My Little Pokémon: Badges Are Magic

by Robolestia

1 - Critical Capture

The Everfree Forest. A vast land of tall trees and foreboding darkness, avoided by most ponies and thick with tall grass. Naturally, it was a haven for many varieties of pokémon, from the lowly Rattata to pokémon less common and more rumour. A dangerous place to go if you weren't a seasoned pokémon trainer, which meant at least one badge under your belt before you went in.

It was clear that the three fillies running through the tall grass like Skiddo on steroids hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention to that last point, too busy fantasizing about the rumoured pokémon in the forest as they ploughed a single-file line through the tall grass, Applebloom out in front, the earth pony beating a path through the grass for her friends following behind.

"Do you guys think we have enough pokéballs?" Sweetie Belle asked hesitantly, piping up for the first time in a while. Out of the three, she was easily having the most misgivings as they plunged ever deeper into the forest. Sure, it'd been her idea to catch a pokémon, but when she'd proposed the idea, she'd had something a little more... accessible in mind. Like a Chatot. Maybe a Cricketune. And she'd seen plenty around the outside. But the other Crusaders had set their ambitions a little higher...

"Do we have enough pokéballs?" Scootaloo dismissed. "Of course we have enough, we got one each. That's one pokémon each."

"Don't we need more than one, though? Just in case?" Sweetie asked.

"Only if we suck at throwing the pokéball," Applebloom said. "Ah got a secret that'll help us catch our targets, trust me. We just need to find one..."

The three fillies slowed to a walk as they looked around.

"I heard Terrakion hangs out in the Everfree," Applebloom continued. "Applejack'll be so proud of me if I catch it!"

"Pfft, Terrakion?" Scootaloo snorted. "That's a tall tale, everypony knows Terrakion lives in the Foal Mountain range! You know who does live here, though? Darkrai."

"Bull. Roar," Applebloom countered. "Darkrai don't live here in the forest, no matter how spooky it is."

"Oh yeah?" Scootaloo challenged. "What about that ruined castle in the middle of the forest that everypony keeps talkin' about?"

"It's just a ruined castle, got ghost types in it," Applebloom said, shaking her head. "We ain't goin' there."

"Whassamatter?" Scootaloo goaded. "Chicken?"

"No!" Applebloom said, her pace slowing a bit as she focused on explaining her way out of her predicament. "Ah just don't think it's worth our time to hunt for a pokémon in the old castle... wherever it is."

Scootaloo snorted. "Sure," she said, disbelievingly.

"Guys," Sweetie said, voice rising in alarm. "I saw something moving over there."

"Where?" Applebloom asked eagerly, fear vanishing as she almost tripped over Scootaloo in her haste to get a look.

"There," Sweetie said, pointing at the base of a tree, where leaves were rustling in greater frequency.

"Oh man," Scootaloo said eagerly. "That's gotta be like, Dialgia or something."

"Dialgia's a legendary, chicken butt," Applebloom said. "'sides, I reckon that hollow's a mite small for Dialgia, yeah?"

"...Anything's possible," Scootaloo said defensively. "What if it knows minimize?"

The rustling came to a crescendo as the three fillies drew their pokéballs and prepared to throw. Spheres of red and white banded with a strip of black – the miracle devices that allowed them to coexist with Pokémon, forge alliances and travel the world unmolested. Each ball had taken a bit of saving up to get by the three fillies (a good part of which was frog-greasing to get a ball into their unlicensed hooves), but it was worth it, because here they were, Pokémon Champions in the making, and their legends would start with....

The grass parted, and a squat, plump brown mouse creature waddled out, looking at them cross-eyed.

"That's a Bidoof," Applebloom said as she turned away in disgust, a trace of accusation in her voice. "He ain't no threat."

"I'm not psychic," Sweetie said, sulking a little at the implied rebuke and following Applebloom. "How was I supposed to know?"

"Hey, girls," Scootaloo tapped them on the shoulder, getting their attention. As they turned around, they saw Scootaloo's worried face fixated on the Bidoof, and they followed suit.

Bidoof are not known for a hostile temperament. They're commonly regarded as and found to be dull minded, but pleasant creatures. The biggest threat from a Bidoof migration was that you might have some of your crops eaten as they pass by. Maybe weak pokémon left unattended could somehow pick a fight with five of them and get beat up. They didn't look threatening, they didn't sound it, and by all accounts, were the walking jokes of the pokémon world.

It seemed like this Bidoof didn't get the memo, brow furrowing in anger as it pawed at the ground, baring stubby buck teeth.

"Is... he going to attack us?" Applebloom asked uncertainly.

"We must have upset him somehow," Sweetie mused. "What do we do? Run?"

"We can't run," Scootaloo said. "He'll just chase us."

"Well, what else can we do?" Sweetie asked. "It's not like we have any pokémon on us..."

"We catch it," Applebloom said, hefting her pokéball. "I know it ain't no legendary or ultra-rare pokémon, but my sis started with a Bidoof, and so can I."

Applebloom didn't waste time throwing the ball, and it flew through the air, beaning the Bidoof neatly on the head and with a zap, turning it into red light, which was sucked into the ball like lightning. The ball shuddered, and landed on the ground, rocking gently. Kicking once, twice... and nothing. The Crusaders let out a collective sigh of relief, when the ball kicked a third time, and with a cracking sound, the ball exploded open again, two halves of ball flying away into the air and dissolving into red light as the containment spell failed, instead consuming and destroying the pokéball. The price of a failed capture attempt.

"Weak," Scootaloo said. "What happened to the trick?"

"Hey, you do better then," Applebloom challenged.

"Alright, I will," Scootaloo rolled her neck and bounced the ball up and down in her hoof. "Watch. And. Learn."

The ball zipped through the air, pitched at vicious speed, and nailed the bidoof in the face as he stood upright, recovering from the first attempt. The ball sucked him in again, and landed on the ground. Almost instantly, the ball exploded and Bidoof stood there, angrier than ever.

"Didn't even make it to one bump," Applebloom said smugly. "Ah'm sorry – Ah'm watchin', but Ah don't think Ah'm learnin'."

"The ball musta been busted," Scootaloo argued. "That's it. A defective pokéball."

Sweetie Belle ignored the banter and crept forward, holding the ball out hesitantly to the Bidoof, as it shook it's head and snarled at her.

"Please, Bidoof," she begged. "Please get into the ball, or go away and leave us alone? We won't bother you again, promise."

The Bidoof looked at her, tilting its head. A heartbeat passed, and he sat back on his haunches, forepaws outstretched.

"Really?" Applebloom asked. "He's just going to get in the ball?"

"It's called being polite," Sweetie pointed out, as she placed the ball in Bidoof's paws. "It works sometimes, doesn't it?"

The Bidoof looked at the ball. All he had to do was touch the button on the front and he'd be caught. He wasted no time in raising the ball above his head, and before Sweetie could stop him, he drove it into the ground with a crack, the damaged ball engulfing itself in light and vanishing before you could say "Bisharp".

"Son of a Metapod," Applebloom breathed. "Watch out, Sweetie!"

Sweetie Belle turned around, just in time to get a faceful of tackle from Bidoof, as the runty pokémon tackled Applebloom bodily. She went flying, landing on the ground and sliding across it slightly to fetch up at the hooves of Applebloom.

"Your face!" Scootaloo exclaimed, leaning down and grabbing her friend, pulling the unicorn up quickly. Sweetie touched a hoof to her nose and pulled it away, seeing a large smear of blood to match the tenderized feeling she had in her face.

"We're in trouble," muttered Applebloom warily. "We are gunna get such a bollocking..."

"If that Bidoof doesn't kill us first," Sweetie said dejectedly.

"It's a Bidoof," Scootaloo said, disbelievingly. "Who heard of a Bidoof killing somepony?"

"Who heard of going inter' the Everfree with no pokémon?" Applebloom countered.

Scootaloo grimaced. "Yeah, it was nice knowing you guys." The pegasus stepped forward, pushing her friends behind her with her wings. "Go, run, I'll keep him busy."

"Scootaloo!" Applebloom exclaimed, grabbing the pegasus by the tail and pulling. "This ain't no time for last stands! We gotta run!"

The trio broke into a gallop, fleeing as quick as their little legs could carry them, the Bidoof hot on their heels as it bounded through the undergrowth, snarling aggressively.

The three fillies suddenly came to the edge of a ditch, skidding to a halt and wobbling violently as they struggled not to fall in. The other side was but a hop, skip and a jump away – not hard for a full-grown pony, a bit of a leap for a foal. The real concern was the blue foliage lining the bottom of the ditch, the one plant that everypony knew to stay well away from: poison joke.

"Ah dunno how much more this day could suck," Applebloom said bluntly. "Poison joke, or death by Bidoof?"

"Neither!" Scootaloo said, backing up and sprinting forward. To shouts of alarm from her friends, the orange pegasus soared through the air, wings flapping ineffectually and reflexively, as she cleared the ditch with distance to spare. She skidded to a halt, and turned around to look at her friends.

"I'd rather take the joke," Sweetie admitted, wiping her bloody nose with the back of her hoof before following Scootaloo's lead with a running start before she leapt. She didn't fly nearly as far as Scootaloo did, but she landed on the other side, well out of the poison joke.

Applebloom looked at her two friends on the other side of the ditch, and bit her lip nervously.

"You can do it, 'bloom!" Scootaloo cheered. "Just back up, and run for it!"

Applebloom backed up nervously, checking behind her for the Bidoof. The crashing foliage told a story of how it was getting a lot closer. She clenched her jaw, and made her decision, sprinting at the edge of the ditch and jumping. She soared, flew... and fell short, hitting the edge of the other side and sliding down the dirt wall of the ditch before-

A bloodied hoof and an orange hoof lunged down and grabbed hers, and Applebloom opened her eyes to see Scootaloo and Sweetie almost hanging off the edge themselves, teeth gritted as they struggled to hold their heavier friend up.

"What... do you even eat?" Scootaloo grunted. "Bricks?"

"Apples!" Applebloom exclaimed, scrabbling up the side of the ditch and onto the grass at the top with a gasp, the three friends collapsing on their sides and catching their breath hastily.

"Whatever it is," Sweetie said, snorting back a trickle of blood, "You need to eat less. You weigh a ton."

"You callin' me fat?" Applebloom challenged. "It's all muscle, Ah'll have y' know."

"Hah! Look!" Scootaloo exclaimed, sitting up and grinning, pointing.

On the other side of the ditch, the Bidoof had finally caught up, and was glaring at them with the fury of a thousand suns, saving a few for the geographical obstacle standing between him and them.

"Ha ha!" Applebloom jeered, pulling a face. "Come get us now, Bidoof! Y' can't!"

The Bidoof just shot her a look, and jumped. It was a pathetic hop, the sum of Bidoof's acrobatic ability, and it only served to throw him straight into the poison joke. The Crusaders just watched him go, dumbfounded. There was no movement at the bottom of the ditch, and no sign of the Bidoof under the blue flowers.

"What a way to go..." Sweetie said sadly.

"Ah actually feel kinda bad," Applebloom admitted.

The ground shuddered violently, and the girls swayed, alarmed.

"What in the name of Equestria...?" Scootaloo wondered aloud.

There was a crackle of energy, and the sound of rushing power as an immense glow began to form at the bottom of the ditch, lighting up the half-dark forest canopy with a rainbow of colour.

"No way!" Applebloom exclaimed, as an opaque ball of energy rose into the air, rainbows of energy flying around it like a cocoon. "This is not happening!"

The ball exploded into rainbow flames, as a graceful, tall ungulate unfolded in the air, standing in the air as easily as it would stand on the earth, a gold ring about his waist as he held his graceful, buck-toothed head high with pride, looking down with scorn on the Crusaders, the world around him bathed in the light of his power, shimmering as it struggled to conform to his will.

"BEHOLD MY MAJESTY," the beast declared in perfect Equestrian. "I AM RISEN, A BIDOOF WITHOUT PEER. I AM NO BIBARREL, NO – I AM SOMETHING FAR GREATER. I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA. I AM... MEGA BIDOOF."

There was a rumbling sound in the ground below the Crusaders, and Mega Bidoof paused, peering at the ground. It split open, and the Crusaders backed off as a Bunnelby poked his head out of the ground. It was grey, a rare colour among his kind, and seemed to be wearing what looked like an eye-patch that wrapped around his head, a vicious scar running vertically down his face and through the covered eye.

"WHO ARE YOU TO CHALLENGE MY GREATNESS?" Mega Bidoof demanded, floating lower and hovering just above the edge of the ditch, still looming over the Crusaders and the shiny Bunnelby defending them.

The Bunnelby didn't say a thing, before leaping into the air with blinding speed, and sinking his teeth into Mega Bidoof's chest, a perfectly executed Super Fang. He hung there for a moment, and Mega Bidoof just laughed at his attempt to hurt a god, a booming voice that echoed through the forest, causing the Crusaders to clutch their ears in pain and the Bunnelby to fall off, crying in pain as the Hyper Voice hurt him.

"I AM A GOD, FOOL," Mega Bidoof declared, stepping onto the earth and causing it to crack under the negligible pressure he put into it. "YOU CAN NEVER HOPE TO HURT MY STEEL-ROCK TYPE FORM WITH WEAK ATTACKS LIKE THAT, MY WONDER GUARD WILL PROTECT ME."

The Bunnelby narrowed his one good eye at Mega Bidoof, and dived backwards, pulling himself underground in a flash. Mega Bidoof laughed again, and gestured at the hole to the Crusaders.

"SEE, EVEN THE LOWLIEST POKÉMON RECOGNIZES MY POWER," he declared, pointing a limb at the cowering Crusaders "COWER BEFORE ME, PONY MORTALS, AND SUBMIT TO MY-"

There was a rumbling sound again, this time from just under Mega Bidoof. Before Mega Bidoof could declare his superiority again, the Bunnelby emerged, delivering a high-speed Dig to Mega Bidoof's underside. The effect was dramatic. With a flash of energy, Bunnelby pierced the god clean through, flying high into the air as Mega Bidoof shrieked in pain, collapsing on the ground.

"MY ONE WEAKNESS!" he shrieked, clutching his gut.

"Girls!" a faint voice shouted. The Crusaders turned to see Fluttershy running towards them, frantic, saddlebags bouncing on her back.

"Fluttershy!" the Crusaders shouted in unison.

"Come on, we have to go!" Fluttershy urged. "Quickly!"

"WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" Mega Bidoof shouted, rising to one hoof, his chubby cheeked visage seething with rage.

"We're done here," Fluttershy countered, more at Bidoof than the girls. "And you're going to leave them alone, got it?"

"NEVER!" Mega Bidoof shrieked.

Fluttershy grimaced. Behind her, the girls stood, cowering and bloodied. Before her, a creature that meant every word it said.

"You leave me no choice, then," she declared, reaching into her saddlebags, and pulling out her own pokéball. It was black, the shell coloured like onyx, with an orange and red band around the middle. An exquisite work of art, a Luxury Ball. Fluttershy hefted it in her hoof, and looking at the suddenly fearful Mega Bidoof, hardened her expression, stepping forward.

The throw was gentle, had little power to it. But it had enough to hit Mega Bidoof, and bounced off the god's forehead as it drew him in a haze of red light. There was a lingering shout of fury as the ball let loose a shower of sparks, and shook violently before landing on the ground. It wobbled once, and sparkled again as it finally sealed, going still.

"Oh my land," Applebloom said, dumbfounded. "She caught it."

Fluttershy closed her eyes and shook her head, picking up the pokéball and carefully putting it into her bag. And then she turned around, and the Crusaders saw an expression of mild outrage. Which for Fluttershy was tantamount to red-faced, spitting fury.

"And what do you girls think you were doing out here?!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Did anypony know you were here?"

"Um, we- that is- uh, no," Sweetie admitted, wiping her nose again with the back of her hoof. Fluttershy tutted, and pulled out a handkerchief, quickly wiping Sweetie's face and getting rid of most of the blood before giving the handkerchief to Sweetie to hold to her nose.

"Don't you girls know this place is dangerous?" she asked. "No pokémon with you... anything could have happened!"

"We had pokéballs!" Scootaloo countered. "We were gonna catch a pokémon!"

"You have to have a pokémon first," Fluttershy chided. "You can't catch a pokémon if you don't weaken it first. I know you aren't old enough to get your own starter from the Mayor, but could you not borrow one from somepony?"

"We wanted it to be a surprise," Applebloom said sadly. "Make our sisters proud of us."

Fluttershy tutted again, and shook her head. "Well, never mind. You're safe now, that's all that matters. Come on, Angel. Someone's getting a Persim berry..."

The Bunnelby bounced up and down, and jumped onto Fluttershy's back as she began to shepherd the Crusaders back through the forest and onto the path.

"Doesn't Angel ride in his pokéball?" Applebloom asked.

"Hm?" Fluttershy shook her head. "No, Angel isn't mine. I just look after him, he's a wild pokémon."

"Really?" Sweetie asked, surprised. "I always thought you caught him. My sister always goes on about how she gave you the ball you caught him with."

"Oh, she did," Fluttershy nodded. "But I don't like catching pokémon, so I never used it. Until now."

"You mean-" Scootaloo shook her head. "So what were you doing here, anyway?"

"Herbs," Fluttershy said. "I was visiting Zecora, I needed some more herbs for the strays. Dodrio got in a fight with himself again, and managed to rope Floatzel into it."

"Doesn't sound too bad..." Applebloom said slowly.

"Floatzel managed to spray water at Rapidash, who then bumped into Tauros, who pushed Hitmonchan over – didn't think I would see – and-"

"Okay," Sweetie said. "We get it, they started a riot."

"I had some stern words with Mr. Tauros," Fluttershy said, nodding. "He had problems that he wasn't talking over with Hitmonchan."

"How come nopony's adopted Hitmonchan yet?" Scootaloo asked. "He sounds really cool."

"Nopony wants a Hitmonchan that wants to be a Hitmonlee," Fluttershy said sadly. "That's just the way of things, sadly."

The group came to the edge of the forest, and stepped into the sunlight. As their eyes adjusted, a shrill voice broke the air.

"Sweetie Belle!"

"Rarity!" The white unicorn ran forward, and into the white unicorn going the other way, collapsing into her for a hug.

"Sweetie, Sweetie," Rarity said, hugging her sister tightly. "Where have you been? Mum and Dad have been pulling their manes out with worry!" Rarity paused. "Well, Dad would if he still had any..."

"W-we went hunting for pokémon!" Sweetie confessed. "We tried catching a pokémon..."

"Without pokémon? In the Everfree?!" Rarity exclaimed. "Girls! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?!"

"It all turned out okay!" Scootaloo said, pointing at Fluttershy, who raised a hoof and tried to hide behind her pink mane. "Fluttershy saved us from the Bidoof!"

"Fluttershy?" Rarity looked at the yellow pegasus. "You saved them?"

"Um, yes," Fluttershy admitted.

"She caught that Mega Bidoof with the most clutch throw Ah have ever seen!" Applebloom agreed.

Rarity's eyebrow twitched. "Mega... Bidoof?"

"Long story," Fluttershy said. "Probably longer. Would you like to come over for a cup of tea?"

Comments

[Vinylshadow]

"BEHOLD MY MAJESTY," the beast declared in perfect Equestrian. "I AM RISEN, A BIDOOF WITHOUT PEER. I AM NO BIBARREL, NO – I AM SOMETHING FAR GREATER. I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA. I AM... MEGA BIDOOF."

replygif.net/i/285.gif

This should be interesting