//------------------------------// // Rest and Repairs // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Ponyville, morning. Currently, Ponyville is not in the best condition right now. Ever since the Darkest Day happened and Eternatus caused chaos across Equestria, many locations had unfortunately been demolished. The one area that had been ruined the most was without a doubt Trottingham since Eternatus stayed there the most. But Ponyville was one of them. Whilst its destruction pales in comparison to Trottingham's, it was still in a horrible state with so many buildings and structures obliterated due to Stoutland rampaging. As such, everypony got together to try and repair what was destroyed. And with the help of Pokemon, something that would normally take months can be done in a few weeks or less, depending on the Pokemon. Many jobs were put to a halt to repair Ponyville as all the focus was on the buildings and nothing else. So far, they've managed to repair and redecorate most of the houses since they were fairly easy to manage. Over at Twilight's castle, which was slightly damaged during the Darkest Day, she was currently showing her newly caught partner Absol around. "Well, what do you think Absol?" Twilight said to him. "Much different from living in the mountains, right?" "Sol." Absol looked around the interior of Twilight's castle. It was definitely a change of scenery for him. His entire life, all he's seen are mountains, lakes, forests, grasslands and anything that exists on the outside. He's never been inside of a building before. Let alone an entire castle. It was certainly something he would need to get used to. He's been living in the mountains for so long after all and only comes out of it when a disaster occurs. This would be his new home. And even if it was brand new territory, there was something familiar and welcoming about it that Absol felt. As the tour of the castle continued, Absol was introduced to Nyx, Cocoa and Rosestar in a separate room. After learning about how Twilight and her friends had saved Equestria, further respect for Twilight had been gained. The trio noticed Twilight's new partner by her side. Absol. To Cocoa and Rosestar, Absol was a pleasant Pokemon to look at, albeit intimidating. But to Nyx, the moment she set her eyes on the Disaster Pokemon, she was captivated immediately. "Oh!" The alicorn dashed over to Absolm getting up and close in his face. "S-Sol?!" Absol jerked back as his personal space was being invaded. "Who is this?!" Nyx liked the look of Absol. There was something about him that just resonated with her but she couldn't quite figure it out. But she loved the look of it either way. "You remember how I mentioned about a Pokemon who could sense disasters? Here he is." Twilight introduced Absol to them all. "So this is Absol? Wonderful!" Nyx nodded. "Absol..." Absol winced as he wanted Nyx to move away since her shadow was towering over him. Already, he was a bit uncomfortable around her, and Twilight could see that. "Absol needs a bit of time to get adjusted to all of this extra company." Twilight got in between Nyx and Absol. "He's been living alone in the mountains after all." "Oh. My apologies." Nyx backed away. "So!" Cocoa appeared next to Twilight. "If this guy over here can sense disasters, then does that mean we won't get surprised by any future threats." "Most likely. With Absol's ability to sense potential future disasters, we'll be able to prepare ourselves for whatever threat comes our way or even prevent it before it even happens." "That seems like a nice alternative to precognition." Rosestar nodded. "Anyway. I need to help out with repairs. You can explore as much as you want, Absol! See ya!" Twilight teleported out of the castle, leaving Absol to venture in here himself. Outside, repairs were going smoothly for Ponyville. Someponies were thinking about giving their homes new looks. But others wanted to keep it identical to their old homes without changing that much. SugarCube corner was one that was having a slight makeover. All of Pinkie Pie's Slurpuff's were pitching in to rebuild it with some brand new additions. "You sure you don't want to keep the same as it was before?" Jade asked. "Of course, you silly filly!" Pinkie rubbed Jade's head. "You'll have your own room now thanks to all this redecorating! Even though...you can't sleep." "What about your party cave? Did it get destroyed in the rampage?" "Nope! I checked. It's still in one piece!" Pinkie squeed. "Some luck." Jade nodded. "Guess there's always something that manages to survive during dangerous events such as the Darkest Day." "But ya know, Jade...With all these threats popping up, from Ghetsis to Eternatus and who knows what else is waiting for us, I'm...feeling kinda..." "What is it, Pinkie?" Jade turned to her. "Well, you know..." Pinkie twiddled her hooves. "I don't know if you've noticed but...I'm kind of like the milk and water of my friends recently." "Milk and Water?" Jade raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. The toast sandwich. The wobbly one. The-" "You mean the weakest one?" "That's it!" Pinkie nodded. "Pinkie Why would you think that?" "When that whole Darkest Day thing happened, everypony battled against Eternatus with all they had. Some of them even evolved! Everypony did a lot of work...except for me." Pinkie lowered her head. "But Leon said you were all Legendary heroes now. So you must've done something to help out." "I helped out, but not that much. My Slurpuff's and Spinda's aren't really fit for battle ya know. They're just lovable little goofballs with silly faces!" Pinkie hugged her Spinda. "Spin! Spinda!" "Well, you sound like you're fine with that. So what's the problem?" "The problem is that I don't have a Pokemon fit for battling! I'm a total pushover! Even Fluttershy's Audino can do some big with Hyper Beam and Mega Evolution!" "Oh, I see what you mean. So you want a Pokemon that can battle, right?" "Bingo!" Pinkie nodded her head aggressively. "If I can get just one Pokemon that's a real rabble-rouser, then I won't have to work less during a major battle!" "Hm. I guess that's something you might need." Jade thought for a moment. "But what Pokemon do you need, actually?" "Not a clue." Pinkie Pie squeed. "But we've got the Pokemon House so let's get to searching for my powerhouse!" "Right now?" "Right now!" Pinkie grabbed Jade as she dragged her along. Pinkie's need for a Pokemon that can be her muscle was potent. After the whole event with Eternatus and how everypony except her managed to put in a lot of work, she didn't want to lag behind her friends at all. Like most Pokemon Trainers, Pinkie wants to improve herself to protect her friends and family from whatever future threats might come their way. Even her family over at the Rock Farm have their own powerhouse that can defend them in the form of Limestone Pie's Tyranitar. Spinda and Slurpuff were helpful but they're more skilled in everyday activities rather than the thrill of the battle. They can still battle for sure, it's just that they tend to come up short compared to everyone else who can push past their natural limitations at times. Even Spinda's Metronome wasn't always something Pinkie Pie could rely on. Metronome is a wildcard. It's unclear whether she'll get the right move at the right situation, thus it's a last resort move. The Pokemon House. "Glad you were thinking about, Pinkie Pie. There's a lot of Pokemon to choose from. Along with some newcomers." Fluttershy said. "So feel free to choose whichever one you want." "Will do, can do! And Jade! You might find a Pokemon for you too! Let's get searching!" Pinkie dashed around the Pokemon House whilst Jade simply trotted. Any Pokemon here has the potential to be a powerhouse in their own right. Some are obviously better than others and have higher potentials but for the most part, they can all perform the impossible. And that one Pokemon with hidden potential is just what Pinkie Pie was searching for. If she gets it, that is. Sweet Apple Acres. Just like the Pokemon House, Sweet Apple Acres hadn't been touched by the Dynamax rampage at all. It was in tip-top condition with no signs of destruction whatsoever. Definitely one of the luckier places to be untouched by the Darkest Day. Inside, Applejack had given Sceptile his own hat that looked a lot like hers. After evolving into a Sceptile during the Darkest Day, Applejack felt like she was seeing her own child grow up. Because of that one moment, Applejack's hidden motherly instincts kicked in as it seemed to give her the idea of gifting Sceptile his own hat. Which worked well on the Forest Pokemon. A perfect fit. "Looking good, Sceptile!" Applejack said. "Scep!" "Now that you're at your best, what say we keep on getting better, huh?" Applejack nudged Sceptile. "Tile!" "You too Apple Bloom. I know you ain't got any big goals like Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, but you're still on that type catching thing?" "Mhm!" Apple Bloom nodded. "But I was actually thinking of trying other Pokemon Types. But I'm still going with Grass." "And you, Cold?" AJ turned to Cold Colt. "Who me? Well, I wanna try something with my Cubchoo one day but other than that, I've got nothing major planned." Cold bit into an apple. "What about you, Big Mac? Got anything planned with Pokemon involved?" Applejack asked. "Nope." Big Mac shook his head. "Nothing, huh? I guess not everypony wants to involve themselves with Pokemon a lot." Apple Bloom sat down. "Other than battling, though." "Come to think of it..." Applejack realized something. "Big Mac. How come your Machamp has never battled before?" "Hm?" Big Mac's ears shot up after hearing that. "If we're being honest, you've kinda got the strongest Pokemon in Ponyville and it's never battled once." Applejack narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah. Machamp only helps out on the farm and that's it." Apple Bloom held an Applin in her hooves. "I thought it'd just battle all the time." "If it did, then a lot of our problems would've been solved easy peasy." Cold grabbed another apple, planning to take a bite once more. However, he ended up grabbing an Applin as the Apple Core Pokemon breathed a small Dragon Rage in his face. "Ain't it obvious?" Granny Smith suddenly spoke, sitting next to her Drampa. "That Machamp's a big ol' softy. Ain't got the backbone of an average Fighting-Type, that's for sure." "Yeah. Big Mac's Machamp is kinda gentle for having so many muscles and being so strong," said Apple Bloom. " "Course he is." Big Mac suddenly replied. "Machamp's all scared that he'll destroy Ponyville if he battles." Big Mac gave them all a clear and understanding answer as they all collectively nodded. What Big Macintosh said was true. If Machamp took part in any battle, there is a very high possibility that he'll end up destroying the entire town in mere seconds. Possibly even faster than a Dynamax Pokemon. "Yeah. It'd be pretty useful if he did battle though." Applejack nodded. "Champ." Machamp came in the room, holding a large box as he overheard everypony speak about this. "Machamp...?" He used one of his arms to point at himself as he thought they all saw him as a pathetic excuse for a Fighting-Type despite his tough exterior. Applejack screeched as she saw that Machamp had been affected by their words, showing how easily a Pokemon such as himself can be affected with just a few words. "Ah! Machamp!" Applejack dashed over. "I-I ain't saying you're weak! Don't get all beat up!" She chuckled nervously, patting Machamp on the back. Macham may be a forbearing Pokemon compared to every other Machamp out there in both worlds, but deep within, like most Pokemon, when it comes to the safety of the ones it loves, there will come a time when Machamp will step up to the plate. Twilight's Castle. Absol's solo tour of the castle had led him to what could be considered the most comfortable room in the castle. Twilight's Room. There, he witnessed how Twilight had a large assortment of books containing various information and lore about the Pokemon World. Absol has seen very few things in his life. The only things his eyes have graced are Pokemon of all different shapes and sizes, humans, locations and more recently, ponies. He felt like a fish out of water due to how new and untrodden this place was. Although, it still had an accustomed feeling to it that eased Absol. The first thing the Disaster Pokemon decided to do was lay down on Twilight's bed. Of all things. By inviting himself on to the empty bed, Absol's first time knowing what a bed feels like had been revealed to him. The mattress underneath was delicate and smooth, having zero bumps or clamorous parts that stick out. Twilight always made sure that her bed was neat at all times. The bedsheet and blanket were just as pleasant as the mattress as it was enough to cover Absol's entire body. Absol decided that this was a good place to take a nap. For years, Absol's only bed were leaves on the hard ground of the mountains. No matter how many leaves he would cover himself in, the wind would just blow them away, sending chills down Absol's spine. The only time Absol gets the opportunity to sleep on something soft is when it snows. But even that turns out horrible since Absol can't stand the cold and the wind just gets colder because of the season. But a bed was a game-changer. It was soft at all times, had something that could cover the entire body without being randomly blown away and Absol didn't have to worry about the cold since the sheet and blanket were enough. As such, Absol took a nap here, feeling at peace as he dozed off, tossing and turning his body as he crumpled up the bedsheets, making some of it slide off the mattress ever so slightly. Eve entered the room, feeling tired herself. She couldn't wait to lay down and rest her head. Until she spotted something that normally wasn't that big of a deal, but to Eve, it was a big deal. She saw Absol sleeping on the bed, all cosy and peaceful. But that didn't matter to Eve. What did matter was the state of the bed. Thanks to Absol's movements, Twilight's always flat, polished and tidy bed had been slightly ruined. All it took was the sheet being moved to the side along with some wrinkles. "Espeon...!" The Sun Pokemon growled. "Esp!" She ran up to the bed, jumping onto it and landing near Absol. "Esp! Espeon!" She shouted in his ear. "Sol?" Absol opened one eye, turning to her. "Espeon!" She told him that he had ruined Twilight's perfectly neat and tidy bed by crumpling it, giving him an earful. "Absol," Absol told her that it wasn't that big of a deal. But he also told her that she actually ended up crumpling the bed herself by jumping onto it. "Esp?" Eve looked down to see that indeed, she had played a part in ruining the bed. Her rule of keeping things tidy, much like Twilight's Cinccino, had been broken by her. "Espeon?!" She gasped, hopping off the bed. "Absol-sol." Absol chuckled before going back to sleep. "Esp!" Eve puffed her cheeks as she left the room, leaving Absol to his own devices. From this day on, she would have to live with him from day to night. Back at the Pokemon House, Pinkie Pie's search for a Pokemon she believes will be her muscle was still ongoing. The selection of Pokemon, despite how varied they may be, wasn't enough to capture Pinkie Pie's attention. "Hm..." Pinkie picked up a Helioptile, looking it in the eyes. "Heli!" "Electric-Types are fast..." Pinkie nodded. "But I don't know..." "Still having trouble choosing?" Jade flew over. "Yeah. I like all of these Pokemon. Some of these are so cute!" Pinkie hugged Helioptile. "Tile! Helio!" "But something's making me all picky." Pinkie slumped. "I'm sure any of these little guys and gals can be super strong but...I don't know." "I never knew you'd be the kind of pony to have trouble deciding," Jade said as a Starly landed on her head. "Even party pony's get stumped. I've definitely had a lot of problems deciding on stuff before." Pinkie placed Helioptile down. "Helio." "Stuff..." Pinkie said to herself, nodding slowly. "Stuff..." Her brain then started to kick up with a revelation. The word Stuff was reminding her or something very familiar. Something that could be the answer to her problem. "Stuff...!" "You okay Pinkie Pie?" Jade went over to Pinkie, placing her hoof on her back. "Stufful!" Pinkie exclaimed, making Jade pull back as she was startled. "That's who I need!" "What about Stufful?" Jade raised an eyebrow. "Where's my Pokedex?" She dug into her saddlebag, searching for her Pokedex. "Here it is!" She took it out as she moved her hooves in a hurry. Pinkie Pie went through the list of Pokemon that her Pokedex has recorded so far, searching for Stufful's dex entry. She went all the way down to the bottom until she found it. "Here it is! Dexter. Can you tell me which part of Stufful is the part where it's super strong?" Pinkie requested the Pokedex to read a specific part of Stufful's dex entry. "Stufful hates to be hugged or touched in any way. It will squirm, thrash, and resist with amazing power." The Pokedex read out a specific part. "Yes! That's who I need!" Pinkie Pie squeed. "Stufful? That little thing's super strong?" Jade pointed at the Pokedex. "Very!" Pinkie Pie nodded. "We met during one of Brawly's classes. And boy did it love my cupcakes. If I can win it over with more cupcakes, I can make Stufful my own Pokemon!" "Oh. Wait, doesn't it belong to Brawly though?" "Maybe. I don't really know. But next time I head to the Pokemon School for Brawly's class, I'll ask him!" "So I take you're satisfied now?" "Mhm!" Pinkie bounced. "100%! What about you, Jade? Did you find a Pokemon that you like?" "Not really." Jade shook her head. "Maybe I'm just not fit to have a Pokemon." "Don't say that. I'm sure one day you'll find a Pokemon that totally speaks to you. Right now, let's hang out at the party cave. I've still got some of that Hearth's Warming Cake left!" Pinkie hopped away. "Is it still safe to eat something that old?" Jade followed her. "With the Slurpuff's, totally!" Pinkie giggled as she and her emotionless friend left the Pokemon House. Repairs were steady yet effective. Ponyville was slowly returning to its natural form with some slight changes here and there. With their Pokemon by their side, they'll have their town back in no time. Some well-deserved rest for them all. The Pokemon World may be harsh on their world due to how different Pokemon are from anything they've ever experienced, but gradually, they're starting to become in sync with it as the journey continues. Chapter 290 End.