> Lost and Found > by MyrrWhisp > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dusk the Riolu slowly opened his eyes as the first warm rays of sun-light shone into the cave, its warm glow touched him and his mother as they laid in their mossy nest. The first thing he had noticed was that it was getting warmer as the new spring came. It was his first spring since he hatched, and so the natural warmth was both new and welcoming. He gave a small smile as he let himself lay there for a few, soaking up the warmth of the sun. His muzzle gaped as he let out a long yawn, his grogginess fading as he laid there. He shifted to a new position and sneezed as a piece of moss tickled his nose. After a few more minutes of trying to go back to sleep, he gave up, seeing there was no way that he was going to rest anymore. He sat up from the nest, stretching his long arms to rid of the strained muscles, and forced himself upon his two feet. He shook his body to get rid of the excess moss that stubbornly decided to cling to his body. Dusk slowly padded over to the entrance of the cave that was his home. He had to blink a few times before he could look at the sight without narrowing his eyes. The cave was upon a large hill, overseeing the whole forest and the lake beyond it. He first looked up at the sky, and a smile crept on his face. The sky exploded into shades of yellow, pink, orange, and a few specks of white, which were from a few clouds that were able to survive the last rainstorm. Then the Riolu looked down to the forest, his blue ears perking in interest. He was used to the forest without leaves, or at least have yellow to brown leaves. Now that Spring was here, the forest awoke from her dead, silent state, and seemed to be bursting with new life. There was so much green, and it was very odd to Dusk. Even from here, Dusk could hear the chatter of the forest dwelling Pokémon as they started or continued their morning routine. There was so much chatter, that he couldn't distinguish what Pokémon is talking. It was confusing to him, but it was a nice add to his life. He finally looked beyond the forest to what had grabbed his interest since he first noticed it. It was a pulsing blob of blue mass which his mother told him was a Lake. He had never gone to this place yet, but his mother told him once he is older he could go with her to the lake. Hold on..., Dusk thought for a few moments, She told me we could go today! Excitement flooded through Dusk's mind as he remember the promise his mother gave him. He could see it now. The wind blowing in his face, the roar of the water as it lapped at the shore ahead, and new Pokémon to befriend there! Oh he couldn't wait! At that moment, the Riolu turned to gaze at his mother, who was still fast asleep in the comfy moss nest. He would have to wait for her to wake up from her slumber if they were to go to the lake. He looked back to the entrance, looking up at the sky. The sun had just emerged from the horizon and was slowly ascending into the sky. Well... He thought, It is early right now... I guess I will wait. So Dusk waited, and waited, and waited. Many hours passed when he woke upon his back, his tail hurting for being squished. "Ow!" He yipped as he sat up, rubbing the beginning of his tail, waiting it to not throb. Wait a minute! He thought How long had I slept like that? The Riolu, still sitting down, looked up at the sky from the entrance, he could barely see the sun, since it had almost risen to the peak of the sky, almost being obscured by their ceiling. What? It is almost mid-day?! He exclaimed, shocked on how the time flied since he must of fell asleep. He shoved himself up from his sitting position and turned to see where his mother was. To his surprise though, she was still fast asleep. This annoyed the Riolu slightly, since she would of been up and in the forest hours ago. Her sleeping this long was not common, but when she did, it would be hard to wake her up. He knew it would take a long time to get to the lake, and at this rate, it would be dark by the time they arrived if she didn't wake up soon. Dusk gave out a small sigh, I guess I might as well wake her up then. He thought with reluctance. So Dusk padded forward a few paw-steps, reaching the moss nest in ease. He knee-led down and stretched his arms to her, shaking her shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. "Common Mom, wake up!" Dusk waited for a response, yet none came. She only shifted slightly, and kept on sleeping. He gave out a sigh, and shook her again, a little bit harder this time. Still, unfortunately, no response. ` He sat down where he was, giving up. He crossed his furry arms and thought deeply, a troubled expression in the young Riolu's face. How would he be able to wake her up? She was in a very deep sleep after all... After raging in his head for a plan to wake his mom up, a perfect idea popped up. The Riolu inspected the idea, and finally he accepted it happily. A mischievous smile crept onto his face. Well, I guess this is the only way to wake mom up.. He thought with excitement and amusement. This was going to be fun! Dusk forced himself up onto two legs. Padding back to the entrance of the cave. Instead of examining the area outside, he turned around. With one paw ahead of the other, he prepared to run. He sprinted forward, his arms soaring behind him, and jumped, landing onto his mother with an "Oof!" He giggled at his mischievous act, yipping happily. "Common Mom, wake up! We have to go to the lake!" He laid on his belly, giving his mom a big hug. The mother Lucario responded, but not the way he wanted. She grumbled in an inaudible tone, and buried her muzzle deeper into the mossy nest. She was being hard to wake. "Mom.... you promised!" He pouted, disappointed and sad by her reluctance to wake up. "Okay, okay! I am up..." His mother groaned after many seconds of silence. "Yay!" He cheered. Dusk rolled off his mom and the nest, and then got up once again, trotting to the entrance once again to wait for her to go. His mother forced herself to get up from her comfortable nest, letting out a sigh as she gained her footing. "How does he get all this energy?" She barked, her tail bobbing back and forth as she padded over to join her son at the entrance. "Okay. Let's go!" --- Dusk and his mother started on their journey to the lake happily. Dusk was on the front, exploring the place around him while his mother stayed back, keeping a watchful eye on them. They descended the rocky hill, boulders stretching high above them as they went. He had been through here plenty of times, yet it still fascinated him. His mom called it the Boulder path, since the boulders lined up in a path as they would go to and through from their cave. It was easier to go this way than any other rout from their cave to the forest. Not many other Pokémon lived near here though, so they were basically the only ones that used it. His mind wandered to the lake, trying to imagine what it will be like. Today was a clear day, so the water will be calm and clear. Mom said they could get to the lake by just following trail they were on, called the Boulder Path. Speaking of names, he didn't know what the name of the lake yet. Did it even have a name? He turned, walking backwards easily as he concentrated on his mother, who was watching him intently. "Mom, what is this lake called anyways?" He asked. She gave him a hearty smile, and responded, "It is called Lake Valor, remember that well, there are times that you might need to come back here one day when you are older." He nodded silently, hopping back to a forwards walk once again. What did she mean that he would need to know this someday? Well.. He thought, Nothing is going to change by just pondering about it. He shook his head, forcing his thoughts back as he looked forward. He could hear the buzz of the Pokémon who inhabited the area slowly get louder, and so he smiled. They were getting to the heart of the forest, the most eventful place he has know so far in his life. The thick brush surrounded the path as the pair moved on. He could hear some Staravia above him, some flying in the sky, and some in the trees, picking the delicious fruit that the trees bared. In the bushes, he could hear the sounds of Bidoof, Shinx, and other Pokémon that he didn't care to recognize. This was a place that exited him, there was always something going on here, whether it would be night or day. After a while of silently walking by the neighboring Pokémon that was also using the trail, something perked his interest. A nearby bush was rustling slightly. Curious now, he trotted a few paces from his mother, stopping at the bush, eyeing it with great interest. --- His mother kept her steady pace, giving a chuckle of amusement as her curious son examined the bush. By the smell of it, this Pokémon wouldn't be a threat. Just in case though, she kept her eyes on the young Riolu, making sure that he didn't get hurt. She didn't know what she would be able to do if something bad happened to him, many threats are targeted at her, and she knew that they were also now passed onto him. All she could do was protect him to the best of her abilities. --- Dusk peered closer at the bush, which was now twitching, as if nervous or something. All he could see that was odd was a small brown patch with a pink triangle in the middle. He cocked his head sideways, confused on what it is. Not thinking, he stretched his arm, poking the pink triangle in a 'Boop' motion. Nothing could prepare him for what happened next. He yowled in surprise as whatever was inside the bush jumped on him, a small brown figure his put him to the ground. He landed with a thud, his vision blurry at the impact. It took his a while to recover, his mind confused. He blinked his eyes constantly, recovering his vision. On top of the Riolu, was a small Buneary, laughing quite hard. She then suddenly stopped her laughing, giving him a big, goofy smile. "Hello!" She said cheerily, looking exited to meet him, "I am Tris! What is your name?" He stared for a few moments, still processing the new information. Then he noticed that he was staring, and he blushed in embarrassment, replying quickly. "O- Oh!" He stampeded, "Hello, I am Dusk." For some reason, the Buneary didn't look disturbed by his behavior, Tris just grinned, hopping off of him, and hopped around with a joyful aura around her. It made him smile back at her. What an interesting Pokémon... Tris stopped her hopping, opening her mouth to continue speaking. "Dusk.. that's a cool name!" She Complimented, giving him a courtesy in greeting. "I never seen a Riolu before, Oh it is so nice to meet you!" Dusk blinked repeatedly, trying to soak in all the information as the Buneary sped by on her introduction. Okay her name is Tris and she is defiantly exited to see me... He thought looked at Tris, who was watching him expectantly with a sweet smile. Only then did he realize that she was waiting for a response from him. Oh! "Uh... Well it's very nice to meet you too!" He yipped, stumbling back onto his feet. Now that he had his footing back, he looked around for his mother. She was right on the other side of the trail, concealing her smile and stifling a giggle. " Well hello there Tris." His mother cheerily woofed, "So your mother let you go exploring again?" The Buneary's eyes widened as she remembered something, and then she hopping around in excitement, "Oh, of course! I almost forgot! I was going to go to the lake again today!" She grinned at them happily. The Riolu looked back to his mother, and even he could see that his mother was planning something, since he had that certain thoughtful expression on her face. It almost seemed that he could see the gears starting to turn in that head of hers. What is she going to do next.... He thought with interest. "So you're going to the lake?" She gave a small chuckle, "Why, we are also going to the lake too! Would you like to come with us Tris?" She asked politely, it was a friendly gesture, none the less. "Sure! It would be twice the fun!" Tris exclaimed, hopping ahead on the trail gleefully. Well, that was interesting. He thought, following the extremely excited Buneary and his mother along the trail. What interesting things might happen at the lake now? --- Dusk's ears perked as the slush of liquid came into earshot, it was like a whisper to him, inaudible yet luring like it wanted him to follow the sound. His tail wagged furiously with excitement and looked up at his mother, her golden eyes greeting his own. "We are almost there..." She woofed, a small, warm smile on her face. With that alone, he got extremely excited, he was almost at the lake! He had been waiting months for this moment! Without thinking, he dashed forward, the distance between the mother with the Buneary and his mother lengthening. Behind him, he could hear his mother yell something, and the Buneary screech. That scared him, but before he could stop, he was sent flying into the brush to the side of the trail. Everything just went in slow motion. His eyes widened as he saw who had shoved him, his own mother had shoved him, her eyes seemed to be filled with panic. /But what's wrong?/ He couldn't dwell on that for long though. He let out a screech of pain as he fell into a bed of brambles. The thorns pierced his skin, and entangled him, threatening to hurt him if he got up. A surge of pain slashed at his right shoulder, making him silently wail in agony. Tears came into his eyes as he forced himself up, the thorns tearing out of his skin as he did so. The Riolu stared at the site in disbelief, for his mom was in more trouble than him. She had been entangled in some kind of net, and yet whenever she struggled, the net would shock his mother with bolts of electricity. "Mom!" He yelped, clutching his shoulder in shock, he was bleeding. He winced as he stumbled toward his mother, he had to get her out, he just had to! He almost touched the net, before his mother interrupted him. "No!" She growled at him, which made him take a step back. "It will shock you if you touch it! I'll be fine, just let me-" She couldn't finish her sentence, as another shock wave exploded from the net, making her screech in pain. After the shock was over, she fell on her knees, panting with effort. Her sides heaved as she tried to not fall down and faint. "Mom... I am scared... you have to get out of there!" He whimpered, fear bubbling through his consciousness. The net will hurt her even more of he tried to help, or if she showed any signs of struggle. So how could she get free? He knelt down with his mother, examining the net for any faults. He didn't notice that a shadow had crept over to him. As the shadow was big enough to cover him, he finally noticed this, and slowly looked behind him with wide eyes. Before him, stood a trainer. This wasn't a normal, goofy trainer that he was used to seeing. This trainer was a full grown man. He was wearing a black suit, and on his shirt a bid Red R was put in it. What scared him the most though, was that his eyes where icy-blue, cold and judging as the trainer was Staring at him. His eyes almost glowed ,since his hair was also black. Oh, now he was more scared that he had ever been. "Oh?" The trainer said in a low voice, a creepy grin went onto his face. "Looks like I finally got you Lucario." His cold eyes fell on him, which made him shiver slightly. "Looks like you came with a perfect present to!" He leaned in closer, taunting his mother, who was now looking at the trainer with a death glare. "This Riolu will be a perfect gift for the boss..." The Lucario had enough of that ,and so she forced herself up, sparks flying, and she said this, her hands circled around a forming ball of energy. "Aura... Sphere!" She let loose the Aura Sphere, and even though it was strong, the net seemed to absorb the Aura Sphere. Then, after a few Silent moments, a huge shock wave came from the net, shocking his mother with such force, he could even see her tears evaporate into thin air. "Moma!" He yelled in panic. "Please stop..." He whimpered, tears forming in her own eyes. His ears drooped as the man looked over to him again, seemingly looking like he had now lost interest with his mother. Oh no... He thought, Now it must be my turn for a beating... The trainer gazed down at the terrified Riolu, giving him a grin that sent shivers though his body. "Well then, you aren't going to be much of a burden, aren't you?" The man said and then continued, "I guess my Treeko will be to much for a Pokémon as weak as you are right now. Go Treeko!" The man selected the first of the three balls attached to his belt, sending out the Treeko from his capsule. The Treeko looked at Dusk coldly, almost mimicking the Trainers glare. "Oh, Looks like he finally sent me out to do something interesting." The Treeko sneered. "Just capture the Riolu Treeko and then we can go." The man looked to his mother again. "I have already taken care of her anyways." Dusk's thoughts were now a strained mess, he had no clue what to do. He had to flee, it was his only chance to escape! He, though, abandon his own mother! What will he do? Oh what can I do?! He thought with frustration. He looked to his mom as he saw her move in the corner of his eye. She forced herself up, panting heavily in exhaustion. "Dusk... Flee now! Get out of here as fast as you can!" She plead, her eyes wide as tears flowed freely down her face. He was now more scared the he had been so far, and he had a feeling that it was going to get worse. "I-I can't leave!" He cried, " I can't leave without you!" "You must! You have to go now! I am not asking you!" She growled desperately for him to leave her. "But-" He tried to protest, but he was cut off by a glare and her growl. "No buts... Now go!" He hesitated for a moment, gritting his teeth in frustration at what he knew he had to do. /Why? Why did this happen to us?/ He thought bitterly as he glared at the apposing Treeko, who was looking quite amused at him and his mother's struggles. He then hopped to the side of the Treeko, dashing past him before he could react, and sped away from the scene and across the lakeside. --- If any Pokémon were around, then this might of been a bad sight. You would first see a horrified Riolu dashing past you as fast as the young thing could go, and then you would see a Treeko hot on pursuit, looking extremely angry. Dusk could hear the Protests, Yelps of surprise, and some Screams of fear behind him as he went on. "You can't keep sprinting like that forever, coward!" Dusk could hear the Treeko taunting him from close behind, which made him even more than he used to be. The Iron Ball of fear and dread seemed to grow bigger by the minute as he felt himself tire. He was faster than the Treeko, yet this Treeko had more endurance than him. That was Dusk's downfall in all of this. He struggled to keep the pace after a while, panting hard in the attempt to get more air circulation though his body. His muscles burned in protest, for he had never tried to run this far or this fast. He was truly at his limits. Which where not enough. No, no, no, no, no! Dusk wailed in his mind, his vision a blur as tears flowed down his face. This was supposed to be a great experience with Mom and Tris... and look where that had gotten me! He screamed his anger in his mind at the plain irony of this as he clenched his teeth and forced himself further, only now remembering the wound that was still on his shoulder, bleeding. He had to do something! But- " Hah-... You... can't keep..... up that.... pace!" The Treeko panted to Dusk, and his heart skipped a beat. The Treeko sounded to be closer than before, so he didn't dare look back. He could feel himself faltering as he tried his best to keep from the Treeko. Common! You can do this! He tried to encourage himself, but thoughts surged though his head of failing to flee from the Treeko, and being trapped to who knows where. They would use him to do something horrible, and his freedom would be lost forever. Then, he started to panic. I- I am not going to make it... His face went slack in horror, his jaw opened wide. Am I... The world grew silent to him as he blocked all sound and feeling, ignoring the grouped up pain that he was in. Then he gave a silent plea for help, to Arceus, or any other being that could help him. Please, someone help me! Not only a few seconds later, Dusk felt his foot twist and lost grip with one of the slippery rocks on the lake-bed. His mind filled with dread and horror as he knew that this had just sealed his fate. He was going to be caught by the Treeko, taken to the trainer, and then get shipped to whoever this 'Boss' was. He would never see her again, nor have fun with his few Pokémon friends, even Tris, and he would never get his first time having fun at the lake like he always wanted. All his dreams shattered at that moment as he closed his eyes in defeat, fainting in exhaustion and waiting for his dreadful fate to come. > Escape > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dusk’s consciousness floated endlessly in a black haze. His body had been braced for the impact, yet for some reason it never came. He never impacted anything, and it seemed like gravity just ceased to exist. This involuntarily confused the Riolu’s mind and body. Recovery was slow, yet it was done. He was just left there, dreaming in the floating expanse of darkness. In his mind however, many nightmares where playing in Dusk’s head. Being stuck in a small, dark cage, and being forced from his mother so that he could be forced to train for this ‘boss’ person. He twitched and whimpered in his sleep, a frown on his face and tears forming, dreaming being upset. A small tune of a lullaby sang out of the nothingness he was on, there was someone else out there. The tune was so soothing, so kind, the nightmares disintegrated from his mind. The soothing song was stuck in his head now, giving him better dreams in his sleep. He dreamed of him, Tris, and his Mother running around the lake side. There was playing, dancing (Mostly Tris), and games held there. A small smile formed onto his face, and the lullaby ceased to exist. --- Princess Twilight Sparkle looked through her mirror in the tree house, examining the crown that laid on top of her head while Spike was busily working on his assignment that she gave him. Today was when she and her friends would gather up and have fun at the park. “Well, I guess it will be alright if I don’t where this crown today.” Twilight said to herself, using her magic to take the crown off and put it on the desk next to her and the mirror. "Besides, the crown doesn't have the element of magic in it anymore, so it isn't as important." With that down, she nodded to herself in approval and trotted away and down the stairs. Once she was at the first floor, she paused, a loud sound of something falling coming from the kitchen. "I'm okay!" Spike, her number one assistant, called from the Kitchen, making Twilight shake her head and giggle. When she had woke up, Spike had asked her not to go into the Kitchen, and she wondered what exactly he was doing in there. Twilight sighed and trotted through the many rows of stocked bookshelves, sometimes stopping to examine some, but ended at the desk right next to the entrance. Doing as Spike asked her to do, she sat down at the desk, looking to the closed Kitchen door with curiosity. It was a while till Spike came out, carrying a large plate to her. He sat down the plate, where a nice hay sandwich, some freshly cut carrots, and a large cup of milk was set. "Since I knew you would be to caught up getting ready for the park, I decided and would make you breakfast!" He said, puffing out his chest in pride. "Why thank you Spike." She said, giving him a smile as she began to eat her meal. Once they where prepared to go, Spike climbed up onto her back and they exited the Library, starting their way though Ponyville to the park. Everything seemed normal so far. Princess Celestia's Sun glowed brilliantly, with no clouds in the sky to block it. Everypony was going through their everyday morning activities, and to her, it seemed nothing really unusual would happen today. As they passed Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie Pie popped out of nowhere behind them and crept over, giving a big "Hello!" before hopping around happily, her usual smile plastered over her face. "Ah!" Twilight yelled as he jumped, almost sending Spike flying, and sighed. "Oh, hello Pinkie." She smiled at her with slight amusement, and Spike with a bit more amusement none the less. Pinkie gasped and her eyes widened with excitement, "Oh I just can't wait!" She exclaimed, "Not am I going to the park with my best of best friends, I have to make plans for a new best friend's welcoming party!" She hopped up and down faster that she normally did. Twilight blinked with curiosity. Of course, Pinkie was always the first one to know when new friends were coming to town. "Cool! Who is the new arrival?" Pinkie Pie shrugged, receiving two confused looks from Spike and Twilight. "I don't know." She said cheerfully, "But I have a feeling we will know soon!" Spike watched as the pink pony bounded ahead of them, and them he gave Twilight a questioning look. Twilight just shrugged and sighed, Pinkie would always be Pinkie, even if they didn't understand her sometimes. They continued on in silence till they approached the Carousel Boutique. Before they could trot over and knock on the door, the door swung open, revealing Rarity with a new hat. It was Long, Elegant, and Purple with light blue gems rimming its base. She looked around with her sparkling blue eyes and locked them on the trio, waving to them with a smile. "Why hello~" She said to them "Its very nice to see you all!" She greeted them, walking with them to the park. Twilight was left alone with her thoughts as Spike slid off her to talk to Rarity, and they finally reached the entrance to the park. Not that much time had passed till they saw Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy trotting over to them. They all greeted each other happily, before walking into the park and branching off into small conversations with each other. Today looked like it was going to be a good day. --- Dusk woke up from his slumber, slowly opening his red eyes and blinking many times in confusion. He felt like his was floating in an abyss of darkness, and by the looks of it, he was. Where was he? Shouldn't he be in his den with his Mo- At that very moment, he remembered all the events that had happened, and he couldn't believe it. His eyes widened with fear as the memories, this couldn't of happened, this couldn't! He closed his eyes shut, yet tears still leaked out. He put his paws on his head, shaking it in denial. "This is a dream..." He tried to reassure himself. "This is only a nightmare, and I shall wake up with my Mother... not captured, not dead..." Somewhere, deep inside his mind, he knew these memories where real, and he hated the fact. Was this where Pokemon went when they died? Oh, he can't be dead! Suddenly his mind went blank and his ears perked by the sound of- something. It sounded familiar, but for some reason, he couldn't make out why. Slowly, he let his paws slide down, and peered through the black expanse of nothingness, and saw a light, Pure white, flickering in the distance. The voice was coming from that way, so he floated toward it. As he did so, the simple voice created a soothing melody. It was reassuring, and it calmed his mind. We floated toward the ball of light faster and faster, till he was zipping through the oblivion. He stopped finally right in front of the small orb. He was bathed with warm, bright light, making him look many blue shades lighter that he really was. Entranced, he looked into the light, right into the core, and saw a beautiful array of colors, as flickering in the soul. He pondered this force that a light could be created in this eternity of darkness, where no color came but black. With his eyes reflecting the glowing orb brilliantly, he reached out to the light, the song floating through his ears as he touched it. To his surprise, the orb exploded, engulfing him with its brilliant white light. --- Everypony was walking among one of the parks trails, admiring the scenery, playing I spy, or just chatting among themselves, when something very strange happened. Pinkie Pie simply stopped walking. Twilight, who had been talking to her at the time, was the first to notice. "Hey, Pinkie Pie... Are you alright?" She called, everypony now stopping and looking back to see what was wrong. Pinkie didn't respond, so Twilight trotted over to her and waved a hoof in her face. Sadly, her pink friend's eyes stayed locked ahead. "Um... guys, Pinkie isn't responding." Soon, everypony was around Pinkie, trying to get her out of her state. No matter how much they tried, she still stayed like that. Fluttershy flew over to Twilight, saying in her usual soft tone worryingly. "Sorry but... I think we broke her." Suddenly, Pinkie was un-broken, and the first thing she said, or yelled, was... ` "TWITCHY TAIL!" Everypony yelled or squeaked in surprise and ran for cover as the pink pony's tail twitched rapidly, and soon she was under something to protect herself. Everypony was looking up to see what was going to happen. Rainbow Dash gasped and pointed to something in the sky, and everyone looked to where she was pointing. They all gasped then in unison as whatever was falling managed to fly faster than the speed of light. A sonic boom was created. However instead of a rainbow a Sonic Rainboom would have made, this boom exploded in many different shades of blue. After that, they watched as the unknown object swept through the sky, and Twilight grimaced as she heard a large 'Boom!', as the object crashed in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash crawled from her hiding place, her mouth agape. "That is impossible!" She yelled, "Only I can go that fast!" Applejack got out of her hiding place as well. "Well, Obviously, something or somepony can go that fast Sugarcube. We all saw that." Rainbow Dash scowled, but before she could reply, Rarity came out of her hiding place, and so did Pinkie. "That was soooooooooooooooo Perfectly, Splendidly, Awesome!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly, her grin abnormally wide. "I have to agree with Pinkie Pie here." Rarity said, making sure her hat was alright before continuing, "The beautiful and diverse shades of blue where totally splendid! Oh it would put all my blue threads to shame if I could get such an array of colors for my Boutique~" "Hey everypony!" Twilight came, with a startled Spike running close behind her. "I think we should think more on what it was and where it might be at the current moment of time." Spike nodded in agreement. Fluttershy was the last to come out of her hiding place, scared, but agreeing with Twilight. "Um... Yea, that would be a good idea. Maybe we could go and look for it?" She then flinched as everypony's eyes where on her, "Oh, er... if it is alright with you all of course." Everypony, after a little while, agreed, and they where off to see what crashed in the Everfree Forest. --- Dusk blearily awoke from his slumber to a great coldness that went to the bones. He shivered, and blinked in confusion, it was supposed to be Spring, Not as cold as Winter! He coughed, trying to focus on the area around him. A cloud of dust loomed around him, making him unable to see clearly. He coughed again, rolling over and forcing himself to get up from the broken ground. He whimpered as his gash in his shoulder sent waves of pain as a protest for being moved. He gasped, sending himself in a coughing spree. Once he recovered, he shook his head vigorously to get rid of the confused thoughts. The Riolu tried to peer through the dust, but all he could see was the distant shapes of wild, burning trees that didn't get completely obliterated. He took a step back and his glowing red eyes widened in shock. /D- Did I do this?/ He thought in alarm. He was shocked, afraid, and utterly confused. He was supposed to be imprisoned right now, not in the middle of a dust storm! Speaking of which, where in the world of Arceus was he? He shook his head again, seeing that despair was threatening to overwhelm him. He couldn't think of the past right now. He needed to find some other Pokemon so that they could help him get his mother back. That is what matters right now. Filled with new determination and courage, be scanned the area again, the air finally starting to clear. He gasped again, for he was not just in a huge dust cloud, we was in a huge crater. His tail bobbed up and down in awe at the thought that we was the one who made this. --- The group galloped through the Everfree Forest, their eyes set on the huge dust cloud deep within the wild and unpredictable forest. "What happens if this thing that crashed into the Everfree is alive and hostile?" Rarity asked the group worryingly, squealing as she almost stepped into a large puddle. "Then we first try to reason with it." Applejack said, looking at Rarity with amusement. "If we can't, then we gotta defeat it before it hurts anypony. We have done it before, we can again." Everyone from then on was silent till they ended up at the edge of a crater. "This must be it." Twilight said. "It looks quite hazardous down there... maybe we should wait for the dust to clear out." "Wait, and let what might be alive get away?" Rainbow Dash protested, "No way! I way we slide down there now before any live thing has a chance to escape." While everypony was arguing on what to do, Pinkie pie was oddly submissive. She trotted away from the group, looking through the dust cloud silently. After a while of arguing, everyone noticed what Pinkie was doing, it became oddly silent. "Um.. Pinkie?" Spike called, worried from his last experience when Pinkie was actually this silent. Pinkie looked back, a small sad smile on her face. She then said. "Whatever happened... it's really sad..." Her eyes brightened with an idea. "I could give it a hug! everyone likes hugs!" She smiled excitingly as she hopped into the crater and slid down. The rest of the band stared in surprise for a moment, and them called after her, sliding down the crater to catch up with the pink pony. --- Dusk was about to head off in a random direction when behind him, off in the distance, he could hear voices. He turned around, his paws shaking, and his tail bobbing in fear. He felt his aura swirl around him wonderingly as he tried to make out any shapes in the distance. Cold dread broke into him, despite his refusing to look back into the past. Where they still looking for him? Has that Treeko come back with his evil trainer? He whimpered at the thought, but shook his head, mustering up all his courage. He had to face whoever might be coming to capture him. He was tired of running away. Still, he called out to these beings skittishly. "H-Hello?" His voice echoed perfectly though the crater, making him grimace as he nervously awaited for an reaction. --- They all trotted through the dusty crater, worryingly talking among themselves. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash scanned the area from the air, beating away the dust with their wings. Twilight and AJ where at the edge of the group, scanning from the ground. Lastly, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Spike was in the middle so they could receive and give out information. Nothing much was their to report, but everything went silent as they heard a young voice call out. "R-Riolu?" To everypony, except for Fluttershy, they didn't understand it. Fluttershy gasped in understanding, but before she could tell them, everypony went into loud discussion, galloping forward. "W-Wait!" Flutters called, but to no avail. They where all to into finding out what it was. They all stopped in shock at the shape through the cloud of dust. A creature was standing on two feet, a fluffy, dog-like tail bobbing up and down in fear, and two ears perked up in alarm. All they could see for sure was the red eyes that peered at them unnervingly. --- He flinched as the voices grew loud, in alarm, surprise, shock, triumph, or anger, he didn't know. His eyes widened in alarm as he finally saw the shapes of the being that where coming to him. Where they... Ponyta? No... they looked to different for that. He shivered as he was totally outnumbered. What was he going to do? By the sounds of the middle one that seemed to try to talk to him, he didn't understand at all. He was totally outnumbered, and he didn't know if they where here to take him back to the evil trainer or not. That's when he lost his nerve. He backed up a few paces, and then turned, running away as fast as he could. --- Twilight Sparkle, seeing none of her other friends where in any shape to talk, took a step ahead of them. She tried to keep an authoritative tone. "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and we are here to ask a few questions." Before she could continue, the red eyed creature back up a few paces, and fled. "Oh no you don't!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, flying past her friends and toward the unknown creature. To her surprise, the creature looked back, and her eyes locked with his. His eyes where flooded with fear, and she flinched at that. Seeing that, he suddenly changed course, running into the woods. Rainbow Dash tried to follow, but in the middle of the chase in the forest, she lost him. Rainbow angrily had to go back to her friends, and told them what happened. "Oh, Spike, we are going to have to make a letter to Princess Celestia about this." She said, and sighed. --- Dusk ran and ran through the forest, spikes and thorns tearing at his fur, but he didn't care. He had to get away from the flying type creature. The sounds of the flying type grew softer and softer until nothing was left, and he sighed in relief. With that. He slowed down, tired once again from running away. He traveled through the wild forest, passing a river, and ended up on tamer grounds. To exhausted from his traveling, he laid under a tree, which has bright red fruit growing under it, and sighed, closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep as he embraced his waking dreams. > A New Start in a New World > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dusk woke up, the bright sun just starting to rise over the horizon. He yawned, wiping his eyes and opening them, blinking. He groaned, all of his muscles ached from the usage he had done the past few days. He let himself lay there, contemplating what he would do. What I have to do is first try to find out where I am... and then- He thought for a few moments, Then I will find some other Pokemon to help get my mother back! He nodded, clutching the soft grass with new found determination. Over all, he did feel refreshed from the long sleep he had. With that, he sighed, forcing himself upon his own two legs. He winced as his wound throbbed, he had to find some Oran Berries for this wound, or he wouldn't be able to fully protect himself. Even though Pokemon did heal fast, he felt vulnerable in the unknown land he was in. Dusk looked around to scan his surroundings. Maybe there is some Oran Berries around here. Unfortunately, there weren't any berries in sight. He sighed, and looked up at the bright red fruit growing from the tree. It didn't look ripe, so he looked in the distance, and saw that all the trees ahead of him has the same fruit, and he let himself smile a little bit. At least he wouldn't be hungry. He walked through the rows of trees, scanning the fruit for ripeness. It seemed hotter than usual, maybe here is was actually Summer instead of Spring. He blinked at that thought. How far did I go? He pondered, his tail slowly wagging back in forth in slight relief. Maybe he was too far for the human to find him. With that, he felt a little bit of weight lift from him. Maybe he was actually safe here, and he would be able to gather other Pokemon to help him on his plan to save his mother! I'll think of that later, right now, I have to find something to eat! He once again examined the fruit above him and was intrigued by the diversity. Some where red, green, or yellow, some where small, and some where big. With so many choices, it took him a while to find a tree that was perfect. He chose a small tree with medium sized red fruit, it looked like the fruit was perfectly ripe, and it made his mouth water and his stomach growl. He stretched his muscles, preparing his good arm. Being a fighting type had its pros and cons, and being able to punch a tree was definitely a pro. He punched the tree as hard as he could, making most of the fruit fall to the ground. He smiled, feeling quite accomplished as he picked up all the fruit one by one, setting them all next to the tree he punched. He sighed, sitting down with his back laying on the trunk. This was a very comfortable position, he admitted, and he reached out and took one of the fruit, looking up at the cloud patched sky and took a bite, lost once more in his thoughts. The sun had risen to its peak before Dusk was interrupted from his thoughts. His red eyes flashed to a stranded bush that seemed to be rustling. He strained his muscles in case he had to make a quick escape, but what came out of the bush surprised him. Three small creatures hopped out into the open, and that instant they reminded him of a Buneary. He blinked in surprise, they kind of looked like a Buneary, but they looked more- plain. He cocked his head to the side, examining the critters curiously. These three critters where really small, just a bit bigger than the largest apple he had seen so far. One was grey, the other was brown, and the last was white. They all were not as fluffy as a Buneary, bit they still had the long ears, large eyes, and a fluffy tail. He watched as the trio hopped into the open, the white one pointing at him and squeaking something he didn't understand. The brown one gestured to the red fruit, half of them eaten. They all stopped and looked at them hungrily, and then to Dusk fearfully. He was many times larger than them, and they couldn't get the courage to go and try to ask. He looked at them, noticing what they where looking at, and giggled, tossing his eaten apple away. They flinched as he did that, and backed up a little bit, murmuring to themselves fearfully. The Riolu blinked, saying in a soft voice. "Oh, I am not going to hurt you three. Er... would you like some fruit? I am to full already anyways." He gestured to the uneaten fruit and picked one up, letting his arm out for one of the critters to get it. They all looked at the Riolu wonderingly, obviously not understanding what he said, but the grey one, cautiously eyeing him, hopped slowly toward him and the fruit. Once close, it slowly let out it's paws, and quickly grabbed the fruit. He laid back on the trunk, smiling at the grey critter looked at him like it almost didn't believe this was happening. Soon, the others joined in, picking up a fruit and eating it, their eyes now flooded with curiosity as they looked at him every once in a while. After they eaten their fill, they looked to him with curiosity, they hopped over to him and squeaked excitedly. Even though he didn't understand them, be got the point that they were thanking him. "Y-Your welcome!" He yipped, surprised at their antics. Soon they looked to the last remaining fruit, and smiled. They picked it up and went a few paces away, playing some rolling game with it. He simply smiled and watched them, relaxing in the shade at the hottest part of the day. Hm... He thought to himself, They do look like Pokemon, so why can't I understand them... or the other creatures... at all? It was a very odd thing indeed. For all the things that could of happened, he had to get to a place where he couldn't communicate with Pokemon. Well, at least he thought they were Pokemon... He shook his head, this was no time to just think of questions he couldn't answer! I need to at least know where I am. He thought, nodding and closing his eyes. He had only done this a few times in his life, but he knew it was necessary. He let his consciousness flow with the aura around him, expanding for as far as his consciousness could go. There were these fruit trees stretching miles across the terrain, and it awed him. What confused him, was that he couldn't sense any souls around here. Wouldn't there be many Pokemon here with all this food around? He decided to let that question go as he examined the outskirts of his abilities. He thought he could see a large building of some sort, and maybe a smaller one next to it. That may be the signs of life he needed! --- Applejack trotted out of the barn and smiled, stretching her strained muscles from yesterdays run. She breathed in the fresh morning air, a determined smile appearing on her face, She had a lot of work to do today, that was why she woke up early in the morning. "What ah' good day to buck some apples!" she said cheerfully. She trotted into the orchard, going to go to the section of apples that were ready to be bucked. While she was doing that, she sighed, her thoughts going to the things that happened yesterday. She couldn't stop thinking of the glowing red eyes, unnerving as it examined them. She shook her head, no thoughts about creepy creatures right now, all she needed to think about was apples. She stopped her trotting as she looked to the ground, her smile turning into a frown. Rabbit tracks, the ones that liked to steal the apples perhaps? AJ sighed, and grumbled to herself as she followed the tracks. She was going to have to teach them a lesson once and for all. It took her a while till she could see the rabbit trio through the rows of apple trees. She scowled as she saw them playing around with one of her apples, tossing it around as if it was a toy. Nope! This wasn't going to happen on apple territory! With that he barged into the clearing, her focus right on the three rabbits. She was so angry, she didn't even notice the certain Pokemon in the shadow of one of the apple trees. "Hey!" She yelled, "What the hay are yah' doing?!" When she usually came in like that, the rabbits would of ran away as fast as they could, but this time, to her surprise, they didn't. They stopped what they were doing, nervously squeaking to each other and looking to where Dusk was resting. --- Dusk was interrupted by the sound of steps, very similar to the ones he heard yesterday. His heart stopped for a moment, cold fear growing in his soul again. He opened his eyes quick, his ears pricked in alarm. The steps where coming towards them in an alarming rate, and he could feel the aura in this creature, it was angry. Before he could call out to the three strange critters, one of the odd Ponyta creatures burst into sight, yelling something he didn't understand. He gasped and scrambled into a stranded bush, biting back a scream if pain as his wound reopened. He looked to the critters with narrowed eyes, grimacing as he rode the waves of pain, his wound throbbing. He panted, scanning the trio. Why aren't you running away? That creature will destroy you all! He thought with terror as they stayed where they were, chattering nervously and looking over to- where he was. He growled in understanding, they wouldn't leave him here to face this creature alone, and he wouldn't either! He clutched his wounded shoulder with his good arm, limping over to the side so he could get a better look at the creature. It was an orange Ponyta looking creature that had a cream mane and tail that was locked by straps, her green eyes shone with anger at the three critters and was strongly built. Even though they were a bit smaller than him, she would be very hard to defeat in his condition. --- Applejack went closer to the rabbits, making sure her stern frown was noticed. "Ah've had enough of your little raids!" AJ said with a low voice, "Y'ah know what, ah' should go tell Fluttershy about this! Then y'ah outta stay away from our lands!" The rabbits huddled closer, shivering in fear at that. That couldn't happen! Fluttershy would be so mad, they winced at the thought, they definitely couldn't think about what would happen after that. --- Dusk's eyes widened as fear flooded their eyes. His fear of the unknown creature left him, and was replaced with anger. That anger fueled him, and he rose, ignoring his pain. No one was going to threaten anyone when he was around. "No more running away." He growled to himself, "I have to protect them!" Suddenly, before he knew it, he was between the trio and the attacker, blocking the hostile creature's way. He bent down in a defensive stance, giving the orange creature a glare with his glowing red eyes. He ignored the blood that was slowly dripping onto the ground, staining it. "Why don't you pick on someone you own size?!" He howled, feeling the aura around him shift furiously. His once fear turned to anger, fueling his stance. He had been running away to save his own pelt for too long, and it had cost him way to much for his liking. He was going to protect these critters, and his new friends, no matter what the cost! His fur bristled furiously, and his paws were shaking. --- Applejack looked up in shock as the creature loomed over her, making her back up a few paces. This creature was just like the one in the crater, a large, canine-ish creature that stood up on two legs and has the same blood red eyes that stared at her unnervingly. This time, she could describe what it looked like perfectly, and it was furious. Even though, by the looks of it, the creature was really injured, she could see determination in it's eyes, and it wouldn't be forced out of there easily. AJ, even though scared, wouldn't let herself look like it. She stood there proudly, giving back the same stern glare it was giving her. "Ri rio ri ri!" It howled, and she could almost feel the air around her turn cold. She didn't understand a word it said, or was it speaking at all? Deciding this fight might be unnecessary, the orange farm pony spoke to the unknown animal in a stern tone, but with no hint of aggression. "Whoa there Sugarcube! No need tah' start ah fight for nothin'." She eyed the creature up and down, looking for signs of aggression or any signs of a start of an attack. The rabbit trio, had plans for the Riolu. They squeaked in horror as they saw blood trickling down his back from the shoulder wound. and chattered furiously to find a plan. Only one was obvious. For one, they had to make the canine creature flee with them, and to them, that would probably be very hard. No matter, they knew they needed it away from the orange pony as fast as possible. The gray and brown rabbits tugged at the creature's black leg fur, while the white one waved his arms frantically, trying to signal for them to leave this place. --- Dusk looked back in alarm, what there they doing? He kept a close eye an the hostile Ponyta creature as he tried to decifer what the white critter wanted. He watched as the critter pointed to every one of them, except for the orange pony. We. He then observed as the white one ran in place. Run. His heart sunk as he saw him point to a section of forest. Away... He sighed, once again he had to flee from the ones who opposed his loved ones and friends. At least I will still be saving them from whatever this orange creature threatened them by. He thought sullenly, looking back at the attacker once again. The creature seemed to have read what the rabbit said, because it was giving him a 'Don't you dare run away from me!' face. He scowled, knowing it would most likely pursue them. Well, no you won't. Dusk closed his eyes, letting him feel the aura within himself. He puts his paws together, and a blue orb appears between them. "Aura..." He growled, fueling the Aura Sphere with his own energy, making it larger and more powerful. "Sphere!" He howled, putting one hand out towards the area below the hostile one, sending the ball of energy to fly right below it, making it explode and creating a large dust cloud over the creature. With that, he swung himself around, scooping the utterly surprised critters up into his arms, and ran as fast as he could muster once again towards the patch of forest the white one was still pointing to. With that, he followed the white critters heavy directions, slowing down from exhaustion after a while. Finally, they stopped for the night, the sun dipping down into the horizon once more. Laying down under a large clump of ferns, his eyes heavy at the thought of having a good night's rest. He touched his shoulder wound carefully, sighing in relief that is was closed in again. He had went through a stream on his small journey over here, and his blood was washed off his blue and black pelt. He curled up into a ball of fur, his eyes, half open, gazed into the distance, where dim lights of distant houses where flickering about like stars. He sighed, closing his eyes and quickly drifted into sleep, the last thing he thought was, I wonder where they are taking me... Before he embraced his waking dreams once more. --- "Ah!' Applejack yelled as a large blue ball of unknown magic was thrown at her. "Rio....lu!" The creature called, before her whole world disappeared in a large cloud of dust. She closed her eyes immediately, Coughing plenty of times as she flailed around. Then, after a long while, the dust cleared, and she could see again. The attacking creature and the rabbit trio were all gone. She cursed under her breath, stubbornly racing after them along the trail of paws that seemed to go on forever. She forced herself through brush and fern, bypassing trees, and hopping over trenches. Suddenly, in the middle of her search, now already Night Time, she lost the tracks over a large stream. She went up and down the stream many times, but couldn't find the rest of the train. "Oh pony feathers...." She grumbled, this was the same thing that happened to Rainbowdash. How could such an animal escape them so easily? With a sigh of angered defeat, she finally trotted tiredly back home, deciding to tell this to Twilight Sparkle tomorrow. > Smiles are Contagious > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "You did... What?!" Applejack winced as she finished telling Twilight what happened, and Twilight was obviously not amused. "Sorry Twi." She sighed, closing her eyes in frustration. "Ah didn't see the creature till it was too late." Twilight hoof-faced herself, calming herself from her shocked and angered state. It wasn't her friend's fault, and she knew it. "It's alright AJ." She let her hoof slide down to the ground, keeping a serious expression. "Can you tell me what it looked like? It did attack you with some type of magic, so it might be dangerous." Her mind working fast with all the new information, they would need a backup plan just in case reasoning didn't work. Applejack gave Twilight a thoughtful expression for a few moments before responding. "The creature was a canine of some kind... about as tall as us." She narrowed her eyes, "It was blue with a black mask and two black-" Her face scrunched up as she looked for a word to fit her description "Eh.... things dangling from the edges of it's mask, kind of like teardrops." She smiled sheepishly, continuing. "It had a yellow collar, Ah think... and also two stones attached to it's arms." She ended, then her eyes widened in remembrance. "Ah almost forgot! Ah reckon it was hurt as well! When it tried to protect the three bunnies, it's wound must have reopened." She shook her head at the image in her head. "The thing had a gash on it's shoulder." Twilight frowned, that could be a reason for such aggressive behavior. "Okay, then we should probably-" Twilight was interrupted as a certain yellow Pegasus opened the door into the library and flew into the room frantically. "Oh Twilight, something terrible has happened!" She cried, "I can't find Angel Bunny anywhe-" She stopped, settling down as she looked at the two pony's shyly, trying to hide her face into her mane. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know I was interrupting something..." Twilight and AJ looked at each other for a few moments and then looked at Fluttershy. AJ trotted over to Flutters, sighing. "Fluttershy, Ah think ah know where Angel Bunny is...” --- Light woke the wounded Riolu up from his slumber as the morning came, sneezing as a drop of dew fell onto his nose. He groaned in protest, curling his body around so that his large, fluffy tail covered and warmed his nose. "Just five more minutes...." Dusk murmured, letting out a yawn as he tried to deceive the evil rays of light that tried to get him from his slumber. Despite his attempts to keep his blissful sleep upon him, his mind was waking, and so was his body's nervous system. "Oh great Arceus!" He growled in pain. Every muscle in his body was sore, and his wound was throbbing angrily once again. Grimacing, he forced himself up, crawling out from under the ferns and into the small clearing. What did I do to deserve such pain... He thought sullenly, slowly stretching out his sore muscles, making sure not to affect his shoulder wound in any way. He knew it was best to leave it alone for now. After he was done, he shook himself, it was time to find out where he was. His eyes searched for his Buneary looking friends, easily finding them all huddled together under the safety of a bush. He smiled slightly, they were peacefully asleep, probably not a worry in their minds. He sighed, oh how he wished he was the same. Shaking his head to throw away the threatening memories, he scanned farther into the distance, his ears perking at a distant sound... well not that distant actually. Huh... I wonder what it is... Curiosity filled his mind, oh he just was never one to not find out what something was! He still hesitated, this was just like what happened a few days ago, blindly running into things that could end in your demise. I just have to be careful He thought, Then I will be prepared if something bad happens! Looking back to his fluffy friends, he sneaked cautiously away, following the sounds with his keen ears. Around trees, ferns, and brush, and across a small stream, which he simply hopped over with ease. His sore muscles where finally loosening up, making him sigh with relief as the sound branched off into many different sounds, and the volume grew louder. Then the forest stopped, revealing what made him gasp in fear and hide behind the nearest tree. A town. Dusk took deep breaths, hoping no one could hear his racing heart. Don't panic Dusk! Don't panic! He thought sternly, slowly recovering from his state of panic. Slowly, he crouched down, closing his eyes as he let his consciousness flow into the town. First, he only could say was this, LOTS and LOTS of Ponyta! From the Flying-Types, The Normal-Types, and the last kind he has yet to classify. The second, there was this Ponyta, a normal one, who seemed to have an overflowing amount of energy in it. It was much brighter than the rest, he was sure it must be very powerful. Opening his eyes, he put his good paw on his chest, sighing. He couldn't imagine so many Pokémon could live like humans. He, finding his curiosity growing, peeked from the tree to watch the road between two houses. He watched for a while as the Ponyta went on with their morning chores. Many adult Ponyta walked past, not giving him much interest. His eyes widened as he heard a squeal of delight and then laughter, watching as three small Ponyta, young in age, run past, three red capes blowing in the wind as they did so. He giggled, suddenly having the urge to play along with them. He shook his head, what a ridiculous though, these Ponyta couldn't even understand them, so he would only scare them. Then, his interest changed to a Pink Ponyta as it hopped past his hiding place, a merry smile upon it's face. Blinking, he closed his eyes for a second, suddenly feeling all the aura this one gave off. He gasped in surprise, this was the one with the unbelievable amount of aura energy! He flung his eyes open, looking over to look at the pink Ponyta again, only to suddenly yank his blue and black masked head behind the tree. The Ponyta was looking in the direction he was hiding. His cheeks burned, now he felt like he was spying on the Ponyta. Well.... I kind of am if you think about it. He was yanked out of his thoughts as a pink face suddenly came into his vision, yelling something excitedly into his face. "Ah!!" --- Pinkie Pie hopped around Ponyville, Smiling and greeting everyone in her path like she usually did. "Hello Derpy Hooves!" She called to the flying mare above her, waving happily. Derpy, who was in the middle of doing her mail service, waved back to the pink pony, flying speedily past. "Hello Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, and Applebloom!" She called as the trio ran past her, greeting her as they went by. "Good luck with trying to get your Cutie Marks today!" She called after them till they were out of sight. Her smile grew wider, she would be happy as long as her friends where happy, and her friends were super-duper happy, so she was super-duper happy as well! The thought as that grew her excited, hopping up and down even faster. What types of fun would she do for her friends today? Pinkie Pie stopped as she heard a gasp of surprise coming from the edge of the forest nearby. Hm... I wonder who that is. She thought, looking over to see area, and she saw, if only for a second, a black masked blue face. Ooh~ She thought, hoping silently over to one side of the tree, I don't think I have ever seen someone like that here before! She then hopped into view right in front of the new creature, grinning widely as she looked down at him. "Hello!" "Rio!" Was all it said, looking like it was scared out of its wits at that current moment of time. She then noticed how close her face was, and giggled, stepping a few paces back. "Oops!" She said happily, "Didn't mean to scare you~" She then examined it, her face blank for a few moments, until realization took her. "Weren't you the one that made that HUGE crater?" She asked, "That was so awesome! You did a sonic boom and everything!" She quivered in excitement, this was so awesome, there was a new friend to be made today! "This is super-dooperly cool! I need to make you a party for this! My friends will be so excited to talk to you!" "Ri... Rio Riolu" The creature frowned sadly, confusion in his eyes. Pinkie looked at him for a few moments, remembering just how much sadness she had felt when they went to the crater that was given off by this creature. She was reduced to a small, sad smile, "Everyone is happier when they have hugs." She said softly, giving it a reassuring hug. --- He forced himself not to hyperventilate as he watched the Ponyta say a bunch of nonsense he did not understand at all. Sadness filled his mind, the Ponyta looked so excited and happy, and he couldn't even understand a word it was saying. How am I going to fit in this place if I can't understand anything? "I ...." He looked down unable to look at the Ponyta, "Can't understand you." He then, with all of his will, he looked to the odd Pokémon, sadness and confusion clearly in his eyes. All he could remember was his heart stopped beating as the Ponyta gave him a reassuring hug. So many emotions built inside him at that moment, shock, bewilderment, relief, and… happiness where just a few emotions that surged through him. His frown turned into a small smile, now noticing that he was actually had been tearing up. “Thank you…” He murmured, watching as the pink Ponyta broke the hug, her smile growing wider as she noticed his small smile. Dusk giggled, wiping his forming tears away. Somehow, this pink Pokémon found a way to make his day. “I know you probably can’t understand me, but I am glad you had found me.” He got up, wincing as his wound protested, but he ignored the pain. He smiled gratefully to the pink one, receiving a grin back in return. --- Pinkie Pie grinned joyously as the ‘Riolu’ gave off a smile. Since he says ‘riolu’ all the time, I guess that I shall call it that for now. She nodded to herself in approval. “Ri rio lu riolu rio riolu ri, rio ri lu olu olu rio riolu ri.” Pinkie Pie blinked, tilting her head to the side as Riolu tried to say something. “Hm…” Pinkie examined him as he got up, her cyan eyes widening as he winced in pain. “You... are hurt!” She gasped, “Maybe Fluttershy could help!” She said excitedly, happy to help a new friend. “Stay right here! I’ll be riiiiiiight back~” Pinkie Pie then sprinted off, searching for the yellow Pegasus with earnest. --- Dusk gazed after the pink one as it sped away, slightly confused but now very amused. Well, it seemed like he knew at least one of these weird Pokemon was friendly. He scrunched his face up in deep thought, now only if he could understand them... He looked up at the sky, blinking in surprise as the sun was high up in the sky. Oh no... He thought with a grimace, the three Bunneary would be up by now. He quickly had to turn around, only to see the trio staring at him with shocked expressions. "What?" He yipped, blushing slightly, "I just wanted to explore a bit, that's all!" The white one but his paw to his face, keeping it their for a but before letting out a sigh and signalling him to follow them. Dusk shrugged, a little smile on his face as he continued their little journey through this forest.