Chapter 1 : Vs. Aggron

“Rest now my children, for when you awake a whole new world shall be your home.”

The plaza of Hingard, a small and beautiful place filled with merchants and buyers alike, and one of the best places for tourists to go when visiting Tall Tale, a small city in the Western part of Equestria. This abundance of tourists also made it one of the best places for thieves to do their job.

One of these thieves was a certain unicorn named Pickett Midnight, popularly known as "Pockets," that arrived to the small city not that long ago, running from her past in Manehattan, and waiting for a better future. She was not a bad pony, but Life had made the worst out of her, throwing her to the streets and giving her a talent which caused nothing but trouble: stealing.

"GRAB THAT BLUE PONY!" a griffin tourist exclaimed while in pursuit of said unicorn.

"I’m navy blue, ya blind bird!" Pockets replied, trying to mock her pursuer. The griffin left out an annoyed growl, and flapped his wings harder than before in hopes of catching up with the surprisingly fast unicorn. Pockets laughed at the attempts of her pursuer, as that was exactly what she wanted, more adrenaline running through their veins.

At the border of the plaza, an iron fence separated the main street from a parallel one, this was her chance. The unicorn closed her eyes, and hoped for the best, waiting for the right moment. A spark took Pockets away and placed her on the other side.

She looked behind her to see the griffin attempting to slow down mid-flight and avoid crashing into the fence, though lacking enough distance to properly do so. As such, his still very rapid momentum resulted in his avian head able to just barely squeeze between two of the iron bars, though the gap between said bars was not wide enough to easy to squeeze back out of. Thus the winged creature was stuck, and no matter how hard he pushed or how far he stretched his talons, he couldn’t reach Pockets anymore.

"Ha ha!" Pockets exclaimed, proud of her success. However, the formerly frustrated and still stuck griffin suddenly broke into a smug-looking grin, an action that greatly confused Pockets.

Behind her, two tall ponies with gray armor and lances stood. Their shadows covered Pockets, one being taller than the other.

"Guards... just- great..."

"Hello Miss Midnight," a dark brown earth pony guard said, a perfectly groomed moustache revealing his mature age.

"Officer Golden Star, and... Silver Star? Is it take your son to work day?" Pockets asked.

"My son here finally got his badge; this is his first day in the force!" the older officer exclaimed proudly. "Silver, you’ve met Miss Midnight before, haven't you?" Golden Star looked at the light brown Pegasus, who showed a blush on his cheeks.

"Are you for real? Arrest her!" the griffin interrupted.

"Eeyup, at the station. Nice to see you again Pockets," the light brown colt answered, ignoring the angry tourist.

"Congratulations bud! Since it's your first time arresting me, let me tell you how things work: either I escape right now, or I let you grab me and take me to the station so I can make a magical and wonderful escape. Because this is your first day, I'll let you decide!" Pockets stated with confidence.

"Hmm... I feel like running, so let's do the first one," the young colt answered.

"ARE YOU NUTS?! SHE’S A THIEF!! JUST ARREST HER AND TAKE HER TO JAIL ALREADY!!" At this point the griffin was becoming really mad, his wings flared out and his talons extended. This called the attention of the older officer, who knew that the situation was not a good image for the police force, or Tall Tale in general.

"I'm sorry sir, but it doesn't matter what we do, she always manages to get out of our hooves. But you are right, we have to take you to the- where is she?" The officer looked at the now empty spot where Pockets had been just seconds earlier; he then heard a voice coming from somewhere not very far off.

"Come on dad, if we don't hurry, she’ll get away!" Silver said in the distance. Pockets had teleported to the roof of the building next to them, and she was already running away, followed by the young officer.

"Have a good afternoon sir, and I'm very sorry about this. You can go to the nearest Police Office to get a refund for your money and belongings. Thank you for visiting Tall Tale!" Golden Star exclaimed as he broke into a gallop to follow his son and the sneaky blue unicorn.

“Wait, you can’t leave me here! I am an important member of Griffinheim’s bureau of-” But before he could end his statement, the three ponies were already gone.

"And... I'm safe!" Pockets exclaimed as she stopped running. She arrived at the forest not long ago; there, it was almost impossible that the police could catch her.

She teleported onto the branch of an old oak tree and sat there, then opened her bag to take account of her most recent loot; a few bits, a small introduction card which she didn't bother reading, a pocket watch she could sell later, and the most valuable part of the loot, a golden ring with a small gem placed on its claw. But this gem was unique, if you looked at it from different angles, you could see different colors on it, shining on the crystalline gemstone.

"This will sell pretty darn well in Canterlot, could go for a couple thousand bits or so," Pockets said to herself before arriving at a large and ancient tree of age with leafless branches, and rough bark. She stood on the longest branch and walked towards the trunk.

Pockets closed her eyes, and she let the magic flow through her. A flash of light hit the trunk, which disappeared to reveal a somewhat large hole that lead to a vast room. Pockets made the old tree her base, having managed to hollow out a good chunk of it with a few tools and a lot of patience. Her little hideout was sparsely decorated and fairly simple: lanterns here and there to keep things bright, some basic tools that she had found in the garbage, a bag filled with different varieties of fruits and vegetables, and a hoof-crafted shelf that revealed some of her most valuable possessions; loot that could not be sold anywhere near Tall Tale yet were each worth a small fortune. A golden cane, a somewhat famous painting, a gem-encrusted sword, and now a color-changing gem. All of these items were taken from various wealthy tourists that visited the city, whom she saw as greedy and careless. She was proud of her success as a thief, yet she was not happy with that life.

The next day she would leave for Canterlot to sell off her loot and start a new life. She would clear her name (or get a new one), buy some new tools, and travel around like the adventurer she always wanted to be. But it was getting late, and she needed the sleep. The thief’s life was exhausting, and she had a long day ahead of her. Pickett lay on her bed and closed her eyes, just to dream with amazing adventures, and as her mind was turning blank, she turned the lanterns off with a blink of her magic.

"BOOM"

Pockets was awoken early the next morning, frightened by the extremely loud sound that had spread through Equestria. Her pictures, paintings, and small furniture fell to the ground due to the quaking of the earth that shocked the blue unicorn.

Pockets teleported out to see what happened, but a beam of light, almost as bright as the sun, struck her eyes, but it didn’t hurt them at all. She checked the surroundings to try to find the source of the disturbance as soon as the flare disappeared. However, there was no trail of smoke or any other indication of destruction, and she couldn't sense any kind of known magic either.

‘Just what kind of explosion was that? she wondered as she descended to the ground to search for clues, though the ones she found were extremely odd.

"What the... what are those?!" Pockets gazed at the oak’s roots where a pair of horned spider-like creatures unlike anything she had seen before were standing, looking rather confused. The smaller of the two was green with yellow and blue legs and an odd marking that resembled a face on its abdomen, while the larger one was red and black with yellow and purple legs and had yet another face "painted" on its abdomen. Both spiders looked at each other confused, they then noticed the presence of the unicorn, the bigger one stood in front of the small one, displaying a menacing stance to defend its kin.

"I don't want to hurt you, so please don't try to hurt me," Pockets said nervously. Something told her to run, yet these creatures intrigued her, she couldn't keep her eyes off the weird patterns and the astonishing size of the spider. While wild ideas were running through her head, the big spider turned to look in a different direction and its stance became even more menacing, while the small one replaced its scared expression with an angry one similar to its bigger friend. Pockets looked at the same direction as the bugs were, and she spotted what had made the spiders so angry.

"Star-raptor!" A massive dark brown and white bird with a forward-pointing red-tipped crest, yet another creature that Pockets had never seen before, was descending rapidly towards them. With her experience in the woods she deduced that the bird-like creature was all-out to attack them, or most likely to attack the bugs. But even with its speed the spiders were faster. The big one shot a spiderweb projectile to the bird’s wing, shutting it down. As it began to fall, the smaller spider fired a similar projectile at the bird’s feet, sticking them together.

Pockets was shocked; never before had she seen bugs defend themselves like that. The spiders quickly fled the scene, while the bird was left laying on the ground, struggling to get the spider web off its body. Even with its threatening appearance, Pockets felt the need to help the creature; it was only trying to feed, right? If she freed it, it may even join her as some sort of pet, and with such speed and power that it displayed it could be useful if she found any other bug-like creatures similar to the two spiders from before.

"Okay little guy, I’ll get that thing off you, don’t you worry" Pockets said softly to the bird as it looked at her in disbelief. The bird attempted to move, but with three of its limbs entangled in webbing, its movements were highly limited.

Pockets grabbed a small but sharp stone and started to remove the spider-web from the bird’s body. The texture of the web was different from a regular spider-web, being rougher and really sticky, yet it was easy to take off. The sticky threads could easily slow down incoming enemies or, if used correctly, completely disable their movements. A few minutes later, she finished taking the string off the bird, which stared at her with a confused look.

"Star-raptor?" The bird cried, looking at her surprised.

"No need to thank me, also, is that the only thing you can say? Star-raptor? Is that your name or something?" Pockets asked, trying to soften the intimidating beast up.

The Staraptor left a soft smile out, but something called her attention from nearby, some sort of beastly noise could be heard. The earth started shaking, and the birds, the indigenous ones and the new ones, including the Staraptor, began flying to the direction of the mountains. Pockets looked at the opposite direction, there was smoke, and it came from Tall Tale.

"Ugh... light... is it morning already?" Steven muttered as he opened his eyes. His body was tired, he couldn't even think properly. He looked to the sky, and tried to organize his thoughts.

Hazy and disorganized memories flooded back to Steven. The last thing he could recall was being in a cave, an ancient and long-abandoned cave previously unknown to mankind. He was looking for anything interesting (mainly rocks) to take back to the Slateport Museum, or to keep it to himself if it was either too rare or something that the museum didn’t care much for. It then hit him: if he was deep in an ancient cave, how could he see the sunshine? How had he even gotten outside? Maybe something happened and Layton took him out of the cave without him noticing, but if this was true, Layton should be nearby, so Steven decided to ask his twelve thousand pounds friend.

As he stood up, he felt his body was heavier than usual, though he didn't really think much about it. He began to wander about, trying to find his friend. His head still a bit foggy. For a genius like him, he should have been able to recognize what happened to him in mere seconds, but the mornings were one of Steven’s biggest foes as it made his mind as dull as a Magikarp’s. Suddenly, another thought hit him: the psychic link he had with Layton. Steven cleared the junk from his mind and he proceeded to call out his buddy.

"Layton," Steven thought. He knew how to control this telepathic system so he could think and talk separately, but there were moments like this where he could get the two mixed up, sometimes leading to awkward situations.

"Layton it’s me, Steven. Where are you?" Steven asked telepathically. "Answer me if you can hear this".

Steven waited for a while and repeated the same message over and over again. He got tired from walking, he sat down on a nearby stone, and he looked at his surrouñndings. Steven was in the middle of a forest, he was certain of that much, but he knew nothing else.

So many ideas were going through his head, he needed to relax. He lifted his hands to rub his eyes, but what he saw stopped him mid-way, and his mind was filled with confusion.

His pale-skinned hands had been replaced by a pair of round, lime green pincers that were divided from his new long, thin arms by his steel bracelets. His wide shoulders sported a silver cover, which covered the usual metal plating; this lead him to inspect the rest of his body. His skin had been replaced with lime-green metallic armor, and his chest had the appearance a v-neck that revealed a layer dark-green chitin beneath the layer of metal. His lower body now showed an insectoid abdomen, and his legs were not what they used to be, with two large hip joints, thin thighs, and wide calves. His feet were tipped with one clawed toe in the front and another in the back.

All of the fog in his head disappeared. He now realized that he was taller, and that his eyes were now located at a weird angle, each one at a side of the now pointed head; he raised his new pincers and touched the back of his head and felt a trio of three horns, each one going in a different direction, and it all felt weird now.

He jumped off the rock in shock and soon afterwards lost his balance and fell to the ground. He stood up again and attempted to walk, trying to work this all out in his head. He was panicking, his mind passed from a foggy mystery to a realm of chaos. His legs were longer, yet thinner. His hands (now pincers) could rotate like a regular human hand, yet he could only open and close them; no fingers moving freely, just an open/close motion which he couldn’t understand completely. Surprisingly, he was still wearing his metallic sleeve cuffs that now seemed attached, either fused or just stuck, to him. He arrived to a single, obvious conclusion.

Steven Stone was now a Scizor.

How could this be happening? Steven had heard many stories as a child of humans turning into Pokémon; were they really true? Was he doomed to be a Pokémon forever? This was just too much for him. All of the confusion and fright had to be released, and there was just one immediate way to do so: Steven screamed with all his might, causing multiple birds to fly away from the trees.

Steven fell to the ground afterwards, his head throbbing, his mind chaotic, his whole body shaking, his wings... buzzing? He wanted to faint, but he stopped himself from doing so.

"Ok Steven, calm down," he said to himself, trying to keep his mind stable and to clear. He attempted to stand up, succeeding after some clumsy movements. He needed to find help, and fast.

He looked around, trying to find anything that could aid him. Steven spotted a small mountain, which he could possibly climb to scout for any nearby town or city. After a while, he managed to control his movement well enough to advance without falling. After a couple of minutes, he arrived to his destination.

Steven was used to climbing mountains without any trouble, his equipment was always there to help, and if that failed, either Layton or Tania were there to give him a lift. But he had no equipment anymore, his bags were just gone, and his team was nowhere to be seen. Steven then realized, he had steel pincers for hands now; maybe the task of climbing the mountain was possible, even without the proper equipment.

Steven mentally prepared himself; if he failed, he could fall from several meters above the ground, but he was sure his new body could hold a fall like that. He moved his claws, still figuring out the peculiar movement. He looked at the rock wall, and prepared to ascend. Steven gave a right hook to the side of the mountain, and his pincer created a small hole of which he could grab onto. He pushed himself up, and did the same with his left claw. Steven repeated the process multiple times, placing his completely flat feet on the same holes he created.

After a couple of minutes, he reached a cave that was near the top of the mountain, and he sat there, trying to clear his mind from all the thoughts that raced through it. He then spotted different flying type Pokémon soaring through the skies. Unfezants flying next to Pidgeottos and Swellows; also flying next to other bird creatures that didn’t look like any Pokémon he had ever seen. Those Pokémon could never meet each other on the same area naturally.

"Arceus, where on Earth am I?" Steven asked before letting out an exhausted sigh. This was all too much, even for him; the same guy that witnessed two colossal, extremely powerful creatures trade blows in an apocalyptic battle. He then noticed something odd about the flight pattern of the birds; they were all headed in the same direction, while emitting loud cries, like if they were scared of something. Steven turned his gaze into the direction the birds were fleeing from and he noticed smoke. More than that, he noticed what appeared to be a town, and the smoke was trailing from it.

Being the heroic kind of guy, Steven quickly stood up, and searched a way down. There was a path that led to the town, yet the dust and the smashed rocks showed that the path was not natural, it was created by something. Footprints revealed the one behind it, and the prints were fresh. A rampage, and Steven knew of only one kind Pokémon that could bear that kind of prints.

"I’d better hurry, this doesn't look good at all!"

Tall Tale didn’t expect this. One day the city was as happy and calm as always, and the next day a six foot metal beast came down from the mountain and started smashing everything that was on its way. The ponies had no idea how to resolve this huge silver problem. The tourists and many of the locals evacuated the city as soon as the monster appeared. Only the bravest of the city’s inhabitants, as well as a few members of the Canterlot guard that were on vacation in the city, stayed to try to fight the giant monster that was demolishing the place.

Many other strange creatures were also appearing around, most of them were small and confused, yet due to their sudden appearance and their abnormal looks, ponies were more scared of them than the creatures were of the ponies. The city turned into the capital of chaos, screams of terror and sounds of destruction were everywhere. A somewhat large group of ponies were attempting to fight the colossal beast that was now in the center of Tall Tale.

The beast roared as it fought the armed Pegasi that surrounded it. Just after this roar, the beast stomped the ground, and several spires of jagged rock suddenly jutted from the earth surrounding it. The Stone Edge attack struck the Pegasi, rendering them unconscious on the ground.

"Send a team to rescue those ponies!" a brown earth pony commanded. "All unicorns, keep preparing the catapults!"

"Yes Mayor Grumble!" a guard answered. He, and some other unicorns, quickly trotted to the large catapults that were being set up on various locations around the beast.

"Mayor, sir, sorry to interrupt. My name is Golden Star, I’m a member of the police force."

"Yes, what do you need? We’re kind of busy here, trying to get rid of a giant monster and all."

"Well sir, you see, I haven’t been able to find my son. I've been looking for him for half an hour now, and with this chaos, it’s getting too hard for me to search. So if you could help me..." the officer asked softly

"Sorry officer, but I can’t spare any of our resources on finding lost ponies right now; it may sound dark, but we need to get rid of this monster before we can handle any other problem. And you said it yourself, it’s pretty much impossible to find anypony in this me-"

"Found him," a voice interrupted. A navy-blue unicorn was bringing an unconscious light brown pony along her. "He was laying under a fallen roof, he doesn't seem to be seriously injured though."

"Silver Star!" the officer exclaimed. "Thank you Pockets, thank you."

"Midnight, you’ve got a lot of nerve to show up in front of me, I could just ask my guar--"

"Hold your horses mayor, I came here to help," Pockets answered coldly. She and the major didn't get along very well, what with her being a criminal and all.

"If you really are here to help, then you wouldn't mind getting in front of the giant monster and trying to reason with it," the mayor replied sarcastically.

"Not at all. In fact, that’s exactly what I came here to do," Pockets answered to the surprise of all those present.

"What!?! Pockets, that’s crazy, it’s a rampaging beast!" Golden Star exclaimed

"I've seen other weird creatures today in the forest. I think they may be related to this guy, and one of those creatures seemed to understand me. Something tells me that we can actually reason with this guy too," Pockets explained

"Then go! If you die, it’ll be one less problem for me to worry about," the mayor replied, not even considering if it was a good idea to send her to die.

About half of Tall Tale was now in ruins. The Aggron had smashed through, blown up, punched, and stomped on pretty much everything in the central area of the city. There was no stopping it.

The catapults were shown to be ineffective against the steel beast, and the inhabitants of Tall Tale were already giving up. Nopony had any idea of how to stop the rampaging beast. Except for one small female unicorn.

"Hey you!" Pockets exclaimed, trying to get the beast’s attention, but with no result. She shouted a couple of times more, but with the same result. She proceeded to the plan B. Pockets grabbed a stone with her magic, and threw it to the beast while it was too busy punching some buildings to notice. Pockets kept trying, until one of the stones hit the jackpot, the back of the beast’s head. The beast turned in the direction from where the small projectile came from. The beast looked at Pockets in confusion; why would such a small creature do something like that? But it still was an attack, and Aggron did not take those lightly.

"AAAHGR!" the beast roared, trying to intimidate the small creature, and while it seemed to work, causing Pockets to flinch, she regained to her strong posture, earning a bit of the beast’s respect.

"Look, big guy, I know you can understand me," Pockets was not sure if this was true, but she had to look confident in what she was saying if she wanted some sort of reaction from the giant steel beast. "Now listen here, you’ve got to stop demolishing this place, innocent ponies are being hurt, some may be dead, ponies that did nothing to you!" Pockets shouted, hoping that the six foot tall beast actually didn’t know what he was doing, and he could react to the destruction that this caused. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The silver beast roared at the little creature’s insolence, treating it as a mindless beast that just caused destruction because he felt like it.

So Pockets’ fear came truth, the beast got even more angry, and it readied its fist. She was frozen with fear, she knew that this was it; she wanted to be like those great adventurers from her books, face off against mighty beasts while saving a town or two. But those were all just stories and legends, this was real life, it was the end of her. Eyes shut; she waited for the fist of the mighty beast. But something else pushed her.

Pockets opened her eyes, and saw a bright green creature, holding two round pincers in front of him, stopping the metal beast’s fist. The creature saved her, she didn't even know what kind of creature it could be, but it saved her.

"What do you think you’re doing?" the Aggron asked. Steven was shocked that the Steel type could communicate with him, but it should be expected, Steven was a Pokemon now after all. At this precise moment though, he couldn't risk looking shocked, or doing dumb comments like "You can talk!?" Aggrons were extremely serious creatures, and showing fear or surprise would mean weakness for the tall metal beast, meaning that it would crush him without hesitation.

"You almost killed that Ponyta," Steven answered, "This isn't your territory, your mountain is far from here, meaning you have no real reason to attack this place."

"That ain´t a Ponyta, Scizor, these beings ain’t even Pokemon. They can fly, they can levitate things, they can teleport, and they can kick; but they don´t know how to properly attack with these abilities. A Pokemon that can’t fight shouldn't even be considered a Pokemon. When I was an Aron-"

"I don't want to hear your stories Aggron," Steven interrupted. He needed to end this as quickly as possible; he had his own problems to solve and he wanted to get onto them as soon as possible. "So what if these creatures aren’t Pokemon? Humans aren't Pokemon either, but you don't go around smashing their houses, now do you?" Steven replied. He knew how wary Aggrons were of human-inhabited areas; any properly trained Fighting type could easily take down the Iron Armor Pokemon, and any decent trainer knew how to take advantage of this weakness to fend off any angry Aggron.

"Listen here ya smart boy, I don't care if I'm right or wrong, I'll demolish this place, just as they demolished my home!" the Steel type roared angrily

"They did what now?" Steven asked, doubting that these creatures could destroy an Aggron´s mountain and get away with it.

"I somehow fell asleep in the middle of my daily dig. I woke up, checked outside, and found that my mountain had been completely changed," the Aggron claimed. "Different trees, different ´mon, even different landscape! No one messes with an Aggron and gets away with it! Besides, that horned creature attacked me!"

"Now, I understand what you’re saying, but don’t you think it´s a bit illogical? I mean, how could they possibly alter an entire mountain while you were resting? Don´t you think your argument is a bit irrational?" Steven had a good point, and Aggron knew this, but he wouldn't let himself look like a fool, else all his hard-work would be for nothing. Giving up was not an option; he had to finish what he started.

"You pretentious little brat! You dare to try make an Aggron look like an idiot!? You’re just like that dumb horned creature! You all deserve to die for your insolence!" the beast exclaimed. Steven knew that calming an Aggron with mere words was an almost impossible task. His attempt had only delayed the inevitable: it was time for a Pokemon battle.

(Play this)

Wild Aggron Appeared!

The Aggron roared, stomped the floor, and called for an attack.

"Stone Edge!"

Steven received the impact of the sharp rocks that were flying towards him, being a Steel type, the move shouldn't be effective, but being a Bug type nullified that resistance. Steven had to attack if he wanted a chance of survival, but he had no idea of what moves he could possibly have, or how he could possibly use them. But still, he gave it a try.

"Brick Break" He said dubiously. But while his pincers showed no reaction, his back started shaking. Steven looked at the origin of the movement, and noticed that on his back were now displayed slim, transparent wings.

"How dare you?! You call for an attack, and don’t use it?! Are you trying to mock me?! NO ONE MOCKS ME!!" the Aggron roared. "Heavy Slam!" Calling out his next attack, the Aggron rushed towards Steven, launching him back. The slam hit hard, and the weight of the creature didn't help either, the trainer knew that he wouldn't be able to take another hit. But he wouldn't go down without a fight either.

"Ok, so that won’t work. The wings appeared though, maybe I can use something related to that… Flying type move, on a Scizor,” Steven began thinking, he had a Scizor before, yet he never really used him for combat. A move then came into his head, a move that any creature with wings could learn, and that could possibly save his life. “Fly!” He called, impulsing his body upwards. Yet nothing happened, Fly was not compatible with Scizor.

"A Pokémon that doesn’t even know his moves, that’s sad. Let me end with your misery. HEAD SMASH!" The Aggron cried. An Aggron with Head Smash, Steven had the worst luck sometimes, Head Smash was one of the most powerful moves out there, dealing a massive hit through the use of the user’s head, combined with an additional boost provided by the Aggron’s Rock typing, its only drawback being the damage that the user received. But with Aggron´s ability, Rock Head, the recoil was no problem.

Steven stood there, watching how the Aggron ran towards it, ready to impale his body with its sharp iron horns; he wanted to run, but he couldn't, maybe the Pokemon instinct, maybe the fear, he didn´t know. But he did know something, that was it, the former champion´s life came to an end in an unknown place, after being transformed into a Pokemon, and while being watched by creatures he had never seen before.

"You are dead, Scizor! You sorry excuse of a ´mo--" The aggron´s victory speech was abruptly interrupted when a giant rock struck him on the head, stunning him for a while. Steven searched the origin of the projectile, to find a blue horned Ponyta next to what appeared to be a catapult. The same creature that he saved from the Aggron. The same one that foolishly stood in front of the Iron Pokemon, to try to reason with it. It sure was an impulsive and weird creature.

"How, dare you!! YOU WILL ALL PAY FOR TH-"

"Meteor Mash" a robotic voice exclaimed in the distance. The Aggron was interrupted by a silver blur that rapidly hit the beast on the head.

"That voice..." Steven said to himself, if he was right, his life was now safe.

"Layton, is it- is it really you?" Steven asked through the mental link.

"It is, Steven.I must inform you that you are currently a Scizor" Layton replied coldly

"One problem at a time, tin-can"

The citizens saw in amaze and fear how a floating chunk of metal revealed four spider-like legs, a golden "X" covering the corners of it´s face, and cold red eyes. The Metagross located itself in front of Steven, who left out a confident look, he didn’t think about his chances of survival now, as he knew that he already won.

“Steven, I’m awaiting orders. I suggest exploiting his weakness to Fighting type moves. According to my calculations, two Hammer Arms should put his health to a stop.”

“Sounds good to me. What do you say buddy, want to wreck an Aggron?” Steven asked

“Affirmative.”

"Enough chatting! If you are friends with that Scizor, you will faint with him!” The Aggron roared, before stomping the ground to call an Earthquake attack

"Layton, you know what to do, use Hammer Arm!"

The Iron Leg pokemon impulsed himself towards the Iron Armor Pokémon, as his right claw, surrounded by a bright white glow, hit the target right in the chest. The Aggron slided with the impact, landing on an already damaged building, destroying it completely. The Aggron stood up, bruises on his chest plate, and continued the attack. The earth shook violently, as multiple small cracks traveled aimlessly around the Rock type, cracking buildings and roads. The biggest of them aimed for the two Steel types, but it was stopped by a steel-colored barrier, that prevented any damage.

“Layton, finish this. Use Hammer Arm!” Layton hovered towards the Aggron once more, who tried to protect himself with his own arms. But it was all useless, as a light blue light surrounded his arms, moving them out of the way. The Hammer Arm hit the head, a critical hit. The Aggron left out a loud, yet fainting cry, as he felt on his back, unconscious.

(Stop the last one, and play this)

Wild AGGRON fainted!

Chapter 2 : Welcome to Equus

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"As always, you arrived just in time."

"Indeed. Although, you should be more careful next time."

"You know me, Layton. I can’t just stand seeing a town being destroyed and doing nothing to help. At least this is finally over"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, look behind you."

Steven did as said. Behind him, the inhabitants of the city (at least the ones that stood there after the rampage) were gazing at him, amazed yet terrified, paralyzed from what they had just seen.

"I guess I should calm these Pokemon down, don’t I?" Steven commented, he didn't like people freaking out over his abilities, it made him feel uncomfortable. He looked directly at them, and took a deep breath.

"My name is Steven Stone, former champion of the Hoenn region. I`d like to have a talk with the Gym Leader of this town, or the Mayor if the Leader is not available." Yet no one answered. "Layton, are these even Pokemon?" Steven asked, seeing the confusion in the ponies’ faces.

"Negative, they don't appear to posses the characteristics of any know Pokemon, they don't appear to emit any kind of known energy either, but they are far more advanced than humans in multiple ways." Layton informed, analyzing each and every individual in front of him.

"Well, you could have told me that earlier. Can you set up a psychic link with these creatures?"

"Affirmative, just give me a few seconds."

The Metagross’ eyes glowed a bright white, and many ponies’ eyes, including Pockets, the mayor, and Golden Star, did the same afterwards.

"Hello everyone, my name is Steven Stone, former champion of the Hoenn region, and currently a Pokemon.” He deadpanned, before continuing, “I would like to speak with the Gym Leader, the Mayor, or any representative of this town"

The place was silent. Telepathy spells were advanced magic, and almost none of them had experienced it before, some screamed in fear, thinking that they were going insane; others were shocked to see such power, a few neurotic ones were sending theories around about aliens invading Equus, the apocalypse, and other crazy theories. But one of them was not scared, or confused, or amazed; he was angry, and he felt the need to show it.

"I am the Mayor of Tall Tale," The red earth pony said "Mayor Grumble, and as a mayor, I demand an explanation!" The mayor was not happy, his city had just been destroyed by a steel monster, and he needed to blame it on someone, and for him, the best option was to blame it on Steven and Layton.

"Well, Mayor Grumble, with all due respect, I ask for the same. How did you even manage to place a town near an Aggron’s mountain without it noticing? There are laws prohibiting any kind of construction near dangerous Pokemon’s habitat without proper permission." Steven claimed.

"What on Equus are you even saying? What is an ‘Aggron’ or a ‘Pokemon’?" The Mayor said indignant. “And stop calling us a town, we may be small but we are a growing city!”

"Wait, you are telling me you don't know what a Pokemon is?" Steven asked confused

"Yes, that’s exactly what I'm saying, you crazy beast!" The mayor replied angrily

"Mayor, I recommend you to stop" Golden Star suggested

"How could you not know what a Pokemon is?” Steven asked confused, Pokémon were everywhere, it was impossible that someone could not know what a Pokémon was. “Wait, did you just call me a beast? Even if you don't know what a Pokemon is, thing that I doubt, you shouldn't go around calling sentient creatures 'beasts'. Your attitude is as good as your reasoning, someone like you should not be allowed to be a mayor " Steven replied coldly

"Listen here ya punk, I don't care if you are some sort of alien from another planet, how dare you question my ability to lead this place!? " The mayor said outraged

"You two should really end this discussion" Layton proposed

"Anyone who despises living creatures without knowing them, have no possibility to be a good leader!" Steven countered, ignoring the Psychic-type

"And what could you possibly mean with--" The mayor said, before being sent to the ground violently.

"Woah, what the?-- Earthquake!?" Steven exclaimed alarmed, while he felt like if he was being punched from below. The ponies and the Pokemon also fell to the ground, as the earth shook with mighty force, completely destroying an already seriously damaged building, and slightly damaging many others. Steven searched for his partner, to find his front left leg firmly fixed into the ground. Layton was the one behind the Earthquake attack. The Iron Leg Pokemon wanted to stop both the irritated Mayor, and the offended trainer, and he succeeded.

"Good, now that I have you attention, let me set things clear for you both, and for the sake of all the citizens that are observing us. My name is Layton, and my partner here is called Steven Stone. I still do not know how, or why, but we have been sent to your planet" Layon explained

"Wait, what? What do you mean by that?" Steven interrupted.

"Quiet Steven, you are acting like a child right now, you are in no condition of asking anything until I'm done" Layton rebuked, leaving Steven astonished. "Mayor Grumble of Tall Tale, I apologize for my partner’s attitude, he is smart and polite most of the times, but he can get a bit childish when the right button is triggered. Now, about the disaster that just occurred in your city, we apologize deeply for the damage that the creature known as Aggron has caused, but we can assure you that we had nothing to do with his rampage; and that if you wish for us to help you in the reconstruction of the city, we would gladly do so." Layton explained, on a solid and formal manner.

"How can I know that what you are saying is the truth? You might as well be sweet-talking us, trying to fill our heads with lies just so you can get away from this!" Grumble exclaimed, still heated by the recent events.

"Oh come on! Stop being a stubborn old horse Grumble! These creatures saved my life, not only that, but the entire city as well, they even offered to help!" Pockets claimed, tired of the Mayor’s grumpy attitude.
"Of course you would side with these creatures, Midnight, only an airhead like you would support savage beasts like these ones!"

"Like Steven said, we are not beasts. We are sentient beings called Pokemon... " Layton gave a formal and somewhat quick explanation of what Pokemon are, about Earth, the dangers that some Pokemon may cause, and the benefits that many Pokemon bring. When he finished, many ponies had questions, which both Layton and Steven answered patiently. Some ponies, including the mayor, calmed down a bit, others were still scared by the now confirmed `aliens`. The calmed ones agreed to explain a bit about Equestria, and Equus, to both Pokémon, while a few other Pokémon that joined, listened to the conversation as well

"Well then... Mister Layton, I welcome you and your partner to Tall Tale, to Equestria, and to Equus." The mayor said calmly, "You two are free to look around, you can help on the reconstruction if you wish, but I would like to invite you to a cup of tea, Mister Layton, so you, I, and some friends can talk more about this `Earth` of yours; and of course we can teach you a bit about Equus, if you wish of course."

"I do not drink tea, it is not good for my system. But I gladly accept your invitation, I would be glad to learn more about this planet," Layton replied. "Steven, I suggest you to look around, we need to find information about why we are here. " The Iron Leg Pokemon said through the mental link, before tucking its leg into his body, then floating about a meter above ground. Many gasped at this, some amazed, others scared; Steven just nodded. And both Pokemon went their ways.

Steven walked around Tall Tale looking for something to do. The mayor asked to anypony, and any willing Pokémon, to help with the reconstruction of the damaged areas in what they could. Steven decided to look around, trying to find a place where he felt his new body could be of help.

The place reminded him of Verdanturf Town. A calm touristic place located near the mountains and the forest, vegetation all around. Vines and flowers on the buildings, natural formed parks every 3 or 4 blocks, he could already spot some bug and grass Pokémon roaming around, from Butterfrees to Bellossom, Surskits on the ponds and Skitties running around, catching the eye of fillies and young mares alike, Steven even spotted a shy leafeon peeking over a flower patch. On the other hand, the surrounding buildings were either seriously damaged or completely destroyed, while many Pokémon were trying to get rid of some Rattatas. But just as the Mayor said, it was not really a town, but more of a small city, with some tall buildings spread around the city.

He stumbled upon an old-fashioned, somewhat larger building, one of its walls was completely gone. An old mossy rock sign showed, in carefully carved letters: "Tall Tale Museum of Lore and History". From the hole in the wall, Steven spotted a bunch of what appeared to be sculptures, some of them looked completely broken, others, though seemingly intact, were laying on the floor. Around the center of the room, a hooded figure was standing next to a stone statue of yet another creature that Steven did not know about.

Steven, intrigued by the lone hooded figure and the odd statue, stepped closer to have a better look. The hooded figure heard him get inside the museum, but didn't pay much attention to him. Steven reached the odd statue, it was a fairy like creature, some sort of butterfly mixed with a pony; large antennas on top, a long beard that reached the floor; curly hair with the same height of his head; and long, abundant eyelashes.

"This one was one of the few to stay on its feet. The 'Aggron' as those creatures called it, smashed the museum’s wall, and shook the ground, causing everything to fall apart." The hooded figure said on a saddened tone.The voice sounded familiar, but not enough to recognize it.

Steven looked at the pony closer (the body-shape showed that it was most likely a pony) the muzzle was the only visible part of her head, being a dark night-like blue, it was rather short compared to the other ponies that he had seen so far, and it showed a feminine silhouette, although Steven was not so sure about how their genders worked. The former champion remained silent. The mental link that Layton placed was no longer in effect; even for Layton, that many people in such a big area and for a long period of time was too much work.

Steven observed the statue that the hooded pony was looking at. A fairy-like creature was holding an odd-looking pickaxe, the figure had an odd belt that held various bottles, and bags of different size. The tag on the pedestal said in carefully carved letters: "Tall Tale, The Master of the Mountain".

“Ya know who he is?” The pony asked, before using her magic to pull the hoodie back, showing her identity. A small navy blue unicorn, with an odd symbol on her flank, a simple thief mask over a white heart. "Oh! Uhm... it’s you... Steven, right?"

“That’s right.” Steven nodded, yet the only sound that the unicorn could hear, was a swift and metallic “Zor”

“Oh right, forgot you creatures do that. You said before that it was your way of communicating, your cry. Let me fix that” The unicorn’s horn started to glow a deep blue glow, and a tingly sensation invaded Steven’s throat and head. “Ok, that should do it. Now try saying something.”

“Hello” Steven said, waiting for the reaction of the pony.

“There we go, hello! Well, I think we should start with introductions. Name is Pickett Midnight, but everyone calls me Pockets. Welcome to Tall Tale’s museum of lore and history I guess.”

“I enjoy being in museums, I even used to be an historian myself.” Steven commented, having a closer look at the statue.

“His name is Tall Tale, he is a local legend, said to be the founder of this place. Other than some folk tales the elders always narrate, no evidence has ever been shown about his existence. Still his stories are pretty darn cool.” The unicorn said, leaving the statue and walking to some painting which she picked from the floor, placing them on their respective places with her magic. “Hey, mind helping me?” She asked, glaring at Steven with a slight grin.

The former human advanced towards her, grabbing an old looking painting that depicted a bulky brown pony, with a brown tall fedora, and a whip on his belt. He grabbed another one, which depicted two pegasus ponies, wearing long coats and safari hats, cameras at their side, they seemed to be filming some sort of movie on the forests. He passed them to the unicorn, who saw them and chuckled.

“These are all famous adventurers that used to live here, all of them following Tall Tale’s steps. They were well known all over Equestria, I even got to meet this guy.” The navy blue pony grabbed a photo of a pony wearing casual clothes, brewing a pot with two indigenous ponies (they seemed like indigenous ponies), “Guy traveled all over Equus without a single bag, taking what he needed from nature itself. He arrived here two years after being done with his journey, it’s due to him that I love these stories so much. Tall Tale is the land for adventurers, or at least I believe so. I want to become like them, and travel around the country having amazing adventures. Hey, want to look around for more awesome stuff? I can tell you ‘bout them and the stories behind them.

“Sure” Steven nodded, as he followed the excited pony, who began searching for anything interesting that may be laying around.

"Well, mister Layton. I’m glad you could accompany me to this meeting" Mayor Grumble said.

"Who else will we be meeting, sir?” Layton asked

"Just some friends from the different departments in Tall Tale, ponies of class, like yourself"

"I want you to acknowledge my true purpose here, to inform, and be informed. I do not wish to participate in political debates."

"Of course, It will just be a little chat, and me and my friends will tell you as much as you'd like," The mayor said calmly

After a while, they reached a big, cream colored mansion. It blended with the surrounding buildings almost perfectly, as they were in what appeared to be the wealthiest part of the city. The gates opened, showing a beautifully maintained garden, and a quartz table on the middle of a white stone gazebo

“Seems excessive" Layton said to himself, even though President Stone (Steven’s father) had a similar house like this one, neither Steven nor Layton enjoyed the rich live.

On the quartz table, four figures were sit, 3 ponies, and one feathered lion that Layton assumed was a griffin.

“Friends of mine, good to see you all!” The Mayor exclaimed

“As fashionably late as always, huh Grumble?” A white male pegasus said

“And I see you brought today’s guest” A yellow female unicorn added

“An odd, yet menacing looking guest, that is,” A dark green male earth pony commented.

“Oh shut your horse mouths already. You are going to make our guest feel uncomfortable” The apparently female griffin interrupted. showing a soft, sensual tone.

“Today is definitely not going to be a pleasant day” Layton thought to himself, leaving a slight ‘Me-ta’ that made the unicorn and the pegasus chuckle for no good reason.

"And I said, 'you are wearing THAT to the gala? It looks like if a manticore puked on you!’ "

Most of the beings presents laughed, except for Layton, They were going with these stories for an hour now, and none of those stories amused him. But he had found some useful information implicitly. He found out that the ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia, was extremely powerful and wise, and lived in a city located in the middle of the continent; she would definitely be a good source of information.

"So, Layton, right?" The green pony said " Is it true that you mashed that furious monster’s head and knocked it out with almost one hit?"

"Well, first of all-"

"That hideous animal, destroying our buildings, imagine how much bits we will need to pay those repairs!" The unicorn added.

"It is not an ani-"

"And how will we convince the tourists to come back to this city? They must be terrified!" The pegasus commented.

"As commander of the Tall Tale’s police force, I think that we should worry more about the future! What if more of those things are out there? We need new defenses, Golden Coin, how much can you give me to buy new weaponry?" The earth pony asked

"Well, as the Treasure Manager, I need to worry about those bits that we are losing here with the recent destruction, but you are right, we need new defenses if we want to prevent more catastrophes. But I don't think it will be that simple, Green Lead, we need permissions for new weapons" The yellow unicorn added softly.

"Well, It appears that I, Angel Wings, am the only one that’s thinking about the reputation of this city. We need to fix Tall Tale, we need to prevent new disasters, but we don't need to scare tourist off with crazy illegal weapons on our police force. Tourism is the main source of income, no tourist, no money, no more fancy tea parties." The pegasus pointed out.

"What do you think, Mr. Layton?" Green Lead asked.

"As I told the mayor, I’m not here to be part of political debate, I’m here to inform and be informed, but until now, there has been none of that" Layton said calmly, yet annoyed, he didn’t have that much patience for snobs.

"I agree with our guest, you do this all the time, can’t you see we got something more important and fascinating in our paws? Or hoofs in your case, or claws in our guest’s case. You see gentlemen and Golden Coin, I have the solution to all your problems." The griffin said softly, yet still somewhat sensually, calming the mood down.

"What do you have in mind, Sphinx?" The mayor asked intrigued

"You see, we have someone that can easily defend us against these creatures, someone that won’t look bad at all in our police force, and that may even become a tourist attraction!" The griffin said excited "I also find this odd creature interesting, in many different ways" She added, looking at Layton’s claws and softly licking her beak.

"If you are planning to use me as a weapon, tool, or zoo attraction, then you are going to be disappointed. I will not be used, I already have a trainer, an 'owner' if you wish to call it like that, and we have to search for answers, answers that apparently you idiotic snobs won’t provide me." Layton replied, feeling angry at insulted.

"How did the iron spider just call us!?" Green Lead said outraged

"Unbelievable, he is not a gentleman, he is just another animal!" Golden Coin exclaimed.

"Do something about him, Grumble!" Angel wings ordered angrily. But the mayor kept silent, the idea of having such a powerful creature as his personal bodyguard was just something that had to happen.

"The three of you be quiet, we know better than anyone that it is true, we need someone to protect us. We all have valuable possessions, if one of these Pokemon came and destroyed them, then what would we do? Nothing, we can do nothing against them. We need you, Mr. Layton, we really do." The mayor begged, hoping to soften the Steel type up; but his mind said something else: "With him by my side, no one would dare question me, I could do anything that pleases me, just have to manage a way to get him to obey me."

"I think that you should all know that, as a Psychic type Pokemon, I have the ability to read minds, to know what you are thinking. I usually don’t do it as it is considered ‘rude’. But I needed to know if I could trust you, and I now know the answer." Layton said coldly. The mayor faced turned into anger, his plans foiled. Layton decided to give the mayor a lesson; he lifted his leg up, looked at the ground, and left out a soft smile.

"Everypony, I think we should get away from here..." Green Lead suggested worriedly.

"You should" Layton suggested softly, "Earthquake" He punched the earth without much strength, not using the full power of the move. But it was enough to make the building crack, cause valuable items to fall, and to cause fear and anger in most of the presents, with the exception of the griffin that was just flying a few meters above the floor, chuckling.

"Y-you-you will pay for- this!" The mayor said, shaking due to the waves.

“I believe it’s my time to leave, Steven must be waiting for me. Until next time, gentlemen!" And as soon as he finished the sentence, he lifted his claw from the ground, tucked his leg in, and started to rapidly float away from the location. "Good job Layton, you just acted like a Beldum" He said to himself as he hovered through the streets of Tall Tale

"To every officer of the law! Stop that creature at all costs!" Green Lead ordered, just to find only two officers nearby, shaking with fear. "You useless cowards... Get me a paper and ink!"

"And this broken piece of a statue, was a representation of Tall Tale’s pickaxe, a steel-diamond mixture with magical properties, legend says that it would never break, and that it could pierce through anything."

As Pockets explained all the bits of the stories that she loved, Steven observed how different that new world was, dozens of creatures that did not depend on power, but magic. This magic that would be nothing but a 'Pokemon Move' on his world, was the same all over the world, but with many different properties and uses. How different types of magic that were connected could power up in different situations. He also learned about extremely powerful creatures, roaming around the world freely, some protecting, others causing chaos, with no limits in moves, no dependence on types, no weather effects, no limits. Yet creatures like this "Tall Tale" Pockets talked about were capable of such power. He also found the need to craft a pickaxe like that one for himself

"And finally, this is the Talliate, a rare gem that was said to be found by Tall Tale himself, one of his kind," A shiny golden crystalline gem the size of a hoof, stood on a pedestal, surrounded by a glass case. "I'm surprised that no thief has come to steal it yet." Steven felt his heart beat faster, his eyes widened, and his pincers twitching.

"Crystalline, translucent, that golden color may indicate iron ions, and the size possibly hints at more deposits of this gem underground-" He started saying to himself, getting closer while mumbling more technical stuff. He arrived at the case almost unconsciously, he tried to lift it up, but it was firmly attached unto the pedestal.

"What are you even doing?" Pockets shucked. This took Steven off his little trance, he was an avid stone fanatic, and seeing a rare, new type of gem took him into a trance in which he could think of nothing else.

"I’m going to guess that you like gems" Pockets added, and Steven nodded rapidly. Pockets giggled, “This sure is an impressive gem, I wish that in… a not so distant future, I’ll be able to find things like this.”

“Well, finding rare stones is not an easy task. Yet with enough effort and knowledge, you can reach some interesting findings like this one.” Steven said confidently, causing a chuckle in Pockets

"You are kinda cute, you know?" Steven blushed, he was used to fans praising his physical appearance, but this time it was different, the pony was not his fan and his physical appearance was not what it used to be, for obvious reasons.

"Steven"

"Layton?" Steven said to himself

"What’s wrong Steven?" Pockets asked, seeing the Bug Type suddenly look away.

Suddenly, two officers came inside the building, cuffs and batons "on hand" (one was holding the cuffs with his teeth, and the other one with her magic.) "There they are! Arrest the monster and the thief!" One shouted

"Monster? Thief?" Steven asked confused

"So you guys finally came looking for me, had to fly while these guys were talking to everyone else. I knew Grumble would send his pawns after me, but my good friend the hero here? I am now certain the old man has lost his mind! I’m pretty sure you guys are smarter than that"

"We are just following orders, give her the nullifier before she tries anything funny." The earth pony said. The unicorn opened her saddlebag and grabbed a collar-looking object, that she sent flying towards Pockets. The magic nullifier hit her horn, wrapping around it.

"Son of a troll, you guys really are serious about this whole deal of catching us, aren’t ya? I ain’t worried tho, I got the 'Hero of Tall Tale' by my side" She claimed. "Now it’s a good time for you to make use of your little magical attacks" She quietly said to Steven. But Steven did not know what to do, the officers were cornering her, and he still hadn’t learned to use his attacks properly, so punching them was not a realistic possibility, ramming them was not a good option either, as his still low speed would give them time to dodge, and strike back. He was trying to think of the perfect solution, but there was always a counter-point.

"Steven, listen to me"

"Layton! Where are you? We need some help over here"

"When I tell you, dodge right as much as you can"

"Steven, I really need your help here," Pockets said nervously. Steven grabbed her by the sides, making Pockets’ face red. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?"

"NOW!"

"Steven pushed himself and Pockets to the right, and as soon as they did that, the wall broke, revealing a silver-colored steel body spinning rapidly, and sending the two officers to the other side of the building. He landed next to the Pokemon and the unicorn, revealing his sharp metal claws

"My sensors indicate that they are not seriously injured. " Layton commented using his monotone voice

"What on Earth, Layton? What happened?" Steven asked alarmed, seeing the chaos surrounded

"I’ll explain later, we need to go"

"Can you two explain me what’s going on?" Pockets interrupted

"Steven and I are now fugitives of the law" Layton said calmly

"WE ARE WHAT!?" Steven exclaimed

"There they are!" Fourteen more officers arrived to the scene through the main door, bringing batons, cuffs, lances, ropes, nullifiers, whips, and many other odd tools, ready to catch the trio of criminals.

"It looks like your talk with the mayor did not go that well, huh?"

"Indeed. Steven, I’ll explain on the way, we need to go."

"Well then, I guess, I should continue our tradition of saving each other’s butts. Follow my lead" Pockets suggested, as she ran towards the hole in the wall, evading the ropes and the launched nullifiers thrown at her. "What are you guys waiting for? An invitation?" Pockets shouted. Layton grabbed Steven with his claws, and placed him on his head. He tucked his legs in , and rapidly levitated towards the unicorn, lances doing no effect on them.

“Where are you leading us, Miss.?" Layton asked

"You can call me Pockets, and we are going to the only place around in which they won’t be able to find us, home."

“And we’re safe, Haha! That was intense and fun, wasn’t it?” Pockets exclaimed excited. They reached the forest not long ago, and after some more walking, they found Pocket’s tree/base.

“I want to know, what the heck happened back there!” Steven asked alarmed. Rarely did Steven lose his calm demeanor, but after experiencing what he just experienced, it was too much for his patience.

“I deeply apologize, Steven. I caused some troubles due to… some things that were said during that meeting. In any case, I doubt that we will be able to return to that city any time soon.” Layton sighed ashamed.

“You must have a good reason. Sides, I didn’t like that Mayor anyways,” Steven sighed, before glaring at the unicorn, “And you, why did the police force call you a ‘thief’?”

“Oh yeah, sorry, didn't introduce myself. Pickett Midnight, but as I said before, you can call me Pockets, everyone else does.And they called me thief because I am a thief.”

Steven stared at her shocked, not knowing what to say after that sudden revelation.

“Don’t worry, I ain’t no normal thief. You see, that damn Mayor Grumble did something a while ago, dunno what exactly, but he did something. Messed up with the economy pretty bad, got a lot of people on the streets. What I do, I do it to help them. I steal money from the pesky greedy rich people that come around here, I analyze my victims before attacking them, and decide whether they are good or bad. I sell most of my loot, and give the money
to the poor people of Tall Tale, the ones that live in the outskirts of the city.” Pockets explained, laying back and looking at the stars,

“And why should we believe you?” Steven asked, not knowing if it was true or not.

“That friend of yours can enter inside people’s minds, right? I have no probs with him checking me, so yeah, go ahead.”

“Layton, do it.” Steven ordered. The Steel type’s eyes emanated a strong white glow, and Pockets’ eyes followed shortly. In a matter of minutes, Layton was done.

“I’ve revised her main memories, it seems like she is telling the truth. She does save some items for her own benefit, but most of the ones she steals are sold and the money given to poor people.” The Metagross informed.

“I still don’t trust you.”

“Then come with me tomorrow, I’ll show ya that I’m saying the truth!” Pockets exclaimed, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, “But right now, I’m gonna get some sleep. Please don’t call the authorities on me while I’m sleeping, kay?”

“Fine, we’ll see what you really are tomorrow then.” Steven muttered, before seeing a spark of blue light that teleported Pockets away from there, and into her base. “I don’t know what’s going on, Layton. But things are not looking good for us.”

“Things are most likely to get better, Steven. At least my calculations show so, besides, you may be able to find some new caves to explore, and some new stones to horde” The Psychic type deadpanned, before tucking his legs once again, and hovering in the air, “I’ll check our surroundings, to make sure there is no danger. Get some sleep, even if you are Scizor now, you’ll need to have an occasional rest to refill your energy.”

“I will, Tin-Can, see you tomorrow.”

And so, Steven Stone, former champion of Hoenn, began his oddest adventure yet, as this new world, Equus, opened new ways for him. New challenges, new adventures, new friends, and new foes. A new world, a new way, and a still highly confused champion.

Chapter 3 : Storytelling

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“X-Scissor!" Energy flowed through Steven´s arms, as his pincers emanated a light blue glow, and in his mind, the target was set; a somewhat strong branch that was hanging from a small tree. His claws moved almost by instinct, right arm first, left arm almost intermediately after, and in a matter of seconds, the branch was now on the floor.

Steven had woken up very early in the morning and decided to train with his new abilities. After half an hour of trying to clear his mind up, he and Layton had set up a training routine to discover and strengthen Steven´s moves. He had already mastered Steel Wing, his favorite move; he could pull off some Protects; and after many failed attempts, they discovered Steven´s third move, X-Scissor.

"Good, but not good enough. Again!" Layton ordered, while Steven began swinging his claws diagonally.

"He is getting pretty good at it, isn´t he?" Pockets mentioned

"Aesthetically, he really is. But in battles, his power is weak. I can protect him from most threats, but he wanted to learn the moves to defend himself, to make the best out of his new body by learning how to use it to its full potential. So as his partner, I must help him," Layton replied

Both remained silent for awhile, the only sound that could be heard besides the wildlife were the swinging of Steven´s claws. Pockets decided to start a new conversation after a little while.

"How long have you known him for?"

"Since he was ten, around 18 years ago." Layton answered

"Care to explain more?"

"Why would you want to know more?"

"I like to hear stories. Plus, I don't think he will finish any time soon, and watching him practice the same thing over and over ain't near my definition of fun."

"I see no problem with telling you the story" Layton surrendered, "But I'd prefer to do it this way."

Layton closed his eyes, only to open them again and reveal a white glow that invaded Pocket´s own eyes, and prepared her brain for the mind fusing process.

"Come on, you have to choose one of the three!"

"Why? I already told dad, I don't want to go to a Pokemon adventure, I want to stay home with him and mom!"

"Come on Steven, I'm sure you'll bond with one of these little guys," Professor Birch took one of the Pokeballs that were resting on the table, and threw it in the air, it stopped mid-flight to open itself, unleashing a weak flash of light that aimed to the ground.

"Mudkip!" A blue amphibious Pokemon appeared in front of Steven, and looked at him with a smile, excited to have a new owner.

"You know, I heard from a little Taillow that you like mudkips" Professor Birch said with a friendly voice.

"I don't like water types." Steven answered coldly, breaking both the Mudkip and the professor´s hearts.

"Birch, this is useless, he doesn't care about Pokemon, all he cares about are his darned rocks, his father passed that madness unto him."

"I could find some Rock type Pokemon if I speak with some friends, what about a Carbink? They are pretty popular in the Kalos region."

"Just forget about it, we have to leave now. I swear to Arceus, if this kid for some reason decides by himself to go on a Pokemon adventure, I'll wear flower shirts and shorts, and I’ll go to anger management courses." Scott laughed on the inside at his own idea, but remained with that serious look that he always used near Steven.

"Add sunglasses to that and I might consider it" Interrupted Steven tauntingly

"Quiet you, I wasted half a day of my life for this. Who would've imagined it, the son of the president of Devon Corporation does not like Pokemon!" Scott said to himself. "Well Steven, time to go see your father, I hope he takes the news lightly"

"I want to go back to grab my mining equipment" Steven said coldly

"There is no time, your father is waiting for you and we are almost there." Scott answered

"If we are going to the mines, I want to look for some stones to add to my collection."

"Steven... It’s been a hard day for me, okay? My biggest project to date is already being a disaster and I just started planning it a month ago!"

"You mean the Frontier? That was a failure from start and you know that." Steven said coldly

"Quiet you sassy little snob. Just remain quiet until we get there, and I promise I'll ask one of the workers to borrow you equipment."

Steven remained silent, as the boat drew away from Lilycove. They arrived to the naval city about half an hour ago, and took the boat that would take them to their next destination, Sootopolis. The morning was already gone, and the afternoon was in the middle of its life. The boat swam swiftly, guided by two Whishcash tied to the boat by ropes. The weather was rather calm and made for a nice enjoyable trip for most of the passengers, except for Steven who remained bored. He spotted a young teen, about one or two years older than him. He was in charge of watching over the Whishcash while his grandfather looked out for any potential wild Pokemon attacks.

"Wallace boy, how are Whishy and Cashie doin?" Said the sailor

"Cashie looks a little tired, sir. I think we have to let them rest for a bit," Said Wallace softly

"That old lad can do more than that, I raised her myself! We are halfway there already, she can just keep goin," Said the sailor proud of his abilities to train water-type Pokemon.

"I'm sorry Ribbon, you won't be able to rest now, I promise you that as soon as we get there, I'll get you some good berries to help you regain energy, okay?" Wallace said silently, but loud enough for the Whiskers Pokemon to hear. This made the Water-type smile, leaving a soft cry before speeding to keep up with it´s mate.

"Why did you call that Wishcash 'Ribbon' ? Weren't their names Whishy and Cashie?" Asked Steven after seeing the scene which caused nothing but a light curiousness on him.

"She doesn't like the name Cashie, so I came up with another name for her, her whiskers are kinda shaped like ribbons so I named her like that." Answered the young turquoise-haired boy.

"Why would you care so much for what a Pokemon thinks? They are needy, they are annoying, and they are dangerous."

"They are caring, brave, kind, loyal, and overall, beautiful." Wallace replied. When he finished the last word, a shabby looking fish Pokemon jumped out of the water and into his arms. His big pink lips releasing a dull cry and a soft smile.

"Bas- Feebas"

"Yeah, they are quite stunning, aren't they?" Commented Steven sarcastically.

"You are not the first one to comment on Feebas´ looks. Many trainers lucky enough to find one ignore them, and throw them back to the river. At least it's not the same luck as its distant relative, Magikarp. They are eaten daily with no remorse. People can't see that in every Pokemon, there's beauty, inner beauty. If you dislike a Pokemon, it's because you have not given it the time to show you what it's capable of, you have not given it the time to love you, and for you to love it back. This Feebas is my best friend, I'd give my life for her and I can feel she'd do the same for me."

To this statement, the Feebas cried happily, showing it's approval. Steven saw both with curiosity, how could anyone love a Pokemon like that, to give his life for it.

"You are going to the excavation site, aren't you?" Asked the long haired teen, interrupting his train of ideas.

"Yeah, my father works there" Answered Steven

"In that case, wanna go with me to Old Charlie's Cave?"

"You mean, the cave no worker is supposed to go into? The one with the curse? Yeah that sound like a good idea." Replied Steven sarcastically.

" Great! We'll go there as soon as we land, adults never realise when we are gone."
Steven wanted to reply, but Wallace was already talking with his Pokémon, ignoring him.

"Sure... it can't be that bad, can it?

"There you are, thought you'd never come back," Said Wallace, hugging a Seadra, and holding a flashlight on his right hand

"I told you I was just going for some equipment." Replied Steven, full of bags, mining, and safety equipment

"Well silver boy, I think we should start with introductions, as we didn't do them in the boat. My name is Wallace, Wallace Tide. This little guy here is King."

"Dra!" Cried the Pokémon

"I'm Steven. Steven Stone."
"The owner's son? That explains the clothing," Joked Wallace, pointing at the perfectly clean suit and the pin with the logo of the company.

"I'm gonna put a safety suit over this, I can't possibly risk this suit, it's imported from Kalos."

"Fancy talk. I doubt that safety equipment will cover up your groomed hair though"

"Are you going to keep trash-talking me? Or are we going inside?" Countered Steven annoyed.

"That's more like it!" Wallace walked inside the cave, carelessly and cheery. Steven followed him dubiously, scared of the rumors about the curse.

"Well this is getting boring."

"Patience is one of the biggest virtues there are. "

"Well you promised me adventure..."

"We are almost there anyway."

"Almost where...?" Steven got his question answered, as they reached a room with different colored crystalline pillars, one purple colored enormous crystal in the middle of it.

Steven was astonished, in all his life he had never seen such an amazing piece of mineral. Its great beauty paralyzed him completely. He managed to overcome the amaze, and he came closer to it, as his hand raised to touch the purple beauty.

But when the tip of his finger was about to touch the gem, a loud malicious laugh stopped him from progressing. The enormous gem revealed two yellow and red eyes, and a wide, red, malicious smile. The other monoliths suddenly disappeared, and were replaced with red, round eyes that lurked from the darkness.

“You have met a terrible fate, haven't you?” A voice whispered in his ear. Steven walked backwards towards Wallace, but when he turned around, the fisherman’s son was no longer there.

“Wallace? Uhm… was that you?” Steven asked frightened. But he got no answer, just the multiple eyes watching him in the dark room. The yellow eyes suddenly began floating towards him. Steven was now completely stunned in pure terror. The rumors were real, there was an ancient evil living in Old Charlie's Cave, and it was looking directly into Steven's eyes. The red mouth left out an echoed laugh.

"We are all alone, my dear. No friends to help you. On the other hand, I have plenty of friends here." Said the same sinister voice. This time Steven was able to find the source, as the words came directly from the floating smile and eyes, which were now too close to Steven for his own comfort. The red, round eyes around them glowed white, on a way in which the room became slightly more illuminated. Steven could now see the owner of the sinister face, a witch hat, three gems surrounding it´s neck, and a purple, ethereal dress; a Mismagius.

“Who… who are you?” Steven asked frightened.

“I am the spirit that guards this cave. I defend the inhabitants and the treasures resting here from greedy, vicious humans like you. The only thing of interest for you in here is this gem, isn't it?” The Magical Pokémon's eyes glowed an intense red, and suddenly around Steven, fiery ghost-like spheres started circling around him. “I've always wondered what effects a Will-o-Wisp could have on a human being…”

Steven was about to get a heart attack, many deaths have been reported in the past related to Pokémon attacking humans. And it seemed like Steven was going to be the next face on the newspaper.

“A young human child, burned to ashes because of his greed, how sad.” The Will-o-Wisp started circling faster than before, before fusing into one big ball of fire. “Boo!”

Steven screamed with all his forces, he was going to die, burned to death by a wild Pokémon, his father would never see him again, all his dreams of collecting the rarest rocks in the world were banished, he was no long-- Steven opened his eyes and looked around him, a slight sense of smoke was all that he could feel, he looked at his body, there was no fire, he then looked at his back, and found the source of the smoke. There was a small fire on the rear end of his safety suit, which was somehow causing a hole on it.

“Fire! Put it off! Put it off!” Steven exclaimed, running around in circles while trying to take off his suit. Loud laughs could be heard all around the room. The Mismagius, who was also laughing, used Flash to completely illuminate the room to reveal the ones responsible for the prank. Around him, six Metang showed to be the owners of the red, circle eyes; and between two of them, a young teen and his Seadra were also laughing out loud; Wallace looked at the burning suit and decided to help Steven.

“Ki-King, use wat- Water Gun” Wallace ordered while laughing. The Seadra, who was also enjoying the show, shoot a powerful Water Gun towards Steven, getting him all wet. This caused even more euphorical laughs to come out of the audience. Steven gazed at Wallace angrily, taking off his wet safetysuit.

“You had this planned all along, didn't you?” Steven grunted.

“Well, most of it. Miss Gio came up with the Will-o-Wisp.” Wallace answered.

“Did you really think I'd hurt a little boy? Come on, I'm better than that,” The Ghost-type added.

“Miss Gio guards the entrance to the deepest part of the cave, or as I like to call it, ‘The Nest’” She does things like this to scare people away from it, and in extreme cases, she ends up hurting them lightly. Of course, all those rumours about curses and such are not true, those who claim to have bad luck after visiting the cave don’t know that it is a mere coincidence.” Wallace added, “So Miss Gio, would you mind showing us the way?”

“I’d be pleased” The Mismagius’ eyes glowed white, and a big rock that seemed to be part of the stone wall, was moved from it’s position A path was revealed in front of them, and the Mismagius advanced towards it, followed by the Metang.

“You coming or what?” Wallace asked Steven

“After what you just did? Yeah… I don’t think so”

“Come on, you wanted adventure, didn’t you? Just follow me, I promise you are going to love it!” Wallace stretched his arm towards Steven, who looked at him with a bit of skepticism, but decided to trust him anyways.

“Where - is - my - SON!?”

“Nobody knows, sir. Some claim to have seen him collecting some gear, but besides that, there’s no more information.” A worker answered.

“He is probably exploring some caves, Joseph, searching for his weird rocks and what not, he should be back soon”

“He never goes exploring without me, Scott. He has never done this before, what if he encounters a wild Pokémon? Have you seen what Golbats do to those that can’t defend themselves? It is not pretty!”

President Stone sighed. He had already called every station, every manager, even every worker; yet none could give him any information about Steven’s location. He was not the calm and happy man that people knew him as anymore, he was worried, and stressed out, his son had gone missing two hours ago and there was no clue as to where he could be.

“I may know where the lil boy went.” Said a raspy, creaky high voice.

“And who might you be?” President Stone asked

“He is the sailor, the owner from the boat we came in.” Scott added

“My name is Marcus Tide, the best sailor of the Seven Seas, I think I know where your son is.”

“And how could you possibly know where Steven is?” Scott replied skeptically

“Around 10 years old, extremely white,almost pale, a grayish blue hair, fancy clothing--”

“Yes! That’s him! Where is he!?” President Stone interrupted

“You know what? I can’t really remember… my memory is not that good anymore, maybe if I had a little… incentive” said the sailor while stretching his arm out, showing the palm of his hand and his fingers moving crazily. Both Mr. Stone and Scott knew what he meant with that.

“Stone, are you seriously thinking on trusting this guy?” I mean, he did saw Steven at the boat, he could just say that he knows, get the money, and flee.”

President Stone remained silent, before taking his wallet out, and giving a bunch of Pokédollars to the old sailor. “He may be the only one with a clue.”

“Old Charlie’s Cave. My grandson Wallace always goes there when we dock here. If he makes new friends, he takes them there as well. Me and some friends that work here can go inside to look for him, the cave is dangerous after all. Don’t worry, I assure you that we’ll bring your son in one piece… if possible…” The sailor left the place, leaving a face of worry in the ones that heard him.

“Wait a minute, isn’t Old Charlie’s Cave where…” Mr. Stone commented.

“We are going to the damned cave again, aren’t we?” Scott guessed, and President Stone nodded, “I’ll prepare the gear…”

“Ok now, you must close your eyes, that way the surprise is more… surprising.”

“Nice choice of words there”

“Just close your eyes and follow me, Okay?” Steven did as said, he grabbed Wallace´s hand and followed him to wherever they were taking him.

“Ok, you can open your eyes now”

“I hope this isn’t another kind of prank, Walla-” Steven’s mouth was completely shut. Before him, there was a large cave system filled with different types of gems and minerals, But ironically, what surprised Steven the most was the amount of Pokémon living there. Dozens of different kinds of Pokémon. Zubat flew around happily, as Sableye pranked each other out. Meanwhile Nosepass hummed happily, and Solrock and Lunatone danced with each other. It was Paradise for cave Pokémon.

"Come on, the chief must be expecting us, I'm sure he already sensed your presence." The Mismagius said.

"Sensed?" Steven asked, surprised by the choice of words that the Ghost type used.

They advanced towards the end of the cave. A wide tunnel, completely different than the other more simplistic ones, welcomed anyone with the magnemite-powered light bulbs and the flattened out walls, to the Chief's room. The room itself was surprisingly large, with multiple Beldum and Metang floating around. There were dozens of each. In the middle of the room, as a large blue spider-like steel creature, with a silver "X" in the middle of its face; was cheerfully playing with the younger Beldum, which floated around him, crying happily while the old Metagross attempted to hit them with weakened and slowed Bullet Punches. The Metangs following Miss Gio left her trail, and went to play with their younger brothers

"Darling, I'm home." Said the Mismagius

"Giovanna, my love, welcome back!" Answered the Metagross

"Hello, Chief!" Greeted Wallace

"Wallace, my boy, my son of another species! It's been awhile since you last visited. And I sense you brought two friends."

"This little guy right here is King," Wallace introduced.

"An honor to meet you, sir."

"OK, that Pokémon just talked, that ain't normal" Steven panicked.

"Of course it did! They always do! My psychic power lets me translate Pokémon language for you humans, who have lost that ability centuries ago! Destiny may have taken my sight away, but Arceus rewarded me with a strengthened mind instead!" Steven didn't notice before, but the Metagross’ eyes were a plain white, sign of blindness. “So, young boy, what’s your name?”

“Steven, Steven Stone. It’s… an honor to meet you, Chief”

The Chief stood up on his four legs, and walked towards Steven as fast as any Metagross could. He looked at him eye to eye, and said on a serious tone: “Stone? As in, a relative of the owner of Devon Corporation?”

Steven became paralyzed once again, “Ye-yeah?” Steven was frightened, he was almost certain that the name “Devon Corporation” was not famous around these parts, the company invading the land and all.

The Metagross raised its arm, and pointed it to Steven, he was now certain that Chief was going to punch him to death, that was it, he just dug his own grave. But of course, he was wrong. Chief swung his arm and “patted” Steven on his back, almost sending him to the ground.

“Mr. Stone is such a great man! He let all the Pokémon in the area move here calmly and in order before the mining process began. You, my friend, should be proud of being part of his family!” Exclaimed the Metagross

“I’m actually his son…”

“Mr. Stone’s son!? Why didn’t you say so before! Everyone, prepare yourselves, we are celebrating the visit of a very special guest!”

The Metagross voice filled the caves and tunnels, and Pokémon of all kinds suddenly began arriving to the room. Steven saw himself surrounded by the curious Beldum that analyzed every part of him, making Steven uncomfortable.

“These are my sons and daughters, Steven Stone, Pokémon that escaped the hands of the human trainers and their damned Pokeballs. I built this home myself with my iron fist, and I take care of them with my life. Specially, my only true son of blood, of course, implying that I have blood. “ As he said this, a silver colored Beldum appeared from behind the Chief. His eye and Steven’s met directly, Steven’s light blue eyes with the red round eye of the small creature. For some reason, Steven felt fascinated about this Pokémon, like if they were connected by a bond of destiny.

“Did I hide the entrance to the cave?” Interrupted a feminine voice behind them.

“No, Ma’am” answered a Metang.

“How many times have I told you to remind me of hiding the entrance? I’m getting too old for this!” Miss Gio grunted, before disappearing into one of the stone walls.

“Hahaha, stop! Stop it! Stop tickling me!” Steven saw himself on the ground, being brutally attacked by a devilish little shiny Beldum, while it floated around his ribcage, pressing softly against his sides.

“So, about not liking Pokémon” Wallace taunted.

“I- I guess they are ok” Replied Steven, being spared from his punishment.

“I knew this place would change your mind, it truly is a magnificent place.” Wallace looked around, all the Pokémon of all the species were playing, chatting, and even dancing with each other, Chief being one of the main dancers with his rusty moves.

But suddenly, Chief stopped moving, his face showed anger, and worry. “Everyone, hide, now!” He said through a mental message.

“What’s going on, Chief?” Asked Wallace worriedly

“They… they found us… they have Giovanna.. they… they” But Chief couldn’t finish, as a Flamethrower attack came directly into the Chief’s room, hitting him on the back.

“Steven, Wallace, Beldum, run!” ordered the injured Metagross. Steven did as said, running towards one of the tunnels, but no one else was following him.

“King, King! Where are you?” Shouted Wallace, worried about his friend.

“Wallace, what are you doing, we have to go, now!”

“No way I’m leaving him behind, neither him nor Chief, I’ll attack the attackers if I have to!”

“I don’t think you’ll do anything like that” A raspy voice could be heard from the shadows, in the same direction from where the Flamethrower was shot. Marcus Tide came out from the entrance to the room, a Magcargo following him, and his hand surrounding a Seadra’s neck.

“King! Leave him alone! He can’t breathe!” Screamed Wallace

“Of course he can’t! He is a Water type Pokémon, he belongs in the water!”

“You know nothing about Water type Pokémon!” Quivered Wallace with tears on his eyes.

“Oh really? Well I do know how to punish them!” As he finished his sentence, he threw the Seadra to the ground, placed it’s foot on it’s head, as he started pressing.

“Stop! You are going to kill him!” Steven shouted

“What do you care? He is a Pokémon, an animal, he has no feelings, he is needy, he is annoying, and he is dangerous!” Replied the sailor.

“No… they are not…” Steven muttered.

“What did you say kid?” Chief asked from his location

“No, they are not! They are caring, brave, kind, loyal, and over-all, amazing! That’s what Pokémon are!” Steven shrieked with all his forces, he found a new self, he realized that he was wrong, he realized that Pokémon were more than mere pets or toys.

“Well let's see how this ‘awesome’ Pokémon´s head explo-” Marcus Tide could not finish his sentence, as a silver and gold Beldum Take Down’ed him to the ground, breaking a couple of ribs. “Damned creatures! Jonah, Frank, come in here and help me out!” The old man called.

Two man entered the room, one with a Scyther at his side and multiple Pokeballs on his belt, the other one with a Mightyena behind him and a whip on his hand.

“Marcus, you ok?” Asked Jonah.

“G-get rid of these animals, and catch the shiny Beldum!”

“Sure thing Marcus! Scy, use False Swipe!” The Scyther swung his scythes softly, but for his surprise, the Beldum was no longer there. He was now with Chief, who was starting to get up.

“Mighty, use Crunch!” Ordered Frank, as his Pokémon ran directly towards the Metagross, and delivered a strong bite on one of his legs, sending him back to the ground. The Beldum used another Take Down on the Mightyena, sending it back, before shaking himself on pain

“Stop, yo- you are hurting yourself” Ordered Chief, but the Beldum didn’t want to listen.

“He must be weak now! Scy, use False Swipe!” This time, the attack did hit, and Beldum was sent several meters away. He was about to faint, but still wanted to give a fight.”

“N-no, stop him- he won’t be able to do ano-another attack” Chief murmured, as the Mightyena was once again Crunch’ing his leg.. Wallace was with King, trying to get the fainted Pokémon out of the fight, so the only one that could help, was Steven.

“Lets finish this, Magcargo, use Flamethrower on the Metagross!” Ordered Marcus, who was struggling to stand up completely. Steven knew what was going to happen, Beldum wouldn’t let his father die like that, and his father was too weak to stop him from sacrificing himself.

Steven acted almost by instinct, he didn’t plan it, and if he had, he would have stopped himself. But he didn’t. He ran as fast as he could towards the incoming attack, and hugged the Beldum that was going to place himself in front of the Metagross. The Flamethrower attack didn’t reach neither Beldum or Chief, it hit Steven, setting his suit on fire.

“Kabutops, use Stealth Rock!” A voice ordered from behind them.

“Omastar, use Water Gun!” Another voice added.

Rocks surrounded the attackers and their Pokémon, while the Water Gun hit Steven, putting the fire off. Scott and Joseph Stone had arrived just in time. Behind them, authorities followed with their Pokémon. The police force arrested the sailor and his friends, and broke the Pokeballs that were used to catch the inhabitants of Old Charlie’s. One of these caught Pokemon was Miss Gio herself, who had been attacked when hiding the entrance.

One tall man, with a blue coat, and black and white hair was with them. The Gym Leader of Sootopolis had arrived there to help the authorities with the criminals. He spotted Wallace, who was hugging the fainted Seadra with tears on his eyes.

“What’s wrong, kid?” Asked Juan.

“My… grandfather… he almost killed him… King…” Sobbed Wallace

“I suppose you are Wallace Tide. Your grandfather was a terrible man. You, on the other hand, seem to be a kind boy, who loves his Water type Pokémon, just like me. I don't think I can leave you here by yourself. Come, you can stay with me for the night. They already sent your grandfather’s Pokémon to my house and I’m sure they will be happy to see you. "

“Thanks… mister…”

On the other side of the room, Joseph, Steven, Chief, and the Beldum finished counting the disappeared Pokémon, who could now rest on their respective rooms.

“Your son is an impressive boy, Stone. To risk his own life to save my son's, that's impressive. He is sure to become one of the greatest trainers there has ever been.”

“I don’t think so, he doesn't like Pokémon, right Steven?” Josep sighed, looking at his son.

Steven remained silent for a while, looking at the ground while thinking on everything that had just happened. His thoughts were interrupted by a silver Beldum, who softly tackled his sides, making him release a soft laugh.

"Ste-ven." Said the Beldum with difficulty through a weak mental link.

“Father, I like Pokémon, and I want to go on a Pokémon adventure.” Said Steven with his head up.

“That´s amazing son! I’ll call Birch right now and ask for a starter.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. I think the boy just found his own starter,” Chief interrupted, before seeing in front of him the two young beings playing with each other, a smile on Steven’s face.

“This place is truly wonderful.” Mr. Stone said, before grabbing a Pokeball out of his bag, and preparing to give it to the young trainer who was ready to start his new adventure.

Pockets saw the world turn green around her again, a tear on her eye. She couldn't believe how strong the relationship between Steven and Layton was, how they could risk their own lives for each other. Was that the strength of the friendship between a Pokémon and his trainer? But what confused Pockets more, was the fact that Steven was a different kind of Pokémon, a white, thin, hairless bipedal creature.

“I see you guys are done” Steven interrupted.

“I showed her The Nest story”

“You can’t get enough of that story, can you Tin Can?” Joked Steven

“That- That was… you were not a-” Pockets wanted to say something, but she was stopped from doing so by a force beyond her. A message that was being broadcasted to every living being in Equestria at that very same moment.

“What… was… that.”

“Don’t look at me, I didn’t understand half of that.”

“He said he was… Arceus. Layton?”

The unicorn and the Scizor looked at the Iron Leg Pokémon, who remained static.

“The message was Psychic powered, yet it was enough power to transmit it through possibly the entire planet, if its size is similar to Earth’s, that is. Indeed, the creature behind that message was certainly a legendary of great power, a power not before seen in any kind of Pokémon, not even legendaries. “

Steven remained speechless. Was it really Arceus the one behind that message?

“Steven, who is this... Arceus?” The unicorn mare asked, seeing the shock in Steven’s face.

“Arceus… is supposed to be our god…”

“Your WHAT!?”

Steven sighed, and began relating the ancient story. “A legend states that, a long time ago, before the universe itself existed, there was an egg…”

“So, an actual god. Wow…”

Steven sat down, and looked at the blue sky, as leaves began flowing with the calm wind, “Why… why did he bring us here… He created our planet, we all were his creations… why did he leave it. There must be a reason… I need to know, I need to get back. We can’t just ignore all the progress we have made and leave the Earth to rot, who knows, it may be just end up blowing up for all we know. We need to go back, we need to save what’s left of our planet.” The former human stood up, as the sun reflecting on his chitin, showcasing sparkles that surrounded his body. A shiny aura present only on shiny Pokémon.

“I believe we have a new objective.” Layton commented, a small unseen grin on his face.

“We are setting off to this Everfree Forest. We’ll require a map, and supplies. We are also going to need a guide, a local that knows how to go there, and has experience traveling on foot. Layton, prepare an analysis to try to find resources in our area that will be of help.”

“Well well well, its your lucky da-”

“We’ll require data about the resources on this planet. We need to study these different organisms and find what we could use to our advantage.” Layton interrupted

“Yeah cool, but guys-”

“That will be fairly easy with your data, but the hardest part would be who to trust to guide us in this wild new world.” Steven added, stroking his chin.

“GUYS!” Both Pokémon turned their attentions at the blue unicorn, shocked by the sudden and rude interruption. “Thanks, sorry for that. Anyways, you guys consider yourself lucky, because!”

Pockets flashed and disappeared in barely two seconds, to reappear shortly after with various bags and a somewhat large roll. With the aid of her magic, she unveiled the roll to showcase a cartoonish looking map, which showed various cities and landmarks, as a fancy looking “Equestria” was displayed on the top. Pockets pointed at a small city in the west side of the map, Tall Tale, and moved her hoof east of the map, until stopping at a wide forest, which was tagged “Everfree Forest”.

“This is where you want to go,” The unicorn mare said, “The Everfree Forest is a scary looking place, and can only be reached if you go through Ponyville, the town next to it. Due to how dangerous it is, you’ll need someone that has gone through it and survived. So yeah, you need me”

Steven looked at Pockets surprised, and left out a small chuckle “You’ve been there before?”

“What, you don’t believe me? Dude, I’m from Manehattan, came here with my own hooves. I have enough experience. Sides, I need to go to Canterlot to do some business. Ya know, thief stuff.” Pockets got her hooded coat, grabbed her bag, and started trotting towards the city, “In fact, if you want to see what I’m talking bout, I got some fencing to do! It’s payday!”

“Steven, what are you planning to do? “

“I’ll go back to the city with her. You stay here and wait for us, your size is too evident and they would find us easily” Steven ordered, before following the blue unicorn.

“Understood… good luck.”

As Steven and Pockets sneaked into the city, avoiding several officers on the way, Steven began wondering if helping a thief was a good idea. In fact, this whole act of fencing was against everything he believed in.

“How far are we from… your buyer?” Steven asked ashamed while following the pony through obscure alleyways.

“Fence, get the terminology right.” Pockets chuckled, while stopping and hiding as an officer walked by, “And we are not that far from the neighbourhood. Sides, you don’t seem to have any problems with walking and running, do ya?”

“It’s not that, I just feel… uncomfortable I guess.” Steven sighed, following the now running Pockets.

“Nah, don’t worry. After you see what I’m bout to do, you’ll love it as much as I do.”

As the pair began reaching the outskirts of the city, Pockets entered a small building, with a sign that read “Value Hunt’s Pawn Shop” . When inside, Pockets took of her coat and knocked a crystal door that lead into one of the various rooms. An old looking light gray pegasus opened the door, with a smile on his face and a cane under his wing.

“Pickett, my dear! Glad to see you here!” The pegasus greeted, opening his wings to hug the small unicorn.

“Mister Hunt, long time without seeing you. How have you been?” Pockets grinned, a bit asphyxiated by the hug.

“Great my darling, that old cane you sold me has been helping me with my poor leg. Speaking of which, I suppose you have something to sell me.” The old pegasus chuckled

Pockets got inside the room, resting her bag in a small table located in the middle of the room, Steven following shortly. The sighting of this creature shocked the pony, yet Value Hunt let out a loud laugh shortly afterwards, “I see you got a Pokeman of your own, sweetheart.”

Pockets giggled at the old colt’s antics, before pulling out some of the items in her bag. Steven on the other hand, saw himself surrounded by the odd pony, who was now observing every detail on his body, until reaching his abdomen and poking it with his long wooden cane.

“Uhm, excuse me, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that, sir.” Steven said, shocking the pegasus once more

“He can talk? Wow, you really got lucky with this Pokeman, Pickett”

“It’s Pokémon, Mister Hunt,” The unicorn giggled, “and I just used a translation spell on him, not a big deal. Sides, he ain’t mine, he is some sort of subspecies called ‘Human’, I still don’t fully understand that part.”

“I see, pretty interesting. I’ve gotten Pokémon myself, you know? Let me call her, I think it’s a her… Purroline!” The old pegasus called. A large, gray, cat-like creature, with pointy ears and odd whiskers came into the room. The Purugly left out a loud yawn, before looking at Steven, and releasing a loud hiss that showed how much it liked him already.

“Pur, Purugly”

“Hey, I think he says you are ugly,” Pockets chuckled, as she took a small gem out of her bag, placing it on the table.

Steven sighed, and got away from the Tiger Cat Pokémon, “That’s their cry, she is not saying that I’m ugly.” But what he didn’t tell anyone, is that the Purugly actually said to him: “You look stupid”

“Anyways, Mister Hunt, I got these this week. Anything valuable?” Pockets asked, showing various loot he had gathered over the week.

The old pegasus got closer to the table, and took a pair of glasses out of the pocket on a coat that was resting on a chair nearby. “Let me see, what do we have here…”

“A thousand and half bits, pretty good for a week of work.”

Steven looked at the bag filled with golden coins that the pony told him to take for her, “This is quite a lot, what are you going to go with this?”

“I told ya last night, this money goes to some friends in the outskirts of the city. We should be getting there pretty soon.”

“Right, forgot about the whole ‘good thief’ deal,” Steven deadpanned

“Come on, give me some credit! I am like a real life Robin Hoof!”

Steven stopped for a second, before recognizing the name “You mean, Robin Hood, right?”

“No dude, Robin Hoof, ya know, the archer unicorn.”

“Not from this planet, remember?” Steven pointed

“Oh right, totally forgot bout that. Hey speaking of which, you said that your planet was called, Earth, right?”

“Indeed, Earth, it isn’t that different from this planet, except from the inhabitants of course, even some things like that story you just mentioned seem to be similar.” The former human explained

“You really like that fancy talk, don’t you? Yesterday you said something about being a Champion? What’s that.”

“Former Champion. A Champion is like… the strongest Pokémon trainer in a region. They obtain the title after going through several challenges including multiple battles against skilled trainers, and their Pokémon.”

“Ok, now in equestrian please.” Pockets chuckled, not understanding half of what was just said.

“A Champion is like… the strongest of knights in a kingdom.” Steven continued, “Back on Earth, these knights were called trainers, they lead their Pokémon to battles against other trainers, or wild Pokémon. There’s a challenge for every trainer that wishes to do it, the Gym Badge challenge. They can choose to fight eight trainers spread around the region that are placed in what we call Gyms, and if you defeat what we call a Gym Leader, you’ll get a badge. With each badge you collect, the challenge gets harder, meaning the next Gym you’ll challenge will be a bigger challenge. If a trainer manages to gather all the eight badges, that trainer can participate in an annual tournament, in which the winner gets to challenge the four strongest trainers in the region. If the trainer manages to defeat the Elite Four as we call them, he or she can challenge the Champion to try to get their title.” The former Champion explained, trying to make it as simple as possible.

“Wait, so you are like… the strongest of all the trainers back on your planet? For real!?” Pockets exclaimed astonished.

“Well no. I’m a former Champion. One trainer has defeated me before, and although he didn’t take the title, I gave the title up to another trainer, my friend, Wallace.”

“The guy from the story Layton showed me?” Pocket asked surprised, remembering the blue haired boy.

“Indeed, he later became the Gym Leader of Sootopolis, his hometown. They call him the Water Master due to his skill with Water type Pokemon. Couldn’t think of anyone else to take my position.”

“Wow, you sure are something!” Pockets chuckled, before pointing at the small house that was in front of her. “Now it’s time to show you, Champion Steven, why I am a ‘good thief’ “

Pockets walked towards the door, and knocked a couple of times, before a feminine childish voice replied to the knocks, “Who’s there”

“Is Pockets. Bright, is your dad home?”

“Pockets!” Another childish voice exclaimed from the distance, as a small filly opened the door violently, running towards the unicorn, hugging her as soon as he reached her. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

“Calm down, Rocket, it’s only been a month.” The unicorn chuckled, seeing the red earth pony hanging from her neck.

“I know but it felt like foreeeeeever. “ The filly whined, spotting the shiny Scizor that was observing the scene in amusement. “Woooow is that one of those crazy aliens that are everywhere now?”

“Yeah he is, and if you don’t behave yourself, he is gonna eat ya!” Pockets said, disturbing the small filly.

“I won’t do that…” Steven sighed

“Quiet, you beast from space Tartarus! Your race won’t eat our bwraaains!” The unicorn dramatised, grabbing the child as if she was protecting it, while the kid started screaming in fear, getting as far from Steven as possible

“You are as dramatic as always, Pockets.” A Light Blue stallion said from behind the unicorn, The child dropped from Pockets neck, and ran towards the stallion, jumping on his neck and almost sending him face to the floor.

“Daddy!” The red filly said, as Pockets chuckled, getting closer to the unicorn.

“Hey, Gentle. How are you?”

“Was doing pretty good, Pockets. Even better now that you are here.” The stallion grinned

“You mean, even worse now that she is here,” The childish feminine voice from before chuckled, a beautiful brown bag on her wing with a nicely sewed “P.M.” on the side, “Oh yeah, this is for you Pockets.” The filly said, tossing the bag towards her, Pockets grabbing it with her magic shortly after.

“It looks nice and all, but who is Private Message, the mailcolt?” The unicorn asked confused

The filly laughed and launched herself at the Navy Blue unicorn, “It’s Pickett Midnight ya airhead!”

“Oh right, that’s my name, isn’t it?” The unicorn joked, grabbing the filly and rubbing her head.

“So, Pockets, what brings you here?” Gentle Light asked.

“Well, it’s that time of the month, you know.” Pockets sighed, taking her breath back.

“Kids, go inside, Pockets and I have to talk.”

“Okay, bye Pockets! Bye mister Alien!” Red Rocket waved, as he and her sister went inside the house.

“So yeah, Pockets. I suppose you have some money for the neighborhood…” The stallion chuckled awkwardly, “You know, I still don’t like the idea of you doing this for us…”

“Nah, don’t you worry. Remember, this money is from the same kind of people that got you in this situation, you used to be such a successful lawyer, now look at you! I can’t just let these people steal from you like that. So please, take the money and share it.” The unicorn grabbed the bag of bits on Steven’s shoulder, and gave it to the stallion, who had a hard time holding it.

“WOW, this is… gah, quite a lot” The unicorn muttered.

“It’s my gift for at least two months. I’m leaving Tall Tale for a while, I’ll try to be back as soon as possible. Pass the info. “ The unicorn explained.

“You going with this nice gentleman here?” Gentle Light joked, pointing at the Bug type while dropping the bag on the floor..

“Yeah, we are going to Canterlot, and then we are passing through the Everfree. You know, this guy was the one responsible for saving the city yesterday.”

“So we got a hero here, huh? I guess i have to thank you for saving our flanks” The stallion joked.

“It wasn’t much, I really just helped as much as everyone else. “ Steven replied, not wanting to boast.

“We got a humble alien then, you sure find the weirdest things out there, Pockets. Take care of this wonderful mare. I’m sure she will give you more troubles than anyone else out there. Oh yeah, Grumble's pretty mad at the recent events, if ya going to Canterlot don't get close to the trains, there are officers searching for you two apparently, keep yourself off public eye.” Gentle Light chuckled, before leaving and waving goodbye, dragging the heavy bag filled with bits.

“Hey,” Pockets said softly to Steven, “I didn't hear you complain when I said I was going with you to Canterlot, what could that mean?”

“It means... I decided to take you with us. You seem to be trustworthy enough, thief.” The former champion deadpanned, before moving back towards the forest.

“I prefer the term, ‘hero of the people’ Thank you very much.” Pockets said elegantly, following the Steel type.

“And I will never call you that way.”

With a new, unusual partner, Steven and Layton start their new adventure in the lands of Equestria, land of the magic and the mysterious. What will Steven find in his road to the Everfree? Join him on this new journey, where he'll encounter new friends and new foes, where he'll do things he never thought possible, and where he'll find something that will change his life forever.

Chapter 4 : Vs. Sylveon

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“Come on, just stay still for me and I swear it won’t hurt that much!”

“I do not think these aquatic creatures’ intellectual levels are enough to understand your speech”

“I don’t either, but it is worth a try.”

“I sense another fish coming this way”

“Ok, I see it… just have to wait for a bit… until he gets into position… and GOTCHA!”

“What on Earth are you two doing?” Steven woke up with the loud noises and the splashes from the water, it was still pretty early in the morning, and his eyes were fogged from the sudden awakening.

“We are fishing for breakfast!” Pockets exclaimed, the horn on her damp head was glowing, and a rusty wooden lance floating next to her, a small fish on the tip of the lance.. “The fishes came up the river this morning and we are getting some to cook for you.”

Steven grunted and scratched his head, as his vision started becoming clear. “And you have to make so much noise trying to catch a fish, because…?”

“It’s the thrill man, the emotions kicking in when fishing old school with a stick!”

“Layton, why did you agree to this? You know you can easily take the fish out of the water”

“Wait wha-?” Pockets interrupted

“You taught me to not use my powers when someone is trying to accomplish something by themselves. Besides, I was amused by the pony’s attempts to catch a fish.”

“Glad you enjoyed my lil’ show talking saucer.” Pockets chuckled. “But tell me, how could you possibly take a fish out of the water with ease?”

Layton looked directly at the calm river. A glow came out of both his eyes and the river glowed with them. Suddenly, dozens of different types of fishes, both Pokémon and native, floated above the river helplessly. Layton tilted his head to the right, making the fishes swim on the air like if they were in water, he titled it to the right, and the fishes started swimming on a Sharpedo pattern, then a Salemence, Latios, and finally, a pattern of himself; before throwing them all into the water. Pockets’ mouth wide open, she still couldn’t believe the power these new creatures were capable of. Steven laughed at the expression of shock in Pockets’ face, thing that upset her.

“Fine then, I see you two can easily survive without me. I wasted an hour of my life to get you some food, and Layton here was not able to tell me how easy it was for you to get some yourself-” Pockets complained, taking her saddle and her bags and leaving the area, “I’ll go and get some food of my own, you two wait for me, I won’t take long.”

“Let’s see… blue… round… seems juicy… not that big…there are a lot of them in one patch... nah, I don’t think they are dangerous. Another bunch to the collection.” Pockets picked the blueberries with her magic, and threw them into one of the bags, She had already collected some water from a nearby river, and was now looking for some fruit to eat on the way.

“Veon…”

Pockets looked around, searching for the source, “What was that?” the unicorn asked herself, before shrugging the idea off when she realized that if there was any dangerous Pokémon around, Layton would just appear to protect her. She kept advancing, yet she started to feel like if someone was watching her… following her.

She arrived to another bush of berries, and started collecting them one by one. She opened her bag to place the berries on it, but when her hoof reached the front flap, she found out that the bag was already opened. The unicorn looked behind her, and spotted a pink cat-like creature eating some of the blueberries she had collected. She noticed that it was eating with what appeared to be ribbons, something that shouldn’t be possible… unless you were a Pokémon.

“So who might you be, you little cutie?” She asked. The Pokémon stopped eating, and looked at her with a face of curiosity. “Right, I forgot that you guys can’t really talk. Are you lost little girl? I don’t think a cutie like you could live in a place like this. Is your trainer around?” The unicorn asked with a soft voice. The Sylveon smiled at her, and dropped the blueberries on the ground, it waved its ribbons around, causing a soft laugh on the unicorn.

Pockets got closer to the small creature, and tried to pat its head. But she was stopped shortly as the Sylveon wrapped one pair of ribbons around Pockets’ neck, cutting off her oxygen and turning her face red. With the other pair or ribbons, it took the bag filled with fruit off her saddle, and placed it around his own neck, shortly afterwards proceeding to do the same with her loot bag..

“What… no st-stop”

“Veon!” He said with a deeper voice. His feelers shined, and the Sylveon yawned. He dropped her on the ground and left. Pockets wanted to get up and go after him, but for some reason, she felt sleepy, she couldn’t avoid closing her eyes and resting on the ground, while the blurred image of a pink cat swung its tail in front of her, leaving with the bags.

“Miss Midnight, wake up.”

“I don’t think it’s working Layton, you have already tried several times. What if she is dead?”

“My scan shows that she is under the influence of a Sleep status.”

“We don’t even know if status effects work on ponies.”

“Well, we are going to find out, she is waking up.”

Both Pokémon looked at the dark blue unicorn on the ground, who was opening her eyes softly. She saw the pair looking at her from an uncomfortable distance.

“What are you two doing? You are creeping me up a bit, guys”

Steven sighed in relief, before responding, “I was about to ask you something similar, what are you doing in here?”

“I can’t remem… wait, the bag, the cat, the- the” Pickett slammered

Both Pokemon looked at each other confused, before holding the unicorn down, trying to calm her down, “Miss Midnight, breathe, and tell us what happened” Layton requested softly

“A pink cat with ribbons attacked me earlier, it stole my bag and left me here!”

“A Sylveon” Layton added

“A Sylveon? That can’t be, aren’t they supposed to be friendly and peaceful? Why would one
attack her like that?” The former human asked bewildered.

“Oh believe me, Steven. That bastard ain’t friendly at all. We have to go after him.”

“Layton, can you see any traces it might have left behind?” Layton’s eyes shined for a few
seconds, before raising his claw, pointing at the deepest part of the woods.

“There” He said calmly. “There is a weak, yet noticeable trail of paw-prints walking towards that direction.”

“Could you do a quick scan, check if it is really there?” Steven asked

“Negative, there is too much interference, too many creatures are located there. The only help I can provide you with right now is tracking the prints on the ground.”

“I guess we can work with that, you ready Pockets?”

“Hell yeah, lets get that… thief” She said reluctantly.

“Irony at its finest” Steven taunted, as the trio prepared to venture through the forest.

The party carefully walked through the grim looking woodland, as the dark trees covered the sun, leaving a limited amount of sunlight to pass throw them. Spinarak and Noctowl gave away the dark setting of the forest, as Ekans hissed in the distance.

“Is everyone else scared or is it just me?” The unicorn asked, spotting all the weird creatures around.

“Just you, Pockets, Layton can’t really feel fear, and I’ve been through worse.” Steven answered

“Thanks, you sure are great comforting ponies...”

The forest became darker and darker, the trees bigger and bigger, and the path got harder and harder to navigate trough. But the paw-prints became clearer and fresher as they advanced towards the deepest part of the thicket. Arbok and Lampent could be heard in the area, but not seen, and an eerie sense gave Pockets the creeps, with an ethereal feel of being observed. Two red eyes and a wide creepy white smile appeared on the shadows on the exact direction where Pockets was watching, causing her to release a squeak, and to hug one of Layton’s legs, who waved it back and forth until the pony fell on the ground.

“I sense an abundance of Ghost, Dark, Bug, and Grass types on these areas.” Layton informed with his robotic voice

“Really a strange place for a Sylveon to hide”

“Wait a second, did you just say… ghosts? What do you mean with… ghost types?” Pockets asked with fear

“Ghost type Pokémon, ethereal beings related to fear and the afterlife. Usually smiling, these Pokémon are found in dark or grim places, finding to accomplish their different goals, varying from pranking others, to getting revenge on those who hurt them. These Pokémon are almost impossible to see, unless they wish to be seen. They lack a completely physical body, and cannot be touched by Normal type or Fighting type moves unless a certain move is used. Some of them are harmless, but others like Cofagrigus and Banette can get to a point of killing living beings” Layton informed on an extremely robotic and monotone voice, almost like if it was an automatic response.

“Ok, thanks for the info Layton, really necessary right now” She said sarcastically, as a Banette passed through the trees, leaving a malicious laugh.

“No doubt the Ghost and Dark types like it in here, darkness even during the day, perfect for them. But why a Sylveon... “

“Can you tell me more about this… Sylveon?”

“Sylveon, the Intertwining Pokémon. Fairy type, one of the many evolutions of Eevee. Usually lives on flower plains or bright forests… not… this” Layton informed, stepping on a vine that was lying on the floor. “They are usually peaceful, and if they see an unnecessary fight, they will use their ribbon-shaped feelers to calm the situation down”

“So I guess that the one i encountered is a big exception. That’s the kind of luck I have.”

“It appears so.”

“Maybe it’s a Zorua or Zoroark on disguise.” Steven suggested

“Negative, that family can’t learn Yawn” Layton rebutted. “These vines are getting quite annoying.”

“Who are you calling annoying?”

The vine that Layton stepped on coiled around his leg, revealing a snake-like face with blood-red eyes. A regal look with golden details on it’s skin revealed that the vine was not a vine, but a Serperior, the Regal Pokémon. The Serperior hissed softly with a grin in her face, paying close attention to the Metagross, before looking

“Well what an interesting bunch we got here…” She said slowly, while circling around them. “A green Scizor, a blue fireless Ponyta, and a handsome Metagross” The Grass type hissed while prolonging the “s”. She got closer to Layton, her face on his face with an extremely direct eye contact. “What could you possibly be looking here in this forest?”

“We are looking for someone, so please if you excuse us, we need to keep on moving” Layton replied coldly.

“Oh come on, don’t be so rude, handsome, you pretty much challenged me to a Pokémon battle, although if you invite me to dinner, I could just forget about it and give you love instead of fight” The Serperior said flirtatiously

“I don’t know what the snake is saying, but I think it likes you, Layton” Pockets chuckled. Layton sighed, and joined the Serperior to the psychic link.

“Miss, I am sorry, but me and my partner must get going, we are looking for a Sylveon, a rather aggressive one might I add.” Steven interrupted

“So you are looking for him, little brat can’t stay out of trouble for long. What did he do to you? Attack you for no reason? Steal from you? Insult you and call you an armless idiot with no sense of direction?” She shouted, startling Pockets and Steven

“Uhm… you ok Miss?” Pockets asked

“Yes, yes, I am fine… that brat has been causing chaos on this forest since Arceus brought us to this strange place. Heard many complains of his idiotic attitude and bad behaviour. Odd for a Sylveon if you ask me”

“Very odd, do you think you could lead us there?” Steven requested

“Sure, I do not know why you would want to do that, even with that attitude, he seems to be extremely powerful, kind of knocked me out on a battle… but I am sure that with such an amazing power you must hold, you can take him down in mere seconds, huh sweetie?” She looked at Layton again, who looked to a different way. “I like them when they are hard to catch! Follow me, I’ll show you where he usually stays.”

They followed the Serperior, who dodged the many obstacles on the road with grace and without trouble, truly a Regal Pokémon.

The chill on Pockets increased as they advanced. The unicorn couldn’t differentiate between reality and fiction anymore, as she saw trees that appeared to be looking at her, black wolves with fangs and claws as sharp as knives that shined in the middle of the darkness, birds that seemed to wear witch hats on their heads, large stumps with hands and leafs as fingers and white long hair. She decided to begin looking forwards (and get closer to Layton just in case).

“We are here” The Serperior said. Pockets took a look at the area, the trees were shorter than the rest, yet showed wider and more abundant leaves that the ones behind. There were fruit leftovers all over the ground, and many of the leaves were on the ground as well like if Autumn had come earlier. “He is usually resting on the middle of this area, we must be careful if we want to get to him. He usually runs away if anyone goes after him, so if you want to even lay a claw… or hoof on that pesky brat, you need to be sneaky.”

The group nodded, as they carefully advanced through the mess that was on the ground, searching for the current location of the Sylveon.

“I sense something over this area” Layton notified through the mental link, wary of not startling his prey. The Serperior got closer, and searched with her reptile eyes, until she spotted a pink dot in the middle of the hanging vines. Without saying anything to anyone, she got closer, avoiding every single leaf on the way, until she was close enough to see that her target was currently asleep on an improvised cradle-like bed made of big leaves, two bags next to him. She slowly approached him, and prepared to attack.

“Leaf Tornado!” The Serperior called. But before the rampage of leaves hit, the Sylveon opened his eyes and covered himself with a Protect.

“I could hear you from a mile away, darling. If you are trying to perform a sneak attack, try to not have a body like that, your movement releases slight but audible noises on the ground, recognizable and rather annoying I must say. A little tip before you go to bed” As he finished his sentence, his shield lowered down, and he proceeded to jump and release a powerful Moonblast that knocked his opponent off, leaving the Serperior on the ground.

“Frederick, you moron won’t get away with this, I’ve brought some company that will surely take you down” The Serperior claimed in pain, before trying another Leaf Tornado, which was canceled by yet another Moonblast that fainted her.

“Company… huh, well this afternoon might get a bit more interesting, good, I was feeling rather bored.” As he said this, he searched for the rest of his opponents, to find a silver Metagross rushing right towards him. “Of course she’d bring an annoying Steel type, well, time to see how fast these guys can go” the Sylveon grabbed the bags, jumped once again, and landed on the floor. He rushed away from Layton, who managed to sense the unconscious Serperior.

“Miss Midnight, Steven, this way. He is trying to escape” Layton said, rapidly hovering towards the Fairy type, knocking all the trees from the way with fast Bullet Punches.

“Hop on my back!” Steven ordered Pockets.

“What!?”

“I’ve seen Scizor do this before, just trust me!” As he said this, Steven inclined his body forwards, showing the shiny, green, metallic hind wings on the upper part of his back Pockets jumped on hesitatingly, grasping the metal shells firmly, scared of what could happen.. “Now hold tight, things are going to get speedy…” Steven extended his wings, flapping them as fast as he could, hoping for his idea to work out.

Energy began flowing through the Bug type’s body, as they directed themselves to his legs, Steven could feel his body changing slightly, yet on the way he wished it to do so. “Tailwind!” He exclaimed, launching off and arriving at high speeds, enough to catch up with Layton, who was clearing the path towards the fugitive Sylveon.

“Let’s see, Metagross… Steel and… Psychic type… that means that this should take him out of the way.” He thought to himself, before jumping and turning around, facing at the incoming Metagross

“Shadow Ball” He shouted, releasing a purple sphere projectile that rapidly aimed towards Layton, hitting him right in his face, slowing him down, yet not stopping him.

“The damage done by that Shadow Ball was considerable, be advised, this Pokémon is no strange to battles” Layton told the pair, who was following closely.

“Steven, can you get closer to him? I think I can take the bags. After that, just hit him with everything you have, Layton” Pickett requested, looking at the two bags that were hanging from the Sylveon’s neck.

“Got it” Both Steel types replied. Steven began running faster, using the speed boost from the Tailwind to get closer to his opponent.

“Let’s hope this works…” Steven said to himself, before slowing down and calling for an attack,

“Bullet Punch!” Steven called, as his claw began glowing an orange light, aiming at the
“Sure thing, get closer… closer… “ As Steven approached him, the Sylveon jumped high enough to go over him and Pockets. Steven, due to the velocity caused by the Tailwind, was not able to break in time, causing him to crash into a nearby rock.

The Sylveon turned around mid-air, and looked directly at the currently stunned Scizor, “Moonblast!” He called out, as a pink sphere blasted towards Steven, hitting him on his back and sending him towards the rock with such force that it broke in half.

“This is not over until I faint” Steven said to himself, and he released yet another Steel Wing, which luckily hit the Sylveon, sending him back yet leaving no scratch on him.

“What a pitiful attack” the Sylveon taunted, before releasing another Shadow Ball, which hit Steven before he could react, and causing him to faint.

“Well now, were is that stupid Meta--” The Sylveon’s question got answered when Layton Bullet Punched him out of nowhere, but the Sylveon’s reflexes allowed him to barely evade the attack from the Psychic type.

Layton observed the battlefield to see Steven unconscious on the ground.

“You shouldn’t have done that” Layton said, before landing with force on the ground

“He was weak, couldn’t avoid it” The Sylveon replied

“He was my trainer”

“A Pokémon training a Pokémon, that’s something new.” The Fairy Type smirked

“He is not a Pokémon, he is a human turned into a Pokémon. He is Steven Stone, the Steel Master. “

“A human…” The Sylveon’s voice turned darker, and more serious, his senseless expression remained the same, before releasing a Moonblast, which barely affected Layton.

“I thought your intellectual capabilities were higher than this, fairy moves won’t hurt me” He taunted

“I know, I just wanted to start the fight” The Sylveon replied, getting ready to face the Steel monster in front of him.

Both Pokémon looked at each other, each one on an opposite side of the battlefield. Both prepared themselves for the upcoming battle. Layton looked at his opponent, the bare light shining on his silver body as a controlled rage filled his system, he was not going to forgive an attack to his trainer like that.

“You are going to regret this”

”Hey, heard about Alexia’s Eevee?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty sad, she worked so hard…”

“She couldn’t help it, she didn’t know, had no choice on doing what she did. It was either that or getting arrested”

“True… honestly, I think the Eevee deserved it…”

Sylveon Frederick wants to battle!
Background theme / Frederick's theme

“One against one, classic old-school battle, one Pokémon moves, the other one replies afterwards. Four moves is the limit you can use in battle. You can dodge, and you can use healing moves, but if I recall correctly, Metagross posses none so don’t mind about that one.” Frederick explained

“I won’t require any healing move for this battle. Let’s start in this instant.” Layton demanded, moving into position

“You are an impatient one, aren’t you? I really dislike impatient 'mons. But well, if you insist. Challenger goes last, and even though this is pretty much my territory, I will grant you the privilege of having the first move. So go ahead metal arse, entertain me.”

“Meteor Mash!” Layton called, as three of his claws impulsed him forwards and off the ground, his front right claw shining a strong white glow, tipped off by a golden star. He slowed down mid air, and jabbed the Sylveon, who dodged it effortlessly. Layton landed to search for the Sylveon, finding him right behind him.

“Never let the opponent be behind you, Shadow Ball!” The purple sphere was fired from his chest, homing directly at Layton, who received a soft explosion of pain, yet not enough to make him flinch.

“Are you trying to teach me how to battle? You may be expirienced, yet you are still not a real threat. Bullet Punch!” The Iron Leg Pokémon exclaimed with his robotic voice. A brighter orange glow emanated from his left claw, before a fast punch flew towards Frederick. The move hit, yet the Sylveon was strong enough to hold it, even if it did some serious damage, but he was still standing.

“They say that the Pokémon is as strong as its trainer, that would explain why I am still standing,” Frederick taunted

Layton glared at annoyance, detecting the high defenses on his opponent, “You are a despicable little thing, aren’t you?”

“It appears that it’s my turn to attack. Skill Swap!” Frederick called, as small balls of energy moved back and forth, entering and leaving both their bodies.

"I don’t know why you would want my ability. Clear Body prevents the user from stat lowering moves, and I personally prefer direct hits. Meteor Mash!" Layton exclaimed. As the steel claw was shot towards Frederick, which the Fairy type barely evaded.

"Good jab, mate, but I have to give it a five out ten, never hit its target. And I think it will never hit either. Sand Attack!"

Layton didn't notice, yet the dirt emanated from the attack felt in various points around his body "I'm in no mood for games.... Bullet Punch!"

"Meteor Mash! Bullet Punch! Generic Steel type moves to try knocking the Fairy type out!" Frederick mocked, simulating Layton's voice. "Not the most creative 'mon out there, that's for sure. And for a Psychic type? You are not that smart either! Sand Attack"

As dirt from the ground felt on the Metagross' eyes, Layton realized that he was right. The anger that invaded him since he saw Steven on the ground had blinded his judgement, and he had been working without a strategy. He needed to change that.

“Lowering my accuracy…so that’s why he did it” Layton thought to himself, remembering the Skill Swap the Sylveon used earlier. His four brains started working together once again, identifying and analyzing Frederick’s moves. “ Skill Swap, Sand Attack, and Shadow Ball; there is one move he is yet to use. Moonblast would be a waste, yawn could be an option… what is it, what is your final move?” Layton asked himself, yet he realized there was only one way to find out.

“Bullet Punch!” Layton’s claw glowed once again, as he advanced forwards, aiming at the Fairy Type. Frederick tried to evade it, but even after the Sand Attacks, Layton was able to hit his target. The Sylveon was sent back several feet, crashing into a nearby tree and creating a big crack on its trunk. Layton observed the Fairy Type, who started struggling to get back on his paws. Several small bruises could be seen on his body, and his right eye seemed to be swollen. He was definitely finished now. “You claimed I was weak, yet it seems that I’m not the one on the floor... Any last, futile may I add, attempt to fight?”

“You underestimate me, metal arse.” As Frederick said this, his feelers started shining a bright pink, and small ethereal stars started circling around him, he closed his eyes as the feelers glowed even brighter. He left out a devilish grin, and left out a small cry, “I do have, one last, Wish…” As he called for the move, the stars circled around him, as a beam of light was shot towards the sky.

"I doubt many wild Pokémon could come up with such a strategy. You've trained for battles like this one, battles with disadvantage. To reduce my accuracy, so you can avoid as many hits as possible, while healing as soon as your receive a hit. Not many would keep Sand Attack as a move, after all, yet the only way to learn Shadow Ball, is with a trainer. You choose this style of battle because that's what you are used to, what you were trained for." Layton pointed out, releasing a loud laugh in the Sylveon.

“You are finally starting to use those four brains of yours, I see. Yes, I was trained by a human, but he was not good enough to train me, so I left him and learned on my own. Now please do finish this. I don’t really like this much talking, it bores me.”

“I need to take him down before the Wish effect takes place… a fast move that will definitely cause him to faint… Bullet Punch!” Layton once again launched himself towards Frederick, quickly advancing to meet his target, as he was wobbling there, struggling to stay on his feet, or so it seemed... As Layton was close to him, Frederick let the pain take over his legs, his weight causing him to collapse, and his entire body falling to the floor. Layton observed as his claw flew over the Sylveon, missing his target completely. Frederick closed his eyes, and a celestial aura surrounded him, his bruises and injuries started disappearing from his body, and even though he still felt pain, he was ready to keep fighting!

“Well, well. It appears this won’t be as easy as you thought, right?” Frederick taunted, before rolling out from under the Metagross, and quickly kicking more sand into his eyes.

“Certainly,” He said with disdain, “Meteor Mash!” Layton launched himself forwards, aiming at the standing Sylveon, but something prevented him to hit the target. The sand covered his eyes, distracting him for a few seconds and changing his trajectory. Like sand covering sunglasses, the visor on his metallic eyes betrayed him. “I need to finish him now, if I take too long, the advantage will leave my side...”

“Hey, smart guy, guess what?” Layton observed Frederick, as his right paw was buried on the ground. “Sand Attack!”

“Meteor Mash!” Layton once again flew towards Frederick, yet the dirt felt once again on his eyes, causing him to miss his target again.

“And there goes another tree, Shadow Ball!” Frederick called, hitting Layton who knew he could not hold longer.

“Meteor Mash!” He called once again, the Sylveon dodging once more the incoming attack.

“You’re too slow! I thought such a bulky and dangerous Steel type like you would present more of a challenge! It’s a shame really... Shadow Ball” He called as the purple sphere was shot, missing Layton by a pinch. The Shadow Ball continued its way,l hitting nearby tree and tore a chunk out of it’s bark.

Trees falling, explosions happening, dirt being thrown everywhere. The fight continued with hits and misses, as the battleground became destroyed by the multiple punches and explosives that the two Pokémon were throwing at each other. Pockets opened her eyes, falling from Steven’s back caused her to crash with a tree, knocking her out. She looked at the violent battle, as the two skilled fighters attempted to deal the final blow. She spotted Steven, who was lying unconscious on the border of the arena. Pockets got closer to Steven, and grabbed one of the pincers with her muzzle. Wiith difficulty, she managed to drag his body to safety, just in time as a missed Shadow Ball exploded in the now empty location.

“Watch it, you idiots,” She mumbled, taking a deep breath before looking back to the fight that was taking place near them. They both looked tired, Layton more than Frederick for her surprise, as the battle kept going. Steven gave no signs of regaining consciousness, so Pockets decided to use his body for her advantage

“Might as well” She sighed as she sat down on his stomach watching the fight from a comfortable position.

“Zen Headbutt!” Layton rushed to hit the Sylveon with his head surrounded by a blue aura, it hit, yet the Sylveon was still standing like if it was nothing but a soft rub, replying shortly afterwards with a direct Shadow Ball. Layton knew he couldn’t hold much longer. He had to deliver a hit strong enough to make him faint if he wanted to end it now. He took aim on his head, and observed at the standing Sylveon who prepared to dodge his next hit. “Not this time…”

“What are you waiting for? I thought you were going to end me or something like that?” As he said this, Layton’s eyes turned black, and he fell abruptly to the ground, seemingly unconscious.

“What, did you ran out of battery or something? Hello?” Frederick got closer to Layton’s body, puzzled by the sudden blackout, the Sylveon looked at the lifeless Metagross, he kicked it with his paw and giggled softly “Heh, poor guy ran out of energy”

“Yes, yes I did” Layton’s eyes turned a bright red, as his right claw jabbed the Sylveon surrounded by a silver aura. “Meteor Mash!” He called, as the Sylveon was sent flying several meters through the air violently landing on the ground.

“Wish…” Frederick called with short breath, while the small ethereal stars left his side to join the sky.

“Oh not this time!” Layton advanced again, while he called a fast Bullet Punch to end his opponent. The fist hit its target, but things were not over yet. A purple barrier surrounded Frederick, the claw being completely stopped by it. Frederick used a Protect to save him from the incoming doom. “Checkmate, Protect was not part of your moveset for this fight, and even if I let it slip, as soon as the shield vanishes, I will be able to deliver a punch without problems”

“I won’t let that happen. Double Team!” As soon as the Protect disappeared, Layton launched a Bullet Punch, which left a huge hole in the ground where Frederick was standing. But the Fairy type was not there, he was everywhere else but there. Copies of the Sylveon were dispersed around the arena, some even on the trees, others on the bushes, all of them surrounding the Steel Type.

“Protect, Double Team, one move after another. You broke your own rules.”

“I am sorry, ‘father’.” Frederick mocked with a forced and noticeable robotic accent, “I play by my own rules, now the real question is, can someone as honorable as you, do the same?”

Change the music to this

“I have lived for over a hundred years, sixty years of experience, fought in many battles. I encountered the lords of land and sea, Groudon and Kyogre themselves. Fought against savaging Pokémon on the most dangerous of places. Fought against criminal masterminds and massive organizations. I rarely follow rules.” As he said this, his two rear claws tucked to his body, and his two front claws took a more frontal position, thus giving him the appearance of a Metang.

“Well then, I guess that didn't last long. Hoped that the rules would keep you under control, but it seems you lack that hero sense, that you don’t mind the shame of acting like a criminal, working against the rules.”

“I am mainly a Steel type, hence, I can’t feel shame. Besides, this free style of battling lets me do this.” As Layton said this, his eyes glowed a bright white, and the dirt from his body floated away from him, he was free to use Psychic in any way he wanted to, which gave him a great advantage. The Wish came into effect into one of the copies, which revealed the owner. Layton jabbed his claw into the ground, which created a huge rift which divided itself into branches, each of them following a different clone, while the main rift attacked the original. “Now suffer for what you've done!”

Frederick tried to run, but the Earthquake was faster, he tripped over, which caused some severe damage to his body, yet he still was up to a fight. “Well, I was getting rather bored to be honest, this should be far more interesting now.” As he said this, Frederick shot two purple spheres from his feelers, although smaller than his usual Shadow Ball, they were faster, both hard to dodge for the Steel type. Yet Layton was not worried about them, as with his two claws, shining white, he threw two Bullet Punches at once, both destroying the incoming spheres.

“It won’t be that easy this time” Layton said, before rushing towards Frederick, launching multiple Bullet Punches at his opponent. Frederick started dodging them with difficulty, rushing backwards to avoid being hit, he knew that lucky shots were not possible anymore, he was now doubting if breaking his own rules was a good idea or not.

“Damn him… He is going all out now. Think Frederick… think ” But it was too late, as Layton missed all those punches on purpose. The Fairy Type, was now between his claw and a big rock that was fixed into the ground. The Steel Type prepared his right claw, as a white glow revealed a Hammer Arm. It hit Frederick with massive force, the Sylveon feeling the force of both the punch and the impact with the rock, causing more damage than what the Fighting Type move alone would do. “A Fighting Type move? Getting cocky it seems....”

“Everything I do has a purpose” Layton replied, as a white aura surrounded the shattered pieces of the rock, which rose and pointed at at the Sylveon.

“An improvised Stone Edge… I definitely made a huge mistake when breaking the rules…” With his last breath, he used another Double Team, six copies started running on different directions, getting away from the Metagross. Layton tilted his head, and each of the sharp rocks followed the copies, each one of them hitting their targets, knocking the original down.

“What the… what’s going on… what are those sounds… why do I feel so... heavy?” Steven woke up, scaring the focused Pockets who was watching Layton in awe. She stood up before Steven could realize where she was sitting, helping him to get up.

“Layton is messing that pink cat up, real bad,” She answered, her sight not leaving the intense battle

“I see… I guess he is trying to put him down, he won’t be able to bother us after that” Steven sighed relieved.

“Wait what!? He is trying to kill him!?” Pockets screamed alarmed, before teleporting away to follow the pair

“Of course not!... wait, Where did you go? Oh no this is not good…” Steven tried to advance, yet his head was still chaotic and his back was still in pain. His body obligated him to stay down, and watch from afar.

As Layton hovered slowly towards the injured Sylveon, his rear claws were released, landing a few meters away from his opponent, who decided to stand up and try to give a last fight. Layton grabbed him with Psychic, and Frederick started floating. The Metagross titled his head to the right, and Frederick was sent to the right, Layton titled his head to the left, and the Fairy type followed shortly, he tilted upwards, and then rapidly moved his gaze downwards, slamming Frederick to the ground, with as much ease as the fish he had controlled earlier that day. He got closer, and rose the Sylveon, eyes to eyes.

“He he…. you are stronger than what I thought…. Layton, isn’t it? Truly the power of a Champion’s strongest Pokémon.” Frederick panted. Layton wasn’t shocked by the fact that the Sylveon knew who he was, the only thing he cared for was ending the battle once and for all. He threw the Sylveon to the floor, and prepared his fist. Frederick closed his eyes and smiled.

It happened in mere seconds. Layton prepared to release a Bullet Punch, Frederick did nothing to evade it. The Metagross shot the attack, but the punch didn’t reach. A blue spark appeared between them, showing for mere seconds a standing unicorn, closing her eyes and bracing for the impact. Little did she know, that the Psychic Type was aiming inches away from the Sylveon.

End music

Pockets whited out!

“How… how could you do this to me? We worked so hard, an entire year of training, you were the final piece, the last one remaining, we hoped for this day for so long. But you had to ruin it, didn’t you? You had to! Tell me, what does it mean, why did this happen!? Did you… did you really…? You know that is wrong, you know that it means risking my life. All those rumors that flew around town, were they true? Answer me! Did you really… ”

As Pockets opened her eyes, a bright moonshine struck her. Her head was hurting, and her body felt tired. She couldn’t remember what happened, and she was not sure if she wanted to know.

“Uhg, what the hell… why is my head hurting so much…”

“Good evening Pockets. About time you woke up.”

“Steven… is that you?”

“Indeed. Welcome back.”

“What happened?”

“You, doofus, got in front of a Metagross’ Bullet Punch. That’s what happened.”

Pockets looked around to find the source, as the voice who seemed to know her, was unfamiliar to her. From the leaves, a pink cat-like creatures jumped to the ground, landing in front of Pockets. The same Sylveon that attacked them earlier was now talking with her like a childhood friend, and she couldn’t understand why.

“Luckily, it looks like you got a thick skull, the iron can said that you received minor injuries, nothing that can’t be solved in time.” The Sylveon continued, sitting in front of Pockets.

“I did say that the Bullet Punch’s intensity was altered in the last second.” Layton interrupted, hovering from the woods and arriving in front of the pony.

“Ok, please someone explain what is going on, why are you three just casually here, why was I knocked out, and why is the guy that attacked us casually here throwing some sass at me!?” Pockets asked alarmed, as the confusion started giving her a headache.

“Well, you did save the guy that attacked you” Frederick replied calmly, letting out a regular yawn out. “I guess i owe you.”

Suddenly, Pockets remembered what happened. The fight, the telenstraportation, the punch, everything. It all came back to her on a painful headache which assured her that she didn’t want to remember. “Right, Layton was about to kill the cat.” Pockets deadpanned while scratching her head, before glaring at Layton with a face of shock and anger “Wait, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?”

“He was not going to kill me” The Sylveon interrupted, “He was trying to make me faint.”

“With the scare of your life!? What the hell dude?” Pockets exclaimed once again, not understanding the situation.

“You are wrong.” Frederick rebutted, sighing and standing up once again, walking around. “If he wanted me death, he would need a couple more moves, and something stronger like Meteor Mash. The Bullet Punch was enough to put me unconscious, yet not to kill me. Of course, I could still feel the hate on that attack.” The Fairy type chuckled.

“I am not able to hate” Layton replied unamused.

“Sure thing, metal arse.”

“I see your friend has waken up.” A feminine voice said from the bushes, as a long green snake zigzagged towards them. “Good, glad to know you are ok.”

“Hey there Serperior, took you a while.” Frederick said on a slight mocking tone.

“Quiet you,” The Serperior hissed, before advancing towards Pickett with a strange looking plant on her tail, “ It isn’t easy to find medicinal herbs in this world. I had to taste many different kinds to gather the correct one. You are lucky that I am experienced with natural medicines.”

“I appreciate it, Miss.” Steven thanked, before grabbing the herb and getting closer to Pockets, “This should get you going.”

Pockets took a bite from the strange plant, the bitterness caused her to leave some coughs out,. Yet after some minutes of relaxation, her body started feeling stronger, as her head stopped hurting, and her legs started moving normally once again. After standing up and walking towards the group that was sitting near a campfire, she was greeted by a dish of fresh fruits and berries, next to yet another odd looking herb.

“Don’t worry, it’s edible, and I already tasted it and to be honest it’s extremely tasty.” The Serperior said softly, resting on Layton’s head. “We herbivores must take care of ourselves.”

“Thanks,” Pockets replied, taking a bite off the sweet herb, “What a nice night we’re having, huh?”

“Indeed, pretty nice.” Steven sighed, looking at the stars that shined above them, “I usually don’t sit around to see the night sky, forgot how pleasing it was.”

“You sure like using big words, don’t you, human?” The Sylveon interrupted, before standing up and stretching his feet.

“Yeah I guess so, it’s how I was raised.” Steven chuckled, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths

As the dinner continued, and Luna’s moon shined over them, a peaceful silence took away the awkwardness of having Frederick with them, avoiding any possible confrontations that may happen. As soon as their dinner ended, Frederick stood up.

“Anyways, Pockets, right?” Frederick began, walking towards the unicorn. “Steven told me that you were a native of this world, so that means you don’t have a Pokémon of your own, right?”

“Yeah? What about it?” The mare asked back, confused as to where the question was going.

“You saved my life, I owe you a big one, yadda yadda, even though I was not going to die you risked your own life, so yeah. Congratulations, you are a Pokémon trainer now.” Frederick snorted.

“Oh…” Pockets replied sheepishly. The unicorn thought for a second, she did want to train a Pokémon, and someone as strong as Frederick was a great opportunity. But was she up to the challenge? Was she ready to train a Pokémon? Pockets’ doubts began rising, but something snapped her out of it. A memory came through her, a memory that wasn’t her own.

A group of Pokémon were standing in front of her, she recognized Layton who was watching her with a wide grin; next to him, an Aggron which seemed different from the one on Tall Tale, a metallic bird, a rocky lobster, a fat multi-eyed creature, a plant-like creature with round yellow eyes, and surprisingly another Metagross, this one with a different coloring. What were all those creatures doing in front of her? Then, the scenery changed to that of a wide arena, people cheering around them. In front of her, a tall pale creature with turquoise hair holded a white and red ball in his hand. The bipedal creature tossed the ball, which released a strange beam towards the ground, revealing a beautiful looking serpent creature with colorful scales. The scenery changed again, this time into ancient ruins falling apart, as she was running away from the falling roof and the crumbling floor. And so, many different adventures of different kinds appeared in front of her, yet what she noted, was that she always had a Pokémon next to her. The plant-like creature was standing in front of her, facing the serpent, the metallic bird soared next to her when the ruins were falling, and the Aggron was stopping a stampede of bull-looking creatures, and so on with many situations, that even though were not hers, she enjoyed them as her own. Finally, on the last flash, Pockets found herself on the same place as the first shot, seeing the same group; yet her body turned around, to look a wide, crystalline lake, where Pockets saw her own reflexion in the water. Silver hair and white skin, with a fancy looking suit and two metal sleeve cuffs, the same one that the Scizor she had been traveling with, also wore. It wasn’t hard for her to connect the dots. All those flashbacks, they belonged to Steven, all those adventures and emotions he passed together with his Pokémon, they all belonged to the one that saved her life back in Tall Tale.

“These are some of the memories Steven had as Pokémon trainer. He never did anything by himself, he always had us next to him, he didn’t see us a weapons, but as partners, friends. That alone made these experiences stronger, the bond between a trainer and a Pokémon, that’s what made the life of a Pokémon trainer, a real adventure.”

As Pockets snapped back to reality, she was still not completely sure of what just happened. Yet she was now sure about what she wished. “Yeah… I’m down to being a Pokémon trainer.” She grinned, looking at Layton who left out a soft smile. She knew Layton didn’t like Frederick, yet he wanted her to experience the life of a trainer. Those flashbacks she saw, they could be her own.

“So, where are we going?” Frederick asked, breaking Pocekts’ train of thought.

“We are going to Canterlot, the capital city of this region. Around six days of walk from here. Hope you don’t mind walking.” Steven replied, his eyes still closed.

“I have no other choice, so whatever.” Frederick sighed, “What about you, Serperior, wanna come with us too? You can have some quality time with the metal arse that you love so much.”

“My love for him is something temporal, his looks is what I like, and I can always remember him.” The Serperior chuckled, “Besides, I am too old to advance such distances, and traveling with you doesn’t seem like the greatest of ideas.”

“What do you mean? Is not like if I stole your food supplies or called you fat, right?” The Intertwining Pokémon taunted.

“Frederick, I SWEAR to Arceus if you don’t shut up I’ll kill you.” The Serperior hissed

The Sylveon chuckled at the sudden reaction, before looking at Pockets, “By the way, name’s Frederick, never really introduced myself. Usually I’d tell ya that you can nickname me however you want as you are my new trainer, but I prefer my name.”

“I do like Frederick as a name. I’m Pickett Midnight, you just call me Pockets. And I think you already know the names of the rest.” The unicorn chuckled.

“Introductions were already made. Now, I suggest you go to sleep, we lost too much time, we need to leave tomorrow before the sun goes up” Steven suggested

“Yeah, right, good night everyone.” Pockets giggled, closing her eyes and imagining the adventures that awaited them.

Frederick closed his eyes too, not sure what to expect.“ A trainer… After all these years… is this the right thing to do? She seems different though…” “I HATE YOU!” A voice screamed inside Frederick’s head, but he just ignored it, just as he ignored that same voice who tormented him for years. Was this really going to be a new beginning? Was this a new opportunity for him to change who he is? He did not know, but he wanted to take the risk, after all, the life in that forest was getting old and boring for him.

Frederick has joined the party!

Chapter 5 : Of Thieves and Trains

View Online

Unicorn Range. A large and vast commercial route connecting Tall Tale and Vanhoover with the capital city of Equestria, Canterlot. After the intense encounter with Frederick, the Sylveon, our heroes find themselves continuing their path towards the Great City in a more unconventional way. The Unicorn Woods, as some call them, a place filled with tricky paths, deep vegetation, and now, various dangerous Pokémon. Not many would venture through this path, yet our group of adventurers didn’t mind, with the law after them, they prefered to go the long way.

“So... Frederick. Layton and Steven already told me a bit about your world and some adventures they had. What ‘bout you, wanna tell me a bit about what you used to do back home?”

“No.”

“Pretty please?”

“Pretty no.”

Pockets groaned at the stubbornness of her first Pokémon, she really wanted to become a trainer of her own, and Frederick was possibly his key to that. “Come on dude! Layton said that a trainer must develop some sort of bond with his or her Pokémon. If we want this whole team deal to work out, I have to know more about you!”

“If you want to believe in that psychological bullshit, then sure go with that. But get a different Pokémon for it. Every trainer, human or not, would leave their Pokémon if the right conditions were met, and that bond you speak of would break.”

Steven let out a soft laugh, thing that annoyed Frederick, “You are wrong there, Frederick. I would never leave Layton, no matter what. And I know many trainers who wouldn’t leave their Pokémon either.”

“How can you say that when your Metagross is unable to feel?” The Fairy countered dryly

“Because, even though he doesn’t have many emotions, I know he will stand by my side, and I will do the same. We have been together for many years, and we will be together for many years to come.”

“You are so sappy and cheesy that I think I’ll throw up” Frederick said appalled.

Layton got closer to the Fairy, looking him in the eyes with a cold gaze, “A trainerless Pokémon like you would not understand. You said it yourself, you left your trainer.” Layton interrupted with his usual monotone voice. “You would not understand that link that a trainer and his Pokémon can develop. Miss Midnight, I believe you are wasting your time with this Sylveon.”

Frederick slowly advanced towards the Steel type, returning the cold eye,“As much as you dislike the idea, he’s right. I would never understand such things,” Frederick said to Pockets, his gaze not moving an inch, “As humans are not worth it.”

“I did some calculations, the chances of a human liking you would be of 2.94%” Layton taunted coldly

“As if I care. I don’t want to be liked, metal arse, deal with it,” The Fairy type countered, but before Layton could reply, they were both shut down.

“CAN YOU TWO STOP?!” Both Pockets and Steven shouted, as the two Pokémon were face to face already, sparks coming out of their eyes.

The Intertwining Pokémon moved away from the Steel type, muttering under his breath, Layton doing the same mentally.

“Where are we anyways? We’ve been walking for about three days, and soon enough I’ll be forced to walk with my feelers. Besides, it’s getting rather dark, shouldn't we camp?” The Sylveon grunted, lifting one of his paws and waving it in the air.

Steven looked at the pony and the Fairy type, to see their clear exhaustion, “Layton, what’s our current location?” For him and Layton, the distance walked was nothing, as their muscles of pure metal and strong extremities allowed them to travel extremely long distances. But the two more organic creatures already had a bad time keeping up with them.

“We've advanced almost a half of the way to Canterlot. Unfortunately, due to getting sidetracked by going deeper into the forests, because of our inconvenient encounter, we are delayed from my initial calculation” Layton informed

“I can hear you, you know?” The Sylveon pointed out annoyed

“I was counting on it…” Layton mumbled

“Let’s try to advance some more, I doubt any Pokémon would attack us with Layton around.” Steven suggested

The group nodded, but while walking, a loud growl was heard, which came from Pockets’ stomach. She pointed a flashlight spell towards her saddle, opened one of the bags, and noticed that there was no more food in there, she opened another bag and she had the same result. The only one that was not empty was her loot bag, as even the water canteen was now depleted.

“Guys, we need food and water soon.”

“I’ll scan the area to try to find any potential organic fuel for living creatures,” Layton informed. His eyes began glowing a slight white, while he stood still. A couple of minutes passed by, and the Steel type's eyes went back to normal, before he started advancing once again.

“Anything good?” The former human asked

“Negative, I do not sense any edible fruits in the area. There is a water source nearby according to my mental map, yet gathering the water is almost impossible, due to it being placed on a location several meters below our current attitude. I’d suppose a river in the bottom of a cliff or a ravine.”

“In other words we are screwed. If we don’t die of hunger, we’ll die of dehydration. Thanks Arceus.” Frederick sighed

“We’ll just keep advancing until we find food. Come on, let’s reach that river to try to get some water. The further we go the closer we’ll be to Canterlot and the Everfree Forest.” Steven ordered.

“Aye, aye, ant captain!” Pockets joked, catching up with the two Steel Types.

Frederick grunted, and called for a Heal Bell to ease his pain, "Why did I agree to this...?"

As they reached the cliff, the group realized that they needed a way to cross the giant gap below them to continue. Frederick then spotted a large bridge in the distance, and the crew advanced towards it. But when they got closer, they received an unpleasant surprise as a figure became clearer and clearer in the horizon.

“Is that… what I think it is?” Frederick asked

“Yeah, it is,” Steven replied

“What on Equus is that? Is that a Pokémon?” Pockets asked curiously.

“Snorlax,” The three Pokémon answered in unison.

A giant snoring Snorlax was completely blocking the bridge, on a way in which crossing to the other side would require flying over it, something none of them was able to do. The snores started bouncing on the group’s ears, as the plans for passing the cliff started.

“So, ideas”

“Let the genius cross us over with his Psychic powers,” Frederick proposed

“The gap is too large for my powers to safely get you to the other side. Besides, I am not able to hover over straight air, meaning that I tried crossing, I would end up in the bottom of the cliff. I would be left behind.” Layton rebutted

“Perfect, let’s do that”

“Frederick, we won’t leave Layton behind,” Pockets ticked off. “Can’t you just wake it up? Just ask him to get out of the way and let us through. What even is a Snorlax anyways?”

“Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon. One of the heaviest known species, Snorlax consumes around 900 pounds of food each day, and after it does so, it goes back to sleep until his hunger comes back. This routine is repeated every day of the Snorlax’s life. They are lazy and docile, yet if one is interrupted during his slumber in an inappropriate way, its wrath can destroy buildings.” Layton informed, on an extremely robotic way, almost as if the answer was automatic.

“Did you install a freaking Pokedex on this guy or something?” Frederick asked dryly

“I did, it helps a lot on other regions. A good friend of mine helped me with a filled national dex and Layton memorized every entry, and their alternative versions. “ Steven answered almost proudly.

“I’ve arrived to a conclusion, you are both huge nerds” Frederick taunted, causing a laugh from Pockets. Steven sighed, and Layton shrugged, it was not the first time someone had said that to them, and they were sure it was not the last one.

"Is there any way we can wake him up? You know, not an innapopiate way, Pockets suggested, trying to get some work done.

“If you have a spare Pokeflute, then sure, go ahead.” The Sylveon said with bitterness, “You know, let’s do something simple, let’s just climb over him. “

“Negative, my readings indicate that this Snorlax knows, and it’s continuously using, a Snore attack. My calculations indicate that if we attempt to go over it, we would be sent back by it. Besides-”

“Oh be quiet, You are over exaggerating, tin can. Just watch and learn.” As the Sylveon said this, he jumped unto the Snorlax’s stomach, which bounced the Sylveon back, causing his head to meet the cold wooden floor.

“There’s also a probability that being on his stomach could bounce us out.” Layton continued

“I hate you with a burning passion…” Frederick grunted, before placing himself on his four paws with the aid of his ribbons.

“Layton, bud, use your psychic powers to send me over!” The unicorn requested, preparing herself for the launch.

“Miss Midnight, I doubt that your plan could work, as I mentioned before, the Snorlax-”

“Just do it!” The unicorn demanded. The shiny Metagross’ eyes turned a bright light blue, and an aura of the same color surrounded the mare. Layton slowly moved the unicorn through the air, placing her right above the Snorlax, near the head. Loud snores hit Pocket’s ears, causing some serious pain, but she was still under Layton’s Psychic, waiting for him to send her to the other side, hopefully, as literally as possible.

“Miss Midnight, are you ready?”

“Yes! Do it before I cut my own darn ears off!” Layton closed his eyes, and opened them to reveal a strong white glow, shortly afterwards Pockets was rapidly sent forwards. She would have crossed, if a massive Snore attack didn’t sent her flying vertically through the air. The navy blue pony was not ready to fall though, as while in mid air, she casted a spell that took her away from her position. Her objective, the other side of the bridge, her current location, the Snorlax’s mouth.

The Snorlax woke up alarmed, as he coughed and coughed, sending the pony bathed in saliva away, who landed on Steven and crashed them both to the ground.

“SNOREE!” The Sleeping Pokemon roared

“Uhm, what did he say?” Pockets asked alarmed

“He said ‘That fruit tasted horribly!’ ” Frederick chirped

“Oh okay, wait what!?”

“ WHO DARES DISRUPT MY SLEEP?

“We should run, now. Let Layton deal with it,” Steven suggested, taking Pockets off him.

“Great, I am all covered in this smelly saliva now,” The unicorn yucked, before following the rest of the group. As they were leaving, Layton prepared to hold the Normal type back. But the Snorlax wouldn’t let them go away so easily. The Snorlax opened his mouth, and a stream of purple smoke was sent flying towards the escaping trio. Layton tried to grab the Toxic attack with a Psychic bubble, but some of the smoke escaped his grip.

“Toxic cloud is headed towards you, dodge as soon as possible” Informed Layton through the mental link. Steven and Frederick dodged sideways, but Pockets couldn’t. The saliva on her hooves caused her to slip, and when she tried to stand up, the toxic cloud surrounded her, entering her body.

“Pockets!” Steven exclaimed alarmed, running to aid the unicorn.

“I’m cough fine! Let’s get out of here.”

“Hammer Arm!” A robotic voice called, as behind the escaping group, Layton fired a massive punch. The damage was critical, and the Snorlax couldn’t hold it. The Sleeping Pokémon fainted, his weight landing on the wooden bridge and causing it to tremble . Cracks could be heard, as the wooden platforms started shaking, Layton knew it wouldn’t hold longer, so he tucked his legs in, and floated away, while the bridge started falling into the river, the Snorlax with it. As the unconscious Snorlax started floating away, a snore was heard in the distance, showing that the Sleeping Pokemon was once again resting.

The Iron Leg Pokémon rushed towards the group, as Pockets left out a couple of loud coughs, a purple liquid dripping of her nose.

“Layton, analysis.”

“Although it behaves differently from Pokémon, the poison on her body seems to be spreading. She is under a Poison status, and the poison turns more aggressive as time goes on, similar to how the move usually works. And even though she would resist more time than a poisoned Pokémon, I am afraid that the poison would ultimately kill her.” Layton informed monotoned.

“We need to reach a town fast, any medicine should do, right?” Frederick asked, although he hid it, he was worried about Pockets

“My data shows that the next town is located twenty five kilometers away, and that is, if the bridge was available for use.”

“Find out all the possible solutions, Layton” Steven ordered

“Analyzing possible solutions…”

“The train” Pockets interrupted

“The train?” Frederick replied confused

“That pony back in the city said it, we are outlaws, we could be sent back to Tall Tale.” Steven sighed

“If that happens, they would have an antidote, and I could just get you out of jail with no problem, I’ve done it before.” Pockets said while coughing.

“Steven, I analyzed all the possible solutions, none would work in time. Yet adding the possibility of a train, the chances of her surviving are of a 16.7%” Layton informed

“It’s better than nothing. Let’s go, we don’t have time to lose.” Frederick advanced.

“The cough other way, Frederick” Pockets advanced with him

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Layton? If we get caught....” Steven whispered to his friend.

“If we don’t advance towards the train, Miss Midnight will die. Steven, we must go, now.” Steven looked at Layton, who even though lacked of much facial expressions, showed a determined look on his eyes. Layton knew the risks, yet he still wanted to help her. Besides, Steven knew that a life was worth more than some information.

“Lets go then…” Steven sighed, as they followed the duo.

“Look at that sunset… I’ve never seen it like that cough”

“I suppose this is it” Frederick pointed out, as they reached the railing that was resting on the plains of Unicorn Range.

“So, guys, how are we going to do this?” Pickett asked, slightly shaking.

“Layton uses Psychic to place us on top of the train. From the top of the train, we will attempt to find a hatcheet that might be placed in the roof of one of the carts. We enter through it, search for the cart with the medicines, and find anything that could help us out. We go out through the same route, and walk the rest of the way to Canterlot.” Steven informed

“Great plan captain. Though, there are some slight problems with it. There is no train.” Frederick snarked

“We will wait for one. Layton can sense vibrations through the ground. He should be able to tell if a train is coming from miles away.” Steven explained

“Ok, makes sense. But, lets say that you manage to place us on top of the train, and we manage to find the trap door that leads inside. How could you possibly get inside with that massively fat body of yours?”

“I believe you just called me fat” Layton grunted, yet shrugged before any discussion could happen

Steven let out a small chuckle, before explaining even further “We already have a plan for that, we’ve done it before, his body size is no problem at all.”

“Doesn’t explains anything, but sure. Last tiny little detail though. How on Earth are we going to board a train traveling around who-knows-how-many miles per hour without being seriously injured by the contact? We’d need the train to stop for us, and I don’t think they’ll just do it if we ask nicely” As Frederick finished talking, Layton let out a cold chuckle, and Steven sighed. They already had a plan for that, but Frederick wouldn’t like it.

“Layton, got anything that could help you yet?”

“Negative, I can’t detect any presence that could be of aid. Although, there is one creature that may be useful, yet it would limit my battle capabilities.”

“Use it, it’s better than anything. Bring it here.” As Steven ordered this, Layton’s Psychic highlighted a nearby bush. From such bush, a sleeping, small, gray and brown rabbit-like creature was levitated away from his position. Woken up by the sudden movement, the Bunnelby started shaking himself to escape the Psychic grip, but it was futile.

“What… what is going on? Help! Aliens are taking me! I knew this place was bad news! HELP!” Cries of panic came out of the Normal Type, whose eyes released small tears of fear.

“Please, calm down, we are not going to hurt you” Steven said softly, trying to comfort the small creature down.

“Big scary alien, please don’t eat me.” The Bunnelby squeaked alarmed

“Kid, remain calm, or I will force you to calm yourself.” Layton deadpanned on his monotone and robotic voice. The Bunnelby stopped crying, and opened his eyes. He noticed the gigantic silver creature that was looking at him with dead white eyes. The Bunnelby started shaking and shouting in fear, moving uncontrollably to a point in which Layton had a hard time keeping him in the Psychic range.

“Wow, you’re literally a heartless monster.” Frederick taunted from a distance, watching the scene from afar and chuckling with every new antic

Layton let out a loud sigh, and dropped the Bunnelby, who didn’t know if he should run or not. “Listen, we wouldn’t do this to such a young Pokémon like you if we had another option, but we need your help.” The Scizor asked softly, getting closer to the small Pokémon, and trying to look as friendly as possible.

“Help with… what, Mister?” The Bunnelby asked shakingly, still frightened by the recent events.

“We require your body” Layton explained. The Bunnelby’s mouth dropped open, as he couldn't process what had just been said.

“Good one, Layton, you sure are great with the kids!” Pockets shouted from a distance. Although her body was feeling weak, she decided to stay next to Frederick and enjoy the show.

“What my friend here is trying to say is, we have a deal for you. What would you say if we offered you the biggest… I don’t know… cabbage you have ever seen?” The former human offered

“I do love cabbages… but, what would happen to my body? What are you going to do with it!?”

“I will divide my mind in order to control both my body, and your body. Three of my brains will dedicate to the control of your body, so it will be properly protected due to still having the ability to use Psychic, while my other brain will dedicate to guarding my body, and keeping it connected to the train via magnetism.” The Psychic type explained, yet the alarmed expression on the Bunnelby’s face was now mixed with confusion.

“Don’t worry, your body will be fine, your mind as well. We’ll protect you. You see, my buddy here is too big to fit in the train, and he needs to borrow your body to accompany me. We will reward you with some delicious veggies, and after all of this is over, you’ll be able to live with all that food and eat till you are full!” Steven exclaimed cheerishly.

The Bunnelby sighed, and thought for a couple of second, the idea of all that food was making him crazy on the inside, “That does sound good… and you two seem big and powerful… I guess, fine. I’ll do it!”

“Hurray! Well then, don’t worry, Layton has done this many times before so your natural psy-defenses shouldn’t be harmed, who knows, Layton could even fortify them!” Steven said childishly, although serious most of the times, Steven knew how to act around children, unlike Layton.

“I am ready” The Bunnelby said dubiously, although he did want to hold back and run, the idea of all that food made him happy.

“Entering his mind…” Layton informed, as his eyes glowed a stronger white than before, the Bunnelby’s eyes doing the same thing. “This may take a while, so proceed with the rest of the operation.”

“Well, while he does that. Frederick, are you ready?” Steven asked, causing the Sylveon’s smile to disappear.

“I never agreed to this”

“Do it for Pockets”

“Do it for me cough”

As the moon rested over the railings of Unicorn Range, a passenger train, which departed Tall Tale that same morning; was swiftly and calmly advancing through the green plains of the Range, hills surrounding them from the distance. Most passengers were already asleep, and those that weren’t, tried to. Most of them, if not all, going to the capital city of Equestria, Canterlot. The train was not supposed to stop for any reason during its course, as the train was not to be delayed.

“I sense something. Confirmed, it’s an oncoming train. Get into your positions”

The engineers had never seen something like what they saw that night. A bright light shined in the middle of the road, so bright that they couldn’t keep their eyes off it. In one of the driver’s head, an odd sensation softly lead him to slowly stop the train. While the train was static, the crew slowly got off the caboose to have a closer look at the source of the bright light, hypnotised by its magnificence. As the light faded, a pink cat-like creature looked at them with sweet puppy-like eyes.

“Veon” The creature squeaked sweetly, causing some members of the crew to let out a loud ‘Daaww’. The Sylveon walked towards the main engineer’s leg, rubbing himself against it in a cat-like manner, purring in such a soft way, that it melt the engineer’s heart.

“Look at this cutie. And some ponies say that these Pokémon are scary and dangerous. “ The engineer chuckled. Frederick jumped on his back, and layed there, waving his feelers in a comical way which amused the crew.

“Bring that sweetheart inside, we can’t just leave him here by himself.” A female attendant suggested. And they all followed her suggestion, Frederick smiling and playing with his living train ticket, the engineer.

Unknown to the crew of the train, four individuals moved through the bushes, the moon revealing their silhouette.

“Stand still, and get ready for the Psychic.” Layton indicated through the mental link, as the group stood right next to the train filled with sleeping passengers. A light blue aura surrounded them, as they started levitating off the ground, a bunnelby with them. The group reached the top of the static rooftop, and watched how the Metagross tucked its legs, and started floating. He advanced forwards, and began hovering on the walls of the train, slowly arriving to the top.

“How did he do that?” Pockets asked, after seeing the Metagross changing his gravity like if it was an easy task.

“My body works with magnetism. I posses magnetized fibers that connect my Nervous System, and what some humans called the Magnetic System. An organ inside my body releases a magnetized gas that counters my weight. These two systems work together to utilize the small amounts of…” Layton stopped for a couple of seconds after seeing Pockets’ face of confusion, and decided to use a more simple explanation, “Everything has some level of magnetism, my body uses that to hover, but due to how small the magnetic capabilities of some materials are, I can’t float freely, hence the reason of why you can’t travel on me, as your weight would counter the gas produced in me. This train is made from wood and metal, and some of these materials are highly magnetic, that’s why my body is able to just float around it.” The Bunnelby finished. As his half-conscious body continued hovering near them. Bunnelton (a nickname Pockets came up with) closed his eyes, and controlled his metallic body, making it advance until the end of the train, a couple of carts away. His body sticked itself like a fridge magnet, and rested there.

“Note to self, never ask how a Pokemon works… again.” Pockets sighed, letting out some coughs, which grew stronger as time passed by.

“My original body has detected an entrance… here” Bunnelton raised one of his ears, and a trap door hidden by the darkness opened, revealing a hole big enough for them to enter. A whistle announced that the train was ready to move once again, and the group advanced into the opening.

The cart was full of different varieties of bags, backpacks, and some other large objects; a luggage cart.

“We’ll wait for Frederick here, hopefully he’ll get here fast and we can leave as soon as possible.” Steven said, stretching his legs, arms, and wings.

“I think we should stay here, we’ll reach Canterlot faster that way. “ The unicorn pointed out

“We can’t just get in the train and have a free ride. Other people paid for this, who knows how much money. This is illegal, Frederick brings the medicine, and we should keep moving, on foot.” Steven rebutted, glaring at the pony that just ignored the response, not because she wanted to, but because her stomach started burning with extreme pain, bending her over. Steven got closer to her, and saw how a tear dropped from her eye. He leaned down and rubbed her back, as a sensation that tickled Pockets made her chuckle.

“This would be sweet... if it wasn’t metal.” She joked, trying to be her usual self.

“Steven, I sense a presence coming towards our location. I’ll create a visual illusion to prevent any of us to be found. But I still recommend you to hide. “ The Normal type warned.

Steven helped Pockets into a pile of bags, and hid himself on a dark corner, his slim figure giving him more coverage. They waited a couple seconds until they managed to see the one passing by. A bulky purple unicorn with violet hair ran through the cart, wearing a gray fedora and a gray overcoat. His Cutie Mark showed a similar fedora to the one that he was wearing. It seemed slightly suspicious to Steven, but now it was not the time to investigate. The pony left the luggage cart and proceeded to the next one. Steven was ready to get out of his hiding spot, but Layton interrupted him.

“ Do not move, I sense another presence coming… the vital signs seem faint, and the patterns of movement are rather odd. I can’t seem to get a better look at it with my Psychic abilities, it may be a Dark type. I’ll try to keep the optical illusion up, but I’ll require that you two stay as static as possible. ” Steven got closer to the corner of the cart, and observed patiently. The door opened… yet no one came in. Steven thought that the optical illusion may have messed up, affecting him, but before he could ask anything, Layton answered his doubts.

“The user seems to be hiding under some sort of invisibility trick. I am still not able to identify the shape.” Layton informed, a couple of sweat drops falling from his now furry forehead.

“It may be an invisibility spell, maybe whoever is doing it is just following the odd looking unicorn that passed just now.” Pockets suggested, trying her hardest to not cough.

Sometimes, danger and adventure may pass by right in front of your eyes. You may not notice it and it may not notice you. But sometimes the adventure comes to you, sometimes life wants to see what you are capable of. Or maybe you are just unlucky, and life has something against you, putting you in situations of extreme danger. This was the case for both Steven and Pockets.

A golden ring started floating in the air. The ring came from a saddlebag that was abandoned in the middle of the cart, and that same saddlebag held many valuable items. A small sword, a rolled painting, a golden cane, and just a few seconds ago, a color-changing gem. Pockets had left her loot bag in the middle of the cart, and the invisible figure was now taking her latest addition. Out of instinct, she tried to grab it, her current strength not allowing her to launch at her, yet still throwing a bag off the pile that was serving as a hiding spot

“Pockets, stay quiet!” Steven muttered, but it was useless, as the ring started to float away, or so it seemed.

“My ring!” Pockets exclaimed, trying to run after the thief, yet falling shortly, her legs not working properly anymore. At her exclamation, the ring suddenly darted up the ladder and out a hatch on the roof.

“Layton, with me. Pockets, stay here and wait for Frederick. We’ll get your ring back.” Layton jumped and firmly grasped Steven’s shoulder pad with his ears, They went through the trapdoor, and Layton pointed East with one of his ears. Steven ran, following the invisible figure.

“Steven, I’ve confirmed the species of the thief. She seems to be a Zoroark. Due to her typing, we need to stay close to her or I may not be able to find it again.” Layton informed, waving like a misplaced scarf with the wind.

“Get back with that ring, Zoroark!” Steven exclaimed, hoping that the Dark type would stop, of course that was not going to happen… yet.

“Who is a little pink cutie, you are, yes you are!”

“Hey, Coal, we are running out of fuel. Leave the cat on the floor and let others play with it” A mare said from nearby. The black earth pony dropped the Sylveon on the ground, and muttered under his breath, getting ready to do his dirty work. He glanced at the Fairy type once more, with a soft smile, as a soft “Veon” made him chuckle.

“I can’t believe I am doing this. From the king of the forest to a cute little distraction cat, good job Frederick, you reached a new level of low.” The Fairy type thought to himself, walking towards the open door, that lead to the Machinery Room. “Do it for her” Said a voice inside his head, which he just shrugged.

Frederick advanced through the train, as he noticed many ponies and even Pokémon sleeping soundly. His plan was simple, find the room filled with medicines, and grab the right medicine for Pockets. Layton told him that anything that worked against poison should work, so the job seemed pretty simple. He reached a door that wore a wooden sign that said “Kitchen” in beautifully carved italic letters. He went inside and looked around, noticing glass plates and packs filled with ingredients. He picked a carrot from one of the boxes, and began eating it while searching for something that could help Pockets. A wooden shelf in the side of the kitchen showed various pills and medicinal syrups, together with a first-aid kit and some bottles of oddly named liquids.

“This should do.” Frederick pulled some boxes with his feelers, and reached the shelf. He began picking some pills, watching their name and use, and dropping them afterwards. This continued for a couple of minutes, until the door opened violently. Frederick glared at the source of the slam, and looked at a Hydreigon who was staring at him. Frederick then proceeded to continue his routine, without the slightest of interest in the Dragon type that just came in.

“Sylveon, stop it.” The Hydreigon said.

“Well, what an annoyance” Frederick thought before throwing a pack of pills to the Hydreigon.

“I’m serious, stop it!” The Hydreigon demanded. But Frederick was not even listening to him anymore, as one pack of pills called his attention.

“Food poisoning… yeah this should do” The Fairy type said, before walking off the boxes, and looking at the Hydreigon. Frederick left out a fake smile, before calling for an attack, “Flash”

And so the chase began. Frederick bounded forward, attempting to get away from the Hydreigon. Every pony in the train was currently asleep, and somehow none of them woke up with the small battles taking place in the various parts of the train.

“I don’t have time to deal with a punny Hydreigon like you. Didn’t your hoard teach you to not mess with Fairy types? Oh right, your kind is not smart enough to know when they are at a disadvantage.” The Sylveon jumped, and released two smaller Moonblasts from his feelers, which rapidly flew towards the Dragon type, who somehow managed to dodge them. “A regular Hydreigon wouldn’t be able to do that. Who is this idiot?

“What? Smoke grenade! Layton stop the smoke!”

“Compressing the smoke back into the grenade... Done” The Psychic type said, before throwing the grenade out of their way like a can.

“Alright, now I’m REALLY curious. Since when can a Bunnelby do that?” A shiny Zoroark appeared from the darkness, revealing herself. Her hat and her cape wouldn’t mean much for many, but it did for both Steven and Layton, who identified the outfit immediately.

“Why should we tell you?” Steven countered, keeping his serious look. “Drop the ring, and we can all go home safe and sound.”

“No can do. The only place this ring is going is the junkyard...preferably in a million pieces,” The Zoroark said. The style of talking, her tools, her tendency to just escape instead of fighting. He was sure of the identity of who he was facing. The legendary outlaw, Phantom Thief Fox.

“I won’t let you do that, Fox. I won’t let you escape… again.” The Bug type buzzed

“Oh? Do I know you? You’ll have to forgive me, but identifying old acquaintances has been so hard lately,” Fox chuckled, using the usual stance that, after all the years that had passed, still annoyed Steven.

“Makes sense. In that case, let me introduce myself once again. My name is Steven Stone, former champion of the Hoenn region, and you and I, Phantom Thief Fox, have some pending business to solve” Steven flapped his wings, and prepared a Steel Wing to attack the thief as soon as he saw an opening.

“Ah yes, Mr. Stone. Now that you mention it, the voice did sound familiar,” Fox chuckled. “So how’d the research go? Hope you're not still sore over that banana peel,” She chuckled, remembering the incident which Steven did not want to remember… an Aggron, slipping due to a banana peel. Some nights he still wondered how that was even possible.

“Thanks to your little prank, we are not allowed to have fruits anymore, Iron Fist goes nuts whenever he sees any. What are you doing here anyways? I thought Arceus only brought the humans that were worth it.” Steven was not happy. As a champion, he had to face many high rank criminals, but none was more annoying than Fox, the current holder of the title belonging to a line of famous thieves who were said to be uncatchable.

“Aww....why does everyone keep lumping me in with the regular thieves?” Fox pouted. “I would think someone like you could figure out that I’m no simple thief,” she said with her taunting voice. Steven had enough, he needed to end it.

“Oh, I know you are not a simple thief, you are worse. Steel Wing!” The Bug type ran towards Fox, a soft white aura surrounding Steven’s wings.

Fox didn’t make any move to evade. Turns out it wasn’t necessary, since when Steven struck, it revealed to be a doll shaped like a Zoroark. “Well then, guess I was nice enough to be considered for the move,” came Fox’s amused voice as she faded back into existence another car down. “That was pretty rude though, attacking a lady when she is talking.”

“Layton, use Hammer Arm!” Steven called, but the Bunnelby glared at him, and sighed.

“Steven, I am not able to use anything but Psychic, and the moves this Bunnelby knows. None would be effective against Fox.” Explained his partner, hopping back into Steven’s shoulder.

“Then I guess, I am alone on this one, great. X-Scissor!” Steven ran forwards, his pincers glowing a light blue as he picked up speed.

“I got a better idea. Fetch!” Fox said, as she tossed something right past him. The ring she had stolen. Steven stopped mid way, and saw Pocket’s ring.

“So this was just another prank then, huh? You planned returning it all along.” The Bug type chuckled

“Steven, that’s not the-” But Layton was abruptly interrupted, when the ring exploded, a mass of webbing coming out, covering both Steven and Layton in the sticky mess.

“Gotcha,” Fox chuckled, before she opened another trap door, and dove into the cart.

“Layton, get this gunk off me, please…” To face Fox once again was a rare opportunity. To be humiliated again… it got on his nerves. But it soon didn’t matter, as three figures appeared in the horizon, two of them familiar, and one of them worryingly new.

“Steven…”

“I see it Layton… a Hydreigon.”

Pockets saw her surroundings. Her difficulty to breath properly, and her legs not wanting to stand up, told her that her situation was getting worse. Steven and Layton were after whatever took her ring, and Frederick was nowhere to be seen. In other words, she was alone in the luggage cart, struggling to keep herself alive. Her stomach growled violently as her lounges let out multiple coughs. She lay down, and hummed a tune that she had heard back in Manehattan.

Trying to get her mind off her current state, she opened one of the bags there, searching for something of interest that could keep her entertained. One of the bags had a small. colorful book that read “Lil’ Squeak’s day in the Park”.

“Better than nothing,” Pockets muttered to herself, opening the book and looking at the colorful childish pictures.

The story, like in any other book for children, was simple. A little unicorn that wants to go to the park with his friends, but his mother doesn’t let him. “Clean your room” Her mother asked, as the child whined about how friends are most important. Pockets laughed softly at all the different shenanigans that the kid went through trying to clean his room. Who would knew that a thing meant for children could be so entertaining for older audiences.

“Having parents must be hard.” The unicorn chuckled, closing the book and breathing deeply. Somehow, the story eased her pain, yet it was still there, increasing with the pass of time.

Pockets placed the book back in the bag containing it, before opening yet another bag, searching for anything that could keep her distracted. She reached an odd looking flute, round and with holes all around the surface, seemingly placed in random positions, a mouthpiece projecting from its body. She took a better look at the small instrument, squinting her eyes to try to make out anything from the small text printed in the clay.

“Ocarina...” The flute read. Pockets grabbed the ocarina, placing the mouthpiece inside her muzzle, and her hoofs covering two of the holes With all the strenght she was able to give in her current situation, she managed to blow out a soft note, which soothed her tired ears. Moving her right hoof, she blowed once again, this time with a screech as a result, which unsettled her.

“I guess this ocarina deal is not for me. Meh, I was never good with any other instruments either.”

Pockets placed the clay instrument back on its place, closing the bag and laying down. She rubbed her own stomach trying to ease the horrible pain invading her, with no result. She closed her eyes, not sure if it was a good idea or not, and started to breath. As her consciousness faded slowly, she could only wonder

“Where the heck are you, Frederick?”

Her question was soon answered, as the Sylveon suddenly opened the door, slamming it close.

“Pockets, where the hell are you? We don’t have much time.” The Sylveon asked, before finding the crawling Pony that greeted him with a grin. “Gosh you look terrible. Here, take this, and hide.” Pockets grabbed the small container with her muzzle, crawling back at her small hiding spot, as the Fairy type climbed a tall tower of bags, reaching the top in mere seconds.

“What’s going on, Frederick? Why all the sudden-”

Pockets was abruptly interrupted, when a five foot tall, 3-headed creature barged through the door. This was quite possibly the strangest and most terrifying of the Pokémon that she had seen yet. The mainly black creature levitated freely, with no noticeable pupils and a ghostly look, his main head was covered to what appeared to be some sort of skin-hoodie, which in a closer look resembled a twisted and dry flower more than a hoodie. The two other heads seemed to take the place of hands, kind of like Steven’s pincers, but way more creepy. As the creature searched around, Pockets could do nothing but to shakingly open up the package containing the pills.

“Yoohoo” said a voice in a feminine tone. Pockets looked at the origin, finding Frederick jumping towards the Dragon type. Pockets grinned, thinking that Frederick had it all on the bag, but her grin was wiped out when the creature grabbed him, slamming him down to the floor violently, grunting, and glaring at it with a dead-stare which gave away the intentions of the creature.

Alarmed, Pockets used all her magic power to open the pack of pills, her struggle with the lid stopped her from noticing a tall figure entering the cart. Opening the bottle, she took the pill, and observed the battle, as the grim looking creature grabbed Frederick once again.

A loud smack was heard, as the bulky pony slammed a bat into the hydra-looking creature’s neck. Regaining her senses, she used her forces to run towards the Hydreigon, shooting a stunt spell unto his hand.

“Glad you got here, is this big guy your friend?” Frederick asked, free of the grasp of his opponent

“Not at all, is this big guy your friend?” Pockets asked, pointing at the Dark type, who managed to knock out the attacker.

Frederick chuckled, seeing the shapes of other ponies getting into the cart “Not at all, I prefer better looking people. We should get away from here, how are you feeling?”

“Great, thanks for the pills, worked faster than expected. Come, through the trapdoor.” Pickett said, before rushinged towards the hole that lead to the outside world.

“So, what the hay is that, and why is it following you?” Pockets asked alarmed, as her feet worked fully once again.

“Hydreigon, a Dragon type known for their violent actions, you know, the kind of Pokémon that would eat your face as a snack.”

“What!? Why is it following you!?” Pockets panicked. Frederick looked behind him, to notice the Dragon type running after them.

“You still chasing us? Great. Get out of this Hydreigon, we don’t need more trouble.” Frederick bounced with his paws, doing a backflip and launching a powerful Moonblast that the Hydreigon barely dodged. Landing once again, Frederick and Pockets kept running, spotting two familiar silhouettes in the distance.

Pockets identified the two distinctive figures, Steven and Layton were also there, taking some sort of webbing off them. “Steven won’t be happy about this.”

Steven didn’t know what to think. A Hydreigon, of all possible creatures. Known for their aggressive behaviour and massive destructive power, if there’s one creature you don’t want to mess with, is the Dragon and Dark type “What on Earth did you two do!? How did you even get a Hydreigon to chase you down!?”

“Don’t blame me, I was just searching for the medicine, and this guy popped his head out, and told me to stop. Tried to knock him out but he’s fast, my Moonblast doesn’t hit”

Frederick and Pockets placed themselves behind the Steel types, as the Hydreigon came closer to them. Steven sighed, this was not going to be pretty.

“Stop right there. We don’t want to cause any trouble, just leave us alone and go back to wherever you came from, Hydreigon”

“....get out of my way….” The dragon grunted, “I had enough trouble chasing down that thief around, so I’ll repeat, get out of my way.”

“Stop chasing the Sylveon, and I will. You don’t even know why he was searching, we needed that medicine,” The Scizor replied, getting his wings and pincers ready.

“...and why did he do it?” He asked curtly.

Steven glared at the Sylveon in annoyance “Did you even bother to tell him?” .

“He was too annoying, following me around and stuff. Didn’t have the time to.” Shrugged the Fairy Type

Pockets took a step forwards, trying her best to not be scared of the grim looking Pokémon, “Because if he didn’t, I would have died. I was poisoned, I needed it.”

“.....why should I believe you? Those guys attacked me earlier, instead of helping me, you ran. So….they must be with you.” The Hydreigon growled, still angered by Frederick’s attacks, as well as the interruptions of the ponies.

“Those guys were not with us, I swear!” The purple unicorn exclaimed. But the Scizor signaled her to remain quiet, and to step back.

Steven sighed, and glared at the Hydreigon, getting ready for a sure-to-be intense battle. “Pockets, go with Layton. This guy won’t believe us, most Hydreigon can only understand one thing: violence. Frederick, I’ll need your help.”

“Yeah sure, I’ll keep the range attacks going, you do the physical damage. This guy shouldn't be able to hold too long,”

“Steven, his power is weaker than the power of a regular Hydreigon. I can easily detect his mental waves, and his defenses are not properly developed. He doesn’t seem to be a natural Hydreigon.

“Human?”

“Apparently

“X-Scissor!” The Scizor’s pincers started glowing a light purple, as he rapidly advanced to hit the Dragon type. Although not mastered yet, Steven’s speed was something to admire. His new body allowed both his arms and legs to move swiftly, creating attacks that not many would be able to dodge. Yet the Hydreigon’s reflex were admirable as well,as he dodged the two projectiles with ease.

Using that same speed, the Hydreigon grabbed Steven’s pincer, a sharp slap in the back of the head destabilized Steven, and in mere seconds Steven’s neck was surrounded by one of the long arms of the Hydreigon.

“Give up, Sylveon. I got your Scizor friend.” It growled, using him as a shield against the Fairy.

“I really don’t care bout him to be honest,“ He chuckled, ”Oh yeah, you should probably dodge that.” As the Sylveon finished talking, the Scizor’s wings started shining, revealing a Wing Attack that sent him back. “You shouldn't really mess with a champion.”

“...champion?” The Hydreigon grunted.

“Indeed. I am Steven Stone, former champion of the Hoenn region.” The Scizor explained, before releasing another X-Scissor, “And you are keeping me away from my objective!”

Dodging the attack, the Hydreigon grunted in disbelief.“.....Steven Stone….and how do I know you’re the real Steven Stone? People bluff a lot these days.”

“Believe me if you want to. I have some business to do but your little chase with the Sylveon is delaying me. Speaking of which…” Steven ducked, as Frederick jumped on his back, releasing two small yet fast Moonblast, which rapidly went flying towards the Hydreigon.

Tilting his head left and right, the Moonblast flew by scratching the surface of the Hydreigon’s skin, “.....I just tried to stop him from stealing some medicines. That’s vandalism, and I...don’t like it.”

“Did you even care to explain what we needed the medicine for, Frederick?” Steven glared at the Fairy type, who just shrugged again. “I should’ve imagined. We needed the medicine urgently, our friend already said she needed it, she was under a Poison status, and we needed the medicine before it was too late.”

The Hydreigon glared at the duo, before leaving an annoyed expression. “.....why should I believe you? I don’t even know if you’re the champion or not.”

“Layton, you ready?” Steven asked, looking at the Bunnelby whose eyes were now a plain white.

“Reaching destination in 3...2...1…” And so, from behind of the Hydreigon, a silver chunk of metal floated swiftly towards them. Upon reaching Steven’s side, it revealed four spider-like legs, a golden “X”, and two cold red eyes that pierced the Dragon’s soul. A shiny Metagross.

“As I said before, I am Steven Stone, former champion of the Hoenn region. I didn’t want to steal that medicine, but I had no other choice. I apologize deeply.” Steven sighed, resting his back on the shiny Metagross that lay besides him.

“....so you really are Steven Stone.”

Steven grinned softly, he was in luck. The one floating in front of him was not a regular Hydreigon, but a former human. A regular Hydreigon would have attacked them no matter who they were “And according to Layton, you must be a former human too, am I right? Please tell me your name.”

“...Eric...Eric Angelo. Just your regular trainer.”

“Eric Angelo, it’s a pleasure to meet you. In that case, there is no point in this fight. I’m looking for someone, another former human, a famous thief. You might have heard of her, goes by the name ‘Phantom Thief Fox’. If you know her, then you would suppose that she is a Zoroark now. Do you have any idea where she might be?

“Oh...I know her quite well….a chance encounter if I might add.” Eric muttered, loud enough for the former champion to hear him.

“You’ve encountered her as well? Then you must know how she behaves in her Zoroark form. In that case, Eric, would you mind helping me catch Fox?” Steven stretched his arm, opening his pincer and signaling a shake of hands.

“For real? Do you really want the help of that Hydreigon? Not only is he weak, but let me remind you that he tried to kill me, which means he isn’t that smart either. ” Frederick didn’t like the attitude of the Hydreigon, stoic, heroic, thinks that he should stop any evil as small as it may be, just like Steven, but dumber.

“He has encountered Fox before, we don’t know what she’s capable of with her new abilities, he’s definitely going to be of help. Besides, he was trying to do the right thing..” As the former Champion ended his thought, he felt the grasp of the Dark type’s pincer

“Of course...Steven. But I will need to get my Volcarona.”

Steven smiled, a Volcarona was definitely going to be of help.“You have a team here? Excellent, the more, the better. Come then, I’ll get my group ready as well. Let’s catch this thief once and for all.”

As the party came back into the carts, a face of anger and worry became present in Steven’s expressions. Seeing this, Pockets became worried, on the short time knowing him, she always saw Steven as a calm and collected person, ready to take on anything that presented itself as a challenge.

“Steven, you alright?”

But the former Champion ignored her, his mind busy with a variety of projections of the future, analysing every possibility.

“Phantom Thief Fox, huh? Fancy seeing her here.” Frederick interrupted.

“You know who that Fox is, Frederick? I heard of her from before, but I didn’t get the chance to ask.”

“She’s one of Earth’s most wanted criminals,” Layton explained, recalling everything he knew about the subject. “The Fox Steven and I encountered is the current holder of the title, as it’s passed down from generation to generation. This Fox’s base of operation used to be in the Kalos region, before that, in the Hoenn region. Her targets are usually either unsellable items, or items belonging to criminal organizations, and she always returns what she steals.”

“That doesn’t sound like a thief to me.” The unicorn pointed out.

“She’s not really a thief, but all these airheads of the Ranger Union believe so. Geez you don’t need much brain to realize what she’s really doing,” Frederick smirked

“She’s a criminal!”

Pockets looked at Steven, who was now looking at them with a look of anger. She got closer, and looked at him with worry.

“Steven, calm down. I don’t know what happened or why you’re acting like this, but you need to calm down if you really want to catch her.”

“I… I apologize. I’ve been trough a lot of stress since we got here. I’ll just try to breathe and cool my body down.” Steven closed his eyes, and extended his wings, flapping them on a slow and steady pace. But his meditation was interrupted by two long arms that surrounded his chest. Opening his eyes he managed to spot a blue unicorn firmly grasping him with a soft hug.

“I don’t know how you do it. You’ve gone through so much and somehow you still manage to remain calm and collected. I’d panic if I was sent to a different world, if I had to leave everything I know behind, Sometimes I wonder what kind of world you used to live in, how you turned into someone so… resolute.”

Steven sighed, and looked at the blue unicorn below him, softly and dubiously returning the hug, until his pincers surrounded her soft body.

“I met her a long time ago, on the first years of me being a Champion. One of my duties was to protect the region from evil, that included thieves like Fox. I studied the patterns, the way they behaved, ready for the moment which I knew would come. That day, when she appeared right in front of me, stealing the first major discovery I ever made, I was ready. I was ready to face the tall, slim ‘gentleman’ that had used Hoenn as his playground for years. But I was greeted by a trickster girl instead, a prankster that saw me like I was nothing more than a toy. She played us all for fools, broke every single strategy I had planned, her style was completely different than her predecessor.

She fooled me and risked years of investigation in a subject I’ve been studying for so long. She gave it back just like that later on, some sort of twisted prank that she thought was funny. A way to introduce the new Fox to the world. Less than a month later, she was already in Kalos, she was gone, out of my reach.” Steven looked at his Metagross, with a determined look on his face, “They say that you shouldn’t cry over spilled milk, I say you should clean the mess instead. A chance for revenge against Fox is a once in a lifetime opportunity, an opportunity I’m not going to waste. Not everything is lost, I may be able to redeem myself, even if it’s something as insignificant as catching a criminal. Thief or not, I’m bringing that prankster to justice.”

Chapter 6 : Vs. Zoroark

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Last time, our heroes found themselves in a hurry, when Pickett Midnight was poisoned by a wild Snorlax’s Toxic attack. Unable to find an immediate cure, the group was forced to board a passing by train, to try to obtain medicine for their suffering companion. Yet just as they managed to heal her up, a figure from Steven’s past appeared. The famous Phantom Thief Fox. Now, Steven teams up with Eric, another former human, as they decide to bring Fox to justice once and for all.

As the two groups waited in the carriage for any sign of Fox, a sense of anxiety surrounded the cart. Steven already warned the drivers of the thief that was in the train, informing them to brace themselves for any emergency that may occur, but the passengers wouldn't be safe until they'd taken Fox down.

“Steven, my sensors have detected her, she’s on the roof once again. My body will reach her shortly.” The Bunnelby pointed to the end part of the train with his ears, his body had been scouting the train for any signs of the thieves, yet due to their typing and the lack of mental power, he wasn’t able to detect the group until they got out of their hiding spot

“Great, keep her busy until we get there. Use another brain to have a better control of it, and inform me of everything that happens” The former champion

Steven signaled Eric and his Volcarona to move out, his own group also following. Steven didn’t know what to expect, this fight was not going to be the same as the last time, as not only did his new body meant that he was a fighter now and had to be part of the action, but he didn’t have his full team with him, Layton being the only one he truly knew how to battle with.

“Three incoming attacks… Blizzard dodged, Dark Pulse destroyed, Shadow Ball destroyed. The moves I used provoked a decrease in my speed, I’ll require assistance.” Bunnelton informed dryly, as he hanged from Steven’s metal lid.

Steven sighed, and looked at Eric, signaling him to keep going, while he began climbing the nearby stairs that lead to the roof, “Use the other hatch ahead, and remember to pay attention to the mental link, if you need anything, inform me. Pockets, stay close with the Bunnelby, if you see Fox just tell Layton and we’ll do what we planned! Frederick, with me!”

As his plan started to build up, the doubts in his head started disappearing. He was ready to take her down, he had a plan that was almost certain to work. The adrenaline pumping in his body reminded him of the missions he went through back home, the tasks corresponding to a Champion. He has dealt with worse, a thief was nothing. Besides, he could already see the current battle in front of him, with his Metagross partner… webbed?

“Incoming attack, three Dark Pulse headed to my location. Chances of being knocked out: ninety eight percent.”

Well crap.

“I’m almost there! Come on, get some speed!” The former Champion flapped his wings as fast as he could, trying to pick enough speed to reach the battleground. On the distance, a purple triangular beam headed towards his friend, but he was going to make it in time, he was sure of it.

“Not so fast!” A voice said from behind the immobilized Steel Type. Steven rushed just before the attack hit, as a lime green coloured Protect reflected the attack, keeping his friend safe. “It seems like I arrived just in time, huh bud? Get out of that mess and come help me out” Steven ordered, brewing a Tailwind which sped his partner up.

“I hate it when our opponents arrive in the nick of time like some cartoon hero,” The Liepard snorted, mocking the Champion with her tongue.

Ignoring her, Steven took a deep breath, it was time. “Give up, Fox. We don’t need to do this the hard way. There are more reinforcements coming this way, if we don’t stop you, they will.”

“We can handle Ponies easy,” the Weavile snorted. “What are they gonna do? Buck us to death? Heh, I’ll turn them all into ice sculptures before they get the chance.”

The champion chuckled softly, showing a confident look on his face “I never said anything about ponies. That Tailwind was not just to speed Layton up”

Fox’s eyes dilated, as she jumped swiftly to the side, dodging an incoming punch from a Hydreigon, who had arrived not long ago.

“You again?” Fox deadpanned. “Okay, two times was a coincidence, but this...this is getting ridiculous.”

“She moved just as expected. Eric, bring the attack!

Focused on the Hydreigon, the Fox gang was not able to notice in time the Volcarona that had been hiding in the side of the train. Levitating upwards, Eric called for a Bug Buzz, and the Fire type obeyed shortly. The move hit, the Fox gang being sent away by the wave of sound.

“I see you’re all as charming as always,” the Liepard deadpanned.

Cleaning her ears with her paws, Fox remained as calm as always, yet Steven knew she must have felt the pain from the Bug type move “What I’d like to know is what you two are doing working for Gray Hat,” she said.

“Gray Hat? What’s Fox talking about?” Frederick asked through the link

“My data does not show anything related to a subject called ‘Gray Hat’ “

“Better find out” Steven thought dryly, “Who’s Gray Hat? What on Earth are you even talking about? Explain yourself, Fox!” Steven demanded, getting his pincers ready to launch an X-Scissor

“Oh, only the crime lord who’s trying to get a ring that will let him blow up mountains with just a thought. Speaking of which, here,” Fox said, before tossing Pockets’ golden ring towards Steven, the gem shining with its various colors, confirming its authenticity. “That wasn’t my target. Turns out it just happened to look a LOT like the ring we were after.”

“What is going on? What could she possibly be planning?” Steven thought to himself, before delicately taking the ring that was now laying on the cold metal floor, he was not going to let her play with him again, “You think I’ll let you do whatever madness of a plan you are pulling off here just because you gave me this ring back?” He deadpanned, storing the ring in his hollow pincers.

“....Try it, just try to give us one reason why we should believe you?” Eric growled, tensing himself up. “But you won’t, seeing as you’ve never given me a reason to believe anything, in fact, all you’ve given me are other reasons to go after you. Besides, we already let you get away for a second time, it won’t happen again.” Looking at his Volcarona, he added. “Alex, ready yourself.”

“Uhm, okay, if you say so. Sorry for what’s coming Mrs and Mr. Thieves.” The Volcarona said softly, as the Bug type’s wings started to flap faster.

The shiny Zoroark sighed in annoyance, as she and her group quickly stepped back “Like I said before, you REALLY need help. Even Johnny-boy isn’t this obsessive, and he keeps getting heat for not catching us,” Steven could only guess what the incoming attack was going to be, as an orange fire started emanating from Alex, the Volcarona.

“Use Heat Wave!” Steven’s eyes widened, as he, Frederick (who was vaguely hiding) and Layton moved from the affected area, the fire barely missing him.

“Watch it with the Heat Wave! One hit from that, and I’ll be out!” The Scizor pointed out, remembering that his typing was not at all fire-friendly.

“Don’t you have ANY restraint?” the Weavile grumble.

“He’s right. First it was the museum, then the warehouse, and now this train. Are you TRYING to get someone killed in the crossfire?” the Liepard added.

“Told you this guy was nuts” Frederick said through the link, before getting a shut-up glare from Steven .

“Sorry about that, Steven! Alright, Alex, you heard him, no more Fire types attack like before.”

“....alright.” The Volcarona replied timidly.

“Finally, I was afraid you’d set this train on fire just to catch us, ya nut!” Fox said in annoyance.

Fox’s guard was down, just what Steven wanted.

“Moonblast, go!” Steven called. From behind him, Frederick jumped into the air, shooting a large pink sphere towards them.
“Oh crap. Weavile, Liepard, Rock Smash the roof! We’re sitting ducks out here!” Fox barked, to which the two Pokemon obeyed, smashing their attacks into the roof, and blowing a sizeable hole from which they fell into the train, right into one of the less crowded train cars, though they still scared off a couple of ponies who were thankfully not near where they landed. .

“Steven!” Eric exclaimed, as he quickly went towards the hole alongside Alex.

The former Champion nodded in return, as he and his team went forwards and into the hole.

“You’re finished, Fox!” he thought, remembering the plan they had.

“This is it, they should be here.”

Steven opened the door of the cart, where Eric told them they were staying at. Softly opening the door, Steven managed to see the Hydreigon talking to a Volcarona. Oddly, there were also two forms slumped on the other seat, a mare and a Braviary respectively, they were fast asleep.

“...can you do it?” Eric muttered

The timid Volcarona nodded softly. “Uhm...I think so.” His eyes found it’s way beside Eric to see a Scizor staring at them. As per the usual timidness, he quickly shied away.

Seeing this, Eric glanced over his shoulder to see Steven and his group standing there.

“I see you are already in the planning process, good.” Steven got closer to the group, taking a better look at the odd-looking pony and the Braviary next to it, both seemingly asleep. Pockets waved her hoof softly, greeting the Hydreigon and his Pokémon.

“The Volcarona seems to be well trained, his scales seem to be healthy, and the Braviary seems powerful enough, although he seems to be inexperienced in battles.

“...I prefer to keep the Braviary out of this.” The Hydreigon interrupted,. “As you said, he’s not that experienced.”

Seeing the strange company, the Volcarona quickly hid behind his trainer, trying to make himself as small as possible. “..Eric, er, who are they?” He said in a soft tone, so soft that it would take trained ears to completely understand him.

“Well, would you look at that, little Volcarona is scared of the Bunnelby freak. Heh, I thought Fire types were more… fiery.” Frederick smirked, chuckling at the antics of the Bug type.

“....what’s your point? He’s always like that. I don’t see any difference in power either way. As long as you take care of your friends, they will let out their true power.” Eric explained.

“Great, an Ace Trainer. I’m sure as hell I won’t enjoy working with him” Frederick grunted through the link.

“Be quiet, Frederick, you don’t even know him” The shiny Scizor buzzed, before looking at the Volcarona, “I am Steven Stone, Eric and I will work together to try to catch Phantom Thief Fox, who as your trainer probably told you, is in this train with us."

“Let’s forget about before and just focus on this, okay?” Eric calmed the Volcarona down, who was shaking possibly due to all the sudden events.

"Well then, may we begin with the planning?" Steven suggested, trying to get the work done as soon as possible.

“I can already think of something.” The former trainer said calmly, putting one head-hand under his chin. “First, from what I recall about Fox, she rarely if ever tries to attack head on. Second, don’t let her bait you, whatever she does, she does it for a purpose. Third, a sneak attack, she doesn’t know I’m here.”

“That’s good, real good. Now, Fox is a master of manipulation, if we give her enough time, she will be able to adapt to our strategies, and use them against us. We need to end her before she can manage to do that. Yet she won’t let herself get hit that easily. Besides, she has her team with her, a Liepard and a Weavile, I suppose your Volcarona knows a Bug type attack.” Steven articulated

“....yeah, Bug Buzz. It...almost deafened her once. Too bad if failed...earplugs.” Eric grunted “Sneak attacks are our best bet.”

“Does anyone else think he sounds like a madman? Or is it just me?” Frederick commented on annoyance through the mental link. Pockets smacked the Fairy, and gave out a fake-ish grin

Steven thought for a second, putting together all the information gathered so far. He analysed possibilities and options, there was no chance for a flawed strategy, it was all or nothing.

“Your Volcarona is the best weapon we have then, we’re going to need him to hide, luckily he’s rather small for his kind. We need to keep her on the move, pressure all the time, that way she will have a hard time dodging. We need to surround her, we need to limit her movement. I’ll go first, a frontal attack. She doesn’t know you’re here so she wouldn’t really expect you attacking from behind. We need to get all her group together so your Volcarona’s Bug Buzz can hit them all at once, how to do that is your call, understood?”

“....I agree.” The response was curt. “I’ll wait with Alex in the carriage right below her. When the time comes, I’ll climb up from behind her...Alex, you get it all?”

The Volcarona said something in a tone so low, not even Steven could understand him, yet the Hydreigon’s nod of confirmation was enough for him.

“Good. Now, Fox won’t hesitate to try any possible routes of escape. I doubt she would jump off the train, so if she’s surrounded, the only way she could possible go for would be down. Is your pony friend going to join us?” Steven asked dryly, looking at what appeared to be a mix between a bat and a pony, sleeping soundly.

Silence reigned on for a few seconds before the Hydreigon replied. “...no, let’s leave her out of this. I don’t need to endanger anyone else.”

“I can respect that, lets leave the ponies off this.”

“Oh hell no,” Pockets interrupted, stepping forwards with a determined look on her face and a wide grin of excitement, “You won’t leave me behind on this one. Count me in, and don’t you dare try to stop me.”

“Even if I do say no, you’ll do it anyways.” Sighed the former human, before returning once again to his serious look, “Do you know any kind of magical spell that can do some damage?”

“I can stun them out, but my magic ain’t that strong so I can just shoot one beam at a time.”

“Doesn’t matter, I have an idea which may end up working, we’ll talk about it later, but for now I’ll let you know that you’ll stay inside in case she tries to get in. Now, Eric” Steven once again glared at the Hydreigon, “I have a special request. We don’t know what may happen, and we need to be prepared for anything. That’s why communication will be vital, yet we can’t let Fox know what we are planning. Your typing makes it especially hard for Layton to link you to us, so I have to ask if it’s okay for him to enter both of your minds so you can join our mental link”

A whisper came from the Sun Pokémon, and the Dragon nodded once more. “...we’re up to it.”

“With the Volcarona, it should be rather easy for Layton. Yet for a Dark type like you, I’ll require you to relax, and try to keep your mind as blank as possible. Do you think you’re able to do it?”

“....easy enough.”

“Good, we’ll start the plan soon,” The former Champion nodded softly. “As of now, anything else you want to add?”

“....nothing that will change the plans. Just don’t get your hopes up when dealing with her. I’ll be waiting below with Alex, call me when you need me by then.”

“I know that... “ Steven sighed, before looking at all the presents, did they really have a chance against Fox? "But something tells me we aren't losing today."

Fox was trapped, even by opening a hole in the roof of the train, and getting inside to seek for refuge, Steven could easily follow her and catch up to the sneaky thief. Her team seemed rather agitated, the pressure placed onto them had broken their usual strategy. Fox couldn’t play with them anymore, she could only try to escape the inevitable. Or at least that’s what Steven thought would happen.

Three black spheres were shot in the air as they attempted to jump into the cart, exploding mid air and releasing a soft yellow glow, surrounded by various lightings that struck them back.

“What the… what's going on...?"

"My body.... I can't move a muscle"

"What.... what is this?”

“ What just happened, why can’t we move!?” Steven thought to himself, as waves of electricity surrounded his entire body. “Layton!” Steven called with difficulty, looking for his metallic friend

“This appears… to be a modified paralysis status effect. My… calculations indicate that… the effect is temporary… yet extremely effective.” The Steel type stuttered, the field of electricity roaming wildly in his body.

“Like em? I call them Shock Bombs. Don’t like using them much, but they’re effective,” Fox chuckled. Steven followed them with his eyes, spotting a young unicorn pony escaping with the thieves.

“Get….back...here!” Eric grunted, gritting his teeth with fury, yet not able to move due to the Paralysis.

“Don’t worry, we still got this under control.” The Scizor informed through the mental link, trying his best to take a look at the recently made hole, his neck not moving at all.

As Fox began to escape once again, a blue silhouette stood between her and the door.

“Stop right there, Foxy! You ain’t gonna go pass through me!” A navy blue unicorn mare exclaimed.

The Fox gang looked at her for a moment...before the Weavile and the Liepard burst out laughing. “Oh come on, we already dealt with the bigger Pokemon. What’s one pony gonna do to us?” Rascal said through his mirth, while Fox just sighed at their antics.

“Me? Nah, I won’t do anything, my body will though. Layton!” The unicorn’s eyes turned a pale white, before returning to normal, with the exception of the pupils now having a soft red shade. “Transfer complete, initializing… magic.” the unicorn said, in a now robotic and deeper voice. Layton had taken over her mind. And so, from the small unicorn’s horn, various stun spells were shot, aiming at the trio of thieves in front of them.

With the intensity of the beams, and Layton’s control over them, the now homing projectiles were sure to hit their targets, which would have placed Fox in a similar position to the one of Steven.

"Mental what now?"

"I don't recall the precise name, but for now, let's call it Mental Takeover." Steven began, his pincer softly stroking his chin. "The process is fairly simple in theory, Layton will connect his neurological system to yours, which will provide him with full control over your body. This should enhance your physical and mental capabilities, hopefully also increasing your magic."

“Ok, in a scale to one to ten, how fucked up will my brain be after that?” The Unicorn joked, yet with a slight tone of fear.

“Your neurological system won’t be affected, you’ll have partial consciousness of what’s going on, but you may completely forget what happened. These effects are normal and theoretically, harmless.” Layton explained curtly.

“Cool cool, I’m scared as hell but lets do this! We’re going to test first, right?”

“We don’t have time, Eric is waiting for us, and we need to get ready as soon as we can. Layton’s body is scouting the train, if he manages to get a signal, we’ll move immediately.” The former champion explained, stretching his wings and moving them softly.

“And… if it doesn’t work?” Frederick interrupted skeptically

“If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to start from scratch, this is a plan B, Layton will only enter your mind if Fox manages to escape the ambush. She can only go one way, down, and if she does that you should be able to stun them out, especially with Layton controlling your movements.” The Scizor continued, giving a nod to Layton, who jumped on Pockets’ back.

“The Bunnelby will stay with you, that way Layton will be able to protect you from any unexpected events.”

“Ok, so you guys are going to take over my head, and not only that but you’re leaving me with the creepy rabbit. I love you guys,” The unicorn snorted sarcastically. She tried to hide her fear, this was way out of her league, but she guessed that this was what adventurers did, and that she had to buck up if she wanted her dream to become a reality.

“Transfer complete, initializing… magic.” The three powerful stun spells flew towards the Fox gang, making them unable to escape the homing beams of magic.

But before the beams hit, a young unicorn jumped out of nowhere in between them. He was notably younger than Pockets, yet they were about the same size. He had a white coat with a black mane, and on his flank was a Cutie Mark depicting a wand over a crystal, seemingly enchanting it.

“Kid...what are you doing?” Fox asked with a slight tone of both worry and anger

“I’m helping!” Grinned the unicorn. He was about to receive enough stunning spells to cause permanent paralysis, maybe even killing him in the spot. Whatever the results may be, Pockets and Layton were not going to risk it.

“Non-Pokémon combatant appeared, unauthorized to harm. Awaiting orders from the main unit.”

“Yeah, not happening,” Weavile grunted, before shooting an Ice Beam at the now static unicorn. Somehow, although no damage was made, the beam was shot in such a way that Pockets’ body now seemed completely frozen.

“Darn her…” Steven grunted under his breath, looking at his frozen companion and the Zoroark that just passed by her

“Everyone, we can move again!” Eric exclaimed, as him and his Volcarona stood up from their position, Steven and his group doing the same.

The two former humans jumped down through the hole and into the cart, their teams following, preparing to follow the sneaky thief. Yet they were interrupted when a stampede of panicked ponies rushed through them “Oh no…. Get out of the way!”

Steven and Layton dodged the incoming stream of ponies, to see it die soon as they all entered the cart ahead.

“Steven, we have to go!” Eric exclaimed

“Layton, Meteor Mash on Pockets, we need to get her out of that ice! Frederick and I will go ahead, catch up with us later!” Steven ordered, as him and the Fairy type followed the Hydreigon. “Also, give her this, tell her to keep it safe… make sure she is safe too, understood?” Steven dropped the golden ring from his pincer, and continued his way.

“Understood,” The Metagross nodded.

As the two former trainers searched around, a slight sense of dread surrounded the environment. Many ponies were glaring at them, not scared, not confused, just… staring. Although suspicious, they decided to ignore the watchers, looking for the real threat, Fox.
.
“Do you think she got away? There are no signs of her anywhere” Eric sighed, slightly embarrassed that the thief had gotten away once again.

“Don’t worry, this is a train after all. There aren’t many hiding spots where she could be at. Let’s keep looking. “ Steven replied, still hopeful that they could achieve what they came for.

“...you’re right. Be ready, Alex, watch everything carefully. From now, we’re in her territory.”

“....okay.” The Volcarona sighed. Just as everyone else, the Bug type wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

“Steven, Eric. I sensed one of Fox’s companions in the final carriages of the train, nearby the luggage cart we were located before. I’ll arrive as soon as possible, as I am currently dealing with some... minor trouble.” Layton informed through the mental link.

“Ready to catch her once and for all, Eric?” Steven grinned, as his wings flapped rapidly, preparing for a Tailwind

“....ready…” Eric nodded curtly., as his Volcarona’s wings buzzed faster as well

Crash!

“Miss Midnight, I’d appreciate it if you woke up.”

Pockets shivered, as an extreme cold sensation ran through her body, “What, what just happened? Are we on the Crystal Empire or something?”

“You became frozen due to an Ice type attack. I calculated a Meteor Mash with the right amount of power and the right location to break as much ice as possible without harming you. Do you feel anything out of the ordinary? Mental fatigue, perhaps?”

Pockets shook her head with a grin, “Not really, just wished I had a blanket or something. Thanks bud, what happened while I was out?”

“Phantom Thief Fox managed to escape. Steven, Frederick, Eric, and Alex are already on the chase. We should hurry there. Also, Steven got your ring back.” Layton levitated the golden enchanted ring and placed it on the unicorn's saddlebag.

Pockets closed and sealed the bag, before advancing towards the place of the battle. But Pockets stopped midway when she saw a Bunnelby following the metal creature, who was already tucking his legs to advance through the roof.

“Hey, what do we do with this little guy? We can’t just throw him into a battle, we can’t leave him here either,” Pockets thought out loud. Layton landed softly, and closed his eyes. The eyes of the Bunnelby shined a bright white, before going to their normal color again.

“Wow, what happened? Where am I?” The small Normal type squeaked.

“Welcome aboard, little fellah! We are on a train, and we’re gonna fight a big baddie in a bit. So yeah, we wanted to thank you for your help. Layton , think you can safely place this guy on the ground?”

“Wait, so you guys are just leaving me here? What about our deal!?” The Bunnelby complained.

Layton and Pockets looked at each other confused, they had completely forgotten about the deal Layton and Steven made with the Bunnelby.

Layton cursed himself for not having payed attention to the earlier agreement, “We will provide you with your reward soon. As of now, we have other business to attend.”

“What!? No! I risked my body for this, I want my cabbage, and I want it now!” The Bunnelby stomped into the ground, thinking to himself that the duo owed him.

Pockets sighed, and tried to remain calm, “Look, pal. We really are thankful for the help you’ve given us. But we’re in a hurry right now, and our friends are in danger. So do you think maybe you can wait till later?”

The Bunnelby grunted, and jumped on Pockets’ head, pulling her hair, “In that case I’ll go with you!”

“Gah, dude, stop that! Seriously, we can’t take you there, it’s too dangerous!”

“I’m a brave Pokémon, I can deal with anything!” The Bunnelby said proudly, “Besides, you guys owe me my veggies, the Scizor said that you would give me a cabbage, and I won’t accept anything but a cabbage!”

“Layton, we need to deal with this guy, fast, I don’t think he’ll leave us until we pay him what Steven promised him. ”

“I’d prefer to not hurt the Bunnelby, I’ll analyze our possibilities, please keep him distracted while I find a solution.” Layton closed his eyes, and began thinking, leaving Pockets to face the demanding Bunnelby by herself.

“Ok, so… do you… like playing games?” Chuckled the unicorn awkwardly, not knowing what to do to entertain an alien child, and cursing Layton under her breath for leaving her alone with such a task. .

While all of this happened, in the final carts of the lengthy train, a purple, famous rich stallion from Canterlot calmly checked on all his loot gathered from a recent excavation in the North. Known for being linked to illegal artifacts and items, and said to have gained his fortune with them, he’d finally managed to get his hooves on one of the most powerful artifacts he has ever encountered. An ancient ring, capable of powering up a unicorn’s power to outstanding capabilities. Nothing was going to be able to stop him now, and everything seemed to be just fine, until that very moment.

“Sir, Sir! We’ve received reports from the grunts in the front carts. There seems to be multiple disturbances all over the train! These… Pokémon even attacked some of our own grunts! What are your orders?”

“This was supposed to be a calm and peaceful trip! All those bits wasted in these damn carts, and on the damn excavation. If those Pokémon destroy the train, it will be all over. Gah! Tell them to fight off the threat, and overall, protect these carts, with your life if you need to!”

However, just as he said that, there was a sudden explosion, and the roof came down...right on top of a group of grunts, crushing them underneath.

“Thanks for the soft landing,” a mischievous female voice chuckled from behind the cloud of dust that was kicked up. When it cleared, it revealed a small group of Pokemon, one of them a large fox dressed in a hat and cape. “Hope you’re all ready for the show,” she chuckled.

“What the heck do you want!? Just leave me alone you freak!” Gray Hat demanded, “All of you, whoever grabs that damn Pokémon gets eight thousand bits as a reward!”

The still standing grunts reached for their weapons, as they showed lances, whips, and even swords, before rushing towards the group of Dark types.

Fox just smirked, before tossing a few metal balls at each of them, and when the balls impacted, the grunts were coated in sticky webbing, before Weavile fired an Ice Beam at each of them, freezing them solid. “What a cold welcome. Didn’t your mother raise you better?” Fox taunted in amusement, as they started to advance towards Gray Hat.

“You had one job! This is what I get for hiring cheap employees.” The unicorn muttered, as his body started shining on a strong glow, disappearing before Fox reached him, and reappearing in the next, and last carriage of the train.

“I’ve scanned the train, Steven is going to engage Fox soon, we need to hurry,” Layton said.

“Layton, I thought you were finding possible solutions to our… little problem here” Pockets grunted, pointing at the Bunnelby, who was just standing there with his arms crossed and his little paws repeatedly stomping on the ground in impatience.

“I scanned all the nearby carts, and found what I believe is to be the kitchen… and I wasn’t able to find… a cabbage..”

“Why did Steven offer him such a specific thing!?” The unicorn thought to herself, keeping her fake smile on to not be intimidated by the impatient Bunnelby looking at her. “Listen, buddy, we… have a problem. Turns out, there are no cabbages here like we were promised! We swear we thought they would bring them, seriously. So, why don’t we keep going and maybe we can find some in the big city,” She tried to reason with the Normal Type

“If there’s no cabbage, then you have to pay with something else!” Squeaked the Pokémon, jumping in place with his arms still crossed.

“Gah, Layton, there were other vegetables in the kitchen, right?” Pockets grunted annoyed

“Indeed, but I don’t think it’d be legal to-”

“JUST DO IT, I… I just want to end this as soon as possible!” Even Pockets could hear the agony in her own voice, Steven was out there chasing a dangerous criminal, and here she was dealing with a small Bunnelby wanting a cabbage.

Layton closed his eyes, as annoyed as Pockets by the little interruption. Many doors on the hallway opened, and suddenly a wooden crate flew across the room, stopping and landing right in front of the Bunnelby.

“A box containing carrots, are you satisfied?” The Iron Leg Pokémon said coldly.

“Carrots? For a Bunnelby? That’s so stereotypical! I can’t accept this!”

Layton sighed, and once again brought another wooden crate into the room, this one with a sticker that seemed to represent lettuce leaves.

“Lettuce and carrots, are you satisfied now?” Layton grunted on his monotone voice.

“These ones…” The Bunnelby hummed, taking a better look at the product safely kept in the boxes, “They seem to be fresh, and they smell good...but they remind me of cabbages, so I won’t take them!”

Pockets’ eye started twitching, with a wide grin still trying to remain on her face, “Layton, please bring something else, this… will probably take a while”

“....it looks like we’re halfway there.” Eric pointed out,“....and still no sign of her. Seen anything peculiar yet?”

“Not much… until now, we have some company.” Steven informed, as some ponies stood up, with weapons on their mouths, wings, and the occasional unicorn levitational spell. Other ponies appeared from the neighbor wagons as well, also carrying a variety of weapons like whips and swords.

“I think we angered the staff, can’t blame it, we did kind of made a mess here.” Frederick deadpanned, as his feelers started to shine, preparing to attack.

“....Alex, forget Bug Buzz. Instead, Rage Powder!”

“...if you insist.” The Volcarona said softly, releasing bright red powder to the surrounding ponies, who annoyed by the slight burning sensation, proceed to attack he Volcarona.

“Get out of the way!” Eric ordered, and the rest of the group did as said, while the angry ponies on the other hand, crowded right below the Volcarona, attempting to jab him with their weapons.

“Now, Bug Buzz right underneath you!”

Alex followed Eric’s order by angling his wings toward the direction of the floor, as a horrible screech was sent, releasing various smaller yet still powerful waves around him. The henchmen were all paralyzed as their eardrums got blasted by the waves of the loud and high-pitched screech, sending them all unconscious on the ground

“Watch it, Eric, they may be trying to attack us, but try to not overdo it. Have to admit though, that’s one powerful Volcarona you got there, I can only compare it to Alder’s, although still not quite there yet, ” Steven chuckled, seeing as none of the unconscious attackers was seriously damaged.

“Thanks, but we’re on a timetable, Steven. We have to hurry or else we lose her for real.” Eric said coldly, rushing towards the next carriage.

“Don’t worry, I’m not the type of guy that can be left behind. Frederick, lets go!” Steven flapped his wings once again, calling for another Tailwind as the effects from the last one had faded.

Eric and Steven advanced through several wagons, knocking out the grunts that still dared to attack them. As they reached the final wagons, Steven attempted to open the door that lead to the two final carts. But as soon as he opened it, a powerful blast destroyed the roof, sending large fragments of metal and wood over the cart. As the cloud of dust disappeared, and the Pokémon cleared the path, they spotted a Zoroark, a Weavile, and a Liepard advancing to the other cart. They finally catched up with Fox and her gang.

“Miss Fox, wait!” came a young voice, as the Unicorn colt from before jumped down through the hole of the roof. But as he started to run, a whip grabbed his leg, bringing him to the floor. A bulky earth pony pulled the unicorn towards him, not letting him advance.

“Bullet Punch!” The lime green scizor rushed towards the grunt, as various weak yet repetitive orange colored punches struck the earth pony, leaving him unconscious. “Eric, you and your Volcarona go ahead. Frederick, go with them, we need to stop Fox before she tries anything.”

“Alright, you heard him, we’re going ahead!” Eric exclaimed, as they all went by Steven, but not before adding. “And be careful, Steven, there might be some ponies left.”

“Don’t worry about me, as of you” The Steel type glared at the young unicorn. “Kid. I don’t know what kind of lies Fox told you, but if you think this is some sort of game, you are wrong. Fox is a criminal, and helping her only means you’ll end up like she will, in jail. Go back to your parents, I don’t think they’d like this.”

“But Miss Fox helped my parents a lot. It's because of her the bad ponies can’t hurt them anymore!” The unicorn shot back. “And she’s trying to do it again. If she doesn’t stop that bad pony from getting that ring, a lot of ponies might get hurt!”

“Bad pony? What bad pony? The only bad person here is Fox!”

The Unicorn stamped his hoof in annoyance. “No she isn’t! Miss Fox is the good guy...girl here! The bad pony is that crime lord mom and dad were talking about!”

Steven looked at his eyes for a moment, his expressions, his words, there seemed to be no lies on his words. The grunts, the ring. Could it be that Fox was actually trying to help? Steven recalled the reports of the Fox heists back on Hoenn. Something was always odd about them. She almost always returned what they stole, and most of the times her heists lead to bigger arrests. The Ranger Union made it seem like they were just trying to eliminate the competition, but.. was it true? Only one way to find out.

“I can’t believe I am doing this. Kid… you said something about a ring, what exactly can this ring do?”

“Well, mom and dad’s old friend told us about it. Its a magic ring that can amplify a Unicorn’s power to insane levels. According to him, if that Unicorn gets that ring, a mountain will be a minor problem, since he could just blow it up. Miss Fox is trying to stop him from being able to do that,” the colt explained, hoping to convince Steven.

“You have no idea how hard it is to believe you right now, but if what you are saying is true, then Fox is the least of our problems. I seriously hope I’m doing the right thing. Kid, hop on my back, you wanted to go with her, then lets go.” Steven leaned forwards, and pulled back his wings, only showing a metallic bar which worked as the shell of his folded wings.

“Cool, I’m riding a metal lobster-bug,” he grinned as he hopped on.

“I can’t believe I’m actually doing this” The Steel type mumbled, before rushing forwards to the next cart.

“Two boxes of carrots,two boxes of turnips, a box of tomatoes, a crate full of lettuce, ten apples, a cardboard box full of orange juice, some olives; and fully cooked hamburger, double cheese, extra pickles, and enough ketchup to fill a small cup… are you satisfied now?”

The Bunnelby took a good look at the food in front of him. Smelling each box and sighing in joy with each sniff. He closed his eyes, and smiled.

“Yup, this should do!”

“FREAKING - FINALLY!” Pockets shouted in a mixture of anger, relief, and a small touch of depression. About fifteen minutes had passed since the madness with the Bunnelby began, but it felt like centuries for the unicorn who didn’t know what to do to stop the little rascal. “CAN… sigh Can we go now?”

The Bunnelby nodded, and the unicorn rushed towards the door, but a shout stopped her, a familiar voice who she had been hearing for the past… 15 minutes.

“Wait!” The Normal type exclaimed, causing Pockets to grunt in annoyance, getting ready to kick the Pokémon off the cart if he asked for one more thing. But the Digging Pokémon just chuckled and smiled, “Good luck!”

“Thanks… same to you, if the staff sees you with all that food, they’re gonna be mad, hide in the luggage and eat fast before we reach the city, you should be able to do an escape as soon as they start delivering the bags.” Pockets said calmly, analyzing the fact that she just wished to kick an innocent child off a moving train, and wondering how she got that idea.

“Miss Midnight, no time to lose. Steven has encountered a more dangerous foe and he needs our aid.” Layton informed coldly, tucking his legs and floating towards the room.

“Sure thing, lets finish this Fox gal!” Pockets exclaimed with cheer, teleporting next to Layton and rushing with him towards the final carts.

Meanwhile, in his personal carriage, Gray Hat was frantically tossing aside various items that he had piled on top of what he was looking for in order to hide it. Finally getting to the bottom, He grinned as he pulled out the bronze box that held his prize.

“Going somewhere?” came a sly voice from behind him. Turning to the source, he saw the Pokemon from before, all three of them having confident smirks on their faces, and not a single one of his grunts in sight.
“Gah, guards!” Gray Hat called, but there was no response, as all of his henchmen were already knocked out. “My mother always told me, if you want something done right, do it yourself,” he muttered darkly as he pulled out the ring.

“And my dad always told me to be prepared,” Fox laughed, as from the ceiling, a rope of webbing shot out, snagging the ring in Gray Hat’s magical grasp and promptly pulled it back to Fox, who grabbed the ring. “Checkmate,” she chuckled.

Gray Hat became alarmed, as his ultimate weapon was taken away from him with extreme ease, “What, No! Drop that ring, you don’t know what kind of pow- WOAH!” Grey Hat rushed towards Fox, yet slipped and falling due to a lone banana peel that was in the way.

“...that was random,” Fox blinked, before she noticed Rascal idly eating an already peeled banana. “...what am I going to do with you sometimes,” she chuckled in amusement. “Well, at least we go the-”

“Bug Buzz!” A familiar voice called, The gang’s ears were once more assaulted by the deadly screech that came from the Volcarona directly behind them. When it died down, a Hydreigon barged in, followed by a Sylveon.

“Good lord, man! Do you HAVE to keep doing that?!” Shade shouted in annoyance while all three of them were holding their ears. As the gang got back on their feet, Fox noticed that something was missing.

“The ring!”

“Looking for this?” They all looked back at the unicorn stallion, who was now holding the ring on his hoof, a malicious grin on his face.

“...gee, thanks for that distraction, ya maniac!” Rascal growled at their attackers. “You’ve ruined EVERYTHING, and now there is a high chance we are all gonna die! So thanks for ruining the day, hero.”

“What are you talking about?” Eric asked with a neutral look. “All I see is you thieves stealing someone’s ring.”

“Oh, you foolish Pokémon, there’s no such thing as a high chance, you see, there are no chances here. You are all, most definitely, going to die.” Gray hat raised his hoof, getting the ring closer to his horn. “And that weird Pokémon is right, here, there are only thieves stealing MY ring.”

“No! Don’t let him put that ring on!” came Toichi’s voice.

“What?! Toichi?! I thought I told you to stay behind!” Fox gasped in alarm upon seeing the colt...riding on Steven’s back. .

“Alex, Will-o-Wisp!” Eric called. Yet the ghostly fireballs didn’t reach their target, as they were stopped mid-air by a red aura, before being slowly turned into nothingness.

“It’s too late, behold. The power of the ancient ring!” Gray Hat began floating, and as if gravity was nothing but an obstacle, the things around him started floating as well.

“Once again, thanks for ruining everything, hero,” Rascal groused again, looking at the Hydreigon.

“Enough, Weavile,” Fox glared at him, before turning to Steven and Eric. “Okay, we’ve got a crazy pony who is more than ready to kill us with ancient powers that can blow up mountains. Truce?”

“There’s no other way, Fox. We need to get to an open area, do you think you can lead him to the roof?” Steven requested, getting his wings out and preparing to fight.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Fox said as she quickly rummaged through where she kept her bombs. “...and I know just how to do it,” she grinned, before looking at Gray Hat.

“Hey lame brain, I bet your mom was so retarded, she named you after the first thing she saw,” she taunted.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY MOTHER? YOU… DESPICABLE THING,” Knives and lances started floating around him, all surrounded in the aura of the ring’s power. “DIE YOU SCUM!”

But before he could actually do anything, a small metal ball went splat on his face, covering it in pink paint. “Whoops, too slow, PINK hat!” Fox laughed. “Heh, no wonder you need that ring. You probably couldn’t catch a snail with your regular power!” she laughed, before running up the ladder and out the hatch to the roof, her team following closely.

“YOU DESPICABLE THING!” Gray Hat fired a massive red beam towards the gang, who swiftly dodged it. The roof was no more, as a giant hole revealed the calm nightsky.

“You know, we’ve REALLY been tearing up this train’s roof. I wonder how nobody has called the authorities yet,” Fox idly commented as the Unicorn burst through a good chunk of the roof at the end. Fortunately, this left ample space for them to fight. “A little help would be appreciated here,” she said, calling down the hatch to her impromptu allies.

“Eric, Alex, Frederick. You go and help her, put as much pressure on the unicorn as possible. I’ll think of a plan to shut him down!” Steven called

“Right, let’s go!” Eric exclaimed, rushing upwards, and being followed by the quiet Volcarona and the grunting Sylveon who didn’t like being commanded by the Ace trainer.

As they did that, Steven turned to whom Fox called Toichi. “Kid, you seem to know about this ring. How can we stop its power?”

“Well...it may be strong, but it's actually very simple,” Started the unicorn. “I mean, the ring may have magic power, but if we remove the ring...or maybe cut off his horn...or even destroy the ring, then he’ll lose all his power,” he explained.

“Take the ring, cut off the horn, destroy the ring… how?” Steven thought to himself, before realizing that he had a way to stop Gray Hat, a plan that was too risky, but possibly, the only plan they could use. “Kid, you’ll feel an odd sensation in your head for a bit, I need you to relax and let it happen. A voice will come through, don’t panic when it does. We’ll need you to keep us informed, but we also need you to be safe. Got it?”

“Uh...okay?” Toichi said uncertainly...then he felt a presence enter his mind. Gulping slightly, he forced down his instincts that were screaming for him to run and let the presence in.

“Mister Toichi, can you hear this?” A robotic voice inside his mind asked.

“If you want to say something, just think hard enough and it’ll be sent through the mental link.” Steven informed, getting ready to join the fight.

“Uh...like this?” he thought.

“Affirmative, welcome Mister Toichi. I am Layton, Steven’s partner.”

“Introductions for later, Layton. I’ll need you to go to the roofs final carts of the train, now. Pockets, I’ll need you to go the same way, but stay inside. You’ll meet Toichi here, protect him from any harm, understood?”

“Got it Steven. Leave that to me” A feminine voice added

But before he advanced, something called Steven’s attention. Lying there, on a wooden box filled with paper strips, a light blue somewhat transparent crystal was resting with many other different kinds of gems. A strange white and gold pattern could be seen inside it, a pattern that Steven had seen many times before. In fact, Steven knew what the crystal was, as it was not a crystal, but a mega stone. “They were sent here as well...” Steven whispered, as he grabbed the stone, and tossed it towards Toichi’s direction, “Kid, give that to Pockets when she arrives, keep it safe, understood?”

“Er...okay,” Toichi nodded, taking the crystal, not the least bit understanding why it was so important. Steven pulled out his wings, which started flapping, allowing him to rush outwards, and into the fight.

“To protect a pony… who could this pony possibly be? I swear if he’s not worth missing the fight, I’ll smack a pie into Steven’s face“ Pockets walked into the carriage, taking a good look at the massive mass that was present there. Weapons on the floor, pieces of the roof shattered all around, and a strong light made it difficult for the unicorn to see the action clearly. She continued looking around, until she spotted a hiding unicorn. The coat seemed familiar to her, like if she had seen him before, but she couldn’t recall where or when.

“Yo, you must be Toichi, right?”

“Uhm… yes, and you must be.. Pockets, right?” The young colt said shyly, “Wait, you’re the pony that attacked Miss Fox earlier, the one with the robotic voice!”

“Yes, and no. My body was the one trying to stun the fox girl, but my mind was kind of not there…? I dunno really, things are always crazy with these Pokémon.”

Toichi shrugged at that. “Yeah, but its not a bad thing I guess. Speaking of which, Mr. Stone told me to give you this,” he said, giving her the Mega Stone. “He said it was very important.”

“A stone? Geez this guy is a mess. What could this possibly be?” Pockets chuckled, placing the crystalline gold and silver stone on her saddlebag, “And what is a kid like you doing in this mess? Steven is not the kind of guy that would just put kids in a fight”

“I wanted to be useful. I wanted to help miss Fox after what she did for my family,” he said.

“Aren’t you too young to help out a criminal from an alien planet?” The unicorn joked, “And how exactly are you planning to help her?”

Toichi was about to open his mouth...but promptly closed it, then smirked. “A magician never reveals his secrets.”

Pockets laughed at the young unicorn’s line, a grin on her face, “Magician, huh? I like you already kid, and from your cutie mark and all, I can already tell magic’s your deal, am I right?”

“Yep. I only got it just now. I owe it to miss Fox for telling me that trick to find out my talent. If it weren’t for her, I’d probably have been jumping from one idea to another like a headless chicken. That would have been REALLY dumb,” he chuckled.

At that moment, a certain trio of Foals in a not-so-far away place sneezed.

“Really? Damn, congrats! Makes me remember when I got my buttpic." The unicorn chimmed proudly, "Who would've thought I had such an odd talent"

Toichi took a look at the mare's Cutie Mark, to see a thief mask surrounded by a white heart. "...I don’t fully get it,” he blinked. “Does it mean you have a talent for being a vigilante thief? That’s kinda like what Miss Fox is doing.”

"From what Frederick told me... yeah, in a way, I guess that what we do is similar. But while she gives criminal acts away, I milk those criminals and greedy ponies to give those in need a new chance. I’m like a real life Robin Hoof! For five years I've been stealing from Tall Tale's corrupt Mayor and his friends, giving the bounty to the poor ponies back there."

"Well, that was really nice if you, but miss Fox kinda has you outdone. Thanks to her, that awful Mayor isn't a mayor anymore. He's in jail now," Toichi chuckled.

“Wait, old horse Grumble? The Mayor of Tall Tale?” Toichi’s nod of confirmation caused a loud laugh in Pockets, who after a minute or so stopped. “This Fox is quite impressive. To be honest, I wanted to catch her just for the sake of the challenge, but she seems to be out of my league! I’ve been trying to uncover the old horse for a while now, even gave up at a point.”

“We didn’t do it alone. Miss Fox always says that a Fox is only as good as their team. She could only do it cause everyone was working together to show everyone the Mayor’s real face,” Toichi explained.

But as Pockets got ready to reply, she pushed Toichi into a bag of piles, kicking some bags to cover him completely, before disappearing completely out of sight with an invisibility spell. Toichi was about to ask what was going on, but he was shut down when the debris that were caused by all the destruction began moving.

“Miss Midnight has requested me to create a private mental link for you two, this should avoid confusion on the main link that is currently being used for the battle.” A robotic voice announced, who Toichi identified as Layton, the Steel creature that accompanied Steven.

“Kid, remain silent. These guys are beaten up, so they should be an easy target. My spell won’t last long, so if anything, I know I can trust you to guard my back” Pockets said mentally, as three seriously injured ponies stood up from their metal tombs.

“And what am I supposed to do? I’m not a fighter.” The white unicorn replied.

“Kid, if I’ve learnt anything in my short life, is that we all are born fighters.” The blue unicorn’s spell ended, and before the injured grunts could react, she hoofed one in the cheek, leaving him unconscious, before shooting a stun spell to the other one. Yet the last one was not there, it had disappeared, or rather, tele-transported. Behind the mare, a bulky pegasus kicked her with extreme force, sending her to the wall and sending rather heavy debris to fall on her, as the two carriages were slowly falling apart. He picked up a knife with his mouth, and growled at his target, getting ready to kill. Pockets tried to throw another stun spell, but she wasn’t able to, maybe a mental cooldown due to the fear.She gulped and closed her eyes, getting as far away from the angry pony as possible.

Toichi’s mind was soon racing at several miles per second, thinking of a way to get out of this situation. That’s when he got an idea...just as the pony was upon them. “Don’t need to look so angry. After all, the fun is just starting!” Toichi grinned, right before his horn emitted a bright flash, blinding the pony. “Nothing up my hoof,” he said, before pulling out a LONG line of cloth from who knew where, and before the pony could react, all but mummified him, so quickly, he was soon very dizzy. At this, Toichi simply tipped him over, causing him to fall over.

“See? Told ya! I knew you could do it. Now help me out in here, my magic doesn’t work when I’m under a lot of pressure. Kind of odd considering how I’m a thief.” She chuckled, as the young unicorn approached her, levitating some of the fallen metal and freeing the unicorn, “Thanks kid. Ya know, that was a pretty awesome trick, wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up being a phantom thief yourself.”

“Maybe,” Toichi chuckled. “That does sound pretty cool though,” he mused as he considered it.

Up on the roof, the Fox gang were gracefully dodging a veritable barrage of silverware and various other sharp metal items...well...as well as they could with the limited space. “This is getting ridiculous. We can’t even get close like this,” Fox grumbled.

“Alex, Protect!” Eric called, protecting himself and Alex from the incoming barrage of sharp metals

As it turns out, Eric positioned himself on the other side of the roof, thus trapping the stallion right in the middle. “Sylveon, Moonblast the Unicorn!” Frederick jumped over the Hydreigon before firing a pink orb toward the empowered unicorn.

“And now, he’s using me like if he was my freaking trainer… I swear, Steven will pay for this” Frederick thought to himself, following the Hydreigon’s orders.

“You too, Liepard. Hyper Beam!” Fox quickly ordered, as her Pokémon obeyed, the two attacks flying at Gray Hat.

“You are all weak! WEAK!” Gray Hat shouted, stopping the attacks mid air, and returning them to their attackers,who were forced to dodge…again. “WHY CAN’T YOU UNDERSTAND? YOU ALREADY LOST!”

“Great, killed by a pony. This is how I meet my end? Meh, I expected worse,” The Sylveon sighed, before launching several small Shadow Balls towards the floating unicorn.

“Sorry, but I don’t intend to go that easily,” The Weaville growled, before firing a Blizzard at the Unicorn.

“Alex, Quiver Dance, then Rage Powder, draw his attention away!” With the command, the Volcarona flickered out of existence.

“You won’t escape. DIE YOU PITIFUL BUG!” Gray Hat launched massive beams, aiming at the fast Volcarona, who barely managed to dodge the attacks.

“Hyper Beam!” The Volcarona gathered a massive energy right in front of him. Due to the effect of Quiver Dance, of course, the beam that was fired became more massive than normal.

“Dark Triangle!” Fox barked, as the three of them tried their combo move again, the high powered Dark Pulse racing towards Gray Hat.

The pony surrounded himself on a field of magic, which absorbed all the attacks, releasing the power in the form of waves afterwards, sending all the Pokémon back.

“Hey, anyone wonder where Stone went?” Fox couldn’t help but ask as she picked herself up, dusting her hat a little.

“Meteor Mash!”

A silver blur flew above their head, showing four iron claws surrounded by a yellow star, rapidly spinning like a massive iron top. The Unicorn tried to stop him, but due to his speed and power, the attacks managed to hit. But they were all surprised when the unicorn took the damage like it was just a scratch. The unicorn grabbed the Metagross with his magic grip, and launched it towards the rest of the team. Layton slowed down, and revealed his four legs, landing next to the shiny Scizor that controlled him

“Guess that power boost wasn’t just his magic…” The Liepard groaned in annoyance.

“Toichi was right, we can’t do any sort of damage to him unless we separate him from that ring.” Steven informed

“That’s kind of what we were hoping to do from just now,” she replied idly.

“Of course, it would have been SOOO much easier if SOMEONE didn’t insist on attacking us like a starving Growlithe on a piece of meat,” The Ice type snarked again, pointing at the Hydreigon.

“Weavile, one more time, and you’re in timeout after this,” Fox warned.

“No, he is right, it was kinda my fault. We’ll do it!” The voice of the Hydreigon caught their attention. “For the moment, Alex has the best chance of distracting him. Due to the effect of Rage Powder, the unicorn will focus his attention on Alex. You try to think of something up, we’ll play cat and mouse for now.”

“Great, that’s just what I needed. Fox, I’ll need you to let Layton into your mind, I have a plan, but if he hears us, it won’t work.” Steven said, as his pincers began to glow.

“...fine. But it better be communication only,” Fox nodded, though she still focused her mind to keep up her mental block against anything OTHER than receiving and sending thoughts. The same was done by the rest of her team. When she felt the presence enter, she asked, “So what do yo have in mind?”

After hearing what he had to say, Fox nodded. “Sounds good to me. Let’s go.”

“Hey, Gray Hat. You know, if what they say about the ring is true, then you must be really weak if you haven’t been able to take us out yet!” Frederick called

“SHUT UP!” Gray Hat exclaimed, preparing a large metal bar and aiming at him

“He’s right. In fact, here’s a present for LOSER,” Fox chuckled, before chucking a Shadow Ball at him from another angle, while he was in the middle of the attack.

“YOU PESKY BRAT!” Gray Hat changed his aim, and prepared the bar to be shot at Fox.

“Will-o-Wisp!” And yet another interruption came in the form of glowy blue flaming balls that were shot towards him.

“ENOUGH!” Gray Hat screamed, stopping the orbs, and ripping the metal bars in 3, and shooting each at the taunting Pokémon.

“Hammer Arm!” Layton called, destroying the metal piece that was shot at Frederick

“Ice Beam!” Barked the Weavile as he froze the bar aimed at Fox solid, while Shade smashed it with a Rock Smash. He then fired another Ice Beam at Gray Hat, nicking his hoof.

“Heatwave!” Alex called, flames surrounding the incoming bar. Until it became molten metal that dropped harmlessly on the roof.

“GAH! YOU ARE SO ANNOYING!” Gray Hat said, as various trees from the surrounding area began lifting off the ground, flying towards the Pokémon.

“Everyone, around us, dodge or attack but whatever you do, don’t let him throw you off the train” Layton said, before smashing a trunk with a Bullet Punch.

“Don’t need to tell us that,” Shade chuckled as she dodged another tree that passed right over her.

They all did as the Steel type said, Both Eric, Alex, and Frederick went flat on the roof as a large part of earth was thrown at them.

“Weavile!” Fox shouted.

“On it!” he said, before using Blizzard to freeze it solid, followed by Shade destroying it with a Dark Pulse, which was then directed at Gray Hat.

Gray Hat, still focused on the trees, did not notice when the Dark Pulse struck him, and neither did he notice the damage that was supposed to make.

“And here I thought that was a ring that only powered up magic. Not defense. So how is the plan coming along? We can’t last forever here,” she asked over the mental link.

“I’m on the move, we just need to reach him, keep his attention on you. Eric, on me!

“Will do,” Fox mentally saluted, before she threw another Shadow Ball at him.

“The plan, the chance of it working is of a fifteen percent. There are many variables that could affect the result, most of which are against its success.”

“Good thing this link is private then, we don’t need the rest to know our chances. This is the only way I can think of, Layton”

“That’s incorrect, there should be more ways to deal with him. I only need some more minutes to analyze the entire situation, and--”

“We don’t have more minutes, this pony is using a power you’re not familiarized with. This is the only way I can think off.”

“That move worked only once in training, you were never able to perform it again. We know you can use it, but the chances of you managing to perform it now under all this pressure are--”

“Stop with the negativity, Layton. Sometimes, calculations are not the way to go, sometimes faith is the only thing necessary. Let's do this the way we used to, with our instincts.”

“There’s a reason we stopped using… our instincts.”

The two Pokémon remained silent, as Layton fought and Steven prepared himself for the rush. They couldn’t let sore memories affect them now, it was now or never.

“Good luck… Steven”

”Alright!” The former Champion said, brewing a Tailwind to speed Eric and himself up. The pair of former trainers tried to sneak up from the right side of the carriage, but the unicorn was able to detect them. .

“YOU THINK I CAN’T SEE YOU? YOU PESKY BRATS, I SENSE IT ALL!” Grey Hat exclaimed, sending various red beams at the two running Pokémon.

As swiftly as they could, the pair dodged the incoming beams as they reached their locations. The two kept advancing, getting closer at the crimelord.

“YOU ARE ALL PESTS ON THIS COUNTRY, ON THIS WORLD. YOU DESERVE TO DIE!” Gray Hat took off a huge chunk of metal from the side of the cart’s wall. He ripped it and launched sharp pieces to all the Pokémon around.

“Eric, get rid of that! If I dodge more, I’ll fall of the train!” Steven called, looking at the Hydreigon behind him

Eric nodded, and focused on the attack, managing to launch a powerful enough Dragon Pulse at the huge chunk of metal flying their way. Shaking his head slightly, not used to using that move, he catched up with Steven and gave him a nod. “Time for the finishing blow, Steven!”

“Ok, let's finish this!” Steven exclaimed, as he started flapping his wings, brewing a Tailwind which speeded Eric up. “Fox, now!”

“You got it! Close your eyes!” she barked, before throwing a single, oddly shaped bomb. The bomb went off, revealing that it was a flash bang, and it went off right in Gray Hat’s face, blinding the mad pony.

While Gray Hat was blinded, Eric floated next to the unicorn, and surrounded his neck with his arms, pulling it back to the roof level.

“Steven, finish it now!” The Hydreigon exclaimed as he struggled to hold the Crime Lord in place.

“Please work again…” Steven said to himself, as the thorns on his pincers glowed a bright white, he opened the pincers, and aimed for the horn. “BUG BITE!”

A loud chop, and then a metallic sound. Gray Hat screamed in pain, as the power he once held, began fading. He looked at the roof, and saw his precious horn on the cold ground, the ring still on it.

“....it’s done.” Eric released the unicorn from his grip and floated back, watching him try to pathetically attempt to put his horn back.

“I think this has caused us enough trouble,” Fox simply said as she almost casually yanked the horn out of the now powerless pony’s grasp, and promptly dropped a web bomb on him. “Show’s over.”

“Give me the horn, Fox. I’ll give it to the authorities.” Steven ordered, opening his pincer.

“I’ve got a better idea. I think this thing has done quite enough already,” Fox simply said, as she tossed the horn into the air. “Hyper Beam.” And it was promptly obliterated, ring and all by a Hyper Beam from Shade.

“That’s a way to do it” Frederick chuckled from the distance, as he called for a Wish to heal himself up.

“Did...did it work?” Toichi asked from the mental link, the colt trembling in where he was hiding.

“It did, thank you, Kid. Without you, I wouldn’t have known what to do. You are a hero” Steven replied, sitting on the roof and letting out a loud sigh.

“H-happy to help,” the colt smiled weakly, finally crawling out of his hiding spot as the Pokémon went back into the train car, the now cocooned Gray Hat with them.

“Yo, Steven, I heard some crazy explosions going on up there. You guys Okay?” Pockets asked, seeing the dusty and injured Pokémon.

“My readings indicate that we are all on a stable condition. In other words, we are Okay.” Layton replied coldly.

“Well, glad that’s over with,” Rascal sighed.

"Yeah, that was tough. But you're still a fugitive, Fox, and even if you helped or not, I have to arrest you " Glancing at the Volcarona beside him, Eric nodded. "Alex....you know what to do."

“Okay,” Alex looked at the Fox gang with an apologetic look. “Sorry, Mrs. Thief.”

“Why you dirty, double crossing…” Shade was about to say, but Fox stopped her.

“Enough, Liepard,” Fox sighed, and raised her arms up in surrender. “After all that, I’m way too beat to want to deal with these two. Sides, I’m fresh out of bombs I was carrying. So its better this way, right?” she sighed.

“Don’t worry Fox, I’ll try to help you out in court, if there’s one in this place at least. Maybe reduce your sentence a couple of years, who knows.” Steven shrugged, flapping his wings to regain a regular temperature. “Scizor sure get pretty heated up in battles, huh?

“Much obliged,” Fox nodded as they started to walk out of the train carriages. However, just as they were entering the luggage carriage, Toichi suddenly fell over, which the entire Fox gang ran to his side. “You okay, kid?” Rascal asked.

“Layton, analyze his body! Frederick, get ready to run back to the medicine room!” Steven ordered, as he walked towards the young unicorn.

“Steven… I suggest you back off. There’s nothing wrong with--”

“You were really cool Mr. Stone, but sorry, I owe Miss Fox more,” Toichi smiled apologetically, before another of Fox’s bombs levitated out of his mane, and shot at the collective Pokemon, revealing itself to be a Shock Bomb when it detonated.

“Oh, did I forget to mention? I was out of bombs, but the KID wasn’t. I’ll leave Gray Hat to you all. Adieu,” Fox chuckled, before the metal attachment that connected the luggage car to the last two train cars was promptly destroyed by twin Shadow Balls from Shade, the Liepard; and Rascal, the Weavile; leaving the two remaining train cars to be left behind by the rest of the train, the Fox gang waving to them as they disappeared into the distance.

“Ahg, can’t… move…” Steven muttered.

“....Damn...got..to….chase...her!” Eric groaned.

“No… leave her be… we won’t be able to catch her in… time” Steven sighed. The paralysis effect ended, and they all stood up to see the carts left behind, as the shiny Zoroark waved from the distance. “Besides, she did her part. I’m sure someone else will get her one day, or maybe not. Let destiny decide. If Arceus brought her here, it’s for a reason, right?”

“....I guess….no, there has to be a reason. Otherwise...she would’ve been left behind.”

“Good luck, Fox. Whether you are a thief, or a hero, you saved a lot of ponies and Pokémon.” Steven thought to himself, before looking back at the Hydreigon. “I suppose you are going to Canterlot?”

“I am,” Glancing over his shoulder, he added. “We got business in the city, mainly concerning a family member. I’m sure you can put two and two together.”

“Great, we’ll be able to give both our testimonies to the authorities to get this guy on jail. “Steven pointed at the immobilized Gray Hat, who was crying and cursing under his breath. “Besides, I’ll need help calming the ponies over the first carts.”

The Hydreigon and his Volcarona looked at each other, muttered something Steven didn’t manage to identify. But before he could ask, the two rushed away, waving and leaving the carts.

Pockets chuckled, and patted Steven in the back, “Crazy day, huh?”

“I faced a mad unicorn with the power to move mountains, with a thief I swore revenge on and a random mindly screw-loose trainer as my allies. I let the thief escape after it all ended, and now, I’m stuck with a now powerless criminal without knowledge of how the legal system works on this planet. So yes, this can be considered a ‘crazy day’ “ The Scizor replied curtly.

“You’re way too weird, Steven. I’m sure there were better ways to say that” Pockets chuckled awkwardly, , “Welp, we are reaching Canterlot soon enough, so after the whole deal with the pony is over, I can go, sell this stuff, and get us a nice hotel room for us to rest at. Whatchu say?”

“I’ll sleep on the floor anyways, so I don’t mind. But wasn’t your money supposed to go to the people in Tall Tale?” Frederick deadpanned, while eating an apple he picked from the ground.

Pockets grabbed her loot bag, and poked it, “How much do you think this is worth? We may as well spend the night in the most expensive hotel and I’d still have enough money to send to Tall Tale.” But before anyone could reply, the poking on the bag caused a silver-light-blue crystalline rock, with an odd silver and gold pattern in it.

“That would explain why my senses were not behaving properly,” Layton looked at the crystal, and grabbed it with his Psychic powers. “Where did you possibly find this, Miss Midnight?”

“Oh I remember now! That kid Toichi told me to give it to Steven. The action upstairs was so intense that I forgot, sides, I didn’t have much sleep so yeah, didn’t remember.” Pockets shrugged, before taking a closer look at the rare stone, “What is it anyways?”

“Metagrossite, a Mega Stone,” Steven pointed out, before getting closer to the stone and holding it with his pincers, “I found it on Gray Hat’s cart. I gave it to Toichi so he could give it to you, Pockets, and you could hold it for me.”

“Of all the Mega Stones out there, you had to get the Metagrossite, didn’t you?” The Sylveon deadpanned.

“I guess that I got lucky. I still need the Key Stone if I want to mega evolve Layton.”

“Ok, you have no idea how confused I am right now,” Pockets interrupted, poking at the Mega Stone, “What the heck is that thing, what is this mega evolution you guys are talking about, and what on Equus is a Key Stone?”

“Well, where should I start…” Steven left out a soft grin as one of his favorite topics was brought up.

“Great, you just triggered him. Now he won’t stop talking about it.” The Sylveon sighed, before jumping on a table and bracing himself for the long explanation.

“There are two stories you should know. First, a story between a small village, and the god of the skies. And then another story, about a young boy, and his Lucario…”

“And that’s all the information we have on Mega Evolution until now, a good portion of that information I proudly claim them as my own discoveries.” Steven took a good look at the group, seeing all of them but Layton fast asleep, he sighed in sadness. and sat down with a grin on his face. At least the story had cheered him up.

He started thinking about his life back on Earth. About his two families, his dad, and his team. He thought about his friends, his partners, even his enemies. He then thought about all he had lost, his vast rare stones collection, his advanced technological devices, his years of research on many subjects... his adventures, his feats, his goals. Was everything really over?

"Yo... sorry for falling asleep, I really liked your stories, but like, I'm dead tîred. So yeahp... maybe you can start over?"

Steven chuckled and softly played with Pickett's already messy hair up."Thanks... you've been through all of this with me. You didn't have to, but you faced things many wouldn't even consider facing, you even risked your life for us. I’m still not comfortable with your career choices, but you seem to be a great person, er... pony"

Pockets chuckled, a soft blush on her cheeks, "Nah, you're giving me too much credit. I'm the one that wanted to go on this crazy train, both figuratively and literally.”

“Steven let out a soft smile, and took Pockets wildly, kissing her violently on the lips”

The duo looked at the source of the voice in shock and embarrassment, their faces completely red, while Frederick chuckled softly at his interruption. “By the way, I wasn’t really asleep, was hearing you two lovebirds compliment each other.”

Pockets smacked Frederick off the train seat he was laying at, as his face slammed the cold metal floor, almost leaving his smug mile printed in the metal, “We’re not lovebirds you idiot!”

Steven remained silent, as he hadn’t noticed the turn the conversation had taken. He took a good look at his pincers, he pretty much stroked Pockets’ head in an almost romantic fashion a few minutes ago. What was he even thinking?

“Excuse me” A deep voice interrupted from the door. The two blushed and got as far away of each other as possible, while Frederick checked his mouth to see if he didn’t have any missing teeth.

“Uhm yes, what can we do for you?” Steven asked, trying to regain his serious composure.

“I’m a representative of Mister Express Route, CEO of the train operating company, Express Route. We got a letter from the main offices in Canterlot. Mister Route would like to have a word with you.” The tall earth pony informed coldly, “Two staff members will lead you to his office as soon as you arrive to the city. So please follow their lead. Thank you.”

As swiftly as he arrived, the pony left the scene. And after all that had happened, Steven didn’t know what else to say, but sigh and look at the rising sun in the horizon. He wasn’t sleepy anymore, and as far as he knew, they had at least thirty more minutes before they reached their destination.

“I’ll go talk with Eric for a few minutes,” Steven sighed, before leaving the carriage. Pockets was still blushing, yet the red of her face turned from embarrassment to anger as she menacingly looked at the Sylveon that was once again up.

“So, everything is under control. We just have to accompany the ponies to the police station and give testimony of what happened. We also apparently need to talk with the manager of the train-line. But besides that, we’re all good”

The shiny Scizor had arrived at the carriage Eric was staying at not long ago, after making sure that everyone (with the exception of the grunts, and the carts that Fox had taken away) was okay: Steven had decided to have a small talk with the trainer that aided him on the battle. He seemed like the powerful yet still naive kind of trainer. He was stoic and heroic, but didn’t seem to think before acting, yet still his Pokémon seemed to appreciate him deeply, and the former Champion could see why.

“Steven….”

The Steel type looked at the Hydreigon with a raised eyebrow, as the tone of his voice seemed to indicate some sort of worry. “Yes, Eric?”

“About earlier, sorry I screwed up.” Eric admitted, head looking downward miserably. “I really shouldn’t have...I didn’t really know what that ring did. If I had known….I should stop now, I’ll probably just try to think of some bad excuse.”

The Champion thought for a second. Before taking a serious look and looking at Eric in eyes, “You did what you had to do. You didn’t know what the ring did, but you knew Fox was involved and that she always means problems. You did a great job back there, I wouldn’t have managed to take down Gray Hat without your help. Given, you need to work some more, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

We’re all far from perfect, and we all make mistakes. But what’s important is that we fix those mistakes, and we try to improve, learning with every mistake. That’s the beautiful thing about errors, you can learn from them to become a better self. Like when you search a cave system for the first time, you’ll most likely end up in dead ends or natural deadly traps, but that’s part of the job, to find those and avoid going through them again. So don’t beat yourself up for a mistake even I could have made”

Eric straightened his head again, with a soft grin on his face. “.....you’re right. It’s better I shouldn’t sulk like that.”

“Great, anyways, now that the ponies in the train are all good, and the crew agreed to help with Gray Hat, I believe we’re going to split ways soon. It’s been a pleasure, Eric Angelo.” Steven advanced towards his cart, almost all pending business done, before being stopped shortly by the voice of the Hydreigon.

“Hey, Steven…”

“Yes?”

“…Do you mind if I challenge you to a battle, in the event should we meet again? I always wanted to challenge champions, both ex and current ones.” Eric asked almost shyly.

“I’m afraid that, I… can’t say no to that. After seeing your Volcarona in action, I’m sure it will be an interesting fight. But first, I’d need to reunite with my team, as Layton is the only one I’ve encountered so far. So if we ever meet again, I’d be glad to have a battle with you.” Steven kept going, leaving the cart to reunite with his group, and leaving that slight trail of sparkles distinctive of a shiny Pokémon.

The cart Eric was in went silent, before he left a confident grin. “....glad to hear that.”

Author's Notes:

Second and final part of my crossover with A New Stage, and A New Dawn! Hoped you enjoyed them, and don't worry, next chapter is not far from done.

Writer's notes:

Uber Reaper - Ah, classic traintop battles, how I love to kick a crime lord’s ass like that alongside TDN and ThatOneVolcarona. First time I had a three-way crossovers, nevertheless, I enjoyed writing it with these two awesome authors. With that, I hope you all like this crossover as much as I do. Enjoy!

Tdn - I really enjoyed writing this collab, and I really enjoyed writing it with you two. You’re a ton of fun. Hope everyone likes this.

Me - This was extremely fun and exciting to do. These two guys are great, and this crossover just shows how awesome they are. Hope you all enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed writing it. Also, don’t you just love blowing up trains?

And there we go. Links to their pages and fics on the last doc cus me lazy.

Hope you enjoyed!

Wait... Another note?

Oh... oh god, oh no!

Bubba was here.

GOD DAMMIT

Chapter 7 : Canterlot City

View Online

Author's Notes:

So! New chapter!... after a month.

What has happened to me? Well, me and filler chapters don't have a really good relationship... I usually get stuck on these. Also school. Also the map and rules for the group thingy (Yes, I helped with the rules. Yes, there are rules for the ANW group). Also I've had two writing blocks. Also I'm lazy as hell.

But it's here, and with a new style!

If you guys prefer the old style better, let me now on the comments.

And as always, hope you enjoy this chapter! And don't worry, I haven't been fully procrastinating this last month, I actually have a crossover written already, and two other crossovers being worked on. Plus there's a special chapter coming up which will start the new arc, I think you guys will like it,

Big thanks to my editors. They are amazing guys, and I can't thank them enough for their help.
TDNPony
Floofking
Eonflare

Enjoy!

”No… this can’t be happening. This is all my fault, I… I can’t go back without them…They’re gone... gone forever. I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THEM! They will… they will hate me, they won’t treat me like their son anymore… All my fault…

I deserve to die… I’m worthless...”

“Mister Express Route is ready to see you, Mister Stone.”

Steven slowly walked inside the classic-styled room, observing the portraits, the diplomas, certificates, recognition awards, and various other fancy decorations on the carefully, recently dusted walls. The rest of the furniture was as well taken care of as the walled ones, as the fancy chairs, bookcases, sofas and tea table screamed wealthiness.

“Hello, Mister Stone!” A cheery, slightly raspy voice called. Steven looked at the big desk in the rear end of the room, as an old looking, blue pegasus stallion waved softly. “Come, come. We got some business to discuss.”

Steven nodded softly, and got closer to who he assumed was the owner of the company, Express Route. “Greetings, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“No, no, the honor is mine. I’ve personally haven’t found the time to speak with one of your species, yet I really see Pokémon as such amazing creatures.” The pegasus smiled, getting up to give a warm hoof-to-pincer shake.

“They are indeed.” Steven replied with a small grin. The pony reminded him of his father in a way, calm and friendly, his "glory days" were not quite over, as even with his apparent age, he still preferred to take care of his own business, otherwise, he wouldn't be the one receiving him.

"You probably know why I called you here today. " The stallion began, "When I first saw you Pokémon, I wondered if you'd be dangerous or not. The city went nuts when you appeared, everypony was scared of the huge blast that surrounded the planet, and even more scared of the little critters that started appearing shortly afterwards."

Express Route giggled, and sighed, "Then I heard the reports of all the damage that had been happening everywhere, from the Crystal Empire to Saddle Arabia. It seemed to me like this was the end of our days, an alien invasion. But it was Pokémon like you, that changed my impression of your species as a whole. New heroes appearing everywhere, stopping the chaos and saving dozens of lives, yes, like you,, Mister Stone. You saved my train.”

The Scizor rubbed his metallic head, humbled by the pegasus’ words, "I don't see myself as a hero, if it wasn't for Eric and Fox, I would probably have failed. I was just there to help."

"Bullocks! You're too humble! I received a peculiar letter rather late yesterday. One of my trains, en route from the Frozen North to Canterlot. Three Pokémon causing a massive ruckus. I was scared at first. But then I got the second letter today, a criminal unicorn was stopped, an ancient ring of legends retrieved, and the world probably saved! Or my passengers, at least."

Steven looked at him slightly confused, not knowing where he was going with all of this. The Pegasus stood in the other side of the table, his right wing carefully grasping a long, red feather, white sheets of paper in front of him.

"Please, tell me your version of this interesting story,"

The former champion took a deep breath, and began narrating. From the moment they entered the train, to the moment the ring got stolen, and all the way until Fox escaped their custody. Express Route just nodded, asking the occasional question and giving light reactions to the more amusing events.

“And as I said before, I apologize deeply for illegally boarding your train, and damaging it greatly. If there’s a legal procedure that-"

But Steven was abruptly interrupted when the old stallion emitted a loud laugh. It took a minute or so for the pegasus to calm down, as he shook his head in amusement, "Legal procedures? My boy, you saved my passengers AND my reputation! There's no need for such horsecrap! I'm, in fact, thankful that you boarded my train. My passengers are completely safe, and with Gray Hat under custody, the name of the company is on every single newspaper!"

The Scizor blinked in surprise. He couldn't believe it. "No, no. Please. If there's anything that has to be done. I accept any legal punishment."

But the Pegasus just laughed again. He took a yellow envelope from his desk, and placed it in front of Steven. The Steel type took it reluctantly, doubting if he should open it or not. Reading his mind Express Route let out a "Go ahead", and Steven did as said. Inside there was a flashy golden colored cardboard ticket. Steven didn't have a clue as to what it was.

“Sir, I don’t understand the meaning of this.”

“Mister Stone. I did my research. Two passengers claimed to have seen you fighting off a giant monster that was terrorizing Tall Tale. You probably saved an entire city! I’ve learned from experience that whenever there's a hero, there's destruction. There's no reason for someone like you to go around like a criminal." The Pegasus searched his desk, before taking out a red binder folder, and extracting a small paper out of it. "We received three bulletins less than two weeks ago, wanted bulletins from Tall Tale. Please take a look at one of them."

The Bug type already suspected what the bulletin would show. They were criminals, and just as suspected, every train station knew about it. The bulletin was printed in a rough white paper. It showed a pretty good drawing of himself, with all but the pincers drawn correctly. Yet what gave the identity, of what could have been any other Scizor, was the lime green color, and two black printed words of considerable size that read "Steven Stone" followed by smaller text that announced the prize, two thousand bits, and the one to be contacted, Mayor Grumble himself.

Steven didn't know what to say, Was it all a trap? Then what was the ticket for?

Reading his mind, and his subtle yet clear expression, Express Route let out a rather soft chuckle, "Three days ago, Mayor Grumble was sent to prison. He was involved in some shady businesses, and was using the Treasure of the city as his own personal bank account. Fun fact, he was busted by two Pokémon, one of them was this Phantom Thief Fox you spoke of. And not long ago, the new head of the police department sent out a new letter in which he announced that you and your companions were free of charge."

"Fox, huh? I guess the kid was telling the truth then... But I still don't get where this is going."

"The ticket I just gave you is a rather special item. I usually give it to my closest friends and family, but you're an exception. A Golden Ticket. With that, you can go anywhere in Equestria by train, and all the costs will be charged to my company."

Steven blinked in surprise, before rapidly returning the small ticket, "Oh no, I can't possibly accept this. Besides, I don't travel alone."

The stallion laughed once again, before giving the ticket back to Steven, "Heroes like you deserve this. Consider it a thank-you-gift for saving the life of my passengers, and crew. Besides, this ticket works for you and anyone that is accompanying you. No limits. Use it as you wish, but please don't sell it." He chuckled.

Steven nodded, still astonished by the sudden generosity of the Pegasus. Back on Earth, he didn’t need anything, he had all the resources he could need thanks to his father. If anyone ever offered a reward he would just decline it, he didn't need most of the things that were offered. But here, he had nothing, and he still needed to get to the Everfree. And for the looks of it, the old stallion wouldn’t take a no as an answer.

"Thank you... sir."

Express route stood up and extended his hoof to the shiny Scizor, "Thanks to you, Mister Stone. I suppose you have plenty of business here in Canterlot. A meeting with the royalty I suppose. And we've kept your friends waiting far too long."

"What about Gray Hat? Won't there be a trial for his crimes?"

"Don't worry about him, we'll deal with it, you gave your testimony to me and I can present it to the tribunal. We have lie detector unicorns so he can't get away from this one. Just go and enjoy this beautiful city."

Steven stood up as well, and shook the pony's hooves, "Thank you, sir." The feel of no longer being a criminal, at that precise moment, it was the best feeling in the world.

Meanwhile, Pockets anxiously groaned in the waiting room. The office's smell was nothing like the fresh air of the open areas she was used to, it made her feel... normal, and it annoyed her. Frederick was soundly asleep next to her, she had tried to sleep but the concrete walls and the obnoxious typewriter noises angered her.

“Gah! I can’t take it any longer!” She groaned, stomping the ground. “How much longer will he take?”

Frederick groaned back in annoyance, woken up by the whining unicorn, “I swear to Arceus, Pockets… just be patient.”

“I can’t! This place messes with my vibes…” She said, as she felt that the old secretary guarding the door to the CEO’s office was glaring at her with a death stare.

Frederick yawned, giving Pockets a emotionless expression, “Then go outside and enjoy the sunrise with Layton…”

“He’s as amusing as a piece of metal!”

Frederick’s feelers shined, and he let out a loud yawn. “Then go to sleep, you whining baby.”

“i I told ya!...” Pockets became drowsy, as her eyes slowly began closing, “I’m not… Yawn… How much longer… will he take?”

“Good… see? That wasn’t so fucking bad now was it? My nap time is important, you know?” Frederick chuckled, closing his eyes and joining Pockets.

Pockets woke up, groaning and rubbing her eyes, She looked around her. Snow fell over her coat, as it covered in white the vast city of Manehattan. She stood up, and grabbed her overcoat, trying to avoid getting sick. She walked around, searching for any sign that would lead her to some sort of safety.

A small pub was open, surprising as every other business was closed at this time of the year. She went inside, covering her face with her clothing, and ordered any warm drink as she sat down at the counter. The liquid given to her burned her throat, making her take long pauses between sips. She looked around, not many ponies were present, all of them were either drunk asleep, or just enjoying the jingles that played on the bar’s radio.

She paid for the drink, and left the place. She kept advancing, entering a large brown building, overcoat still covering her body. Fillies sang their jingles in the background, of friendship and equity. She sneaked through the shadows, reaching a wooden door which lead to the main office. She knocked three times, and the door opened by itself. Pockets walked inside into the dark room, which brightened up as soon as her hoofs touched the cheap ceramic floor. In front of her, stood a tall rose red stallion, magenta wild hair, and a scar on his forehead. He showed a wide, welcoming, warm smile that seemed to emanate a soft glow of its own, fighting the room’s very own glow for the tile of the brightest light.

The stallion moved his muzzle in a talking manner, yet not a single sound came from it. Pockets nodded, a smile on her face as well, giggling from time to time, closing her eyes as the soft, silent voice soothed her ears.

She opened her eyes again, as she saw a small filly, colored exactly the same as the colt she had seen before, yet the scar was no longer there. They exited the gray room together, careful of not stepping on one of the the holes that the wooden floor had obtained over the years. They ran outside, laughing and screaming in joy. The garden that now surrounded them sported many different, vibrant colors, as the bright sun shined over their faces. The blue filly tackled his red companion, as both rolled over a hill, landing in a patch of flowers.

“Heart, promise me something.”

“What is it, Pickett?”

“When we grow up, you will make me your wife. We’ll marry in Canterlot’s Castle, with the Princess presiding!”

“But I wanted to marry in Las Pegasus! Miss Harmony married there, and she’s my favorite teacher!”

“Miss Harmony’s divorced you dummy. And Canterlot is way more romantic! Just promise me you’ll do it!”

“Fine… but you have to promise something back.”

“What is it?”

“That you’ll always love me!”

“That’s easy to do, you’re my super duper awesome coltfriend! And now, you’re my fianceé. I’ll never stop loving you, and I’ll never leave your side”

“Pockets, Frederick, wake up. It’s time to go.”

The unicorn opened her eyes, checking the surroundings to confirm that it was all just a dream. Steven passed by in front of her, with a yellow envelope in his right pincer. She poked the sleeping Sylveon, who woke up with a yawn, and looked at her with a smile.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” He chirped with a devilish smile, “Hope you enjoyed my gift.”

“Warn me next time knucklehead. But yeah, it was pretty nice.”

Frederick stretched his legs, and jumped off the seat, “Don’t expect me to do things like that whenever you want. In the end, I did it just so you could shut your horsemouth.”

Pockets chuckled at her friend’s antics, “Of course you did. Still, thanks.”

Frederick shrugged, and followed the Scizor, “Yeah yeah, whatever. Let’s go.”

Pockets jumped out of the seats, and smiled at the window, “Valiant Heart… I wonder what he’s up to lately.”

The city of Canterlot. A city where history seemed to be stuck in time, as the remainings of what once was a Unicorn paradise, stood firm and proud as the symbol of the high class of Equestria. The roads adorned with gold and silver, the marble statues and fountains that were present all around the city, and of course, the sight of the magnificent Canterlot Castle in the distance.

“Welcome to Canterlot. Home of the snob and the idiot. Capital and insignia city of our wonderful realm.” Pockets said sarcastically. As soon as they got out of the Express Route Co. building, they began thinking on what to do next. They had plenty of pending business in the city, as not only did Pockets had to sell her loot and send the money back to Tall Tale, but Steven had decided to have some words with the Princess as well.

“Name” Said the brown unicorn behind the counter,

“Steven Stone,”

“Species” She replied again, not once looking away from the form she was currently filling.

“Uhh… Pokémon, former human.” At the mention of the word Pokémon, the unicorn looked at him, accommodating her red pair of glasses

“I see… well then. Former human. What is your business with the Princess.”

Steven thought for a second, before replying as simple as he could, “I want to speak with her about the transfer. You see, I believe that Arceus’ decision is not--”

“Honey,” The pony interrupted, “As I’ve told many of the other Pokémon before you, any business you may have with Lord Arceus, it’d be better if you talked it with the god himself. He’s located in the Everfree Forest. Take a train to Ponyville and ask some locals.”

Steven shook his head, “Miss. I already know where Arceus is, but I really want to speak with the Princess.”

“I’m sorry. But your request is clearly meant to be attended by Lord Arceus.”

“But Miss…”

“NEXT!”

Steven left the line with a frown on his face, disappointed by how things turned out. He left out the castle’s reception counter, and searched for his friends. They were walking around the plaza, looking at the different stores that surrounded it. The stone city became brighter in the middle of the day, as the silver linings reflected the sunlights into beautiful auras.

The former Champion got closer to the unicorn, head up and thinking. They now had to traverse through the dangers of the Everfree Forest.

Pockets’ ears twitched as she heard the metallic footsteps, she turned around with a grin on her face, “There you are. How did things go?”

“They didn’t give me an audience. The charming lady in the counter said that any problems concerning Arceus had to be spoken with him.”

“Typical of them” Pockets chuckled, looking back at the shelves of the shop she had been looking at. There were fancy-looking pickaxes, long ropes, and colorful looking bags that hanged from the sides. “Adventure Awaits. The biggest shop for adventurers that pass by the city. I’ve had dreams about this place, you know? To leave my life behind, hell, even go against my own Cutie Mark. Although, to be honest I just have a vague idea of what my Cutie Mark really is.”

“How does that work, if I may ask?”

Pockets turned around confused, before remembering where Pokémon came from, “Oh, right, I never did tell ya, did I?” She tilted her head, thinking on where to start, "It's kind of a destiny thing. We ponies all have our regular talents, and we also have our special talents, talents that set us apart from each other and in which we're literally better than anyone else. We can spend large portions of our lives finding our special talents, ya know? But when we do find them, we get these awesome butt pics!" The unicorn turned around, showcasing the thief mask that was surrounded by a white heart.

"I see..." Steven said uncomfortably, Pickett's flank shaking in front of him. He awkwardly shove the unicorn's behind away, causing Pockets to laugh,

"You Pokemon are weird. Cutie Marks identity us, so we tend to show it or just casually look at it. After all, if you need to get a job well done, you have to see the Cutie Mark."

"Makes sense. If you want a job well done, you'd want to go to the one who's literally the best at it"

"Yup. Some base their whole life on that Cutie Mark, after all, you're bound to be famous in your career if you're better than anyone else." Pockets went back to watching the store, "My Cutie Mark tells me that my destiny is being a thief with a kind heart. According to this, my life consists of stealing, and giving, and nothing else. I think otherwise. I want to leave the criminal life, become what I always wanted to be, and not what I'm told to be, I want to be... an adventurer."

Steven laughed softly, messing with her hair, "Then let's get going. We got a long way to go before being able to afford these things."

"Right! Where are the guys, by the way?"

Answering the question, screams came from the other side of the plaza, as three tables were knocked over outside of what appeared to be a bakery.

"And don't you dare show your face around here again!" A blue, four armed humanoid creature warned, before going back into said bakery, and slamming the door. Steven got closer, spotting a pink and red figure between the knocked out chairs. A bloody Frederick chuckled softly, waving at the Machamp as he disappeared into the building.

"That guy sure packs a punch. Has a sharp eye as well. Not many are able to spot me before I steal something."

"You deserve it." A monotone voice said from behind them, hovering above the ground, "I was searching for aliment, but detected the battle and came immediately to avoid problems with the locals. When I arrived I saw the Machamp punching you repeatedly, and limited myself to enjoy."

"Love you too, Metal Arse." Frederick barked, "I was looking for food myself as well. That idiot couldn't afford losing a croissant, fucking twat"

Layton landed, and smacked Frederick in the head, "As I said, you deserve it."

Frederick rubbed the new bruise, "You're an asshole,"

Pockets chuckled, helping Frederick as he cursed under his breath, sending a Wish to heal himself. "Well, now that we're all here. Let's get going!"

Canterlot was large, extremely large. For a city that was built around a castle, that was built in the slope of a mountain, it was surprisingly well made. Pockets said that unicorns of the days of old were behind it, built when someone called Discord was beaten by the royal sisters, or at least that's what she believed happened. The castle, and the city surrounding it were truly a sight to behold.

But it was still extremely large, and it was no surprise that Pockets wasn't able to find the pawn shop that Value Hunt, from back in Tall Tale, told them about.

“It’s supposed to be around here somewhere. Hunt told me that his cousin, Fair Price had his shop two blocks down the postal office. If you spot pegasi with weird bags, let me know.”

Frederick sighed in annoyance, he didn’t mind the walking, but the feel of being lost stressed him out. Steven and Layton on the other hand, didn’t mind watching the scenery, as the architecture and cultural mixtures, although still remaining in the high-class theme, was extremely impressive, even for an expert like Steven.

But what surprised Steven the most, was ironically something he had seen many times before, something that was not supposed to be there. The Anistar Sundial.

“Layton, please tell me I’m not just seeing things.”

Layton thought for a second, analyzing the pink crystal formation that stood not that far away from them. “Color and shape are a perfect match, so it appears like it really is the Anistar Sundial”

Pockets turned around, managing to also see the tall pink formation that shined with the sunlight, she gasped in awe, as the Sundial was truly something to admire, “That wasn’t there the last time I came to Canterlot. You guys know what it is?”

“It is, or rather used to be, one of Kalos’ most amazing landmarks. Located in Anistar City, this Sundial was formed centuries ago, and it possesses powers that we are yet to fully understand. I studied it myself, it seems to have some sort of connection with Mega Evolution. But that’s not important right now, what’s important is that for some reason it is now resting in the middle of this city.”

“You seem to know a lot about the crystal!” A slightly high pitched tone said from behind them. Steven turned around to see a young, white mare with robust glasses look at them with a grin; a round, white stone with sparkles coming from it as a Cutie Mark, “I’ve been studying it from afar, but I haven't been able to get a good sample of it ”

Frederick groaned loudly, sending his back into the floor, “Great! Now we've got a nerd following us! Thanks Steven.”

Pockets bucked the Fairy in embarrassment, before grinning and looking at the newcomer, “Sorry for that, he’s an idiot most of the time. Hey! Name’s Pockets, and the pink guy’s name is Frederick”

“I am Steven Stone, and this is my partner Layton.” The Scizor added, greeting with a small reverence.

The unicorn greeted them with a wide grin "Hi! I'm Enchanted Pearl, gemologist of Precious Stones Enchantery! We enchant precious stones and crystals to make unique jewelry, kind of obvious but whatever" She giggled, "You don't seem to be from around here, first time in Canterlot?"

"Third time for me, but it's been awhile since my last time. These guys are from a different planet, so yeah." Pockets grinned, “Hey, Steven, weren’t you a geologist or something like that back on Earth?”

The unicorn’s eyes opened wide, as she got closer to Steven with a face of curiosity, “A geologist Pokémon? Wow! My brother has to see you! He studies the magical properties of Equus’ minerals, and we’ve found sooo many new stones of every kind since your arrival! Please, please come with me to see him!”

Steven chuckled and looked at Pockets, who shrugged with a smile, “Yeah, we have some time. Maybe they can even help us with directions and whatnot.” the unicorn agreed.

“Great! Follow me!” The white pony chimed, humming a happy tune as she walked away.

“Why do I feel like I’m going to hate this day?” Frederick grumbled, as he followed the rest of the group with a frown on his face.

“Brother, I’m home!”

Precious Stones Enchantery was an odd looking place. The front was carefully decorated, with shelves showcasing gorgeous looking stones, crystals, and gems (which Steven spent several minutes studying) On the other hand, the workshop was a complete mess. Chemicals all around, papers everywhere, and an extremely unsettling smell that annoyed Frederick.

"What is it, Pearl? I'm kind of busy right now." A colt said from nearby.

"We got some visitors today."

"I already told you to not bring visitors when I'm working, it can be dangerous in here, you know?"

"What if I told you that I found a Pokemon geologist?"

A thud could be heard nearby, as a blue pony hit his head with a lamp, a grin of excitement on his face as he got closer to Steven, "What an honor to meet you! I've been looking forward to talking with a Pokemon for quite a while now. Enchanted Topaz at your service!" The colt said rapidly, shaking Steven's pincer.

"Steven Stone, the honor is mine” The former champion replied awkwardly yet retaining that soft grin, “It is always a pleasure to find another geology enthusiast, I was told you could use my help."

The colt's eyes shined, as he ran to the table he just came from, and grabbed a bag full of different kind of crystalline stones, "We found these near the mines today, they ain't like anything I've ever seen!"

Steven grabbed the bag, and took a closer look at the crystals. He recognized the different vibrant colors, and the odd patterns, as well as the aura of energy that emanated from them, “Evolution Stones. I imagined they were brought here as well”

“So you know about them, wonderful! What exactly are they? I’ve used up all my knowledge about rocks and even magic, and I’ve got nothing but more questions!”

“They are special stones that we used back home, they are filled with pure energy, that when in contact with the right Pokémon, would result in that Pokémon evolving.”

The pony’s face turned from excitement to confusion, as Steven’s explanation only created more questions. “So, kind of like… Pokémon magic?”

"Hey, what's this thingy?"

“You could say so. You see, Pokémon are beings full of energy, energy that they are able to manipulate at will, thus creating the Pokémon attacks.” To demonstrate, Steven prepared a small Bullet Punch, his pincer turning a bright orange before canceling the attack and crossing his arms. They, I guess I should start including myself as well, we collect energy as we battle and grow, and with enough energy, we’re able to perform a process called evolution. During evolution, we drastically change our physical appearance and even personality, to become stronger."

"You guys are seriously ignoring me right now?"

"But some Pokémon require a special boost of energy to evolve. Battling is not enough for them. They have special conditions to meet for them to evolve, including, but not limited to, trading, battling near special places, or” He grabbed a thunderstone from the bag, and turned it around, revealing the lighting pattern it had inside it, “by using these stones.”

“Amazing!” The blue unicorn exclaimed, “Simply amazing!” A stone that can change physical appearance AND personality traits!”

"I'm gonna break it if you keep ignoring me, I'll do it, don't try me"

“I knew I had to bring him here, imagine all the possibilities with these new minerals! Oh the Canterlot elite will be delighted, Pokémon collars, rings, who knows, even statues! What a time to be alive!”

Steven grinned, and looked at Pockets, who tried her best to not burst out laughing.

"Well fuck you guys."

Topaz turned around with a frown, "Wow there buddy, we don't like sailo- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? EVERYPONY TO THE GROUND!"

And then, the crash, and the boom, and to end it, the tzzzz. Fortunately, everyone but Frederick managed to dodge the explosion, and not much else was affected. Pockets walked towards the now roasted Fairy, laughing.

"I hope that'll teach ya. The heck did you break now?"

Frederick was not able to answer the unicorns’ question, as his now carbon-black fur and ringing ears annoyed him greatly. Topaz chuckled, and stepped forwards with a glass container that was nearby, he searched on the table, and then on the floor, finding and picking a small dark yellow, crystalline stone and carefully putting it on the container, “This one is an enchanted Thorin Stone, from the far away lands of Canida. We’re studying its electrical and magical properties to see if we can create a last-longing source of electricity”

“May I?” Steven asked, stretching his arm out in hopes of having a better look at the small stone. Topaz gave him the container, indicating that it was an extremely volatile crystal, and that any extreme movements could cause an explosion similar to the one that struck Frederick, “I want to take a better look at it, do you mind if I take it off the container? I’d appreciate it if you could also provide me with a clean enough station to work”

Reluctantly, Topaz agreed to Steven’s request, yet worried about the volatile nature of the mineral. He analyzed the patterns on the stone, and tried to feel the magnetism, poking it a couple of times to see the reaction. “If you could, please pass me a Thunder Stone. It’s the one with the thunder pattern.”

Pearl did as requested, with the same face of worried curiosity that his brother held. The Scizor took a deep breath, and called for a Protect. He grabbed both stones, and counted to three, before slowly getting the two stones closer to each other. Bolts of electricity began forming, going from stone to stone, and becoming stronger and wilder as the two minerals got closer to each other. The electricity became so strong, that the light green orb that surrounded Steven was now full of powerful, yet small lightings that wildly traveled around, becoming stronger, and stronger, until the shield couldn’t take more.

BOOM! POW! ZAP!

Steven was sent of flying across the room, crashing with the wall and landing abruptly on a small table. Pearl, Topaz, and Pockets panicked, rushing to get the Scizor who now lied bruised up on the floor; while Frederick laughed his ass off, tears on his eyes.

“Steven! Are you ok?” Pockets panicked, running to aid the fallen Pokémon.

“I am…” He coughed, standing up and cleaning the dust off his body.

"What on Equus happened!? Where's the Thorin stone?"

“Right here” Steven coughed, opening his pincer to reveal a now bright crystalline gem, electric sparks dancing around it. “Try using it now.”

Topaz grabbed the Thorin, almost dropping it due to the soft current of electricity that flowed on his foreleg. He uncovered an old-looking machine that rested on the side of the wall, and placed the stone in a small, round opening,

“A friend helped us out with this, these are extremely powerful saws that would help us out with harder minerals. It consumes excessive amounts of electricity so we rarely use them” He pulled a lever, and the machine’s motor started roaring, “Here goes nothing.” The unicorn pushed a button, and waited. After a couple of silent seconds of suspense, and Topaz almost about to turn off the machine, the round saws started rotating slowly, increasing its speed gradually, until they got to the maximum possible velocity for the old apparatus.

“It…. It works!” Pearl exclaimed, laughing in joy and hugging his brother, who remained speechless after the success. “Oh this is wonderful!”

“Mister… Mister Stone… thank you so much! This is wonderful!” Topaz hugged Steven, making him uncomfortable, “You’re a genius!

With an awkward chuckle, Steven tried, without success, to shove the unicorn off, “You’re welcome, but please, you’re hurting my arms.” He lied.

“How can we thank you for this?” Peal asked, as Topaz released the Scizor from his grip.

“There’s no need to thank me. I’ve worked with Thunder Stones many times before. You would have ended figuring things out by yourself with enough time.” But then, he went silent, scratching his chin, thinking. “Although…I do need to do something. There’s a stone that we found, from our homeland, that I’d like you to work with.

Steven signaled Pockets, who looked at him with a face of confusion, before realizing with an “Oh!” what he meant. She took the gold and silver Mega Stone from her bag, and tossed it to Steven.

"Ohhh~" The brothers' eyes shined with excitement at the sight of yet another stone they had never seen, and Steven was asking them to work with it.

“Let me get this straight. You need an armlet, with an aperture for the Metagrossite to fit in.”

“Indeed. I hope it isn’t much trouble. If it is, we can find someplace else and--”

“Nonsense! Enchanted Pearl does not reject a job! We’ll get this armlet done for yesterday, which means that I’m late, so I gotta hurry!”

Pearl got her gloves on, her safety goggles, and her bright excited smile, as she looked at the raw Metagrossite in front of her. “Of course, a special job like this, requires… A SONG!”

This next song is a parody inspired on Awkward Marina's Anthropology. If you want to listen to it with sound, and you haven't heard the original yet, I suggest you to hear the original first, and then play the piano version (which works as an instrumental version)

“Gemstones always fascinate me
Amber, Quartz, and Morganite!
All these shapes, colors and sizes
Crystals here of every kind!
Moonstone, Coral, Diamond, Garnet,
Hematite and Sunstone Star!

It’s so wonderful, it’s Gemology!

Cut the crystal, grab the excess
All edges must disappear
All my products are special
I’ll perfect them, piece by piece
I will turn this alien stone
Into unique jewelry

Ready all the tools, for Gemology!

Yeah this stone may be new to me
But I will still take the risk
Of making one, hell of a piece
This armlet my pride sure will be

Citrine, Spinel, Star Diopside
Onyx, Beryl, Danburite
None of those can nearly match
The beauty of Metagrossite
This right here, one in-a-lifetime
Chance to try out new styles

Make new tendencies, with Gemology!

Grab some iron, melt with fire
Mold it in a full moon shape
Round the stone and take the measures
To create a perfect sphere
Maybe we can even turn
These poke-stones into a trend

It's my destiny, it’s Gemology!

I don’t care what others may say
I will start digging new grounds
I will let my curiosity reign
A brand whole new era begaaaaaAAAAAAN

I won’t let this
Beat me up
Yeah I will conquer this gem
I will use my magic powers
To create the perfect set
Hold your horses, take a look now
‘Cus this armlet is complete now
Yes!

And it’s the grea-test thing

Is Gemology.”

Steven was speechless. Back home, cutting a Mega Stone took around two hours with even the best equipment, yet Enchanted Pearl had managed to do so in under five minutes. Her movements as she danced, were as swift and precise as the cuts she made to the stone, she made Lapidary seem as easy of a task as taking a glass of water, as while she sang, the saws, faceting, and polishing machines danced with her. Polishing the stone while bending the melted metal, taking measures while molding the compartment of the armlet; tap-dancing while painting the metal setting in a strong golden color to match Layton’s pallet. It was, quite literally, magical… and a bit awkward.

“So, what do you think? Pretty impressive, huh?”

“Uhm… how… How did you do that?” Steven asked baffled

Pearl chuckled, “It’s my special talent. I work with all kinds of gems everyday to create jewelry for some of the most influential Canterlot novelty I’ve crafted gem artifacts for the likes of Sapphire Shoes, Photo Phinish, Fleur de Lis… and the less likeable but still influential Blueblood. My family has years of practice on this art, and I’ve inherited their legacy. It’s always been two siblings, the one that works on the physical part…”

“And the one that works on the magical part!” Topaz interrupted, dust all over his body, which he took off with a quick shake. “So are you done with the alien stone, sis?”

“Yeahp!” She chirped, “The only thing missing is the magical lock.”

“That was fast, even for you!” The stallion chuckled, “A magical lock coming right up!”

“A magical lock?” Steven questioned confused

“It’s a special spell we developed recently to prevent theft of the gems. Our clients are the only ones that can remove the item when worn. Pretty simple” The blue gemologist explained.

“I see…” The Scizor analyzed, “Pony magic is so confusing… yet so intriguing.”

“Well, I think Pokémon magic is even weirder than our own. Guess we both have a lot to learn, huh? Sis, where’s the rest of the armlet?” Topaz asked, placing the shiny, now enchanted stone on the table.

“We do have a lot to learn…” Steven said to himself, taking another look at the workplace. “All this technology seems so outdated to me... These ponies, they don’t seem to care much about technology, and with their magic, they don’t seem to need it either… But what about the technology we need?”

Steven’s train of thoughts halted to an end when a metallic THUD grabbed his attention. The brothers had finished the armlet, and it was far better than what Steven expected.

The armlet was connected in the back by a magnetic closure, splitting up into four thin, silver bars, two on each side, that would surround Layton’s arm, to later join back in an ' x' shape on the front , ending its journey in the middle where the stone rested on its golden setting, showcasing that familiar Mega-evolution symbol.

“It looks outstanding! I can’t believe you’ve made this in such short time!” The former human exclaimed, earning a grin from the brothers.

“We still need to try it out on your friend, hopefully it will fit.” Pearl smiled, while her brother grabbed the metallic arm band and walked outside of the messy workshop. The rest followed shortly, excited to see if all that worked had payed off.

Layton was waiting outside, in the same position and location he had been when the rest entered the shop. He looked at the armlet, and with aid of his Telekinesis, placed it around his silver metallic arm. He used to wear an armlet back on Earth, yet this one didn’t just look better, but felt more comfortable as well.

“What do you think, bud?” Pickett asked, bumping Layton playfully, “I think it looks good on you.”

Layton remained silent, taking a better look at the armlet, and leaving a soft smile.

“Was that a freaking smile?” Frederick chuckled, “Didn’t know you were capable of doing something like that.”

The rest chuckled as well, causing Layton’s smile to disappear, “It is getting late, we must get going.”

“Sadly, he’s right.” Steven sighed with a grin, “I don’t know how to thank you. This has been great, and you have been of great help.”

“A pleasure serving you, Steven Stone. You’ve helped us a lot as well. We’ll be sure to follow the instructions you gave us on how to handle each kind of stone.” Topaz grinned.

“We wish you luck on your travels! And that you enjoy your stay on this wonderful planet!” Pearl smiled as well.

And so the group kept advancing. Getting deeper and deeper into the vast city of Canterlot, until Frederick stopped mid-way.

“Hey, weren’t we supposed to ask them where Fair Price’s pawnshop’s at?”

And then Pockets, and the rest of the group, realized, they were once again near the Sundial, and no one remembered the way back to Enchanted Stones’ Enchantery.

“So… I guess we gotta keep looking for that postal office, huh?”

Chapter 8 : Vs. Whismur

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After their odd encounter with the Enchanted Stones family, our group of adventurers continue their small adventure in Canterlot, as they looked for Fair Price Pawnshop in the gigantic brick jungle the city was. Yet the day had just begun, after all, and they were more than ready to keep journeying throughout the city. And this attitude got their heads up, their confidence boosted, and the flame of adventure burning!

This lasted for about ten minutes. And of course, the first one to complain about their current situation, was a very grumpy Sylveon.

"Gaaaah, we're lost!"

"Course we're not! I told you, I just... took a touristic detour!" The unicorn replied with an obviously forced grin.

"This is the fourth time we have passed by this street." Layton stated coldly, adding fuel into the fire. The unicorn glared at the Steel type with a twitching eye and a frown, that forced grin still on her muzzle.

"What do you know?" She blew a raspberry at the Steel type, yet deep inside she knew, he was right. "We’ll get there in no time! Isn’t that right Steven?"

But the Scizor didn't answer, instead he had stopped entirely, taking a look at the distance towards the end of the crossing street. Pockets went back to where the Bug type was at, curious of what he was looking at. She then realized, he was staring at a large pink crystal, the same one they had seen before meeting Enchanted Pearl, with a troubled expression on his metallic lime green face.

“What’s the deal with that anyways? You said it was called the… Alitas Sunday or something?”

“Anistar Sundial… is a strange crystal that used to be in one of the most important cities in the Kalos Region back on Earth. Legends say the crystal has been there even before the city itself was built.” He explained, before chuckling, “We had such an enthusiastic group researching it, it seems to have a connection to Mega Evolution after all. We were doing so much progress… but I guess we’ll never finish our research, not with the technology we have to our disposal in this planet, anyways.”

Pockets frowned at that, she didn’t like how skeptical Steven was of this new world, even after all they had passed. But instead of shoving the fact that one single pony was able to craft a gorgeous armlet in less than an hour, she decided to take another approach.

“Let’s go check it out!” She chirped with a smile.

“Are you sure? Don’t you prefer to look for that pawn shop?” The Scizor said with a raised eyebrow. But the pony just shook her head no with a smile, changing course and throating off towards the massive pink crystal at the end of the street.

“We’re lost anyways!” She finally exclaimed with a smirk that irritated Frederick, who grumbled and groaned to the skies, as he and Layton followed behind.

The crystal’s pink majesticness could only be seen at its fullest when you looked at it closely. It seemed far more smaller than what it really was from afar, as once they reached it Pockets realized it was easily forty times her size. The sun shined brightly upon it, emanating a beautiful pink aura around it, which dazzled the visitors.

“Wow, I wonder how much this thing would cost in the black market.” Pockets snorted, as she poked the Sundial with her hoof.

“I’ve seen this thing before.” Frederick pointed out lightly, “It’s supposed to shine at sunset, and those rings over there start spinning for some reason.” He said as he pointed at the strange structure in front of the crystal.

“Professor Sycamore found out that around 8 PM to 9 PM, when the sun is just in the right place, the Sundial begins emanating what we know as Mega Energy, sending powerful waves that according to our theory, would cover the entire planet.” Steven said rather enthusiastically.

“You are such a nerd.” She taunted as the sheer expression of nerd-joy Steven had was priceless. He chuckled in response, as Layton got closer to him.

“Something is not right with the sundial…” The Metagross said in thought, as he scanned the monument, “It is weak, I can barely sense the energy on it.”

“What do you mean?” Steven asked with a raised eyebrow, “How could it lose its energy? According to our research, its flow is constant, the energy levels haven’t decreased for decades…” He scratched his chin in thought, analyzing the possibilities, the theories, the evidence. What could be the reason behind this change? “Layton, prepare to grab a sample, a small fragment should do.”

“Uhm, guys.” Pockets said rather alarmed as Layton prepared a Hammer Arm.

“Perhaps it has something to do with the transfer… I’m going to need some equipment….”

“Guys, hey!” The unicorn repeated as Layton analyzed the best point to strike from.

“Darn it! I doubt we can find a particle accelerator in this place, we’ll have to use with a simple scan test.” The champion kept going, as Layton found the perfect spot, and decided to go for a Bullet Punch instead for a better sample taking.

“Hey you fucking idiots you’re making a giant scene!” Frederick shouted, breaking their train of thought. And true to his word, surprisingly enough, all visitors and even some royal guards were watching them in confusion, some mothers covering their fillies’ ears due to the Sylveon’s strong words.

“Uhm…” Steven hummed, “I’m sorry, please keep going with whatever you’re doing.”

Mumbling and whispering behind their ears, the crowds went back to their respective business, the guards keeping an eye on the group, as they stepped back from the Sundial.

“Congratulations guys, now the whole city knows how much of a weirdo you are!” The Sylveon snickered, meeting death-glares in response.

“Let’s just get going. We need to find the pawnshop” Steven sighed as he knew the Sylveon was right, yet he didn’t want to accept it.

“I hear you are looking for a pawnshop?” A raspy yet elegant voice asked from within the crowd.

“Why yes, we are…” Steven asked with a mix of confusion and lack of trust, as he turned around to see a rather old-looking earth pony with a cane, a monocle, and a top hat.

“What’s your name, little one?” He asked as he pointed the cane at Pockets.

“Uhm… Pickett… Pickett Midnight.” The unicorn gulped in response, stepping back and immediately regretting sharing such information.

“So you have finally arrived!” He chuckled as he left out a soft smile, before kicking his cane so it’d turn around his hoof, standing up in his two legs, and using the cane to balance himself up. “I am Fair Price! Value Hunt told me you’d be coming, heroes of Tall Tale.”

“Why is everyone so damn dramatic in here!?” The Fairy groaned, before being bucked on the stomach by Pockets.

“That is amazing! We've been looking for you for the entire morning!” Pockets said with a grin.

“I know! And in hindsight I should have probably searched for you as well… but oh well!” He waved off, before tossing his cane and bouncing away, “Follow me, the shop is this way!”

“Don’t you need the cane to walk?” Pockets asked confused.

“Nah, I found it lying around and I thought it’d look cool on me!” The pony replied back as the group followed him.

“Is there such thing as a normal pony?” Frederick sighed, miffed by the sheer existence of ponies. He was already regretting his decision to accompany Pockets, just for the fact that he knew this wouldn’t be the last weirdo they’d meet.

“What!?”

“Is there a problem, dear?”

Pockets was completely stunned at the sack of bits in front of her, she had imagined the loot was worth something, yet she could have never even dreamed of the sheer amount of money that in that precise moment Fair Price was giving her.

“No, there must be a mistake, this… this is way too much!” The unicorn asked with her jaw wide open.

“My name’s Fair Price for a reason dear, I always know how much exactly I must pay for an item. I checked them all out, and this is the price.” The unicorn replied with a warm grin, before scratching his chin, “That is, with the exception of the ring you showed me, I have no idea what that is to be honest.”

“You mean the golden ring we almost got killed for? The one that Fox tried to steal and that ended up getting us involved with a crazy bastard that wanted to take over Equestria?” Frederick said coldly, before chuckling, “Nice!”

“Are you even capable of shutting that mouth of yours?” Pockets asked with a smirk, “It’s like if you’re here just to throw sassy comments and get yourself kicked in the gut!”

“That’s my purpose in life, get kicked in the gut and using everything in my power to make your lives slightly more annoying!” The Sylveon said proudly. Yet his stance was cut short, as his attention shifted to the noise of a small ball bouncing behind him. His ears raised and his tail stopped, before he shifted into a hunter stance and backflipped to catch a small white ball with Celestia’s symbol printed on it. He munched it, yet the material and size of the ball made it difficult for him to keep a hold of it.

Pockets and Steven saw in shock and confusion how the untamable beast furiously tried to munch on a small white ball. Looking at Fair Price, who had started laughing uncontrollably, “Oh it is always such a joy watching these cute critters!”

“I am not cute!” Frederick growled, attempting to grab the ball with his paws yet failing miserably as it bounced off.

“Yes you are,” Pockets began laughing as well, as the one who gave Layton a run for his money was now struggling to defeat the small sphere.

“Bitch I’ll cut you!” He growled as he jumped on the ball and was finally able to stop it, opening his jaw as wide as he was able, and finally being able to grab it, holding it still with his fangs, “Hake hat ou hupid hall!”

“Eww gross!” The unicorn taunted as she teleported the ball away from him and into her hoof, before tossing it again and earning a loud annoyed grunt from the Sylveon.

“You will fucking pay for this Pickett!” He shouted as he jumped into a pile of boxes to search for the toy.

“Keep it!” The earth pony exclaimed, reading Pockets’ mind.

The thief raised an eyebrow and took another glare at the Sylveon, who digged into the pile of boxes furiously in search for the small toy. “You sure? This is way too much power in my hooves.”

“Looks like you need it dear,” Fair Price chuckled, before pushing the bag of bits forwards, “Well then, take your loot and make some folks back home happy!”

“What about the ring? What am I supposed to do with it?” She asked back.

“Let me ask my friends then! They are experts in this sort of things.” The pony replied back, before knocking on the back wall in the end of his shop. A small window opened, revealing the familiar face of Enchanted Pearl who, waved at them with a smile.

“Hey guys! Funny seeing you here, small world huh?”

Pockets facehoofed and sighed, all the lost time trying to find the pawn shop and it had been right behind them, “Right. Behind. Us.”

“So what can I do for you fellas?” The unicorn asked with a grin.

“Miss Midnight has this weird ring with a stone I don’t quite recognize… know what it is?” The pawn shop owner said as he raised the ring with his hoof to show it to Enchanted Pearl, who raised it and chuckled.

“Well if it isn’t rainbow quartz! This is quite the rare stone you have here.” She said as she took a closer look with an amplifying glass, “Yet in today’s market, it’s pretty much unsellable.”

“Oh come on!” The unicorn shouted in frustration, before giving up and shutting down her legs to let the floor take her weight.

“I’m sorry darling, but there are other gems that are far more common, while doing an even better job than this one.”

“What do you mean with a ‘better job,’ what is that stone supposed to do?” Steven asked, his interest in gemstones acting up on him.

“What I mean is, this is a magic amplifier. A Rainbow Quartz was used to make unicorn’s spells slightly stronger, letting them do more than what they normally can, yet not too much. This is why another gem known as Manasite, which was discovered after the Rainbow Quartz, replaced it, and thus made it invaluable.”

“In other words I’m stuck with this ring for the rest of eternity… guess you can’t win ‘em all.” The unicorn chuckled.

“Well, it’s still pretty fun to use. Go ahead and put it in your horn.” Enchanted Pearl winked, and Pockets did as told. “Good, now… uhm.” She hummed in thought, before pointing at a heavy storage box, “Lift that!”

“... You do realize I’m not proficient in regular magic, right? Levitation spells are not my forte.” She replied as she raised an eyebrow, yet still did as said. Focusing her magic on said box. At first, it was as difficult as she imagined it to be, the sheer weight being too much for her… or so it seemed. After the first few seconds of struggle, she felt how the nerves on her horn reacted to the Rainbow gem, as the box began twitching before being lifted less than an inch in the air, ascending slowly, yet clumsily. Yet deep inside, she knew she could do it, she knew she could manage to beat her own limits and lift that damn box.

And she failed.

“Wow! That was impressive! Like, you totally showed that box who’s boss.” Frederick smirked, leaving his toy on the floor before easily lifting the same box with his ribbons. “Ta-dah!”

Pockets huffed before casting her paralyzing spell on the Sylveon, causing the heavy box to fall on his back and his expression to change, “Show-off.” She chuckled.

“Ya brute.” He coughed, lifting the box back up and throwing it away, much to Fair Price’s discomfort.

“And a shameless one!” Pickett replied with a smirk, before looking at Fair Price and Enchanted Pearl, “Guess it might be useful, so I’ll keep it around in case I need to half-lift another box.”

“Great!” Pearl chirped back, before a loud explosion sent several debri flying behind her, “Well, seems like my brother is having some trouble with those stones you showed us…”

“Just remember to use the right tools, tell him to check the list on what and what not to use that I left him,” Steven instructed her. “That sounded like a Thunderstone, just… don’t use anything metallic, learned that one the hard way.”

“Got it, back to work!” She said before closing the little hatch that connected the two stores, another explosion making Fair Price chuckle as he turned back to them.

“That’s one hell of a pair.” The mature stallion said before going back at the bag of bits in front of him, “Take it, don’t worry about how much is in there, it’s for a good cause. Truth be told, I added some bits in there as well, a small donation to the cause.”

She was once again about to refuse, yet Steven decided to take the initiative, reaching the table and lifting the heavy bag with ease, “We appreciate it. I’ll make sure to send most of this to the poor ponies in Tall Tale, or rather, we will. Thank you kindly sir, we shall be on our way now, it was an honor to meet you.”

Slightly shocked, Pockets couldn’t find anything to say, yet she quickly realized that they were right, this was all for the best. “Yeah, thanks Fair Price. We owe you a big one.”

“Oh please, I’m just doing my job. Now go, it’s getting rather late and I need to get to the Sundial again so I can watch some tourist booty!”

Pockets’ image of the old stallion changed, facehoofing before chuckling as she should have seen it coming. “Have fun you perv.” She said as she followed Steven outside.

“Good luck my friends! And may Celestia be with you in your journey!” He waved at them, as they disappeared into the crowd.

The rest of the process was simple, figure out how much they’d need for the next week (a task made easy thanks to Layton’s multiple brains) buying some professional adventuring equipment, including a magical bag that could hold five times more weight than a regular bag, a set of boots with small compartments for smaller tools, and an utility belt. The rest, even after Frederick’s complaints, was sent straight to Tall Tale, to a trusted friend of Pockets who she knew would manage the money well.

“Well, that should do it!” Pockets sighed happily as she lay on the sidewalk, “I’m exhausted.”

Yet Frederick was not that happy with the results of that day. “And I’m hungry for fuck’s sake. We haven’t eaten since we got here, plus we have to find a place to stay at, and-”

“Oh shush your filthy mouth you pessimist butt.” Pickett nudged the Sylveon, “Everything’s going according to plan. I know of this really nice place, not far from here, where they sell some amazing dandelions. Don’t worry, they sell meat too, this is Canterlot after all, griffins gotta eat too.”

“Meat would be appreciated,” Steven chuckled, “Eating nothing but fruit is not doing my stomach any favors.”

“I require organic fuel as well, so I am afraid I must leave you to find my own source of aliment.” Layton added calmly.

“Wait, eat, do you really do that?” The unicorn asked confused, as not once since Pokémon came to Equestria, had she seen the Metagross feed on anything.

“Metagross are still organic species, they’re alive. They usually eat meat as well, yet Layton prefers to feed on rocks and minerals instead.” The former champion explained as he leaned on Layton, “It’s part of his diet.”

“I must lose a few pounds, my levitation is not as effective as before. I would be considered what you call, ‘fat’.” He added, resulting in a laugh from Pockets and Frederick, annoying Layton who simply took off into the skies.

“Very well, where is this restaurant you speak of?” The Scizor asked as he chuckled as well.

The trio managed to reach the restaurant in no time, it was located in the middle of a small street that connected a residential area to the main roads, It wasn’t anything big, nothing flashy or extravagant like the other establishments of the city, rather, it felt cozy and welcoming. The simple iron tables and the lamps hanging from the ceiling, as a board with a hand-written menu stood in the outside, several simple rose arrangements giving it a nice mood. The delicious smell of food in the air made them sigh in bliss, as the calm music invited them in. It made them feel good, it made them feel calm, at ease, like if they were at home, but not quite.

“This place is rather nice.” Steven managed to say as he noted how similar the architecture was to those fancy restaurants in Lumiose City.

A waiter took them to their tables, and took their orders. The restaurant itself wasn’t crowded, yet still several couples and families of locals and tourist were near them, as a couple of waiters went from table to table doing their job.

Pockets sighed in relief, as she breathed deeply and stretched her back. “Damn I needed this. Some relaxing is always good after a week of adventure.”

“Indeed.” Steven nodded, enjoying the mood as he sat down on the floor, “It’s been so long since I was last able to relax like this.”

“You’ve always seemed like the kind of guy who gets stressed too easily.” The unicorn snorted. “You should do things like this more often.”

“When you’ve seen the apocalypse three times, faced several wanted criminals, and been through near-death experiences as many times as I have, taking a break is not the first thing that would cross your mind. “ Steven chuckled, “Can’t complain though, it’s the kind of life I chose.”

“You mean trying too hard to be the hero just to end up as a secondary character?” Frederick smirked.

“I don’t mind if I get credit for the things I do or not, as long as the deed is done.” Steven replied calmly, “The heroes are heroes for a reason, they dared to do what not even I was able to.”

“Heroes?” Pockets asked with a raised eyebrow, her interest in legends and myths showing off.

A glow appeared in Steven’s face, as the memories of those days came back to him. “The ‘Heroes’ are a group of extremely powerful trainers who have dealt with the greatest of crises and returned victorious. From taking down giant criminal organizations, to battling the Legendaries themselves, or even stopping the end of the world. The heroes, all of them young when they accomplished their feats, are the best of the best, and I had the honor to become friends with one of them, knowing him since the early stages of his journey.”

And so, Steven began the same story he had told before so many times before, yet that he still loved to tell to anyone interested on it. From the rise of Team Magma and Aqua, to the awakening of the ancient legendaries of Hoenn, and the kid who befriended the mighty Rayquaza in order to put an end to the clash of titans that threatened to destroy the entire region.

“So… let me get this straight, this kid, 10 years old, came in riding a massive ancient dragon into the battle between Pokémon the size of buildings, and managed to calm them all down before riding back into the sunset and fully taming said dragon to become his own Pokémon?” Pockets asked with a dropped jaw.

“Well, he did release him after about a week, but yes indeed. And he then proceeded to storm the elite 4 and defeat every single one of them, before facing me with only two Pokémon, and still managing to beat me.” Steven chuckled as he recalled the epic battle, “To everyone else, he became the legendary trainer Ruby. But to me, he was the light hearted, sharp and extremely smart Brendan Birch.”

“Isn’t that the name of the current professor of the Hoenn region?” Frederick asked, actually impressed by the story.

Steven nodded in agreement, “He joined his father in his research, traversing the world to study Pokémon up close in their natural habitat. He developed new technologies that would help Pokémon all over the world, and was even working on perfecting the Pokedex so it wouldn’t be necessary to catch them in Pokeballs to get their data… yet it was still in development.”

“That’s neat and all…” Frederick grunted, “But I’m starving over here, we gave our orders like twenty minutes ago and we haven’t even gotten bread! What kind of service is this!?”

Scratching her head, Pockets realized that it had taken them a while to serve their food, in fact, there were no waiters in sight, and a quick look around told her that the other customers were confused and angered as well. “I reckon this didn’t happen last time I came here. They’re usually decently fast with their service.”

“I’ll go check.” Steven sighed, as he stood up and walked towards the kitchen, “It shouldn’t take long.” Reaching the door, he prepared to knock and call for service, yet stopped as he heard some metallic clanks and some rustling, which when stopped, would leave the inside with an eerie silence. “Oh geez…” He sighed again, as he realized it was probably time to be a hero.

Steven slowly opened the set of doors that lead to the kitchen, preparing a Bullet Punch as he expected the worse to happen. Taking a deep breath, he jumped inside, and what he saw horrified him.

Several bodies lay on the floor, all the staff members seemingly dead on the floor, whatever happened there? He had to warn them all, he had to evacuate the area, he had to-

“Snoooore”

Confused, the Scizor took a closer look with a raised eyebrow, leaning down to turn one of the waiters around, to see… an inked on, fake moustache on his face. His chest still showed breathing, and from what he could tell there weren’t any sort of injuries. He was simply fast asleep.

Checking the rest of the unconscious bodies, the results were the same. All of them sleeping, different markings from goatees to monocles and black teeth, showing this to be some sort of weird prank. Steven scratched his head in confusion, until a sound called his attention, a squeaky sound reminiscent of a marker could be heard from behind a table. Turning around and keeping a low profile, he followed the source, to find one of the strangest things the former champion had ever seen, and that was saying something.

A small mauve creature with yellow spots on its long floppy ears and small feet, was holding a marker in one of its short hands and drawing something on the face of one of the ponies. It also had pulled as much food into one pile as it could manage to get a hold of, seeing as how everything that was more than two feet from the ground had been unmolested.

Steven had no idea of how he should react. Whismur were very common in the Hoenn region, and they were usually extremely shy creatures, avoiding civilization at all costs. Most importantly, they didn’t draw on people’s faces nor steal food.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Steven asked with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

The Whismur turned to him and blinked a few times, dropping her marker in apparent shock as her ears twitched.

“What happened here?” Steven continued, “And what do you think you’re doing with these unconscious ponies?”

More ear twitching was his answer, as she slowly reached down to pick up her marker again.

This was getting too weird for Steven, he just wanted to enjoy a nice dinner, and now he had to deal with a vandalic Whismur. “Ok, that’s enough. I’m taking you… well, I don’t know, not here but somewhere else.” And as he said this, he stepped forwards and leaned down to grab her.

“Hi!” she chirped at him. Even that word would be enough to get the process started.

Steven’s serious face turned into a drowsy face, and his drowsy face soon turned into a sleeping face, as he reached the floor with a loud clank inches away from the Whismur, his wings vibrating with each snore he let out.

“Hey Steven, what’s taking you so long? I’m star-” Pockets’ words were cut short as she processed the picture ahead. Several bodies on the floor, weird markings on their faces, and now a sleeping Scizor with a humming Whismur that had already managed to draw a mexican moustache on him. The unicorn’s eyes widened up at the sight of the Whismur, it was such a strange-looking creature, yet at the same time, so freaking cute. She advanced slowly, trying to not startle the Normal type, not even caring for her friend’s condition. “Hello there!” She said softly, “What could such an incredibly cute critter like you be doing in here?”

The only response Pockets got was a wave from the Whismur’s free hand as her other one started writing something on his shiny shell. She then beckoned for the unicorn to come closer and look at what she’d written on the shiny Scizor’s forehead. It was the word WENDY, written in big, thick letters.

The unicorn couldn’t control her laughter when she saw the mess Steven’s face was. Taking some gasps for air, and cleaning the couple of tears that managed to leave her eyes, she smiled at the little creature. “Wendy, that must be your name, huh?”

The Whismur nodded and then walked over to one of the Scizor’s sides so she could keep writing. She wrote a short message. Just two words. CAN’T TALK. This was very convient for getting her message across, moreso than ear-signing. If only she had more metal friends to write on.

“You can’t speak? Poor girl, you must be mute.” She sighed before giving her a warm smile. “You can call me Pockets. And your little writing board here is my friend, Steven. Love what you did with him by the way, truly a work of art.” She smirked as she poked the sleeping Scizor’s face. “By the way, do you know what happened here? Why are all these ponies unconscious?” She said as she took a rather big metallic plate from a nearby table, and placed it in front of Wendy.

Wendy smiled and wrote a small message on the plate. When she flipped it around, it read…

‘I talked. When I talk, others fall asleep.’

Pockets raised her eyebrow as at first it was hard to believe such a small cute creature could have such power, but then she remembered this was a Pokémon, and how she had also managed to see two Pokemon spiders render a predator useless with one single web-shot. “Well that must be rather inconvenient. Do you belong to someone, are you from around here, or…?” She asked as she passed her another plate of similar size. Wendy pulled it closer and wrote what looked like a small paragraph on the plate before turning it around.

‘I lived in a lab before this. I had a friend, the best human friend I could ever ask for. He helped me come up with my ear-language. But now I’m lost and I was just hungry...then these Ponyta were all so mean and rude to me...so I talked.’

Pockets gave herself a short while to analyze the message, understanding more than enough to feel bad for the little gal. “So you’re lost, and now you’re forced to steal to survive. Don’t worry, I’ve been there as well.” She sighed, before petting the Whismur’s head softly. “Hey, the grumpy jerk who you put to sleep used to be a human as well, he has helped a lot of Pokémon, and he also has a really smart friend who can help us understand you better. So, why don’t you come with us so we can help you find your friend, huh?”

Wendy blinked a few times before writing a simple question on the plate. ‘You’d really help me find Vin-vin?’

Pockets d’awwed internally as she chuckled at her, “Of course. Us street girls must watch out for each other. We’ve been traveling all around Equus, perhaps we’ll find him on the way to our destination.”

The Whismur let out a silent cheer before waddling over to Pockets and giving her a hug as best as she could, a hug that Pockets returned without hesitation. Truth be told, she had wanted to hug the Whismur ever since she saw her. Pockets tickled Wendy with her muzzle before placing the little Whismur on her head. “Well then. First, we gotta find something to eat. You’ve already caused too many troubles to these ponies, it’d be for the best if you didn’t steal their food either.” And with a smile, she walked outside the doors and into the outside, meeting Frederick on the table whose face seemed to have fused with the table in sheer desperation and hunger.

“Fred, raise your grumpy face up and meet our new friend.” Pockets said as she poked the Sylveon.

“No food, no greeting.” He replied back, barely raising his head to be heard, before slamming it back into the table.

“This is Frederick… just, try to ignore him whenever you can, he’s really grumpy and mean, but he has a good heart.” Pockets explained to her new friend.

“I don’t, those are lies, hearts are for the weak.” The Sylveon replied with a groan. If anyone knew Wendy’s ear-language, they would have read a very troubling sign from her. Namely, that she was tempted to talk just to put him to sleep and draw on his face.

Seeing a slight change of expression on the Whismur’s face, the same idea crossed the unicorn’s mind. Casting a spell to block any sound from entering her ears, she smiled at Wendy and winked. “Frederick, I think she wants to tell you something, you better listen.”

“Hi!” Wendy chirped. “My name’s Wendy!”

“I said, no food…” The Sylveon yawned as soon as he raised his head up, instantly becoming drowsy as he managed to say, “No freaking… greeeeee” And with a thud, he was out cold, snoring as loud as a Snorlax as he began dreaming with hot Jolteon ladies.

Instantly, Wendy jumped off of Pockets and brandished her marker again, before tugging the Sylveon down onto the floor and drawing all over his face. Long, curly, fake moustache, check. Monocle, check. All sorts of insults written on his face backwards so that he’d see them the next time he looked in a mirror, check. And then she wrote something on his side.

‘Wendy is the greatest~’

Pockets laughed out loud as she saw the gorgeous masterpiece that the Sylveon’s face had become. “Good one girl, you’re really good at this sort of things.” She said as she saw how the Sylveon rolled over and fell into the ground, still as sound asleep as before.

Immediately afterwards, a loud thump called their attention, jump scaring Wendy while simply causing Pockets to turn towards the origin, before smiling, “And this, is Layton. He’s the really smart guy I told you about, if anyone can understand you, it’s him.” She said as she waved the Metagross, signaling him to come closer.

“Greetings, Miss Midnight. I see you have made new friends, it is a pleasure to meet you, Whismur.” The Metagross said in his monotone cold voice. Wendy narrowed her eyes dangerously as she looked at the shiny metal Pokemon. Her marker hand twitched…

“Don’t worry, he won’t harm you. He’s on the good guys’ side…” She wanted to say ‘I think’, yet she prefered not to do so, that would probably affect the Whismur’s trust issue with the Iron Leg Pokemon.

“I promise I will not hurt you, Whismur.” Layton said as he tried to give her a soft smile, yet failing, and opting to go for a less serious look instead, slightly less serious at least. She nodded once and lowered her marker hand, before wiggling her ears in some sort of pattern.

Layton analyzed the gestures as he tried to identify what sort of language the Whismur was trying to communicate in, not managing to find one, he then proceeded to find any sort of pattern that could hint at the system she was using. “Could you please repeat yourself?” He requested calmly, and when the Whismur nodded and started over, he managed to have a rather basic grasp of the strange ear signals’ meaning.

‘You understand me?’

“I believe so. The system you use, is quite ingenious, yet so simple at the same time.” Layton nodded, “It will take me some time to fully learn it in its entirety, though, so please bear with me.”

“Awesome!” Pockets chimed in, before remembering the little issue with the kitchen. “So… Steven’s kinda unconscious in the kitchen, and we’re going to need you to take us to the nearest restaurant.”

Layton sighed as he made his way towards the set of doors, before coming back with the lime green Scizor in his psychic grasp. “Please do restrain from doing this to my trainer, Miss. Steven has a complicated sleeping schedule, and if he sleeps before his designed time, he can get insomnia.”

Pockets laughed as she made a note of that tidbit in her head, nuzzling the Whismur before placing her back on her head. “So! Ready to eat something little girl?”

Wendy responded with a simple gesture. One of her pointing at the still-sleeping Sylveon. The question was plain to everyone. ‘What about him?’

“Layton will drag him as well, but don’t worry about him. Even if he’s a stinky flank, he’s still part of our team, and you’ll get used to him in no time.” Pockets replied with a soft smile, as Layton took him in his grip as well, except instead of keeping him in the air, he lazily placed him on the ground and literally dragged the Sylveon with his mind.

Wendy let out a silent giggle before climbing back along Pocket’s neck to rest comfortably on the pony’s back, riding her. With a soft patting, the Whismur signaled she was ready.

“Take the lead big guy.” She nudged the Metagross, who had managed to find a source of food not far from there, a small donut shop which remained open late at night.

Steven woke up mid-way, scratching his head as he didn’t manage to recollect what had happened to him, before spotting the waving Whismur who was riding on Pockets’ back. Speechless, he simply waved back slowly, before the memory hit him in the head.

The resulting shouting of anger startled the Whismur, as Pockets calmed the angry Scizor down, explaining the situation to him. He took deep breaths, and relaxed, before a nearby mirror salesman passed next to them. He noticed the markings, and began shouting in indignation again, earning a buck in the head from Pockets.

“Ok, fine, I get it, she’s just a child, children do pranks.” He sighed as he stood back up, “But a Whismur that can put anyone to sleep with her voice only? Now that’s rather interesting. Whismur are not known for doing those sort of things…” He hummed as he looked at the Metagross.

“Her genetic composition has been altered somehow. She has the natural ability of a Jigglypuff, except far more effective.” He replied back calmly, before stopping in front of their destination, “We have arrived.”

“Donuts, nice!” Pockets said with a smile as she took a look inside. The Whismur noticed a familiar face inside the restaurant. One that she emphasized with greatly, as she’d never put this pokemon to sleep. Jumping on Pockets’ back and pointing at the shop, the unicorn chuckled as she misinterpreted the Normal type’s intentions. “Someone’s rather hungry. Let’s go inside then!”

And as soon as she made the first step in, the Whismur jumped off her back, and ran towards an apparently random table, where an Umbreon and a strange looking purple Pokémon calmly ate their dinner. The Whismur began doing her ear signals as she approached the table, before the purple Pokémon’s eyes widened up.

“Wendy?”

“Uhm.. excuse me?” Pockets raised an eyebrow as interrupted the duo, “Is this your Pokémon? We found the scared little girl outside, causing some mighty chaos.”

“Mine?” The purple Pokemon replied. “She isn’t anybodies Pokemon.”

“Oh, is that so? Well she seems to know you guys” The unicorn chuckled, petting the small creature, “My friend Steven, told me that was she does isn’t normal for her species, so we were wondering if you knew what’s going on with her… er, ability?”

The Pokemon shifted uncomfortably, and looked to the abnormal Normal-Type, who just nodded at her, indicating it was ok to divulge her tender past. “She and I were both victims of a… a mad scientist by the name of Doctor Nurem. He did ‘experiments’ on Pokemon to try and augment us. She was given the ability of another Pokemon called a Jigglypuff, but much more potent. Every time she talks she puts people to sleep, so she has to get by on sign language.” She stopped and glanced down at her half eaten donut.

“So that’s why…” The Scizor interrupted, ”One of Nurem’s experiments… damn maniac.”

“You know who he is?” Pockets asked, looking at the small Whismur who seemed to be rather uneased now at the mention of her former captor.

“One of Earth’s most wanted criminals. Some even call him a myth, some say he doesn’t exist. A maniacal scientist that used to do extreme experiments on Pokémon. He kidnapped Pokémon from the wild, used extreme amounts of chemicals, messed with their D.N.A…. many Pokémon didn’t survive the procedures. Every time we got reports of one of his labs, we usually just found corpses of his test subjects laying around, not a single trace of him.” The Scizor sighed, and took a soft look at the Purple Pokemon, “This may be a fragile subject, but if I may, what did he do to you? I can’t recall any Pokémon with your appearance”

Seeing the shift in mood, she handed the Whismur the Umbreon’s remaining donut. “I was one of his most successful. His goal was to discover whole new Eeveelutions. He injected me with the contents of a Toxic Orb and force fed me liquefied Rare Candies. I evolved into this, he dubbed me a Veneon, since apparently that’s what I say in Pokespeak.”

“That sounds… horrible” Pockets gasped.

“New.. types of Eevelutions? That idiot… I deeply apologize for bringing the subject up. And to interrupt your meal.” Steven said softly

“It’s fine, really. I’m glad to see Wendy again. She identifies with me the most out of most of the Pokemon there. We both have to watch ourselves so we don’t inflict our friends with status conditions by accident. I have a very overactive Poison Point ability you see.”

“Hey, thanks for leaving me behind you pricks” A dry voice interrupted from behind Steven, Frederick walked towards them, as signs of ink were distributed messily all around his head. “What kind of marker did that annoying brat use? I swear this is harder than what it should be.”

“So you’re awake, huh?” Pockets chuckled, “This is Frederick. Please forgive his attitude, he can be a bit… rude”

Yet suddenly, the Veneon’s eyes widened. Tears slowly creeping into the edges, and with a face of shock, she simply shouted, “Freddy!” and then launched herself across the table and tackled the Sylveon in a hug. Completely forgetting about her poison.

“Uhm… can someone get this freak off me? My body is itching like crazy” The Sylveon replied coldly.

The Veneon was now sniffing, and on the verge of full on tears, while the Umbreon started to get up, mad at the strange Sylveon for his blatant insult. Yet before he could do anything the Poison-Type mumbled “You don’t recognize me. Of course you don’t. Who could.”

“Uhm… forgive me, but do I know you from somewhere? I think I’d recognize a purple cat creature.”

“It’s me, Valerie. Your sister.”

Frederick went silent, as a single tear began forming on his eyes, yet his face was of anger, “No, you… can’t. This is a joke, isn’t it? That damn iron asshole went into my brain, didn’t he? HA, very funny guys, you pricks… don’t you… don’t you fucking play with my past!” Frederick violently forced Valerie off himself, standing up and glaring at them with a disgruntled look

Valerie was simply shocked. She had finally found her final surviving brother, and he was convinced that a psychic was just playing a trick on him. That was the straw that broke the Camerupts’ back. She now burst into tears. And the Umbreon jumped down to comfort her, shooting a glare at the Fairy.

Valerie sobbed uncontrollably into her mates shoulder. He just stroked her back, and said nothing. One broken word escaped from her lips, “Freddy…” and then she choked up again.

Something seemed to spark on the Sylveon, whose eyes became full of tears, as he got closer to the crying Poison type, “That voice… those tears… no, it can't be... after all these years.” Flashbacks of his past, of her three younger siblings, of the more fragile one, Valerie, crying on his own shoulder, as he comforted her. Frederick broke into tears and rushed towards Valerie, and hugged her with force, launching off Shadow, who landed with a thud to the side.

“Lil sis… Valerie. I’m so… sorry. It was all my fault, I had to protect you, and now I just keep hurting you. What... what happened, who did this to you!?” Frederick sobbed, tears running wildly from his eyes.

“I… It doesn't matter now. He’s gone. We’re together again!”

“Where are the others… are they with you?”

The Poison-Type’s eyes just watered up more, and she sobbed into his shoulder again. After a moment, she whispered, “It was shorter for them.”

“No…” Frederick dropped Valerie, and got away from her, “This… this is all my fault. She told me to take care of you, it was… it was my FUCKING DUTY!” Frederick started moving backwards, searching for the exit, as his now red eyes let out more of the waterfall of tears.

“NO IT WASN’T! IF YOU HAD BEEN THERE YOU WOULD HAVE JUST GOTTEN CAPTURED WITH US!”

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA…. OF HOW I FUCKING FELT WHEN I ARRIVED THERE, AND JUST SAW THOSE DAMN HUMANS TAKE YOU!? I COULD HAVE FOUGHT, I COULD HAVE SAVED YOU, BUT I WAS, AND I WILL ALWAYS BE AN IDIOT, A COWARD!” Frederick rushed for the door, yet his paws started shaking mid way, as his body seemed to lose color, and his eyes closed. The poison had taken effect, and the Sylveon was now laying down in the floor, unconscious.

Shadow quickly dashed forward and used Heal Bell on the unconscious Pokemon, who stood mindless on the floor, his body slowly regaining color.

Valerie just backed up, in shock at how quickly the poison had worked. Usually when not in battle it was much slower. All of the emotions from the moment must have sped it up.

Before she could ponder it further there was a loud crash and a Flareon flew through the window of the shop, his head banged on the table and he then fell into to the ground. Shouts of the word “anarchy” could be heard from outside, and a Raticate and two Rattata came in.

“Grab the False Prophet!”

The Rattatta scampered over to the “false prophet.” It started to rise again, but they quickly used a bite attack on it, fully fainting it.

“You two!” Steven exclaimed, “Leave that Flareon alone, at this rate you’ll end up killing it!”

“Butt out, heretic! This is our business!” The Raticate proclaimed in a pretentious voice.

The Bug type extended his wings, while his claws started glowing a soft red, symbolizing an attack, “I said, leave the Flareon alone.”

“Make us, heretic! You shall fall before the mighty might of the Disciples of Helix!”

“You asked for it. Bullet Punch!” As swift as a bullet, the Scizor rushed towards the two Normal types, his glowing pincers delivering punch after punch, sending them both back, and knocking the small Rattata out. “Pickett, get the Flareon, and Frederick out of the way!”

“On it!” The unicorn replied, rushing forwards and grabbing the two seemingly unconscious Eeveelutions, dragging them back to a safe distance.

“You asked for it heathens!” The rat Pokemon’s teeth began to glow a bright white, and he yelled “Super Fang!” before rushing the scizor. Before the attack could land, a black blur jumped in front of him,

“Protect!” The attack bounced off the glowing yellow shield, and the fuzzy brown Pokemon landed on his back, on top of all the broken glass he and his comrades had knocked in. Before he could right himself the Umbreon moved again, “Foul Play!” He grabbed the Raticate, lifted him of the ground, and spun him around until releasing him, letting him fly into the table.

That did it for the invading Pokemon, his eyes now consumed by spirals..

“Maniacal idiots. What were they thinking?” Steven mumbled to himself, looking at the ones present, and seeing that nobody got hurt. “Who were they?”

“The Cult of Helix” The Flareon suddenly stirred, struggling to stand up, bruises all over his body. “Insane bastards, they’ve been following me for a week now. They claim I’m some sort of ‘False Prophet’, their ideologies have lead them to follow me around to ‘bring me to Helix’s justice’ “

“What did you do?” Inquired Valerie.

“I left…” The Flareon sighed, before giving up on the attempts of trying to keep steady, “or rather they kicked me out.... long story.”

“Cult of Helix?” Steven asked, before looking outside at the Metagross that was still out there, watching them from a distance. “I see… well, there’s no point in dealing with them now. We need to heal your wounds, and we also need to check on Frederick. Now it’d be a good time to find a Hotel, Pockets.”

Valerie chimed in again, “If you like you can come stay with us. We’re living with a noble by the name of Fancypants. We’re supposed to be security, and you guys look pretty tough so I’m sure he’d appreciate extra help.

“I have yet to have a pleasant experience with nobility in this world,” The Metagross interrupted, sneaking his head up on the hole in the window, “I will keep my distance. I’ll dedicate myself to scouting the area, and to prevent more cultists from causing more trouble.”

“Oh yeah, Layton messed up the mansion of a Mayor” The unicorn chuckled

“Well then maybe you should stay away, after all, it would be our job to prevent that.” The Umbreon replied, chuckling along with Pockets.

“I appreciate the offer. Although I think it would be too much--”

“Oh quiet Steven, don’t go all humble here. We can stay in the house of a freaking noble. Sides, I’ve heard that Fancypants is a cool guy, so it should be fun.” Pockets interrupted, before looking at the duo, “So yeah, we will gladly accept.”

As the group started moving out to the mansion, Steven picked up the still unconscious Sylveon, and cradled him in his chitinous arms. Valerie staying close as she kept an extra eye on her freshly reunited brother, and she couldn’t help but be reminded of her younger ones.

Author's Notes:

I AM NOT DEAD!

I am sorry for the lack of updates... again. Truth be told, I almost gave up with this story.

Long story short: I did not plan things out how I should have before writing this story, and thus it resulted in me not knowing where to go. But after the help of a lot of friends and after getting my shit together, I've finally been set back on track. And now I have an amazing arc planned, several crossovers already written, and amazing characters I want to introduce.

So yeah, hope you enjoy it! And now I have the new task of uploading a new chapter once every two weeks, and once school ends and I'm free forever! I'll post weekly hopefully.

Credits:

Wendy belongs to Thadius, writer of A New World, A New Mind. Thad also helped with the editing on this one, so yay!

And Valerie and Shadow are part of Snek's story, A New World, A New Identity, go check his story out! (Or else he'll cut me)

Didn't really ask the help of my editors this one, so if you find any mistakes, please let me know!

Chapter 9 : Siblings and Cultists

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It didn’t take long for the group to reach the mansion. When they arrived, Pockets chuckled in awe as the mansion was far bigger than what she had expected. “Looks like the house of a noble alright.”

The butler took it in stride, welcoming in the new Pokemon and cleaning up the little bit of dirt that was tracked in before they even left the room. They walked through the main hall and into the living lounge, where they found a buffy white unicorn with silky blue hair, deeply enthralled in a book. As the Pokemon entered, he looked up.

“Ah, Shadow, Valerie. How did your outing go?”

Valerie smiled and moved closer to Shadow, “Very well thank you.”

“That’s good. I see you’ve brought back more friends. I thought that the only ones remaining were bird and fox-like creatures.” The unicorn chuckled.

“Well technically the only one either of us knows is the Sylveon, Frederick, who is still passed out after accidentally getting poisoned by Val.” Shadow replied.

The Poison-Type broke out in a wide grin, a bit of moisture coming to her eyes. “He’s my brother. I never thought I’d see him again, but he’s here, finally.”

“That’s wonderful. It’s always important to be with family.” He looked to the Scizor, Sylveon, Flareon and Unicorn. “I suppose you offered them a place to stay while they’re in town?”

Valerie rubbed her leg uncomfortably. “Yeah, sorry if that’s overstepping boundaries or something.”

“We can find a hotel somewhere else if need be. We have plenty of bits with us.” Steven spoke up for the first time, pointing at the saddlebag the unicorn wore.

The unicorn, who at this point Steven assumed was Fancypants, slammed his book shut, making everyone in the room flinch. “That would be preposterous! How could I in good conscience turn away the family and friends of one of my own friends. It would bring dishonor upon myself and my family!”

“We appreciate it, sir” The Bug type nodded, “My name is Steven Stone from Rustboro City, in the Hoenn region of Earth: the unicorn next to me is Pickett Midnight, from Tall Tale, the pink guy passed out here is Frederick, and the Whismur behind Pockets is Wendy.”

“Wassup!” The unicorn chimed, giving a military salute to the fancy-looking unicorn in front of him. Wendy climbed the female unicorn’s neck and stood on her head to wave at Fancy Pants, “Oh, and this little trickster is Wendy!”

“My name is Prophet,” added the Flareon, mentioning his name for the first time since they met him.

The noble nodded. “Greetings to you as well.” He looked over to his loyal butler in the corner. Looking to the Flareon and Sylveon he asked, “Are those two going to be alright? They don’t look in the best of shape.”

“I should be fine, I’ve had worse. A little rest and I’ll be as good as ever.” Answered the Fire type.

“Same with Freddy, if you cure it soon enough my poison shouldn't have any long term detrimental effects.” The Veneon nodded.

“Hmm… well if you’re sure.” He clapped his hooves twice and the butler entered again. “Loyalty, could you please go get a few rooms set up?” He looked back to the group, “Have you three had anything to eat yet today?”

Steven and Pockets looked at each other in shock, they had forgotten that their dinner had been interrupted by Wendy, and their stomachs had been growling in anger for a while, yet the commotion had lead them to ignore them.

“...And they were already paid for too…” Pockets sighed under her breath,

“Apologies, but… would you mind providing us with a meal?” Steven sighed as well, ashamed of having to ask this from their host.

Fancypants chuckled. “Well why do you think I was asking? Loyalty, fetch Barnardo.” He looked back to the Pokemon waiting expectantly. “Come along, the dining room is this way.”

The Pokemon and Pony followed the white unicorn through the halls. As they passed through the entryway, a Flaaffy ran down the stairs to greet them.

“Hey guys! How’d the date go?”

Shadow nuzzled Valerie. “It went great.” He lifted his head back up and turned to the Scizor, still holding an unconscious Frederick. “This is Steven Stone, you’ve probably heard of him.” He pointed to the Sylveon the Champion was holding. “That’s Frederick, , Valerie’s long lost brother, the quiet Whismur is Wendy and the Pony is Pockets, or Pickets… or something... I dunno.”

“It’s Pickett, but just call me Pockets, don’t ask why” The unicorn shrugged, “Glad to meet ya”

The Electric type’s eyes widened to the size of teacup platters. “Steven Stone? The Steven Stone?”

“Uhm… indeed?” The former champion said dubiously.

The Flaaffy darted forward and held his plush paw up to the Scizor. “I can’t believe it! I… I’m honored to meet you again sir!”

“Uhm… pardon me, but I don’t think I recognize you… given our current bodies it’s hard to remember old acquaintances”

“You’re pretty famous, huh Steven?” The navy blue unicorn chuckled.

“My name is Tyler Watsky. We met once just south of Petalburg woods, but I doubt you’d remember me. You fixed up my Fennekin after I lost my first battle and gave me some encouraging words.”

“Yeah, forgive me. My memory is not that good, I’ve met many trainers in my journeys. But if I gave you some advice, it means I saw potential in you. So glad to see you’re here, in this planet that is.”

“You’re babbling mister Champion, can’t really handle fanboys, huh?” Pockets mocked, nudging him.

“That’s ok. I bet it’s hard to remember guys like me when you’re off saving the world and overseeing Pokemon Championships and such.” He clasped his paws behind his back and blushed slightly.

Pockets stomach growled loudly, interrupting the awkward pause after Tyler’s statement. “Can you guys leave the autographs for later? Seriously, we have not eaten all day long.”

Steven heard the rumble in his own stomach, and looked at the former human in front of him ashamed, “I’m feeling hungry as well, we can speak on the dining table, if that’s ok with you, Tyler”

“Sure! It’d be an honor.” He grinned.

Loyalty approached them again, “Excuse me sirs, and ma'ams. Your rooms are ready should you wish to get some shut eye. If you need any other assistance just ask.”

“Thank you,” Steven nodded at the butler, “We’ll dine first and then we’ll go take some rest. Although, I think it would be the best to leave Frederick resting, it’s no good to have him in my arms all the time, I’m sure a comfortable bed should help him out. “

“Of course, give him here and I will take him to one of the rooms.” The butler stepped forward to receive the Sylveon but Valerie stepped in front of him and shook her head.

“Thank you, but Shadow and I can take him up.”

The stallion nodded and continued onward, looking for some other service he could contribute around the manor.

Steven carefully placed the unconscious Pokemon on Shadow’s back, and the Umbreon, along with his mate, slowly made their way upstairs, Prophet following close behind.

The remaining Pokemon and Pony continued on to the dining hall, where Barnardo gave them some pasta that he believed to be a shameful example of his culinary skill due to him having to rush it before he left for home, yet for the trio of adventurers, it was heaven.

“Sweet Celestia this is good!” Pockets chuckled, muzzle full of noodles.

“Indeed, this is pretty tasty,” Confirmed the Scizor, trying to eat as slowly as possible, enjoying every little detail of the meal that was in front of him.

“Dude, if you keep eating like that you’ll finish up by the sunrise! Just grab a bunch of them and get them all in your belly!” Pockets grabbed a considerable amount of noodles with her fork, placing them all on her mouth at once and slurping them all with great force, which caused all the noodles to slap her face instead of directly going into her mouth, causing a chuckle in all the presents.

“So, how did you end up meeting Valerie and Shadow?” Inquired the Flaaffy.

“Well, the Whismur, Wendy, caused some chaos on the place we were dining at. Her ability caused a bunch of ponies to fall asleep, yet we ended up becoming friends, and when we went to look for something to eat, she spotted Valerie and went to greet her. Then things started… getting rather chaotic, but I believe we’re lucky to have found her, she seems to be a rather nice Pokémon.” Steven explained, before getting another bite of the meal, “What about you? I don’t think any trainer could just casually find a one of a kind Pokémon like her.”

Tyler chuckled. “She isn’t one of my Pokemon. We met her after the mass exodus. She and Shadow got put in a cage together when the guard was still rounding up Pokemon.”

“So the Pokemon were causing problems here as well? Damn you guys are troublemakers,” The unicorn joked, her mouth once again full of food which made it hard to understand her.

“We’re pretty much aliens in this world, so it’s understandable.” Steven deadpanned, before turning his head to the Electric type, “Tyler, once again, I am sorry for forgetting, but could you please remind me how we met?”

”Sure, I wouldn’t expect you to remember, it was like a year ago, and I’m sure you meet tons of trainers like me.” The former human cleared his throat, “I was just a few days into my journey, and was about to head into Petalburg woods. Up till that point I hadn’t battle any trainers, really just fighting wild Pokemon and rocks, heh. This snooty guy named Winston challenged me to a 1v1 between my Fennekin, Kenny, and his Zigzagoon. He ended up totally destroying me. The closest Pokemon center was miles away and he was too much of a stiff to give me any potions. Then you came out of nowhere and reprimanded him for not helping me, and gave me a full restore. My spirits were pretty crushed after the loss so you gave me a few kind words about believing in myself and then you were on your way.”

“Oh! The trainer with the Fennekin, I remember now. How did your adventure go? I did see potential in you, especially on the bond you had with the Fennekin.”

Tyler smiled, then sighed, “It was going great. I had six badges, and had just made it to Lilycove when all this” he gestured around “Happened. I was planning on catching a water type and swimming out to Mossdeep the next day but then Arceus did his thing.”

“I see.. Six badges? You’ve become pretty strong, haven’t you? That’s good.” Steven remarked.

“So what are you doing here in Canterlot? I showed up here and got a place to stay so I figured I’d go sedentary for a while.” The Flaaffy inquired.

“We’re going to the Everfree Forest” The unicorn interrupted, cleaning the massive amounts of sauce on her muzzle with a fancy-looking napkin, and yawning after finishing, “Steven wants to talk with your god, something like that.”

“I just wish to ask Arceus some things, Miss. Midnight here had some business in Canterlot, so we decided to stay here for the night. If Frederick is better by the morning, we’ll be planning our departure, after he solves some details with his… sister that is.” The former champion buzzed softly.

“Ok, makes sense. Valerie went to see Arceus immediately after his announcement and took Shadow with her. I don’t know what happened when they were gone but next thing I know one of my partners is in a relationship. I don’t mind that he’s settling down and all it just bugs me they won’t tell me what happened to bring that about.” He sighed. “I don’t mean to be nosey, but… you know. Shadow is one of my best friends, my first Pokemon to evolve. I just don’t like being out of the loop.”

“If I may, they seemed pretty happy together, and your Umbreon, Shadow, seems to care a lot about her. I know how hard it is when your own Pokémon hide things from you, but you have to remember that, they have feelings just like us. They have their own life, and still they decide to share part of that life with us, but it doesn’t mean we have full control over them. We are their trainers, yes, but we are also their friends, and we have to respect their decisions.” Steven took a sip of the glass of water that stood next to the now empty dish, “By the way, we appreciate the food. Tell our host that it was marvelous.”

Tyler smiled. “Thanks for the advice, and I’ll be sure to do that.” He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall between the two large windows to his right. The hour hand was nearing the eleven mark. “I suppose we should probably turn in soon, you probably have a full day ahead of you tomorrow with meeting Arceus and all.”

“Once again, thanks to both you and our host. If you don’t mind, could you lead us to our rooms?” The Scizor requested, before poking the suddenly sleeping pony at his side.

“Wait… what, what did I miss?”

Steven chuckled softly, “That explains why you were so quiet all of the sudden.”

“I would lead you to your rooms, but Fancypants has like twenty or something in this place. I don’t know which ones are prepped for your stay.”

For once Tyler didn’t flinch when an aged voice spoke up behind him, “I would be happy to lead you to where you’ll be staying. Come with me please.”

The Scizor and Unicorn followed the butler through the doors, and were lead upstairs. Pocket's room was the first on the left. “Thanks, sleep tight!"

“Aaaand I have sudden insomnia, great. That food must have done something to my belly.”

Pockets got off her bed, looking around at the huge room they provided for her and Wendy. “So many things but nothing to do. And Wendy’s completely asleep so I can’t ask for her help, it’d be rude. What… to… do…” Pockets opened the main door, and stepped outside. Just a couple of lights illuminated the hallway. “Maybe there’s a kitchen around here somewhere, maybe I can get some milk to help me out.”

The unicorn slunk downstairs, trying to avoid being spotted by those still awake, who were mainly servants. “This is going to be my biggest heist yet… a glass of milk in the house of a famous noble!” The unicorn chuckled under her breath, teleporting around and hiding in the shadows. “No one can spot the famous Robin Hoof of Tall Tale! Pickett Midnig--”

“Do you require anything ma’am? I’d be happy to fetch something to help you sleep.”

At the sudden interruption, Pockets, who was carefully standing on a shelf, found herself falling to the floor. “Gah! You came out of nowhere! Do you ever sleep?”

“I make myself available for any who may need assistance.” Replied Loyalty, his face still showing no emotion.

“No offense, but that’s creepy.” The unicorn chuckled awkwardly, “I was just looking for the kitchen, want to get some warm milk and whatnot. Do you think you can tell where that is?”

“Of course madame, follow me.” The old butler turned and led her through the dining room, into the kitchen through a side door. She stood awkwardly by the entrance while he retrieved a bottle of milk, and poured it into a glass. His horn lit up for a few moments and a bit of steam and bubbles rose from the drink, before handing it off to her levitation. “If you need anything else just ask.”

Pockets took a tentative sip from her glass, spitting it back in when she found it to be boiling hot still. She set the glass back down and looked around, but the butler had already disappeared.

“Geez, what’s wrong with that guy…” Levitating the milk, she decided to walk around the mansion while the milk cooled down. The wide windows let the moonlight come in, softly brightening the place up. She went upstairs, having a good look at the various fancy items in the mansion, wondering the value of each one of them. She reached the guest rooms, and saw the two Pokémon they met at the Donut Shop earlier standing in front of a room, the one she assumed was Frederick’s.

“Hey, sup.” The unicorn saluted, catching the attention of the cuddling duo.

“Oh, hi. Pockets right?” Valerie broke off from Shadow at the Unicorns approach.

“Sorry, if I’m interrupting anything I’ll just be on my way!” The blue pony chuckled awkwardly.

“No! Don’t worry it’s fine. Fredericks your friend so if you wanna check on him or something that’s fine.” The Veneon gave an equally awkward smile.

“I guess he hasn’t woken up yet… you doing ok? He’s your brother after all.”

Valerie smiled, “I’m fine. I honestly hadn’t expected to meet him so soon! I had been planning on meeting our parents soon. When I went to see Arceus he told me they were in a city called Las Pegasus. I would have probably gone in the next few days.”

“Your parents, huh.... Hey, do you mind having a walk with me? I have some… questions.” Pockets scratched her head, a bit embarrassed of doing such a request to someone she had just met.

Valerie looked to her mate. “I’ll keep an eye out while you're gone, if he wakes up I’ll come find you.”

The Poison type gave him a lick on the cheek, stood up, and walked over to Pockets, making a “lead the way” gesture with her head.

The two strolled silently through the corridor until Shadow was out of sight, and Pockets finally cleared her throat. “Frederick seemed… uneasy when he found out who you were, something about being his fault… sorry if it’s a delicate topic, but he’s my friend, and I’d like to know what happened to him… to you.”

Valerie’s ears flattened. “Well, I can’t tell you much about what happened after I was kidnapped, after all, I wasn’t around, but I do know that he’s different now. I only recognized him because he sounds so much like our dad, and his name is Frederick.”

“I see… he also mentioned… others? You had other siblings?” The unicorn asked, a bit saddened and ashamed by talking about the topic.

Valerie nodded. “Yes, two brothers. Marc and Eric. Both their deaths were… gruesome to say the least. You see, Shadow, Frederick and I all evolved from the same species, Eevee. Eevee has eight documented forms, and many believe there to be more. I’m proof of that, as the new ninth. The doctor wanted to discover more Eeveelutions, so he kidnapped us to be the ‘lucky frontiersman’ of our species. Marc died in his first attempt, and Eric… Eric was the first one I ever poisoned.”

“That’s… horrible… Sorry for bringing it up. Frederick sure had it hard then, explains why he hates humans so much.” Pockets sighed, “I guess you guys used to be really close, weren’t you?”

The Poison type nodded. “Yeah, he was the oldest out of all of us. He had a really bad case of overprotective big brother syndrome. He got in trouble once for beating up this Poochyena that was teasing me! I’ll never forget the look on that guy’s face when he came charging in with a swift attack.”

“Haha, that sounds like what he would do… No wonder it hit him so much… losing you must have been so painful…” She noticed a tear slowly rolling down Valerie’s cheek, and grimaced slightly. “Here, you want some milk?”

This earned a slight smile from the Eeveelution. “No thanks, I wouldn’t want to poison you, even if Shadow is nearby. Ingesting my poisons are way worse than having it absorb through your skin.”

“Aaaaand that is not something I needed to know.” The unicorn chuckled, “Thanks for hanging out with me, Valerie.”

Shadow watched the two girls depart, a small smile growing on his snout. It was good to see that she was still making new friends. Only Arceus knows what sort of emotional issues she could have ended up with after her experience. At least reclusiveness wasn’t one of them. Before he could reflect on it further, he felt something snaking its way along his barrel, before he could react another one covered his mouth, they both then simultaneously tightened and pulled him into Fredericks room.

“Well then, hello pretty boy. Finally we can have a one on one conversation, don’t you think ‘brother in law’?”

“Mmph, mmph.”

Frederick chuckled diabolically as he held him in his soft yet firm ribbons, “Easy there, you’ll have time to talk soon enough. You know... I don’t really like your kind, Umbreon, in fact you are on my top hated things in the world, just below humans, and just above babies. So you better answer carefully. What are your intentions with my sister?”

Frederick released the Umbreon, letting him breathe again.”I don’t know what you mean!” He sputtered, drawing in as much air as he could.

Not satisfied, Frederick covered his mouth again, and giggled, “No, no, not a good enough answer. You know, I’ve always wondered… some people say that Eeveelutions always fall on their feet... who knows, this place is pretty high up.. and with a couple of Moonblasts... “ Frederick grabbed Shadow once again, and looked at him with a dead-stare. “What are your intentions with my sister, I’ve met some pretty rotten Dark types before, give me one reason to believe you’re different.”

Shadow growled “Look man, she came onto me! And I’ve been helping her readjust to not living under the fear of a psychopath. I don’t have any ‘intentions’ other than to help her in any way I can.” He returned the Sylveons glare, “And don’t think that some stupid type advantage will mean too much in a battle. My trainer planned for encounters with fairies.”

“Oh, tough boy aren’t you? Trained as well… that explains the ‘creative’ name,“ Frederick smirked, “Listen, I’m just protecting my little sister, and I don’t really trust you, at all.”

“If you’re trying to ‘protect’ her, where were you when we were both tossed in a cell together just for being Pokemon? Or when she found out she killed someone and tried to get herself arrested? Huh? I’ve been protecting her too you know!”

Frederick dropped Shadow, and grunted under his breath, “Oh… that was most definitely a wrong answer, you fucking asshole!” Frederick grabbed him once again and threw him in the air, before swiftly throwing two small Moonblasts at the Umbreon, sending him back.

Shadow managed to dodge one of the two Moonblasts, but the other impacted him square in the shoulder. The force threw him back into a wall, where he quickly threw up a protect to block the next two attacks. His tail glowed a bright white and he rushed forward, hitting the Sylveon in the jaw, drawing a bit of blood with the super effective Iron Tail.

“Oh ho ho. You fucking asshole, you represent everything I hate in life.... it’s going to be fun to beat you up!” Frederick released a strong Flash in the room, blinding Shadow for a couple of seconds, and just as he regained sight, another Moonblast hit him directly between his eyes.

The Umbreon stumbled back, before his eyes glowed a purple light, and a viscous bubbling liquid was shot at the Sylveon, infecting him with the toxin, causing him to shudder violently. Frederick chuckled, then copied the Umbreon, sending his own Toxic attack out. To his surprise, the Umbreon didn’t even flinch as he was infected.

“Sorry, that’s not gonna work. Thanks to your sister I’ve started to build up a resistance. Give me two hours and I might start to feel a little wobbly.”

“For Arceus’ Sake… you dirty bastard. I still have enough time to beat you up before the Toxic takes me down.” As Frederick grunted, he Moonblasted the Umbreon once again, who dodged it effortlessly, but was surprised when the Sylveon himself tackled him out of the window, and onto the roof. Shadow barely managed to hang onto the edge, and pulled himself back up onto the tiles.

He erected another Protect, blocking another few Moonblasts, and then healed himself with Moonlight. “That all you got?”

Frederick called for a Wish to heal himself as well, annoyed by the taunts of the Umbreon who until now had been able to take his hits with ease, “You piece of garbage… I won’t let you get close to my sister, no matter how, but I’ll stop you two from being together any longer… even if I have to kill you for it!” Frederick rushed to the Umbreon, tackling him. they both found themselves rolling around on the rooftop of the mansion, punching and kicking each other on the way down. Frederick was ready to send another Moonblast, and Shadow was ready to use another Iron Tail, but both were stopped when they reached a balcony, and a loud shout of anger and confusion called their attention.

The two were forcefully yanked from one another by a blue magical grip, and held there in the air, both panting and glaring at the other.

“WHAT IN ARCEUS’S NAME ARE YOU TWO DOING?” shrieked Valerie.

“Well I did say I’d let you know when your brother was awake.” He gasped out.

“Hey Sis, I was just having a small chat with your pesky boyfriend, we were just playing and whatnot.” The Sylveon chuckled with anger, hissing at the Umbreon with his sight.

“Somehow I find that doubtful,” Pockets glared.

Valerie turned to Shadow, “What’s going on Shadow?”

The Umbreon gasped for breath for a few more seconds, having taken a hard kick to the stomach right before they were separated. “Your lunatic of a brother yanked me into his room and started interrogating me! Something about him not trusting me around you. Words were exchanged, then blows, now we’re here.”

“Is this true?” She turned sharply to Frederick.

“That’s one way to put it, I just wanted to know if he could be trusted, and hey! What a surprise, he can’t be trusted at all, you should probably break up with him as soon as possible, you deserve better than.. that” Frederick chuckled, just now receiving the heal from the Wish he had called for earlier.

Valerie’s eyes darkened. “You think you have the right to tell me who I can and can’t fall in love with?”

“Kind of, yeah.” The Sylveon said dryly.

The Veneon growled, “Does that give you an excuse to attack and possibly harm my mate?”

“He got on my nerves! The idiot taunted me about not being with you for when you needed help! Freaking idiot…” The Fairy grunted under his breath.

“There’s a difference between taunting and citing examples of when I helped her instead of you.” The Umbreon shot back.

“She was taken away from me years ago you asshole! How was I supposed to help her?”

“Well I never accused you off not being there, I was just saying that maybe you aren’t the only one who can help her!”

“Oh, sure, that's totally what you meant back there, you idiot can go and suck a-”

“STOP FIGHTING!” Pockets interjected, “You two are both acting incredibly immature, and in your case, Frederick, that’s saying something!”

“S’not my fault…” The Sylveon snorted.

“He started it,” whined the Umbreon.

“I can’t believe you two, especially you Frederick. I would have thought that you would be more mature after five years.” She looked to Shadow, “I know it was probably mostly self defense from you, but there must have been better ways to deal with it than fighting.”

Before either could retort there was a sound of shattering glass from around the corner of the building. Pockets finally set down the two Eeveelutions, gave them a shushing gesture, and put an invisibility spell on herself.

“We’ll discuss this later, I’ll go check whatever that was.”

“I’ll go with you, just so I can get away from those idiots for a bit.” She gave a glare to the two rivals, “Don’t do anything even stupider while I’m gone.”

Frederick glared at the Umbreon, but before he could throw more blame at him, he felt a sudden pain hit his stomach, as the Toxic from earlier became stronger. “I hate you… gah.”

“Let me help you with that,” before the Sylveon could protest he felt the poison fade away with a glow from the Umbreon’s eyes.

“I’ll use my own damn move to heal my health next time if you don’t mind.” Was the only thanks the Dark type received, before Frederick jumped into a nearby roof, his feelers glowing softly while he prepared Flash to illuminate his way.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“What? Do you think I’ll just leave Pockets and Valerie to investigate whatever that was by themselves? As much as you hate the idea, I’m her brother, and I’m also Pockets’ Pokémon.”

“Fine, then I’m going too.” The Umbreon padded along behind the Fairy, as he reached him he lit up his rings, thus making the Flash pointless. The Sylveon grunted at his assistance, and advanced forward.

Both Valerie and Pockets walked slowly towards the origin of the glass shattering, careful to not call attention to them, and that was for a good reason, as in the distance, they managed to hear an extremely odd conversation.

“You idiot! I told you to open the window not to smash it!”

“Well how are we supposed to do that? We don’t have fingers.”

“You’re a Psychic-Type! Use your freaky mind powers!”

“Oh, right. Oops.” There was a light blue glow, and the sound of a window being opened.

“Well now that the glass is broken, we’re just making more useless noise!”

“You’re the one who’s yelling.”

“Gaah! My feet! Clear away all this glass before I skin off the rest of my foot!” A Luxio limped into view, and Valerie and Pockets shrank further into the shadows to avoid being detected by the intruders.

A Bronzong floated over the glass, picking it up and depositing it outside the window, making light clinking sounds as it hit the ground.

The Luxio spoke, “Oh come on! Now you’re just blocking the way for the others! Go open the next window over, and don’t smash it this time!”

The Bronzong obeyed, and opened up the next window, thankfully the one opposite from the thief and her friend. Several more Pokemon came inside, a Vileplume, an Arbok, a Mightyena, and a Bibarel.

The Luxio, obviously the leader, began issuing commands again. “Find the Flareon, do not engage on your own. If you find him, make the signal. You all remember the signal right?” There was a general nod of confirmation, and a few let out ridiculous ca-caw sounds. “Good, now, Steve and Barbie, you check the second floor east wing, Cabbage, Six, you two get second floor west wing. Mighty and I will check the whole first floor. Move!”

“Sure thing Sparkles!” The Mightyena barked happily

“I’ve told you… don’t call me that, I’m Sparks!” The Luxio grunted back.

The Pokemon scattered, the snake and bell Pokemon luckily passing by the two hiding without noticing them.

“Geez, these guys must be newbies, telling their names loud and clear during a heist. Let's follow them and see what they do.” Pockets chuckled, as she once again casted the invisibility spell on herself and Valerie, and followed the leader and his annoying sounding partner.

“Shouldn’t we go wake the others?” Questioned Valerie.

The pony smirked. “Nah, with noobs like these guys, we got it in the bag.”

“Just because they don’t know how to efficiently break and enter doesn't mean they can’t handle themselves in a fight. They could be dangerous.” The Veneon replied.

“Fine… We’ll wake up someone when we get upstairs, let’s follow them some more, this’ gonna be fun.” Pockets giggled, rubbing her hooves together in anticipation.

“If you had listened you’d know this is the group in charge of the first floor.”

“Gah, you’re right…” The unicorn rolled her eyes “You wanna go warn the others? I’ll keep an eye on them.”

“Got it,” The Veneon stepped out of the range of the invisibility spell, and padded silently down the corridor, turning the corner and quickly going up the stairs in the main entryway. Once she made it to the top, she checked to see if the Arbok and Bronzong were there. The two were just entering a room, a luckily empty one, and she quickly went up the final step and made a rush for Steven’s room. Before she could she found herself in a psychic grasp.

“Well what do we have here huh?” The Arbok slithered over and took a good look at the strange Pokemon before her. “You aren’t our target, that’s for sure.”

“Maybe it’s one of those weird creatures that roam around, ya know, like the ones we beat up mercilessly to get a place for our base!” The Bronzong joked happily.

“Put me down!”

“Oh so it is a Pokemon, or at least one of the intelligent local species. I think it’s most likely the former, you look a lot like an Eeveelution,” She hissed. “Some sort of freak I suppose.”

There was the sound of another window shattering, and a shadow ball flew through the air, impacting the Bronzong. causing him to drop Valerie. “She. Is not. a FREAK!”

Frederick landed in front of Valerie, hissing at the two intruders, even with the obvious type disadvantage.

Shadow ran in behind him, also charging up a Shadow ball. “If you know what’s good for you you’ll go find your friends and leave. Now.”

The Arbok let out something between a hiss and a laugh. “The Umbreon could be a threat, but a pretty pink little thing like you? Go play with some dolls.”

“Heh… you snake freak underestimate me. I’ve dealt with things three times your size, I’ve been the ruler of a freaking forest infested by the ones like you. For me, you’re nothing but a weakling. Type advantages make me laugh.” As the Fairy boasted about his abilities, he released a strong Flash, blinding the Arbok, and sending it back with a Shadow Ball.

Shadow quickly sprang into action, also sending out a Shadow Ball at the Bronzong, who shrugged it off with his high defense. “Looks like this’ll be fun,” he grunted.

Arbok hissed, and yelled “Toxic!!” Three blobs of poison were sent out, impacting all three of the Eeveelutions, the only one affected fully being Frederick. The Sylveon flinched, and conjured another Shadow Ball, which sent the snake flying into a door. She righted herself, hissed, and lunged at the Sylveon, who dodged out of the way, and used Double Team, the room filling up with ten more of him.

Shadow and Steve were both taking turns protecting, throwing attacks, using heal moves, and attacking again.

“Hurry up little kitty, I don’t have all night.” The Bronzong then took a Dark Pulse straight to the face.

Meanwhile, on the first floor, the sounds of the fight could be heard clearly, as the explosions and the hits alerted the Luxio and the Mightyena that their partners were found.

“It’s probably the buffoon Steve. Let’s go, maybe if we get up there fast enough, we can end the battle quickly.” The Electric type growled.

Pockets panicked at the sudden order of the Luxio. She thought for a few seconds, trying to get an idea of how to distract them, until the bulb in her head lighted up. The unicorn teleported in front of the pair of Pokémon, with a fancy-looking dish equilibrated on her hoof.

“Hello gentleman, welcome to the mansion, what can I do for ya? You sneaky intruders.” She said calmly, on a slight sensual tone.

“Another one of those Ponyta creatures! Get outta my way, or I’ll bite you!” The Mightyena growled, taking a defensive stand.

“Easy there, bud. I’m not here to stop you from doing whatever the hell you guys are planning to do.” Pockets dropped the plate, and with her levitation spell, she rolled it towards the wall. “I’m here to help you. You see, I’m a professional equestrian thief, and I saw how you and your friends got inside the mansion, and I gotta say, you Pokémon did a terrible job!” Pockets teleported next to the Luxio, who began charging sparks of electricity on his tail, trying to do a menacing stand. “Now, you big boy, you seem to be the leader. Isn’t it annoying when your group just doesn’t follow your orders?”

“Don’t taunt me Ponyta, we have a job to do!” The Luxio growled menacingly at Pockets, sparks coming out of his mouth, before advancing towards the staircase.

“Think Pockets, you need to keep these two around.” The blue unicorn teleported between the two Pokémon, and with a cool grin, she attempted one more time to convince them to stop and chat, “Come on, no need to be aggressive.I’m just trying to help you. Just imagine being able to sneak inside any house without even being detected, believe me it’s the most glorious feeling in the world. I can help you become the stealthiest group in this entire planet.”

The Mightyena spoke up then. “Hey Sparkles, isn’t this the Pony that Digger told us about from before? The one that was with the green Scizor”

“Sparkles” turned around and growled at his partner. “Don’t call me that. And yes, now that you mention it I think you’re right. Ponyta, by the order of our great Lord Helix you are under arrest for interfering in his godly business.”

Pockets was scared and confused, her cover had been blown up, and the two Pokémon were probably going to kill her, if she was lucky that is. “Ok, yes I was with the bug guy, but I was just… uh. I was just eating donuts?”

“You are still guilty Ponyta. Come quietly or else....”

Pockets walked back, as the two Pokémon slowly got closer to her, fangs showing and claws ready. “Oh boy, this is not going to be pretty.”

“Hey assholes, you’re on private property you know.” Before the two could advance any further, an orange blur impacted the Mightyena, flinging him into the Luxio. Before either could react, a Scrafty used a Poison Jab, hitting the electric lion this time. The Mightyena latched onto the Scrafty’s tail with Crunch, but he quickly turned around and hit the invading Dark type between the eyes with a drain punch, knocking it out for good.

He felt a shock hit him on his back, and he turned around again and replied with a Head Smash, sending the Luxio flying. Before he could finish the lion, it quickly jumped up and ran off, howling in pain and tucking his star tipped tail between his legs.

Once the coast appeared to be clear again, he turned back to Pockets. “Sup, I’m Damian. I don’t know you, but you looked like you were trying to help, so I won’t beat your sorry ass quite yet.”

“Kinda rude, but I appreciate the help, dude. Name’s Pockets, and I’m friends with the purple cat and the sheep guy.” The pony replied, holding out a hoof.

Damian accepted, and looked up the stairs, the sounds of the battle still raging. “I suppose we should go help out now huh. Oh and also, thanks for buying me some time to charge up with Dragon Dance.”

“Didn’t know I was doin’ that, but you’re welcome!” Pockets chuckled, advancing towards the staircase.

“Hey Cab. What are we looking for again?”

“The Flareon traitor, we have to find him and bring him to Lord Helix.”

“Right. And how are we going to find him?”

“Searching every room, he must be asleep.”

“Makes sense. And why are we-”

“I swear Six, just be quiet and keep looking, or I’ll Giga Drain you. Check in that room ahead, I’ll guard the door.”

The Bibarel turned the doorknob with his teeth, stepping inside carelessly to search for his target.

“Hello, any Flareon here? “

“You dumbass! Don’t announce yourself! Just check if the room actually has sheets on the bed, and if so see if it’s the Flareon!”

“Oh, sorry.” The Bibarel then smacked the door with his tail, causing it to slam closed loudly.

“You’re hopeless…” Sighed the Vileplume, “Why were you even selected for this mission?”

The Bibarel stood up on his hind legs and clapped happily. “The disciples of Helix all deserve their time to shine!”

The Water type walked into the room, looking around to try to find any clues that could aid his ‘special mission’. He then saw that the bed, unlike many others in that floor, was actually occupied.

“I found something!” The Bibarel chimed loudly, but all the answer he could hear was a loud smack from a facepalm. The Normal type climbed the wooden nightstand, dropping many different objects on the floor. Luckily for him, the creature resting on said bed was a heavy sleeper.

“Ok… so how does a Flareon look like? Flare… that sounds like… Seed Flare. That’s a Grass type move, so he must be a Grass type. Yes, makes sense. So, let’s see who’s under these sheets.” The Bibarel uncovered the one sleeping in the bed, to reveal a large, slim, bipedal, lime-green Pokémon, “Ok, this guy is green, so he’s totally a grass type. And the ‘eon’ in the end of ‘Flareon’... That sounds modern and technological, and this guy looks like a Steel type. Yeah, green and technological, this guy must be the Flareon!”

The Bibarel took a deep breathe, before releasing a loud “CACAW!”

As the call was given, the Grass type walked in with an alarmed look, “You found him?”

“Yup! I’m the best tracker ever!”

“Good, make sure he doesn’t wake up, we gotta leave. There’s a fight going on down the hall! We need to take the Flareon out of here and deliver him to Lord Helix!”

“I dunno, he looks pretty big and heavy. We might need Steve to get him out of here.” The Bibarel looked back to the “Flareon” with a concerned look.

“What are you talking about, idiot? Flareon are like a third your size?” The Vileplume wasn’t liking where this was going.

“I believe the correct term is ‘Scizor’ “ A voice said from behind them. As the large lime-green figure began getting up, grabbing the Bibarel by the throat with one of his pincers, “And you just woke me up from my much needed slumber.”

“YOU IDIOT! THAT’S NOT A FLAREON, THAT’S A FREAKING SCIZOR!” Said the Poison type panicking.

“Don’t… worry.. Cab. I got- I got this!” The Bibarel’s body started glowing red, and so did Steven’s eyes. The grip became stronger, as the Swagger started acting on the Scizor.

“You idiot! Scizor are known for their physical strength!” Panicking, the Vileplume grabbed a ceramic jar that was laying around yelled “Fling!”, and threw it at the angry Scizor, causing him to drop the Bibarel on the floor. “Lets go!”

Running away from the Steel type, the two Pokémon could hear the fights going on the other side, and now the first floor. Their group was being demolished, and there was nothing they could do about it. Another sound joined the battles, as a loud buzz got closer to the Vileplume.

“Where do you think you’re going, intruder?” The Scizor was now next to him, his eyes still a violent red. Steven swinged his right pincer to try to strike the cultists, but failed the hit due to his confusion, hitting nothing but a wall and hurting himself. “Gah! That’s so annoying!”

“Hey! My Swagger actually worked! See? I know what I’m doing!”

“Uhm… Six, look behind you!”

Steven once again followed the pair, as they reached the stairs. But a Tailwind let him catch up with the intruders, and before they could even reach the first steps, they were already in the Scizor’s grasp, as his eyes turned to normal, revealing that the effect of the Swagger was over.

“You two better have a good explanation for waking me up.”

The cultists gulped. “W-we were just honoring the wishes of the great Helix!” The Bibarel whimpered. “We didn’t mean any harm to you! Please give us the Flareon and we’ll leave.”

Stevens eyes hardened. “He is under my protection. And he shall not be harmed in my charge.” He then opened up a window, and unceremoniously dropped the two would be kidnappers.

Once he was sure those two wouldn’t be causing any more trouble, he began heading back to his room. “Oh… Wait. There’s the battle going on over there. I guess I should help.” He groaned thoughtlessly. “I don’t even know what time it freaking is…”

BANG. The Bronzong fell to the ground after taking a final Shadow Ball.

Shadow was panting, that was a much more intense battle than he had expected from the Psychic-Type. He looked over at Frederick, still fighting with the Arbok. He gave one more look to the downed bell pokemon before running over to the Sylveon and offering his assistance. A few more hits and the Poison type was down for the count.

“I don’t need your help, smartass.” The Fairy grunted in annoyance, “And that was rather annoying, these idiots weren’t even able to give out a proper fight.”

Shadow, trying not to make the Sylveon angrier with him, held back his sarcastic comment. “We should probably go wake up some of the others, and check if there are more of these thugs around.”

“We can do that later. First, are you hurt, Valerie? If these idiots did anything to you…” The Sylveon asked softly, taking a good luck at the Poison type to check for any major injuries

“I’m fine. The Arbok hit me a few times but I’m immune to Poison-Type attacks. It’s part of my ability.” She shot a glare at the two. “And don’t think that just because some morons broke in we won’t talk about what happened earlier.”

The males flinched under her gaze. “He started it... “ Mumbled Shadow.

“I’m just protecting you. I can’t sleep calmly knowing that my little sister who I haven’t seen for years is in a relationship with a guy I don’t know at all. What if he ends up being a pervert?”

“He’s not a pervert. If anything it’s me since I’m the one that kissed him the first time.” She growled.

Frederick remained silent. His eyes darkened, and he let out a loud growl, “YOU’VE KISSED HIM!? HOW LONG HAVE YOU TWO BEEN TOGETHER!?”

“Uuu… about a week now.” Shadow contemplated for a moment. “Actually I guess it’s more like five days. Tonight was our first real date together.”

Once again, the Sylveon remained silent, before forming a small Shadow Ball in his feeler, and throwing it at the Dark type, “YOU BARELY HAVE A WEEK AND YOU LET HER KISS YOU!? I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DID FOR HER. TRUE LOVE NEEDS WORK AND TIME. YOU DON’T JUST SKIP FRIENDSHIP AND GO DIRECTLY WITH THE CHEESY STUFF YOU PIECE OF FUCK!”

Valerie rubbed her shoulder with her tail. “Actually that’s how the relationship started really.”

“It was on the second night in Equestria.” Shadow added. “She had just found out that she had accidentally killed someone with her poison, and I was comforting her, and… well… she kissed me. And I guess I kissed her back. Since then I don’t think we’ve actually done anything more than light nuzzles and kisses on the cheek though .”

Frederick let out a loud grunt of anger, charging a large Shadow Ball in front of him, and throwing it through the window, breaking it, his eyes not deviating from the couple “Valerie I swear… I know you had a hard time these past years, but at least freaking try to control yourself! Comforting is easy, loving is not! You don’t know how painful love can be! You may think you love that smug fuck, but when you least expect it things go down the drain and you end up like a sad and angry piece of shit like me!” In sheer anger, Frederick’s ribbons emanated a strong red aura, as his red eyes left out a single, yet small tear surrounded his cheeks.

Valerie’s gaze softened somewhat. “Freddy… Is that why you’re so different than when I last saw you? Someone hurt you didn’t they.”

Frederick turned away, ignoring the question. “Take these idiots downstairs and fucking leave me alone. I need some air…” He whispered, loud enough for the couple to hear, before turning around and jumping through the hole in the recently broken window.

“I’ll assumed that he’s friendly since you two weren't beating his ass like the snake and the metal guy.”
Shadow turned to the source of the voice. “Hey Damian. Yeah, he’s… relatively friendly. He’s a guest at least.”

Steven finally made it to the scene of the battle, babbling random sounds and softly cursing the intruders for interrupting his sleep. Damian struck a defensive pose before the Scizor waved him off. “I’m with the Sylveon.”

The Scrafty looked to the two Eeveelutions, who nodded their heads in confirmation, and he then relaxed. “Sup, I’m Damian.” He held out a hand to the metal bug.

“Stone, Steven Stone.” The Scizor replied, returning the handshake, “Where’s everyone? I went to check on Pockets to see if she was OK, and she was gone, same with Frederick.”

“The blue unicorn? Yeah she’s fine. Had a nasty run in with a Mightyena and a Luxio, but I took care of em before she was hurt.” He looked down the stairs and called out, “It’s all clear up here now. You can come up.”

A navy blue blink of light sparked on the handrail, before revealing a short unicorn striking a pose, “Pickett Midnight has arrived!” She announced, before slipping on the waxed rail, and falling off towards the first floor. There was a collective gasp, and then another flash quickly brought the Unicorn back to the worried spectators.”I’m fine! Geez, that looked way better in my head.”

“Pockets... do you ever run out of energy?” Steven facepalmed.

“Give me a break, you guys all have awesome powers, i just wanted to look as cool!” The mare chuckled in return, “So, what did I miss?”

“Was about to ask the same thing. I woke up to find two intruders my room, and now I see two other Pokémon unconscious on the floor” The former human said, pointing at the Bronzong and the Arbok. “What exactly happened?”

Valerie spoke up. “I think there are only six. A Bibarel, a Luxio, these two, a Mightyena, and a Vileplume.”

“I already took care of the Mightyena, but the Luxio ran off.”

“The Bibarel and the Vileplume are currently out of the house, and most likely unconscious on the bushes outside of the mansion. We can still grab them if we need to. “ The Champion said dryly.

A nearby door creaked open, and a drowsy Flaaffy hobbled out. “What the hell happened out here?”

“Some cultists broke in and are looking for the Flareon we brought back with us.” Shadow clarified.

Tyler blinked twice, only half registering the implications of the Umbreon’s statement. “So where is the Flareon?”

The whole group paused for a moment. “Did anybody think to go see if Prophet is ok?” Valerie asked tentatively.

Another voice spoke up. “Well to be honest I think it’s a good idea to make sure the people here looking to take him should be dealt with first. But now would be a good time to see if that friend of ours is alright.” The Pokemon turned to the middle hallway dividing the two wings of the second floor, a white unicorn in a fancy white pajama shirt stood, with his monocle on.

Tyler nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Fancy is right. Where is the Flareon staying.”
Loyalty, as usual, seemingly came out of thin air once again to assist.

“He is staying in the third room in the west wing. But it would appear that the remaining invader has already taken him. It would be prudent to interrogate the remaining to determine the location of their base of operations.”

“Holy shit Loyalty, you’re effective.” Pockets chuckled, “I second his idea“

Damian poked the Arbok with a foot. “I’m pretty sure these two are down for the count. Let’s try one of the guys that safety scissors here tossed out a window.”

“As I said before, the two intruders I faced are probably unconscious. Yet that isn’t an issue.” The Champion replied, before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

“What is he doing?” Shadow asked with curiosity, receiving a shrug from Damian.

“The big guy is coming” The mare laughed dryly. Suddenly, a metallic silver saucer carefully entered the hallway through the balcony nearby, two unconscious Pokémon floating next to him, a Bibarel and a Vileplume.

“Greetings,” The Metagross saluted in a robotic deep voice, “My name is Layton, Steven’s partner”
“

It’s nice to meet you Layton, I’m Fancypants. Please be careful not to chip the floors.” The stallion grimaced slightly.

“I shall try.” The Steel type nodded curtly, “And I hope you don’t mind, but I did a superficial mind check to see if you were trustworthy, and you seem to be.”

“Layton had some bad experiences with rich ponies in the recent past.” Steven added, “And don’t worry, superficial checks leave memories and knowledge intact.”

“Does that mean they aren’t always superficial, and they aren’t always benevolent?” Shadow asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I try my best to respect the mental privacy of others, but experience has shown me that not everyone can be trusted, and my main priority is Steven’s safety.” Layton explained impassively, “Living creatures, human, Pokémon, ponies, not everyone can be trusted.”

“I suppose that makes sense. So, with your mind powers can’t you simply pull the location of these trespassers allies?” Valerie spoke up

The Steel type nodded his whole body. “I already have. They’re in a warehouse in the poorer district of the city. We should go there as soon as possible, they seem to have a plan involving sacrifice in store for him.”

“We should go now then,” Tyler spoke up. “I’ll go wake BBK, she could be handy.”

The Flaaffy waddled over to another room, and went inside. There was the sound of yelling, screaming, cursing, and apologetic pleas. After all this was over a very grumpy Klefki floated out of her room, followed by a frazzled looking Flaaffy.

“Let’s get this bullshit over with. Just because I don’t have a complexion doesn’t mean I don’t need my beauty sleep.”

Meanwhile at the cultists base…

A grumpy Delphox sat on an inflatable mattress in a cleared out bathroom. The cultists had “remodeled” it just for him, the “beautiful bride” for the “great Lord Helix.” This was probably the worst case of mistaken gender he had ever experienced.

“I swear when I get my chance…”

Before he could finish the threat, the door to the locked off room was unbarred, and an Omastar came in. “Hello beautiful! How are we tonight? One of the guards told me you haven’t tried to break out in more than four hours now, I think we may be gaining headway with you my love!”

The Fire type simply grunted in response.

“Please dear, if there is anything you need, just tell me.”

The Delphox glared at a puddle on the floor. “I want my stick back.”

The Omastar sighed. “You mean that old table leg? My craftsmen are already working on a beautifully carved staff for you to use. Why would the object of my affections ever hold that brutish club as the object of her affection?”

“It has sentimental value. Just give it back already. I promise to stop trying to burn shit with it.” He tapped his fingers impatiently on the tile floor, which was much closer than he preferred considering how dirty it was.

“I suppose I can give it back to you,” the extinct Pokemon put a tentacle to his cheek, “With one condition. You must make a prophecy using it regarding our most glorious marriage.”

“No”

“Please my love. Just one teency little prophecy.”

“No means no.”

“If you do I may let you wander the compound some more.”
Kenny was about to deny him again, but realized the major chance he had been offered.

“Fine. But I get to keep my stick.”

The Water type could barely suppress his glee. “Perfect, guards, fetch Kendra’s stick.”

“I already told you my name is Kenny.”

“Pish posh. Kendra makes much more sense.”

A Nidoking lumbered in, and handed a worn table leg to the Omastar, who in turn handed it to the Delphox.

“Now my love, look into the flame, and tell me what you see.”

“I see…”

“Yes?”

“I think I see.”

“Tell me!”

“I SEE MYSELF BASHING YOUR FUCKING SKULL IN!”

The Delphox hit the Omastar in a downward curve with his “stick” as hard as he could, sending the Water-Type flying backwards. The Nidoking quickly came back in and took back the table leg and subdued the Delphox, who was now yelling and screeching profanities at the Omastar, who was picked up and moved back out by a female Dragonite.

“I think we’re making progress.” Was all the “god” could supply.

Chapter 10 : Vs. Team Twitch!

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“Fucking... I can’t believe those assholes. A week!? A freaking week!? I’m just trying to protect my sister, and suddenly, I am the bad guy here!”

The sight from the mansion’s rooftop calmed the Sylveon down, at least a tiny bit, the bright lights, the rather calm environment, the sight of the Sundial not far from there and the sight of the Canterlot Castle further away simply showing how gorgeous the city was. He sighed, and took a deep breath, closing his eyes and deciding to not think on anything.

But his focus was lost when the soft sounds of grunting and panting called his attention, opening his left eye, he spotted two pink paws and two long pink and yellow ears making their way up, with difficulty of course. Frederick grunted as he recognized the Whismur, stretching his ribbons and grabbing the Normal type, before tossing her through the window below. He honestly didn’t care. He huffed, and went back to this thinking.. only to be interrupted by the same noise as before. He opened both his eyes now, and once again stretched his ribbons to toss the Whismur back inside the mansion. And then, he went back to thinking.

Only to be interrupted by the same old sounds of the Whismur trying to climb up. He huffed and launched his ribbons with speed, yet surprisingly enough the Whismur had managed to grab them just in time, and she was now giggling as Frederick moved her around in the air, for a small Normal type, she sure had a strong grip.

Minutes passed, and Frederick gave up, he placed Wendy on the flat surface next to himself and simply decided to ignore her. Of course, Wendy would not be ignored. She walked towards Frederick and placed herself right in the middle of his field of vision. The Sylveon shoved her away with his paw as he growled, but of course, she came back.

“Listen, I don’t have time for your crap. I’m trying to be an emo here.” He sighed, getting some ear twitching and some angry expressions in return, “I do not understand you nor do I wish to understand you. So get the hell away from here.”

But Wendy stood there, smacking him with her ears and pointing at the distance.

“What? You want to go poop or something?”

Wendy rolled her eyes and smacked him again, pointing at him, then at a violet lily, and then at the same position where she pointed at before.

Frederick, surprisingly enough, understood half of what the Normal type was talking about, “Val left somewhere, don’t know where exactly but she’s not here.”

Wendy rolled her eyes as if to say ‘I already know that,’ before smacking him again and pointing at once again the same direction.

“You should stop that, it’s kinda starting to hurt a little.” Frederick deadpanned before looking at the direction where she was pointing, “You’re saying they went that way? Ok, then go, you don’t need my help.”

Wendy face-pawed. How could someone be so dumb? She jumped on his head, and pulled his upper ribbons, causing Frederick to growl and try to get her down, to no avail. Pulling once more, she pointed at once again the same direction, and mouther ‘danger’, before pointing at the lilies, at himself, and running her paw through her throat.

“Wait… Val is in danger!?” Frederick’s eyes opened, before jumping into a tree and taking at mach speed towards the signaled position. Wendy simply rolled her eyes as she jumped off before he had gotten too far away from the mansion, her job was done. And now, time to sleep.

Morning light was beginning to seep over the horizon as Celestia prepared for the beginning of the new day. The group had taken some time to prepare and travel to the warehouse, which they were currently observing from some distance away.

“This place gives me the chills.” Pockets commented softly. “Is this even the same city?” she took a good look at the neighbouring buildings which seemed to be either badly maintained, or completely abandoned.

Tyler considered for a moment. “Well, it’s in the city limits, which I think is considered to be everything hanging off the side of the mountain. But I don’t know if I’d like to think of this as part of my city if I was born here.”

Steven waited for a few seconds as he observed the building, knowledge of the place would be key in their attack, “Layton, got anything?”

The Metagross remained silent, his eyes glowing a soft green, before returning to their normal red. “There are approximately forty nine Pokémon inside that warehouse. Many are underleveled, others seem to be fully evolved and extremely powerful. But overall, the group is large. I recommend proceeding with caution.”

Steven nodded, and pointed at the two eeveelutions, “You’re up. The mental link is ready, so if you find anything, inform us. We won’t advance until we’re clear to go, understood?”

Shadow and Valerie both nodded in understanding, exited their hiding spot, and walked towards the vent that stuck out loosely near the ground.

Steven waited for the duo to get inside the building, before looking at the group once again, “Pockets, Damian, and the Klefki will wait for Valerie and Shadow’s signal. If the way is clear, you’ll go inside and you’ll try to locate the Flareon. Avoid being detected, we don’t need a massive fight against all those Pokémon.”

“Sure thing, ant captain!” Pockets joked with a salute, as she signaled the two Pokémon to follow them.

“As for us, Tyler. I told Layton to prepare a separate mental link between you, and your Pokémon. You know them better than me, so you’d know what to do in certain situations. If anything goes wrong, we’ll have to get inside and fight. What are you capable of doing as a Pokémon?” Steven asked to the Flaaffy.

The Electric-Type shrunk down a little, “Only things I’ve figured out how to do on command is Cotton Guard, and Tackle if you count that. But I’ve used Thunderwave a few times on accident. I’m not very good at this whole being a Pokemon thing yet.”

“That’s fine. Those moves can be pretty useful in battle.” Steven nodded. But he then thought for a second, as he analyzed all the possibilities of what could happen. “However I think I could give you a move to defend yourself if needed. The process is slightly complicated, but it works.”

“... Um… What?”

“Have you heard about the ‘move tutors’? “Layton asked coldly.

He nodded, “Yeah, I took BBK to one once so she could learn Iron Defense.”

“Layton can do the same thing. A friend of mine trained him so he could get inside any Pokémon’s brain, and make him either remember a forgotten move, or learn a new one, as long as it’s a commonly used TM between other exceptions.”

The Flaaffy blinked, “Wait, you wanna go inside my head and teach me a move?”

“That is the basic idea, yes.” The Psychic type nodded with his body, “Do not worry, the chances of you suffering any psychological damage are relatively low.”

“That ‘relatively’ is relatively scary.”

Steven chuckled softly, “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Furthermore, you don’t need to do this. We can deal with the enemies just fine, your Thunderwave and Cotton Guard will be pretty useful in battle. And Layton can protect you if you wish.”

Tyler considered, then gave in. “Fine, just… be gentle… or something. I don’t know much about this psychic mumbo jumbo. Thunderbolt would be nice, and Iron Tail too if you can do that.”

Layton thought for a second, before nodding to both trainers. “Those two moves are available in my database. I will just need you to relax. This can be a bit painful, and it can have some side effects. But do not worry, it will be over soon.”

The Electric-Type gulped, “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Layton closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, creating an awkward silence in the atmosphere. Suddenly, he opened his eyes with a strong, binding, glue glow. Tyler felt his head itching from the inside. But in a matter of seconds, he felt nothing. He was unable to think, he just stood there, motionless, with blank eyes and a lost expression. A couple of minutes passed, and he then started feeling alive once again, as a strong pain struck his head.

He wanted to scream, but he was somehow muted by an invisible force. He opened his eyes, and saw the two Steel types in front of him, watching him coldly. Layton’s eyes slowly became normal once again, and the pain in Tyler’s head began dissipating.

“The process was successful. You’ve learned Thunderbolt, and Iron Tail” Layton pointed out coldly with his usual robotic voice.

“Now try to use one of the two moves, you should be able to see the results.” Steven added.

“Uh, ok.” Tyler scrunched his eyes and focused, and his tail lit up with a white glow. “Woah, that feels weird.” He then swung it back and forth a few times before letting the energy dissipate. “Can’t wait to actually try that out. Maybe we’ll actually get somewhere in our training sessions now that I sorta know how to focus my energy better. Thanks.”

“No probl-”

“Tyler, Steven. We found something!”

“Is it the Flareon?” Tyler thought back.

”Nope, better. Kenny’s here!”

Tyler’s mouth fell open. It had been a week since he had found any more of his Pokemon, and now this came out of nowhere! “Layton, can you focus in on the Delphox in the building and add him to the mental link?”

“I’ve detected a brain wave pattern. Seems to be of a Delphox. One floor underground, six Pokémon are nearby and they seem to be strong.” The Iron Leg Pokémon informed coldly.

“I imagine that the Delphox you’re speaking with is the one I met. Your Fennekin.” Steven added.

“Yeah, that’s him. Layton, be careful though he isn’t very in touch with his psychic powers, he might freak out or something.”

“Understood. I’m adding him to the mental link…” Layton remained silent for a couple of seconds, before he blinked and nodded at the former trainer, “He is in. Delphox, your trainer is in this link, please think clearly, and remain calm. We do not want them to know we’re here.”

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Kenny, It's me Tyler. The one you were speaking to before is Layton. We’re here to rescue a Flareon, and now you. Where are you?”

“They’re keeping me locked up in a bathroom in the fucking basement. You better hurry up because they’re planning on sacrificing that Flareon, and afterwards their dipshit of a leader is gonna marry me, and probably rape me afterward.”

Tyler didn’t know how to react. “Wat?”

“You heard me. That dipshit thinks I’m a chick, and wants to bang me. Please don’t let him.”

“I could find him. Yet those six Pokémon could be a problem.” Layton pointed out.

“Delphox, there are six Pokémon around you. Could you help us with their species, position, and apparent role?” Steven asked, already planning out what to do to save the Fire type.

“I have a fucking name you know, it’d be nice if you could use it.” Tyler facepalmed at his Pokemon’s reply. “There’s a Dragonite and a Nidoking outside my door, and farther down the hall is the Lapras, who is currently being kept in a lower floor which has been flooded, no idea how they got him down here. There’s also the head dumbass himself, Helix, and his hardass of a second in command “Messiah,” the Pidgeot. Those are the only ones I’ve seen.”

Steven thought for a second. They had the type advantage, but with the amount of Pokémon in the building he doubted if going all in would be a good idea. “Layton, join the two links.”

The Psychic type nodded, doing what his trainer had asked him. “Valerie, Shadow. Do you copy?”

Shadow replied “Yeah, we’re just above Kenny right now, but they’d be able to hear us from down the vent if we speak up.”

“What about the entrance. Did you spot any guards that may cause trouble?”

“Not really, all their stronger guys are on the lower levels, and the top floor is all weaker guys, except for the Espeon. She looks sorta tough. On the lower levels there is a Nidoking, a Dragonite, a Venomoth, a Lapras, an Omanyte, a Pidgeot, and a Feraligatr.”

Steven thought for a second. Now there were two objectives, and the number of Pokémon in that building would make it extremely hard for them to sneak in and out safely. “Pockets, Damian, BBK. You’re up.”

“Got it. Let's do this guys.” The blue unicorn said confidently. The door to the warehouse was locked by a single, rusty lock, yet strong enough to give Pockets some problems with her newly bought picks. “Ok, this is a problem.”

BBK floated forward, “Amateur,” her keyhole made a motion somewhat akin to a smirk, and she pulled a bobby pin off her ring. “This old thing should be a piece of cake.” She stuck it in, made four of five short quick movement with it, jiggled it, then turned the handle to the door, which swung open easily.

“Show off,” chuckled Pockets. “Let’s see how you’d do if you weren’t a living keyring.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“Of course I am. Opening any lock could be extremely useful to somepony with my job.” She chuckled.

The Steel-Type quirked an eyebrow, “I want to ask what profession that is, but I have a feeling that I’ll end up feeling like a hypocrite if I pry.”

The trio entered the warehouse, and were greeted with what appeared to be a party. An espeon approached the intruders, “Hello, are you here for the Great Lord Helix’s wedding?
You could have simply used the front door.”

Pockets looked at the two Pokémon besides her, confused as to what the pink Pokémon was saying.

The Psychic's eyes glowed for a moment as she began translating with the pony. “Oh, my mistake, you’re one of the locals. I should have known. We shall tolerate your presence, but don’t get too comfortable.”

“She’s with us.” Damian stated, slightly looming over the purple Eeveelution.

“Hmm. Of course she is. Make yourself comfortable. The ceremonies should begin shortly, and we have some food available.” The purple cat Pokemon then wandered off to go greet other guests.

“We’re in. And it looks like something important is gonna happen” Pockets informed through the link.

“Search for any clue as to where they could be keeping the Flareon” The former champion replied.

Pockets felt a slight fuzzy feeling in her mind for a moment. “What was that?”

The cold, mechanical voice of Layton came across the link, “I was creating a barrier between your outer thoughts and your inner mind so that the translator the Espeon used will still function, but she will not be able to do anything else. I can sense that she is fairly strong for her kind. But not so much that she will be a problem for me.”

Pockets sighed. She didn’t know what she was getting into. “So, guys.” She looked at the two Pokémon behind her, “Any ideas?”

Damian shrugged, “I was ready for a fight. How about we find our way down to where Kenny is, he could really come in handy.”

“Sounds good to me” chimed BBK.

“Sure. Let's try to find a way down. What are all these decorations for anyways?” She questioned to herself, before shrugging and following the Dark type.

“Attention all!” The group turned to the Espeon standing up on a rafter. “The ceremony will begin shortly! Please take your seats in the assorted… furniture we have assembled.” The other Pokemon in the room slowly shuffled into seats surrounding the stage, mostly old chairs and couches. They all appeared to have seen better days, and to have come from a landfill.

“Shit guys, they’re taking me out. Is the ‘wedding’ starting?”

BBK answered the Delphox, “Yeah, a Pidgeot just announced the ceremony will start soon.”

”FUCK”

Everyone in the link flinched, as they could even seem to detect the intense volume of the shout in their thoughts.

“Remain calm. Valerie, Shadow. Do you think you can take out whoever’s taking Kenny?”

Shadow answered, ”Yeah, it’s just the Nidoking with him right now, if we get a surprise attack we might be able to get him.”

“Good. Damian, Pockets, and BBK. Search the area, try to find any information that may be of use, got it? Shadow and Valerie will take care of Kenny.”

“Understood. C’mon, I think there might be something in the room over there.” Damian pointed.

“What makes you think that?” BBK questioned, not looking where he was pointing.

“The fact that it says ‘do not enter, important stuff inside’.”

“Works for me” Pockets chuckled, “Come on, let’s find something to kick these guys’ flanks.”

They advanced towards the door, making sure that no one was watching them. They opened slowly, and sneakily walked inside. There was a long hallway, with many doors at the side, which were either broken or not there at all. But at the end of the hallway, a red, bright wooden door stood firm.

“Well, if that doesn’t scream suspicious, I don’t know what does.” Pockets chuckled.

“What was that? Who’s there!? “ A voice said from the distance.

A couple of Raticates exited from a side room, and one narrowed its eyes at the trespassers.

“Hey! You were with that group that interfered in our capture of the false prophet!”

“Shit!” Pockets exclaimed, sending a stun spell at one of the Normal types, which fell to the ground, stiff as a board.

“You shall pay heath-” The other Raticate received a powerful Drain Punch to its stomach, and was kicked painfully into the other, stunned on the floor, when it rolled back over it’s eyes were spirals. “Uhhhhh... “

“These guys are pushovers,” Damian smirked.

BBK put one of her ‘arms’ over his mouth, “Shhh. You hear that?” The Fairy put her head against a the red door, and listened to the voices inside.

“The ceremony is starting soon. We have a full house, and things seem to be going as planned, Commander Geo. Assassin is undermining the guest’s mental stability as we speak. The longer they stay here, the more loyal they are to our cause.”

“Good. And the ‘bride’?”

“Secured, sir. Assassin will work on him soon enough. If things go as planned, he should believe that he’s a goddess in no time. He has been a pain to work with, but we have a plan.”

“Also good. Helix is already so unstable these days, if his ‘fiance’ were to escape, it could finally break him.”

“Commander Geo,” A familiar voice to Pockets interrupted, “If I may. I have never fully understood, why are we using the Omastar? Wouldn’t it be easy to get Assassin to brainwash the right ponies and work from there? There was this rich guy nearby--”

“We need him because our little psychic can only do so much. She cannot fully undermine their will, but she can make them more trusting and gullible, and make them more inclined towards a symbol, such as a ‘god’.”

“Understood. Should we take the Flareon out for the sacrifice? Or wait longer.”

“Take him out. We shall kill him just before the marriage. Now, while you are doing that-” The Pidgeot was cut off by the sounds of a battle on the floor below. “I think we may have a problem. Continue as planned, I shall investigate the disturbance.” The door to the room then opened outwards, and the two ‘mon and pony hit on the other side from the room. After the Flying-Type had flown down the hallway, a Venomoth and Luxray exited as well.

The two crossed the hall, and unlocked a heavy metal door, which appeared to lead to an old meat locker. Before the door could close fully Pockets slowed it with her magic, and slowed it so they could open it behind the two Pokemon.

The three peaked in, and observed the Venomoth approach a battered red form on the floor, which had a small red puddle around it. “Your time has come ‘Prophet.’ It’s a shame you decided to betray us. You would have been third in command had you evolved properly.”

“You’re all a bunch of psychopaths. You betrayed me! How is it my fault that idiot couldn’t keep a water stone and a fire stone straight!”

“Silence!” The Luxio declared. “You defied the will of god! And for that you must be punished!”

Damian stepped forward then, but he was stopped by Pockets. Who silently signaled him to remain on his place.

The unicorn took out a small crystalline gem from her bag, and breathed deeply, as a flash of light covered the two Pokémon and herself. Soon, a magical aura changed their bodies’ color, until it matched perfectly the background, making them invisible to regular eyes.

“Not yet, just follow my lead.” She said through the link.

“You better not get that guy killed.” Damian replied.

The Luxray and Venomoth exited the room, the Bug type carrying the Flareon. They went down the hallway, and exited into the larger main chamber.

Sparks jumped up onto a makeshift stage on side of the room. “Ladies and Gentlemen! We are happy to bring you the first segment of tonight's festivities. We bring you: the false prophet! For final retribution!”

There were several boos from veteran members in the audience, while others just mumbled in confusion at the title.

The Venomoth then flew over the stage, and dropped the Flareon from ten feet in the air onto a shoddily assembled pedestal. The Luxio moved forward and tied the Flareon down, face up. This caused some muttering in the crowd below, as the guests were becoming concerned with the nature of the ceremonies. “And now. As Lord Helix himself requested, he shall die the most painful of deaths. Suffocation via tickling!”

The fear in the Flareon’s eyes disappeared. “But I’m not ticklish.”

The Luxio stopped, and thought for a moment. “Now what?”

The Venomoth shrugged, but before he could suggest anything, an invisible force knocked him away. From behind them, a unicorn, a Klefki and a Scrafty appeared. Spark’s eyes widened at Damian, “You!”

Damian smirked, “Yep, me. Drain Punch!”

“Gah!” The Luxio was thrown off the stage, and landed on the hard concrete floor among the audience. Before the Venomoth could do anything he was hit by a Psyshock attack, and was sent reeling by the super-effective hit.

At this point most of the guests that were just there for food began to scatter, muttering things like “I didn’t want drama, I just wanted food,” “What the hell is going on here? Were they about to kill that guy?” “What a bunch of psychos,” and “That’s enough alcohol for one night.”

“Well then, it looks like your followers aren’t really following ya, now are they?” Pockets chuckled, before sending a stun spell at the Luxio, who had begun standing up again.

Damian walked over to the podium where the Flareon was strapped and began undoing the bindings. Just as the last one was undone, and the Eeveelution jumped down, there was a loud rumbling, and a large amount of dust was expelled from the basement nearby, and the Pidgeot from before came flying out, carrying a red fox.

“What the hay? Steven, things are starting to blow up, we need help!”

Layton’s mechanic voice responded across the link, “The basement is collapsing, Steven and I are moving to excavate Shadow and Valerie out. We are sending Tyler to help you.”

“Please hurry up, there’s another one of those rat things coming right at me!” The oncoming Raticate was deflected by Damian before it could hit her.

Tyler then came waddling in at the fastest pace he could, his tail awkwardly swinging behind him. He stopped in front of the trio, gasping for air. “Arceus! Why couldn’t you give me a body that could run better?”

Minutes Before

Shadow and Valerie went ahead of the two through the ventilation, and loosed the grate, moving it out of the way so they could drop down. Once Kenny had passed under, and the brutish looking Poison type was under the grate, Shadow took his chance.

“Foul Play!” Shadow jumped down from the vent, and slammed into the Nidokings head. The Umbreon jumped off of the surprised brute and made a perfect landing behind him.

“Gaah! You stupid cat! I’m gonna pummel you for that!” The Nidoking charged Shadow with a Horn Attack, which was easily dodged.

“That all you got you big lug?” The Dark type taunted.

“You’re dead!”

While this was going on Valerie snuck down and began untying the binds around Kenny’s legs and arms.

“Thanks, you help out Shadow, I’ll go get my stick so I can fight.” The Delphox dashed down the corridor, and Valerie looked back to the ongoing battle.

“Grah! I’m going to get you one way or another! Stop dodging and fight me like a ‘Mon!” The brutish Pokemon charged Shadow again, and found himself embedded in a wall. “You’ll get yours! No one messes with King Fonz!” He extricated himself from the wall, insulation sticking to his purple form. “Sludge Bomb!” The Nidoking threw the pulsing purple orb at the Umbreon, and it would have hit if Valerie hadn’t jumped in the way just in time, absorbing harmlessly into her skin.

“Wh-What? How’d you do that! No one takes my Sludge Bomb without flinching!”

Valerie smirked, “It helps if-” WHAM. The Nidoking suddenly fell forward, a large bruise already forming on the back of his head, and Kenny stood above him, rubbing the end of his table leg with his furry arm.

Valerie frowned at the Fire type. “Excuse me, I was about to say something really cool, couldn’t you have waited a few more seconds?”

“Sorry, but I’ve been wanting to do that all week.”

Shadow chuckled, “Nice to have you back dude. Now c’mon, we gotta go find that Flareon and get out of here.”

“No way, not until I whoop that stupid ‘God’s’ ass and his number one henchman. That Pidgeot deserves one especially. I’m pretty sure he’s the one running everything here.”

“Dragon Rush!” An orange blur raced by the Delphox, almost hitting him. “Woah! Watch it you ass-” He saw who it was, “Bitch.”

The Dragonite huffed, “I knew that you would be trouble, but Helix just had to have you as his wife, when I was already around too!”

Kenny cringed at the Dragon’s words. “You seriously want a piece of his slimy tentacle ass? You people are even more fucked up than I thought.”

“Don’t insult Lord Helix! Aqua Tail!”

Kenny’s eyes widened as the super effective move hit him head on, and he was thrown backwards into a stack of cardboard boxes. “Fuuuuu… I don’t want anything to do with you people. Just leave me alone.”

“No! You leave us alone!” The Dragonite charged up another Aqua Tail and smashed through the boxes launching the Delphox out.

The Fire type stood back up shakily, “Well we would if you’d let us leave!”

“Sh-Shut up!” The Dragonite began charging another but was interrupted when Valerie jumped onto her back. “Wh-What? Get off me! You’re so itchy!” The dragon grabbed The Poison type and threw her down the hallway, luckily landing on her feet somewhat.

The Dragonite rushed the Veneon, who only barely dodged, and yelled out “Venoshock!” The purple liquid shot out at the Dragon, who was still turning back around from the previous attack.

The Dragonite shrieked in pain as the Poison in her bloodstream was aggravated. “I’m going to destroy all of you!” She managed to grab Valerie and Shadow and threw the two into a wall heavily.

“Fire Blast!” The Dragon was struck with the powerful Fire-Type attack, forcing her to cease her assault on the Eeveelutions.

“Heh, that didn’t hurt at all little fox! Now how about a real attack! Stone Edge!” The floor of the basement was torn apart violently as several rocks sprung from ground, hitting Kenny and knocking him out.

The Dragonite turned back around to the two Eeveelutions struggling to stand back up again. “I’m sure Lord Helix will be upset that his bitch is knocked out, but I’m sure he’ll love to have a few extra sacrifices.”

“Yeah, not many get to sacrifice a Dragonite.” A voice said from behind the Dragon type, who turned around searching for the source.

“Who’s there!?”

“Over here, you giant orange doofus.”

The Dragonite struck a nearby wall with a Dragon Claw, trying to hit the taunting voice who just chuckled softly.

“Not only dumb, but blind as well. I bet that you were the laughing stock in your pack, weren’t you?”

The Dragon type growled in anger, charging the darkness with an Aqua Tail and greatly damaging a support column.

“Missed. You aren’t very good at this.”

“Shut up!” She roared, before rapidly sending attack after attack, before a soft pink light shined between the debri. She smiled deviously, before shooting a rage filled Dragon Pulse, which did nothing to her target, disappearing as soon as it made contact. “Fairy…”

“If you were trying to bring this place down on us, then congratulations! You did it, you fucking idiot.”

Broken columns and walls began shaking violently, as the cracks became larger, and far more menacing. The Sylveon who had been taunting her jumped on her head, breaking her balance as she slowly tripped over, falling on her wings. And before she could react, the concrete roof began crumbling, small pieces falling on her forehead, before the largest section came down, crushing her and leaving her unconscious.

Valerie called out “We need to get out of here! Help us grab Kenny!”

Before any of the Eeveelutions could get to the Delphox a powerful whirlwind whipped through the narrow hallway, throwing all of the small Pokemon around until the finally were thrown into side rooms. A large Pidgeot then swooped down and grabbed the Fire type in his talons, carrying him out of the collapsing basement into the area above.

“Layton!” Valerie mentally called out, “We need out of this basement! It’s collapsing!”

“Please remain calm. I will arrive as soon as possible.”

Shadow dashed across the hall to the room where Valerie was thrown. “Valerie, are you okay? Can you stand? We need to get out of here now!”

The Poison type stood up shakily, “Y-yeah, I think I’m mostly fine. C’mon, we need to find Frederick.”

Another form came through the dust, dusting off the pulverised concrete from his coat.“No need, Valerie, if you can stand we need to go.”

“Yes, I know.” The Veneon dashed out of the room, dodging the wreckage up to the next floor, where an Espeon appeared to be comforting the guests.

“Please, calm down. We have had a minor collapse in the basement, everything is fine! The bride is being fixed up as we speak and the wedding will continue.”

Valerie stepped out and looked around. “I don’t see where they took Kenny, what about you?”
Just then, the Poison type felt a massive weight on her back. “She is not available currently. Maybe you could catch her after the honeymoon.” Valerie looked up to find the same Pidgeot as before looming threateningly over her, one foot planted firmly on her back.

“Get your fucking claws off my sister!” Frederick called, launching a Moonblast at the Pidgeot, who simply blocked it with his left wing.

“You should never have come here. Now, I will offer you once last chance to leave before-”
But the Flying type couldn’t finish, as a rapidly flying silver saucer struck the Pidgeot away, before revealing four metallic appendages and a giant golden ‘x’. “I apologize for my timing. But it seems that you were able to make it out of the basement in time.”

“Your timing was impeccable metal arse, now let’s get the hell out of here.” Frederick grunted.

Tyler ran in behind Layton, gasping for air. “We can’t go anywhere until we get Kenny!”

“Who the fuck is Kenny?” The Fairy asked confused, “We can’t stay here much longer, Valerie’s too hurt already!”

“It’s not that bad Freddy, and I’m not going anywhere until we get Shadow’s friend.”

“None of you shall leave!” An irate Omastar waddled into view, “You have ruined my wedding! Assassin! Lazor! Get the intruders!” After the ancient Pokemon’s orders a Feraligatr and the Espeon from before appeared.

The Espeon expressed her doubt, “My Lord, are you sure? Most of your followers have fled after the collapse, we are outnumbered.”

“Ha! I can take em!” The Feraligatr rushed the group, only to be consumed by an arc of yellow. The water Pokemon spasmed for a few moments before the attack stopped.

All present turned to Tyler, who just shrugged, “I just learned that move, and I had to test it!”

“You’re gonna pay for that!” The Feraligatr was even angrier now, “I’m gonna use your ribcage like a-” The Big Jaw Pokémon was shut down shortly, as two thick pieces of grass came from the ground, tripping it over with force. The green glow in Layton’s eyes faded.

The Omastar grunted in annoyance, “Geo! I command you to stop the intruders!”

“Immediately, my lord.” The Pidgeot flexed his wings, then pushed off from the ground, a warm red glow emanating from his primary feathers.

“Incoming Heat Wave, prepare to dodge.” Layton warned, rapidly floating away from the Flying type as the attack approached them.

Everyone managed to move out of the way, except Layton and Tyler, the former taking the hit much better than the latter.

“HOLY...! I THINK MY EYEBROWS ARE GONE!” The Flaaffy exclaimed.

Another heatwave was launched at the group, this time Everyone moved out of the way of the attack successfully. “Be cautious, this Pidgeot is no pushover,” Layton warned.

“Then I guess we’ll have to take him out quickly.” Steven replied, before brewing up a Tailwind.

The Pidgeot narrowed his eyes, “I shall finish these… heathens, quickly milord. Heat Wave!”

Steven rushed forwards, running as fast as he could. He prepared a Bullet Punch, as the waves of hot air began emanating from the Pidgeot's body. The former champion sidestepped as the bright orange aura got closer to him, it managed to hit his arm, causing an intense pain on Steven, but he was able to continue, reaching the Flying type with a jump, and striking him down with a mid-air Bullet Punch.

“You Heathens!” Geo growled, flapping his wings and getting back into the air once again, but was hit by a powerful Head Smash from behind, and was sent spiraling out of control into a support beam.

“Steven! That bird guy is bad news! They’re brainwashing Pokémon and turning them into zombies, and are planning to take over Canterlot!” Pockets exclaimed from nearby, bucking two small Pokémon that tried to stop her. She, Damian, BBK, and the Flareon had arrived from the nearby battle with Sparks, the four of them were now facing the few real adepts that remained with Helix.

BBK turned to the Pony in confusion, “They never said anything about conquering Canterlot, or zombies.”

“Heh, well I may have exaggerated some, wanted to spice things up a bit.”

The Klefki groaned, “Can we take this seriously please? Look guys, this guy and some of the others have all their little pawns fooled into thinking that Helix dude is a god. The Espeon is undermining the mental capacity of their subjects to make them more willing followers. To be honest I wouldn’t be surprised if some sort of violent takeover is planned sometime in the far future.”

Helix was now seething in rage, “They have neither fooled nor enslaved no one! They are all my willful and enlightened followers!”

Damian chuckled, “Oh yeah, and he’s the only higher up that believes in the whole god thing.”

Helix stomped the ground repeatedly in anger, “You’ll all pay for your sins! I’ll make you pay! Well, Geo will. But he’s my prophet so in the end I’ll make you pay!”

Damian approached the seething Omastar, and booped him on the nose. “If you’re so powerful just smite me down where I stand oh capable one. I am shaking in my nonexistent boots.”

Helix smirked with a soft chuckle, “As you wish. Taste my wrath!”

An arc of lighting hit Damian in the back, causing the Scrafty to flinch and stumble forward, before adjusting his shades. “Meh, I’ve been hit by worse by BBK when I comment on her weight.”

Layton took down a Weavile who tried to jump on him, analyzing all his foes. He noticed that something was not right, as several opponents were hidden in the shadows, as if they were observing the battle and waiting for it to end. He then noticed something about the sudden Thunderbolt that struck Damian, “Omastar can not learn Thunderbolt. Which can only mean…” Layton stopped for a second, before hovering rapidly towards Helix, yet stopping mid way and placing himself in front of Damian.

A pink sphere of light was shot from the shadows, aiming at the Dark type yet striking the metallic body of Layton, “Your power is nothing but teamwork.” His eyes glowed and several Pokemon were lifted up from behind furniture and wreckage in the building. “The Thunderbolt was the Luxio’s, the Moonblast came from the Clefairy. I am sure there are plenty of other ‘special powers’ you have that are simply the work of these Pokemon.”

“Lies! I didn’t even know they were there! I’m an all powerful being created with the sole purpose of conquering the world and bringing happiness to--”

“Oh be quiet Helix.” A voice interrupted. Layton and Damian searched for the source, to find a bruised Pidgeot standing up with difficulty, “I should have known this couldn’t continue to work here. We’re being demolished, what’s the point of it. You never had any powers you fool. They’re right, this is all a ruse.”

The Omastar became silent, a tear on his eye, “What… what do you mean? You… you told me I was special, that I was destined to become a god!”

“You ARE special. You’re far less intelligent than any regular Pokémon, easy to manipulate yet charismatic enough to charm the masses. You are no god, you’re a failed lab experiment, and you have no more use!” Geo screeched, before sending a powerful Whirlwind that sent the Omastar away. “This is ridiculous, a general of the great PLA being humiliated just like that. My perfect plan destroyed by your foolish actions. But this is enough, you want a true battle? You’ll have it.”

Nearby, Steven finished off a Mightyena that unsuccessfully tried to bite his head off. As the Mightyena fell on the ground, he noticed the splash sound that the unconscious body made. Water came from the stairs, slowly increasing as seconds passed by, he prepared to face any new contender, but he wasn’t able to do anything, as a gigantic wave washed him away.

“Da Prince is in!” A large blue mass slid out onto the floor, and sent a powerful Hydro Pump at Layton.

Layton called for a Protect, barely stopping the attack, yet as the barrier disappeared, a powerful fist grabbed his frontal leg, effortlessly swinging him into the ground, as a voice yelled “Here’s Annie!” A deep, yet somewhat feminine voice exclaimed, as a large Hariyama got on her battle stand.

The Steel type tried to fight back, but from behind him, powerful jaws Crunched him into pain, as the Feraligatr from before helped take down the team's heavy hitter. BBK came forward and use a Play Rough on the Hariyama, hitting it from all sides with fairy energy. Tyler used another Thunderbolt on the Feraligatr, sending it reeling again. Damian rushed in and used a Zen Headbutt on the Hariyama, but was immediately struck away by a large Emboar, who Brick Breaked him down. Layton got up, yet another set of fangs, this time electrified ones, bit him in the head, the Luxio from before not wanting to get off.

“Now this is more like it” Geo chuckled, “Behold, Team Twitch, the new organization that will liberate Pokémon everywhere!”

“I don’t need to be liberated thank you very much.” A voice growled from behind him. A powerful Moonblast hit him directly in the back, sending Geo across the room and into a wall, three bruised up eeveelutions stood there, a determined look on their faces.

“Sorry about the wait, Frederick and I had to patch ourselves up after the last fight.” Shadow explained, “And also, Team Twitch? What kind of name is that?”

Geo stood back up again and flexed his wings, “You wouldn’t understand the reference.”

“Well then you must be really bad at referencing things,” A blue beam hit Geo, as Pockets appeared from the shadows with a stun spell.

Paralysed, Geo tried to stand up, yet failed with every attempt “You.. you fools. GET THEM!”

Looking at his comrades, he found that as he and the Eeveelutions had been talking, the rest of the Pokemon present had continued to fight, and his side had fared badly.

“Gah. You’re all useless…”

“So… general Geo... huh?” A wet Steven asked, grabbing the Pidgeot by one of his wings, “We have some questions for you.”

The group was now centered around the Pidgeot, most of his ‘Team Twitch’ members had been tied up, but they found that a few of the main ones, the Espeon and Luxio, had escaped. Helix was deemed unnecessary to tie up, as he was too busy crying in a corner. Steven and Layton were keeping a close eye on the Pidgeot as the former Champion asked him, “So how did this whole thing get started?”

Geo pulled his head out of his wing, as he was trying to fix his battered feathers, before standing tall and looking down at the Scizor.“I was a General in the original PLA, I served under Viper’s command. I focused mainly on troops morale and public relations. He ignored much of my advice on how to handle the humans, I would not have begun the slaughter so soon. When Tsushima fell to the humans I fled, but I remained loyal to the cause. A group of like-minded Pokémon followed me, it was apparent that the PLA would fall sooner or later, and Viper was losing his mind. The war ended, and Viper had fallen. We tried to rejoin when we heard about the new leader, that… Sev. He was Viper’s son, we thought that perhaps he would be more capable of handling the movement. Yet we were so wrong. A mere bandit who kept the name, even crazier than his father, although a bit more civilized. We decided that it was not worth it.”

“So what did you do afterwards?”

“Form my own group. Yet the bad blood of the old PLA stood with our name, we needed someone to represent us. Sev had been wanting us to return, and so we did. The PLA had grown big enough to be called an organization, we gathered some information, even got some resources and equipment. But even though Sev was leading a small nation’s worth of Pokémon, none were fit enough to represent our new group. They were either too smart, or too dumb for it, and I was not going to risk it. That’s when I had my encounter with this… scientist. The guy was a wimp, yet he was amazing with science. This scientist, Loom they called him, he had a fossil on his lab. I knew about the revival of fossils, and how it’s like having a son of your own. It was perfect, I could raise him myself, and I could teach him how to be our perfect facade.” Geo chuckled softly, before sighing, “He needed some… motivation to do my bidding, but in the end it worked. We all left the next day with the baby, and we raised him in the woods near Kanto. We all planned it very carefully, and when he became an Omastar, it was time to act.

We made him believe that he was a god, he thought he could use any kind of move, that he had mental capabilities greater than any other’s. We got Pokémon to believe that he was truly an all powerful being, and his charismatic personality made things easier for our Espeon to control them. When we were sent here, oh was I rejoiced. No humans, only Pokémon and those pesky ponies. Then that darn Arceus talked to us all. The real god had appeared, and we were helpless. We convinced our few remaining followers that it was all a trick, some other being trying to take Helix’s rightful place. With some more shows, we managed to slowly regain more followers, yet it was not enough. Then we had the idea of the wedding. Love and happiness, illusion in every spectator’s eyes, it was the perfect situation for our Psychic types to weaken their minds. But you…” Geo screeched, and tried to attack Steven, yet the chain that had a hold of his claw didn’t allow him to.

“It was all the perfect setup! I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you pesky ‘mons and your meddling pony! Helix just had to become fixated on that shemale of a Delphox! And then Prophet appearing out of nowhere, and undermining our authority.”

Steven stood up, and turned around, “It looks like we’re done here. We’ll take you to the authorities, I don’t think they’d like a group messing with people’s minds.”

Kenny stepped forward then, having been recovered from Geo’s private chamber earlier. “That sounds good, but first, Fire Blast!”

The powerful attack flew forward, striking the Pidgeot in the chest, and damaging the area around him. Upon the display, Tyler stepped forward, leaped into the air, and smack the Delphox on the back of the head. “What the hell was that for Kenny? He’s already down you don’t need to keep fighting him!”

Kenny rubbed his shoulder and looked away, “He called me a shemale.”

BBK sighed and shook her head, “You’re such a fucking idiot sometimes Kenny.”

Layton undid the chains attached to the support pillar in the warehouse, pulling Geo along with them like a leash, the rest of his group floating unconscious behind. Once they were outside, they started for the nearest guard station. It was now full daylight, the sun about a quarter of the way across the sky.

“We were in there a long time weren’t we,” commented Tyler, squinting against the sun.

“Two hours forty seven minutes,” stated Layton.

“Jeez, I barely got any sleep last night. Maybe I can get some shuteye on the train.” Pockets groaned.

Suddenly, Geo screeched, and struck the chain holding him to Layton with a peck attack, shattering it where it had been hit by Kenny’s fire blast attack. Before Layton could do anything he pumped his wings and shot away from the group, flying low and fast over the buildings of the city.

BBK began charging down the street in his direction but was stopped by Damian putting a hand on her ring, simply shaking his head when she shot him a glare. “He’s not worth it. Someone like him is bound to get himself into trouble again, and I doubt that he’ll get away that time.”

“He has no place to go” A voice said from behind them. They turned around, to see the small Omastar looking at them with red, tired eyes, “I have no place to go either.”

Steven showed him a sympathetic look, he knew that although he wanted to kill them, he did nothing wrong, “Somebody once told me that it’s better to be alone, than with bad companions. Perhaps, this is a good opportunity for you to start a new life, Omastar tend to live a long time, so I think you should make use of that.”

“Being normal ain’t that bad, buddy,” Pockets added, “You don’t have to deal with the weight of being an almighty god, which is nice. Perhaps you can go to… I dunno, the sea. Maybe get a lady and have some children” She chuckled.

“The sea…” The Omastar sighed, and looked at the horizon, “That does sound nice. To the sea!” The omastar then began charging down the road as fast as he could, in the opposite direction as before.

“Should we tell him that we’re in the middle of a mountain, in the middle of a continent, and that the nearest coastline is weeks-worth distance away?”

“And that he’s not even going the right way to get out of the city.” Tyler added.

“I think we should let him be. Let the guy have some time to… I don’t know, find himself or something” Frederick said dryly with a yawn.”I really just want to get some sleep. Besides, I want to get some quality time with my sister.”

Valerie stepped forward then, “Oh no. You aren’t off the hook yet mister. Same to you Shadow.” She looked to the rest of the group, “You all go ahead. I need some private time with my brother and mate.”

“Well… fuck.” Frederick sighed.

The three Eeveelutions headed home, Frederick and Shadow trailing silently behind Valerie, too nervous to speak. As they went through the early morning city, Frederick searched desperately for any escape route, but he knew that she would track him down.

Once they finally reached the mansion, Valerie led them inside and to the dining room. Fancypants was an early riser, and had already departed to his office for the day when they arrived, so the room was luckily empty.

“Sit,” Valerie commanded of the males, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Shadow and Frederick both seated themselves, on opposites sides of the table from each other. Not too close, but close enough for Valerie not to get mad at them. After about five minutes she came back out, and sat herself at the end of the table between them. “Barnardo will be out in a few minutes with some breakfast.

“Good, I’m starving” Frederick said dryly.

Valerie made no verbal reply, but simply nodded her head and hummed. “So. Where to begin?” She put a paw to her chin, before scowling. “How about we start with Frederick treating me like a child who doesn’t know up from down.”

“What did you expect me to do? I haven’t seen you in ages, and when I do, you’re dating a ‘mon who you’ve barely known for a week. I already fucked up once, I can’t let that happen again now can I? Had to make sure that he was trustworthy” Frederick huffed.

Valerie growled and put her paws on the table, “So you don’t trust me to be able to judge that myself?”

“Love’s blind, Val. I don’t really trust Dark types either, ‘specially Umbreon.” He replied with a frown.

Valerie’s scowl increased. “So would you hate me if I had evolved into an Umbreon instead?”

Frederick remained silent, before looking away from her, “I guess… I guess not.”

“Then why would you extend the same bigotry to him? Type and species has nothing to do with it. He’s just as good a ‘mon as you or I.”

Just then Barnardo entered, carrying a large plate of pancakes, stacked ridiculously high to the point it was swaying slightly as he set it down. Once it was in front of Valerie, he gave her a wink, and whispered, “Good luck.”

Shadow spoke up for the first time since they had gotten back, “Finally! I’m starving!” He reached over to the plate, only to have his paw smack away by Valerie’s tail.

“Sorry, these are all for me.” She smirked.

“Oh? So when are our plates coming?” Frederick asked with curiosity, looking at the door and expecting the chef to come inside again.

“They aren’t” she replied as she began pouring syrup on them.

“So… what do we have to eat?” Shadow asked.

“Nothing. At least until we’re done here.”

“Oh,” the Umbreon’s ears drooped.

“Well I’m fucking starving, damn Sylveon body needs constant sweets, so how am I supposed to end this? I won’t apologize if that’s what you’re asking, that asshole touched a really delicate subject!” Frederick growled, pointing at Shadow with his paw.

“We’re about to get to that. Shadow, even if my brother is being an ass, that doesn't give you an excuse to be one back to him.” She took a bite out of the stack, making sure to show off the food to the two.

Shadow flinched at the display, his stomach growling loudly, “Well… yeah. You’re right. I was just mad that he thought I was taking advantage of you or something. I probably could’ve phrased what I said to him better.”

Valerie took another bite, chewed it slowly, showing that the was savoring the flavor. “Good, we’re making progress. Now, you’re both going to apologize to each other. And then you can have some pancakes.”

Shadow sighed, and looked at the Sylveon across the table from him, “Fine, sorry.”

Frederick remained silent, his pride trying to get the best of him. Yet the idea of his long lost sister being mad at him saddened him, that and the pain in his stomach was killing him, “Fine… Sorry Shadow, friendship yada yada, now please give me food because my stomach is fucking killing me”

Valerie looked between the two, and stuffed a whole half of a pancake in her mouth at once, speaking through the food and spitting some out she replied, “Nope. Not sincere enough. I can do this all day, these are amazing. I should go compliment Barnardo after we’re done here.”

Frederick sighed, and tried to look at the Umbreon in his eyes, with his ears flattened, he took a deep breath, “I’m sorry. I misjudged you, and… Valerie is just such an important part of my life, and when I saw you as her couple, I didn’t… I thought I’d may lose her again. I’ve been through some… love related shit before, and I didn’t really want her to be hurt either. I wanted to defend her… but I think that perhaps…” He sighed, and mumbled under his breath, “You’re not that bad”

“I can’t hear you!”

“You’re not that bad! Fine, I accept that I was wrong, can I get something to eat now?”
Valerie scrutinized the Sylveon, before smiling and nodding. “Yep, you’re good. Now you Shadow, then you can both eat.”

Shadow gulped slightly, and clutched his stomach. “Yeah… uh… I guess I can’t be completely mad at you for what happened. You were just trying to defend your sister, and my mate. I said some things I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry for that.” He held out a paw, “Bros?”

Frederick stretched out a ribbon, and without looking at him, he nodded, “That word is so… cringeworthy. But sure.” Frederick then pulled Shadow closer, and looked at him in the eyes, “But if you dare to hurt my sister, I’ll fucking kill you, understood?”

Valerie stepped forward and slapped him, “No! Bad Freddy! But good enough. You can have pancakes now.” She sat down and stuffed what was left on the plate into her mouth.

“Whoah what!?” Frederick exclaimed, “I went through a fucking speech about feelings and forgiveness, and you still ate all the pancakes? What the fuck sis!?”

Valerie giggled, “You wanted those? My venom got all over them when I was eating them. It’d be a terrible idea to give them to you.” She took her knife and tapped it on her empty glass, and the doors to the dining room opened again, as Barnardo brought out two more plates of Pancakes.

“Enjoy, and good luck with your new family life.”

Later in the day, Steven and his group had to leave. Out of everyone, Valerie and Frederick seemed the most torn up about it. They were currently waiting at the train station, the previous passengers disembarking, and the train being restocked with supplies.

“Are you sure you can’t come along sis?” Frederick begged, “I’d be willing to put up with Shadow for you.”

Valerie just chuckled at him, “No. My place is here. But make sure to visit. And not just me, I found out where our parents are. They’re staying in a city called Las Pegasus, near the docks I believe. You should stop by and say hi to them too. Shadow and I plan on going in a few days.”

Frederick chuckled, and let out a sigh “I’ll see what I can do. Although you know what dad thinks of sailor mouths like me. I should learn to control myself a bit before meeting them… besides, I don’t think I could go back after what happened….”

“What did happen after I left anyway?” She asked in concern. “They didn’t blame you or something did they?”

“I… never did go back home. Kind of got lost after searching for you for about three days.” Frederick rubbed the back his head with a ribbon, an awkward smile on his face, “What happened afterwards is not really that important. “

Valerie smiled and poked him on the nose. “I don’t believe you about what happened after. But I won’t pry… for now. But I’ll make sure to tell them about what happened. It must be unbearable not knowing what happened to all four of us.”

“Yeah, I guess so. You know, after all our deal with Arceus is done, maybe I can come back here and spend a few days with you, catch up and whatnot. It should be fun”

“That would be great,” she smiled.

The train whistle blew then, beckoning passengers on. Tyler turned to Steven, “Well, it was nice meeting you. Good luck with life and all that jazz.”

“Same to you, Tyler” The former champion nodded, grabbing his bags and entering the car, “I hope to meet you another time, I’d like to see how you’ve progressed so far with your entire team. Besides, that should give me an excuse to come back to this amazing city.”

As the rest of the group followed Steven, Frederick stopped mid-way, and dropped his bags, “Hey, Shadow, do me a favor, would ya?”

The Umbreon gave him a confused look, “Oh? Sure I guess.”

Frederick ran back to Valerie, and hugged her with a tear on his eye, “Love ya, Val. I’m happy that you’ve found a family, and a future. I’ll try to do the same, for you, ‘kay?”

“Thank you Freddy,” She pulled into the hug.

“That’s not really a request for a favor,” Shadow chuckled, using a Heal Bell on the Sylveon as he pulled away.

“Yeah whatever. Take care of her you fucking moron. Now if you excuse me, I gotta meet god.” He ran back to the train, grabbing his bags and jumping at the last moment, as it started moving, leaving towards their next destination... Ponyville.

“You know, you could have stayed behind with them. I wouldn’t have mind.”

“No… I can’t. I doubt I could even come back to see her… not after what happened.”

“You can’t really blame yourself, she told me what happened, it’s not your fault.”

“That’s the problem… she doesn’t know, she has no idea of the truth… if I blame myself for what happened, it is for a reason.”

“So that means no visit to Las Pegasus?”

“You just want to get drunk and waste your money in casinos, don’t you?”

“Hell yeah I do. Up to you though, whenever you’re ready to meet your parents again.

Frederick simply sighed, and looked outside the window, flashbacks of the past coming back at him, of the mist, the screams of wild Pokemon, the weapons, the cage… “Sure… We’ll see.”

Author's Notes:

And this marks the end of my crossover with Snek! It was really fun writing with him, and now you can see a bit more about Frederick's backstory. Will this be the last time we see Valerie? Definetly not, will Frederick finally come to terms with himself? Unlikely, but we'll see.

Huge thanks as always to my editors, without them this story would just not be as enjoyable as it seems to be. Thanks to Snek as well for this amazing crossover, and thanks to you for reading it.

Next chapters may take more than a week to be written, as they will be key parts of my story and will require extreme care and dedication. It'll be worth it, I promise.

Fact of the day: Frederick's love for his family goes beyond his abundant hate. Maybe he's just a family guy, or maybe he just feels guilty. Either case, if you want to soften him up, you have to bring a relative.

A New World, A New Journey

by ThatOneVolcarona

Chapter 1 : Vs. Aggron

Chapter 2 : Welcome to Equus

Chapter 3 : Storytelling

Chapter 4 : Vs. Sylveon

Chapter 5 : Of Thieves and Trains

Chapter 6 : Vs. Zoroark

Chapter 7 : Canterlot City

Chapter 8 : Vs. Whismur

Chapter 9 : Siblings and Cultists

Chapter 10 : Vs. Team Twitch!