Ponémon Apple Version

by zennec-fox

Episode 2: Badge of Honor!

Apple Bloom waited impatiently at the Pokémon Center for her Turtwig to heal. As she waited, all she could think about was becoming a better Trainer than Diamond Tiara. She couldn’t stand losing to somepony as arrogant as her. Despite being friendlier, Diamond Tiara was still barely tolerable. Apple Bloom wanted nothing more than to become the Pokémon Champion and rub her victory in the face of that little b--

“Your Pokémon is fully healed!” said the nurse, giving Apple Bloom back her Turtwig. She ran out the door and headed back to Route 1 to train.

As she was training, she came across a wild Starly. “Turtwig!” she shouted. “Come on out!” She sent out her Turtwig. “Tackle!” Turtwig rammed himself into Starly, causing it to fall backwards. Apple Bloom threw a Poké Ball at the Starly. The Poké Ball shook three times and clicked, signifying a capture. Apple Bloom jumped for joy.

After a little more training, Apple Bloom decided to try and find where the first gym was. There was just one problem; she didn’t have a map. She ran back to Twilight’s castle and knocked furiously on the door, but nopony answered.

Just then, Starlight Glimmer trotted just within Apple Bloom’s peripheral vision. Without any hesitation, she ran into Starlight’s path, causing Starlight to nearly trip over herself trying to avoid hitting the young filly.

“What are you doing?!” she asked, surprised to see the yellow foal.

“Can I have a map?” Apple Bloom said.

“I’m sure Twilight has a few somewhere in the castle,” Starlight answered, unlocking the castle door. Apple Bloom ran in. Starlight followed her. “Stay with me!”

The two ponies wandered around before finally arriving at the library. When Starlight opened the door, Twilight was pacing around some strange contraption, muttering something to herself.

“Twilight?” Starlight said. Twilight jumped and hid the contraption under a tarp.

“Starlight!” Twilight responded, smiling guiltily. “What do you need?”

“This filly here needs a map,” Starlight said, gesturing to a smiling Apple Bloom.

“What’s under the tarp?” she asked.

“I’m sure there’s a map somewhere in the library,” Twilight said, watching the tarp closely. “Starlight, would you be a dear and go look for it?”

“Uh, sure?” Starlight said, sounding the exact opposite of sure. She and Apple Bloom entered the library.

“What’s under the tarp?” Apple Bloom asked again.

“You should help Starlight look for the maps,” Twilight said, not keeping her eyes off of the tarp.

“But I wanna know--” Twilight shoved her hoof into Apple Bloom’s mouth.

“Listen here, Apple Bloom,” Twilight said with a much more serious tone than usual. “You don’t want to know what’s under this tarp. If you knew, well...I’m not sure you could handle it.”

“Buh ah cah hammle amyfing!” Apple Bloom said indignantly.

“This is unlike anything you’ve ever seen in your life,” Twilight continued, “and anything you ever will see. Do. Not. Touch. It. Understand?” Apple Bloom nodded.

“I found the maps!” Starlight said, walking over to the two of them. Twilight quickly removed her hoof from Apple Bloom’s mouth. Apple Bloom quickly took the map, then made a mad dash for the tarp before Twilight levitated her out the door.

“Awh.”

-------

Apple Bloom looked at the map. “Aha!” she said. “The first gym! Right here in...Ponyville...at Sweet Apple Acres?” Apple Bloom looked closer at the information section of the map. “And the gym leader is--”

“Hey, Apple Bloom!” Diamond Tiara yelled from five inches behind her. Apple Bloom flinched. “Guess who just beat your brother at his gym! I have more badges than you!” She trotted off, laughing. Apple Bloom growled.

“Looks like I’m going back home,” Apple Bloom said.

When she arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, she found that there was, indeed, a gym behind her house. “How did I never find this?” she asked herself.

“You never bothered to look,” said Granny Smith.

Apple Bloom sighed and entered the gym. A stallion with sunglasses stood at the entrance.

“Hey there, champ in the making!” he said. “It’s always nice to meet new challengers! Now, I’m sure you already know the rules of the Equestria League, but just in case, here’s a refresher: there are gyms in several locations across Equestria, from Ponyville to Manehatten to Las Pegasus and even the Crystal Empire! In order to challenge the Elite Four, trainers must gain all the gym badges and travel through Victory Road to Canterlot on hoof. If you don’t defeat a gym leader, you’re free to rematch them; however, if you lose against the Elite Four, you must face all four of them again. Good luck, little filly; I know you can do it!” Apple Bloom gulped.

Diamond Tiara entered the gym, galloping towards Apple Bloom.

“What do you want?!” Apple Bloom asked.

“Just thought I should give my good friend some advice,” Diamond Tiara said. “You have a Starly, right?” Apple Bloom nodded. “Focus on training it; your brother uses Fighting-types, which are weak against Flying-type moves.”

“And why should I trust you?” Apple Bloom said spitefully.

“Let’s see,” Diamond Tiara answered, “which one of us has the gym badge? Oh, that’s right; me. So the real question is, why shouldn’t you trust me?”

Apple Bloom sighed and looked down at her Starly, which she had barely used since catching it. “All right,” she said, “I believe you.”

-------

Apple Bloom returned to the gym, her Starly at Level 10. At this point, she felt ready for anything. She strode across the gym floor, prepared to take on her brother.

She approached Big MacIntosh. The two looked into each other’s eyes and nodded. Big Mac sent out a Machop. Apple Bloom responded with Starly.

“Wing Attack!” Apple Bloom shouted. Starly’s left wing began glowing as it slapped Machop. Machop fell to the ground.

“Focus Energy!” Big Mac said. Machop got back up and seemed to be more focused. It didn’t matter, though; another Wing Attack from Starly knocked it out.

Big Mac’s next Pokémon was Timburr. It, too, fell quickly to Starly’s Wing Attack, due to Big Mac’s decision to use Bide instead of an actually useful move. Apple Bloom had won her first gym battle!

“This is the Buck Badge,” Big Mac explained, giving Apple Bloom her first badge. “With this badge, the Attack of all your Pokémon has been increased.”

“All right!” Apple Bloom explained, holding up her gym badge proudly. She was one step closer to the Pokémon League!

Author's Note:

i'm really dating myself with that badge effect, aren't i? why did that stop being a thing? i'd really like to know.