• Published 13th Nov 2014
  • 2,850 Views, 113 Comments

A New World, A New Journey - ThatOneVolcarona



Steven Stone, former champion of the Pokemon universe, gets transported into the MLP universe by the Pokemon God´s desire. Will he be able to adjust to this new world? Or will he fight with it all to go back to his homeland?

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Chapter 7 : Canterlot City

Author's Note:

So! New chapter!... after a month.

What has happened to me? Well, me and filler chapters don't have a really good relationship... I usually get stuck on these. Also school. Also the map and rules for the group thingy (Yes, I helped with the rules. Yes, there are rules for the ANW group). Also I've had two writing blocks. Also I'm lazy as hell.

But it's here, and with a new style!

If you guys prefer the old style better, let me now on the comments.

And as always, hope you enjoy this chapter! And don't worry, I haven't been fully procrastinating this last month, I actually have a crossover written already, and two other crossovers being worked on. Plus there's a special chapter coming up which will start the new arc, I think you guys will like it,


Big thanks to my editors. They are amazing guys, and I can't thank them enough for their help.
TDNPony
Floofking
Eonflare


Enjoy!


”No… this can’t be happening. This is all my fault, I… I can’t go back without them…They’re gone... gone forever. I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM! They will… they will hate me, they won’t treat me like their son anymore… All my fault…

I deserve to die… I’m worthless...”


“Mister Express Route is ready to see you, Mister Stone.”

Steven slowly walked inside the classic-styled room, observing the portraits, the diplomas, certificates, recognition awards, and various other fancy decorations on the carefully, recently dusted walls. The rest of the furniture was as well taken care of as the walled ones, as the fancy chairs, bookcases, sofas and tea table screamed wealthiness.

“Hello, Mister Stone!” A cheery, slightly raspy voice called. Steven looked at the big desk in the rear end of the room, as an old looking, blue pegasus stallion waved softly. “Come, come. We got some business to discuss.”

Steven nodded softly, and got closer to who he assumed was the owner of the company, Express Route. “Greetings, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“No, no, the honor is mine. I’ve personally haven’t found the time to speak with one of your species, yet I really see Pokémon as such amazing creatures.” The pegasus smiled, getting up to give a warm hoof-to-pincer shake.

“They are indeed.” Steven replied with a small grin. The pony reminded him of his father in a way, calm and friendly, his "glory days" were not quite over, as even with his apparent age, he still preferred to take care of his own business, otherwise, he wouldn't be the one receiving him.

"You probably know why I called you here today. " The stallion began, "When I first saw you Pokémon, I wondered if you'd be dangerous or not. The city went nuts when you appeared, everypony was scared of the huge blast that surrounded the planet, and even more scared of the little critters that started appearing shortly afterwards."

Express Route giggled, and sighed, "Then I heard the reports of all the damage that had been happening everywhere, from the Crystal Empire to Saddle Arabia. It seemed to me like this was the end of our days, an alien invasion. But it was Pokémon like you, that changed my impression of your species as a whole. New heroes appearing everywhere, stopping the chaos and saving dozens of lives, yes, like you,, Mister Stone. You saved my train.”

The Scizor rubbed his metallic head, humbled by the pegasus’ words, "I don't see myself as a hero, if it wasn't for Eric and Fox, I would probably have failed. I was just there to help."

"Bullocks! You're too humble! I received a peculiar letter rather late yesterday. One of my trains, en route from the Frozen North to Canterlot. Three Pokémon causing a massive ruckus. I was scared at first. But then I got the second letter today, a criminal unicorn was stopped, an ancient ring of legends retrieved, and the world probably saved! Or my passengers, at least."

Steven looked at him slightly confused, not knowing where he was going with all of this. The Pegasus stood in the other side of the table, his right wing carefully grasping a long, red feather, white sheets of paper in front of him.

"Please, tell me your version of this interesting story,"

The former champion took a deep breath, and began narrating. From the moment they entered the train, to the moment the ring got stolen, and all the way until Fox escaped their custody. Express Route just nodded, asking the occasional question and giving light reactions to the more amusing events.

“And as I said before, I apologize deeply for illegally boarding your train, and damaging it greatly. If there’s a legal procedure that-"

But Steven was abruptly interrupted when the old stallion emitted a loud laugh. It took a minute or so for the pegasus to calm down, as he shook his head in amusement, "Legal procedures? My boy, you saved my passengers AND my reputation! There's no need for such horsecrap! I'm, in fact, thankful that you boarded my train. My passengers are completely safe, and with Gray Hat under custody, the name of the company is on every single newspaper!"

The Scizor blinked in surprise. He couldn't believe it. "No, no. Please. If there's anything that has to be done. I accept any legal punishment."

But the Pegasus just laughed again. He took a yellow envelope from his desk, and placed it in front of Steven. The Steel type took it reluctantly, doubting if he should open it or not. Reading his mind Express Route let out a "Go ahead", and Steven did as said. Inside there was a flashy golden colored cardboard ticket. Steven didn't have a clue as to what it was.

“Sir, I don’t understand the meaning of this.”

“Mister Stone. I did my research. Two passengers claimed to have seen you fighting off a giant monster that was terrorizing Tall Tale. You probably saved an entire city! I’ve learned from experience that whenever there's a hero, there's destruction. There's no reason for someone like you to go around like a criminal." The Pegasus searched his desk, before taking out a red binder folder, and extracting a small paper out of it. "We received three bulletins less than two weeks ago, wanted bulletins from Tall Tale. Please take a look at one of them."

The Bug type already suspected what the bulletin would show. They were criminals, and just as suspected, every train station knew about it. The bulletin was printed in a rough white paper. It showed a pretty good drawing of himself, with all but the pincers drawn correctly. Yet what gave the identity, of what could have been any other Scizor, was the lime green color, and two black printed words of considerable size that read "Steven Stone" followed by smaller text that announced the prize, two thousand bits, and the one to be contacted, Mayor Grumble himself.

Steven didn't know what to say, Was it all a trap? Then what was the ticket for?

Reading his mind, and his subtle yet clear expression, Express Route let out a rather soft chuckle, "Three days ago, Mayor Grumble was sent to prison. He was involved in some shady businesses, and was using the Treasure of the city as his own personal bank account. Fun fact, he was busted by two Pokémon, one of them was this Phantom Thief Fox you spoke of. And not long ago, the new head of the police department sent out a new letter in which he announced that you and your companions were free of charge."

"Fox, huh? I guess the kid was telling the truth then... But I still don't get where this is going."

"The ticket I just gave you is a rather special item. I usually give it to my closest friends and family, but you're an exception. A Golden Ticket. With that, you can go anywhere in Equestria by train, and all the costs will be charged to my company."

Steven blinked in surprise, before rapidly returning the small ticket, "Oh no, I can't possibly accept this. Besides, I don't travel alone."

The stallion laughed once again, before giving the ticket back to Steven, "Heroes like you deserve this. Consider it a thank-you-gift for saving the life of my passengers, and crew. Besides, this ticket works for you and anyone that is accompanying you. No limits. Use it as you wish, but please don't sell it." He chuckled.

Steven nodded, still astonished by the sudden generosity of the Pegasus. Back on Earth, he didn’t need anything, he had all the resources he could need thanks to his father. If anyone ever offered a reward he would just decline it, he didn't need most of the things that were offered. But here, he had nothing, and he still needed to get to the Everfree. And for the looks of it, the old stallion wouldn’t take a no as an answer.

"Thank you... sir."

Express route stood up and extended his hoof to the shiny Scizor, "Thanks to you, Mister Stone. I suppose you have plenty of business here in Canterlot. A meeting with the royalty I suppose. And we've kept your friends waiting far too long."

"What about Gray Hat? Won't there be a trial for his crimes?"

"Don't worry about him, we'll deal with it, you gave your testimony to me and I can present it to the tribunal. We have lie detector unicorns so he can't get away from this one. Just go and enjoy this beautiful city."

Steven stood up as well, and shook the pony's hooves, "Thank you, sir." The feel of no longer being a criminal, at that precise moment, it was the best feeling in the world.


Meanwhile, Pockets anxiously groaned in the waiting room. The office's smell was nothing like the fresh air of the open areas she was used to, it made her feel... normal, and it annoyed her. Frederick was soundly asleep next to her, she had tried to sleep but the concrete walls and the obnoxious typewriter noises angered her.

“Gah! I can’t take it any longer!” She groaned, stomping the ground. “How much longer will he take?”

Frederick groaned back in annoyance, woken up by the whining unicorn, “I swear to Arceus, Pockets… just be patient.”

“I can’t! This place messes with my vibes…” She said, as she felt that the old secretary guarding the door to the CEO’s office was glaring at her with a death stare.

Frederick yawned, giving Pockets a emotionless expression, “Then go outside and enjoy the sunrise with Layton…”

“He’s as amusing as a piece of metal!”

Frederick’s feelers shined, and he let out a loud yawn. “Then go to sleep, you whining baby.”

“i I told ya!...” Pockets became drowsy, as her eyes slowly began closing, “I’m not… Yawn… How much longer… will he take?”

“Good… see? That wasn’t so fucking bad now was it? My nap time is important, you know?” Frederick chuckled, closing his eyes and joining Pockets.


Pockets woke up, groaning and rubbing her eyes, She looked around her. Snow fell over her coat, as it covered in white the vast city of Manehattan. She stood up, and grabbed her overcoat, trying to avoid getting sick. She walked around, searching for any sign that would lead her to some sort of safety.

A small pub was open, surprising as every other business was closed at this time of the year. She went inside, covering her face with her clothing, and ordered any warm drink as she sat down at the counter. The liquid given to her burned her throat, making her take long pauses between sips. She looked around, not many ponies were present, all of them were either drunk asleep, or just enjoying the jingles that played on the bar’s radio.

She paid for the drink, and left the place. She kept advancing, entering a large brown building, overcoat still covering her body. Fillies sang their jingles in the background, of friendship and equity. She sneaked through the shadows, reaching a wooden door which lead to the main office. She knocked three times, and the door opened by itself. Pockets walked inside into the dark room, which brightened up as soon as her hoofs touched the cheap ceramic floor. In front of her, stood a tall rose red stallion, magenta wild hair, and a scar on his forehead. He showed a wide, welcoming, warm smile that seemed to emanate a soft glow of its own, fighting the room’s very own glow for the tile of the brightest light.

The stallion moved his muzzle in a talking manner, yet not a single sound came from it. Pockets nodded, a smile on her face as well, giggling from time to time, closing her eyes as the soft, silent voice soothed her ears.

She opened her eyes again, as she saw a small filly, colored exactly the same as the colt she had seen before, yet the scar was no longer there. They exited the gray room together, careful of not stepping on one of the the holes that the wooden floor had obtained over the years. They ran outside, laughing and screaming in joy. The garden that now surrounded them sported many different, vibrant colors, as the bright sun shined over their faces. The blue filly tackled his red companion, as both rolled over a hill, landing in a patch of flowers.

“Heart, promise me something.”

“What is it, Pickett?”

“When we grow up, you will make me your wife. We’ll marry in Canterlot’s Castle, with the Princess presiding!”

“But I wanted to marry in Las Pegasus! Miss Harmony married there, and she’s my favorite teacher!”

“Miss Harmony’s divorced you dummy. And Canterlot is way more romantic! Just promise me you’ll do it!”

“Fine… but you have to promise something back.”

“What is it?”

“That you’ll always love me!”

“That’s easy to do, you’re my super duper awesome coltfriend! And now, you’re my fianceé. I’ll never stop loving you, and I’ll never leave your side”


“Pockets, Frederick, wake up. It’s time to go.”

The unicorn opened her eyes, checking the surroundings to confirm that it was all just a dream. Steven passed by in front of her, with a yellow envelope in his right pincer. She poked the sleeping Sylveon, who woke up with a yawn, and looked at her with a smile.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” He chirped with a devilish smile, “Hope you enjoyed my gift.”

“Warn me next time knucklehead. But yeah, it was pretty nice.”

Frederick stretched his legs, and jumped off the seat, “Don’t expect me to do things like that whenever you want. In the end, I did it just so you could shut your horsemouth.”

Pockets chuckled at her friend’s antics, “Of course you did. Still, thanks.”

Frederick shrugged, and followed the Scizor, “Yeah yeah, whatever. Let’s go.”

Pockets jumped out of the seats, and smiled at the window, “Valiant Heart… I wonder what he’s up to lately.”


The city of Canterlot. A city where history seemed to be stuck in time, as the remainings of what once was a Unicorn paradise, stood firm and proud as the symbol of the high class of Equestria. The roads adorned with gold and silver, the marble statues and fountains that were present all around the city, and of course, the sight of the magnificent Canterlot Castle in the distance.

“Welcome to Canterlot. Home of the snob and the idiot. Capital and insignia city of our wonderful realm.” Pockets said sarcastically. As soon as they got out of the Express Route Co. building, they began thinking on what to do next. They had plenty of pending business in the city, as not only did Pockets had to sell her loot and send the money back to Tall Tale, but Steven had decided to have some words with the Princess as well.

“Name” Said the brown unicorn behind the counter,

“Steven Stone,”

“Species” She replied again, not once looking away from the form she was currently filling.

“Uhh… Pokémon, former human.” At the mention of the word Pokémon, the unicorn looked at him, accommodating her red pair of glasses

“I see… well then. Former human. What is your business with the Princess.”

Steven thought for a second, before replying as simple as he could, “I want to speak with her about the transfer. You see, I believe that Arceus’ decision is not--”

“Honey,” The pony interrupted, “As I’ve told many of the other Pokémon before you, any business you may have with Lord Arceus, it’d be better if you talked it with the god himself. He’s located in the Everfree Forest. Take a train to Ponyville and ask some locals.”

Steven shook his head, “Miss. I already know where Arceus is, but I really want to speak with the Princess.”

“I’m sorry. But your request is clearly meant to be attended by Lord Arceus.”

“But Miss…”

“NEXT!”

Steven left the line with a frown on his face, disappointed by how things turned out. He left out the castle’s reception counter, and searched for his friends. They were walking around the plaza, looking at the different stores that surrounded it. The stone city became brighter in the middle of the day, as the silver linings reflected the sunlights into beautiful auras.

The former Champion got closer to the unicorn, head up and thinking. They now had to traverse through the dangers of the Everfree Forest.

Pockets’ ears twitched as she heard the metallic footsteps, she turned around with a grin on her face, “There you are. How did things go?”

“They didn’t give me an audience. The charming lady in the counter said that any problems concerning Arceus had to be spoken with him.”

“Typical of them” Pockets chuckled, looking back at the shelves of the shop she had been looking at. There were fancy-looking pickaxes, long ropes, and colorful looking bags that hanged from the sides. “Adventure Awaits. The biggest shop for adventurers that pass by the city. I’ve had dreams about this place, you know? To leave my life behind, hell, even go against my own Cutie Mark. Although, to be honest I just have a vague idea of what my Cutie Mark really is.”

“How does that work, if I may ask?”

Pockets turned around confused, before remembering where Pokémon came from, “Oh, right, I never did tell ya, did I?” She tilted her head, thinking on where to start, "It's kind of a destiny thing. We ponies all have our regular talents, and we also have our special talents, talents that set us apart from each other and in which we're literally better than anyone else. We can spend large portions of our lives finding our special talents, ya know? But when we do find them, we get these awesome butt pics!" The unicorn turned around, showcasing the thief mask that was surrounded by a white heart.

"I see..." Steven said uncomfortably, Pickett's flank shaking in front of him. He awkwardly shove the unicorn's behind away, causing Pockets to laugh,

"You Pokemon are weird. Cutie Marks identity us, so we tend to show it or just casually look at it. After all, if you need to get a job well done, you have to see the Cutie Mark."

"Makes sense. If you want a job well done, you'd want to go to the one who's literally the best at it"

"Yup. Some base their whole life on that Cutie Mark, after all, you're bound to be famous in your career if you're better than anyone else." Pockets went back to watching the store, "My Cutie Mark tells me that my destiny is being a thief with a kind heart. According to this, my life consists of stealing, and giving, and nothing else. I think otherwise. I want to leave the criminal life, become what I always wanted to be, and not what I'm told to be, I want to be... an adventurer."

Steven laughed softly, messing with her hair, "Then let's get going. We got a long way to go before being able to afford these things."

"Right! Where are the guys, by the way?"

Answering the question, screams came from the other side of the plaza, as three tables were knocked over outside of what appeared to be a bakery.

"And don't you dare show your face around here again!" A blue, four armed humanoid creature warned, before going back into said bakery, and slamming the door. Steven got closer, spotting a pink and red figure between the knocked out chairs. A bloody Frederick chuckled softly, waving at the Machamp as he disappeared into the building.

"That guy sure packs a punch. Has a sharp eye as well. Not many are able to spot me before I steal something."

"You deserve it." A monotone voice said from behind them, hovering above the ground, "I was searching for aliment, but detected the battle and came immediately to avoid problems with the locals. When I arrived I saw the Machamp punching you repeatedly, and limited myself to enjoy."

"Love you too, Metal Arse." Frederick barked, "I was looking for food myself as well. That idiot couldn't afford losing a croissant, fucking twat"

Layton landed, and smacked Frederick in the head, "As I said, you deserve it."

Frederick rubbed the new bruise, "You're an asshole,"

Pockets chuckled, helping Frederick as he cursed under his breath, sending a Wish to heal himself. "Well, now that we're all here. Let's get going!"


Canterlot was large, extremely large. For a city that was built around a castle, that was built in the slope of a mountain, it was surprisingly well made. Pockets said that unicorns of the days of old were behind it, built when someone called Discord was beaten by the royal sisters, or at least that's what she believed happened. The castle, and the city surrounding it were truly a sight to behold.

But it was still extremely large, and it was no surprise that Pockets wasn't able to find the pawn shop that Value Hunt, from back in Tall Tale, told them about.

“It’s supposed to be around here somewhere. Hunt told me that his cousin, Fair Price had his shop two blocks down the postal office. If you spot pegasi with weird bags, let me know.”

Frederick sighed in annoyance, he didn’t mind the walking, but the feel of being lost stressed him out. Steven and Layton on the other hand, didn’t mind watching the scenery, as the architecture and cultural mixtures, although still remaining in the high-class theme, was extremely impressive, even for an expert like Steven.

But what surprised Steven the most, was ironically something he had seen many times before, something that was not supposed to be there. The Anistar Sundial.

“Layton, please tell me I’m not just seeing things.”

Layton thought for a second, analyzing the pink crystal formation that stood not that far away from them. “Color and shape are a perfect match, so it appears like it really is the Anistar Sundial”

Pockets turned around, managing to also see the tall pink formation that shined with the sunlight, she gasped in awe, as the Sundial was truly something to admire, “That wasn’t there the last time I came to Canterlot. You guys know what it is?”

“It is, or rather used to be, one of Kalos’ most amazing landmarks. Located in Anistar City, this Sundial was formed centuries ago, and it possesses powers that we are yet to fully understand. I studied it myself, it seems to have some sort of connection with Mega Evolution. But that’s not important right now, what’s important is that for some reason it is now resting in the middle of this city.”

“You seem to know a lot about the crystal!” A slightly high pitched tone said from behind them. Steven turned around to see a young, white mare with robust glasses look at them with a grin; a round, white stone with sparkles coming from it as a Cutie Mark, “I’ve been studying it from afar, but I haven't been able to get a good sample of it ”

Frederick groaned loudly, sending his back into the floor, “Great! Now we've got a nerd following us! Thanks Steven.”

Pockets bucked the Fairy in embarrassment, before grinning and looking at the newcomer, “Sorry for that, he’s an idiot most of the time. Hey! Name’s Pockets, and the pink guy’s name is Frederick”

“I am Steven Stone, and this is my partner Layton.” The Scizor added, greeting with a small reverence.

The unicorn greeted them with a wide grin "Hi! I'm Enchanted Pearl, gemologist of Precious Stones Enchantery! We enchant precious stones and crystals to make unique jewelry, kind of obvious but whatever" She giggled, "You don't seem to be from around here, first time in Canterlot?"

"Third time for me, but it's been awhile since my last time. These guys are from a different planet, so yeah." Pockets grinned, “Hey, Steven, weren’t you a geologist or something like that back on Earth?”

The unicorn’s eyes opened wide, as she got closer to Steven with a face of curiosity, “A geologist Pokémon? Wow! My brother has to see you! He studies the magical properties of Equus’ minerals, and we’ve found sooo many new stones of every kind since your arrival! Please, please come with me to see him!”

Steven chuckled and looked at Pockets, who shrugged with a smile, “Yeah, we have some time. Maybe they can even help us with directions and whatnot.” the unicorn agreed.

“Great! Follow me!” The white pony chimed, humming a happy tune as she walked away.

“Why do I feel like I’m going to hate this day?” Frederick grumbled, as he followed the rest of the group with a frown on his face.


“Brother, I’m home!”

Precious Stones Enchantery was an odd looking place. The front was carefully decorated, with shelves showcasing gorgeous looking stones, crystals, and gems (which Steven spent several minutes studying) On the other hand, the workshop was a complete mess. Chemicals all around, papers everywhere, and an extremely unsettling smell that annoyed Frederick.

"What is it, Pearl? I'm kind of busy right now." A colt said from nearby.

"We got some visitors today."

"I already told you to not bring visitors when I'm working, it can be dangerous in here, you know?"

"What if I told you that I found a Pokemon geologist?"

A thud could be heard nearby, as a blue pony hit his head with a lamp, a grin of excitement on his face as he got closer to Steven, "What an honor to meet you! I've been looking forward to talking with a Pokemon for quite a while now. Enchanted Topaz at your service!" The colt said rapidly, shaking Steven's pincer.

"Steven Stone, the honor is mine” The former champion replied awkwardly yet retaining that soft grin, “It is always a pleasure to find another geology enthusiast, I was told you could use my help."

The colt's eyes shined, as he ran to the table he just came from, and grabbed a bag full of different kind of crystalline stones, "We found these near the mines today, they ain't like anything I've ever seen!"

Steven grabbed the bag, and took a closer look at the crystals. He recognized the different vibrant colors, and the odd patterns, as well as the aura of energy that emanated from them, “Evolution Stones. I imagined they were brought here as well”

“So you know about them, wonderful! What exactly are they? I’ve used up all my knowledge about rocks and even magic, and I’ve got nothing but more questions!”

“They are special stones that we used back home, they are filled with pure energy, that when in contact with the right Pokémon, would result in that Pokémon evolving.”

The pony’s face turned from excitement to confusion, as Steven’s explanation only created more questions. “So, kind of like… Pokémon magic?”

"Hey, what's this thingy?"

“You could say so. You see, Pokémon are beings full of energy, energy that they are able to manipulate at will, thus creating the Pokémon attacks.” To demonstrate, Steven prepared a small Bullet Punch, his pincer turning a bright orange before canceling the attack and crossing his arms. They, I guess I should start including myself as well, we collect energy as we battle and grow, and with enough energy, we’re able to perform a process called evolution. During evolution, we drastically change our physical appearance and even personality, to become stronger."

"You guys are seriously ignoring me right now?"

"But some Pokémon require a special boost of energy to evolve. Battling is not enough for them. They have special conditions to meet for them to evolve, including, but not limited to, trading, battling near special places, or” He grabbed a thunderstone from the bag, and turned it around, revealing the lighting pattern it had inside it, “by using these stones.”

“Amazing!” The blue unicorn exclaimed, “Simply amazing!” A stone that can change physical appearance AND personality traits!”

"I'm gonna break it if you keep ignoring me, I'll do it, don't try me"

“I knew I had to bring him here, imagine all the possibilities with these new minerals! Oh the Canterlot elite will be delighted, Pokémon collars, rings, who knows, even statues! What a time to be alive!”

Steven grinned, and looked at Pockets, who tried her best to not burst out laughing.

"Well fuck you guys."

Topaz turned around with a frown, "Wow there buddy, we don't like sailo- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? EVERYPONY TO THE GROUND!"

And then, the crash, and the boom, and to end it, the tzzzz. Fortunately, everyone but Frederick managed to dodge the explosion, and not much else was affected. Pockets walked towards the now roasted Fairy, laughing.

"I hope that'll teach ya. The heck did you break now?"

Frederick was not able to answer the unicorns’ question, as his now carbon-black fur and ringing ears annoyed him greatly. Topaz chuckled, and stepped forwards with a glass container that was nearby, he searched on the table, and then on the floor, finding and picking a small dark yellow, crystalline stone and carefully putting it on the container, “This one is an enchanted Thorin Stone, from the far away lands of Canida. We’re studying its electrical and magical properties to see if we can create a last-longing source of electricity”

“May I?” Steven asked, stretching his arm out in hopes of having a better look at the small stone. Topaz gave him the container, indicating that it was an extremely volatile crystal, and that any extreme movements could cause an explosion similar to the one that struck Frederick, “I want to take a better look at it, do you mind if I take it off the container? I’d appreciate it if you could also provide me with a clean enough station to work”

Reluctantly, Topaz agreed to Steven’s request, yet worried about the volatile nature of the mineral. He analyzed the patterns on the stone, and tried to feel the magnetism, poking it a couple of times to see the reaction. “If you could, please pass me a Thunder Stone. It’s the one with the thunder pattern.”

Pearl did as requested, with the same face of worried curiosity that his brother held. The Scizor took a deep breath, and called for a Protect. He grabbed both stones, and counted to three, before slowly getting the two stones closer to each other. Bolts of electricity began forming, going from stone to stone, and becoming stronger and wilder as the two minerals got closer to each other. The electricity became so strong, that the light green orb that surrounded Steven was now full of powerful, yet small lightings that wildly traveled around, becoming stronger, and stronger, until the shield couldn’t take more.

BOOM! POW! ZAP!

Steven was sent of flying across the room, crashing with the wall and landing abruptly on a small table. Pearl, Topaz, and Pockets panicked, rushing to get the Scizor who now lied bruised up on the floor; while Frederick laughed his ass off, tears on his eyes.

“Steven! Are you ok?” Pockets panicked, running to aid the fallen Pokémon.

“I am…” He coughed, standing up and cleaning the dust off his body.

"What on Equus happened!? Where's the Thorin stone?"

“Right here” Steven coughed, opening his pincer to reveal a now bright crystalline gem, electric sparks dancing around it. “Try using it now.”

Topaz grabbed the Thorin, almost dropping it due to the soft current of electricity that flowed on his foreleg. He uncovered an old-looking machine that rested on the side of the wall, and placed the stone in a small, round opening,

“A friend helped us out with this, these are extremely powerful saws that would help us out with harder minerals. It consumes excessive amounts of electricity so we rarely use them” He pulled a lever, and the machine’s motor started roaring, “Here goes nothing.” The unicorn pushed a button, and waited. After a couple of silent seconds of suspense, and Topaz almost about to turn off the machine, the round saws started rotating slowly, increasing its speed gradually, until they got to the maximum possible velocity for the old apparatus.

“It…. It works!” Pearl exclaimed, laughing in joy and hugging his brother, who remained speechless after the success. “Oh this is wonderful!”

“Mister… Mister Stone… thank you so much! This is wonderful!” Topaz hugged Steven, making him uncomfortable, “You’re a genius!

With an awkward chuckle, Steven tried, without success, to shove the unicorn off, “You’re welcome, but please, you’re hurting my arms.” He lied.

“How can we thank you for this?” Peal asked, as Topaz released the Scizor from his grip.

“There’s no need to thank me. I’ve worked with Thunder Stones many times before. You would have ended figuring things out by yourself with enough time.” But then, he went silent, scratching his chin, thinking. “Although…I do need to do something. There’s a stone that we found, from our homeland, that I’d like you to work with.

Steven signaled Pockets, who looked at him with a face of confusion, before realizing with an “Oh!” what he meant. She took the gold and silver Mega Stone from her bag, and tossed it to Steven.

"Ohhh~" The brothers' eyes shined with excitement at the sight of yet another stone they had never seen, and Steven was asking them to work with it.


“Let me get this straight. You need an armlet, with an aperture for the Metagrossite to fit in.”

“Indeed. I hope it isn’t much trouble. If it is, we can find someplace else and--”

“Nonsense! Enchanted Pearl does not reject a job! We’ll get this armlet done for yesterday, which means that I’m late, so I gotta hurry!”

Pearl got her gloves on, her safety goggles, and her bright excited smile, as she looked at the raw Metagrossite in front of her. “Of course, a special job like this, requires… A SONG!”


This next song is a parody inspired on Awkward Marina's Anthropology. If you want to listen to it with sound, and you haven't heard the original yet, I suggest you to hear the original first, and then play the piano version (which works as an instrumental version)


“Gemstones always fascinate me
Amber, Quartz, and Morganite!
All these shapes, colors and sizes
Crystals here of every kind!
Moonstone, Coral, Diamond, Garnet,
Hematite and Sunstone Star!

It’s so wonderful, it’s Gemology!

Cut the crystal, grab the excess
All edges must disappear
All my products are special
I’ll perfect them, piece by piece
I will turn this alien stone
Into unique jewelry

Ready all the tools, for Gemology!

Yeah this stone may be new to me
But I will still take the risk
Of making one, hell of a piece
This armlet my pride sure will be

Citrine, Spinel, Star Diopside
Onyx, Beryl, Danburite
None of those can nearly match
The beauty of Metagrossite
This right here, one in-a-lifetime
Chance to try out new styles

Make new tendencies, with Gemology!

Grab some iron, melt with fire
Mold it in a full moon shape
Round the stone and take the measures
To create a perfect sphere
Maybe we can even turn
These poke-stones into a trend

It's my destiny, it’s Gemology!

I don’t care what others may say
I will start digging new grounds
I will let my curiosity reign
A brand whole new era begaaaaaAAAAAAN

I won’t let this
Beat me up
Yeah I will conquer this gem
I will use my magic powers
To create the perfect set
Hold your horses, take a look now
‘Cus this armlet is complete now
Yes!

And it’s the grea-test thing

Is Gemology.”

Steven was speechless. Back home, cutting a Mega Stone took around two hours with even the best equipment, yet Enchanted Pearl had managed to do so in under five minutes. Her movements as she danced, were as swift and precise as the cuts she made to the stone, she made Lapidary seem as easy of a task as taking a glass of water, as while she sang, the saws, faceting, and polishing machines danced with her. Polishing the stone while bending the melted metal, taking measures while molding the compartment of the armlet; tap-dancing while painting the metal setting in a strong golden color to match Layton’s pallet. It was, quite literally, magical… and a bit awkward.

“So, what do you think? Pretty impressive, huh?”

“Uhm… how… How did you do that?” Steven asked baffled

Pearl chuckled, “It’s my special talent. I work with all kinds of gems everyday to create jewelry for some of the most influential Canterlot novelty I’ve crafted gem artifacts for the likes of Sapphire Shoes, Photo Phinish, Fleur de Lis… and the less likeable but still influential Blueblood. My family has years of practice on this art, and I’ve inherited their legacy. It’s always been two siblings, the one that works on the physical part…”

“And the one that works on the magical part!” Topaz interrupted, dust all over his body, which he took off with a quick shake. “So are you done with the alien stone, sis?”

“Yeahp!” She chirped, “The only thing missing is the magical lock.”

“That was fast, even for you!” The stallion chuckled, “A magical lock coming right up!”

“A magical lock?” Steven questioned confused

“It’s a special spell we developed recently to prevent theft of the gems. Our clients are the only ones that can remove the item when worn. Pretty simple” The blue gemologist explained.

“I see…” The Scizor analyzed, “Pony magic is so confusing… yet so intriguing.”

“Well, I think Pokémon magic is even weirder than our own. Guess we both have a lot to learn, huh? Sis, where’s the rest of the armlet?” Topaz asked, placing the shiny, now enchanted stone on the table.

“We do have a lot to learn…” Steven said to himself, taking another look at the workplace. “All this technology seems so outdated to me... These ponies, they don’t seem to care much about technology, and with their magic, they don’t seem to need it either… But what about the technology we need?”

Steven’s train of thoughts halted to an end when a metallic THUD grabbed his attention. The brothers had finished the armlet, and it was far better than what Steven expected.

The armlet was connected in the back by a magnetic closure, splitting up into four thin, silver bars, two on each side, that would surround Layton’s arm, to later join back in an ' x' shape on the front , ending its journey in the middle where the stone rested on its golden setting, showcasing that familiar Mega-evolution symbol.

“It looks outstanding! I can’t believe you’ve made this in such short time!” The former human exclaimed, earning a grin from the brothers.

“We still need to try it out on your friend, hopefully it will fit.” Pearl smiled, while her brother grabbed the metallic arm band and walked outside of the messy workshop. The rest followed shortly, excited to see if all that worked had payed off.

Layton was waiting outside, in the same position and location he had been when the rest entered the shop. He looked at the armlet, and with aid of his Telekinesis, placed it around his silver metallic arm. He used to wear an armlet back on Earth, yet this one didn’t just look better, but felt more comfortable as well.

“What do you think, bud?” Pickett asked, bumping Layton playfully, “I think it looks good on you.”

Layton remained silent, taking a better look at the armlet, and leaving a soft smile.

“Was that a freaking smile?” Frederick chuckled, “Didn’t know you were capable of doing something like that.”

The rest chuckled as well, causing Layton’s smile to disappear, “It is getting late, we must get going.”

“Sadly, he’s right.” Steven sighed with a grin, “I don’t know how to thank you. This has been great, and you have been of great help.”

“A pleasure serving you, Steven Stone. You’ve helped us a lot as well. We’ll be sure to follow the instructions you gave us on how to handle each kind of stone.” Topaz grinned.

“We wish you luck on your travels! And that you enjoy your stay on this wonderful planet!” Pearl smiled as well.

And so the group kept advancing. Getting deeper and deeper into the vast city of Canterlot, until Frederick stopped mid-way.

“Hey, weren’t we supposed to ask them where Fair Price’s pawnshop’s at?”

And then Pockets, and the rest of the group, realized, they were once again near the Sundial, and no one remembered the way back to Enchanted Stones’ Enchantery.

“So… I guess we gotta keep looking for that postal office, huh?”