//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: A New World, The Same Way // by Xomniac //------------------------------// “And that’s the long and short o-” CLUNK! Jasper gave a caw of irritation when his cane clunked against the wall, having run out of snow to write on. “Curse my tendency to lapse into prose...” He grumbled to himself. The pony -Maud, he reminded himself- silently looked over what he had written, quietly contemplating his words and explanation of his origins. He had to admit, in a way, she reminded him of Bartleby: obviously strong, but excessively quiet, only speaking when need be. Truth be told, he found the familiarity quite comforting. While he had been writing, she had explained varying facts about his current location: Stalliongrad, Equestria and Equus in general. Finally, she regarded him flatly. “That’s very interesting.” She stated flatly, her expression remaining neutral. “So Pokemon are like slaves?” “WHAT?!” Jasper screeched in shock, leaping almost a foot into the air and flapping his wings viciously. “ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR-!?” He bit his tongue when he noticed her raised eyebrow before growling furiously and sweeping his wing out to clear a wide portion of the snow. He then began writing as swiftly and furiously as he could. “ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!” Jasper rammed his cane into the snow severely as he carved out the exclamation points. “I promise you, I have nothing but the utmost of respect for my family! Why, I will have you know that I didn’t even battle one of my Pokemon when they joined me! I rescued them off the streets! Not a lot of trainers and whatnot can make that claim! I assure you, most who use Pokeballs love and respect their Pokemon! And those who don’t... well...” Jasper growled darkly as he tightened his grip on his cane before hopping over to the wall and lashing out with his talons, gouging a deep furrow into the building. “They don’t last long enough to regret it.” Maud stared at the scratches silently before looking at Jasper again. “You sound like you have experience with them.” The human-turned-Honchkrow grit his beak and looked away for a moment before sighing heavily and nodding. “Veilstone City has a throbbing dark side. Good or bad, you live in that city, you deal with it. End of story.” Another moment of silent contemplation, then... “So which are you?” Maud asked. Jasper blinked in confusion. “I beg your pardon?” “You said good or bad.” She clarified. “So which are you?” The bird Pokemon opened his beak... and promptly snapped it shut, clearly thinking hard before bowing his head. “A fair question. When I have an answer, you’ll be the first to know.” Maud nodded. “Thank you. Now. Tell me, what do we do now?” Jasper raised his eyebrow at her. “You want to help me? Why?” The pony shrugged indifferently. “My sister was always happy when I knew her, but when she got friends of her own she became much happier. Maybe if I get friends, I’ll be happier too. Friends help each other, right?” “You don’t have friends already?” “Only my family and my pet rock, Boulder. Normally they’re all I need, but now...” The corners of her mouth tilted ever so slightly downwards as she regarded her cold, sad surroundings. “I wouldn’t mind having more.” “Pet ro-” Jasper changed his mind and hastily erased what he was writing. “Right, well, give me a moment.” He frowned and tapped his cane on his shoulder thoughtfully as he began to slowly pace back and forth. “Alright, alright, let’s think for a moment...” He muttered to himself. “Prior, I prioritized finding my family. However, in light of recent facts, there is no means through which I can confirm that my family is, in fact, even in the same world as I am. As a matter of fact, there isn’t even a way to confirm that I’m not the sole Pokemon on the entire conti-!” His tirade died as a thought popped into his feathered head. Slowly, he turned his head and stared at the dumpster that Maud had threatened to turn into a projectile earlier. “That could work.” He decided before writing again. “Would you mind picking up that dumpster again and rattling it for me? I need to confirm a theory.” Maud blinked at him before gripping the edge of the container with both her forehooves, rearing up on her hind legs and shaking it violently. “WAH! EARTHQUAKE!” “HEY, WATCH IT!” “I WAS EATING THAT!” “LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!” She then dropped it to the ground in shock when several particularly malodorous creatures, some shaped like garbage bags with legs, some like mobile piles of slime, some like little green bags of flesh, and some like overly large pink rats, burst and oozed their way out of the top and scurried out of the alleyway. “What were those?” She asked in subdued surprise. “Trubbish, Grimers, Gulpin and Rattata.” Jasper etched successfully. “Four species of Pokemon that are notorious for their status as vermin. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were still one or two Burmy attached to the inside of that dumpster collecting garbage for their cloaks!” “And the point of this exercise was...?” Maud looked at him flatly. “Why, to confirm whether or not there were more Pokemon besides me around of course! And before you ask, yes, I could have opened the dumpster myself to check, but I would have gotten my plumage dirty in the progress, and considering how I don’t know how to preen, that would have been nothing short of a nightmare. Of course, this answers only one question and raises many more, but we can deal with them at a later date.” As he now knew was the norm, Maud didn’t react, though he did think he noticed a minute twitch in the corner of her right eye. “So what now?” Jasper tapped his cane to his chin in thought. “A very good question. The first objective I desire to accomplish would be to find my family, but the issue with that objective would be finding them in the first place. I mean, this is a big city, so trying to find even one of them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, if they’re in this city at all. What we need is a sign, or a signal or-” “HEEELP!” The two individuals snapped their heads up and stared as a pair of muscular pegasi flew above them, screaming their heads off. “DEMON! MONSTER! HELP!” Maud tilted her head in surprise. “I think that those two were Barons...” Jasper sighed heavily as he ran his wing over his plumage. “Or I suppose that they could get themselves into a heaping pile of trouble. Based upon the given descriptions, I would have to say that Carson and Bartleby were set upon by members of the organization and decided to retaliate. Or at least....” Jasper’s beak twisted into an approximation of a grimace. “I certainly hope that’s the explanation, for their sake. Well, either way, if you’re intent on aiding me, then you’d better follow me. We’d better stop those two before they permanently break someone.” The dark pony hummed in agreement before turning around and presenting her back to him. “Hop on.” “Wait, what?!” Jasper crowed in surprise, forgetting to write. Luckily, Maud was able to interpret what he was saying. “Do you think that you can keep up with me on your legs?” “Well when you put it like that...” Jasper muttered to himself before hopping up and flapping his wings to land squarely on Maud’s back, clutching uneasily at her frock. Maud looked over her shoulder at him. “Could you loosen your grip a bit? I don’t mind the talons, but it is my favorite dress. I’d rather not have to bury a new friend over clothes.” Jasper grinned as apologetically as he could manage with his beak before snapping his focus forwards. “Onwards!” He cawed, jabbing his cane over her head. “Follow the trail of fleeing bigots and ne’er-do-wells!” Maud rolled her eyes slightly before complying and galloping in the direction that the pegasi were fleeing from. -o- THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! “You want to know something, Bartholomew?” “Hm?” THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! “At the end of the day, no matter what happens... good... or bad... I can always get my mood up... with a little game... that’s known... as stabscotch.” “Hm...” “Nonono, please, don’t, don’t....” THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! “Because no matter what... whether I win...” THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! “Or lose...” THUNK! THUNK! KER-THUNK! “YEAAAGH!” “I come out a little bit happier.” “Hmph.” Carson sighed sadly as he yanked the nail he’d stabbed into his hand out of the picnic table he was sitting at, as well as his limb. “I suppose, that makes me a bit of a sadist, but meh!” He shrugged as he slipped his nail into the corner of his zipper alongside the other two he was biting. “So be it. We all have our quirks. I get my laughs by making select individuals regret every decision they’ve ever made...” “My hoof...” The pegasus that was currently pinned under Bartholomew’s foot whined, cradling his hoof desperately. “W-what did you do to my hoof...?” “And you get your chuckles breaking bones!” Carson jabbed his hand at Bartholomew, his arm enshrouded by his somewhat oversized leather duster. “Now now, don’t deny it, I’ve seen you in your fights: you’re often just as happy as when you’re eating, and that is a feat!” “Mmmm...” Bartholomew shrugged indifferently, tilting his head side to side as he dug his arm around in the burlap sack he was holding before grinning happily as he pulled an apple out and popped the whole thing into his mouth. “Admittedly!” Carson clapped his hands together through his jacket. “While we are far from being saints, we could definitely be far worse! Thank Arceus for the Boss! Who knows where we would be without him!” “Dead.” Bartholomew grunted. “Or worse!” Carson nodded in agreement, his zipper falling into a solemn frown. “But! Right now?” His zipper raised back into a grin as he stood up from the table he’d been sitting at. He hummed a jaunty tune as he ambled towards Bartholomew, occasionally going out of his way to step on the limb and/or torso of one of the downed Pegasi that lay groaning around the park he and his friend were currently located in. Reaching their captive, he knelt down before the pegasus, using his arm to tilt his fedora back slightly. “The Boss isn’t here. As such, we have free reign to do whatever we so desire! Isn’t that right, Bartholomew?” “Mm-hmm...” Bartholomew hummed in agreement, leering down ferally at the captive he was stepping on, using his thumb to push his fedora up on his head. “I realize you can’t understand me...” Carson gripped the pegasus by his snout and forced him to look him in the eye. “But I’ve got to be honest: In a few seconds, it is going to suck to be you. Have you ever hear of a game called... the chicken wing game?” The pegasus obviously heard the question in Carson’s voice, seeing how he shook his head frantically. “Awww, well isn’t that just a crying shame! What about you, Bartholomew?” Carson grinned up at his colleague. “Have you ever heard of the chicken wing game?” Batholomew’s grin widened by several teeth as he slowly nodded. “Perfect! Now see, normally, this game is played with arms. But in all honesty?” His zipper seemed to stretch into an even wider grin as he reached behind the pegasus’s head, prompting him to struggle in horror when he felt the thing’s hand wrap around the root of his wing. Carson leaned in so that he and the pony were face to face. “I’m eager to try playing the game with real wings. With any luck, it’ll make things interesting.” He tightened his grip... “CARSON!  SHAME ON YOU!” THWACK! “GAH!” Carson cried out in pain when something all too solid fell on his head, cracking against his cranium and forcing him to relinquish his grip on the limb in favor of clutching his skull. “AND YOU, BARTLEBY!” CLUNK! “Grgh!” The large Pokemon grunted in pain as the same object cracked against the back of his shin, forcing him to stumble back slightly and allow the pegasus just enough room to breath easily, though he was unable to fly due to the fact that his hoof still felt like it had been run through. “Unbelievable! To think that two members of my own family would partake in such barbarism! I am deeply, deeply ashamed!” “What the-?” Carson blinked in shock as he registered the Honchkrow that was standing behind him and violently berating him. “Hey, who the heck do you think you-?” Any and all words he was about to say died in his throat as he caught sight of just what the Dark-Flying Type had smacked him with. “Where did you get that cane?” He asked quietly. Snapping his head down and catching sight of the Honchkrow, Barthlomew drew his lips back and growled in furious agreement. The Honchkrow narrowed his eyes as he folded his wings on the cane and thunked it definitively on the ground. “This is my cane, and before you can even think of protesting, yes, I am Jasper Earnshaw, founder of Earnshaw Shipping and your owner, as well as the owner of Lyell, Bruno, Samuel and Miranda, yes, I am currently a Honchkrow, no, I do not know how I became one, nor how we ended up in a new world that is apparently not our own, and no, I am most definitely not in the mood for your games! Are there any questions?” The nails nearly fell out of Carson’s mouth as he gaped in shock at the fast-talking and vaguely familiar-sounding bird before scowling and leaning forwards, looming over the Pokemon as he raised his hand to his mouth and gripped one of his nails menacingly. “And tell me...” He growled. “Why the he- he... he...” The words died in his mouth as he stared into the Honchkrow’s eyes. He might not recognize the shape, and the voice might have been distorted by the warble of the form... but there was no mistaking that fury. That cold, burning rage. That was an easy identifier. Carson swallowed heavily as he began to chuckle nervously. “He... hehe... ah... h-hey Boss... wow, b-being a Pokemon’s treating you g-great, huh? I-I-I mean, wow! Y-you’ve already gotten Mean Look down pat!” Bartholomew nodded hastily as he plastered a panicked grin on his face. Jasper’s glare didn’t let up as he shifted it between the two Pokemon evenly. “I am not amused, boys.” Carson and Bartholomew flinched and bowed their heads. “Yes, boss...” They mumbled in shame. Well, Carson mumbled, the quietest Bartholomew could get was a rumble. “As a matter of fact, I am very, very disappointed in the both of you!” “Yes, boss...” “Not for getting into a fight, of course, judging by the number of hooligans here, I can guess that they started it, and I comprehend the concept of self-defense. No, the reason why I’m disappointed in the both of you is for needlessly antagonizing the poor fellow well beyond what was necessary!” “Yes, boss...” “I’d hoped that you would have come to understand by this point that pointlessly torturing foes and individuals is a tactic employed solely by scoundrels and mongrels, thus making it beneath us, but apparently I was wrong! Am I correct?” “Er... Yes, boss?” “Indeed I am! Now, you will do the right thing and apologize to this poor pegasus!” “Yes, boss...” The duo groaned before addressing the pegasus that was watching them fearfully. “We’re sorry for torturing you...” The pegasus’s response was to try flap his wings in an attempt to fly away from his assailants, but he was halted by Bartholomew ramming his foot down on his tail and pinning him in place. “Well now, that was rude...” Jasper sniffed indignantly before shrugging. “Bah, no matter. Anyways...” Jasper spread his wing out and indicated the neutral pony behind him. “Allow me to introduce Maud Pie. This kind individual informed me of the details of our current location and aided me in reaching you two. I’m very grateful for her assistance. Please introduce yourselves.” “Hello, Miss Maud,” The two droned simultaneously as they waved at her. “Very good! Now then, allow me a moment to introduce the two of you. I apologize, but the language barrier is quite the inconvenience.” He turned around and started writing in the snow. “These are two members of my family. The more diminutive fellow with the odd mouth is Carson, a Banette and my first companion...” Carson and Bartholomew exchanged questioning glances at Jasper’s wording of the message before the fabric-skinned ghost shrugged and doffed his fedora in greeting. “And the larger individual is Bartleby, a Snorlax and trusted companion of mine.” Bartleby grunted in acknowledgement as he popped another apple into his mouth before waving. Jasper regarded the bag of food the Sleeping Pokemon was holding with no small amount of suspicion. “I trust you boys didn’t steal that bag, did you? I’d be very ashamed if you did.” Carson hook his head frantically in denial. “O-of course not boss! No one wanted those apples, we swear! They were just sitting there, hand to Arceus!” The Honchkrow’s only response was to let out a weary sigh while Maud raised her hoof and waved at the other individuals. “Hello, Carson. Hello, Bartleby. Hello, intolerant Baron goon.” Apparently, racist tendencies came before pain in the pegasus’s eyes as he snapped his attention away from his hoof and glared at the earth pony. “Go to Tartarus, ground-poun-OUCH!” The pegasus hissed in pain as Carson grabbed his ear and twisted it furiously. “Oy!” He snarled. “That there is the boss’s lady friend! You will treat her with the respect she is undoubtedly due! Otherwise...” The Baron’s eyes widened and he whimpered in fear when Carson took a nail out of his mouth and held it to his own throat. “Things will get very uncomfortable for you. Capiche?” The stallion breathed heavily as he stared at the indignant Banette. Carson pressed his point by jerking on the equine’s ear, directing his head towards Maud and pressing the nail further into the fabric that composed his throat. “Apologize.” The Baron winced before complying. “S-s-sorry...?” he stammered, breathing a sigh of relief when his ear was released and the Banette took the nail away from its throat, replacing it in the corner of his zipper. Carson let out a weary sigh of exasperation as he shook his head definitively. “Honestly now, these individuals are more insistent than I’d expected. You know they attacked us out of the blue for no good reason? Called us monsters and abominations, said some hoo-ha about this being their ‘territory’ and whatnot and tried to attack us! Heh...” His eyes lit up with a crimson light. “Let me tell you, with a quick Night Shade to run most of ‘em off and Bartleby blasting the rest of them? It went about as well as you could expect.” “Heheheh...” Bartleby chuckled grimly as he held his hand up, allowing sparks of electricity to crackle around his fingers. “Not as fun as Flying Types, but still good.” “An interesting factoid...” Jasper noted before shaking his head. “But irrelevant at the moment. Now, I do believe we’ve detained our poor friend long enough. Bartleby?” He swung his cane out definitively. “Dispose of him, if you would.” The Snorlax’s grin widened as he stepped off of the pegasus’s tail, allowing him to fly away... at least for a moment. Faster than anything his size had any right to move, Bartleby’s freehand whipped out and grabbed the Baron by his neck, violently halting his forward momentum. He then reeled his arm back and hurled the pegasus into the air, sending the racist gangmember flying over the buildings for a fair moment until he regained his wits and caught himself with his wings, allowing him to both glide and flap away from his tormentors. Carson let out a low whistle of respect at the throw. "You know, it still scares me that you're better at using Fling than Lyell could ever hope to be? I mean, sure, you're a hundred times his weight, but come on! He's a Dark Type! There's a clear home-field advantage!" Bartleby's only response was to let out a rumbling chuckle. Jasper nodded contentedly as he watched the Baron depart before turning around and starting to walk away. “Well, not that that’s over and done with, let’s be off. I think I have an inkling on how to locate the rest of our family, but I’ll need your help. See, on my way here-!” “FREEZE! STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!” The Honchkrow and his companions halted in their tracks when a forceful command rang out throughout the alleyway. Maud’s eyes widened slightly in recognition. “Uh-oh.” Jasper groaned and clenched his eyes shut. “Dare I ask?” Suddenly, a squad of equines in golden armor, earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi alike, entered the park, surrounding the group. Several of the ponies split off from the main group to arrest the unconscious Barons that remained, but the rest remained focused on the Pokemon and Earth Pony. “The Royal Guard.” “Perfect...” Carson and Bartleby glared furiously at the soldiers surrounding them. Carson raised his hand and gripped the nails in his mouth, idly fiddling with them as he eyed the ponies. A malevolent purple aura danced up and down the length of the metal spikes. Meanwhile, Bartleby hefted the half-full bag of apples up with his hand and up-ended it into his mouth, allowing the rest of the fruit to cascade into his maw, along with the bag itself. The Snorlax bared his lips and snarled as he wiped his mouth off with his arm. The Guards bristled at the threatening reactions... “WAIT!” But before anyone could move, they were cut off by Jasper squawking and wildly waving his cane in the air. The Honchkrow snapped his head between his Pokemon and those surrounding him desperately, before ramming his cane into the snow and began desperately scribbling out a message. “Listen, officers, I realize that-” “Excuse me?” He stopped writing and looked up in surprise when one of the armored unicorns stepped forwards. “We’ve been having some luck communicating with others like you by using basic translation spells. It’s noninvasive and instantaneous. May I?” Jasper considered the unicorn’s words for a moment before raising his eyebrow at Maud, who simply shrugged indifferently in response. After another moment of heavy thinking he glanced over his shoulder and lifted a wing. Carson and Bartleby glanced at one another uneasily before minutely relaxing. The human-turned-Krow looked back at the unicorn and nodded slowly. “Do it.” The unicorn nodded in turn. “Alright then...” His horn lit up with dark gray energy. “Hold still...” FLASH! “GAH!” Jasper flinched slightly as he rubbed his wing over his eyes. “Good Groudon, that’s bright!” Maud blinked too, but she in surprise. “I can understand you.” Jasper snapped his head up at her. “What, really?” She nodded. “Yes.” “Well then!” Jasper puffed his chest out with pride as he addressed the guard. “This makes the endeavour much simpler! Greetings, officers! I do so apologize for my colleagues’ actions, but I assure you, they were in self-defense. Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Jasper-!” “Jasper Earnshaw?” The unicorn cut him off intently, he and the rest of the Guard suddenly becoming very tense. Jasper and his Pokemon stiffened in turn as they exchanged a far more nervous set of looks. “Yyyyes...?” He answered hesitantly. The unicorn and and another Guard glanced at one another before falling into ready stances. “Jasper Earnshaw, you’re under arrest for arson and assault and battery with a Pokemon.” The jaws of all three Pokemon fell open in shock, and even Maud’s eyes widened an inch in shock as she glanced at Jasper. “WHAT!?” Carson shrieked in outrage, Bartholomew nodding hastily in agreement. Jasper swallowed nervously as he fought to steady his mind. “Where... did you draw those charges from exactly?” “Sound familiar, Jasper?” Jasper’s eyes widened in uncomfortable recognition as a familiar voice piped up. “Oh dear...” Carson groaned and rammed the heel of his palm into his forehead. “Oh sweet Giratina...” Bartholomew groaned as he tilted his fedora over his eyes. “This ain’t good...” Without warning, the Guards parted to the side, allowing a relatively large, falcon-like bird with predominantly orange plumage with feathers reminiscent of a fire motif and a small-ish puppy with orange and black fur and a cream-colored tuft on its head to walk through. To any one else at all familiar with Pokemon, the pair would have been any old Talonflame and Growlithe. However, the all-too familiar hat resting on the Talonflame’s head, as well as her voice, were more than enough context for Jasper. “Hello, Earnshaw,” Officer Jenny grinned sadistically. The Growlithe grinned uncomfortably as he waved his paw . “H-hello again, Mister Jasper.” Jasper silently cursed his luck before plastering a grin on his beak and waddling forwards. “Officer Jenny! My, what a pleasant surprise it is to see another familiar face whole and healthy in this strange place we’ve landed in! I see you’ve gotten right back to the force, huh? Good for you, good for you! Arceus alone knows how good an officer you are! Anyways, look, I realize that there’s been some bad blood between us in the past, but, eh... considering present circumstances...” He extended his wing towards her and widened his grin. “Let bygones be bygones?” Jenny stared at him coldly for a second... before grinning in turn and extending her wing to touch his own. Jasper heaved a sigh of relief. “Oh thank-!” KER-CHICK! His eyes snapped open when an all-too familiar sound reached his ears and an all-too familiar feeling wrapped around his wing. “Oh Tauros-shit.” WHAM! “ACK!” Jasper winced as he was slammed face-first into the ground, grimacing as his beak was partly buried in the snow. “Really? Now of all times?” He moaned. “What can I say, Earnshaw?” Jenny grinned as she fastened the other end of the large cuffs she was carrying around her captive’s other wing, latching them behind his back. “Justice never sleeps. And is it just me, or are these pegasus-tailored wingcuffs really convenient?” “Fascinating... Carson, would you do me a favor and hold my cane? I seem to be unable of doing it myself...” The Banette hastily complied as he snatched the rod of wood from the ground before casting an unsure look at the unicorn that  had cast the translation spell. “Hey, isn’t this place kind of out of her jurisdiction!?” The unicorn’s response was a simple shrug. “She’s been helping us keep the peace since you Pokemon showed up an hour ago, so I’m inclined to give her a break. We’ll settle this matter back at the precinct. If you’ll follow me?” Carson and Bartleby exchanged uncertain glances, but Jasper spoke up before either of them could make a move. “Do what he says, boys.” He grunted as he climbed back to his feet. “After all, we’ve done absolutely nothing wrong,” He looked over his shoulder and grinned at the officer escorting him. “And we have nothing but the utmost respect for those who choose to uphold the peace.” The only response he received was for her to smack the back of his head with her wing. “Move it, scumbag.” She growled. “May I come along?” Most all movement stopped when Maud spoke up. “Er... are you sure?” The unicorn asked, looking at her questioningly. Maud gave him a flat stare. “He’s my friend. I want to come along.” Officer Jenny let out a derisive snort. “Lady, trust me: you do not want to be even remotely related to this piece of trash.” Her good humor quickly withered under Maud’s hard, unwavering stare. “I. Want. To come along.” She repeated in the same tone of voice. Jasper opened his beak to respond... but instead reconsidered and shut it. The guard hesitated slightly before sighing in acceptance. “I... very well, then. Come along if you want.” And with that, the group began to march out of the park, some more willingly than others. -o- Unseen on top of a nearby building, a short, dark individual watched the events with a combination of morose fascination and amusement. “Hmm...” The figure stroked his chin contemplatively. “It would appear that the good master has found his way into a spot of trouble. Again.” The figure heaved a heavy sigh. “And it appears that I’ll have to come to the good master’s aid to help him maintain his freedom. Again” The figure was silent before allowing himself a nigh head-splitting grin. “Excellent! It would not do if I were to find myself without a reason for my continued employment! This shall be most interesting!” His eyes glinted eagerly as he continued to observe the procession. “Most interesting indeed.”