//------------------------------// // A Pony and A Cephalopod // Story: Celestia's Rocket Adventures // by Snake Staff //------------------------------// Celestia simply knelt there for some time, stunned, dismayed, and momentarily unsure of how to proceed. Her former student had had her own magic stripped from her during her interdimensional journey, but Twilight had been given the benefit of a fully-functional if irregular portal back home. She had no such advantage, and it seemed that Equestrian magic was no good in this land. She had to return home, but how? What was she to do now? The princess was abruptly pulled from her musings by a gentle tugging on one of her ears. She looked up into James’ face. “Come on,” he said, gesturing towards the fallen balloon. “We need to go and help our friends.” For just a moment, Celestia considered disabling him and making a break for it. She still didn’t feel up to flying, but she knew that even without her magic her kicks were more than strong enough to shatter bone. Two legs and a handful of seconds, that was all it would take. Then she could bolt for the hills while the others helped their wounded comrade. James didn’t suspect anything and his backup was too far away to matter. Just as quickly as she had thought of the idea, Celestia dismissed it. For one, she didn’t know the rules of this world. With her spells out of commission, a native guide willing to feed and medicate her could mean the difference between life and death. Second was the consideration that her power wasn’t gone. Equestrian spells might not function here, but there must be some other way to access her strength. Those creatures – Pokemon, she presumed – that had attacked her had been able to use some form of magic. Perhaps with this group she might learn to do the same? Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, in spite of all that had happened to her the princess remained at heart a kind, forgiving soul. The rules here were different than back home, and she wasn’t quite ready to condemn a man who had at least shown her some sympathy and kindness simply for following them. At least, not to the extent that she was willing to break his legs over it. “Very well,” she answered, rising back to her hooves. “Lead the way.” James smiled as she got up, even if he apparently couldn’t understand her. He walked down the hill with an apparent spring in his step, the princess trailing behind. Celestia was still trying to make sense of how the human-Pokemon language barrier worked when she suddenly found herself with a face full of something blue and pink. “GAH!” she took a few hurried steps back, wings shielding her face, bracing for pain. Thankfully, it never arrived. After a moment, Celestia peeked out again. She quickly spied the cephalopod she had seen earlier. It had a blue lower body, including eyes and beak, and an enormous yellow-dotted pink upper head. “Ah!” James had stopped and turned around at all the noise, and was smiling again. “This looks to be the perfect time for introductions. Celestia, meet Inkay. Inkay, this Celestia, our newest team member. I want you to make her feel welcome, alright?” “You got it, boss!” the little Pokemon chirped in a cheerful tone. “Very good. Now come on.” As the three resumed their trek down towards the balloon, Inkay started to size up the alicorn princess. “So,” it said. “You’re the newest Pokemon on master’s team, huh? Good to meet you.” “Likewise.” “You know,” it looked her up and down. “I’ve never seen a Celestia before. What type of Pokemon are you?” “That’s because I’m the only one,” she explained. “And… type?” “Yeah, you know. Grass, Fire, Water, etc.” Inkay waved one short tentacle in a circle. “I look at you, and I just don’t know. Normal? Fairy? Flying, maybe?” Celestia decided in an instant to keep to herself what she had heard from the mechanical voice. It might prove a valuable secret. “I’m… I’m afraid I don’t know.” “Wait, really?” Inkay’s eyes widened. “You never been in a battle your whole life or something?” “You… might say that.” “Geez, where are you from? Because I wanna move there!” “Battles are common here, are they?” “Uh, yeah!” Inkay said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “And what exactly happens in these battles?” “Well…” it thought for a second. “Two or more Pokemon go at each other will all the moves that they have. What type you are changes how effective your moves are, and how effective others’ moves are against you. The battle goes on until someone bails or gets knocked unconscious.” Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. They weren’t to the death, at least. “What happens then?” she asked. “Well, if you’ve got a master, he patches you up and makes sure you’re healthy come the next one,” Inkay looked at James, then back at Celestia. “You know, he spent a long time looking after you. Sprayed you down with potion, kept a blanket over you at night, did a lot of first aid. You looked like you were real banged up. Your first battle?” “Yes,” she admitted. “Mmm,” Inkay nodded with its whole body. “Well, just be glad it didn’t happen when you were still in the wild.” “Hmmm?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?” “Oh, you probably would have contracted some horrible infection,” said Inkay in a perfectly cheerful tone. “Might even have been fatal.” “That bad?” “All those injuries you were sporting? Good chance of it if master wasn’t here to apply medicine. The wild can be a rough place when you’ve got no one looking out for you.” “I take it that wild Pokemon here battle frequently?” “Over food, territory, pride, you name it,” Inkay confirmed. “Only difference is: out there there’s no Pokemon Centers, no potions, nada. You got yourself, and maybe your family if you’re lucky. Take a beating that’s bad enough, and you might never fully recover.” So the whole of this world’s wilds were roughly analogous to the Everfree back home? That was useful information, but obviously rather troubling. It did, at least, explain the apparent nonchalance of Pokemon that were captured and used for battle. For most, it would probably be a genuine improvement. “And these moves? Could you tell me more about them? What are they? How do you use them? Do you think I might learn some?” “Do I look like a trainer to you?” Inkay scoffed. “Talk to master about it. And of course you know moves. Even newborn baby Pokemon know some moves.” “They do? That’s good to hear. How do I know… what I know?” “How should I know? It’s just instinct and training.” The alicorn princess filed that information away for later. It was one of the first pieces of good news she had gotten yet, and she was determined to make the most of it as soon as possible. As the trio reached the hot air balloon, James sat down on the grass, picked up a rather large sewing needle from where it had been left off, and got to work mending a tear in the fabric. Celestia and Inkay looked on, the former far more interested than the latter. “Tell me about your master,” Celestia said, studying the man. “What’s he like?” “Oh, he’s great!” Inkay chirped. “He gives you food, shelter, care, and plenty of attention. All you have to do is battle when he says battle. I think you’ll get along just fine!” He paused, eyes darting from side to side, before floating almost directly up to Celestia’s ear and whispering. “I don’t think much of his girlfriend, though.” “Girlfriend?” Inkay poked a single blue tentacle in Jessie’s direction. “You think that they’re…” “Come on, everybody can see it!” Celestia looked back and forth between the two humans. “I’m not so sure.” “Ten pellets of food says they are.” “…You’re on.”