My Little Pokemon

by Alabenson

A Grave Situation, Part 1

“You know, I believe I’ve really been far too negative about this whole ‘journeying’ business. It’s been a bit of an adjustment, certainly, but now that I’ve had a chance to really get accustomed to it, I’m actually starting to think that this has been exactly what I’ve been needing,” Rarity said cheerfully. “I was starting to worry that I might have been heading for a bit of an artistic rut, but I can hardly remember the last time I’ve encountered so many sources of inspiration.”

“Not that Ah ain’t glad that yer happy or nothin’, but Ah can’t help think yer new attitude has somethin’ to do with the fact that y’all ain’t the one doin’ the walkin’ anymore,” Applejack observed as she looked up at her friend, who was seated atop her Tauros as they trekked up the mountain path.

Rarity promptly turned her head away from Applejack in indignation. “Really, Applejack, I’m just taking an opportunity to spend more quality time with my Tauros. He’s really proven to be quite pleasant now that we’ve come to an understanding about what is and isn’t to be eaten. Besides which, this is proving to been an excellent opportunity for us to bond, and isn’t that sort of thing the custom here? ‘When in Roam do as the Roamans’ as they say,” Rarity added.

“Is that also why y’all decided to dress up like some sort of country music starlet?” Applejack asked as she eyed the rhinestone-covered cowgirl outfit Rarity was wearing.

“Just because we’re on the road doesn’t mean I can’t still do my very best to look fabulous. Plus, even you have to admit I do a fantastic job of blending country and glamour,” Rarity said.

“Honestly, if y’all ask me Ah’d say that getup looks a lot like what y’all were wearin’ when y’all were tryin’ to flirt with that Trenderhoof fella,” Applejack said.

“A design can still be good even if its original inspiration wasn’t something one is particularly proud of,” Rarity replied irritably after a moment’s silence. The pair continued on without speaking for another minute or two before Rarity spoke up again. “Applejack, are you certain that this is the best route to intercept Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy? As much as I’m grateful that we’ll be able to avoid traveling through that swamp, it does feel like we’re going awfully far out of our way.”

“That’s because we’re tryin’ to get ahead of them, not just chase after them,” Applejack replied. “Think about it, if we just go straight after those two, there’s no tellin’ ho long it’d take us to catch up to them. So, instead, we’re gonna circle around and get to where they’re headed and hopefully get there before they do.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Rarity said, still sounding a little unsure. Rarity wouldn’t have a chance to voice any further concerns, however, as right at that moment a small, purple blur bolted out of a nearby shadow and rushed at Rarity, snatching her hat rough off of her head.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack yelled as she tried to figure out what had just happened, only to be met by a shriek of indignation and rage from Rarity.

“You! Give me back my hat this instant!” Rarity ordered, her Tauros pawing at the ground to emphasize its trainer’s demand. Following Rarity’s gaze, Applejack quickly spotted the target of her friend’s ire. Perched on a nearby rock was a small, dark purple, imp-like creature clutching Rarity’s hat in its claws. Strikingly, the creature’s eyes appeared to be faceted gems of some kind, which sparkled with delight as it tore off one of the rhinestones decorating Rarity’s hat. Before anyone could react, the creature popped the crystal into its wide mouth and bit down with a sickening crunch.

“Huh, guess that thing’s got the same taste fer gems that Spike does,” Applejack said half-jokingly as she fumbled for her Pokédex, only to be met with stony silence from Rarity.

“My Spikey-wikey,” Rarity began through tightly clenched teeth, “may appreciate jewels in a different manner than I do, but he does NOT go around thieving accessories off the heads of ladies. Tauros, Charge.” A flaw in Rarity’s chosen method of dealing with the situation became immediately apparent as Tauros surged forward without its trainer having any way of holding on, with the expected results.

“Rarity, are y’all alright?” Applejack asked as she rushed to help her friend pick herself up off the ground.

“A bruised ego…and rump, if I’m being honest,” Rarity said, wincing as Applejack pulled her to her feet. “I don’t think anything too serious though. Hopefully the same won’t be able to be said for that odious little thieving miscreant.”

“Ah think y’all might be disappointed on that account. Look,” Applejack said as she pointed to where the Pokémon head been standing. Tauros’s attack had upended the rock it had been perched on, but the impish Pokémon had somehow teleported several yards further up the path. As Applejack and Rarity watched, the creature pointed at them and let out s shrill, mocking laugh before tearing off and devouring another rhinestone. “Now Rarity, Ah can guess what y’all are thinkin’ right now, but maybe we should –”

“TAUROS! GET THAT THING!” Applejack could only sigh and follow along as Rarity repeatedly ordered her Tauros to assault the mysterious Pokémon. Every time Tauros attacked, however, the Pokémon seemed to vanish from sight, only to reappear further ahead. Gradually, the Pokémon, which Applejack was eventually able to identify as a Sableye, led the girls to the entrance of a cemetery occupying a plateau jutting from the side of the mountain.

“Hold on there, Rarity, are y’all sure y’ wanna follow that little varmint in there?” Applejack asked as she looked warily at the pair of vine-covered stone pillars that formed the cemetery’s gateway. “Ah ain’t sayin’ it don’t deserve a good thrashin’ or nothin’ fer snackin’ on yer hat, but somethin’ about this whole situation stinks worse than a pigsty on a hot summer day.”

Rarity thought for a moment as she looked past the pillars to the veritable forest of crumbling grave markers lying beyond. “I can see your point. As much as it pains me to allow that little beast’s crimes against fashion to go unpunished, I suppose one does have to eventually draw a line –” A faint, wet splat could be heard as a half-chewed berry struck the back of Rarity’s head, immediately followed by peals of high-pitched laughter. Eye’s twitching with barely contained fury, Rarity slowly turned around must in time to be struck in the chest by another berry, leaving a large, dark purple stain on her blouse.

“Okay now, Rarity, take deep breathes. Let’s just turn around and leave the little pest be before somepony gets hurt,” Applejack said in a desperate effort to head off her friend’s anger.

“Applejack,” Rarity replied in an unsettlingly even tone. “I’m not going to hurt that vile little monster. I’m going to RIP IT APART!”

Applejack could only watch as Rarity charged forward at the laughing Sableye, her Tauros following obediently behind. Given the expression on its face, it was plainly evident that Tauros was no longer sure if its trainer was going to need its services to battle the Sableye. “Dang, Ah haven’t seen anypony act that riled up since the last time somepony broke a Pinkie Promise,” Applejack muttered to herself as she followed Rarity inside the cemetery. While the various crumbling monuments and ancient grave markers broke up her line of sight, Rarity’s repeated screams of frustration and rage made it easy to follow her. Applejack eventually caught up to her friend as she had seemingly cornered her prey in the shadow of a particularly tall stone monument.

“I’ve finally got you, you repulsive little gem-eating vermin. You are going to pay for ruining my blouse and – STOP EATING THE GEMS OFF OF MY HAT!” Rarity screamed.

The Sableye, however, seemed totally unconcerned as it lounged back on a gravestone and casually bit the large gem that had previously adorned the front of Rarity’s hat in half. “He does seem to have a love of crystals, doesn’t he?” a deep, male voice asked as a dark figure loomed out from the shadows.

“Yes, its as repulsively obsessed with them as you are,” a tall woman with stringy green hair answered as she stepped int the light from a different direction. “Still, it did its job adequately in luring these two to us.”

“What the hay’s goin’ on? Who are y’all?” Applejack asked as she placed a hand on her Aron’s Poké Ball.

“Oh, you don’t recognize me? I’d have thought invading Canterlot and capturing you along with the rest of Twilight’s friends would have left more on an impression.”

“Queen Chrysalis,” Applejack hissed before turning to the other figure, still cloaked in shadow. “So who the hay is yer friend over there? Ah didn’t think there were any changelings left who’d be crazy enough to follow you instead of Thorax.”

“Don’t you dare mention that usurper’s name in my presence!” Chrysalis snarled, which only drew derisive laughter from her companion.

“I should be offended that you’d confuse me for one of her mewling cockroaches, but that was just too amusing for me to get angry at,” the man said as he stepped fully out of the shadows. “Don’t worry, I won’t be offended if you don’t recognize me in this form. After all, last time we met I was too busy reclaiming my empire for us to have formal introductions.”

“King Sombra,” Rarity gasped in horror. “But, that’s impossible, you were destroyed by the Crystal Heart’s magic.”

Rarity’s statement was met by cackling laughter from a third source, apparently hidden behind a tombstone near Chrysalis. “Reviving King Sombra was a – nee Haw! – trivial matter for a being as powerful as Lord Grogar!”

“Shut up, Bray,” Sombra snarled before turning back to Applejack and Rarity. “Now, as amusing as this reunion has been, I’m afraid we’re going to have to end it, and you along with it.” As Sombra spoke, his Sableye bared its fangs and let out an evil hiss. “It’s honestly nothing personal, at least for myself, but I do have a debt that needs to be paid.”

“Speak for yourself,” Chrysalis sneered as she pulled out what appeared to be a grey and black Poké Ball. “I’m going to thoroughly enjoy destroying the both of these miserable cretins.”

“Well, Ah hate to break it to y’, but we ain’t exactly plannin’ on makin’ it easy fer either of y’all to destroy us,” Applejack growled.

“I’d be disappointed if you did,” Chrysalis replied before tossing her Poké Ball into the air. “Scyther, come, your queen has need of you.” The strange Poké Ball split open and disgorged a dark purplish shadow which coalesced in a flash of light into a vicious, green creature that vaguely resembled a mantis, its forelimbs ending in massive, scythe-like claws. “It’s not quite the same as commanding my hive, but I have to admit, commanding this creature does hold a certain appeal.”

Applejack glanced back and forth between the two advancing villains before looking back at Rarity. Fighting the two wasn’t out of the question, but Applejack doubted doing so on their terms would be a wise decision. “It might actually be a good thing that Rainbow Dash ain’t here. Least with Rarity Ah don’t have to worry much about her tryin’ to rush into a fight without at thinkin’ a little bit,” Applejack thought to herself before sidling back towards Rarity and Tauros. “Like Ah said, we ain’t gonna make this easy fer either of y’all, so if y’all wanna tussle…” Without warning, Applejack suddenly grabbed Rarity and leapt up onto Tauros’ back, digging her heels into its sides to direct it away from Chrysalis and Sombra. “Then yer gonna have to catch us first!” Applejack yelled as Tauros thundered away.

“Applejack, what in Equestria do you think you’re doing?” Rarity said as she clung to her friend for dear life. “We can’t just run away from those two.”

“We can as long as Tauros here doesn’t get too tired,” Applejack shot back. “Look, Ah get what yer sayin’, but tryin’ to fight our way out of an ambush like that would be crazy.”

Rarity opened her mouth to reply, but instead let out a shriek of terror. Applejack looked over to see the Scyther that Chrysalis had somehow acquired flying through the air straight towards her. Desperately, Applejack tried to steer Tauros away from their assailant, but her efforts were too little too late. As the Scyther caught up to them, it slashed at Applejack, narrowly missing her and causing her to lose her grip and fall tumbling to the ground.

“Keep goin’! Ah’ll catch up to y’all as soon as Ah can!” Applejack called out as Tauros continued to charge of into the distance. Knowing she didn’t have much time to worry, however, Applejack quickling pulled herself back to her feet, grunting in pain from the bruises she had received in her fall. “If y’all wanna go after mah friend then y’ll have to get by me first. An Ah’ll give y’ fair warnin’, y’all ain’t the only ones who’ve got Pokémon rarin’ fer a fight. Go Aron!”

“So, you do want to put up a fight after all,” Chrysalis’ voice called out, seemingly echoing from every direction. “Good, I was starting to worry that you were going to make this boing. I’ll allow Sombra to chase down your little friend, eliminating you will be a sufficient prelude to my final revenge on Starlight Glimmer.”

“Heh, sounds to me like y’all are startin’ to count yer apples before they’re bucked,” Applejack said, the crystal of her Z-ring already starting to faintly glow. “Aron and me are about to teach y’all the difference between grabbin’ somepony out of their bed in the middle of the night and takin’ ‘em head on!”

Suddenly, before Applejack could even start the series of poses to activate her Z-move, a small mud-colored burro dashed out from the gravestones and delivered a powerful double-hooved buck to Aron’s side. The force of the attack sent Aron bouncing across the ground until it collided with a large monument of some kind, collapsing it down on top of the unfortunate Pokémon.

“Thank you, Bray,” Chrysalis said as she stepped into view. “I don’t know what this little hayseed was planning, but it looks like whatever it was just fell apart.”

“Don be so sure about that, y’all ain’t got be beat yet,” Applejack fired back as she recalled her Aron and pulled out another Poké Ball while desperately hoping Chrysalis wouldn’t be able to notice the fear in her voice. “Go, Turtwig! Hit that dang donkey with Razor Leaf, on the double!” Turtwig scarcely had emerged from the light of its Poké Ball when it fired off a pair of leaves form the top of its head at Bray.

“Attacking us with leaves?” Chrysalis laughed in derision. “What next, do you plan on sprinkling us with deadly flower petals?” It was at that point that Bray, screaming in pain from having a leaf wedged solidly between his eyes, ran past Chrysalis and crashed into a tombstone, knocking it over. “Congratulations, you’ve managed to defeat a useless idiot. Scyther, eviscerate that turtle, then do the same to its trainer.” It’s eyes glowing bright red, Scyther let out a shrill war cry as it darted through the air too fast for Applejack’s eyes to follow. Turtwig, however, seemed strangely calm at the situation even as Scyther appeared in front of it and slashed at Turtwig with one of its claws.

As Scyther’s attack made contact, however, Turtwig became suffused in a white, glowing light that seemed to cause Scyther’s attack to harmlessly bounce off its shell. As Chrysalis and Applejack both watched, Turtwig’s silhouette quickly shifted and grew until the light finally subsided to reveal a much larger and more heavily armored form. “Well, don’t that just beat all,” Applejack said as she admired her Pokémon’s new form.

“What? How?” Chrysalis screeched before struggling to regain her composure. “It doesn’t matter, new form or not, I’m still going to destroy you. Scyther, cut that thing to pieces.”

“Oh dang,” Applejack said as she watched Scyther fly up into the air to build momentum for its next attack. “Okay, Turtwig – or whatever the hay y’all are now, use Curse!”

“Grotle!” the newly evolved Pokémon replied as it tensed up and surrounded itself with a red corona of energy. While this did nothing to dissuade Scyther from attacking, its repeated darting seemed to do little to the sturdy Pokémon.

“Alrighty then, now we’re getting’ somewhere. Now, go ahead and squash that bug with yer Tackle,” Applejack said before pulling out her Pokédex. “Now, just what the hay am Ah supposed to call y’all now, anyway?”

Grotle, the Grove Pokémon. This Pokémon lives near sources of pure water in forested areas. The shell on its back is composed of hardened soil, which nourishes the trees that grow from its back.

An enraged scream caused Applejack to look up from Pokédex to see Chrysalis fuming as Grotle tackled her Scyther to the ground. “Get up! I won’t allow you to fail, not when I’m this close to having my revenge!” Chrysalis’ screams rapidly deteriorated into incomprehensibility as she continued to rage at her Scyther, which struggled to pull itself back to its feet. As Applejack watched Chrysalis throw her tantrum, she actually found herself feeling sorry for her opponent’s Pokémon. Not sorry enough, however, to risk holding back.

“Alright, Tur – Ah mean, Grotle, hit it with another Tackle.” Grotle nodded before charging into Scyther with enough force to smash it into the arch of an odd-looking nearby monument, which partially collapsed under the force of the impact. “Why don’t y’all just quit while y’ still can?” Applejack shouted at Chrysalis as she watched her opponent’s Pokémon struggle to pull itself out form the rubble. “Yer Pokémon don’t look like its doin’ too well, and Ah’ve got bigger problems right now then y’all to deal with.”

“How dare you speak to me like that? I will destroy you and once I’m finished with you there will be nothing to stop me from finally taking my revenge on Starlight Glimmer!” As Chrysalis continued to scream and rant, something behind her caught Applejack’s eye. The keystone of the fallen arch had developed several cracks as a result of the collapse, which were now leaking an unnatural purple vapor. Applejack looked on in mute fascination as the vapor slowly began to coalesce into a swirling cloud bubbling with unearthly green lights. As the cloud expanded the keystone began levitating off the ground, as though the cloud were somehow lifting it up like a hot air balloon. Suddenly, once the cloud had lifted up five or six feet off the ground, a monstrous pair of eyes and a jagged mouth opened up on the cloud, all glowing the same eerie green light as the other lights in the cloud.

“What in the name of Celestia is that?” Applejack cried out in alarm as she rapidly backed away.

“Really?” Chrysalis asked, her voice dripping with contempt. “Are you actually trying to use the ‘look behind you’ trick on me? I can’t decide if I find that more insulting or pathetic.”

“Spirit…” the cloud intoned malevolently as it glared down at Chrysalis, causing her to spin around.

“Oh. What in the name of that insufferable, cake-gorging ruler of yours is that?” Chrysalis asked mildly before baring her teeth and hissing at the vaporous entity. Unfortunately for Chrysalis, this failed to have the desired effect as the creature responded with a look of contempt mixed with wicked amusement.

“SpiriTOMB!” As the creature’s voice boomed out, a half-dozen black, shadowy tendrils emerged form its back and shot at Chrysalis with lightning speed. Chrysalis was just barely able to leap out of the way as the tendrils rained down and shattered the surrounding gravestones.

“Scyther, what are you waiting for? Your queen is under attack, so get up there and stop that thing!” Chrysalis screamed as she desperately tried crawling for cover. Though battered from its battle with Grotle, Scyther wasted no time flying straight for its new opponent, only for the Pokémon to easily dodge it before blasting Scyther with another barrage of shadows.

“Not that Ah ain’t glad it showed up, but just what they hay is that thing?” Applejack muttered to herself as she watched the vicious spirit turn its attention back to Chrysalis.

Spiritomb, the Forbidden Pokémon. This Pokémon is formed when 108 spirits are bound together into a stone. Trainers are advised to approach this Pokémon with extreme caution, as they are known to be highly unpredictable and are frequently violent.

Applejack looked back up to see the Spiritomb continuing to pursue and attack Chrysalis, who had been forced to recall her Scyther after it had finally collapsed unconscious. “It’d serve her right if Ah just walked away and let that thing blast her to bits. ‘Course, that don’t mean it’s the right thing to do, either.” Applejack visibly cringed as she realized that her morals had already decided on her next course of action, as much as she detested it. “Ah must be goin’ completely out of mah mind, but here goes nothin’.” With that, Applejack pulled out a Poké Ball and lobbed it at the Spiritomb.

What Applejack failed to take into account when aiming her throw, however, was the fact that the fog comprising Spiritomb’s head was wholly insubstantial. Consequently, Applejack’s Poké Ball passed right through the Spiritomb to collide with Chrysalis’ face. While Chrysalis unleashed a fresh stream of curses and threats towards Applejack, and ponies in general, the Spiritomb slowly turned to face this new interloper.

“Aw hay. Well, if yer gonna grab a bull by the horns…Grotle, this thing a taste of yer Razor Leaf!” Applejack’s Grotle obligingly proceeded to shake its back, causing a number of leaves to come loose from the bushes on its back and stream towards the Spiritomb, catching it off guard. The Spiritomb quickly recovered, however, and shot through the air at Grotle. Just as it seemed that the Spiritomb was about to collide with Grotle, however, the ghostly Pokémon veered to the left, seemingly narrowly missing it. As Grotle reflexively turned its head as Spiritomb flew by, however, it was smashed in the face by the keystone Spiritomb was trailing behind it. “Sneaky little varmint. Okay, if that’s how it wants to do this then we can play that game. Grotle, hit that thing with yer Absorb,” Nodding its head, Grotle closed its eyes and concentrated as the bushes along its sides began to emit a green glow. As it did so, the Spiritomb abruptly froze in place and winced in pain as energy appeared to flow out of it to Grotle. Before the Spiritomb had a chance to recover, Applejack launched another Poké Ball at it, this time striking its keystone. The Spiritomb barely had time to let out a cry of alarm as it was pulled into the Poké Ball, which was already trashing madly about as it hit the ground.

As Applejack’s Poké Ball finally let out a chime signifying a successful capture, Chrysalis poked her head out from behind a nearby gravestone. “Is that thing gone?”

“Ah’ve got him right here,” Applejack assured her as she retrieved her Poké Ball from the ground. “And unless y’all want me to let him out again Ah suggest y’all skedaddle. Like Ah said earlier, Ah’ve got more important things to deal with right now than givin’ yer hide the tannin’ it deserves.”

Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at Applejack as she started backing away. “You may have defeated me this time, but mark my words, I will be back. And the next time we meet I will have my revenge!” Applejack said nothing in response to this, but instead scowled and move her arm as though she were about to throw Spiritomb’s Poké Ball, prompting Chrysalis to turn and make a hasty retreat.

Applejack watched Chrysalis flee until she was certain the former changeling queen was out of earshot, at which point she breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Whew, Ah’m glad she decided to back off, Ah really didn’t want o have to try lettin’ this thing out so soon. Still, Ah better get a move on. Rarity might be a lot tougher than she looks, but if that really was King Sombra then she might be in some real trouble.”

Comments

[PhantomVaporeon]

Applejack with a Spiritomb
wow
and should i expect the next chapter next month or sooner as this looks to be a 2 parter

[CyberDemonSlayer]

Dang Applejack is pretty strong now, her team is looking like it’s going to be great.

[DDDDDDDDD23]

so the pony with a big family gets the pokemon that has 108 souls.