Ohm blinked twice. “You want to battle me?” he asked Applejack with a raised eyebrow. “Why?”
The mare frown as she closed her eyes and her head bowed down slightly. “Because... I keep hearing these battles are important to you... Pokemon... and I just don’t see why.” She opened up her eyes once more with a slight hesitation in her face. “So, if I want to know the ‘why’ the best way is to go through one myself... and I trust you enough to think you can do that. You seemed knowledgeable in... fighting during last night’s ‘sparring’.”
“Ah,” Ohm said, getting to his paws on the couch and stretching his whole body like a cat. “I can provide you with a good battle, though I won’t lie to you when I say that young Scorch or Xav would be opponents more to your skill level.”
“Yet I don’t think they’ll be able to give a better reason why Pokemon battle than you,” Applejack remarked. “I’m not looking to win... I’m just looking for the reason. I can tell you can probably give me that.”
Ohm nodded his head. “Very well then, let’s go give it a try,” he told her before he leaped from the couch, crossing several feet to the door in an easy bound and landing lightly on his paws, beginning to lead Applejack towards the main gym room. The mare turned around and followed him through the doors, seeing Matt and his other Pokemon gathering around him.
“You all did a good job today,” he was telling them, a small proud smile on his face. “And while I didn’t get to use all of you, the rest will have their chance tomorrow. We have a big day tomorrow with six scheduled matches. Two are mostly beginners but the rest are trying to get their seventh or eighth badge. So let’s do some final bit of training, wash up, and everyone will rest for tomorrow.”
“Right!” came the enthusiastic cry from around twenty different Pokemon who scattered around the gym floor, beginning to have mock battles against one another.
“Matt,” Ohm called, padding over to his master and nuzzling his hip ever so slightly. “Applejack wishes to have a battle against me, could you perhaps clear the center of the floor?”
The man blinked blankly. “She wants... a battle... with you?” he asked as if he didn’t hear the Luxray quite right. “She does know you’re one of my most experienced Pokemon in the field of battle, right?”
“She wants to learn the appeal,” Ohm answered with a small, casual shrug. “I intend to teach her it.”
“Okay... just don’t hurt her... too much that is,” he said slowly before taking in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He glanced up to the center ring. “Brooke, Xerox, clear the center ring,” he called out to the Houndoom and the Zoroark, both of whom gave small confused looks.
“Why?” Brooke called back, jaws half an inch from the Zoroark’s neck.
“Applejack and I are going to use it,” Ohm replied, gesturing his head to the orange mare behind him. When he said that the whole field grew quiet as all eyes turned towards Applejack. The mare’s eyes began to dart around them with a small weirded out look while also feeling a sense of quiet dread.
“Really? Okay then... heheh, this should be fun,” Brooke said with a grin as she leapt away from the Zoroark. “Come on Xerox, we can finish this little dance later.” The Zoroark rolled his eyes slightly as he got up and rubbed a paw over his throat as he followed the Houndoom. The rest of the Pokemon seemed more interested in what was about to happen than continuing to fight as they formed a large circle around the inner ring.
Ohm strode forwards and took up a spot in the middle, his body lowering into a crouch, his tail flicking back and forth around his rear. His whole body had transformed before Applejack’s eyes from that of a laid back, rather large, cat to that of a predatory lion. A wedge of fear slammed into her chest as a dreadful memory crept into her mind, but she close her eyes and took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“Whenever you are prepared,” Ohm commented.
The mare stood still for a moment as her racing heart slowed down enough for her to collect herself and she exhaled once more before opening up her eyes. She took a stance that she’d worked on last night and faced Ohm, a hoof prodding into the ground. “I’m ready.”
Faster than she could react, Ohm was in front of her, paw swatting out and cuffing her across the side of her face, the sheer unexpectedness of it throwing her off of her feet as the Luxray leapt back to where he’d been standing before.
“Were you?” Ohm inquired wryly.
Applejack pushed herself back up and shook her head to clear it up the dizziness clouding her mind. She shot her head up at Ohm and narrowed her eyes at him, part of her just wanting to rush forwards to try to hit him back, but knew that would be pointless. Instead she began to straff to her left.
Ohm followed her, moving with the mare before suddenly he was in front of her again, his paws, claws extended as they whistled by her face. The mare weaved out of the way reflexively and she followed up with a swing of her hoof. Ohm countered by ducking beneath the attack and out of the corner of her eyes, Applejack saw his teeth glowing bright as his head surged up and into her shoulder, chomping hard.
The mare yelped a bit from the pressure then from shock as electricity was sparking out of his jaw. Yet other than that, it didn’t really... hurt per-say, at least, not like she thought it would. Her mind acted quickly as she tried to knock him off, a hoof springing out to hit him under the jaw. Ohm let go of her and leapt away from the hoof.
“Hmm, no effect from the electricity, you must be a ground type,” Ohm stated with a small nod of his head. “Good, that will make things last longer.”
Applejack didn’t have chance to respond or question what he meant being a ground type before Ohm was in front of her again, claws slashing down her neck, dancing away from her surprised counter attack and slashing her across the flank. The mare winced in pain as she tried to buck him in the face, but he simply sprang back and away from her hoofs.
“If you’d rather not try to battle then I can end this now,” Ohm suggested calmly as he circled her, leaping forwards again and slashing around but never actually hitting Applejack’s face before he leapt away again, shaking his rear at her.
Applejack gritted her teeth. “We just started and I’m not out of this yet!” she shouted back as began to run towards him, not really planning on hitting him but more to keep up with him and be mindful of any attacks he tried to make.
“Come now, attack,” he prodded her, leaping away and shaking his rear at her once again, tail flicking tauntingly in front of her. “Otherwise this is a waste of our time.” A seemingly annoyed snarl left him and he leapt to the side before leaping at her flank and slashing along it, producing blood. “Attack!”
The mare grunted again, feeling something building up inside her. “Then stand still!” Her hooves sprang rapidly underneath her and she suddenly found herself bashing the whole side of her body against his.
Ohm let out a soundless grunt as he took the hit, barely moving an inch before a small chuckle rolled out of him as stood over her. “That’s better,” he told her with a smile before his paw lashed out and slapped her across the face, once, twice, three times, small scratches appearing with each one.
The mare took all of them as she felt something else building up inside of her, with each scratch it seem to grow stronger. Once Ohm was done she reactively lifted up her hoof and slammed in it down into his side with a lot more force than she thought she could do with it. Ohm was knocked back a few feet away but he nodded in approval.
“Better!” he informed her as he strafed to her right and brought a paw slashing up under her right rear leg, flipping her onto her back as he darted in, slashing across her now vulnerable stomach and neck, his claws leaving shallow bloody trenches in their wake.
Pain and and panic suddenly began to filled Applejack’s body as she frantically bent her hind legs beneath Ohm and delivered two powerful kicks around his lower chest and dangerously close to his crotch. Ohm grunted as knock in the air, but he landed on his paws not far away.
“Not bad,” he told her with a nod of his head. “Now come and get me.”
Applejack rolled back upright and onto her hooves. She was breathing heavily and can feel her muscles were sore, but the adrenaline pumping through her heart gave her the energy to rush up to him. Her hooves began to rapidly jab forward as she bucked and turned around to follow up with swings of her fore hooves. Ohm wove through each attack gracefully, his claws swatting out and slashing her in between blows.
The mare grunted in pain as her eyes shot open in anger at the lion. She suddenly reared into the air and slammed her forehooves into the ground, the earth shaking violently. Ohm’s eyes widened in surprise but the strong magnitude rolled over him ineffectively as he fell into a lower crouch. Before the quake could fully end, he leapt forwards and tackled Applejack to the ground, claws on her chest, teeth at her neck.
Applejack’s whole body went stiff in fright from the position she found herself in before it relaxed in a defeated pose. Ohm gave her neck a lick and then leapt off of her, landing easily on his paws once again.
“And that is why we battle,” he said with a small smile before he brought one of his paws up and began to clean it of her blood with his tongue.
The mare blinked blankly. “...that... was something...” she said slowly between heavy pants.
She felt worn out, tired, and beaten... but she also felt... stronger too. As if her body had actually gained strength from the fight rather than getting weaker. Her mind couldn’t fully understand what exactly happened, but she was certain that whatever it was she could tell she felt a bit of... accomplishment. Like bucking apples down a hundred trees in one day kind of accomplishment.
She slowly pushed herself up back onto her hooves, winced every now and then from the dozens or so scratches stretching over her body.
“You should probably go take a shower Applejack,” Brooke commented from the slowly dispersing circle of Pokemon. “Get those cuts washed out in case you catch something.”
“As if that’s needed,” Ohm stated flatly. “But you should probably go wash up, after that Matt can apply a potion to heal your wounds.”
The mare nodded her head slowly as she made her way to the door leading to the showers. Her hooves burned like if she’d run a marathon, but she continued to walk as she left the gym room and into the showers. Her mind buzzing with information to sort through, causing most of her actions to be done in autopilot.
...what in world happened to me? I moved faster than I ever did in my entire life. Took blows that would most knock a pony off of their hooves faster than an eye blink. Electricity just ran through me and I felt nothing of it, and I caused the earth to quake!? She felt water beginning to pour down onto her as she stood under the shower head within the stall.
How in tarnation can I do that now... even know how to do it? It all just happen so suddenly and after most of Ohm’s attacks. Was some part of me reacting to that or part what Ohm told me. She frowned deeply. ’The reason why we fight’... I didn’t see a reason other than getting beaten around learning about these... magical powers that I somehow have.
“It’s the best way to get to know each other,” Ohm’s voice said from behind her. Applejack’s body jumped a half a foot in the air as she whirl around to see the lion standing casually at the entrance to the stall. “Let me ask you, do you not know me better now than you did before?”
The mare glared at him sourly for the startle before closing her eyes. “...you held back on me even though you could probably shred me with a single swipe of your claws,” she said, thinking to the shallow scratches around her back and chest.
“Indeed I did,” he agreed with a nod. “And?”
“And your jaws could crush my neck if you wanted to... but you never went beyond a firm hold,” she listed off again. “Meaning you were mindful in not hurting me too much.”
“True,” Ohm agreed before stretching. “But what did it really tell you about me?”
Applejack frowned slightly. “...that you’re skilled in fighting, which is why I asked you in the first place. To show me what a battle is and why you do it.” She let out a sharp sigh as she shook her head. “I’m still fully trying to understand the why.”
“Hmm, allow me to tell you what I learned about you,” Ohm said with a small half smile. “You’re determined yet slow at first, your temper takes some time to rouse but once it is fully emboldened you become lost in it. You lose sight of everything but the battle you are fighting, even the safety of those around you.”
The mare’s frown deepened slightly. “While you are very precise and focused in what you do... you always seemed to just weave or stand through any attack I gave you and a way to counter it. Though always mindful to make sure it doesn’t cause me too much harm.”
“Good,” Ohm said with a small nod before he smiled. “Now then, something I would like to discuss with you.”
Applejack’s head tilt slightly to the left. “And that is?”
“Cres,” he answered simply. “He is a good friend of mine and if you continue to provoke him, or attack him, then you will feel the same returned to you.”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed down at him for the gall to say that to her... but she could understand. She’d said something similar to Cres if he dared to harm anyone of her friends. “Then tell Cres to stay out of my way and we won’t have a problem... which is probably for the better.”
“Yet it is Cres’ house in which you are staying and Cres’ family who you will be around,” Ohm replied, sitting on his haunches. “How is it fair for him to have to avoid you all day?”
The mare closed her eyes. “Well then maybe he just shouldn’t talk to me and I won’t talk to him, that way I won’t feel the urge to buck him.”
“Or perhaps you could both cease acting like children and simply talk to each other about your problems with one another to see if you can’t find some sort of middle ground,” Ohm retorted. “I haven’t been told the tale of what came between you but after battling you both I can say that there is a good chance that it is not as bad as you seem to think it is.”
Applejack resisted the urge to snort. “There’s a good reason Ohm... Cres disrespected our laws and mocked them. I didn’t like that and took precautions around him that he could be a dangerous predator because no one else would.”
“I see,” Ohm replied with a nod. “The question that springs to my mind however is, upon being told your laws, did Cres break them? Additionally, did any of your fears come to pass? Did he hurt anyone?”
“He breathed fire near my sister and while thankfully he didn’t harm her, he still broke the law for his small act of recklessness,” she replied.
“Was he aware of that law?” Ohm asked her curiously. “As you’ve seen from our dear Brooke, breathing fire is hardly an uncommon thing here.”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. The law doesn’t care if you knew it or not, it just cares if you break it,” Applejack replied. “Not only that, but he did it near my sister, who’s still only a filly and he could have greatly harm her!”
Ohm’s eyes closed and low levels of static (but much more impressive) electricity began to fill the room yet it never touched Applejack or the water she was rather consciously showering in. The mare took a couple of steps back out from under the water, steering clear of the electricity dancing around the stall. “I am using it near you and despite your typing I could still cause you great harm, yet I’m not,” he told her simply. “If Cres did not harm your sister then he did not intend to. I know from experience that he has rather excellent aim.”
Applejack frowned at him ftaly. “So? Does it give him the right to just fire it in the open just to scare away my sister?”
“Most likely not but I am rather curious to hear what Cres has to say about this particular charge,” Ohm replied with a shrug as the electricity died down. “I believe you may simply be jumping at Ghastly in the dark, misunderstanding and misinterpreting what Cres did.”
The mare blinked blankly at the expression he used but shook her head. “Or maybe I understood Cres well enough and his attitude and actions were enough reason for my cause of caution around him.”
Ohm gave her a slim, catlike smile. “Tell me about Cres then.”
“What is there to tell that I haven’t said before?” she started out with a small scoff.
“I don’t know, what makes you hate him so much?” he inquired patiently. “Unless of course you don’t have a reason too.”
“Oh there’s a reason, his attitude for one and his constant belittling he did against our laws,” Applejack replied. “He kept acting like they didn’t matter to him and I don’t take kindly to predators who act like that.”
“Ah, you were afraid that he would eat you then?” Ohm inquired, latching onto the word ‘predators’.
“I was ‘afraid’ that he would harm one of my friends or family,” she retorted, sounding a bit sour at the way Ohm phrase his sentence. “I’m not afraid of standing up against predators who would do that even if meant my death,” she stated firmly.
“He would not have though,” Ohm replied simply. “Even back then, Cres was the honorable sort. He would not have attacked unless he was attacked first.”
“Well excuse me for taking caution if he did,” Applejack stated with a roll of her eyes. “He didn’t make himself sound like the sort, nor did his actions and behavior really strike me of the ‘honorable’ predator.”
Ohm was silent for a moment before shrugging. “Then I am sorry that he came off as the opposite but from everything that he has said or done to me or the rest of Matt’s family, I feel like he has proven himself to be honorable, friendly, and even very kind upon occasion,” Ohm said. “Though by his own admission, he is not the sharpest blade as far as his mind is concerned and that brings him down.”
“Well that doesn’t make up for the way he acted in Equestria,” Applejack said with a huff. “So it’d just be best if Cres and I stay apart.”
Ohm let out a sigh. “As you wish, but remember, if you do harm him I will not hold back in his defense,” he stated, giving her a nod before he turned and walked off.
The mare rolled her eyes slightly. “Then he better not give me a reason to buck him in the face,” she murmured as she reached to turn the water off, heading out of the stall to get dry.