. It just takes time for it to really happen. Today, Goh had actually decided to hang around more in Ponyville as opposed to travelling across every region just to research and see which Pokemon he catches. "Hm...Nothing major going on now. Strange. Usually something big happens out of nowhere." Goh said. "Raboot.." "Sobble..." "Morning, Goh." Starlight walked up to the trainer and his Pokemon. "You waiting for something?" "Something is right, Starlight. I'm always told that every day, something eventful happens but...I don't see it." Goh crossed his arms. "Well, give it time. I mean, the stuff that happens here doesn't compare to the Pokemon world, right?" Starlight chuckled. "Probably. What are you up to?" "Me? Nothing really..." Starlight dug her hoof in the ground. "Twilight and the others are probably off doing something fun and exciting as always. So it's just me." "Didn't they ask you to come along?" "Well, I mostly stay indoors at Twilight's castle, so before I know it, they're just gone. Doing whatever it is they get up. The same kind of stuff happens with you and Ash, right?" "Yeah. But only in our world. For this world...there's not that many." "Right..." There was an awkward silence between the two. They weren't exactly that close as friends despite them sharing similarities here and there. Both Goh and Starlight also haven't really interacted that much besides the time they went to the Crystalling. Seeing how there was nothing both of them could do now, Goh's Raboot was actually the one who decided to spice things up. "Boot." The Rabbit Pokemon kicked Goh's leg, shoving him towards Starlight. "Uh, I know! You've got one Pokemon. Hatterene, right?" "Right?" "So, why not catch another for you? Sound good?" "Catching a second Pokemon? I guess I might need one more for extra protection." "Right. And you can leave it to the catching expert to do so." Goh pointed at himself, looking all proud. "Alright sure. Where do we start?" Starlight asked. "That Saddle Lake place has some pretty rare Pokemon. I was thinking of catching some Pokemon there." Goh pointed over at the direction where Saddle Lake was. "I was even thinking of catching some myself." "Why not the Pokemon House? They've got a buffet of Pokemon for you to catch." "Uhh about that...?" Goh started to reminisce when he first came to the Pokemon House and how Fluttershy let him have it. "Oh! Look at all these Pokemon!" Goh gawked at the sight of the Pokemon House and how there was a large selection of Pokemon here of many kinds. "Here's an opportunity! Poke Ball, Go!" Goh found possibly a goldmine of Pokemon for him to catch. Once he threw his first Poke Ball, he was planning on throwing more at everyone else. An unaware Helioptile was about to be absorbed by a Poke Ball, until Fluttershy flew in, using her wing to smack the Poke Ball into Goh's face. "Ough!" Goh fell on his back. "Heliop?" "Urgh..." Goh stood up from the ground, holding his dented Poke Ball-shaped face. When he opened his eyes, he spotted Fluttershy giving him The Stare. "Geeeh!" "What do you think you're doing?!" Fluttershy growled at him, approaching Goh with an intimidating aura around her. "W-W-Wait!" Goh once again fell on his back, this time backing away from the incoming pegasus. "I-I can explain!" "Think you can just go around catching whatever you feel like without the Pokemon's permission?!" Fluttershy snapped at him. "I-I-I-I was just you know...doing Pokemon research!" Goh let out a nervous smile as he was sweating bullets. But his research reason wasn't convincing Fluttershy. "Now, now." Ash slid in between the two. "Let's not go crazy, you two." "Pikachu." "Right! Come on, Ash. Tell her that it was just for you know, research purposes." "I mean yeah but, Goh. I'm afraid that the Pokemon House isn't like the wild." Ash responded. "A lot of these Pokemon have made this place their home. So catching them out of nowhere wouldn't be the smartest decision. "Pika." Pikachu nodded. "Oh. My bad." Goh lowered his head. "Sorry! Deepest apologies!" He apologized to Fluttershy alongside his partner who was a Scorbunny at this point. "Scorbun!" "Hmph." Fluttershy landed herself gently on the ground. "If you're going to catch one, at least ask the Pokemon here first and my permission." She turned away, walking off. "Heh..." Goh laughed awkwardly. "Not a great first impression." "No need to worry." Ash helped Goh up. "Fluttershy's a great pony when you get to know her." "Pika-Pikachu." "Right..." "Wow. Bad move on your part." Starlight commented. "But can't you like talk to the Pokemon and get them to bond with you, then you can catch them?" "Yeah. But unlike Ash, I'm not really an expert at bonding with Pokemon." Goh rubbed the back of his head. "Truth is...With all the Pokemon I've caught, I've never really had the time to chat and spend some time with them. Raboot and Sobble are the only ones who hang around me." "Yeesh." Starlight winced. "I didn't know it was that bad. Are you really not that great at making friends?" "Well, you remember, right? I was alone for most of my childhood, taking part in research sessions. So, I didn't really have that many friends besides a few here and there." "Yeah, I remember." Starlight nodded. That's when Twilight's words about making new friends came into play. Perhaps, taking part in what Goh enjoys doing could work. "How about we get out there and catch that second Pokemon for me, huh?" "Really?" "Mhm." Starlight nudged his shoulder. "And it won't be at the Pokemon House. So you don't have to worry." "Oh...Thank goodness." He let out a sigh of relief. "To Saddle Lake we go then!" And so it was. Saddle Lake did, in fact, have some rare Pokemon that were not that common normally. It was a great place for trainers looking for rare Pokemon. A bonus was that the Swords of Justice often come here to relax when they're not out there saving lives. Over at Saddle Lake, the Pokemon there were Marshtomp, Seadra, Gyarados, Cubchoo, the four Oriocorio dancing styles and many more. Naturally, one of these Pokemon caught the interest of Goh, if not all of them. "Oh! What is that?!" He pulled out his Pokedex for the four Oriocorio's. "Oricorio. The Dancing Pokemon. Baile Style. It wins the hearts of its enemies with its passionate dancing and then uses the opening it creates to burn them up with blazing flames. This Oricorio has drunk red nectar. If its Trainer gives the wrong order, this passionate Pokémon becomes fiercely angry." "Oricorio. The Dancing Pokemon. Pom-Pom Style. It lifts its opponents’ spirits with its cheerful dance moves. When they let their guard down, it electrocutes them with a jolt. This Oricorio has drunk bright yellow nectar. When it sees someone looking glum, it will try to cheer them up with a dance." "Oricorio. The Dancing Pokemon. Pa'u Style. It relaxes its opponents with its elegant dancing. When they let their guard down, it showers them with psychic energy. This Oricorio has sipped pink nectar. It gets so caught up in its dancing that it sometimes doesn’t hear its Trainer’s orders." "Oricorio. The Dancing Pokemon. Sensu Style. It summons the dead with its dreamy dancing. From their malice, it draws power with which to curse its enemies. When they let their guard down, it places a curse on them that will bring on their demise. This Oricorio has sipped purple nectar. Some dancers use its graceful, elegant dancing as inspiration." "That's a lot to remember. Do you wanna catch one them, Starlight?" "Uh...I'll pass." Starlight wasn't sure if she wanted any of the Oricorio's. "Then in that case..." Goh held out a Poke Ball. "I'll take all four styles!" He tossed the first Poke Ball over at the Pom-Pom Oricoro. "Co? Ori!" The Pom-Pom Style Oricorio used Air Slash to send the Poke Ball right back towards Goh, hitting him in the face yet again. "Gah!" "Maybe battling them would work out in your favour?" Starlight suggested. "Ah, right! Raboot! Let's go!" "Ra!" The Rabbit Pokemon stepped up, facing all four dancing styles at the same time. "Use Blaze Kick!" "Boot!" Raboot bolted forward, igniting its feet with flames. The four Oricorio's weren't too fond of Goh interrupting their dancing session, so as a response, they engaged in battle as well. The Baile Style moved in, using its signature move Revelation Dance. By dancing around and flowing its crimson wings, the Dancing Pokemon sent a blast of scorching flames to the opposing Fire-Type. Raboot's Blaze Kick connected with Oricorio's blast with both attacks fighting for dominance. They both seemed to be equal in power as they cancelled each other out in a few seconds. "Raboot..." "Cor!" The Baile Style called for its fellow Oricorio's for a coordinated Revelation dance. "Orico!" At the same time, all four Oricorio's performed a synchronized dance with their respective elements showing around them. A spiral of flames surrounded them all, electric bolts mixed in with the flames, a ghostly aura was layered over the flames whilst a psychic ball appeared in front of them. "What are they doing and why is it so impressive looking?!" Starlight gawked. "No idea. Raboot! Use Blaze Kick one more time!" "Ra!" The Fire-Type dashed in, going for a second Blaze Kick and hoping to connect with its opponents. Unfortunately, rushing in blind doesn't do much against a coordinated attack. And it showed once the four Oricorio's unleashed their synchronized attack. A mix of Electric, Fire, Ghost and Psychic was all packed into this one attack as it not only overpowered Raboot's Blaze Kick, but it also ended up trapping the Rabbit Pokemon inside of the attack. That would be Pa'u Style's psychic power kicking in. "Boot?!" "Ah! Raboot!" Goh gasped. "Oricorio!" At the same time, the four Oricorio's used Aerial Ace to hit their own combination attack. By smashing their talons onto the attack, Raboot was sent flying towards Goh, Sobble and Starlight with the attack still active. Starlight attempted to teleport them all out of there, but the speed Raboot was moving was insane due to Aerial Ace's striking power. As a result, they were all hit by the combined attack, resulting in an explosion that sent them all flying into the air. "How'd it go so wrong..." Goh sighed. "It was a 4 against 1. Pretty one-sided from the beginning." Starlight facehoofed. "Raboot..." Raboot shook its head in disappointment and defeat. "Sobble!" Being hit by a devastating attack was enough to make Sobble cry. And once it cries, everyone cries. The ponies from Ponyville could see the four of them blasting off into the distance along with a trail of smoke from Oricorio's attack. Some even mistook them for Team Rocket. With that out of the way, the Oricorio's got back to their dancing session. Goh, Starlight, Raboot and Sobble ended up in another part of Saddle Lake, one that was more secluded with less Pokemon around. They crash-landed safely on a bush, thankfully. But the impact of Oricorio's attack really stung. "Mrrgh..." Goh stood up, holding his head. "What a dud..." "Ow!-ow!" Starlight held her hoof, blowing on it. Some of the Baile Style's flames burnt her. With all four of them recovering, they noticed that right here in this very spot, there was actually a hut. Not belonging to Zecora actually. Someone completely different owned this hut. "Has this always been here?" Goh looked up at the hut. "How should I know? I'm still new here in this part of Equestria." Starlight shrugged. Out of curiosity, Goh opened the door to the hut, wondering who would be in here. If they were home at the moment. And in fact, the owner was home. But it wasn't a pony who owned this hut at all. In fact, it was an Oranguru. And of course, curiosity struck Goh's head like an arrow, prompting him to take out his Pokedex. "Oh, who are you?!" "Oranguru. The Sage Pokemon. Known for its extreme intelligence, this Pokémon will look down on inexperienced Trainers, so it’s best suited to veteran Trainers. Deep in the jungle, high in the lofty canopy, this Pokémon abides. On rare occasions, it shows up at the beach to match wits with Slowking. It normally spends its time meditating in the treetops. It throws Poké Balls and gives other Pokémon orders as it pleases with its hand-made fans. If it comes across a wounded Pokémon, Oranguru will gather medicinal herbs to treat it." "A Pokemon with a high IQ like Slowking, huh?" "That's a pretty rare Pokemon in its own right." Starlight nodded. "So it's probably the one who lives here." "Indeed I am." "...Huh?" At that moment, Goh and Starlight heard a voice respond to them. By freezing for a second, they narrowed their eyes at the Sage Pokemon, believing that it was the one who spoke to them. "Surprised?" "Ah!" They pulled back in shock. It wasn't the first time they've heard telepathy. After all, Darkrai and Arceus are capable of speaking telepathically and Meowth exists. But hearing Oranguru speak to them all of a sudden without any warning whatsoever gave them a slight scare. "Oh..." Goh held his heart, breathing in and out. "I guess being a Psychic-Type sometimes comes with that perk." "Why have you four come here?" "Sorry for intruding, Mr uh...Oranguru." Starlight squeed. "But my friend Goh here was helping me catch some Pokemon. Well, we haven't found one I want yet and we sort of got blasted away by these Oricorio Pokemon." "Hmmm...It was not out of malicious intent, I assume?" "N-No! Not at all!" Starlight shook her head. "Because three individuals came over here to try and capture the Pokemon who peacefully reside here." "You mean Team Rocket?" Goh answered. "Whatever they're known as. I can see that you four aren't exactly well organized as they are." "Well organized?" Goh and Starlight said in unison. "You were blown away by the Oricorio's, correct? Did you by chance interrupt their dancing session?" "Mrrgh..." Starlight growled at Goh. "Ehehehe..." The trainer laughed nervously, shifting his eyes from left to right along with his Raboot. "I was just you know...hoping to catch them since Starlight didn't want them." "Thought so. The Oricorio's dislike it when someone throws them off focus. Deciding to catch them out of nowhere would just add fuel to the fire." "Yeah...Kinda figured after the blast-off." Goh lowered his head. "And what was it you said, purple pony? Your friend was helping you catch a Pokemon?" "Yes. You see...Goh and I were trying to get to know each other as friends more. Since our friendship isn't exactly that strong. So, Goh decided to help me catch a second Pokemon here at Saddle Lake other than my Hatterene. First, he threw a Poke Ball at the Oricorio's and then they attacked, and now here we are." "My bad..." Goh chuckled nervously. "Raboot..." "Hm. If you wish to catch a Pokemon, throwing a Poke Ball blindly at the first thing that catches your eye is not the best option." "Just like Fluttershy." Goh sighed. "The best thing you can do is find a Pokemon and simply get to know them. Throwing a Poke Ball as your first greeting may work on some Pokemon, but not all. Pokemon are similar to you humans and ponies. You must treat them how you wanted to be treated and then possibly, they'll decide to be your partners." "Treat them how we want to be treated?" Goh looked down at Raboot and Sobble. "I guess the same can be said for my Hatterene." Starlight sent Hatterene out. "Tterene." "We've only known each other for a few months but I feel like we've made a strong connection when we first met. Right, Hatterene?" "Hatt." The Silent Pokemon nodded. Thinking about what Oranguru said made Goh remember his own words he said to Starlight earlier at Ponyville. "Yeah. But unlike Ash, I'm not really an expert at bonding with Pokemon. Truth is...With all the Pokemon I've caught, I've never really had the time to chat and spend some time with them. Raboot and Sobble are the only ones who hang around me." "Oh man...I've got a long way to go if I really wanna understand Pokemon." "Do not let my words beat you two down so easily. From what I can tell, you're still young and learning. Goh. You are still a young boy. There is a lot about Pokemon you have yet to experience. And Starlight. Much like all the ponies, Pokemon are still new territory to you, even when an entire year has passed. It is from youth that you can grow and improve. And you still have a lot of room to grow." "Right. Guess it's not just friendship I have to work on, huh, Goh?" Starlight looked up at him. "Y-Yeah. Same here. Guess we're both rookies on the same thing, huh?" "Oh. I would say there is one thing you two are not rookies at." Oranguru responded, grabbing their attention. "From what I can see, you two are already good friends. Just trying to help each other out after all. That is what matters currently." "Raboot!" "Sobble!" Sobble climbed up Goh's shoulder. "He really is a smart Pokemon...Thank you so much, Mr Oranguru!" Starlight thanked him along with Goh. "You're welcome. Now move along. I need my nap now." "Oh, right!" Goh and Starlight left his hut, leaving the Sage Pokemon to carry on with his day. "So, Starlight. Wanna continue catching some Pokemon?" "Nah. I think I'll pass for today. Maybe another time. Besides, I can't wait to tell Twilight about what I've learned today!" "Hatterene!" A somewhat failed attempt at catching a Pokemon today. But also a success in the form of Oranguru's teachings. Starlight and Goh still have a lot to learn and experience when it comes to both friendship and Pokemon. But with their partners by their side along with the actual friends they have, they can rest assured that eventually, they'll keep on advancing as the journey continues. Chapter 252 End.