//------------------------------// // New Trainer, Same Pony // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Kalos. On the road. Day. Moving across the road of Kalos was a combination between a Food Stand and a Van. Very few can craft such a unique unification but Team Rocket and their high-level craftsmanship can reach that possibility. Taking the wheel was James and his expert control. Somehow, for him, having a rocket as a child helped with this. There was also the Rocketship that was back at the Pokemon House just for an addition. Currently, Team Rocket had its newest member. Shockingly, it was Nightmare Moon. After a deal had been struck between them, the alter-ego of Luna was now working alongside Team Rocket, becoming a member of the entire organization. "Why do I have to work?!" However, now that she was working for them, she had to involve herself with their daily chores and activities. "You're a Team Rocket Member now. Everything we do, you do." Jessie replied, grinning at the struggling Nightmare Moon who was once again trying to cook but with one difference that mattered. "Look on the bright side. At least you're being taught by yours truly. And I'm your superior in this." "No one should be my superior...!" Nightmare Moon growled as she was currently below Jessie at this point since she was the newest Team Rocket Member. "But...I'd rather not burn anything else down. But why must I, royalty, work?" "It is what it is. Anyway, you've done well. It's already been 2 hours and you haven't burnt anything down. Plus, you make an amazing Nightwatch since you're awake during that time a lot." chuckled Jessie with a pompous tone. "Now's a good time to stop and sell, don't you think?" James asked. "Right on that! Freshly baked and enough to grab a crowd from the nearest town or city. Let's hope that these shortbreads aren't bitter." Jessie then held out a pan of shortbread that Nightmare Moon made with Jessie's assistance. "They should taste good." Nightmare Moon crossed her hooves, appearing proud of her creation. "Shortbread is perhaps the smallest delicacy anyone could have. It was only natural that I would succeed in making them." "It only took six retries." James pointed out, making Nightmare Moon twitch. "But they look a bit darker than they should. Can we sell those?" "Nonsense. It gives it the Nightmare flair." The shortbread had a darkened appearance. This was a clear indication that Nightmare Moon, being a rookie cook, slightly overcooked it. The shortbread was mildly burnt thanks to her inexperience, even with Jessie tutoring her. "Luckily, I made backup food. Brownies. Just in case." Jessie revealed the spare delicacies, fearing that Nightmare Moon's food would be terrible to bite into with how darkened it appeared. "Oh, by the way. We made this as well!" "Here you go!" Meowth suddenly held out a Team Rocket uniform. More specifically, it was a Team Rocket uniform specifically tailored to fit Nightmare Moon, having the figure of a tall alicorn, coming with boots as well. "I'm not wearing that." Nightmare Moon immediately rejected it, refusing to wear anything unless it was her armour, which she currently didn't have at the moment. Meanwhile, James was heading straight for Shalour, which was the first location in Kalos they would start selling their goods and where Nightmare Moon could potentially start her mission. Shalour City. Shalour City. Sat at the western region of Kalos, the seaside home of the Tower of Mastery, where the legend of mysterious Mega Stones and their amazing power lives on. Now, it was time for business to boom. At least, that's what Team Rocket was hoping for. Upon arriving here, turning the van back into an average food stand, Nightmare Moon held her breath in, prepared to call in some customers. And there was only one way she knew how. "Attention, peasants!" By degrading and shouting at them, of course. "Come hither and feast on my creation! It'll be enough to satisfy any starvation you feel. And you will feel grateful, especially when you work alongside me!" She was still going for that group approach, deciding to gather as many individuals as she could just to gain power. And this involved random civilians. Strength in numbers, after all. Naturally, being called peasants wasn't exactly alluring to the ears of anyone. Nightmare Moon scrunched her face, waiting for someone to respond and head this way based on her words. But again, addressing them as such wasn't bringing anyone here and especially with how pompous Nightmare Moon was. Some of them just stared at her with confused faces. "JUST GET OVER HERE!" She raised her voice, jump-scaring them with the sheer intensity of it. That would be the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice kicking in. Surprisingly, that worked. Intimidated just by not just her voice but also her striking appearance, she pulled in customers via pure aggression. It worked out in her favour as they swarmed to see what they could consume. And of course, first up was the shortbread biscuits that Nightmare Moon made. Neatly packed but wearing a darkened appearance with black spots hidden underneath and even poking out of different areas of each biscuit. By paying up, some of the customers would try the shortbread out of curiosity and Nightmare Moon's expression which was giving them ominous vibes. They felt like if they didn't eat it then something terrible would happen. "Good." Nightmare Moon rubbed her hooves together before putting on a grin, thinking to herself. "I may be behind Luna but my magic is still nothing to scoff at or underestimate. Inside each of these shortbread biscuits is mind-controlling magic. Once they enjoy the taste of them, their minds will be fully under my control and my group will rise to great succession!" "Mmrmprh!" But no one would dare eat the full thing. Just the first bite and some of them either spat it out or breathed out fire just from how hot they surprisingly were. "Hot! Hot!" "Munchlax." However, someone's Munchlax would not care at all. Munchlax would eat anything after all. That involved mind-controlling shortbread biscuits, even if it wasn't aware. Nightmare Moon frowned at how many reacted to her food while also putting on a slight smirk when seeing Munchlax scarf it down. If she could get one member, that was still growing the group. Now, all she had to do was see Munchlax come to her side. Alas, that never happened. Munchlax simply rubbed its tummy before walking away, stunning Nightmare Moon. There wasn't a reaction of magic at all. "Impossible. My magic should've taken over...Unless...is the Pokemon simply too idiotic to be mind controlled?" "This is bitter! What is this?!" Meanwhile, many were upset with Nightmare Moon's biscuits, complaining to her. For the first time, Nightmare Moon was faced with complaints from angry customers, the worst kind of complaints that anyone could ever receive. "My tongue burns..." "Bah! You have no taste!" Nightmare Moon scoffed. "I for one taste tested it myself and it was glorious, thank you very much." "Yeah, well, taste buds seem to vary between species. But not to worry folks~" Along came Jessie's backup plan. The brownies. She held it out to the citizens, giving them a better option than Nightmare Moon's shortbread biscuits. And immediately, the mood of the citizens changed instantly upon catching the scent of these brownies. They were piping hot too but in a good way. Not a way that would attack their insides. Their expressions changed from upset, disappointed and agitated to pleased and chipper. They would certainly pay extra money for the brownies as neither hesitated to grab a bite. And as to be expected, the brownies tasted amazing to them, staving away their negative emotions from before. "Hmmrgh..." Nightmare Moon was bested by Jessie, much to her chagrin. Not only that, but she failed to mind control anyone with her biscuits and the only one who took a full bite was Munchlax, but it seemed to be immune. Whether by its aloof nature and clear mind, a powerful stomach or just ineffective magic. All Nightmare Moon could do now was slump on the table, grumbling and realizing she wasn't getting anywhere right now. "I wonder if Luna is doing better than me." Kanto. Lavender Town. Day. "Not again..." Speaking of Luna, once again she found herself in a hospital. Not a Pokemon Center but a hospital for humans and an extension ponies. She was on a bed as the sunrays pierced through the windows. Lavender Town was at peace yet again with everyone else recovering. All thanks to Galaxy Master. That reminded Luna. The main reason she came here was because of Galaxy Master. But now, he was nowhere to be seen. "Wait! Where's Galaxy Master?! I lost sight of him again?!" "Ah. Are you looking for that costumed fellow?" The doctor entered, responding to Luna's cry. "Yes! Have you seen him, doctor?!" "I have. But he's already gone. Left hours ago." The doctor nodded, revealing Galaxy Master was already long gone from here. "Nice fellow though. Even took the time to nurse me and everyone else here back to health." "I'm sorry. He nursed you back to health? A doctor?" This stunned Luna. Not the fact that he helped the doctor. She already knew that Galaxy Master would do good deeds regardless. It was the fact that he practically nursed a doctor to health and presumably everyone else. "Including me?" "That's right. Once he got rid of all those shadows, he took care of us. Of course, he had health. Mainly from one of his Pokemon. Turned out to be a special Bayleef with amazing healing properties. Plus, a wonderful form of light that was just soothing to the eye. Aah...I'm getting a warm and fuzzy feeling just thinking about it." The doctor sighed. "Amazing..." Luna gripped the bedsheets with her hooves before pondering. "Did he say where he was headed next? And what did he say about me? J-Just curious if I was brought up." "Funnily enough, he did mention you, my little pony. He seemed to be somewhat interested in deciding what to do with you. I think it may have been because you're a princess." "I think it's another reason..." Luna spoke to herself, knowing the main reason why Galaxy Master would be decisive. "So. Did he decide what he wanted to do?" "Well..." The doctor thought back to the words that were mentioned by Galaxy Master. He remembered it clearly from last night. Galaxy Master alongside his Bayleef healed up everyone within the hospital and Lavender Town once it was vampire-free. It was all too casual and even when facing Princess Luna, they were casual as well. The hero had no issues healing Luna at all despite the fact that they were enemies. On that night, Luna had been healed thanks to Bayleef using Aromatherapy. Not only that but some of the light from the Sea Temple had been added on. "There. She'll heal perfectly. No need to worry." Galaxy Master said to the doctor. "But...what do I possibly do with her now that she's in this state? There's no possibility of me taking her in." "Got that right. Your name is also gaining traction. You made quite the name for yourself in Equestria fairly quickly. You're now its enemy and yet here you are helping one of its princesses. Strange." The doctor chuckled. "I doubt Officer Jenny will just let you show up with her. Even though you saved this town's Officer Jenny. What's a hero to do?" "You have knowledge of the other world. What can you share with me, doctor?" "Well, one could consider Princess Luna a hero too, just like you. In her world, her good deeds pile up. You should see them if you get the chance to fully explore without being hunted." "A hero, eh? Hmm..." This made Galaxy Master ponder. Luna was portrayed as a hero in her world as said by the doctor. And from what Galaxy Master knows, the only encounters he's had with Luna were confrontational ones. Anything else was unknown. Her daily life and everything else was a mystery. "Hard to believe she's with keeping these worlds intact." "Why wouldn't she? Pokemon are our friends at the end of the day. And from what was shared, Princess Luna barely had friends in the past. But ever since Pokemon came into her life, that changed. Friends of all shapes and sizes came her way. Literally. One of her friends is a dracone...how do you pronounce it?" "I see. I see. Thank you for sharing this with me doctor." Galaxy Master gained new information before shaking hands with the doctor. "Well, there's now something I can consider doing." "What would that be?" "Bayleef. Let's teach you Sunny Day. It'll come in extremely good use during the night." "Bay!" Bayleef raised her legs, already knowing what Galaxy Master was going for. As for the fictional character and his teammates, they would finally depart. Just like that, after healing everyone here, especially the nurses to speed things up, they left the hospital, heading who-knows-where. And all that led to today, where Luna remained. Now she was caught up to speed since last night. The doctor said all that he needed to and all he knew. "And that's the rest of it. Nothing else I can share except for that Sunny Day part." "Sunny Day...Sunny Day! That's it!" Luna gasped as those last words from Galaxy Master gave her an idea. An idea that was so useful that it could potentially change everything. "Yes! Why didn't I or anyone else think of this sooner?!" "Hm? Do you need your plants to grow faster?" The doctor asked, curious as to why Luna was suddenly obsessed with Sunny Day. "No! Well, I have a garden on the moon after being there for thousands of years but that's not the point! The key to beating the vampires has been in our faces the entire time. The Sun is too much for them. They can't focus at all unless something blocks it out. Which is why...we need Sunny Day! That way, it's always Sunny!" "Hm. Good point." The doctor nodded in approval. "You could have your sister, Princess Celestia do the same." "I was thinking about that. Doctor, Lay this message onto Officer Jenny at once. She needs to know about this. Any Officer Jenny needs to know!" "Luckily, all Jennys know each other. I'm on it, princess. But, hopefully, you have a Pokemon that can use Sunny Day too. I hear you have a lot of them, correct?" "Hmph. Of course I do." Luna smirked. "I know just the Pokemon who'll swap out a move for Sunny Day. It's-" However, it was at this moment that Luna discovered that something was missing. Something crucial. Her saddlebag. It had all of her Poke Balls within it. But right now, it wasn't around her at all. Not only that, but Luna's expression widened even more once she realized that the Sea Temple Crystal with her unique pattern was gone as well. Two items had just up and vanished like that. "Oh, no. No-no-no-no-no-no!" She started frantically flying around, searching for her saddlebag in this room. "Where is my saddlebag?! And my crystal?! I had them with me! Where are they?! Have you seen them, doctor?!" "Oh, sorry. But we have no signs of your bag anywhere, Princess Luna." The doctor lowered his head. "Galaxy Master didn't have it on him either. None of our nurses are holding them." "Darkrai...everyone else is within that saddlebag. And that crystal of mine." Luna grumbled as this really put a wrench in everything. She woke up to something good and soon discovered something terrible. "My friends." This hurt Luna. This was the furthest she had ever been from her friends. Usually, Darkrai is always by her side but since he was resting in his Poke Ball, he was missing along with everyone else. Now, Luna was alone with no friends by her side, sadly. This made the Princess of the Night stand there, shuddering as this visibly impacted her. "If it helps, you can ask Officer Jenny to help find them for you." The doctor suggested. "She can begin a search." "Right...or...I can call for a hero." Luna quickly picked herself back up, having a solution to this. She was going to solve two problems in one go. Retrieving her saddlebag and finding Galaxy Master yet again. "I'm going to have Galaxy Master help me." "Oh. That works too." But unbeknownst to Luna, Nightmare Moon was the one truly in possession of her saddlebag and as for the crystal, at least one of these objects was with Galaxy Master. Specifically, his Torterra. And much like Ash's Krookodile's glasses, the object comes along with him to the Poke Ball, making it harder to reach unless Torterra returns into the fray. Kalos. Shalour City. Afternoon. Back at Shalour City, business was booming. Those brownies were super-effective to everyone's noses and tastebuds, bring Team Rockets wads of cash. Nightmare Moon had to respect this. While her cooking would bring in no customers except for possibly Munchlax, she could respect hard work. "I'm not getting anywhere with this." Nightmare Moon sighed. "The group is not getting any bigger right now. We need to focus on that next, you three." "What are you talking about? You already have a group with you." James replied, counting the money they stacked up from their sales. "The Pokemon in that bag of yours." "Oh?" It was just then that Nightmare Moon was reminded of the saddlebag that originally belonged to Luna. This whole time, it's been sitting there, only interacted with once just to be thrown aside. James had a point. She already had a group with her within the Poke Balls. "Of course...I am Luna. And these are my Pokemon!" Nightmare Moon grinned before swiping the bag. "Excuse me. I shall step out for a moment. A meeting needs to be adjourned with these Pokemon." "Go for it." Jessie allowed it as Nightmare Moon zipped out, ready to unleash these Strange and Wonderful Creatures, expecting them to know who she was. She hoped they would know otherwise it would be embarrassing. Shalour Seaside. The destination was Shalour City's Seaside area which had a beautiful view. But the views weren't important right now. The Pokemon were. Nightmare Moon counted how many Poke Balls there were. Typically, a Trainer holds six Poke Balls with six Pokemon. But since Luna caught s many Pokemon early on in her career, she surpassed the 6-Pokemon limit. By counting, Nightmare Moon found out that there were 19 Poke Balls that could be utilized. Granted, Luna limits herself by using a select few while some Pokemon mainly leisure themselves instead of getting into battling. "Hm. This is a sizable amount. Enough to extend the group. Now! Emerge, my Pokemon!" By using her magic, she launched all 19 Poke Balls into the air. And with that, she got to see Luna's current Pokemon. Darkrai, Musharna, Frillish, Aurorus, Gliscor, Xatu and Florges. Those were the ones she always keeps on her. But in addition, there were also Luna's lesser used Pokemon and the ones that aren't as known. Stufful, Cherrim, Chatot and Breloom. Nightmare Moon got to see them all in varying types. "Ah, that's right...She did plan to catch a Pokemon of every type, didn't she? But this isn't all of them. There are some types exempt. Meaning..." Nightmare Moon noticed that despite the sizable amount, there was something amiss. "Not all of them are here," Darkrai added before glaring at Nightmare Moon, startling her. "Some of them are back home. There are more Pokemon in Luna's arsenal. But I wonder...why do you have us?" "Darkrai...!" Nightmare Moon shuddered after meeting Darkrai. She expected this, but being close to the Pitch Black Pokemon was a different experience, especially with that grin, even if he was injured. "Auro? Aurorus?" Meanwhile, Aurorus and everyone else were wondering where Luna could be. The pony in front of them didn't look like her to them. "Chatot! Where's Luna?" Chatot ended up repeating what Aurorus said, translating it. "W-What are you on about? I am Luna!" Nightmare Moon grabbed their attention. "Or rather...I am Nightmare Moon! Your Pokemon Wielder, or trainer, obviously!" "Nightmare Moon?!" That name was familiar to Darkrai's non-existent ears. He knew about Nightmare Moon thanks to his experiences with Lunar Ire. But now, he was finally meeting her. The entity that was presumably gone forever after Luna conquered her emotions. Alas, that was not the case. "Hm. That's right. I am still Luna and you are my Pokemon. Now that I have your attention, we can begin this meeting and lay out the plans." "I think not." Darkrai intervened immediately. "Huh? You dare to object to your leader?" Nightmare Moon scoffed. Since she saw herself as a Pokemon Trainer, this was the closest she was going to get to being a ruler at this point. "Where's Luna? I remember how you two were split up from each other. You're now separate entities." Darkrai narrowed his eyes, striking fear into Nightmare Moon's heart. "So...you may be Luna, but you're not our Luna. Where is she?" "Gliscor!" Gliscor and the others needed to know as well. While she had Luna's voice and her mane style, she was still different from the pony they knew. "Tch. Fine. Luna is with Galaxy Master at the moment. Most likely, under his possession. Captured, I should say." Nightmare Moon replied, revealing what she believed to be the most likely result. With that information, everyone gasped, hearing the stunning news about their trainer. "It all happened back in that town. Lavender Town. Those vampires managed to cause quite an issue, as you'd expect. Luckily, I managed to escape, retrieving you all in the process. As for Luna...well, as you can suspect, Galaxy Master was there to deal with those vampires." "You're kidding. Luna's captured?" Darkrai shuddered. This caused some panic for some of the Pokemon. Especially Aurorus, who got down on the ground, shaking. "Probably. At my level, I can't hope to stand up to that Galaxy Master character. Especially since he also has that special crystal that is meant to undo his creation. As you can suspect, I'm the only part of Luna left that's within your vicinity. Where is Luna right now? Not sure. But...technically, she is right here. I plan to get her back, obviously. I need her and she needs me, as much as she denies it. Which is why we are going to work together, aren't we?" "You did say that before...but working alongside you to get back Luna?" "Why? What's wrong with it? Don't trust me? Tsk, tsk." Nightmare Moon shook her head. "You of all Pokemon should know better Darkrai. After all, Lun and I share the same memories. You may not like it but right now, I am your trainer. And if we are to rescue her, overcoming Galaxy Master is the main issue. But...that's what I'm also working towards." Darkrai was very cautious about this. Astronomically cautious. This was a shocking thing to wake up to indeed. Right now, all of Luna's Pokemon including Nightmare Moon had no idea where Luna could possibly be at this moment. The one in possession of them all was Nightmare Moon, technically making her their new Trainer. What were their options here? Many of Luna's Pokemon still recognized the voice of their beloved trainer while Darkrai knew a lot about this alter-ego of Luna, making him all the more cautious. Darkrai's options were low. Injured and away from Luna, he decided to take the risky route. "Fine. We'll come with you." Darkrai agreed to it, putting a smile on Nightmare Moon's face. "But. There's something you need to get used to." "And what would that be?" "You aren't the same as Luna. That goes for your skills. How are you in a Pokemon Battle? Let's find out if you're going to be our Trainer." "What?!" Darkrai wanted to test Nightmare Moon. He was still being cautious even after accepting her offer. This way, he could tip everything in his favour. Nightmare Moon's pride and hubris wouldn't let her reject as she saw herself as the better Luna anyway. Whoever Nightmare Moon was going to battle, she was ready to prove that she could lead these Pokemon. And of course, lead everyone else in the long run as the journey continues. Chapter 896 End.