//------------------------------// // New Friends and New Pokémon! // Story: Pokémon Harmony & Chaos // by MythrilMoth //------------------------------// "Apple Bloom...wake up, sugarcube..." "Mmmnnn...five more minutes..." Applejack sighed, pulling her hat down over her head. "Dang it all...Winona, give 'er a Nuzzle." "Joooool!" Winona, Applejack's faithful Jolteon, leapt onto the sleeping girl's bed and rubbed against her. Apple Bloom's pinkish-red hair exploded out in every direction. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Apple Bloom jumped straight out of bed, twitching madly. "Ah'm up! Ah'm up!" "Jol jol," Winona said, leaping off the bed and landing beside Applejack. Apple Bloom ran her hands through her static-maimed hair. "Dagnabbit, AJ! Every dang time!" Applejack laughed. "That's whutcha git fer bein' lazy, li'l sis." She reached out and mussed Apple Bloom's hair back into something resembling its usual style. "C'mon now, git cleaned up an' dressed. You gotta eat breakfast mighty quick, 'cuz you gotta get over to Miss Cheerilee's place." Apple Bloom gasped. "Oh mah gosh! Today's th' day!" She rushed out of the room, shedding her pajamas and underwear on her way to the door. Her panties landed on Applejack's head, who stared after her, blinking repeatedly. "That girl," Applejack said, shaking her head and dislodging the underwear. "Jol," Winona agreed. * * * * * Apple Bloom studied her reflection in the mirror as she adjusted her big pink hair bow. She wore a red shirt with a greenish-gold scarf, blue jeans, a braided brown leather belt with a hip pack, and black high-tops with yellow laces. She headed downstairs to find a huge breakfast waiting for her. "Eat up, sis! Time's a-wastin'!" Applejack said. Apple Bloom sat at the table, looking around at her family: Big Macintosh, her strong, silent big brother, whose sleepy eyes and messy orange hair belied a deep intelligence and compassion. Granny Smith, her slightly senile grandmother and one of the best bakers and jam-makers in the world. Applejack, her big sister who'd raised her since their parents had passed away. Sometimes, Applejack was the bane of her existence. Other times, she was the safety blanket Apple Bloom clung to when the world made her want to cry. She couldn't remember her own mother's face, but Applejack had always been there. And now, she was about to leave home for a long time... "You okay, sis?" Applejack asked. Apple Bloom sniffled. "Yeah. Jes'...a little nervous, Ah guess." Applejack chuckled. "Yeah, Ah reckon y'are." She sipped her apple juice. "Mah li'l sis...goin' off on her Pokémon journey..." She smiled. "Trust me, Apple Bloom. Yer gonna have th' time of yer life. It'll be fun, an' it'll be scary, an' it'll change yer life..." Her eyes misted over. "You'll find out who you really are...make friends that'll be with you th' rest of yer life..." She brightened up. "That reminds me! Miss Cheerilee said there'll be two other girls waitin' for you at her place! They're startin' out today too!" "See? You're already gonna have friends, yung'un!" Granny Smith said. Applejack scratched Winona's head and fed her a bite of bacon. "Ah can't wait t' see how much you grow when you come back to Ponyville..." She grinned. "You better catch lots'a strong Pokémon, 'cuz you know beatin' me t' get yer Apple Badge ain't gonna be easy." Apple Bloom laughed weakly. "Ah don't think Ah'll ever be good enough t' beat you," she said. "Actually, you'll have an unfair advantage," Big Macintosh said. "You know about AJ's secret weapon. Most trainers that come here lookin' fer her badge don't count on a Grass-type gym havin'..." Winona let out a piercing howl. "Heheh, yep...Ah'll hafta come up with some other way t' trip you up," Applejack said. "Do all gym leaders have a trick Pokémon up their sleeves?" Apple Bloom asked curiously. Applejack shrugged. "Can't say, sugarcube. Word of advice, though...be ready for anything. Oh, hey! Ah got some stuff t' give ya 'fore ya take off." After breakfast, Applejack ran upstairs while Apple Bloom headed into the living room, leaving Big Macintosh and Granny Smith to wash the dishes. She looked out the living room window at the dozens of Grass-type and Ground-type Pokémon which roamed the sprawling grounds of Sweet Apple Acres. The Pokémon made the job of tending and harvesting the apples and various other crops much easier, which was handy because most of the time, the only member of the Apple family available to work on the farm was Big Macintosh... "Here ya go, sis!" Applejack rushed back into the room carrying a suede backpack. It was stained and looked like it had seen better days, but appeared sturdy. "Mah lucky pack...Ah carried this all over Caballos when Ah was out on mah own Pokémon journey." Apple Bloom took the pack; it was heavy. She hefted it onto her own back, adjusting the straps. "Thanks..." "Ah know it don't look like much, but it'll hold durn near anything you need. An' Ah already put a buncha medicine an' Pokémon treats an' snacks fer you an' your new friends an' stuff in it. An' here's somethin' else..." Applejack handed Apple Bloom a shiny red-and-white belt buckle. She turned it over in her hands; it was the symbol of Sweet Apple Acres, a shiny apple that was red on top and white on the bottom, with a black line and a white button bisecting it in the middle, resembling a Pokéball. "Wow, thanks, sis!" Apple Bloom replaced her own belt buckle with the new one. "Ah got one more thing," Applejack said. She presented Apple Bloom with a shiny chrome Pokéball holder to clip to her belt. "Every Pokémon trainer needs one'a these!" "Oh wow," Apple Bloom said. "It's just like yours!" She attached the holder to her belt, adjusting it so it was within easy reach. "An' of course, you need some Pokéballs," Applejack said. "Ah can only spare a few, you'll hafta get some more later, but these are mah special Apple Balls." She handed Apple Bloom a tray of ten apple-shaped Pokéballs. "There's some Pokémon that'll be easier t' catch with these here," Applejack said. "Thanks," Apple Bloom said, putting the Apple Balls in her backpack. "Now, you'd best get on over to Miss Cheerilee's," Applejack said. Her eyes were wet. "Okay." * * * * * Apple Bloom stood at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, looking at her family. Big Macintosh was smiling, Granny Smith looked sad, and Applejack's eyes were wetter than ever. "Take care, li'l sis," Applejack said, sniffling. "Be good now, yung'un," Granny Smith said. "Call us whenever you can," Applejack said. "Eeyup," Big Macintosh said. Apple Bloom rushed forward and threw her arms around Applejack's stomach, tears streaming from her eyes. "Ah...Ah'll miss you," she said. Applejack hugged her. "Now now...yer a big girl now...you don't need me no more..." "Ah'll always need you," Apple Bloom said. She stepped back, sniffling as she looked up at Applejack. "Ah love you." She looked at Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. "Ah love mah family. Ah...Ah'll miss you all." "We'll miss you too," Granny Smith said, tears filling her eyes. "Eeyup." Apple Bloom wiped her eyes and her nose. "Well...Ah'm off..." With one last look up at the farm's brightly-painted sign, she turned and walked down the dusty road into Ponyville. After walking for almost ten minutes, she reached the edge of the small town, and the landmark that drew most of its out-of-town visitors: a large, barn-like building surrounded by bales of hay. Out front, a large wooden sign in the shape of an apple proudly proclaimed: PONYVILLE GYM Leader: Applejack The Honest Farmer Across the old weathered road from the gym stood the shining Pokémon Center, with its bright red roof and glass sliding doors. She continued on into Ponyville proper. It was a quiet town; people she saw nearly every day were going about their business. There were people she didn't recognize as well, of course; some were from out of town, while others, she simply didn't know. A block from Miss Cheerilee's house, she ran into two people she wished she didn't know. "Well well, if it isn't the little hayseed." The girl who had spoken had long, wavy soft lavender hair with white streaks and wore a short pink dress with matching platform shoes, black tights, and a wide black leather belt. A tiny little tiara was perched on her head, and an expensive leather handbag hung from a slim strap at her right hip. Next to her was a taller girl who wore dark grey slacks, a white silk blouse, and light blue high-tops that matched her overly large glasses. Her long silver hair hung down her back in a tight braid, tied off at the end with a fuschia ribbon. A silver brooch shaped like a spoon was pinned to her blouse, a pearl choker graced her throat, and she carried the exact same bag as her friend. Apple Bloom groaned. "Ah ain't got time for you two today," she said. "Really? Did you hear that, Silver Spoon? The little hayseed says she doesn't have time for us today." "I so totally heard that, Diamond Tiara! Like, what do you think could possibly be so important?" "For your information, Ah'm headed t' Miss Cheerilee's t' get mah very first Pokémon!" Apple Bloom said hotly. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at one another and giggled. "Your f-first Pokémon!" "O-M-G, she has to go to the teacher for a Pokémon!" Diamond Tiara snickered. "It's really too bad you can't afford to buy a good Pokémon," she said. "Our daddies just got us the bestest, most amazing Pokémon!" She reached into her handbag and pulled out a gold-plated Pokéball. Silver Spoon pulled a silver Pokéball from her own bag. "Pokémon, GO!" they said in unison. In twin beams of red light, two Pokémon appeared in front of Apple Bloom. The Pokémon which stood before Silver Spoon was an Espeon, while Diamond Tiara's was a Victini. "Aren't they just amazing?" Diamond Tiara asked. "So much better than the common Pokémon all the little kids with poor families get stuck with..." "Yeah, good luck winning a single battle without Pokémon as amazing as ours," Silver Spoon said haughtily. The two girls laughed, performed a silly secret handshake, then recalled their Pokémon. "See you around, hayseed!" Diamond Tiara said. The two girls jumped on their expensive bicycles and sped off, laughing. Apple Bloom sighed and continued on her way to Miss Cheerilee's house. Cheerilee lived in a cheerful little red brick house with a low sandstone fence and a wrought iron gate. Her garden was full of bright, sunny flowers. The gate was open; Apple Bloom walked up the flagstone path to the front door and rang the bell. After a moment, Miss Cheerilee appeared. She wore a mulberry sweater and dark maroon skirt, and her light pink hair lay in pools of curls around her shoulders. She smiled brightly. "Good morning, Apple Bloom! I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it!" "Sorry Ah'm late, Miss Cheerilee!" "Come on in, the others are waiting." Apple Bloom followed Miss Cheerilee into the living room, where two girls she didn't recognize sat. One of the girls had a deep tan, greyish-purple eyes, and short, messy fuschia hair. She wore an orange vest over a sky blue T-shirt with an emblem on the front of a cloud and a three-colored lightning bolt, as well as khaki shorts, white socks, and brown hiking shoes. An orange knapsack lay beside her on the couch. The other girl, who sat in one of Miss Cheerilee's easy chairs, had pale skin, light green eyes, and curly hair that was mostly a light rose pink, but had swirly stripes of dusty lavender. She wore a knee-length off-white dress with dark purple trim at the collar, cuffs, and hem, a gold chain link belt, and pink slippers with little lavender bows on them. A royal blue suitcase on wheels stood beside her. "Well, now that you're all here," Miss Cheerilee said, "first of all, let's all introduce ourselves!" "Ah'm Apple Bloom!" Apple Bloom said. The short-haired girl raised a hand in greeting. "Name's Scootaloo," she said. The pale girl looked up. "I'm Sweetie Belle," she said. "Wonderful!" Miss Cheerilee said, clapping her hands together. "Now, let's move on to why we're all here. As you may know, ever since Professor Golden Oak retired a few years ago, it's been my job to provide new Pokémon trainers with their first Pokémon." She frowned and muttered, "We really need a new Pokémon professor here in Ponyville..." Her bright smile returned. "I have three Pokémon for three trainers, so I'll let each of you decide which one best suits you." She walked into a side room and returned with a tray containing three Pokéballs. "First up, we have..." She picked up one of the Pokéballs and held it out. In a red flash, an Oshawott appeared. "Oshaaaaa!" it said, waddling in place as it looked around at them. "Awww, it's so cute!" Sweetie Belle cooed. "That's a water-type, right?" Apple Bloom asked. "I'm not very good with water-types." Sweetie Belle got up out of her chair and knelt down, holding out a hand to the Oshawott. It waddled over to her, leaning in and examining her. "Osha. Wott?" "Would you like to be my Pokémon?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Osha!" Oshawott said, smiling cutely. "Go for it," Scootaloo said. "Yeah, it seems t' like you," Apple Bloom said. Miss Cheerilee smiled and handed Sweetie Belle Oshawott's Pokéball. "Alright then, Oshawott is now your Pokémon." "Yay!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, accepting the Pokéball. "Let's be good friends, Oshawott!" "Okay, next up..." Miss Cheerilee picked up the second Pokéball from the tray. In a red flash, a Chikorita appeared. "Oooh, we've raised a ton of those out at the farm!" Apple Bloom said. "This one actually came from your family's farm," Miss Cheerilee said. "Chiiiikariii!" Chikorita said enthusiastically. "This might be a good Pokémon for you, Apple Bloom. You should be a natural with Grass-types, right?" "Yeah, Ah guess so. That okay with you, Scootaloo?" "It's cool with me," Scootaloo said. "Okay then," Apple Bloom said. "Chikorita, looks like you're comin' back t' th' Apple family!" "Ri rii!" It leapt up and batted its Pokéball from Miss Cheerilee's hand to Apple Bloom, who caught it easily, laughing. "My, it's so energetic!" Miss Cheerilee said, rubbing her hand. "Okay then, that just leaves this one for Scootaloo. Are you ready to meet your Pokémon?" "Yeah, I'm ready," Scootaloo said. "Okay...say hello to Torchic!" Miss Cheerilee held out the final Pokéball, and a Torchic appeared. "Toooorchic!" it cried. "Oh cool, a Fire-type!" Scootaloo said, suddenly excited. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Miss Cheerilee handed Scootaloo Torchic's Pokéball, then stepped back. "Now, girls...I want the three of you to start out on your Pokémon journey together. I know you just met, but I'm sure in no time at all, you'll be good friends! But before you head out, I think I should teach you some of the basics. If you'll follow me out into the back yard..." The three girls recalled their new Pokémon, then followed Miss Cheerilee through the house and into the back yard. Once they arrived, she stood a distance from the girls and faced them. "Send out your Pokémon, girls," she said. The girls did as instructed. "Now, the best way to teach you about using your Pokémon is...a battle!" Three Pokéballs appeared between Miss Cheerilee's fingers. She tossed them out; they expanded and released three Pokémon: an Emolga, a Buizel, and a Geodude. "Get ready, girls!" Miss Cheerilee said. "This is your first step on your Pokémon journey!"