Springtime in Laverre
It was early morning of the next day when Celestia burst out of her Poke Ball again. As the princess stretched out her wings and yawned after a comfortable night’s sleep, she could feel the sun’s warmth flowing through them, energizing them. In the distance, she could hear birds – or bird Pokemon, she wasn’t quite clear – chirping noisily. The grass gleamed with droplets of morning dew. All in all, it seemed to be a pleasant morning.
When Celestia looked around for Team Rocket, she was momentarily taken aback to see them out of their usual uniforms. Instead, Jessie was sporting a long-sleeved blue blouse, along with white pants and a matching hat with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. Her usually-long hair was fixed, somehow, into a tight bun that fit comfortably under her hat’s edge without issue. James wore an off-white dress shirt and green vest, in addition to grey pants and a fedora. Both of them had also added glasses to their outfits. Meowth, for his part, was practicing walking on all fours, like a regular cat. Celestia presumed that that must also be the standard stance for his species. What made him different, she wondered idly? Why did he stand upright and talk normally when other Pokemon couldn’t? Or perhaps it was simply that this dimension’s humans could not hear normally?
“Oh, good morning Celestia,” James said, as he was fitting a glove over one hand. “Is there something you wanted?”
“To join you in the city, as I’m sure you’ll recall from last night,” she answered.
“Meowth, translation?”
“She’s sayin’ dat she still wants ta come with us.”
“And I am still saying,” Jessie butted in. “What I told you last night! You’re far too unique a Pokemon! If we take you into Laverre, you’ll blow our cover for sure!”
Celestia stared down the human. “And I am not asking your permission. I am going enter that city whether you like it or no. I would prefer to do so in your company, but I will make do without if it comes to that. I understand your need for secrecy and will go separately if you find it necessary.”
“Now hold on just a minute!” James waved his hands to get attention, continuing once everyone was looking at him. “After what you said last night, Celestia, I spent some time thinking about your appearance. I do believe I’ve come up with a way you might be able to join us, but…” he trailed off, looking uncertain.
Celestia didn’t like the sound of that word. “But what?” she asked.
“Yes, James, spill the beans,” Jessie said. “What’s your grand plan?”
“Well…” James cringed a bit. “You’ll need to stand still for a little while…”
Celestia sighed. “I feel ridiculous.”
“That’s probably ‘cause ya look ridiculous,” Meowth snickered, one hand over his mouth.
Celestia glared at him.
Despite that, she had to admit to feeling like Meowth might actually have a point this time. James’ plan, if one could call it that, was to make her look like a different and far less extraordinary Pokemon. He had called it Rapidash, and when he had shown her the picture Celestia had had to admit it seemed at least a plausible likeness. But that was before she’d had to spend an hour and a half under his careful makeup routine. First, her beautiful snow-white coat had been painstakingly dyed a more off-white color. Secondly, her wings had been carefully concealed underneath a wrap of the same color, which had the side-effect of making her look chubby. Thirdly, small orange and yellow tailings that mimicked the appearance of fire had to be affixed all four of her ankles.
For all that, though, the final step had been the hardest one. Dying a mane that, even in this world, was supercharged with a small portion of her power and consequently refused to stay still was no easy task. To make matters worse, her hairs had actually started absorbing the dye into themselves and reasserting their natural coloration, despite her own efforts to stop them. It had taken James and Celestia together the better part of an hour to finally force her mane and tail to take on the fiery appearance of a Rapidash.
Jessie had, naturally, gotten bored with the whole thing and opted to wander into town on her own. Meowth stayed, mostly because the prospect of watching Celestia get painted seemed more amusing that pretending to be an ordinary member of his species for several hours.
“Are you certain this will work?” she asked James, as he was putting the finishing touches on her tail.
“She’s wonderin’ if this is gonna work,” Meowth translated idly.
“Of course it will!” James stood up from where he had been kneeling. “The citizens of Kalos are terribly gullible. They’ll believe anything here.”
“That seems an overly optimistic assumption to make.”
“Why, it wasn’t so long ago that they believed my very own Inkay was a Pikachu!”
“What.”
“Now come on,” James walked in front of her, pulling a small device that displayed a picture of a Rapidash. “Turn around slowly and let me get a good look at you.”
“Remind me to ask you for that story at some point,” Celestia muttered, moving to do as bid. She shuffled around on all four hooves, allowing James to size her up from every angle and compare her to an actual Rapidash.
“Uh huh,” he murmured. “Yeah… Ok!” He shut down the device and stowed it away before looking at the princess and giving her a thumbs up. “It’s not perfect but I’d say you’d at least pass a casual up-close inspection. Certainly enough to go into town on.”
Celestia’s face brightened as she walked up close to him.
“So,” James asked as the three began walking towards Laverre together. “Is there anywhere either of you are particularly wanting to go?”
“I’ll be headin’ to the grocery store with ya,” Meowth licked his lips. “Gotta be sure you bozos get everything we need.”
“I’d like to go a library,” Celestia told him. “The largest one in town, if possible.”
After Meowth had been prodded into translating, James nodded. “I think we can make that work.”
Together, the three crested a hill overlooking Laverre City. Below them, they could make out all sorts of people and Pokemon immersed in their morning activities. A slight hustle and bustle, but not so much as to make the atmosphere unpleasant. It was a very nice sight to begin their walk with.
“Hunh,” Celestia thought. “My wings itch.”
Celestia, James, and Meowth walked through one of Laverre’s outdoor marketplaces. By the time they had gotten there it was midmorning, and so a crowd was beginning to show. The princess didn’t mind; it gave her the chance to observe the natives of this place in their natural habitat and compare them to the denizens of Equestria.
So far, it seemed that the markets of these humans weren’t terribly different from those back home. Vendors hawked items of wildly varying quality for what Celestia suspected were inflated prices, customers haggled with them, and there was generally quite a lot of noise. And of course, there were Pokemon everywhere. Most were little things that rode on their masters’ head or shoulders, but there were a few exceptions. At one point she spotted what she assumed was an actual Rapidash a few streets distant. Needless to say, the three of them had quickly chosen another route.
Celestia attracted a few quick glances and a handful of stares, but no more. They still made her nervous – she had no idea what would happen if anyone knew what she actually was, but she had been told it would make her a target for every Pokemon poacher within a fifty mile radius. She didn’t quite understand the distinction between ordinary catching of Pokemon and Pokemon poaching, but she assumed that there were laws regulating the specifics of it. To be sure, she avoided saying anything while there were humans nearby, to avoid them accidentally hearing her name. That, naturally, meant that she had to be silent virtually all the time.
The little group continued their impromptu tour of the city for a short while, with James picking up a few things here and there as they went. At one moment while he was bent over a pottery stand, Celestia glanced at stall after stall, failing to notice much that aroused her interest, until…
“Hi there, miss!”
“Gah!” Celestia jumped slightly as what looked to be a tiny white Pokemon riding a yellow flower got directly in her face.
“I’m Flabebe!” it introduced itself. “And I think you look like a discerning connoisseur of the floral arts, am I right?” without waiting for an answer, it continued. “Well, have my mistress and I got a deal for you! Step right this way, please!” it put a tiny hand over Celestia’s neck and made an attempt to push, which was rendered totally ineffective by its miniscule size.
Nonetheless, Celestia decided to humor Flabebe, and allowed herself to be guided to one of the many stands lining the streets. This one in particular was brimming with flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors, whether single, in a bouquet, growing in pot, or arranged into some more elaborate shape. Behind the stall was a young, brown-haired woman, who blushed and scratched behind her head when she saw Celestia and Flabebe getting close.
“Flabebe,” she said. “Are you at it-”
“This here,” Flabebe quickly interrupted, practically jamming a bell-shaped maroon flower into Celestia’s nose. “Is the red burgundy calla lily. Perfect for prolonged life in a vase, and if I may say so miss, it matches your mane! Only one hundred!”
“Uh…” Celestia wasn’t familiar with this place’s currency, and she didn’t have any regardless.
“Or perhaps you prefer the more exotic breeds? Well, have we got something for you!” Flabebe rooted around and pulled out an elegant-looking white flower. “This is a white clematis, breed from a plant coming all the way from Azalea Town in the Johto region!” it stuck the flower behind Celestia’s ear, then clapped its hands and swooned a little. “And I must say, it looks just darling on you!” Flabebe smiled a little knowingly. “Perfect to impress the gentlemen during mating season this year, wouldn’t you say?”
“Wait, what?” Celestia’s eyes widened, though she kept her voice a whisper.
“Oh!” Flabebe either didn’t hear or kept its voice a whisper. “And you know what would go perfectly with that? A necklace!” it rather impressively managed to hoist up a string of flower considerably larger than itself and wind it around Celestia’s neck.
“Flabebe,” the human woman said a little timidly. “Haven’t I told y-”
“Yes! Yes! YES!” Flabebe through its tiny arms up. “Gorgeous! Beautiful! Alluring! Oh, no Rapidash in his right mind would turn you down looking like this!” it had a gleam in its eye. “Tell you what! Normally I couldn’t let these go for less than a thousand. But they just go so well on you that I have do eight hundred! Your lovely visage is more than compensation for two!” it twirled on the spot. “I’m sure your trainer will love them! And come next week no male will be able to resist your beauty!” it clasped its hands together. “Ah, springtime love! Is there anything more wonderful? So, what do you say? Do we have a deal? Eight hundred!”
Celestia was actually blushing at this point. “Uh,” she whispered. “I think that you’re making a bit of-”
“Say no more!” Flabebe waved its hands. “Seven fifty! We’ll be going home hungry tonight, but it’ll be worth it to know that helped a young mare like yourself find-”
“What’s going on here?” James had finally looked up from where he had been examining a vase and walked over, Meowth tailing him.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” said the woman behind the stall, bowing a little. Flabebe facepalmed. “My Flabebe here can get a little aggressive in pursuit of a sale.”
“Well, one of us has to!” Flabebe tried to shout, though its high and tiny voice made it seem more like a squeak. “You can barely even talk to customers without trying to hide under the stall!”
“And she tends to try and pull other trainers’ Pokemon over here to try and get them to convince their trainers to buy our flowers,” the woman bowed. “Once again, I’m sorry for your trouble.”
“Don’t be sorry for trying to make a sale! We have to eat, Ellie!”
“Oh, it’s perfectly alright,” James waved it off, taking a look at some of the flowers himself. Meowth himself sniffed one, then sneezed.
“I see you and your trainer have some differences,” Celestia whispered in Flabebe’s ear while the others were distracted.
“I’ll say,” Flabebe was rubbing her tiny forehead. “Ellie’s great, but she’s such a doormat! She lets customers walk all over her and barely even tries to push our product! No wonder we have money problems.”
“I see,” Celestia was starting to feel pity for the tiny Pokemon and her mistress. “I’m sorry for your troubles.”
“Yeah, well,” Flabebe sighed. “It’s not your fault, lady. It’s just the way it is. I have to be aggressive because she won’t be. It was nothing personal.”
“I understand.”
“I suppose we’ve lost this sale now. But for whatever it is worth, I do really think you look good in those flowers,” Flabebe started to back off. “Good luck in this mating season.”
Celestia’s face drooped a little. Even if she wasn’t a princess here, that didn’t mean she didn’t still want to help out the less fortunate when she could. If she’d had her own money on hoof, she would have bought something herself, but since she didn’t…
James felt a slight tug on his sleeve, and turned to regard the most adorable set of pleading eyes that he had ever seen.
A few minutes later, the three left the flower stand behind, both Celestia and James sporting new decorative floral arrangements.
“Bye now!” waved Flabebe.
“Thank you! Take care!” said Ellie.
“What was dat all about?” Meowth grumbled irritably as they walked. “If ya want a flower so bad, just pick one.”
Celestia was tempted to respond, but ultimately resisted the same way she resisted the temptation to eat the tasty-smelling flower behind her ear. So instead they walked on for another hour, James occasionally buying something for either himself or the team as whole. The market was a generally pleasant place, but as midday approached began to get more crowded, and Celestia began to believe that she had seen enough for now.
The princess expected that she would be in this world for some time, and had full confidence in the abilities of her sister and student to manage Equestria while she was away. She had seen enough long eons pass by to understand that impatience seldom paid off in the long-term, and so was generally content to make slower but steady progress. But that didn’t mean that she didn’t want to be home – far from it. Now, she decided, was the time to obtain more information on the state of dimension travel in this place.
It was time to go to the library.
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I love love LOVE this story AND you update on a regular basis! Who could argue with that?
Whenever I get an email notification that this story has updated I drop everything and read it.
In the middle of dinner? Turn off the stove and read it!
Watching a movie? Pause it and read it!
I just wonder when Celestia will find out Team Rocket isn't as good as she thinks.
Hah, I wouldn't have imagined a pokemon would help her trainer with sales. I'm loving your world building. I do still want to see what becomes of the Twilight situation of course! Really looking forward to see what happens there. That and Celestia owes Pikachu and his cohorts a psychic fling over the horizon for attacking her when she was obviously not even looking at him. Nice work.
Gotta love those world building chapters. And I can't hep but wonder if Celestia's trip to the library will actually help her, or if she's going to have to wait until she runs into Twilight in order to get any real information on how to get home.
If I read the first chapter right, the original mirror was destroyed when Celestia came to the pokemon world, which means that Twilight had to have built a second one in order to get there herself. So the big question now is whether or not Twilight actually built in a way to open the portal from this side, or if she panicked and went after Celestia without preparing a way back...
6111267
well on the other side of that question is the fact that Team Rocket is not as bad as 'they' think. Or so it often seems to me watching the very few episodes I have watched. They seem to actually care for their pokemon for one thing. As compared to other bad guys who abuse and take advantage of theirs.
Also have to add my 'well done' to the general comments. You're premise works well, and I give you cudos for teaming her up with the resident ner-do-wells instead of the more obvious team Ash.
6111287
Well for all intents and purposes of the show Team Rocket is/are the bad guys. But Yes. They do truely and deeply care for their pokemon that should count for something.
James seems to be the most tolerable of the three. With grandparents like his, no kid could grow up to be jerk.
Celestia uses Cuteness.
Cuteness is super effective.
6111287 Jessie, James and Meowth arnt so bad, not as individuals...other Team Rocket Pokemon r not so lucky. Butch and Cassidy allowed their pokemon to be experimental subjects in the 'Namba's Nasty Pokemon Provoker' incident after all, and have routinely shown a complete disregard for the comfort and feelings of any Pokemon under their 'care'...
... Is it just me who thinks it's completely ridiculous to attempt to disguise one Pokémon as another when they'll botch the disguise as soon as they attempt to say something?
-Celestia: Celestia! Ce-celesti... ra...rapida... Rapidashestia!
6111324
Just my point. I'm not a fan who watches lots of episodes, so I likely miss a lot, but I sometimes get the feeling they are trying too hard to be bad guys. They are enamored of their roles of bad guys, but really are not very good at it. Lots of other bad buys in the show I have no trouble as seeing as scum, but not Jesse and James.
Not to be a downer, but do we really expect any self respecting librarian to let a pokemon who is literally on fire into their library?
6111332
The citizens of Kalos are dumb enough to believe that the following are Ash and Pikachu:
img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140529210633/es.pokemon/images/e/ee/EP833_James_e_Inkay_disfrazados_de_Ash_y_Pikachu.png
They'll probably buy Celestia as a Rapidash.
6111352 .. Good point. And so it's from There that spawn of the deamon realm came. I've seen that critter before and it freaked me out.
Just a head's up from someone who's seen the episodes in Japanese, but when you get to her, anime!Valerie can speak Pokemon.
6111349 like i said, Jessie, James and Meowth arnt so bad, and while Jessies back story has never really been gone into in any great detail, save that she was born into a very poor family, James does have some interesting history and a decent reason for being a part of Team Rocket.
unlike Jessie, James was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his parents r perhaps the richest individuals in Kanto. James had everything growing up...save the one thing he desired more than anything...freedom. his parents planned to marry him off to a girl not of his choosing who wanted to change everything about him, from his manners to how he ate spaghetti! so he ran away from his home, from the wealth and privilege of that lifestyle...and joined up with Team Rocket just so he could have the freedom to choose his own path. but even with all of that, he still loves his family to the point that he asked his first pokemon, a Growlithe by the name of Growly, to remain behind, and look after his parents for him, not once...but twice...
Well, so far the only thing I can really say about this fic is impressive update schedule. Other than that, everything else is pretty, well, meh. That's all I can really say about it so far. The storyline, meh. Celestia's predicaments, meh. Not to say this story is bad in any way, but to me it just feels average. I like the fact that this problem is on Celestia, as not many stories focus on her like this, thus it got my like. I can also see this story has the potential to get pretty interesting later, thus it gained my fave for easier tracking. On the whole however, this story is a pretty average ride for me so far. I am continuing to read this since I know this is going to pick up.
Awesome! I love how precautions in a disguise was made--it makes me see this as an actual episode! I can't wait to see what goes on in the library.
Now the question remains: When will the team meet up with their rivals, Cassidy and
PingasButch?6111352 In fairness, If you`d never met ash before and only seen him briefly on tv at tournaments it wouldn't be hard to mistake him as the real ash |well, if it weren't for his freaky agelessness|The Pikachu disguise is less believable... maybe it could fool young kids, old guys with bad sight and suchlike but... yeah... Anyway if any Rapidash try hitting on our Tia I do hope you have her give the offending stallion a Mega Kick he`ll never forget!
6111880
Only when directly asked by other teammates: he left plenty of her statements unsaid, left out major sections, like it being her idea to check the briefcase lining, and just generally dropped the translation ball.
After she was right about the briefcase he should have realized: She's delusional but perceptive, clever, and smart. When she says something, she has a reason.
Gaze into its unholy visage, and know fear
41.media.tumblr.com/28e8de7919c2f64ef4fb1a886addaf88/tumblr_n6s465AhH41r4skzio2_1280.png
6111104
She hasn't been as proactive as she might have been because: a) she's very, very patient by nature b) this is her fourth day in the world and she's only been mostly recovered since the third c) she (falsely) believes that Twilight and Luna are still back in Equestria and keeping the ship running. She has total confidence in them.
Also, she did try a variety of spells on the spot. None worked. She also mentions having tried working with the clouds and finding them not "as accommodating" as the ones back home. And she has been getting practice with the only "spell" she's figured out thus far: Psychic.
She hasn't gathered any outside information on Team Rocket for the simple reason that this is the first chapter where she's had anyone but Team Rocket to talk to.
I had written a scene where she tries writing to Team Rocket, but I could never find a place in the narrative where it seemed to fit. I ultimately decided to go with explaining it next chapter, where she's in a library.
And yes, I am aware of what third degree burns are and totally intended it that way. Those three Houndoom weren't pulling any punches: they meant those fires to kill Twilight, so they could eat her. And, well, there's a reason that saying the Pokedex mentions got started. Houndoom fire is the closest thing you'll to hellfire this side of death.
Celestia used Baby Doll Eyes. It's super effective against James.
encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQIzar2L0CtuotLCIpBR2fYzFy0gW0DSarIqfjP2y40dIMQaTPdsO5MhA
Meowth has no nose, as has been clearly stated in the show. (I just forget which episode. Probably one with Stun Spore.)
Pretty interesting story. I do wonder what'll happen if by chance Team Rocket has a run in with any of the legendaries, specifically the ones considered gods due to what their jobs are and power. Would be amusing to see Meowth to basically shut up if one of them points out Celestia isn't a true pokemon due to having a hand, hoof or claw in creating them all and knowing because of that. Arceus or Oh-Oh anyone? XD
One would think Celestia would eat the purchased flowers
6112754 She resists the temptation!
6111267 Whenever that happens, she would probably try to reform them
So sweet. I am sure, Celestia looks wonderful in the flowers and her disguise is working perfectly in my opinion.
There needs to be fanart of Rapidash-Lestia.
Excited for next chapter!
If Celestia and Twilight Sparkle are ever going to speak to humans and convince them, they really need to learn Telepathy. I propose that both or one of the teams encounter Legendaries that can teach them that, preferably The Swords of Justice so they can react to Keldeo's appearance and maybe learn Secret Sword as well to finally put their horns into good use.
i guess Luna or Nightmare Moon knows transform or at least an illusion technique?
6113322
I found something that resembles that request.
fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/150/6/3/my_little_rapidash_by_skullzie9-d51npt2.png
I don't like Pokemon combat. Too organized, too predictable.
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/a6/63/a3/a663a35b4b127f87ac0305e79809fbd6.jpg
Only one problem Tia.
Lu-lu and Twily ain't home either.
All the villains, foes, archenemy and monsters of Equestria? They are attacking right this minute, and nobody can stop 'em.
REALLY BAD TIMING!
Hmmm. A nice slice-of-life episode. Poor James, though, getting roped into a sale by a cute little Flabébé.
BTW:
You're missing a word: "as midday approached, it began to get more crowded."
James version
pre14.deviantart.net/5a8c/th/pre/i/2014/060/9/0/little_celestia_by_ukulilia-d78g5ml.jpg
---
Our version
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/8/11/397738__safe_solo_princess+celestia_smile_cute_upvotes+galore_adorable_portrait_cutelestia_artist-colon-bubbleglacier.jpeg
The one episode I watched.
Hehe. I'd pay to see Celestia 'date' a rapidash.
And then it turned out they could've just hidden the wings and said she was from Galar.