//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: If you give a Pikachu a cookie... // Story: A new world, A new horde // by TSLsmokey //------------------------------// Igloo Lab Shock/Thinker So it had been a couple days since that letter had been sent off. I didn't know how long it would take for that little piece of... He called it paper to reach that other pony he was talking about and I didn't know how it would get them here in the first place either. In the meantime, Experiment had been showing me around the lab even more... Making sure to avoid that room with the white machine. His words? "You don't need any more sugar. The plastic ball fort in the main entrance is testament to that." He hadn't moved it, probably because he was afraid it would fall down on him, so I had a neat little bed to sleep in now. I had checked up on Teacher multiple times during the time we were waiting and she hadn't gotten any better... but she wasn't worse off either. However some of the other Pokemon we'd found weren't so lucky. A Rattata had fallen into the lab after the paper had been sent and he was a lot worse than Teacher. Alongside him was a shivering fox like Pokemon, a frog-like Pokemon, and a baby Kangaskhan. I hoped we could find his mother when he woke up. He'd also moved the unconscious pony into a room deeper in the lab and then brought me to a room filled with... screens? Yeah that's what he called them. One of them showed the pegasus and, from what he said, the rest of the screens covered the entirety of the lab. He also said he was one of the few ponies to possess this kind of technology, whatever that is, and it had already recorded him attacking us. Another thing I noticed from this room? His lab was really confusing. It had a ton of twists and turns and even some unfinished areas. Another event was the fact that we heard a voice echoing through the labs. Experiment merely looked baffled but I knew instinctively who it was. Arceus, the creator. I won't bother with the details as any Pokemon or pony will remember it clearly, a mysterious voice echoing around the world does that, but he revealed that he was the one behind the Pokemon appearing. Of course Experiment looked strangely relieved. In his own words: "Now I know where that energy spike came from... Good thing it wasn't Discord this time." As Experiment and I watched the screens he said, "Now the plan is to wait for him to wake up... and see if he can find his way back to the lab. Given how twisted I made this place it should take him awhile. Hm?" Experiment turned his head back towards the lab hearing something. I heard a slight pop and a loud clank as well and started walking back to the lab only to have Experiment yank me onto his back and run towards the lab as well. "Vat ze buck is zis all about!" We heard a female voice exclaim in a... well speaking in a way that confused me. The way she said things didn't quite match up with Experiment's way of speaking. His seemed a bit more distinguished yet hers seemed to be a bit... I honestly don't know how to describe it. And then another voice spoke up as we got closer in yet another way. "Heavy not know. But cage seems to be- OW!" This was accompanied by a zapping sound. "Oh great they seem to have stumbled into my little defense," Experiment mumbled, pushing open the door as he said this, "Red Cell! It's been too long!" Inside a slightly electrified cage was a female Unicorn and a rather heavyset Earth Pony. The Unicorn had a red mane, pinkish body, and a mark on her rear of a red droplet within a red outline of a cross. Her companion was... well already said he was heavy. He had a black vest around most of his body, which was red. The vest obscured whatever mark he would've had but the two most striking things about him were that he was bald and he had a giant sort of metal thing on his back. The Unicorn had something like this as well but she had it attached to her side. And right on their backs was- "Sitrus is that you?" A Pikachu hopped off of the Unicorn's back as Experiment ran to disable the cage. "Heh fancy seeing you here Thinker. What have you been up to?" "Recovering from cold chills, watching over Teacher and a few other Pokemon... Oh and creating a giant fort of these balls." I pointed towards my little fort of plastic balls. The bars of the cage retracted as me and Sitrus caught up(and Experiment took a hoof to the face). I was somewhat surprised to learn he'd taken on a new name. He now called himself Archimedes and he was helping this Unicorn. In turn he was surprised to learn that these wonderful little treats could cause us to run at the speed of sound for a bit of time. 3rd Person "And vat vas ze cage for?" Red Cell yelled at Experiment. "We had a little incident and I thought it a necessary precaution... When did you get a Germane accent?" He responded quickly. "Studied in Stuttgart, Germane and got my medical license there." "And apparently lost medical license too," the heavyset stallion replied in a Russian accent. Experiment stared at him for a second then looked back at Red Cell. "And uh... who is this and how did you lose the medical license as well?" Red Cell placed a hoof around the heavy stallion's shoulders and said, "Zis is Heavy Weapon. He's helped as a test sub- I mean bodyguard for some time. You know how my little operations breed resentment. As for ze other question, story for another time." "Oh I know and I still harbor some for what you did LAST time," Experiment deadpanned. "Oh right nearly forgot. During ze last time I operated on you I may have switched your back left hoof with your back right hoof." "WHAT?!" Experiment shot his head down to check. "Made you look!" Red Cell started laughing and her Pikachu companion walked up and tapped her side. "Vat is it, Archimedes?" He whispered something in her ear and she chuckled, "Ah if I remember my brother right it'll be the first right turn zen about two doors down on ze left." Both Pikachu bolted out of the room and Experiment turned an inquisitive gaze on her. "How exactly did you understand him?" "I used a translation spell. Vat? You don't know one?" She said with a smirk. "No I don't and you knew that! Why do you think I was working on a translation device?" "And like alvays you came across some new problem and instantly forgot." "This time the problem came to me. Come on, I'll show you where I put him for now," Experiment shot back and started walking towards the security room, "I also have a few patients for you. The Medigun should suffice hopefully." Red cell tapped his shoulder quickly and he turned around. "One last question," she said. "Shoot." She pointed towards the door leading to one of the hallways, "How ze buck did that happen?" It was Experiment's turn to chuckle as he looked upon the plastic ball fort. "That's apparently what happens when you give a Pikachu a cookie. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't checked the security recordings but he was like a little yellow blur as he built that. And apparently he also did that within thirty seconds while I was being threatened by a Pegasus named Jackal-" Red Cell held up a hoof, "Did you say Jackal?" "Yes what about it?" "Let me see those recordings." As they walked into the security room Experiment saw one of the screens and his face grew a little pale. "Oh dear Celestia... How did they find that again?" "Find vat?" Red replied before seeing the screen, "Oh ze kitchen? I told Archimedes where it was and both of zem were off like little lightning bolts." "Oh this isn't good... I forgot to put the cookies and other sweets away." "Vhy is zat bad?" "Look at this recording and then you get your answer." He put up a small recording that had been taken during Jackal's attack. Wait for it... Just a little longer. "Oh sweet Celestia..." She breathed as her eyes widened. "Lock the door." "On it!" 5 minutes later "Odd," Experiment said, watching the kitchen camera, "They've been eating the cookies for a few minutes and switched to other things that are just as sugary... Why aren't they bouncing off the walls?" "Don't know." Heavy said, shrugging his shoulders. "Ah Red Cell. You seemed to know something about Jackal earlier. What was it?" Experiment asked, turning to a screen with the captive Pegasus. His bonds had been removed and the door was unlocked... but he was in a really deep part of the lab and that area itself was like a maze "Hmm? Ah Jackal! Yes yes I know of him. He's under ze thumb of a stallion named Profiteur who owns a merchantry and a small sect of Canterlot. He's a highly skilled thief who makes a living stealing from the rich ponies of Canterlot. However zere is a rumor that he might be doing it to help a group of orphans." "Wait... Profiteur of the Khamer and Profiteur Merchantry?" Experiment turned towards Red Cell. "Aha so you do know of zem! I thought you were in the dark out here in ze frozen wastelands," Red Cell chuckled. "Jackal said he was here on orders from them to take this lab. Whatever for I have no clue but after his little guise failed he attempted to threaten me." "Vat? But wait how did he not get away with it?" "You are seeming like coward," Heavy added. "Hey!" Experiment shouted. Heavy merely shrugged and Experiment turned towards the screen, muttering something about siccing a static charged mouse on him. "Shock was the one who stepped in. I don't know how he did it and probably wouldn't have believed it had I not seen it but he dashed forward and hit Jackal with his tail. Take a look at the footage again." They both started watching the video recording. As it got to the point where Shock/Thinker's tail glowed white, Red Cell's hoof shot out and hit pause. "Can you enlarge zat a bit?" She asked and Experiment zoomed in around the tail and they both got a startling surprise. "My word! Is his tail... metal?" Experiment gasped. "Little mice Pokemon doing something now!" Heavy pointed at the kitchen screen and as the three ponies watched, the two Pikachu started bouncing in place as the sugar started taking effect. "How much sugar did zey consume?" Red Cell asked. "Judging by the empty containers, at least... two boxes of cookies, a tub of ice cream, three candy bars each and... oh he's paying for this one." "Vat?" "They drank my soda..." "Wimp." Research Log Day 3 Shock appears to be growing more intelligent each day. I believe he taught himself to read our language after hearing me read off my designs when I was working yesterday, as if more proof that he was sapient was needed, and even before that I've noticed him adapting more and more to this new environment. What's more startling is the effect sugar seems to have had on his growth. Before, the only thing I had noticed was his speed going up physically as shown by the security footage. However I am now convinced his mental prowess was sped up during the sugar rush as well. The reasoning is that before, in a most likely forested biome, he never would have had access to anything here besides the outside snowy area and even then never to that extent. Yet under the effects of a sugar rush he was able to not only start moving massive amounts of plastic balls from the ball pit but also to arrange them in a fort-like position without any signs of structural weakness. Other notes of interest include the other strange creatures that have appeared. We have a rat one, a small red fox, a blue frog(note to self: must check for any hypothermia. Don't like the shade of that blue), and a baby kangaroo. It seems, given some recognition of Shock to the baby, they might be of the same origins but different species. Assuming I can find the proper information I might be able to learn more about these intriguing creatures. One thing is for certain though. They are most likely Pokemon. No pony has seen something like them before this... Arceus apparently moved them to Equus. This is another point of research. Find Arceus and confirm these points. He has been kind enough to provide his location and seems willing, if one can call it that, to accept visitors. However if he is as powerful as he claims this might not be such a good idea. One other sidenote, make sure to put the sugar away in properly locked containers. After what today will surely bring I do not wish to let Shock at any other sort of sugary substances. Doctor Xavier Periment Canterlot Slums "Oh zis is vat I get for trusting zat useless URCHIN to do something right for once." An angry Prench accented voice echoed out from an old building. It used to be used for business meetings but it had fallen into disuse. On the outside the letters "K & P" were just barely visible, covered in dust. "Sir would you like me to retrieve him?" A cold voice echoed out as well. This one, under the right circumstances, could cause anything to get a shiver down their spine. "Vat do you think?!" "The usual price then?" The voice returned, not showing any emotion. "Of course and I'm feeling generous today. Get me zat lab and I'll throw in a bonus! Make sure to take along ze beast. A surprise smashing should help get ze deed handed over." A loud roar echoed from the building, spooking passerbys who hadn't heard the full conversation. "Contract established. You'll have your money's worth." The sound of metal scraping echoed through the building as maniacal laughter soon followed.