//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: Pinkiemon // by Shukumei //------------------------------// Pinkie's eyes snapped open the moment the sun broke the horizon. She leapt out of bed with her usual energy and went about readying for the day. After all, who had time for the drowsy period between sleep and awake? Especially today. For today was the most specialest, most wonderfullest day since yesterday! Today was the day Pinkie Pie would receive her very first Pokemon! Pinkie donned her favorite hat and vest and dashed out the door, shouting a quick “G'morning!” to Ms. Cake as she approached speeds that would make Rainbow Dash weep. She had somewhere to be! Pinkie busted into professor Sparkle's lab and was greeted by the friendly purple mare in a lab coat. “Hello, Pinkie. You're here awful early. Oh! But of course! Today's the day, isn't it, Pinkie!” “Yuppers!” the pink pony grinned. Her excitement was clearly reflected in her voice which was amplified beyond even normal Pinkie-proportions. “Well here you go.” Professor Sparkle said, gesturing a hoof towards the table. “Three brand new Pokemon for you to choose from.” Pinkie studied the red and white capsules on the table, one of which was holding her very first Pokemon. Or so she thought. “Youch!” Professor Sparkle exclaimed, turning around to show a small green alligator with no teeth clamped onto the professor's tail. “I want that one!” Pinkie yelled, pointing a hoof at the gator who was even now chewing on the professor's tail with a vacant expression in his huge purple eyes. “Really? You sure? I mean it's nowhere near as nice as the three we've caught for you to choose from. This is just a pest that we've been forced to take in. All it does is sit there and try to bite ponies.” “Yup! I'm super duper sure! If there's one thing I know from years of not having a Pokemon of my own it's how to spot a good one!” The professor puzzled at Pinkie's indecipherable logic but finally gave up. “Alright. If you insist. It's yours.” The professor gave a little shrug of resignation and Pinkie grabbed her new Pokemon and bolted out the door to start her journey. Professor Sparkle walked calmly and slowly into the lab's small, cozy kitchenette and poured herself a cup of coffee, the only cure she had ever found for soothing her frazzled nerves after a visit from the hyper-active mare. “Spike. Could you come here please? I have an announcement.” The professor's only aide sauntered over to her. “What is it, Professor?” The professor took a long drink from her mug before responding. “I have good news. We finally got rid of the crazy little thing. And she took the alligator with her.” Pinkie wandered through the dense grass, her newest Pokemon, who she had immediately nicknamed Gummy, firmly attached to her mane. The two of them had become instant bestest friends in the world, or at least that's what the air-headed mare interpreted Gummy's absent-minded chomping to mean. They fought their way through the grass, an occasional small battle being easily won by Gummy's devastating bite and vacant look attacks. Finally they emerged from the thick vegetation to find a small town sprawled out before them. “Finally!” Pinkie exclaimed happily. “Gummy was starting to get tired!” The green gator remained attached to the cotton-candy mare's flank. It would have been impossible for a casual observer to notice any difference. In fact a studious observer would be hard pressed to identify whatever factor Pinkie had cued in on. Nonetheless, Pinkie rushed her “injured” Pokemon to the Pokemon center where a sweet-looking yellow mare stood behind the counter. “Oh! Um... Hello. Welcome to our Pokemon center. I can heal your Pokemon to full health if you want me to... That is... If you don't mind me taking your Pokemon for a few moments... I promise to give it back...” Pinkie beamed and promptly plopped Gummy on the counter. “Gummy's been through a lot today and needs some rest.” she informed nurse Shy. “You think you could take care of him?” Nurse Shy nodded demurely and took the Pokemon from it's trainer. She took him to the back and in a few moments returned with the small gator attached to her wing. “Um... I think he's feeling better... If you could... That is... If it's not too much trouble... Could you get him off me?” Pinkie grinned ear to ear. “Okie dokey lokey!” The pink trainer wriggled her mane enticingly in front of the green Pokemon's eyes and, like a fishing lure, the gator released the pegasus' wing and vice-gripped his owner's bouncy mane. “Th... Thank you.” Nurse shy said softly as the perpetually sugar-rushed pink trainer bounced out the door. As if guided by a magnetic force or just random entropy, Pinkie headed north. It was an uneventful trip until she found herself face-to-face with an ominous-looking woods. She stared at the route marker with awe. “The Everfree Forest.” she said, her voice deep with meaning. “Wow. I'll bet we're gonna have some really amazing adventures in here. It's just too bad that the author is just going to cut to the other side or it would be a really interesting read.” A few hours later, Pinkie and Gummy emerged from the other side of the forest, Pinkie looking energized from all the amazing adventures they had just shared and Gummy looking like.... well.... Gummy. They rushed to the next town where they found a Pokemon gym. Pinkie bounced happily, Gummy swinging from her tail. “Lookie, Gummy! It's a gym! Let's go try our luck!” Gummy must have made some sort of miniscule movement signaling his assent to this plan, because Pinkie shouted “Hurray!” and once more began bounding happily toward the gym. But as she approached the gym, her gait began a subtle transformation. Her carefree expression took on a determined sharpness. Her trademark bounce slowly shifted to a self-sure trot. And as she threw open the door to the gym, there was a fire in her eyes. “Well well well. Ah heard professor Sparkle had given you a Pokemon.” a voice rang out across the gym, accented with a thick southern drawl. “I s'pose you're here for a battle?” “That's right! Applejack, I hereby challenge your gym!” The lights went up to reveal the orange earth pony standing on a mound of stone. “Very well, sugarcube. As leader of the Sweet Apple Pokemon Gym, Ah accept your challenge!” Pinkie bounded along the path to the next town, unable to stop fondling her shiny new badge. This was it! She had challenged a gym and won! She could call herself a real trainer! Well... Almost. Her mind turned to the alligator currently chewing on her leg. Gummy was her only Pokemon. And trainers were allowed to have up to six at a time. She would be at a major disadvantage going on if she didn't catch another one soon. She made up her mind and turned toward the tall grass. Her resolve hardened and her reflexes sharpened as her trainer's instinct was roused. She would do it. Right now. It was time. Time for her to catch a Pokemon for the first time. She wandered into the grass and after a few moments of searching, she came across what she wanted. “Oh my gosh! What luck! It's a Buneary!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Gummy! I choose you! Use bite!” Gummy stared at her blankly. “Gummyyyyyyyyy! Come on! Use bite!” Pinkie picked up the practically catatonic animal and hurtled it at her target, watching as it bounced off the rabbit's head. Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy watched in confusion as their friend, Pinkie Pie, went about her activities. “What is she doing?” Fluttershy asked. “I don't know. I think she's trying to get Angel to play catch. Why else would she be bouncing those balls off Angel's head?” Twilight reasoned, not sure of her own logic. “She's been acting strange all day.” Fluttershy said. “I mean. Stranger than usual. Earlier today she came into my cottage and asked if I could mend Gummy's wounds. I looked him over but when I said he looked fine she grabbed him and rushed out the door.” “I know the feeling. This morning, at the crack of dawn, she busted into the library and demanded something called a 'Pokyman' and when I asked her what the hay she was talking about she grabbed Gummy and ran off.” Applejack wandered up to the other two fillies. “You gals seen Pinkie?” The two pointed to where Pinkie Pie continued to assault poor angel, who was quickly becoming annoyed. “Aw for Celestia's sake. What is she up to now? You know she stormed into the barn this morning and tackled me? Kept babbling about some badge. All I could do was give her an apple but she seemed satisfied with it. What is she doing anyway?” Twilight shrugged. “Just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie I suppose.”