Pokémon Eclipse

by moviemaster8510

Chapter 17 – Thick as Thieves

Sam and Alice looked about the pretty sights of the hilly and forested path of Route 4. As Fluttershy tagged closely behind, Starlight was several feet behind, struggling to carry a stone about half the size of her body in her magic. As they came up the top of another hill, Sam and Alice stopped as they watched Starlight carry herself and the rock up, each step requiring several seconds each. Sam hopped and slid down to her side as she finally set the rock down off to the side of the trail, panting heavily.

“You aren’t going to get your magic back faster by straining yourself,” Sam said.

Starlight lifted her head, her sweat-matted mane slapping against her left eye. “I have to get my magic back soon somehow. What if we get attacked by Team Prism here?”

“That shouldn’t happen. Look.”

Sam escorted Starlight up the hill, joining Alice and Fluttershy at the top, allowing all four of them to see the town about two miles up ahead. From its wooden buildings all set up on either side of a T-shaped intersection of streets, it looked like something straight-out of a Western movie, the bright leaves of the trees and grass making it look even more idyllic.

“Whoo.” Starlight’s breath came out far more audibly than either Sam or Alice expected or Starlight wanted. “We still have that much farther?”

“Hold on.” Sam shed his backpack off of his body, letting it plop down to the floor.

As Sam foraged around inside the bag, neither he, nor Starlight, Alice, or Fluttershy noticed two figures hiding within the bushes, ensuring their rustling of the leaves remained silent as possible. They watched as Sam finally pulled out a protein bar, unwrapped it, knelt down, and held it out to Starlight.

“Sam,” Alice scolded, “we just had breakfast. Put that away.”

“It shouldn’t be too filling,” reasoned Sam, “and she needs the energy.”

“No, it’s alright.” Starlight took two deep breaths, putting a little bit more life back into her. “Let’s get going. I’ll rest up when we get there.”

“Alright.” Sam slowly and sorely stood back up, moving his hand to the front pocket. “Just don’t try using your magic until we have a chance to–”

No one had a chance to see the green-and-red blur that shot out from the bushes at Sam’s bag. Only until Sam was knocked to his butt and his bag and the unwrapped bar went flying up did the others notice. Once the bag and the bar hit the ground, the mystery attacker revealed itself as a red-faced and red-bodied insect like Pokémon with green foliage and bulb on its head along with two small leaves for arms which it used to hug the bar close to its chest.

“What is that thing?” Fluttershy gasped

“Yo!” Sam shouted, crawling madly toward it. “That’s mine!”

Sam’s approach stood no chance, as the creature zipped into the bushes on the other side of the path. As Sam, Alice, and the ponies faced the bushes in amazement, a brown-haired Pokémon mildly reminiscent of a cat with long ears, cream colored collar fur, and a fluffy tail hopped out from the bushes on the other side. It bit down on the top strap of Sam’s bag, running up on Sam’s back and leaping further off its head until it and the bag also disappeared within the brush.

“What? NO!” Sam pushed off the ground with his hands and feet and took off sprinting.

“Sam, wait!” Fluttershy took off running too. “It could be a trap!”

Alice and Starlight looked to each other, surprised to hear such a clever deduction from her, and thye both ran to follow after them.

Sam continued to run out, following the bushes that shook ahead of him and the bag that appeared to run away by itself. He grunted with each step he took, upset that he could not catch up but fiercely determined. The cries of his friends behind him fell on deaf ears as he continued following closely until–

He suddenly swung straight down, a root catching a hold of his foot. Within the last few moments, he put his hands out and braced himself, falling hard on his stomach and chest and feeling a sting in the heel of his hand. Sam shrieked as he saw his bag slide up another hill and over, now gone.

Grabbing as much loose dirt as his hands could dig, Fluttershy, Alice, and Starlight surrounded him, watching him as he moaned a loud sob.

“Dammit, Sam,” Alice panted. “You alright?”

“Do I sound like I’m alright?” Sam’s loud voice and sudden shooting up to his feet made Fluttershy squeak and hide behind his sister. “Everything I had was in that bag!”

“Even your wallet? Your Pokédex? Your Holo Caster?”

“No, but that’s not the point! My clothes, my potions, my balls, my snacks!”

“All sounds like stuff we can replace. Not to mention, you’re loaded.”

“I wouldn’t call ¥20,000 loaded, and I’d rather not have to spend most of that just to replace all my stuff.”

“Well, what do you want to do? We need to get to Paniola Town, and I’d like to get at least one Island Trial in today.”

“You go on ahead. I have to get my bag.” Sam turned back and continued heading out to where the bag had gone.

“Sam, come on!”

“Please?” Fluttershy called back.

“I’ll be right back!” Sam continued marching up until he too disappeared over the hill.

Alice continued to stand and watch, wrestling with the thoughts to either let him be until he came to his senses, or go out and help. Starlight frowned as she saw no decision about to be made soon, stepping forward to follow him.

“Starlight?” Fluttershy called. “Where are you going now?”

“What does it look like?” She turned back as she continued walking. “Just go on ahead, we’ll be close behind.”

Starlight turned back and broke into a gallop, leaving Alice and Fluttershy alone. Though the day was still young, the deepness of the forest frightened Fluttershy and she began to tremble.

“Alright,” Alice said, “let’s get going. We’ll see how long this takes.”

Both of them turned back, following their prints toward the main trail.

With each new hill he climbed up, Sam scanned the area, seeing no sign of either Pokémon or his bag. After several minutes of looking over the same patch, he sat himself down, running his fingers through his hair and breathing heavily, hoping someone could hear and help him. Just then, the snapping of twigs and breaking of fallen leaves approached him. Turning back, he found Starlight panting as she came close to his side.

“Starlight.” He sounded relieved. “Please tell me you’re here to help.”

“Yeah, I am.” She really sounded tired, both physically and emotionally. “I want to try something, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll really need to turn back.”

“Wait, where’s Alice and Fluttershy?”

“I told them to go to Paniola Town. I told them we wouldn’t be far behind, so we have to make this quick.”

Sam looked around, running his hand over his head again and looking around and past Starlight, only to indeed find no one near them. Whatever she planned, it had to work.

“Okay, what then?”

Starlight led Sam to a small clearing where the sun hit the grass and the surrounding trees like a small coliseum. Sam looked around, unsure what good their location would do.

“Okay, what now?”

“Take out your Honedge’s Pokeball.”

Sam did as he was told, holding it up to her. “Then what?”

“Pretend like you’re eating a fruit of some kind.”

Sam’s face lit up, understanding immediately what was going through her head. Just then, his lips pursed and his teeth clenched. “But, what if it takes my ball away too? Then Honed–”.

“Will be fine. I’ll keep a look out. We know what to expect this time.”

Once again, Starlight hit the nail on the head. With a nod, he was ready to set the plan in motion.

“Now, follow my lead.” Starlight then sat herself down like a dog in an exaggerated fashion. “Oh, wow! It sure is exhausting walking through this forest! I could really use a snack right now!”

It was happening. Now or never. Commit. “I agree!” Sam spoke as loudly. “It’s a really good thing I saved this Pecha Berry just for this very occasion. MmMm! It’s chow time!”

Sam held his ball out with the white side out, slowly moving it to his face. Everything ran through his head. Did he overact? Was it even here? What if he hesitated at the moment of truth? Each negative scenario made him completely unaware of the swish of leaves and grass that bounded out toward him.

Starlight turned to the source of the sound just in time as the green and red blur shot out from the side of a tree and at Sam’s hand. “Sam, now!”

Sam did hear that, and he tossed his ball to the side right before the Pokémon could intercept it. Honedge came out of it and faced the Pokémon with an angry squint. The creature’s eyes widened as it tried to run back into the forest, but Sam was smirking, the path to success clear to him now.

“Honedge, Shadow Sneak.”

Before the creature could round around Sam and slip back beneath the shade of the trees, Honedge’s trailing shadow appeared beneath it and blasted it, throwing it to its stomach.

“Now, just what in the hell are you?” Sam picked his Pokédex from his shorts pocket and aimed it at the creature.

“Fomantis,” the Pokédex read aloud, “the Sickle Grass Pokémon. During the day, it sleeps and soaks up light. When night falls, it walks around looking for a safer place to sleep.”

“Not this one, apparently.”

As Sam put his Pokédex away, Honedge slipped around and loomed over the Fomantis, forcing it into the center of the clearing. The Fomantis retreated cautiously, looking ready to launch a sneak attack at any moment.

“Listen,” Sam called to it. “I just want my bag back. Show me where you and your Eevee friend took my backpack, and I’ll let you go. You can even have the protein bar, just please give me back my bag!”

The Fomantis responded with a frenzied Razor Leaf attack, Honedge deftly shielding its eye and most of its blade with its scabbard. Once the onslaught ended, Sam cocked his head in disappointment and focused on the battle.

“Honedge, Return!”

Honedge lunged at Fomantis, who once again went on the offensive, slashing both of its arms in, throwing a barrage of leaves at Honedge. The attack hit, but did nothing to prevent Honedge from swinging its blade at the Fomantis and striking it in the right side. The Fomantis went down, Starlight noting its difficulty in getting back up since the first attack.

“Just one more,” Sam said to himself. “Honedge, use another Shadow Sneak!”

The Fomantis looked to prepare another Razor Leaf attack, but Honedge’s shadow appeared beneath it before it could do anything more, and the shadow blasted him up before it fell down on its back with a hard thud. Sam looked to the Fomantis, unsure what its next move would be. However, it did something that it didn’t expect. It started screaming.

Sam recognized the cry for help clear as day, and both he and Starlight looked about, awaiting for more Fomantises, or heaven forbid members of Team Prism. After a ten uncomfortable seconds of silence following the Pokémon’s failed call, Sam’s face softened. He then began to reach back behind him, only to feel empty space. He then remembered.

“Aw, come on!”

“What is it?” Starlight asked.

“I wanted to catch it, but my Poké Balls are in my bag!”

Just then, an Eevee sprinted out into the clearing and slid to a stop before the Fomantis, looking out at Sam and Starlight with arched back and offensive glare.

Sam huffed as he aimed his Poké Ball at Honedge. “Good job, buddy.”

Once Honedge returned to its ball, Sam knelt down to the Eevee, looking it dead in its eyes, allowing it to relax before him as it realized his intention to not fight.

“Hey,” he said to it, “do you know where I can find my bag? If you show me, I promise me and my friend will leave.”

Starlight watched the confrontation, seeing as the Eevee glanced down to Honedge's ball, the seemingly innocuous gesture telling her everything she needed to see. With gentle steps, Starlight slowly approached Sam’s side without frightening the Eevee away.

“Let me try something,” she whispered to him. “Do you have any kind of snacks whatsoever?”

“I’ve got some Poké Beans in my jacket pocket. Why?”

Charging her horn, Starlight’s magic aura pulled his pocket open, using more of her magic to pull out three light-blue beans. The Eevee’s defenses completely evaporated as its ears waggled at the sight of the three beans being placed down and even pushed a bit away from her to entice it further.

Sure enough, the Eevee’s curiosity was piqued enough to get it to walk over to the beans, the Fomantis, getting up to see what its comrade was doing. After a couple of tentative sniffs and a single nibble, Starlight was gladdened to see the Eevee chomping greedily on them.

Starlight managed to walk over to it and gently stroke down its back with the flat side of her hoof. “So, Sam. You said this thing’s called an Eevee?”

“Uh, yeah,” Sam said.

Just then, he turned his head to see the Fomantis charging Starlight. Though he gasped a breath to warn her, she was already aware, hopping back as it stood in front of the Eevee, slashing out at her while warbling angrily.

“Hey!” Starlight looked hurt. “I was just petting her!”

The Fomantis then began shouting incomprehensibilities at the Eevee before running off back into the forest.

“Hey!” Sam shouted into the direction it went. “My bag!”

Both he and Starlight then saw as the Eevee also began to run out to follow the Fomantis, stopping to turn to the two.

“Please,” Starlight whined, “he just needs his bag.”

It looked to pain the Eevee over its decision, but it quickly turned back with a whine and ran quickly into the darkness.

“Wait!” Sam reached out, but knew there was nothing more he could do.

He put his arm down, fist clenched, and stood with his head hung low.

“Sam?” Starlight took a step forward. “Are you alright?”

He then pulled out his Holo Caster, looking at a rising bar-graph symbol outline in the upper right corner, seeing no bars within the symbol’s border.

Sam sighed and turned back toward the path. “I’ll call my parents once we get out of this forest; ask them if they can lend me some money to help me get a new bag.”

The reservation in his voice was disheartening for Starlight. With drooped ears and a deeply dissatisfied mope, she followed Sam out of the clearing. Once they came over the hill, two shadows from the trees shifted, running toward them.

The Fomantis hopped up a large tree, stopping to rest upon the lowest of the branches. In the branches higher up, dozens of backpacks, purses, and cloth grocery bags hung neatly. After catching its breath, it went up to the middle, finding Sam’s bag. Reaching inside the front pocket, it pulled out the already half-eaten protein bar, continuing to nibble on it, until the Eevee eventually hopped up to the bottommost branch.

The Fomantis hopped down to it, handing it the protein bar to eat, but the Eevee slumped away from it with guilt in its frown. The Fomantis whirred impatiently, continuing to wave the bar in the Eevee’s face. When the Eevee looked back down to the ground and then north, Fomantis set the bar down and began to warble again, pointing out to where Sam and Starlight were headed. The Eevee started to bark at the Fomantis, taking it aback.

After a few more loud, sharp shouts, the Eevee climbed up until it reached the branch where Sam’s bag hung. With a few hard tugs up with its mouth, it pulled it from the leaves and twigs. It began to travel down to the bottom branch where the Fomantis still waited. With a few muffled meows, it prepared to head down, only for its right front paw to slip, sending it over the edge.

The Eevee was suddenly caught, hanging onto Sam’s bag for dear life by its teeth while the Fomantis wrapped one arm around one of the shoulder straps while clinging to the tree’s bark with the other. With a jerk, the Fomantis flung the Eevee back up alongside it on the branch and pulled itself back up with Sam’s bag.

The Eevee looked to Fomantis with puppy-dog eyes as it tried to get its point further across. The Fomantis looked back at Sam’s bag, wondering what it should do. Finally, with a final tight grasp on it, Fomantis let the bag fall to the ground below. The Fomantis looked back to the surprised Eevee, letting out a single sighing noise to get it to smile. Looking back down, the two leapt from the branch.

“My goodness, did we really wander off this far?” Starlight gazed around her, nothing about the area of the forest she and Sam continued to walk through looking nor feeling familiar.

“It’s fine,” Sam responded with a grumble. “We just have to head northeast, and we should get back on the path.”

“Your path has ended!” a loud, sinister voice shot off from somewhere.

Sam and Starlight stopped immediately, turning to find the source of the voice, but could not find it. Turning back, the two were immediately greeted with the sight of two Team Prism grunts, their black hoods covering their faces. Sam and Starlight stood defensively as the two pulled their hoods off, revealing two men in their very late teens, one who appeared lanky with red hair, the other looking muscular with spiked black hair.

Sam looked around him in desperation. “ALICE! FLUTTERSHY!”

“Call for them all you want,” the muscular grunt giggled, “but they’re probably already in Paniola Town, safe and sound.”

“And you decided to get lost all by your lonesome.” The lanky grunt squeaked his voice to mock the sound of crying.

Sam bared his teeth as the two laughed. Starlight began to charge her horn.

“Go, Slowking!” The lanky grunt tossed out his Poké Ball.

Appearing from the white light was a larger bipedal Slowpoke, though it wore a large, spiked stone on its head like a crown. As Starlight shot out a bolt of bright blue lightning, Slowking put its hands up, forming a disk of translucent pink energy that dissipated Starlight’s magic instantly. Starlight grunted as she realized she was useless in this battle.

“Of course,” the muscular grunt said, “you could just give us that unicorn and we’ll let you off the hook.”

“And what will you do to me?” Starlight spat.

“That doesn’t concern you yet.”

“Like hell it doesn’t!” Sam detached his Poké Ball from his belt. “Go, Honedge!”

Sam threw his Poké Ball out, and while Honedge looked positively ready to battle, Sam saw the scuffmarks of its battle with the Fomantis, and he could tell it was the reason for the grunts’ subsequent laughter.

“We saw you fighting against that pipsqueak Fomantis,” the lanky grunt explained. “It required that puny little Eevee to stop it too. Imagine that! A wild Pokémon having to stop the fight because its friend was beating up a trainer’s Pokémon too bad!”

Starlight looked to Sam with fear, but was perplexed to see him smirking. “Even if that were true,” he said, “you apparently still need to double team me to feel that you can beat me. What do you think that says about your Pokémon?”

Neither grunt could speak, as nothing they could say would negate his comeback. “Oh,” the muscular grunt muttered, “you’re good. Now, let’s just see how good you really are! Go, Oricorio!”

He tossed his Poké Ball, and out from it came a plump, pink bird with white feathers styled in both a headdress and a skirt, moving its wings to the side as if it were doing a hula dance.

“Sam?” Starlight nervously called out. “Please don’t lose.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Honedge, use Shadow Sneak!”

With a point toward the Oricorio, Honedge’s shadow stretched and snaked around along the forest floor until it came underneath it, blasting it upwards. The muscular grunt looked a bit worried until his Pokémon fluttered safely back to its talons.

“That’s it!” the grunt shouted. “Now, use Mirror Move!”

Sam gasped, watching the Oricorio flare its wings open, its shadow also beginning to stretch out and away. Before Sam could cross his arms to signal his Pokémon to defend itself, the bird’s shadow came beneath it and struck it hard. Sam watched helplessly as the Honedge landed flat on the ground, slowly getting up to the entertainment of the two grunts.

“This one should finish it,” the lanky grunt said. “Slowking, use Fla–”

The grunt’s command was interrupted by the bright afterimage of a bladed attack that struck the muscular grunt’s Oricorio. Both grunts as well as Sam and Starlight looked down to where the flash ended, seeing the Fomantis kneeling with its right leaf arm held out before looking to Sam and Starlight with fiercely determined eyes.

“You?!” Sam shouted.

Just then, the Eevee also came from behind, biting down on the Oricorio, making it squawk wildly and spin around as quickly as it could before too much damage could be done, but it was too late. With a buck of its legs, Eevee launched itself backwards and sent the Oricorio with it, slamming its head into the ground. Eevee ran back to join the Fomantis by Honedge’s side.

The muscular grunt ran out to the Oricorio and turned it over, its lax groaning and eyes looking in two directions telling him that it fainted. With a wince, he brought his Poké Ball out and returned it inside.

“Yo,” the grunt growled to his partner, “kill those Pokémon dead.”

“Nothing would give me more pleasure,” the lanky grunt responded. “Slowking, Flamethrower, now!”

With a wave of its head, the Slowking sprayed a hefty stream of fire from its mouth, hitting Honedge and his two rescuers at once. Both grunts looked pleased as Honedge, spent from the day’s events, dropped its scabbard and fell to the ground unconscious. Sam called his Honedge back inside of its ball as the muscular grunt approached it.

“You’re out of Pokémon,” he said. “Now it’s time to take that unicorn there and–”

The Fomantis stopped his advance with a single Razor Leaf, slicing the grunt’s glove and leaving a small cut in the webbing between his thumb and index finger. The muscular grunt stepped back and yelled as he squeezed his wrist, watching a small trickle of blood escape his fresh wound.

“How ‘bout not?” Sam spoke, grinning madly. “Now, let’s see how you handle your version of a fair fight. Fomantis, use Razor Leaf again!” Instead, the Fomantis knelt down, sticking its leafy arms into the ground and making them glow, and soon, his whole body glowed as it healed. “Or… use Ingrain. That works too.”

The Eevee mewed back to Sam, waiting to make its own move. “Okay, Eevee, use Sand-Attack!”

The Eevee yipped in excitement, running forward at the Slowking before quickly spinning its back end around and kicking up with both legs, the dirt it picked up flying straight into Slowking’s eyes. As Slowking stumbled around, trying to wipe and rub the dirt away, the Eevee returned to the Fomantis’s side.

“What a cheap trick!” the lanky grunt yelled out. “Use Psychic on Fomantis!”

With its left arm still wiping its face, Slowking reached out in front of it with its right hand, Sam, Starlight, and the two Pokémon able to move aside as a large mass of the ground was picked up and dropped.

“Nice moves!” Sam cried. “Now, Fomantis, use Razor Leaf. Eevee, use Bite!”

The Eevee shot back out, and Fomantis swung its right arm out, letting about a dozen leaves fly out at its target. The Eevee juked to the left and right, dodging each one as the Slowking regained its sight. It didn’t even remotely have enough time to dodge the leaves as they collided and cut it, followed immediately by Eevee clamping down on its left arm.

“That’s it,” Starlight hopefully whispered.

The Slowking whipped its arm, sending Eevee flying back to the Fomantis’s side.

“That one needs to go,” the lanky grunt spoke. “Slowking, Ice Beam on the Fomantis!”

With a widening of its mouth, a bright, chilly beam shot out straight at the Fomantis. It shielded its face with its arms, but before the attack could connect, Eevee ran around and leapt up, taking the attack as it rolled to Starlight’s hooves, frozen and immobile. Starlight gasped as she fell to her shins, cradling the Eevee in her arms.

While peeved by the Eevee’s sudden bravery, he smirked at the result nonetheless. “Same difference.”

The Fomantis’s eyes squinted in pure rage, charging at the Slowking with its arms completely glowing white. Sam reached out to stop it, but continued to watch as it jumped and delivered a hard slash into the Slowking’s chest. Both grunts gasped as Slowking was knocked to its back.

“Was that…?” the muscular grunt exclaimed.

“Yeah,” the lanky grunt growled.

“A Leaf Blade?” Sam wondered aloud. “Did that do it?”

The Slowking seemed to answer Sam by rolling itself into a seated position, continuing the momentum until it stood back on its feet. Sam took a step back, frightened that Fomantis would not avoid what was coming next.

“Man, you two are pests,” the lanky grunt said. “Whatever. You’ll be exterminated with this last hit. Slowking, use Ice Beam!”

As the Slowking opened its mouth to charge its attack, Sam was too distracted to notice a brown blur rush away from Starlight and at the Slowking. Not even the grunts noticed as the Eevee soared out at the Slowking’s face, headbutting into its forehead, the hit knocking the Slowking’s head up so that its attack went harmlessly into the air. Both grunts remained silent as Slowking was once again felled onto its back, this time lying still and fainted.

“Impossible!” The muscular grunt saw as the Eevee landed back down, shaking the bits of ice still clinging to its fur. “How did it thaw so quickly?”

“I did it!” Starlight shouted, her horn charging revealingly. “I used a heating spell to warm it back up.”

“And it looks like it used a Quick Attack before your Pokémon could take out its friend,” Sam concluded. “Looks like you two lost. Again!”

As the muscular grunt stepped back, the lanky grunt returned its fainted Slowking into its Poké Ball. “You kids aren’t even that strong! You can’t keep relying on wild Pokémon to come to your rescue forever!”

Fomantis threw its arms out rapidly, launching a flurry of leaves at the two grunts. They both groaned and yelped as they were continuously pelted before they finally decided to run off. Once they were far enough away, the Fomantis stopped its onslaught and panted heavily. The Eevee approached it and mewed, wondering if it was alright. The Fomantis let out a gentle screech at it and lightly waved its arm at its face. Sam and Starlight both laughed.

The Fomantis and Eevee then looked to the two and pointed out to the area behind the grunts. Sam looked out and saw familiar black mound just at the top of the hill. He jogged out to it, and his eyes lit up upon seeing his backpack in relatively unharmed condition.

“My backpack!” Sam looked through it and found virtually everything had remained untouched. “Oh my god, thank you so much!”

Fomantis scratched behind its head modestly while Eevee sighed loudly.

“And thank you for saving us!” Starlight came up behind them. “We really owe you one.”

Starlight scratched Eevee behind the ears, Fomantis taking a step back to politely refuse her touch.

“Yes,” Sam added. “Thank you very much for your help.”

Once Starlight walked around to Sam’s side and Sam slung his backpack on his shoulders, the Fomantis and Eevee looked back and nodded with a farewell, turning back to walk to their home. Sam watched them go, and everything with each passing step felt more wrong to him by the moment.

He took a deep breath. “Hey!” Both Pokémon turned back to face him. “Why don’t you come with us? You’ll never go hungry or have to steal for food again. How’s that sound?”

Both the Fomantis and Eevee looked to each other, their eyes wide with wonder and excitement. They both cheered and ran back up to them. Sam couldn’t help but smile wide as he took a Poké Ball from his bag and knelt down to the Fomantis.

“You ready?” he asked.

The Fomantis nodded eagerly, allowing Sam to tap the center of his Poké Ball into the the Fomantis’s forehead, sucking it into the ball in a wisp of red energy. With one shake, the Poké Ball latched closed. Sam let out a short, but loud laugh, unable to believe his very own first Pokémon catch. The Eevee approached him, looking at the ball with slight bemusement.

“You next?” Sam asked, fishing for another Poké Ball.

The Eevee let out another meow, signaling its excitement. As Sam lowered the ball, he stopped just inches from its head, looking back to Starlight, who, like the Eevee, was also confused why he had stopped.

“Huh?” Starlight stared at the side of his head. “What are you waiting for?”

Sam closed his eyes. It had to be this way. “Why don’t you have her, Starlight?”

Starlight shook her head, unsure if she heard him right. “Huh, what? Why me?”

“I saw the way you two bonded in that clearing. I think you officially ‘caught’ her when you gave her some of those Poké Beans. Not to mention, I think it would be really great if you had your own Pokémon partner; someone to help you out if you lose your magic?”

The thought of her own Pokémon was intriguing, and the Eevee’s expectant stares were becoming too hard for Starlight to resist. “Are you really certain about this?”

“I think as long as it gets to travel with Fomantis, she’ll be happy as a Shelder. Go ahead.”

“Then, so…”

The Eevee rubbed its body against Starlight and purred loudly, a bond formed between them.

Starlight picked the Eevee into her arms and twirled about, giggling stridently. “Yes! I ‘caught’ an Eevee!”

Sam nodded, happy to see his friend in high spirits. “Would you like to name her?”

“Name her? I can name her too?”

“Of course. Alice and I personally don’t, but you can do whatever you want with yours.”

Starlight stood on her hind legs, perfectly balanced, looking at Eevee with an extent of intensity. After studying it for a minute or so, she smiled, having come up with it.

“Lady…”

Eevee cooed, wondering what Starlight had said. “Yeah, I think it suits you. Do you like the name ‘Lady’ too?”

Eevee squealed again, happy with its new title, and Starlight hugged it tight like a doll. Sam gave them a moment. They deserved it.

Alice and Fluttershy stood lazily and tired beneath the wooden entrance banner to Paniola Town. Alice checked her Holo Caster; still no signal.

“I knew we shouldn’t have let them go in there,” Alice grumbled.

“What if Team Prism attacked him and Starlight?” Fluttershy asked

“I can’t imagine they’d be waiting for us in that forest, yet alone know to look in there.”

“Oh, wait, there they are!”

Fluttershy’s suddenly chipper voice startled Alice awake, and turning south, she saw both Sam and Starlight both smiling wide, Lady standing and balancing on Starlight’s back while Sam’s bag was equipped to his. Alice put her flat hand above her eyes, unsure if her eyes were fooling her or not.

“You can’t be serious…” Alice ran to meet the three, followed by Fluttershy, all of them stopping close to each other. “Don’t tell me that’s the Eevee that took Sam’s bag.”

“It is!” Starlight chirped. “Her name is Lady.”

“Not just that,” Sam added, showing off his Poké Ball belt clip with two balls attached to it.

“Is that the thing that took your power bar?” Fluttershy asked

“The very same. She’s called a Fomantis, by the way.”

“And how in the hell did you manage to do that?” Alice asked.

Sam smirked even wider. Boy, did he have the story to tell.

Comments

[Skylight Blossom]

Heh, nice use of the nickname mechanic. I haven't watched the series much in recent years, but I've rarely seen characters give their pokemon nicknames.
I am happy to see the ponies also acting the role of trainer. I wonder what Eeveelution Lady will end up as. Umbreon would be a perfect counter to protect the magically inclined, provided Dark type doesn't have it own effects on them.

[moviemaster8510]

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Anything relating to real-world psychic abilities are, while very rare in humans, natural.

Implying that Pokémon takes place in a natural, real-world setting.

Magic is supernatural.

Again, implying that the Pokémon world is anything but supernatural.

Natural will always lose to supernatural if pitted against each other.

You sound very assured in this assumption. What year did you receive your doctorate in magical studies?