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// Feather Rush: Average 
// Story: Saddlemon 
// by unknownmercury 
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Ever since she was little, Feather Rush had hated her appearance. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but there was nothing too exceptional about it either. Brown coat, black mane and tail, brown eyes. Average height, average weight. Her wingspan: average. Her intelligence: average. Her phsyical capabilities: average. She wanted to stand out, to be amazing. So she had shaved off her mane and cut off most of her tail, leaving just a small stub.

She'd also started causing trouble, just to stand out from the rest of the ponies in her town. No bad publicity, according to her mom. And with two older and two younger sisters, it was obvious why she wanted to stand out so badly. Middle fillies never got any attention paid to them. They were never the fastest, or the smartest, or the cutest, or anything of the sort. They were average.

But now was her time to shine. She was ten years old, which meant it was time to make her trip to Canterlot and get her first Saddlemon. Her two older sisters had both taken their chances at being Saddlemon trainers, and had come home after winning one or two badges. But Feather? She was going to be the best trainer ever. She was going to rise above the norm and show her true self. 

She had aspirations of blazing her way through the gym challenge, busting into the Palace of the two Alicorn Sisters, and defeating them both. That would make her famous. That would make her more than average. And with a secret prize to whoever defeated Celestia, she would be able to show-off that she had actually done what nopony before her had done.

She already had her dream team lined up. Two big brutes to take and deal large amounts of damage. A speedster to cause damage without getting hit. Something flying, like her, to keep opponents guessing. And then a couple of really heavy hitters, probably of the dragon variety.

She headed downstairs silently, looking at her mother and sisters. Her father was off at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory, making rainbows, so he wouldn't get to say good-bye. She nuzzled her mother, and then went from oldest sister to youngest, Lightning, Red, Wind, and Rainbow. She waved one wing, and then flew out of her cloud home, looking out onto the horizon and onto the capitol.

She made the trip from Cloudsdale to Canterlot in record time, bursting into the lab where Professor Oak Leaf worked, barely dodging the black Unicorn who was on her way out. 

Oak Leaf gave her a smile and said, "Hello there. Are you here for your first Saddlemon?"

"Yeah yeah. Just gimme the best one you got." She was trotting in place, in a hurry to get on the road. The sooner she started, the sooner she could beat Celestia.

"Well, that's up to you to decide. I can't tell you which one you'll like best. I only have two now, so at least you still have some choice."

Feather Rush sighed, looking at the remaining two. Somepony, probably that Unicorn she'd seen, had beaten her here and received Squirtle, which meant she was stuck looking between a dull-eyed Bulbasaur and a hyped up Charmander. Her brow furrowed. Which one, which one... They both looked so... so subpar, sitting on that little bench, their Saddleballs in front of them. Which one would she pick?

Which one would help her not be average?




All right, same deal as last time. Should Feather Rush take Bulbasaur or Charmander? Next chapter goes up September 14th.