My Little Pokemon

by Alabenson

A Stone Cold Battle

“Applejack, are we there yet?” Rarity moaned as she trudged up the hiking trail behind her friend.

“Dang it, Rarity, y’all’ve been askin’ that every five minutes fer the last couple hours now,” Applejack snapped. “Does it look like we’re there yet fer ponies sake?”

“I suppose not and admittedly the scenery here is at least a touch more pleasant than that garbage dump we were walking by before.” Rarity paused to give a disgusted shudder at the recollection. “But at least the roadway had the decency to be relatively flat. My feet are killing me!”

Applejack let out a sigh of resignation as she leaned back against one of the stunted pine trees that trail they were following wound through. “As Ah recall y’all were the one who insisted we go this way rather than keep followin’ the road. Somethin’ about not wantin’ to deal with a bunch of ‘repulsive smoke-belchin’ monstrosities’?”

“I don’t care how convenient those giant self-propelled wagons must be, can you even imagine what all that smog would have done to my hair?” Rarity retorted.

“And instead we’re climbin’ up this trail. Mah point is we didn’t need to come this way but y’all made yer choice so here we are and all yer complainin’ ain’t gonna do either of us any good.” Pushing herself off the tree she had been leaning on Applejack tromped down the trail a little ways ahead. To Applejack’s surprise she quickly found herself at the edge of the sparse woods she and Rarity had been hiking through. More importantly, beyond the tree line was a sight almost certain to improve Rarity’s mood. “Hey, Rarity!” Applejack called back. “It looks like the answer to yer question is ‘yes’ after all!”

Rarity rushed to Applejack’s side in a flash with a look of exuberance on her face. “Oh thank Celestia! What an absolutely gorgeous sight.” Applejack was forced to silently agree that it was indeed an impressive view. The city itself had been built in depression that cut into the side of the island’s central mountain. In fact, one of the largest buildings that Applejack could see appeared to have been originally carved directly from the mountain itself.

“So now all we have to do is figure a way down from here,” Applejack said. “Then we should probably head straight to the Pokémon Center and get squared away there so we have a place to sleep fer the night.”

“And then to the spa!” Rarity declared. “What? I haven’t had a proper spa treatment since we arrived here. Besides, I’m absolutely dying to see what the human equivalent of a hooficure is like.”

“Oh fer the love of – first of all, y’all don’t even know if there even is a spa in that place –“

“There is,” a completely monotone voice said. “It has a really relaxing hot stone massage.”

“See, they do too have a spa,” Rarity replied with a grin before she and Applejack were both struck with a sudden realization. Spinning around, they found themselves staring at a drably-dressed young woman seated on an oddly shaped boulder, carefully examining a stone with a jeweler’s loupe.

“Hello Rarity. Hello Applejack,” the woman said in the same emotionless monotone as she continued to examine the stone she was holding.

“Maud, what in Equestria are y’all doin’ here?” Applejack exclaimed as she finally recovered from the shock of encountering her friend’s older sister.

“Studying rocks,” Maud said.

“I think what Applejack means is that we’re just a bit surprised to see you here of all places,” Rarity said. “Admittedly I thought I had seen a few other arrivals who looked vaguely familiar when we first arrived, but aside from Applejack you’re the really the first familiar face we’ve seen. And if you’re here…does that mean Pinkie Pie is in the city as well?”

“No, I haven’t seen Pinkie since I woke up on the ship. I’m not worried, though, Pinkie’s pretty good at taking care of herself,” Maud said. “Anyway, the local igneous formations are really fascinating. And don’t get me started on some of the corundum variations.”

“Ah’ll have to take yer word fer it,” Applejack replied uneasily.

“Is there something wrong, Applejack?” Rarity asked.

“It’s just…well, when we got here Ah pretty much figured it was just the six of us, and that didn’t bother me all that much. Ah mean, stuff like this happens to us enough that Ah’ve kinda gotten used to it by now.”

“I suppose I can see where you’re coming from,” Rarity replied. “One does eventually grow a bit blasé about being called off to Celestia-knows-where to resolve adventures or friendship problems on a regular basis.”

“Mah point is, if Maud’s here then it stands to reason that other ponies might’ve been swept up in all this too. Like our sisters,” Applejack added meaningfully.

“I had a feeling that that’s where this was leading.” Rarity said glumly. “Still, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom should be able to handle themselves if they are here. After all, that girl we met in Mercury City looked to be about their age and none of this seemed beyond her.”

“Most of the trainers I’ve seen at the Keystone Gym are about Apple Bloom’s age,” Maud said as she carefully put the rock she had been examining into her rucksack before picking up another.

“Ah guess that does make me feel a little – hold on, did y’all just say y’ve been to the gym here in Keystone?” Applejack asked.

“It’s where I’ve been staying while I study the rocks here on the island. Professor Amber is very knowledgeable regarding geology,” Maud said.

“Ah’m guessin’ that the Professor Amber is the local gym leader,” Applejack mused. “Ah don’t suppose y’all could take us to the gym once we’ve stopped by the local Pokémon Center?”

“Ah ah ah, spa first, then gym,” Rarity insisted.

Applejack rolled her eyes in response. “Fine, would y’all be able to show us to the gym after Rarity’s had her spa time?”

“Sure. If you want, I can take you to the Pokémon Center. I’m just about done here anyway,” Maud said. “We should probably ride Pebble, it’s the quickest way down.”

“Uh, Pebble?” Applejack asked, more than somewhat confused.

“My Pokémon. Giddy up, boy.” Maud said as she patted boulder she was sitting on. The ‘boulder’ then shuddered and opened its eyes in response before rearing up to reveal itself as a massive, vaguely snake-like Pokémon comprised of huge chunks of stone.

“What in Equestria?” Rarity shrieked as she stared at the huge Pokémon looming overhead.

“This is Pebble, my Onix,” Maud said.

Applejack whistled as she took in the sight of the sizable Pokémon. “Woowee, Ah never realized that Pokémon could get this big. Most of the ones we’ve seen so far have just been little critters, and even the bigger ones haven’t been anythin’ like this.” Applejack carefully approached Pebble and climbed up onto its back just behind the spot where it had lifted itself off the ground. “Hey Rarity, you comin’?”

“Are you certain that its safe to ride, uh, him?” Rarity asked nervously.

“Don’t worry, riding Pebble is perfectly safe. As long as you don’t fall off,” Maud said.

*********

“This is supposed to be perfectly safe?” Rarity cried out as she clung to Applejack in terror.

“As long as we don’t fall off,” Applejack answered back through gritted teeth. Given Pebble’s sheer size and bulk, Applejack had expected the trip to be comparable to the haybale rides Big Macintosh pulled each Nightmare Night. These expectations had rapidly been demolished once Pebble took off like the Friendship Express, forcing Applejack and Rarity to hold on for dear life.

Maud meanwhile, sat impassively atop her perch on Pebble’s head as the Pokémon rumbled towards its destination. Mercifully, Pebble eventually slowed his pace once they reached the city itself, though that seemed to be largely out of necessity to avoid crushing anyone. “The paving stones they use here are a particularly hard variety of banded iron formation, so they resist wear form Pokémon like Pebble really well,” Maud said as they rumbled down the street.

“That’s very fascinating and all, but please tell me the Pokémon Center isn’t much further,” Rarity moaned as she clung to Pebble for dear life.

“Actually, we’re here,” Maud said as Pebble turned a corner and ground to a halt in front of a large building with a distinct Poké Ball shaped façade.

“Thank Celestia,” Applejack gasped as she rolled off Pebble’s back onto the sidewalk.

“I need to drop by the gym, but I can come back to pick you up if you’d like,” Maud said as Rarity scrambled down after Applejack.

“No! I mean, that won’t be necessary,” Rarity quickly replied. “While we certainly appreciate the offer, we’d hate to impose on you any more than we already have. We’ll be able to find our way on our own.”

“Alright then,” Maud said nodding in acknowledgement before patting Pebble on the head. “Giddy up, boy.” With that, Pebble surged forward, quickly carrying Maud out of sight.

“Well, that sure as hay was a thing that happened,” Applejack said after a minute or so of awkward silence had passed.

“Indeed. Well, in any event at least we’re finally here. So, let’s reserve our rooms and find that spa Maud mentioned!” Rarity said as she picked up her backpack from where it had landed when she dismounted Pebble.

Applejack shook her head in exasperation but said nothing. In truth, Applejack knew that standing between Rarity and a full spa treatment was like standing between Twilight and a library, or between Pinkie Pie and cake. “’Sides which, Ah have to admit a steam bath doesn’t sound half bad,” Applejack thought to herself as she followed Rarity inside the Pokémon Center, only to narrowly avoid bumping into her when the fashionista froze in her tracks.

“My word, its absolutely breathtaking,” an awestruck Rarity said as she gazed around the lobby. Unlike previous Pokémon Centers that the pair had encountered, almost every surface of the Keystone City Pokémon Center’s lobby had been done in some variety of dark, polished stone. The overall effect was that the lobby almost felt like the inside of an especially stylish cave.

“Huh, Ah guess these folks sure like their rocks,” Applejack said as she took in the lobby. “Probably why Maud’s been stayin’ here.”

“Hmm, oh yes, most definitely,” Rarity mumbled distractedly as she rummaged through her bags. “Now where in Equestria did I pack my sketchpad. Applejack, darling, would you be a dear and -“

“Already on it,” Applejack replied as she made her way to the reception desk, allowing her friend to focus on her latest bit of inspiration. “Pardon me, but would y’all be able to take a look at mah Pokémon? Also, mah friend and Ah would like to reserve a room fer the night.”

“That will be no problem, just give me one moment and I’ll be right out to help you,” a cheerful voice called out from a doorway leading into the room behind the desk. “Sorry, we had a very busy morning and I still had a few things that needed to be sorted out. So, you said you wanted me to take a look at your Pokémon?”

As the pink-haired owner of the voice stepped out into the room Applejack performed a double-take. “What in tarnation? Aren’t y’all the nurse from the waystation?”

“Oh, you must be thinking of my second cousin, people get us confused all the time,” the nurse said with a laugh before showing Applejack a framed photograph. “See, this is a picture of the two of us at our last family reunion.”

Applejack stared for a moment at the photograph, which contained at least a dozen smiling, identical pink-haired nurses. “Ah’ll take yer word fer it. Anyway, if y’all could check on mah Turtwig and Aron to make sure they’re both at one hundred percent…”

“Of course, just put their balls in this try and I’ll take good care of them. And you said you needed a room for tonight for you and your friend?”

“Yes ma’am,” Applejack replied as she turned to look back at Rarity, who was humming to herself as she scribbled something in her sketchbook. “Also, Ah don’t suppose y’all could give use directions to the local spa?”

*********

“Now this is more like it,” Rarity sighed happily as she leaned back on the steam room bench, her Piplup mirroring her motions. “If you ask me, more of our adventures should allow us to make time for a nice spa treatment or two.”

“Alright, Ah’ll give y’all this, this does feel like a nice change after all that time on the road,” Applejack admitted. “Still, just remember we’re on a bit of a budget here, so don’t go gettin’ carried away.”

“Don’t worry, Applejack, I’ll restrain myself to…what did they call it, a ‘many-pedy’? Am I saying that right? I feel like I’m not saying that right. Anyway, I’ll restrain myself to one of those and perhaps one other treatment.”

Applejack started to open her mouth to respond before simply shrugging and remaining silent. After all, for somepony like Rarity that actually was showing restraint. “So, what else were y’all thinkin’ of havin’ done? A massage? A bath in some sort of fancy imported mud?”

“Actually, I was thinking of trying their volcanic sand exfoliation treatment,” Rarity replied.

“Huh,” Applejack said as a thought that had been rattling around in her head resurfaced. “Is it just me or do a lot of things here involve rocks or dirt somehow?”

“Hmm,” Rarity mused as she listed some of the various treatments she had seen listed earlier. “Hot stone massage, therapeutic sand bath, enriched mineral water detoxification…I think I see your point. I wonder why in Equestria that is?”

“It’s mostly because the people here really like rocks,” Maud said. “It’s one of the reasons I like it here so much. That and the noodle restaurant I found.”

“Maud!” Applejack yelped as she nearly leapt out of her towel at Maud’s sudden appearance. “How in the hay did y’all get in here?”

“Through the door,” Maud said.

Applejack blinked several times at Maud’s response before facepalming. “Ah don’t know what Ah even expected. Ah though y’all were headed off to the gym?”

“I was. Professor Amber wasn’t there, so I came here,” Maud said.

“Well in any event it is nice to see you again,” Rarity said as she recovered from her own surprise. “Would you be interested in joining us for a volcanic sand facial?”

“Sure,” Maud said.

“Well Ah’ll think Ah’ll pass on that fer now, but the two of y’all go right on ahead,” Applejack said. “Ah’ll probably just wander around fer a bit ‘till yer done.”

*********

“Yeesh, just how big is this place, anyway?” Applejack wondered as she padded her way down one of the spa’s hallways. Like the Pokémon Center, the walls, floors and even the ceilings of the spa had been done in polished stone, with brass plaques next to each of the doors declaring what treatments could be had within. Most of the treatments offered were similar enough to those offered at the Ponyville Spa that Applejack didn’t give them a second thought, but every so often she passed one that caught her attention. “Sand therapy? What in tarnation is that even supposed to be? Well, it ain’t like Ah’m short on time or nothin’, may as well take a look.”

Pushing open the door, Applejack found herself faced with a sight strange enough to stand out against the events of the previous several days. The room vaguely resembled an indoor pool, except that instead of a pool it housed a massive pit of fine, black sand. Stranger still, several people had apparently allowed themselves to be buried in the sand leaving only their heads visible. “It’s called a sand bath,” an attendant helpfully explained, somewhat startling Applejack. “The sand’s heated, so it helps reduce muscle pain, and it also helps detoxify the body the same way a sauna does.”

“Ah’ll just take yer word fer it,” Applejack replied as she cast a doubtful eye over the buried spa patrons.

“Don’t knock it until you try it,” one of the patrons nearest to Applejack said. “This really is relaxing, I feel like I’m a pebble on the beach just lying there as the world drifts around me.”

“Well, Ah can’t say Ah’m much fer lyin’ around, or driftin’ fer that matter,” Applejack said as she started edging towards the door. “So Ah’ll just leave y’all to yer…whatever.” As Applejack turned to exit the room, however, the sounds of shouting from the hallway beyond caused her to hesitate. Moments later, a mand and woman, each dressed all in black with a red ‘R’ emblazoned across their chests burst into the room and slammed the door behind them.

“Well that plan sure was a bust,” the tawny-haired woman snapped.

“Yarr,” her partner, a huge, barrel-chested man replied. “And I was certain that robbin’ a bunch o’ rich spa goers would be an easy haul.”

“For the love of – would you knock it off with the damn pirate act already! I swear, I don’t know why I ever agreed to be partnered with some former Team Aqua halfwit in the first place!”

“Arr, I be thinkin’ it were because yer only other choice was that lily-livered swab from Kalos,” the man replied before turning around to look over the room they had found themselves in. “If’n it would make ye feel any better, Sandy, I be thinkin’ we might have an opportunity to claim ourselves a little consolation prize.”

“Well, I think you might actually be right, King,” Sandy said with a wicked grin as she turned around herself. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, get ready to hand over all your –“

“Belay that order, miss. We haven’t properly introduced ourselves yet,” King interrupted, much to Sandy’s apparent annoyance.

“Seriously? Fine, but if you’re going to make us do this then you at least had better get it right this time. Ahem, Prepare for trouble!”

“Arr, and make it double!”

“To infect the world with devastation!”

“To be unitin’ all peoples within our nation!”

“To denounce the goodness of truth and love!”

“To be extendin’ our reach to the stars above!”

“Ok, that’s it! We’ve been over this at least a dozen times already, that’s not how the motto is supposed to go!” Sandy snapped angrily.

“Yarr, that be how me matey James taught me to say it, so that’s how I be sayin’ it,” King countered defensively.

“Um, Ah hate to interrupt, but what exactly are the two of y’all doin’ here?” Applejack asked, increasingly baffled by the pair’s behavior. True, their conversation had indicated that they were thieves of some kind, but their actions painted them as more clowns than criminals.

“You know what, forget the stupid motto,” Sandy snarled as she pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it into the air. “Everybody hand over your Pokémon and valuables right now, or Nidorino here is going to have to get rough with you!” Sandy’s Pokémon, which looked like a light purple cross between a rabbit and a rhinoceros, let out a snarling roar to emphasize its master’s demand.

“If y’all yellow-bellied bandits think y’ can scare me than y’all are in fer a rude awakenin’,” Applejack countered as she fished out one of her own Poké Balls. “Alright, if it’s a fight y’all want than that’s what yer gonna get. Go –“

“Go Kabutops!” Applejack froze mid-throw as the voice of the buried spa patron she had been speaking with earlier rang-out. Moments later a white light sprang out from a purse that had been left on a counter at the room’s edge, coalescing into what Applejack could only describe as a bipedal horseshoe crab with forearms that terminated in wicked-looking scythes.

“Ha, jackpot!” Sandy said with glee. “The boss is gonna love getting a rare Pokémon like –“

“Kabutops, use Aqua Jet.” As Applejack looked on, the spa patron’s Kabutops surrounded itself in a cocoon of water before rocketing towards Nidorino, body checking it with enough force to send it crashing into the wall behind it.

“I be thinkin’ this be a good time to recall the old sayin’ about discretion bein’ the better part of valor,” King as he edged towards the door.

“Gee, you think?” Sandy retorted as she recalled her Nidorino. “You may have won this time, but Team Rocket won’t –“

“Kabutops, if they’re still here by the time I’ve counted to five I want you to use Stone Edge.” Neither King nor Sandy needed any further encouragement and both promptly fled out the door in a mad dash of terror. “I can’t really see from where I am, did they run away? It sounded like they just ran away.”

“They sure did,” Applejack said in a tone that was equal parts admiration and excitement. “Ah just gotta say that was amazin’. Y’all didn’t even have to look at those varmints in order to send them packin’. Who the hay were they, anyway? They looked like they had some kind of uniform on or somethin’, but Ah ain’t never seen anythin’ like it.”

“They were part of a group called Team Rocket, it’s a criminal organization that specializes in exploiting Pokémon. From the sound of it those two had probably been recruited from other gangs that had been broken up. In all likelihood they’re just here because the head of Team Rocket wants to remind everyone he still exists,” the patron added disdainfully.

“Excuse me,” the sand bath attendant interjected. “I hate to interrupt, but it’s time to dig you out of the sand, Professor Amber.” Even as he spoke the attendant began the process of excavating the professor with a large plastic shovel.

“Professor Amber? Now why the hay does that name sound so familiar?” Applejack mused to herself. There wasn’t much time for her to ponder the question, though, as Rarity suddenly came barreling through the door to the hall, with Maud calmly following behind her.

“Is everypo-everyone alright? Maud and I were chasing a pair of hooligans who tried robbing the spa and we saw them run out of this room.” Rarity said before noticing Applejack presence. “Oh, Applejack there you are, I was actually wondering where had wandered off to. I take it you were the one to chase off those ruffians?”

“Nah, that was this lady here,” Applejack replied, gesturing towards Professor Amber.

“Hey Professor Amber,” Maud said.

“Oh, hello, Maud,” Professor Amber replied cheerfully as she recalled her Kabutops to its Poké Ball. “Here for a bit of post-sample collecting relaxation? How were the basalt deposits?”

“Hang on, y’all two know each other?” a somewhat confused Applejack asked.

“Of course! Maud’s been staying at our gym while she studies our findings on the nature of Z-crystals,” Professor Amber said. “So, are you friends of Maud?”

“Yes ma’am,” Applejack replied as things suddenly clicked into place for her. “If y’all don’t mind my askin’, would y’all happen to be the Keystone Gym leader?”

“Indeed I am! Oh, are you geology enthusiasts like Maud?” Professor Amber asked excitedly. “Or, even better, you wouldn’t happen to be fellow paleontologists?”

“Ah’m afraid Ah can’t really say that Ah am. Actually Ah was hopin’ to talk to y’all about challengin’ yer gym,” Applejack admitted. “To be honest Ah’ve never really done this before so Ah’m not entirely sure how all this challenge business is supposed to go.”

“So you came all the way out to Keystone to challenge me for your first badge? Well, it’s not quite a discussion of the permineralization process, but a gym battle still sounds like fun. I still have a massage scheduled, so why don’t we meet at the gym in, oh, say an hour or two?” Professor Amber suggested.

“Yeah, that sounds fine to me,” Applejack replied.

“And, that leaves me with plenty of time to finally have my nails done,” Rarity added happily. “What? That was one of the reasons I wanted to come her in the first place.”

*********

“You know Applejack, I do realize that it’s not really your sort of thing but you really should give this a chance before we return home,” Rarity said as she admired her fingernails, each pained a vibrant purple that matched her hair.

“Ah’ll think about it,” Applejack replied as she walked down the city street, Pokédex in hand. Maud had offered to take the two to the gym via Pebble, but neither girl was particularly eager to risk another ride.

“Applejack, is there something the matter? You’ve been awfully quiet ever since we left the spa,” Rarity said, eliciting a sigh from her friend.

“Sorry, Rarity, Ah guess Ah’m just a bit nervous is all. Y’all weren’t there to see it, but that Kabu-whatzit Amber had was a whole heck of lot stronger than either of mine. Ah’m honestly startin’ to wonder if this whole challengin’ business is such a good idea.”

“Well, I doubt that Ferris gentleman would have directed us here if your chances were truly hopeless,” Rarity said. “Perhaps the Pokémon you saw was just one Ms. Amber keeps on hand to deal with emergencies. Why don’t you ask her about the issue when we reach the gym? Speaking of which, about how much further is it going to be?”

“Shouldn’t be too much further now,” Applejack replied as she glanced down at her Pokédex. “Looks like the gym’s probably that big buildin’ right up against the mountain we saw when we were on that ridge.”

“Well, as long as it’s not the affront to aesthetics that the last gym was then I’ll be happy. I mean really, unpainted cement and exposed concrete blocks? Starlight’s old village had more stylistic appeal.”

“Can’t really argue with you there,” Applejack agreed. “And anyway, we should be able to see the place once we take this next right up ahead.” Sure enough, the next turn took the pain onto an especially wide boulevard, at the far end of which was a huge building that sported a portico that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a Canterlot library or museum.

“Well, I’ll give it this, it certainly does at least look appealing,” Rarity remarked. “Although, I’m not certain it really says ‘gym’ to me.”

“So what the hay do y’all think a gym should look like? Frankly Ah’m more concerned with what’s waitin’ fer us inside,” Applejack added.

“Knowing Maud and given our brief encounter with Professor Amber, I’m willing to bet it involves rocks,” Rarity said with a grin, to which Applejack could only nod her head in agreement. As the pair entered the gym they found themselves in what appeared to be the lobby of a museum, complete with what looked like a dinosaur skeleton on a pedestal. “Oh my, I didn’t know what I was expecting to find in here, but that certainly wasn’t it.”

“Huh, says here this thing was somethin’ called a ‘Tyrantrum’. Ah guess this place had Pokémon dinosaurs way back when,” Applejack mused as she read a plaque at the base of the display. “So, where the hay do we go from here?”

“You can start by following me!” a voice called out. Looking up, Applejack and Rarity could see Professor Amber walking towards them. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting long, I just needed to get everything ready for your challenge. I apologize if you mentioned this already, but how many badges have your earned already?”

“Ah can’t really say Ah’ve gotten any so far,” Applejack replied.

“So this will be your first gym battle then? Splendid! If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the arena and I’ll explain how this all works along the way.” With that, Professor Amber turned to head back into the gym, gesturing for Applejack and Rarity to follow. “Since this is going to be your first gym battle we’ll each be using two Pokémon. The first trainer to render both of their opponent’s Pokémon unable to battle will be the winner. In your case, that will mean you’ll receive a Geode Badge along with a piece of Rockium-Z.” As the professor spoke she flashed a dark brown, diamond-shaped crystal.

“Rocky-what now? The hay is supposed to that be?” a thoroughly confused Applejack asked.

“Oh, you’ll see,” Professor Amber replied. There was something about the professor’s tone that immediately put Applejack on alert. It was a tone of voice Applejack had heard used by Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and even Rarity on occasionally. Inevitably, something said in that tone was a precursor to Applejack finding herself in a situation she’d have rather not been caught in. “Anyway, the field is just past these doors up ahead,” Professor Amber continued as she turned a corner. Applejack followed to find herself staring down a hallway lined with glass display cases, at the end of which stood a massive pair of elaborately carved wooden doors.

“Ah’m startin’ to get the feelin’ Ah should’ve asked a few more questions about what Ah was walkin’ into with all this,” Applejack said as she tried to keep her voice calm. “What do y’all think, Rarity?”

When Rarity failed to respond Applejack turned to find her friend admiring the contents of one of the display cases. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen gemstones like these before,” Rarity said as she admired the trio of fist-sized oblong crystals on display. “Although, those inclusions do look a bit odd. What exactly are these, anyway?”

“What you have there are what are known as evolution stones,” Professor Amber replied excitedly. “Specifically you’re looking at a Fire, Thunder and Water stone. They’re varieties of corundum that have absorbed elemental energies, hence those inclusions you noticed. What’s truly fascinating about them is that certain Pokémon are particularly sensitive to the energy they admit, to the extent that exposure can trigger their evolution. Now, where this gets really interesting is when you take into account the strata these stones are typically found in…” As Professor Amber continued to speak her words started tumbling out faster and faster until neither Rarity nor Applejack could hope to follow what she was saying.

“Uh, Ah don’t mean to be rude, but…” Applejack said as it became clear that Professor Amber was unlikely to stop on her own.

“Oh, right. Sorry about that, I sometimes get a bit carried away whenever I start talking geology,” the professor apologized with a laugh. “Anyway, like I said, the field is right through here.” With that, Professor Amber pushed open the doors to reveal a large room, the interior of which was strewn with boulders of every size. A pair of short platforms were situated on opposite ends of the room, each just tall enough to give someone standing on one a clear view of the field. Bleachers had been set up on either side of the field to allow for an audience, though at the moment they held only a single occupant.

“Hey,” Maud said as she watched Applejack and Rarity enter the room.

“Rarity, why don’t you head up there and sit with Maud,” Professor Amber said as she walked over to the platform at the far end of the field. “And Applejack, if you can climb up the stand near you, we can get started.” Obediently, Applejack climbed up to the top of the platform as the professor did the same at the other end of the field. “Alright then, as leader of the Keystone City Gym I hereby accept your challenge. Get ready…and…Go! Lileep!”

“Welp, no turnin’ back now. Go! Turtwig!” Applejack and Professor Amber each tossed their respective Poké Balls into the field, unleashing Turtwig to face off against one of the strangest Pokémon Applejack had seen yet. Standing opposite Turtwig was what appeared to be a three-foot-tall, purple and yellow flower with pink petals surrounding a pair of yellow eyes. “What in the name of Celestia even is that thing?” Applejack asked as she fumbled around for her Pokédex.

“It’s a Lileep,” Maud said as she watched from her seat. “They’re a type of prehistoric Pokémon that lived in the ocean. Professor Amber revived it from a fossil. All of the professor’s Pokémon were revived from fossils.”

“Revived from a fossil?’ Applejack repeated as she shook her head. “Well don’t that just beat all. No time to worry about it too much, though. Turtwig, give that whatever it is a trim. Use Razor Leaf!” With a shout of acknowledgement, Turtwig leapt into the air and snapped its head from side to side, sending a pair of leaves slicing through the air towards Lileep. Both leaves struck their target, leaving visible gashes on Lileep’s bulb. Professor Amber, however, didn’t seem even the least bit concerned.

“Hang in there Lileep. Use Confuse Ray.” As Applejack looked on, the apparent face of the Lileep emitted a shimmering golden light before firing a trio of glowing balls of light of the same color at Turtwig. Before Applejack could react, the balls surrounded Turtwig and burst into a flash of light that left the poor Pokémon staggering around blindly. “Well done, Lileep. Now that we have some breathing room, use Ingrain!”

“Breathin’ room?” Applejack repeated incredulously. “Ah don’t know what kinda challengers y’all’ve had to deal with before, but it’s gonna take a lot more than some fancy lightshow to rattle us. Turtwig, show this professor what we think of her breathin’ room and Tackle that thing!” Turtwig shot off like a rocket upon hearing Applejack’s order. Unfortunately, however, it was immediately apparent that something was very wrong as Turtwig drunkenly staggered from side to side before it swerved hard and crashed headfirst into a boulder nowhere near Lileep. “Dagnabbit, Turtwig, are y’all alright?” Applejack asked before breathing a sigh of relief as Turtwig pulled itself to its feet. “Alright then, let’s try somethin’ a little different. Try usin’ yer Absorb and see how that fossil likes bein’ sucked dry.” Turtwig shook its head a few times to refocus itself before turning to its opponent, a look of determination stamped over its features. As it did so, the leaves sprouting from Turtwig’s head began to glow bright green until an aura of energy arced out from them and struck Lileep.

If the plant-like Pokémon was overly bothered by Turtwig’s attack, however, it didn’t show it. What’s more, the Lileep was soon suffused by a deeper green aura that seemed to wipe away some its previous injuries. “Lileep, let’s break down that Turtwig like it’s compressed calcium carbonate! Hit it with an Acid attack!” Lileep promptly swung its head towards Turtwig before spitting out a stream of purple liquid. Sensing danger, Turtwig made an attempt to dive out of the way, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite fast enough. The liquid splashed over Turtwig’s shell, eliciting a cry of pain as it hissed and ate into the poor Pokémon’s shell.

“Turtwig!” Applejack cried out as she watched her Pokémon struggle to maintain its footing. Silently, Applejack weighed her options before calling out. “Are y’all too hurt, or do y’ want to keep goin’ to finish this?” As Turtwig adopted a fighting stance in response Applejack allowed herself a small grin of pride. “Attaboy. Alright then, let’s show ‘m that this rodeo ain’t got us beat yet. Hit is with another Razor Leaf, and try and keep movin’ so it can’t get a bead on y’ with that acid!” Needing no further encouragement, Turtwig leapt onto one of the nearby rocks and tossed another pair of leaves at Lileep.

“You know, I just love your spirit, but I’m not going to make this easy for you. Lileep, use another Confuse Ray!” Professor Amber commanded.

“Aw hay, Turtwig! Lock out!” Despite Applejack’s warning, Turtwig was unable to avoid Lileep’s attack, the three glowing spheres twisting through the air until they found their target. “Dang it,” Applejack growled in frustration before taking a deep breath. “Alright, this doesn’t change a thing. Turtwig, keep yer distance and try and hit that rotten weed with another Razor Leafe!” For a brief moment it looked as though Turtwig hadn’t heard Applejack’s command as it staggered about with a dazed expression. Suddenly, however, Turtwig seemed to find its footing and with a jerk of its head it sent a pair of leaves slicing through the air towards Lileep. While one of the leaves cut across Lileep’s stem, the other struck Lileep in the dead center of its face.

The effect of Turtwig’s attack was immediately obvious as Lileep began violently thrashing about. Lileep’s throes of pain were so wild that it actually managed to uproot itself, sending it toppling over with huge clumps of rock and dirt clinging to its roots. “Oof,” Professor Amber grunted as she raised Lileep’s Poké Ball. “Lileep, return. I’ll grant you this, Applejack, you’re very impressive. But now you’re about to face the ruler of the prehistoric skies. Go! Aerodactyl!” As Professor Amber tossed her second Poké Ball into the field it split open to unleash a sizeable bat-like creature that promptly perched atop a rock and leered down at Turtwig.

Applejack scowled as she assessed the situation. Turtwig already looked as though its battle with Lileep had taken a serious toll on it and Aerodactyl looked as though it were an even fiercer opponent. “No sense forcin’ him into a fight her can’t win,” Applejack muttered as she pulled out Turtwig’s Poké Ball. “Alright, Turtwig, y’all’ve done yer part. Return.” Turtwig, however, evidently had other plans, leaping out of the way of the red beam sent out from the Poké Ball to recall it. “What in the -? Consarnit, Turtwig, y’all ain’t in any condition to keep fightin’. But fine, if y’all need to learn the hard way then Ah’ll let y’all learn the hard way. Stubborn little…” Applejack continued to mutter under her breath even as she stowed Turtwig’s Poké Ball.

Rarity, meanwhile, stifled a chuckle as she watched the scene unfold from her seat. “Oh my, it looks as though Applejack’s Pokémon is almost as stubborn as she is. Although,” Rarity added as her smile faded. “I can’t help but think that Applejack was right in trying to switch out her Turtwig. What do you think, Maud?”

“Turtwig’s going to lose,” Maud said with a chilling note of finality in her usual monotone. Before Rarity could ask Maud to elaborate, however, the trainers were already calling out orders to their Pokémon.

“Ok, Turtwig, try leadin’ things off with an Absorb!” Applejack yelled as she crossed her fingers that the lingering effects of Lileep’s Confuse Ray wouldn’t interfere.

Unfortunately, that would prove to the least of Turtwig’s problems. “Aerodactyl, use Wing Attack!” With a shrill cry Aerodactyl took off into the air and briefly circled overhead as Turtwig readied its attack. Then, without warning Aerodactyl plummeted from the air. In a blur of motion Aerodactyl smashed Turtwig in the face with its wing as it swooped past, sending Turtwig crashing into a nearby boulder! Badly battered, Turtwig made a desperate effort to stand back up before completely collapsing.

“Dang it, Turtwig, this is why Ah wanted to pull y’all out of there in the first place,” Applejack said as she recalled Turtwig to its Poké Ball. “Y’all did yer best, but its time fer y’ to get some rest, alright? As fer you,” Applejack continued as she glared at Professor Amber’s Aerodactyl, which had returned to its perch on the boulder. “Ah ain’t nearly through with y’all yet. Go Aron!” As Aron appeared on the field with solid thud Professor Amber’s eyes lit up with excitement and even Maud appeared to lean slightly forward in her seat with interest.

“That’s your Aron?” Professor Amber practically squealed as the battle was momentarily pushed from her mind. “Just look at that coloration, I wonder if that was caused by an excessive amount of copper in its diet? Or maybe it had more to do with its mother’s diet immediately prior to its egg being lain. Do you happened to know…” Professor Amber’s voice trailed off as she realized that everyone present, ever her own Aerodactyl, were glaring at her impatiently. “Oh right, the battle. Very well, first things first, plenty of time to indulge my academic curiosity later. Ahem, Aerodactyl! Use your Bite attack!”

“Aw hay, uh, Aron, hit with your Metal Claw!” Applejack yelled as Aerodactyl dove at Aron with its mouth wide open. The prehistoric Pokémon’s jaws clamped down on Aron’s sides and for a moment it looked as though Aerodactyl would life Aron into the air. It quickly became apparent that Aron’s weight was more than Aerodactyl could handle and moments later Aron twisted out of Aerodactyl’s grip and swiped a glowing white forelimb across its face before landing back onto the ground.

Aerodactyl let out a wail of pain before awkwardly flapping back away from Aron. “Oh, poor Aerodactyl. Don’t worry, I know how we can turn this around,” Professor Amber said as she pulled up one of her sleeves, revealing a strange looking bracelet set with a dark brown gem identical to the one she had shown Applejack and Rarity earlier. As Applejack looked on, Professor Amber struct her arms out in front of her before striking a series of poses that appeared to Applejack as though she sere trying to flex her muscles. Far more worrisome, however, was the fact that both the professor’s bracelet and her Aerodactyl had begun to emit a golden glow that become increasingly intense. Finally, as Professor Amber flexed into the final pose the light emitting from her bracelet engulfed her before exploding into a riot of streams of light that flowed into Aerodactyl. As the streams of light merged with it, Aerodactyl opened its moth. At first nothing seemed to happen, but then the entire field seemed to shake as pieces of rock began to float up into the air, coalescing into an increasingly massive boulder.

“What in the name of Celestia?” Applejack yelled in confused terror as she watched the boulder grow until it reached half the size of the arena.

“Continental Crush!” With Professor Ambers finally yell Aerodactyl swept its head downward, sending the gigantic rock crashing down onto Aron. Applejack could only look on in horror as Aron was buried under hundreds of pounds of rubble. Wordlessly, Applejack slumped to the floor as she desperately struggled to process what she had just witnessed.

“Applejack! Look!” The sound of Rarity’s voice snapped Applejack back to reality. Turning to her friend, Applejack could see that Rarity was frantically pointing towards the pile of rubble left by Aerodactyl’s attack. While Applejack watched in amazement, the rubble shuddered and gave way as Aron dug itself free, appearing scuffed and irritable but otherwise still very much able to fight.

“Ah should’ve known y’all’d be too stubborn to let somethin’ like getting’ a boulder dropped on yer head slow y’ down,” Applejack laughed as she felt relief wash over her. “Now, what do y’ say we see how that Aerodactyl likes a taste of its own medicine. Hit it with Rock Tomb!” Aron slammed its two front legs onto the ground in response as several chunks of rock were surrounded by a white glow and floated into the air. The glowing rocks gathered into a ring above Aron’s head before shooting up into the air.

“Aerodactyl, watch out!” Professor Amber yelled, but it was already too late. Aerodactyl scarcely had time to cry out in alarm as the stones Aron had floated up came crashing back down, knocking it out of the air. Aerodactyl was left sprawled out on the ground, battered and exhausted. “Well, I know when I’m beat. Aerodactyl is in no condition to keep fighting and so that means you, Applejack, are the winner!”

“Woowee, y’hear that, Aron? We did it!” Applejack cheered as she clambered down to the field. “Y’all did one hay of a job out there, Ah’m real proud of y’.” The moment Applejack reached the field a delighted Aron leapt into her arms, promptly knocking Applejack to the ground due to its weight. “Ok, partner, Ah love y’all too, but could y’ get off? Yer kinda crushin’ mah ribs.”

“I do have to admit, that whole spectacle was rather exciting to watch,” Rarity said as she climbed down from the stands. “Although, I have to ask are gym battles always so vicious?”

“It partly depends on the trainer challenging us, but any gym leader worth their sodium chloride is going to put up a lot more of a fight than your usual trainer. On that note, in recognition of your victory I hereby present you with this Geode Badge, along with your very own piece of Rockium-Z!” As Professor Amber spoke she handed Applejack a small box holding a small pin resembling a cross-section of a geode along with a dark-brown crystal identical to the one in her bracelet. “Now, with that Z-crystal you’ll be able to perform the Z-move Continental Crush.”

“Just what in the hay do y’all mean with this ‘Z-crystal’ and “Z-move’ stuff? Are y’all talkin’ ‘bout that little dance y’ did before Aerodactyl dropped that boulder on Aron?”

“Precisely. That ‘dance’ as you called it activates the energies within the stone, which are then shared between the trainer and their Pokémon. If you’d like I can give you another demonstration of the movements,” Professor Amber offered.

“That’s alright, Ah think Ah can remember from what Ah saw the first time. Besides, Ah really need to get back to the Pokémon Center. Turtwig took one hay of a beatin’ back there and Aron could probably use a checkup too.” Applejack let out sigh. “’Course, after that me and Rarity need to figure out what to do next. We’re pretty sure some of our friends are on this island too, but we haven’t seen hid or hair of ‘em since we got here.”

“Well, if Maud knows what they look like then I suppose we can keep an eye out for the, if that helps at all,” Professor Amber offered.

“Ah certainly appreciate it, Ah just wish we had an idea as to what to do next,” Applejack said.

Professor Amber seemed to ponder the issue for a moment before snapping her fingers. “I know! Norma, the Faunaville Gym Leader.”

“What about her?”

“The Faunaville Gym also houses our region’s principle breeding center. It’s actually something of a tourist attraction so most of the people who visit the Javik region go there at some point. I imagine if you wait there long enough at least one of your friends would pass through eventually.”

“Huh, that actually sounds like it could work. What do y’all think, Rarity?” Applejack asked.

“Well, it does sound like the sort of place that Fluttershy would gravitate towards at the very least. And it isn’t as though we have any other idea as to where to go…” Rarity mused.

“Sounds like that’s where we’ll be headed then,” Applejack concluded. “Next stop, Faunaville!”

Comments

[HB_DS2013]

DIdn't expect Maud, but at least she's getting along well with Prof. Amber. AH, the sand baths from Hoenn are back.

[DualKitsune]

Would be cool if designer contests were a thing. Rarity and Fluttershy would rock those.

[GamePlayer64]

If you need an idea, I got one if you’re cool with it.

[DDDDDDDDD23]

I kind of want the girls to learn that the gym leaders choose their teams based on the number of badges their opponent has.

[CarolMAssphault]

The sound of Rarity’s voice snapped Applejack back to reality.

Uup, there goes gravity, lolz.