A New World, And A Better Way

by Recteik Shade

Chapter 19: The Ponies Capture Ninetails

Chapter 19: The Ponies Capture Ninetails

The next morning, only an hour or so passed sunrise, Allen begrudgingly pulled himself from the
warm soft embrace of his bed. Then promptly fell out of it and to the hard and he was displeased to find cold floor. "Uuuuuhhhhgg."

"You alright?" Nova asked clearly still more asleep than awake.

"M'okay." He croaked back,"Second morning as a Pokemon and I can't figure out how to get out
of bed."

"Then don't." Sparkler whined pulling the covers over her head. "It's still too early."

Allen ignored her and pulled himself up to all fours and friendly grabbed his bag with his mouth.
(1) Then he headed for the bathroom again, pausing just long enough to Glare at the granite
cube sitting in the corner. Arceus was gonna pay for that one, he smiled darkly. 'Of course
you realize this means war.' Something his friend Brandon had discovered early in their
friendship was that Allen would always retaliate and escalate the pranks often starting an all out
prank war.

With the thought of how he could get Arceus back putting a grin on his face he closed the door
behind him and poked his muzzle into the bag before returning with his tooth brush between his
teeth. It wasn't until he looked at himself in the mirror that he realized it. "I can't hold the damn
thing!" He snapped spitting it out. "Thanks a lot Arceus!'

After several minutes of cursing Arceus and any other legendary involved in the choice to make
him a Rapidash, he emerged from the bathroom. His breath was fresh but only because of
mouthwash, and he chewed on a piece of gum.

Nova took a turn in the bathroom and Allen used the time to rummage through more of his bag.
He was a little dismayed at how much space the bits took up,"I kinda miss paper money."

"Why?" Sparkler asked rubbing at her tangled mane while waiting for her turn in the bathroom.
"What was so great about it?"

"Mostly because it takes up less space." He said as he tried to work the straps to his bag with
no success.

Sparkler watched him with a frown,"Are you sure there's no way you can use magic?" She had
asked him this at the park in Fillydelphia but she still struggled with the idea that his horn was...
well useless. "You're a unicorn isn't there a way to use your horn for something?"

Allen shook his head,"At best it's a weapon. I could use Horn Drill if I took the time to practice."
He paused,"There aren't too many horn based attacks."

"But nothing that would let you levitate things?" She asked.

Allen just shook his head,"The only move like that would be Telekinesis. And I'm not a
Psychic­-type."
"But I thought you said Pokemon could learn moves that are outside their type?"

"They can." Allen agreed,"But first I would need to find a Psychic­-type to teach me and that
could take years." He sighed and glanced at the bathroom door. "Plus Psychic moves would
probably give me a migraine. It does on Nova."

Sparkler sighed,"So even if it's possible it's not likely and painful if you succeed."

"Nothing for it except to learn my limitations."

"There is a third option." Nova said as he walked out. "You could always go to Arceus and ask
him to change you to a more humanoid Pokemon. Perhaps an Infernape or a Gallade. Lucario
would be a powerhouse."

"Not a chance." Allen answered shortly.

Nova sighed,"Stubborn as always."

---

The sound of birdsong made her ears twitch. The fact that it wasn't the sort that Flying-­types
used to start the day told her something was wrong. Hesitantly she cracked open one of her
crimson eyes and looked outside. "Shit!" She cursed waking Ninetails in the process.

"What's going on?" The Fire­type asked sleepy.

"We overslept!" Dawn announced bitterly. "I only planned on sleeping until sunrise! That's hours
passed now!" Slowly she crept forward out of their cover, which was a culvert that lead to an
overspill pipe. Dawn guessed there hadn't been rain in a few days as the spot was dry and well
concealed.

Glancing skyward first she smiled when she saw the skies clear of the flying ponies. The
surrounding area was also very abandoned... almost too much so. Feeling uneasy at the
stillness she closed her eyes and opened her ears more, swiveling them in various directions.
It took a few minutes but eventually she relaxed. Other than a few other concealed Pokemon,
she couldn't discern a threat. As such she walked a few feet to the edge of one of the cities
many tiers, which provided a stunning view of the city. On the opposite end she could see a
well manicured park next to a spectacular waterfall.

Looking out over the city again her eyes focused on the train station. 'Would it be worth it to
try them again? The ponies are bound to have some kind of force there.' Even from this
distance the piercing cry of the steam whistle reached her. "It doesn't matter." She said out
loud. "I have to find Allen." A strong sense of determination welled up inside her and she
returned to the culvert,"Ninetails! Get up! We're gonna try the trains again!"

The Fire Fox Pokemon groaned,"But that was a disaster!"

"I know." She sighed,"But it seems to be the only way out of this city."

Ninetails groaned but crawled out into the sun as well. The pair began to use their vantage
point to figure out the best way to the station. It would be difficult to get there unseen but Dawn
was confident she saw a good path with the least number of open courtyards and streets.

"Alrighty Ninetails. Let's go!" The pair made the leap from one street to another and set out on
their way.

---

Allen's group milled about waiting for Sparkler to return from turning in the room key. Already
Allen noticed a difference in the city, there were more ponies and Pokemon out and about. "I
don't know how that mare thinks she can detain all these Pokemon. Let alone justify their arrest
when they're clearly not causing any problems."

"I doubt she can." Nova said as he held his nose high sampling the air. "Plus it will all be
pointless once Lord Arceus makes his announcement later today."

"I admit I'm curious to see how the ponies here handle it." Allen said looking around,"The folks
in Fillydelphia kept a pretty level head."

"About what?" Sparkler asked joining them outside.

"Us getting a repeat of Arceus's PSA." Allen laughed until he saw her confused look. "Public
Service Announcement? On earth that's what we called it when information needed to get out
to the general public fast. They would broadcast things like missing persons or a big regional
disaster over T.V. and radio."

"Well those sound like wonderful things." She nodded in an approving way. "But I don't know
what a T.V. or radio are."

"No radio!?" Allen asked alarmed. "I expected no T.V. but... How do ponies communicate in
the event of a serious emergency!? Is there no form of instant messaging here?"

Sparkler shook her head,"The closest thing to what you're describing would be Dragonfire. But
it's very difficult to acquire with dragons being... well dragons."

"Wow." Nova said with a look of disbelief. "I didn't think this world was that far behind earth."
"It's not that big a deal." Allen said looking out at the street,"There are more than enough smart
people here that can help bring Equus some much needed tech. But in the meantime I think it's
best we get started."

"Right." Nova agreed," the question is... Where do we start?"

"That is an excellent question." Allen sighed. "For all we know she could still be lost in those
caves."

"Or." Said a voice "She could be out and hiding somewhere trying to leave the city."

Allen looked around but didn't see the source,"What do you got Loki?"

The Ghost-­type phased into sight," Well after the queen bitch found out Dawn wasn't road pizza
she ordered guards at every exit to the caves. So while you lot were sleeping I scoped out those
exits. And guess what I found about three hours before sunrise."

Allen smiled," A bunch of guards sleeping hard near one."

"Just two but it was enough to give us a direction to start in." He pointed with one of his child
hands to an upper section of the city near the palace and opposite the falls. "She came out
near the richie rich part of town."

"How do you know it was her?" Sparkler asked.

Allen laughed,"When Dawn knows she's in trouble she likes to use Hypnosis on whoever is mad
at her." He looked in the direction Loki indicated,"And she's not gonna hang around now that
she knows there's trouble gunning for her."

"Odds are she'll go for the trains then." Nova offered as he resumed sniffing the air.

"Are you sure?" Sparkler asked.

Allen nodded,"Dawn wants out of this city and she'll take the quickest way she can find." He
looked in the direction of the station and smiled,"So all we have to do is intercept her. Put
ourselves on her path. Loki! You're on point with Tally as our early warning. I'll patrol the
streets between the market district and the station." He looked at Nova,"And I want you and
Sparkler near the trains she'll recognize you at a glance."

Sparkler frowned,"Shouldn't I go with you?"

Allen shook his head,"No I need you with Nova."

"Why?" She asked.

"With the guards out in force looking for Pokemon it's best you stay near him." He sighed,"You
said yourself that Nova looks dangerous." He glanced at Nova,"But if a pony is with him, and
acting calm... I don't think they'll feel the need to point him out to the guards."

Sparkler tapped her chin with a hoof,"Can't argue with that. You're probably right about Nova."
She glanced at Nova as well,"No offense."

Nova smirked and shrugged,"To be honest I take it as a compliment."

Allen laughed,"Of course you do! Alrighty let's do this."

---

"Dawn can we stop for a little bit!?" Ninetails panted. "I need to catch my breathe!"

Dawn slowed her own heavy breathing. "Yeah, but we can't stay in one place too long." She
stopped in the shadow of an an alley and looked out into a courtyard. Tall buildings each built
into the other surrounded it, pressing in close but creating a shady little garden with a fountain in
its center. A few windows and doors looking out on them but the shutters were all closed.
Dawn relaxed, as everything about this told them they were alone.

Ninetails slowly approached the fountain,"Do you think the water is safe to drink?"

Dawn joined her at the low set pool of water sniffing at it. "It smells clean enough." Delicately
she dipped her tongue into the water and sucked in a mouthful of water taking the time to taste
it. "Well it's not tasty but it seemed alright."

"What's wrong with how it tastes?" Ninetails asked dipping her muzzle into the water and quickly
gulping down a mouthful. "It tastes like metal?"

"It happens with water that comes out of pipes." Dawn explained. "It's common it places like this
were the pipes don't get cleaned to often." She paused,"That's what the water tasted like living
in Castelia."

"What about before you had a trainer?"

Dawn laughed,"I've always had Allen. I hatched for him."

'Oh." She replied suddenly sounding shameful. "I'm sorry."

Dawn cocked her head,"For what?"

"That you had to live with him your whole life." She paused and looked at the sky. "My momma
had a trainer once and she told me how bad most humans are to Pokemon."

Dawn frowned,"It's sad that she had such a bad time of it. But Ninetails, the truth is most
humans are very good to Pokemon. Allen always played with me when I wanted to play. And
even when he was at school I still had a big brother to pay with." She smiled,"And then there
was Grandad he made the best Poffins ever. I might not have been wild and free but I wouldn't
trade the life I had for anything... well almost anything."

"So Mamma just had a bad human partner?" Ninetails asked cocking her own head.

Dawn nodded sadly,"Sometimes humans did bad things to and with the Pokemon that care
about them." Her eyes unfocused and she was clearly thinking of something else. "Sometimes
those bad things can change a Mon forever. But it's important to keep a positive outlook just
giving someone a chance can make a huge difference in your life."

Ninetails tails waved a paw in Dawn's face,"You still in there?"

Dawn flinched,"Oh! Sorry was thinking about another friend. I hope she's with Allen."

"Who?" Ninetails asked taking another drink of the metallic water.

"Another member of our team, Her name is Penny." Dawn sighed,"She had bad luck like your
mom. Her first trainer beat her whenever she lost a match." Ninetails gasped and Dawn
continued,"If Allen and I hadn't come along when we did, he might have killed her." Dawn got a
different kind of distant expression,"Allen was so mad he knocked the guy out with one punch.
But we couldn't help Penny fast enough."

"What happened?"

"The nurse said,'She wasn't getting enough air to her brain and that did even more damage than
the beating she took.' She came with us after she recovered, but she hates to battle and doesn't
handle change well."

"A Pokemon that hates battle?" Ninetails asked sounding surprised. "I never heard of
something like that."

"Her first trainer traumatized her pretty bad. Allen thinks she'll never battle again."
"That's horrible." Ninetails replied taking another drink.

Dawn nodded and took another few swallows herself trying not to gag on the foul tasting water.
After she was satisfied that she wouldn't succumb to dehydration she looked at Ninetails again.
"I think we've lingered long enough."

Ninetails nodded her agreement and let Dawn take the lead heading towards the far end of the
little courtyard. "How much farther until we get to the train station?"

Dawn paused,"I'm not sure." She looked around and saw a fire escape it was retracted but
easily within jumping distance for her. "I'll check wait here okay?" She then made a running
jump landing flat pawed on a vertical wall which she back jumped from to land on the metal fire
escape.

"That was so cool!" Ninetails called happily.

"You know it." She said smugly leaning on the raised ladder in an attempt to look cooler. At
least until the she felt the metal shift under her weight and the ladder went screeching towards
the ground stopping a foot or so short of the cobblestone with a deafening metallic klang.

Both Pokemon froze neither daring to even breathe in the uncomfortable silence that followed.
After almost three minutes nothing happened and they could hear birdsong echoing from other
parts of the city. Dawn visibly relaxed cautiously looking around but seeing nothing. "I think
we're okay Ninetails but we should hurry." She called down,"I should only be a minute."

She hastily ran up the escape and on to the structures roof getting a decent view of the city
below her. They were about halfway to the station another hour or so and they would be there
hitching a free ride on a train. She used this time to double check the route they had planned
out before.

She gave a wary glare at the one heavily used street they would have to cross. There were
lots of ponies on it and they would not be able to cross it without being seen. She turned back
but paused when she saw something odd on the populated street. Squinting she saw a
Rapidash casually strolling down the street, normally she wouldn't have looked twice but this
one was a shiny with azure blue flames. "Well that's different." She smiled,"Good thing Allen
isn't here or he'd be trying to catch the guy."

BAM!!! She flinched the bang of wood on stones. "Quick before it runs away!" A voice cried from
the courtyard.

"Get it! Get it! Whoa!!!"

Dawn turned back just in time to see a spiralling vortex of flames pour into the sky. "Shit!" She
ran to the edge of the building and saw a half a dozen ponies had surrounded Ninetails and had
her tangled in several nets.

"Get that Dragon Cage!" One of the ponies called and in a flash of light one of the horned
ponies teleported a large cage between them and Ninetails. The same grayish coloured light
that had flashed in the cage appeared around the ropes binding Ninetails tighter and dragging
her towards the now opened cage.

"Ninetails I'm coming!" Dawn cried crouching to make a leap from the roof.

"Don't!" The Fire­type cried as she continued to struggle,"They're Fairy­types Dawn!" The
twisted ropes gave another great heave and Dawn watched as Ninetails was thrown into the
cage which swung shut behind her.

"Its beautiful!" A Pegasus mare explained as the grayish aura pulled at and untangled
themselves from Ninetails. "Just look at her coat!"

"What makes you think it's a she?" Asked a stallion who pulled her away from the cage.
"Just look at her!" What else could be this beautiful and be male!?" She gestured with a hoof.

The stallion chuckled,"Well we have her now. What are we supposed to do with her?"

Another stallion walked up,"Ah hear the Guard are after these thangs , maybe they'll pay us fer
it!" The older unicorn glanced down at Ninetails,"Shame I'm retired. This thang here would be
worth a fortune!"

"We should take her to the palace and ask Princess Celestia what she knows about these
creatures." The mare said.

"I don't think so!" Dawn called as she dropped from the roof, though all the ponies heard was
'Umbreon!'. She landed on top of the cage with a Shadow Claw already powers up and began
to tear at it with the ghostly miasma.

"Hey there's another one!" Yelped the older stallion who sparked his horn and grabbed Dawn by
the scruff of her neck. "Two for one. I may just come outta retirement with these."

"Ninetails was right!" Said Dawn as she scolded at the stallion,"Fortunately I come prepared for
Fairy­types!" She opened her mouth as a silvery light gathered into a small orb. "Flash
Cannon!" She aimed at the ground rather than the pony who held her and with a loud boom a
huge cloud of dust was flung into the courtyard.

"Whoa nelly!" Cried the older pony as his magic grip was lost.

Dawn dropped the few feet to the cobblestone and rushed to where she could smell Ninetails.
"Shadow Claw!" She tried to rip the door from its hinges without success.

"Dawn it's pointless!" The Fire Fox said dismayed. "They said this thing could hold
Dragon­types, there's no way we can break it."

"I'm not just gonna leave you!" Dawn snapped.

"They have to open the cage at some point and when they do I'll get away! Stay close follow us
maybe this Princess will let me go." She smiled into the dust knowing Dawn couldn't see her.

"The same princess that that psycho bitch was working for!? Not a chance!" Dawn opened her
mouth again preparing to use an attack.

"Hang on everypony I'll clear this up." Said the mare and a strong wind came up pushing the
dust away.

"Damn!" Dawn cursed.

"Dawn please there's no hope of we both get caught!" Ninetails pleaded.

"DAMMIT!" Dawn screamed as the dust cloud had thinned enough that she could see much
more clearly. "I'm coming back for you! You hear me!?"

"Just go!"

"Dammit dammit dammit!" Dawn turned and ran back up the fire escape. "I'll be close!" She
called back.

---

Author's Note:

1. A trick he'd seen both Ditzy and the Doctor use. Damn magic must be nice

Hey everyone. Sorry for being late again fortunately I have an editor now. Once again a big thank you to SilverWolfFTW. Hopefully there won't be anymore delays outside what can't be helped. See you around.

P.S. Happy Armsday Guardians

Comments

[Recteik Shade]

6492623
It's my favourite line from Tremors 2

[Votederpycausemufins]

you spelled ninetales wrong

[Recteik Shade]

6502684 where?

[Votederpycausemufins]

6502885 everytime
it's spelled like how story tales are spelled, not animal tails

[Fancy Fox]

HAPPY ARMSDAY!
...there's another part to the exotic sword quest?!
...LIGHT LEVEL 300
WAT WHY KILL ME
...30 SECONDS!!?
*me this morning*