My Little Pokemon

by Alabenson

Interludes I: Family Matters

“I truly wish one of your other students could have been transported here, perhaps the one Twilight met in the other human world,” Princess Luna said as she and Princess Celestia made their way to the conference room that had been set aside for their use.

“Sunset Shimmer was a skilled pupil, but in this situation, I doubt that she’d be able to do much more than Twilight,” Celestia replied. “What we need right now is somepony who understands the devices of this world and how they work.”

“A fair point, sister, I just wish that the somepony in question was a bit less…” As Princess Luna pushed open the door to the room the princesses were greeted with the sight of a blue-haired man in a lab coat spinning around in a chair until it toppled over. “…eccentric.”

“Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! I was just…testing the gyroscopic mechanical potential of this chair. All very scientific and necessary, I assure you.”

“Ook,” a purple and white orangutan-like creature grunted from its seat on the other side of the room.

“Oh you be quiet, mister ‘high and mighty because he has psychic powers in this universe’!” the man said before turning back to the princesses. “I assure you, my assistant is just grumpy because he can’t get proper bananas in this universe.”

“Professor Boffinspark, please focus,” Princess Celestia said calmly, in the tone of somepony who’s had to say something similar many, many times before. “Now, what can you tell us about what has happened?”

“Ah, yes, of course. Now, thanks to this island’s peculiar way of processing visitors I’ve been able to determine that the transdimensional wave seems to have pulled in the entire population of Ponyville, along with a number of other ponies with strong emotional connections to the element bearers. What I haven’t been able to figure out is just what caused the wave in the first place.”

“We’ve already been informed as to the root cause of the problem,” Princess Celestia quickly said. “What we need to know now is how we can contact those ponies who were brought here.”

“Well, that should be relatively simple once I’m able to access the island’s communication infrastructure. I’m still unraveling the ins and outs of the system, but we should be able to reach out to everypony through those red devices the island issues out to visitors. In the meantime, I’ve been able to at least track where everypony’s been going. Igor, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Ook.” With a grunt of acknowledgement, the orangutan-like Pokémon’s eyes lit up with an unearthly glow as the lights of the room dimmed and a device on the conference table projected a holographic map of the island, the lower half of which was covered in twinkling lights.

“Show off,” Boffinspark grumbled before turning his attention to the map. “The lights you see on this map represent the ponies who were transferred here. As you can see, the majority, about two thirds or so, have elected to remain in Mercury City where they were dropped off.”

“And the others?” Princess Luna asked pointedly.

“The rest appear to have spread out all over the island. From what I’ve been able to deduce it seems a number of ponies have elected to take part in this world’s Pokémon fighting customs. I’ve actually considered looking into it myself,” Boffinspark added before ducking to narrowly avoid being hit in the head by a piece of fruit. “However, my assistant has expressed some reservations regarding the idea.”

Princess Celestia, however, wasn’t paying any attention to her former student’s antics. Instead, her entire focus was on the map in front of her as she wondered how her subjects were coping in this strange new world.

*********

“Torchic, you’ve got this! Now finish it off with another Ember!” Scootaloo’s Torchic chirped its acknowledgement as it leapt into the air and sprayed a cloud of cinders at its opponent. The floating, sword-like Pokémon was caught completely off guard and took the full brunt of the attack, its singed form clattering to the cement floor of the arena.

“Honedge is unable to battle. Therefore, the winner is the challenger, Scootaloo!” The referee’s pronouncement prompted cheers from the handful of observers in the stands above the Mercury City gym’s arena, with two girls in particular cheering louder than anyone.

“All right Scootaloo! That’s the way to get it done!” Apple Bloom cried out.

“Yeah, go Scootaloo! Woo woo woo!” Sweetie Belle added.

As Scootaloo basked in the cheers of her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders, Ferris recalled his Honedge and walked over to address his victorious challenger. “That was an impressive battle, you’ve definitely got some serious potential as a trainer. And, for winning this challenge you’ve earned yourself the Alloy badge and a piece of Steelium-Z. So, any thoughts on what you’re going to do next?”

“Well, my friends and I were planning on heading up to someplace called Keystone City so Apple Bloom can get her first badge too. In the meantime, I need to start training so I’m ready for my next challenge.” As Ferris nodded sagely at this plan the doors to the field burst open as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rushed inside.

“That was amazing, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle gushed. “You and Torchic make an incredible team!”

“Ah’ll say, Ah just hope Treecko and Ah do half as well when we get to this Keystone City place,” Apple Bloom added.

“Come on, Apple Bloom, you’re gonna do great. Besides, I’d have never have done this well if you and Sweetie Belle hadn’t helped me train, so now it’s my turn to help you,” Scootaloo said.

“That’s right, and as long as we keep helping each other we’ll be able to handle anything,” Sweetie Belle added prompting the three girls to perform a three-way high-five.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Pokémon Trainers! Yay!”

Not long afterwards, the Cutie Mark Crusaders could be found celebrating Scootaloo’s victory at the Pokémon Center as the waited for Scootaloo’s Pokémon to recover.

“So, Ah was just thinkin’, what do ya’ll think our sisters are doin’ right now? Ah mean, Ah gotta think they’re all here too since it seems like everypony else is,” Apple Bloom said.

“They’re probably trying to figure out how to get everypony home,” Sweetie Belle replied.

“Well, if that’s the case I kinda hope they take their time with the whole ‘saving Equestria’ thing this time. This is definitely more fun than the stuff they usually have to save us from.” Scootaloo suddenly looked up as a though occurred to her. “Hey, do you think they’re getting involved with all this gym battling stuff too?”

“I don’t know, I can’t really see Rarity wanting to do it,” Sweetie Belle said. “She’d probably say it’s uncouth or something.”

“Fluttershy probably wouldn’t be all that interested in all this battlin’ business either. Ah can kind of see Applejack bein’ interested in it, though,” Apple Bloom concluded.

“And Rainbow Dash will definitely want in on it,” Scootaloo added. “I wonder if anypony else we know is going to try these gym battles?”

*********

“Look, if you want to try your hoof at taking on one of these gyms then you go right ahead. I’m just saying that, personally, I really don’t see the appeal,” Shining Armor said as he leaned back on the picnic blanket he and Cadance had set out.

“I know it seems strange, but according to everyone I’ve spoken to these Pokémon seem to actually enjoy battling each other. Also, you have to admit it does look exciting,” Cadance said as she watched Flurry Heart roll about in the grass. Nearby, the two Pokémon, Eevees according to Cadance’s Pokédex, that had been given to Cadance and Shining Armor when they first arrived on the strange island watched over the gleeful toddler.

“Honestly, I think I’m going to leave the excitement to you and Twily. I’m just going to treat this whole thing as a vacation and relax.” To accentuate his point, Shining Armor put his hands behind his head and laid down on his back. Shining Armor’s efforts at relaxation were somewhat hampered, however, as Flurry Heart promptly took the opportunity to crawl up to her father and climb up onto his chest.

“I have to say you’re taking all of this rather well. You’re not even a little worried about what might have caused all of this?” Cadance asked.

“I could ask you the same question,” Shining Armor replied with a grin. “Personally, with all the times Equestria’s been in horrible peril it’s a little refreshing to have some magical disaster that’s this peaceful. Besides, you had been saying how you wanted to try and find some nice, stimulating activities for Flurry Heart that we could all enjoy as a family. I’d say this qualifies.” Flurry Heart accentuated Shining Armor’s point by bursting into a fit of giggles as she rolled back off his chest and toddled over to play with the Eevees again.

“You do make a good point,” Cadance conceded. “Do you find it concerning that we’ve gotten so used to this sort of thing that we’re just not phased by any of it anymore?”

Shining Armor chuckled at his wife’s question. “Cadance, honey, have you forgotten what life with Twily was like even before she went to Ponyville? Like the time mom and dad got her a potions kit for her birthday and she managed to practically turn our backyard into a jungle? Or the time Princess Celestia showed her how weather magic works and Twily decided to practice at home and somehow succeeded in summoning a blizzard in our dining room? Believe me, I got used to magical weirdness a long time ago, and at least this time nopony’s been kidnapped or is trying to take over Equestria.”

For a few moments it looked as though Cadance was trying to think of a counterargument to Shining Armor’s point before she finally just shrugged her shoulders and sat down next to her husband. “So, what do you think caused all of this anyway?”

“Discord,” Shining Armor said immediately. “Whatever this is, I guarantee you his mismatched claw things are behind this somehow.”

“That seems a little harsh,” Cadance said.

“He deserves it. Honestly, I don’t get what Twilight’s friend Fluttershy sees in that jerk. Discord has got to be the single most annoying, obnoxious creature anypony has ever been forced to deal with.”

*********

“Hey! We’re packing up, so move your lazy, useless flank and get up!” Limestone Pie roared as she stood over one of her new traveling companions.

“Take it easy, it’s way too early to think about getting up,” came the laconic reply from the sleeping bag. “Ponies just don’t appreciate how important sleep really is, you know? But, I’ll tell you what, you get breakfast started and I’ll get up when its ready. In the meantime, this breeze needs his Zs.”

Limestone looked down at Zephyr Breeze for several moments as she digested what he had just said before wordlessly grabbing the bottom of his sleeping bag, lifting it into the air, and shaking it until he finally rolled out onto the ground. “Now, get your stuff together or we’re leaving you behind.” As Limestone causally tossed the sleeping bag onto the protesting Zephyr Breeze she wandered over to where her other companion was finishing the chore of packing up their campsite.

“He up?” Big Macintosh asked without looking up from his current task of shoveling dirt onto the ashes of their campfire.

“Well he’s out of his sleeping bag, anyway,” Limestone replied with an evil chuckle before resuming watching Big Macintosh work. After a minute or so she let out a disappointed sigh. It was inevitable, the good stallions were always taken. Or potentially related to her.

“You didn’t need to dump me on the ground like that!” The sound of Zephyr Breeze’s whining as he approached quickly snapped Limestone back to the situation at hand.

“Maybe next time you’ll get up when I tell you to,” Limestone fired back. “You act like you don’t even don’t even care that your sister is out there somewhere.”

“Right, the sister who’s saved Equestria literally a half-dozen times, who’s special talent is dealing with animals, in a world who’s whole thing is superpowered animals,” Zephyr Breeze replied. “Yeah, I’m not exactly worried. If anything, Flutterbutter’s probably going to be running this place before too long. To be honest I’m more interested in finding Rainbow Dash, gonna play the rescuing hero angle, you know?”

Limestone Pie gagged as she silently thanked Celestia that Zephyr Breeze was too focused on Rainbow Dash to consider trying to pursue her. “Look, I don’t really care why you’ve decided to follow us, but the two of us actually do care about finding our sisters, so if you’re going to keep getting in our way…”

“Alright, alright, fine, if it’ll calm you down, I’ll try the whole ‘early to bed early to rise’ deal,” Zephyr Breeze quickly said in an effort to stave off Limestone’s wrath. “But, you do know your sisters’ are in on the saving Equestria gig too, right? I’m pretty sure they’re going to be fine.”

“Applejack isn’t the one Ah’m worried about,” Big Macintosh replied simply as he hoisted up his backpack, having finished getting everything together while Zephyr and Limestone were bickering.

“That’s right, you’ve got Apple Bloom to worry about too, don’t you?” Limestone said. “Well, that’s just one more reason to get moving before our sister’s run into Celestia knows what.”

*********

“And these creatures will obey our every order without question?” King Sombra asked as he admitted the jet-black Poké Ball in his hand.

“Yes. One of the few good things about the ridiculous dimension Discord has sheltered the ponies in is that these Pokémon are highly obedient and loyal to their masters,” the deep, gravely voice echoed out from an orb suspended midair about the floor of the cavern Sombra and Chrysalis stood in, resembling a giant, shadowy goat’s eye. “The problem with these creatures is they require supervision to be effective, so I still need to rely on you idiots to deal with Princess Twilight and her allies.”

“Don’t worry, with these creatures at our command, eliminating Twilight Sparkle should be no challenge at all,” Chrysalis said with a wicked grin. “And then there will be nothing to stop me from exacting my revenge on that miserable Starlight Glimmer for turning my hive against me.”

“Ugh, again with your obsession with Starlight Glimmer. So she bested you and turned your entire species against you, get over it! Maybe if you spent less time wallowing in your fixation with her and more time down anything else you wouldn’t have been living in a forrest like some insane homeless mare when Lord Grogar found you. Although, you are an insane homeless mare so I suppose it appropriate,” Sombra added with a cruel laugh.

“You’re one to talk. Tell me, how have your plans to reconquer the Crystal Empire been progressing?” Chrysalis spat back.

“Quite well, actually. So kind of you to ask. And that’s my point, I devote my time towards making plans to actually accomplish something more productive than petty vengeance against that bubblegum-colored usurper and her family,” Sombra replied.

“SILENCE! Both of you quit your incessant bickering this instant! I don’t care what you decide to do with the resources I’ve provided you as long as you complete my orders first. Seek out this Twilight Sparkle and her friends and destroy them. If you can manage to eliminate even one of them then the power they wield will be significantly dismantled if not snuffed out entirely. Any questions?”

“Um..I – nee Haw! – have one question, Lord Grogar.” Sombra and Chrysalis both turned to see a dirt brown, burro-like Pokémon step forward out of the shadows.

“What is it, Bray?” Grogar grumbled irritably.

“Well, its just that I was wondering why – nee Haw! – these two became humans when you sent them to this world but I became a Pokémon?” Bray asked in a nasally whine.

“Because it amuses me,” Grogar snapped. “Now, unless any of you actually has an intelligent question, I suggest you get moving!”

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Might be Mud Bray, but put effort into it and you can become a MudsDale?

The last time someone used Dark Balls against the crew, Ash and co ended up Celebirating?

[RainbowAnime]

Enemy appeared!
Cool

[WanderingPony]

I see Grogar can also be the Father of Pocket Monsters, too.

[ANW]

Oh no.
Not those dark balls.
I'm getting time flashbacks.