The Human and His Lopunny

by Burningbloom78

Chilling with the Family

Take me to the blue and show me something new down by the soiled strand with you and my feisty mother too.

Hold my paw as we yell, cry, and screech across this lofty sandy beach to places unknown.

Let us listen as the salty wind blow to and fro; the sough of the ocean grafts my ears and the sand tickles my toes.

Take me to the blue and show me something new down by the mysterious waters with you and my silly father too.

Like in the past, grab my paws and swing me high to view the ocean vast.

This world is beautiful and precious, and like our never-ending love, forever refreshes us.

Take me to the blue and show me something new down by the waters with my mother, father, and the rest of our family too.

---

It has been a week since the incident and Joey has done nothing but visit the local clinic located around Ponyville. When Indola fell into an unconscious state after sustaining severe burns, she was taken into medical care in Canterlot, however, Karla believed it would be better to have her sister relocated to the Ponyville Clinic to be as close to their hometown as possible while she recoups.

After finding out from word of mouth, Joey began to visit Indola every morning; and Karla appreciated his loyalty. Whenever the human showed his face, Karla always had a smile across hers, but Joey knew that her face hid a deep, unknown sadness and fear that her sister might not wake up. The sweet human would stay and tell Karla and her comatose sister stories about where he came from and what adventures he had. All in all, it was a good time.

Today after Joey visited Indola, the human marched back home for today was a special day for some of his Pokémon: Bath Day. Joey could never figure out why one particular Pokémon was so opposed to getting clean. Pokémon experts typically hold the Trainer responsible since their Pokémon usually adopted the mannerisms and lifestyle of their owners, for better or for worse.

Most of his Pokémon he could deal with, but there was one that made his job surprisingly difficult, and still to this day, Joey could never figure out why. Out of all of his Pokémon, Mechan would surely have been the most acquiescent since the Pokémon is ardently, and, at times blindingly, loyal and pliant to Joey's commands, but every single time it's Bath Day, Mechan usually disobeys him with no real reason. He dreamed that this time Mechan would just listen to him.

What's funny is that Narros, the least trustworthy Pokémon on Joey's team, never put up a single fight when Bath Day rolled around. So, why would Mechan, his most loyal Pokémon aside from Nian and Yuna, be so uncharacteristically difficult?

Though Mechan proved to be a valiant adversary, Joey always won in the end and hopefully, that trend continues today. Once the human got home, he sees Yuna uttering with her eyes closed a melodic song.

He always admired the young Lucario's voice; if only the human could get the bashful canine to have more confidence in herself, he knew she would become something truly special. Yuna had the voice of an angel, and he knew that she practiced day in and day out whenever she got the chance as he would occasionally listen to her in secret.

Thankfully, Yuna doesn't seem to mind it when Nils was around since the avian sleeps in the mornings on occasion, so his presence never bothered her thin self-esteem. Another reason Yuna sings in the morning is that most of the Pokémon is asleep, aside from Mechan, and she usually finishes just before everyone wakes.

Joey used to be part of this camp, but since the human made the effort to visit Indola, Yuna sang after he departed from his home.

"Yuna!" Joey called out.

The Pokémon immediately ceased her singing and used her aura to see Joey walking toward her. Excited, Yuna rushes over to Joey, almost stumbling, and embraced the human lovingly, nuzzling his side and holding onto his left arm.

"Whoa there! Someone's glad to see me," the human said gaily as he graced Yuna's cheeks with his hands, causing the young Pokémon to squeal in utter delight. "Who's my little girl? You are! Yes, you are!"

"Lucario!" Yuna shouted happily. Her tail wagged like a Yamper desperately desiring delicate desserts, jumping and embracing Joey madly. Little Yuna always loved to be with Joey no matter where he went, even if it was to a scary place, she would stand by him no matter what.

When Joey and Nian ventured to the Sinnoh region, he and his gal-pal met Looker, an international police officer who investigates numerous criminal organizations. Finding that his cover was blown, he tells Joey and his rabbit friend about Team Galactic and offered the human and his Lopunny some recompense if they decided to assist Looker's endeavors, and they agreed.

After confronting Team Galactic time and time again, Joey and Nian are told by Looker about potential goings-on around a location called Iron Island, an old mine that can be reached by boat in Canalave City, and sends the human and his Lopunny to investigate.

Upon reaching the island and entering the cave to start their investigation, Joey and Nian meet a mysterious man clothed in deep blue clothing and a fancy-looking hat. The stranger reveals themselves as Riley and asks the duo to help in kicking Team Galactic off his island. Seeing that their interests align, Joey and Nian happily agreed to help Riley.

After a few hours inside the island and confronting members of Team Galactic, Riley became very impressed with the synergy between Joey and Nian. When the trio was successful in driving Team Galactic off the island, Riley rewarded Joey with an egg that contained a Riolu and told the human that it will need tons of love and attention. Shortly after, the trio went their separate ways.

Ever since Yuna was brought into the world, Joey was always there. Whenever she cried, or when she got upset or even sad, Yuna knew Joey would make everything better. When she became a Lucario, the loyalty and love she expressed were simply overwhelming; Yuna always supported Joey and his decisions.

That's one of the best and potentially worst things about a Lucario, as they have been documented by Pokémon Researchers to be able to feel the emotions of others and what they are thinking due to having a connection to Aura. This means that if your Riolu evolves into a Lucario and it can read your thoughts and feelings, it could reject you, no questions asked.

This Pokémon only obeys those who possess good, honest hearts and a sense of justice. For many people, especially Pokémon Trainers, it is usually rare for one to have a Lucario. Thankfully for Joey, Yuna accepts him wholeheartedly. Anything her human ordered, whether small or big, easy or difficult, monotonous or draining, Yuna did it, occasionally with a bit of coaxing; she was eager to please him.

While Yuna enjoyed being doted on, she and Joey saw his Pokémon: Nian, Lena, and Jenny exiting the house. Shortly after, Nils and Mechan joined also, and Joey greeted his Pokémon with the usual. As expected, Narros wasn't present.

"Alright everyone, it's Bath Day," Joey said with a loud clap. "Now, all of you may be wondering how this will go, and I'm glad you asked. I want everyone at the back of the house, I've set up a pool that was given to me three days ago."

One day, Joey was wondering about Ponyville with Twilight Sparkle when he quite literally bumped into Pinkie Pie. They exchanged pleasantries and went to this bakery called Sugarcube Corner. When Joey went inside, he was greeted with streamers and confetti.

Pinkie called it his "Welcome-to-Ponyville-Party" and told the human, "Let's get this party started!"

And as the pretty pink pony said, the party did indeed start. Joey was welcomed by a lot of Ponyville's residents, one of them was named Rainbow Dash, who Joey did find slightly annoying due to the pony's boastful nature, but he still enjoyed her company.

As the party began to calm down, Joey asked Pinkie Pie a favor to which the earth pony was more than happy to help. He explained that a tradition between him and his Pokémon was coming up and that he had no way of doing it without this particular item. Joey asked for a 20ft inflatable pool he could put at the back of his house.

Squinting, Pinkie Pie rubs her chin thoughtfully before gasping loudly and disappearing into a cloud of smoke. Three minutes later, the pink pony returned with a shiny box that contained what Joey needed and happily gave it to him.

At the back of the house, Joey turns to his Pokémon, his Metagross specifically. "Now," Joey began, "Mechan, are you going to give me any trouble this time?"

Mechan shook its head.

"Huh, well that's a surprise," Joey murmured. "No energy today?"

"Meta, Metagross," it told the human with a bow.

Joey rolled his eyes. "Mechan, you don't need to be so formal with me." The human walks up to the Metagross and rubbed its right front leg. "I'll let you be the first to be cleaned, alright? Then you can go back to protecting our home. If you would?"

The robotic Pokémon nodded seriously and teleported into the pool. Instantly, the Pokémon felt relaxed, its mind drifting to a whole different world. Although Nian and a few other of Joey's Pokémon groom themselves, in their varied ways, they still assist in cleaning the other Pokémon.

To get ready, Joey dashed into the house up toward the master bedroom and dug into his backpack, changing into his wetsuit: a sleek red and black garment he acquired when he visited the Alola Region. He makes it back outside only to see Twilight, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash passing the white fence.

Instantly, Mechan teleports out of the pool and to the front of the house, landing on the ground with a firm crash, startling the mares.

"Intruders detected." Its voice varied in pitch, yet it sounded threatening, nonetheless. None of the mares knew what it was saying. "Attempting to incapacitate trespassers with moderate force, initiating Steel Beam, providing executables; power surge attained." Its eyes turned red as it began charging up a large beam attack, bright flashes of white and gray overcame their sight. "Executing action."

Joey's eyes grew huge and ran in front of the mares, stretching his arms out wide. "Mechan! Terminate the executables; cease your Steel Beam, now!"

Upon hearing his voice, Mechan stood still as a tree, not daring to move or fire its attack. Joey had come into view, and it felt its rage disappear. The flashing gray light vanished from its face and Mechan lay down on the smooth grass with a vacant stare peering at Joey. It waited for his orders.

Joey let loose a large sigh and lowered his arms as they limply fall to his sides. "Whoop," he shouted, glad he got to Mechan as fast as he did. He ordered the giant robot back to the pool, and it obeyed, teleporting away. Turning, he faces the mares and gave them a smile and a wave. "Hey girls, what can I do y'all for?"

Fluttershy cowered behind a shocked Rainbow Dash and Twilight, who all had their mouths agape in surprise. That was the first time any of them stared directly at the face of their demise. Rainbow fell on her fall and Twilight followed suit.

"I'm very sorry that almost happened to you three," Joey sadly said, fervently bowing to the mares in forgiveness. "Mechan isn't usually like this, much the opposite. It is quite tame and cautious but seeing that you have visited on our weekly ritual, I should have expected that it would be distracted. Are any of you hurt?"

Rainbow was the first to snap out of her daze. "That. Was. AWESOME! Do it again!"

Twilight groaned and shot a piercing glare at her enthusiastic friend. "We almost died! Take this seriously!"

Rainbow chuckled and shuffled the back of her colorful mane. "Alright, alright, take a chill pill, Twi. I was just caught up in the moment... all of us were actually."

Joey looked over the two mares and saw Fluttershy cowering before them, degraded into nothing but a whimpering, shaking mess. He saw Rainbow and Twilight attempting to calm the mare down, but as he witnessed, nothing worked. It was to be expected: seeing your life flash suddenly before your eyes, without warning, as death would appear just sheer moments after is quite troubling; traumatizing in fact.

Joey knew he shouldn't do this, but the notion wouldn't go away. He was compelled to move forward, past Rainbow and Twilight, and in front of their sniveling pegasus friend. Instinctively, Joey scooped Fluttershy up in his arms and cradled her, stroking her pink mane. Remarkably, Fluttershy didn't "shy away" from Joey's touch as he had thought she would, given their interactions a little over a week ago.

Occasionally, Joey would visit daycares in the Pokémon world to work with kids and edify them about the mystical creatures they share in their world; with even the hope of inspiring a few to go on their Pokémon journey to experience what he had. He even worked with newly hatched Pokémon in Pokémon Centers as a way to understand them.

Though Fluttershy wasn't a child by any means, Joey still held her like one, and she seemed to greatly appreciate the attention; It seems to Joey that these ponies are quite... reciprocate to physical contact. She embraced the human, planting her face against his chest as he soothed her with inaudible sounds of comfort.

After some time, Fluttershy calmed and broke her face away from Joey to look at him with a small smile across her face. "Thanks," she whispered.

"Happy to help," Joey spoke merrily as he turned his attention to Fluttershy's friends. "You guys caught me at an odd time. Need something?"

Twilight shook her head. "Honestly, we were just coming to visit, to see how you've been doing over this past week. And..." Twilight took the time to see what Joey is wearing. "Are you... in some kind of wetsuit?"

Joey nodded. "Today is Bath Day... Well, it's more of grooming actually, and you caught me right at the beginning of the whole thing. Remember that favor I asked Pinkie a little while back?"

Rainbow bobbed her head up and down. "Yeah... yeah, you wanted a pool or something. I thought it was odd, wondering why you needed something like that, but now we know!"

"Yep," Joey chirped and beckoned the two mares with his head. "Wanna help?" All three mares nodded. "Come on and I'll show ya."

Joey guided his friends to the back of his house where the mares saw his Pokémon lolling in or around the massive pool. They saw towels buckets of water and sponges galore.

Nian was soaking in the middle of the pool in a laid-back posture with sunglasses over her eyes, basking in the sky's bright rays beaming from the warm sun. Mechan is seen with its eyes closed and enjoying the water against its metallic exterior.

Jenny was under a tree blowing cold air into the atmosphere with a listless, mysterious gaze out to the fields beyond Joey's home. Yuna is kneeling next to the pool, dipping her fingers into it and swirling the water playfully. Lena, as usual, is energetically swimming around the pool with that wonderful smile of hers.

Nils is seen roosting next to the pool with his eyes closed and puffing out his feathers to feel the warm breeze flow through him. And, as Joey surveyed the calming scene, unfortunately, Narros is seen away from the pool, huddled up next to a tree with his face looking away from everyone.

With a heavy sigh, Joey shifts his worried frown into a beaming grin and guided the mares closer to the pool, announcing to his Pokémon that they have visitors. Most of them greeted Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Fluttershy.

"Everyone, these three lovely mares are going to help with the grooming, so all of you best be on your greatest behaviors," Joey announced. Most of his Pokémon replied with cheers. "Let's get started!"

Throughout the time spent, Joey has told the mares everything they needed to know about how to groom his Pokémon. It was fairly simple: brush Yuna's fur in a firm yet controlled manner; be hard, and rub Mechan's body fiercely, Nian will only be brushed and pampered by Joey himself, Jenny with her nails and hair, rub down Lena's egg-shaped body, but hold her down since the Chansey is quite ticklish, and help Nils preen his feathers.

All in all, it was a good time with everyone getting along quite nicely, resting, and having fun around the pool. Rainbow Dash, in her usual boastfulness, said how awesome and fast she was while helping groom the Pokémon, much the annoyance to Nian. Nils surprisingly, through Joey's translation, calls the mare a show-off and slower than a Slowpoke's pain receptors.

Rainbow Dash is angered by Nils's words, getting up to his face and challenging the large bird to race to Cloudsdale and back to Joey's house. Nils, giving a tittering chortle that peeves Rainbow Dash further, accepts the pegasus's challenge with a mighty flap that sent a whiplash of wind toward the mare and knocks her down.

Though her pride is unshaken, Rainbow Dash feels as if she may have gotten herself into a small problem that she won't be able to simply get out of. Nils is the type to do battle, as was his upbringing, no matter who the Pokémon was. Hearing Rainbow Dash boasting about her skills with such pride and bravado, instills the thought inside the avian that there might be some merit behind her arrogance. Annoyed, Nils is not. Curious? He is.

To have a fair race, Rainbow Dash tells Nils where Cloudsdale is located. The two stood side by side, waiting for Fluttershy of all ponies to give the go-to. She lifts her hoof in the air and drops it quickly to signal the race had begun.

Rainbow, as she was beginning to take off, suddenly felt a rush of wind smacking her right in the face, causing the mare to barrel backward a few feet. When she recovers, she saw Nils already high in the air. She saw the bird flap his wings gracefully but with such power and strength. As a mare who prides herself in her speed, it was admirable and quite praiseworthy.

Caught in her revelry, Twilight shouts to Rainbow Dash to get her tail in the air and catch up to Nils. Back to reality, Rainbow Dash blasts off the ground in a blur. It took some time but after a while, the two racers came back to Joey's house with Nils narrowly winning the race.

Although he won, Nils had Joey translate to Rainbow Dash that the avian loved the race and would like to spend more time with the rainbow-maned mare whenever she's visiting.

In the past would dictate Rainbow Dash acting like a sore loser since it would be the obvious outcome for a mare with a prideful and competitive nature. However, even though she lost, just barely, Rainbow Dash liked the idea and told the avian she would gladly spend more time with him if the bird taught her some techniques with his wings. The avian agreed wholeheartedly. To Twilight, a new friendship was beginning to blossom right before her eyes, and she loved it.

As the day begins to wind down, Fluttershy noticed Narros alone and sought to include the Absol in their pleasant activities. When the mare began to flutter over to the white creature, Joey promptly, yet kindly, got in the way of the timid pegasus.

Confused, Fluttershy says, "Joey, i-is there something wrong?"

Rainbow Dash and Twilight joined their yellow friend. "Yeah, what gives, tall guy?"

"Narros doesn't like anyone to touch him other than me," Joey told the mares. "If Fluttershy went over there, she would've caused a scene."

Understandably, Fluttershy was taken aback by Joey's reluctance to allow the feeble mare to groom Narros. "I won't hurt him; I love animals!"

Joey gave a small smile and petted Fluttershy's mane. "And I'm glad you do, but Narros will not accept you touching him. There's a reason only I'm allowed."

As usual, curiosity got the better of Twilight Sparkle. "Can you tell us why?"

Although Joey didn't want to divulge too heavily into Narros's past, he thought a quick explanation would most definitely suffice.

"Narros has had... issues relating to Pokémon and people. You guys see that horn?" The mares nodded. "An Absol, which is Narros's species, has the power to sense shifts in nature, mostly about the weather with their horns. Most of their existence is solitary and they only show themselves to others to give warnings of a coming disaster.

"The ability, which is supposed to help and prepare others, is seen as an ill omen. A lot of people hate what Narros is, and it led to him becoming very bitter toward anyone..."

Fluttershy, with tears in her eyes, says, "How cruel! All he was doing was helping!"

Rainbow agreed with a scowl. "Talk about a bunch of ungrateful folks."

"If Narros led such a life, why is he with you?" Twilight wondered.

Joey let out a long and heavy sigh. "I wanted to help him, to show Narros not everyone hated him, that he was welcomed and loved," he answered verily. "It took a long time along with... complications, but Narros eventually accepted me, and I brought him into my family."

"What kind of 'complications'?" Twilight questioned.

"All you need to understand is that Narros, at first, didn't necessarily desire my help, and he tried doing things to make that crystal clear," he explained. "Narros doesn't like to be touched by others; I'll handle him. Understand?"

The mares nodded, though it was clear they wanted to know more about these "things" Joey said. The human grabbed a brush lying next to the pool and began to walk over to Narros. Unsurprised, Nian is by his side, but Joey stopped her.

It was clear as day that Nian didn't trust Narros at all and with very good reasons, but Joey knew the rabbit wouldn't contain herself if Narros made any movement she would perceive as death-dealing, and the human didn't want any kind of surface tension. With reluctance, Nian obeyed her partner, but she told Joey if Narros makes any sudden movements, he would be buried.

Joey knew, as well as all his Pokémon, that Nian doesn't make bluffs or veiled threats; and he understood wholeheartedly. Joey does not kill and his Pokémon shares in his sentiments. However, Joey knew that Nian, if she was to defend his very life, would kill without hesitation or remorse.

With that in the back of his mind, Joey resumes his approach toward the white creature.

---

It didn't take long for Narros to notice something was approaching; his ears have never deceived him. The steps were heavy yet light and quite familiar to him. He knew those footsteps and his niggling appendage from his backside began to move with excitement. His tail betrayed his enthusiasm; the meddlesome turncoat swished and swept the grass, thumping madly the closer the human got.

"Someone's glad to see me!" the human laughed, his joyously deep and soothing voice was carried into the eardrums of his Pokémon; causing the Absol to shiver in delight.

Embarrassed, Narros' cheeks turned crimson. Despite his glaring chagrin, he liked it, of course, and he could never hide it from Joey. Narros turned his head to confirm his thoughts: Joey, without Nian, is approaching him with that handsome smile of his.

When the human got to Narros, he petted and rubbed his head smoothly: a gracious touch here, a thorough loving stroke there; Narros adored those magical fingers caressing his fur. Joey was so delicate and careful when it came to Narros' body, and the Pokémon appreciated it.

"Hey bud, how's it going?" the human whispered, greeting Narros with a happy smile. He got on his knees and rubbed the Pokémon's cheeks with his thumbs. "I haven't forgotten you."

Narros graciously accepted Joey's soft ministrations, slowly leaning into him, taking in his strong scent with a content sigh. The Pokémon's usual cautionary glare melted, shifting to a visage of pure bliss; Joey knew just where to touch him, where to get him comfortable and yearning for more. The human's delicate ministrations were so pleasurable that Narros began to purr; a low rumbling groan to signify Joey was doing a damn good job.

"I'm fine," Narros muttered under his lips, blushing. His usual no-care attitude was completely absent, instead, his voice sounded gentle; relaxed, and his body gave a submissive pose. "And... thanks for not bringing Nian with you; I did not want to be stressed. Are... are you doing well?" He looked up at Joey with glistening, ruby-red eyes.

"I am, just a little tired," he answered lazily. "I brought the brush to attend to your gorgeous coat. Are you ready?"

Again, Narros' cheeks flooded with redness at the sweet compliment. Though he is a male, female Absols share no profound or defining physical characteristics from their male counterparts, so they all look the same; androgynous in appearance, other than the obvious biology between them. Narros prided himself on his pristine white coat, so with such praise coming from someone, especially Joey, and with his lonely upbringing, the Pokémon took it to heart.

Narros looked away from Joey's snowy gaze and shuffled closer to him, giving the human permission to brush his fur as much as he wanted. "J-just be gentle," he stammered quietly. "Go ahead."

Twilight, along with her two friends, watched endearingly at Joey's soft and careful approach toward the white creature. It was amazing. Joey acted just as Fluttershy would but even more gentle and loving.

Twilight Sparkle looked at the human's Pokémon team and a wave of dread and fear washed over her like an enormity of heavy rain pelting her coat mercilessly. It wasn't long until Rainbow Dash noticed as well, and although it isn't in the mare's prudence to remain silent, the rainbow mare knew to keep her mouth shut. Fluttershy saw as well, and, as usual, cowered slightly at the Pokémons' powerful gazes.

Nian held a stern, unblinking stare toward Narros; constantly observing his body language with intense scrutiny. Nils, though his gaze isn't as strong as Nian's, still held strength and caution. Yuna looked worried, Jenny's expression changed to a small frown, Lena held a sad gaze, and Mechan's face was unreadable though it must have contained the same ire Nian's did.

Twilight did not know why Joey's Pokémon stared so intently, but she thought it must have been what Joey had told them about how Narros tried very hard to stop the human from helping him. Whatever that meant, Twilight knew it was something so great that the other Pokémon looked upon the white creature with such sharp scrutiny.

Minutes pass, and Joey left a content Narros alone lying on the grass and returning to the group. All the Pokémon broke their strong gazes and resumed their activities like nothing ever happened. Twilight and her friends were surprised how the other Pokémon returned to normal; making them unnerved and rattled, but they made the effort to hide it from Joey so the human wouldn't ask questions.

---

As the day passes by slowly, Nian is seen lolling on the grass with everyone going about their own around the pool. Eventually, the brown rabbit felt a slight chill creep through her body; a shadow has blocked the sun. Irritated, the rabbit opens her eyes to see Yuna standing over her leader, shyly twiddling her fingers.

Begrudgingly, Nian lifted herself off the ground and sat in a lazy posture. "What's the matter, Yuna?" the rabbit asked listlessly. The Lucario murmured something under her lips. "Yuna," Nian said with a bit more force, "come here."

Yuna nodded obediently and approached closer to Nian, though her hazy eyes looked away. Nian got up, stretched, and graced her hand over Yuna's left cheek softly, a loving touch the young pup knew all too well. When Little Yuna wasn't waddling off to another adventure as an adventurous Riolu, she stayed close to Nian who taught the pup all she knew, often with guidance from Joey. After all, they were parents to Yuna and she is their responsibility.

The Lucario appreciated Nian's sweet gesture and leaned into the rabbit's touch. "S-s-sorry, Mom- I mean Nian!" Yuna stammered bashfully. She began to panic, stumbling over her words as her anxiety built. "I d-d-didn't mean to call you... I-I mean..."

"Yuna," Nian called out with a firm tone, gaining the stuttering Lucario's attention. "Calm down and slow your tongue. I don't mind it when you call me your mother, since I was the second thing you ever saw, just after Joey. Understand?"

"Y-yes, ma'am..." Yuna muttered quietly, slightly embarrassed at her silliness. Timid and cursed with a stuttering problem that has plagued the young pup since birth, Nian had learned to be patient with the Lucario and when to interject when the young Pokémon had too much coming out of her mouth.

"Now," Nian began smoothly, "what is it that you want? You can tell me."

Yuna tried her best to stop her legs from fidgeting, but she had always failed spectacularly. Nian did not rush the young Pokémon; patience was needed and after many days and nights with a little Riolu under her care, a delicate embrace was in order. Nian, with Yuna in her arms, sat the young Pokémon down and idled patiently for Yuna to speak.

It took some time, but the sweet little Pokémon said, "I w-want to... to spar- continue sparring with you. We, uh... umm, we haven't resumed s-s-since the f-festival in Alamos T-town."

Nian was surprised, unable to suppress a happy chuckle at Yuna's sudden but welcomed boldness. What surprised her, even more, is that it was Yuna who wanted to continue their sparring rather than the other way around.

Nian thought back too many a time that she had to drag a reluctant Yuna to spar. It would take days for Yuna to even attempt to spar, so when the young Pokémon finally wanted to start again, Nian was more than joyous to oblige.

"I'll go and tell Joey if we can spar just beyond the fence, okay?" Nian's voice was filled with pride. She thought Yuna had finally started wiggling out of that shell of hers. "Wait for me at the entrance to the house."

Yuna nodded and got up almost too quickly, promoting Nian to lightly scold the pup about lightheadedness. Apologizing profusely, Yuna scrambled over to the entrance of Joey's house.

Nian sighed and shook her head. "That silly little pup," she muttered amusingly.

---

Time flows by five minutes, and Yuna stood shivering lightly against the white fence waiting for Nian. The young Pokémon kept twiddling her fingers as her heart began to beat quicker with each passing second. Yuna never liked training or sparring, but she knew if she was to help and even defend Joey, she would have to suck it up. And she longed to please her father.

A noise came from the house, alerting Yuna, and drawing the pup from her musings. She uses her Aura to see Nian bounding over to her.

"Field, out, now," she ordered the Lucario.

Yuna nearly froze at the rabbit's words, as if Nian was angry or desperate. Without a word, Yuna obeyed the rabbit's declaration and scrambled, almost tripping, toward the field with Nian hopping close behind.

The curious eyes of the other Pokémon lay upon Nian and Yuna, wondering what those two were up to. Even Narros, still isolated from the others, watched with minor curiosity. Twilight and her friends were holed up inside the house talking to Joey about their world and his.

Seeing from a window that Joey is busy, Nils told the rest of the Pokémon that they should figure out what Nian and Yuna were doing. Most Pokémon aside from Narros and Mechan, who told the group it would watch from the top of the house, agreed and followed the enormous bird out to the field where they caught up to Nian and Yuna.

What they saw shocked them: Yuna had conjured a large white bone flowing with a mysterious blue aura to her side. Nian held herself tall and firm with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Well, would you look at that," Nils wondered aloud, his rapt eyes staring forward unblinkingly. "Little Yuna is about to spar."

Lena looked worried, as a Chansey should, and she knew better to interfere after the match. However, she was happy to see Yuna back in training. "Let's just hope Nian goes easy on her," the Chansey muttered hopefully.

Jenny agreed with the round Pokémon, but her icy gaze studied the two Pokémon with enthusiasm. Jenny is no fighter, she barely has any fighting skills, nor the three out of four primary moves had any way of doing damage.

"No need to worry," Nils assured Lena softly, although his voice remained excited. Nils was born to fight. Seeing a sparring match about to commence filled him with much happiness. Ever since Joey and the rest of the Pokémon came to this world, everything the group normally does was halted and slowly came back little by little. "Nian isn't sparring with Joey, but with her daughter. She would never be too intense. If anything, she'll give the young girl a few bruises."

Though Lena knew Nils was trying to make her feel better, the Pokémon couldn't see Little Yuna all bruised up.

"Are you ready to begin?" Nian asked.

"Y-yes, ma'am," Yuna answered respectfully, trying in vain to calm her nerves and steady her trembling paws.

"Your Aura," the brown rabbit said, gaining the bewilderment of her opponent.

"Ma'am?"

"I shouldn't need to tell you how much of an advantage that power gives you. You use it constantly, day and night." Nian gave her daughter a straight look. "Your control over Aura is great, I can tell, but you do not use it for battle. If anything, you do everything in your power to not fight.

"Even Joey decided to not use you for any battling, but me? I don't share the same idea. Defend yourself and fight for Joey. He will need you. Use your Aura and come at me!"

Yuna, shaking from her paws to her toes, attempted to control her body with every ounce of strength she could. It did not work as she fully intended, but the unsteadiness did ebb away slightly. She inhaled the bracing clear air into her snout and exhaled, calming her heart, allowing Yuna to grip her bone weapon more tightly as if strengthening her. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she focused on her opponent: her mother Nian, leader of the Pokémon team blessed with a destructive strength able to stand against Pokémon of Old; legendary entities powerful enough to level cities and mountains.

The tell-tale Aura around Nian gave away every bit of her power to Yuna, hence the fear of sparring with her especially. Nian's fiery Aura shone like the reddest light she had ever beheld; the sheer ferocity of it was almost too much to stare at, but over the years, Yuna managed. Nian's Aura was special, as no other Pokémon or human she came across ever had the same flare.

"What's the matter, pup?!" Nian's voice was challenging and invigorating, knocking Yuna out of her thoughts. The Pokémon watching suddenly stood at attention from Nian's echoing shout. "Are you coming to hit me or not?! I won't tell you again!"

Yuna knew she had to attack; she would have to put her thoughts away for now. Clutching her bone club, Yuna dashed at Nian with the weapon held up high, leaping into the air and descending to strike, aiming for the rabbit's skull. Instantly, in the blink of an eye, Yuna found herself flung back, tumbling to the ground.

The young Pokémon coughed and kneeled atop the ground, using her bone club as support. Nian still stood at the same spot.

"Get up," she bade briskly. Her voice wasn't cold or demeaning, but rigid and harsh. "I said get back up, pup! We aren't done; you wanted this. Now get up!"

Yuna knew Nian was right. When the rabbit guided her to the field, the young Pokémon told her mother to not go easy on her. In a way, Yuna regretted it and almost desired to break the sparring match and walk back home. She half-expected to hear Joey ending the match, but she did not hear his voice. The young pup shook the thought from her mind and stood back up and pointed her bone club at Nian.

Nian saw Yuna's white eyes narrow and smiled inwardly, proud that Yuna wanted to keep going. "I'm still waiting. Are you going to stand there?!"

At that moment, Yuna dashed again at her mother, swiping the bone club at her feet, hoping to sweep the mighty rabbit off the ground and go for a critical hit. Her hopes were dashed as Nian lifted a powerful, well-toned leg above her head, slamming the ground with a mighty crash. The sheer force blew Yuna away, causing the Lucario to skid on her paws across the ground, but she stood firm.

"I-I'm ready," she shouted back. "Let's keep going!"

Nian chuckled. Her right hand began to vibrate, glowing with an eerie red light. Yuna knew what the rabbit was using: Drain Punch, a move as tenacious as a rage-filled Gyarados hell-bent on leveling whole cities that can suck your spirit dry. Yuna staggered, afraid to attack the brown rabbit. She stepped back one space as Nian stepped forward.

"No running this time, Yuna," Nian said coolly.

---

Joey walked outside with Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy after telling them the story of how he met Jenny. To no one's surprise, Twilight had asked Joey more questions about his world and Pokémon, and Joey happily agreed, being so open and willing to talk.

The four friends heard a loud boom coming from the field beyond the house. Alarmed, Twilight and her two friends rushed over to the commotion with Joey yawning and lagging behind them. Twilight saw Joey's Pokémon: Nils, Jenny, and Lena watching Nian and Yuna fight with Yuna not looking so hot. Nian didn't have a single bruise.

Confusion washed over Twilight, shocked to witness such a fight. "Wh-what is going on here?!"

Rainbow, though she was excited to find who would win shared Twilight's worry. Fluttershy hated it. To see friends fight each other like that filled the timid pegasus with terror, and she was about to get in between the two Pokémon to break up the fight, but Joey stopped her before she had the chance.

Fluttershy turned to Joey, worry clear in her eyes. "Joey, stop them! Somepony is going to get hurt!"

Joey tilted his head, looking over the pegasus to see Yuna desperately trying to block Nian's advances, and losing by the second. A surge of pride and happiness flowed through his chest, and he denied Fluttershy's feverish request calmly as a look of astonishment came from the mare.

"Relax," he whispered to the anxious mare. "This is normal with my group, though it's still surprising to see Yuna battling so passionately. Me and my Pokémon spar and train all the time to keep our strength up."

"B-b-but this is barbaric," the yellow mare stammered scornfully, pleading with Joey to cease the fighting. "And it's cruel and irresponsible!"

"Listen to me," Joey began, petting the mane of the anxious pegasus, "this is how we are, and I understand, I truly do, but this is what I and my family does. I'm not asking you to like it, far from it. However, I expect you to respect it. You can help Lena patch up Yuna after."

Before Fluttershy could say anything, Rainbow interjects. "What? You don't think Yuna can win?"

"Rainbow!" Twilight hissed quietly at her brash-headed friend.

Joey laughed and said, "It's okay Twilight. Yuna isn't strong enough to win against Nian, the rabbit is FAR too powerful. Yuna is merely trying to stand her ground. It doesn't matter if she loses or wins; it's a good experience."

---

Yuna looked dirty, and she was panting, out of breath. Nian looked the same as she always has, although a smile could be seen if one squinted hard enough. She wasn't even in her Mega Evolution; she was just too strong.

"Shall we call it a day?" Nian questioned her fatigued daughter, stretching in delight as her bones popped. "Your legs look as if they'd give out at any moment."

"No," Yuna vehemently retorted. Her bone club vanishes as the young pup jut her arms out and paws together. An orb of azure energy began to materialize in the middle of Yuna's paws. "I'm not done yet!"

Nian glared excitedly. "Bringing out the big stuff, huh? Well then... come on and shoot it!"

The orb of energy was an Aura Sphere: the signature attack of Yuna's species. This mystical ball of power cannot be avoided and must be met head-on if the opponent had any hopes of retaliating. Yuna shot the attack at her opponent with all the might she could muster. The orb was huge, bigger than Nils, rapidly approaching Nian as the rabbit held her ground. The rabbit scrapped the ground with her foot before leaping into the air with her right leg sparkling faintly.

Everyone except the mares watching knew what Nian was using. It was a move she often used to end fights definitely: Mega Kick; her most powerful attack, enraptured her right leg in a faint glow of white sparkles, descending hurriedly toward the giant Aura Sphere.

The small crowd watched as Nian collided with the orb of azure light in an uproarious show of white and blue lightning, arcing just below her in frightening flashes. The orb under Nian's well-toned leg warped and groaned in an alien drone, and then it split in half, plummeting to the verdant earth in a startling crash and exploding in a coruscating flash of light before fading.

Nian landed gracefully on the ground without a single scratch or bruise upon her; she went completely unscathed. Everyone aside from Yuna and Joey had their mouths agape in awe; Nian's strength was a sight to behold, even if she wasn't giving her all.

Yuna sighed and attempted to move forward to strike her mother, but she staggered and fell on one knee in exhaustion. Sweat streamed down her dirty countenance, her bones ached, and she was short of breath. Yuna willed herself to stand with great effort, wobbling and stumbling on her toes, yet she managed to steady herself.

"Yuna," Nian called out, "this will be your last chance for tonight. Are you ready?"

Yuna took in a large amount of breath and exhaled. "Yes, ma'am. I understand. I'm ready!"

"Then don't just stand there," Nian bashed playfully. "Come and get it!"

In an instant, Yuna's fists turned into metal. She smashed them together, creating sparks and taking a stance that put her fists in front of her face. The move Yuna is using is called Bullet Punch: a strong attack fit for close-quarter combat.

Nian laughed loudly, smashing her fists together as they arc with red lightning. Power-Up Punch: a potentially dangerous and death-dealing attack that amps the user's fists with a strength able to shatter the earth easily with a quick series of strikes or with a single, powerful attack to knock out just about anyone.

If Yuna was hit with that move, she'll be sore for months, even with Lena's potent healing ability. But the young Pokémon wasn't going for multiple hits, but a single strike to end the match. If she knew Nian, and she knows her mother well, she'll do the same. Yuna just hoped she doesn't break her fists.

The spectators watching the sparring match witnessed Nian blitzing over to Yuna as the young pup dashed forward and collided with one another in a startling flash of light that warped the air around in a split second. Enraptured, the spectators watched on in anticipation to see who had won the exchange.

Unsurprisingly, Nian stood over a deftly beaten Yuna, who lay under her mother splayed out in utter defeat. Nian did not have a single mark on her body while Yuna looked dirt-ridden and drenched in sweat that made her matted fur glisten faintly in the orange sun's blissful light.

Nian kneeled to her still-conscious daughter with a look of pride and joy. "Good job today," she praised happily, gaining a small smile from Yuna. "We can try again when you are ready. Lena!"

It took only the round Chansey's name to hurry over to Yuna with a look of mild worry and admiration. "Oh, you poor baby," Lena cooed soothingly, gently picking Yuna up in a tight hold. "Let Auntie Lena take care of you!"

"Lena, I'm n-not a little pup anymore," Yuna protested quietly, a streak of red flooding her cheeks as she was carried away into Joey's house, followed by the rest of the Pokémon.

Twilight, to no pony's surprise, had discreetly spawned a quill drenched in ink, eagerly jotting everything she had seen in a scroll. Rainbow Dash noticed how vigorously Twilight was scribbling the information into the scroll that she thought steam came from it. Perhaps it was just her eyes playing tricks on her. If not... that was worrisome. They followed the other Pokémon back to the house, leaving Joey and Fluttershy alone.

Fluttershy had a distant look on her face, and Joey knew it wasn't anything too pleasant. He understood, of course, to see what Fluttershy views as harmless animals fighting each other not out of necessity or the will to survive, but to battle needlessly. He knew she didn't like it.

Tapping a finger on his chin, Joey thought about how to begin a conversation. "Are we still friends?"

Fluttershy turned to Joey with a shocked expression across her visage, as if offended or appalled. "Of course, we are," she answered tersely, fluttering to Joey. "I just don't... approve of fighting, especially if it's animals. But... I do understand; you and your family come from a completely different place. I would assume you don't pit them against others for needless fighting?"

Joey chuckled. "Never," he answered verily, putting his hands behind his back lazily. "They are just as intelligent as you or me, and sometimes even more so. They do not have to follow my orders; they can leave me whenever they feel like it. I do not take away their freedom and force them to do my bidding; that's slavery.

"They aren't bound to me, Fluttershy, and they never will. They stay with me because they love me, and I love them; that's why we're a family."

Fluttershy sighed. "I understand," she murmured as she went on, "and I trust you and your words. It'll just take me a little while to get used to it. I'm sorry for what I said."

Joey couldn't contain himself; he grabbed Fluttershy in a warm hug, carrying the mare in his strong arms. Thankfully, Fluttershy didn't resist this action and couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"Let's join the others," Joey said. Fluttershy agreed and Joey carried the mare back to the house, followed closely by Nian.

When they got to the house, Twilight and her friends said their goodbyes and went to their homes. As the day lowers ever closer to bringing about the night, Joey and his Pokémon retired into the house to rest the night away.

Author's Note:

Yuna knows the following: Bullet Punch, Bone Rush, Aura Sphere, and Bulk Up.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Are any human female Pokemon characters going to appear in this story?

[Darkevony]

As a fellow Pokemon writer, I am invested in seeing this story continue to its fruition. Good work so far.

And ah! The dreaded moment we have Fluttershy reach the moment we talk about what is natural in the Pokemon world and what battles means to them and their trainers.