To Victory Road

by MrAlterad

First published 8th of September, 2016

The road to victory is paved with many things: An iron will. Blood, sweat and tears. And surprisingly, failure. To a mare starting with nothing, she'll need those in spades, and start off on the right hoof. At least, if she hopes to reach her goal...

Those who walk Victory Road are heroes. The very best ponydom has to offer. Masters of the monsters that disrupted Equestria’s peace a generation ago. And to be among the best, you need to prove your mettle eight times.

Eight gyms. Eight badges: Six held by the Guardians of Harmony, and two by the Celestial Sisters.

For a mare with no home or family, there was no greater dream.

For a Team Rocket recruiter, there couldn’t be a better friend.

Dodge City - One Journey's End...

Standing outside a three story saloon was a young mare, covered in well worn clothes. Clothes so thin and ragged that they needed to be worn in layers, to keep the cold rain from freezing her bones. Despite the downpour, her body was on fire. She was grinning excitedly.

Peering inside the closed bar, her eyes were locked on a square screen, a bulky television, hanging from the wall near the door. Its monochrome pictures briefly flickered with static once in awhile. The distortions couldn’t blot out what drew the mare’s awe; a battle from earlier today, far to the north.

“Looks like Princess Flurry Heart is in a jam, everypony!” the fizzling announcer's voice declared, the image showing the troubled alicorn, looking over her fallen companion: A monster much larger than her, that could easily be confused for an orange fire-breathing dragon. “Charizard is down! The Princess only has one mon’ left, while our reigning champion stands with two! Can she make a comeback!? Find out, after a word from our sponsors!”

“Oh come on!” the mare cried out, the screen shifting to commercials. The sound of a mug hitting the counter made her flinch, seeing the eyes of Barkeep on her. He let out a deep chuckle, rubbing his coarse chin as he shook his head.

“Now now, Rain, the fight ain’t goin’ anywhere,” he said in an amused tone. That got a sheepish laugh from the mare, who started to slink from the doorway. “You can stay an’ watch, still gonna be a couple ‘til I leave.” She hesitated, but only for a moment, giving him a warm smile as she left the rain behind her.

She paused as her eyes met Barkeep’s mon’, a biped with stark white legs and torso, and green chest. Its features were sharp, especially the face and arms, its thin frame hiding a powerful physique. She looked to it, giving the mon’ a respectful nod, watching it mirror her action coolly. She may have been intimidated by it before, since it stood a head taller than her. The blue-hearted apron it wore and the broom it carried dispelled any such fears. She continued past, taking off her soaked hat. Its red eyes followed her, before it continued to sweep the area. If it was bothered by the rain she tracked in, the Gallade hid it well.

“Thanks, Barkeep,” she replied, giving him a heartfelt smile. He waved a dismissive hoof in reply.

“Equestria needs more Monster Masters!” an energetic spoke-stallion decreed, making Rainshine’s ears perk up, eyes flying to the monitor. She knew this commercial well, the passionate music it played making her heartbeat quicken, a fire lighting in her eyes as she slowly approached the tv. “So, I ask; do you think you have what it takes to become a Master?” he asked, making Rainshine give the monitor an eager nod, “Then sign up now, at your local Medical Center! For five hundred bits, you’ll be supplied with everything you need to get started! Your very own starting mon’. Twenty capture stones. A map of Equestria. Several basic healing sprays. A stylish, vintage badge case! And of course, our new, state of the art Monster Bestiary!” Rain’s body was brimming with excitement as the listed items flashed across the screen. She brought a hoof to her chest, feeling a small pile of bits pressed between.

She was almost there.

“So, sign up now! Take on the eight gyms, and become a Master!” In the subtitles, it read: Buying the Master’s Starter Kit doesn’t guarantee success. Limited quantity of starters per city. Act fast! The TV then switched to soundless static for a moment, before moving on to some inane commercial about horseshoe polish.

Rain’s body was shivering with anticipation. It hadn’t been easy. Five hundred bits was one hundred meals. But, all her work and hunger was about to pay off. She could hardly wait!

“What. An. Upset!” the announcer's voice cried out, making Rain’s eyes snap back to the screen. The camera was focused on the princess from the Crystal Empire, looking quite pleased with herself. “It seems Princess Flurry Heart’s held out on her trump card, and has caught Champion Starlight Glimmer, as well as myself, completely off guard~! The match is now tied!” Rain’s eyes widened as the replay was televised:

Flurry Heart’s next mon’ was just as large as the Charizard. A radiant blue sea creature with a rough, gray shelled back. A monster that seemed to come from an ancient time, sporting a long neck, the underside colored white, and atop its head was a stubby horn: Subtitles on the screen called it a Lapras - a water/ice typed mon’.

As soon as it appeared, it was raring to go. It cried out loudly, and the arena floor cracked in response, water erupting out from some mystical source. Glimmer’s mon’, a giant round rock with bulky arms, Golem, took the brunt of the waves surging towards it, being smashed into the wall like a pebble. The replay ended, marking Starlight’s mon’ being knocked out.

Now, Starlight looked to her opponent, looking impressed. She recalled her defeated ally, whom disappeared in a flash of light, the brilliance being drawn into a stone Starlight held. She pulled out her last capture stone, a spherical opaque rock with a sigil etched inside. She whispered something to it, before giving Flurry Heart a fiery look.

“Let’s finish this, ‘kiddo’!” Starlight Glimmer declared, pointing the stone towards Lapras. The sigil flashed, another stream of light shooting out of it towards the ground in front of the mare. The light grew, its blinding form quickly solidifying into a behemoth. A big blue tortoise, that stood on its hind legs. From the top of its shell, near its head, protruded two menacing water cannons: Blastoise, also a water type. It looked a little roughed up, no thanks to an earlier encounter in this mighty battle. “Blastoise, Giga Impact!” Starlight shouted confidently. Her mon’ didn’t hesitate, the very camera shaking as it started to charge forward. It started moving before Starlight even finished her command!

“Lapras, Thunder!” Flurry Heart said, sporting a determined smile of her own as Lapras started to crackle with electricity. Starlight’s ears fell at the sight. Before Blastoise’s charge could connect, he was swallowed in a pillar of lightning, making the recording flicker dark. Rainshine watched, hooves over her mouth in anticipation. The image flickered back on, showing Blastoise on the ground, out cold, smoldering and covered in burns. An eerie silence fell over the arena.

Starlight looked on in disbelief, eyeing to her mon’ in concern, before her shoulders sagged. She muttered something to herself, what it was, the tv didn’t tell. With another flash, Blastoise returned to its stone.

“Th- That’s it!” the announcer declared, “Flurry Heart is the winner!” The princess patted Lapras on the shoulder, before blushing at the roaring cheers the audience showered upon her. Rainshine was part of the noise, countless miles, and several hours away. The bar’s lobby was drowned out in her revelry.

As the TV started to replay highlights of the fight, Rainshine turned to Barkeep.

“Did you see that!?” she asked energetically, making the stallion nod.

“Suuure did.”

“Wasn’t Flurry Heart amazing!?”

“Of course. She’s a princess after all.”

“And now she’s a Master!” Rain then looked to her hooves excitedly. They wouldn’t stop shaking. “I’m going to be just like her! Starting tomorrow!”

“You didn’t steal a drink when I wasn’t lookin’, did you?” Barkeep asked in a teasing tone, making her shake her head.

“I have enough to—”

“Ahh, there’s my little boffet,” a husky voice spoke from the door, sending a chill down Rain’s spine. Like falling into a frozen river, Rain’s warmth instantly dissipated, her ears falling as she slowly turned around. At the doorway stood an imposing stallion, a scar cutting down his left eye. He moved to enter the bar, but was stopped by an opaque barrer. The stallion looked to Barkeep’s mon’, Gallade, which was giving off a faint pink glow, watching him dangerously.

“We’re closed,” Barkeep said simply, getting a slight scoff from the stallion.

“It’s okay,” Rain quickly assured, moving to the door, “I was just leaving.” Barkeep frowned at that, giving Slugger the old stink-eye.

“Slugger, if you even touch a hair on her—”

“Fret not, boffet and I are just gonna talk,” Slugger quickly replied. Gallade’s glow faded, letting Rain pass as she stepped out. She then turned around, giving Barkeep a small bow.

“Thank you for your kindness,” she said, giving him a rosy smile. He glanced to the side, before shaking his head, as if cursing the way things were. Slugger started to move away from the bar, and Rain quickly followed, eyeing the two capture stones he had on his saddlebags warily.

“Heard you had a good haul today,” he said simply, making her glance to the ground, ears still low. “Whatcha lookin’ down for? A good haul makes me happy, and when I’m happy—”

“Everypony’s happy,” Rain quickly finished. Still, she hesitated. He stopped, giving her a calculating look.

“Rain…” he said slowly, his horn glowing as he picked up one of the stones.

“I- I know,” she quickly assured, reaching for her bits. She glanced to the side as she gave him the small pouch, which he quickly opened and counted.

“Twenty bits?” he asked in a dangerous tone.

“Th- That’s all of it!” she assured, making him glower at her.

“Pretty sure I said ‘good haul’. Where’s the rest?”

“There isn’t any more,” she replied, still avoiding his eyes. He took her in for a long moment, before letting out a long breath as he pocketed the bits. Rain let out a small sigh.

“Check her,” he said coldly, her breath catching in her throat as he released one of his mon’s from its stone. When the light cleared, a mangy hyena, Mightyena, stood before Rain, its black and gray pelt growing slick from the drizzling sky. Rain’s heart skipped a beat, her scarred ear starting to ache as she took an immediate step back from the canine. “Scared as always,” he said with a small chuckle. The mutt started to sniff her, its muzzle brushing close over all of her rag’s pockets. Rain closed her eyes, her chest aching. She wanted to run, the echoes of howls from her past making her legs tremble.

Mightyena let out a short sneeze, turning back to its master, giving a small whine.

“What’s in them pockets?” he asked, making her glance up to him. “Show me.” She didn’t hesitate, quickly pulling out what made the canine sneeze. A collection of rotten apples and pears. Slugger gave her a disgusted look. He stepped towards her, radiating a promise of punishment, but he paused, glancing back the way they came. His eyes met Gallade’s, who was intently watching from the saloon’s doorway. “Tch. Next time you get a good haul, you better deliver,” Slugger spat out. “Let’s go, Pooch.” The mon’ let out a small huff, making Rainshine flinch, before it followed its master. Rain’s eyes followed them as they left.

She stood there for a minute, her body a frightened mess. Seeing the sad look in Gallade’s eyes pulled her from her stupor, the sounds of howling in her mind dying down. She slowly turned around, head hanging low as she made her way home. Her chest was feeling lighter than she liked.

She didn’t get very far, before she became aware of a strange light. A pink and green glow, coming from above. She paused when she took it in. In a small patch of clear sky, shined the stars, veiled by an aurora. Down here in Dodge, such a sight could only be seen when the Crystal Empire was in celebration.

Watching those curtains of light in that small part of the sky brought back the battle she’d cheered for, a smile growing on her lips. Her purse may have been empty, but her pockets were still full.

~~~

The skies had cleared of clouds, revealing more of Flurry Heart’s auroral victory. Rainshine was humming a happy tune to herself, skipping between ice cold puddles without a care in the world. Slugger’s encounter was a small memory now, compared to the princess’s triumph.

Rain had been rooting for the princess the whole way. She watched all the battles that were televised, from all around Equestria, up to and including Flurry Heart’s climb up Victory Road. One day, Rain was going to battle the princess. There wasn’t a doubt in her heart. That day seemed closer than ever!

Reaching the river, she stopped at the wide stone bridge. After making sure nopony was in sight, she ducked down off the road, slinking beneath the path and out of sight. Going where no street lamps lit, she relied on the moon and aurora to find her way. After peering into the bridge's shadow for a moment, she made out the tell-tale box she called home.

Rotting, abandoned planks of wood had been wedged between the ground and the roof that was the bridge above. Wrapped around these planks were blankets and plastic bags that made make-shift walls. Pushing aside the rags that made the door, she was greeted with the familiar smell of brine and mud.

“Goo, you here?” she asked, getting silence in return. She tilted her head, wondering if her temporary roommate had moved out.

“Mee?” a familiar voice croaked, making her turn back towards the river, which was running higher than normal. From what city light trickled beneath the bridge, she could make out a faint glimmer of the mon’. It slunk up to her, its body slug-like, but rounder, like a ball. A pair of horn-like antennae were perched over each dimpled eye. It looked at her, its watery body wiggling side to side eagerly.

“Goo! You should have seen it! Princess Flurry Heart beat the reigning champion!” she said excitedly, making the blob tilt its body to the side curiously. As Rainshine started to rehash the entire battle, she fished through her pockets. The smell of rotten fruit started to permeate the air as she cleared out her catch, leaving her moldy, squishy wares on the ground. Goo approached the fruit eagerly, but Rain raised a hoof.

“Eat slowly Goo. Some of these come with a prize,” she warned, making it blink at her for a moment, before gingerly licking up a pear into its mouth. It suckled on it for a moment, before spitting out a small bead. Rain quickly caught the slime covered artifact, dropping it into a bucket of water, revealing the golden shine within. “There’s ten total. Find them all and you get a prize!” she exclaimed, getting an excited giggle from the mon’ as it went to work on the remaining fruit. Once it spat out the tenth, and final gold bit, she pulled out a banana peel. It let out an energetic cry, jumping onto Rain before she could give it its reward. Its weight almost knocked her over.

“Goo- be careful!” she said, letting out a small laugh as it slurped the peel from her grasp. It suckled on the peel, rubbing its cheek against hers, before letting out a grateful coo.

“Yeah, you’re welcome,” she replied, rubbing slime off her face, before counting out the bits she’d saved from Slugger. It wasn’t as much as she’d liked, but it was better than nothing. She eyed them for a long moment, before looking to her home. Soon, she’d be saying goodbye...

Her hooves trembled briefly, before she let out a small sigh.

“Oo?” the mon’ asked, getting a laugh from the mare.

“It’s nothing,” she assured, entering her home, roommate still on board. Walking past a collection of abandoned magazines, she went straight for the pile of hay and rags that was her bed. Nestled in the corner of her home, she shifted the pile from the wall, revealing a small, cracked box. She popped it open, placing her hoof-full of bits in. After closing it, she hugged it, feeling just as energized as earlier. She doubted she’d be able to fall asleep anytime soon.

“Goo, after tomorrow, I’ll have enough!” she said excitedly, making the blob bounce up and down energetically. “After tomorrow... I’ll be able to say goodbye to Dodge,” she added, less enthusiastically. She then took a deep breath, before looking at her things. Even in the dark, she knew where everything was:

The pile of knick-knacks and broken toys. The collection of magazines and news articles. The line of gifts from former ponies like herself, resting near the top, where the roof and ground met. She took it all in, memories, most of them good ones, washing over her.

It almost didn’t seem real. Like this was all a dream. That the days after tomorrow would just be like any other. She had four hundred and ninety five bits. After tomorrow's ‘work’...

“Hey, Goo?” The mon’ looked at her curiously. “Want to come with me?” she asked. It simply tilted to the side, falling off her back with a splort. She had to guess that wasn’t intentional, since it landed on its face. Rolling over, it eyed her for a moment, before slowly slinking outside. She let out a small laugh. “I get it. You like wet places, after all.” New Appleloosa was far removed from wet.

Nodding to herself, she hid her cache. And, after casting off her soaked clothes, she laid down, trying to let sleep come over her. The returning patter of rain could be heard over the sounds of rushing water outside. Noise that was closer to a lullaby for her. Sounds that drowned out the rumble of ponies crossing the bridge above. A melody that carried her to her dreams...

~~~~~~~~~~

“Oom!” -slurp-

Rainshine snapped awake, spitting and coughing, slime all over her face.

“What the hay Goo!?” she spat out, trying to clean her face off as she felt the mon’ give her a gentle push.

“Ooom. Oooom!” Thankfully, her clothes were still a little damp. Her face clean, relatively speaking, she looked to her roommate. He was nudging a slime slathered box towards her. It looked like a newer version of her bit box, only this one sported an attention drawing red R centered on top.

“What’s this? From you?” she asked, eyebrow arched. Goo simply shook its head, pointing with an antenna towards the exit. She pushed the rags aside, seeing the the first rays of sunshine breaking over the marsh to the east. There was nopony in sight. “It was just sitting out here?” she pressed, getting an agreeing nod. She frowned at that, wiping off some of the slime, before opening the mystery box.

Her heart skipped a beat at its contents. A small collection of basic capture stones, a map, a hoof-band with another R on it, and a letter. She eyed the stones for a moment, their sigils dull and unlit. She glanced to Goo, before slowly closing the box, only taking the letter.

“What’s all this then?” she asked, unfolding the letter.

My fellow pony! Tired of being taken advantage of? Tired of the cold nights? Of being looked down on? Of not having fun in the sun!? Tired of the ever looming threat of the monsters that have invaded our world?

Of course you are! I know I am! Well, you don’t have be in pain anymore. I We, Team Rocket, welcome you with open hooves. With us, together, we can work towards a common goal. An Equestria where nopony will be taken advantage of. Where everypony can sleep in the safety of warm beds, free of worry of the next Legendary Monster to darken our skies!

Will you help us reach these lofty goals? Help us protect the world from devastation?

My care package should be proof of our genuine interest in your membership. It’s a gift! No strings attached, you can refuse if you want. But, I’d make me really happy it if you joined!

As a member of Team Rocket, you’ll be free- No, we will enable you to see all of Equestria! You’ll never go hungry. You’ll be safe, with your fellow team members. Like family!

So, we I ask of you, humble citizen. Will you join us? Will you help us? Will you do what we ask of you? Will you reap the rewards we offer? Will you be our sister?

I’m eagerly looking forward to welcoming you.

Blast off with us, to the stars!

~JJ - Team Rocket.

Rainshine closed the letter, unsure how to feel about the offer. It wasn’t like she was being offered help. More like a job, or companionship. But, they wanted her to join them?

She’d never heard of this Team Rocket before. Was it a trick, or was it genuine? She couldn’t deny, the offer had some appeal, but there was that inkling of doubt. What if it was like her relationship with Slugger, only bigger?

She then frowned. The letter didn’t say when or where she could meet its author.

“Oom?” Goo asked, pulling her from her thoughts, making her shake her head.

“It’s nothing. Just an invitation.” One she didn’t really need, considering her plans. She then eyed the box for a moment...

Well, no point letting those capture stones go to waste. Taking the stones, and after getting her things together, she left, glancing over her shoulder. “Later Goo!” she let out, getting a parting blurp from the mon’, as she went to ‘work’.

~~~

The stones were gone, each given away without a passing thought to any passerby that gave her a smile. It took a while to part with all of them, not that she could blame them. She reeked of trash, and there was no downpour to hide the smell today.

Rainshine was used to it. The smell. The stares. It didn’t bother her in the least. Honest! It’s not like she could help it anyway. To make bits, she had to go digging in dumpsters. Today’s dive ended with a collection of trinkets: Abandoned silverware, books, and other things any pony could sell. Guess their owners were too well off to do anything besides lazily tossing the treasures.

Granted, most trash was trash. After the time it took to find it all, and pawn it off, she was fifteen bits richer. But, the day was also drawing to a close.

Thankfully, the Medical Center was open 24 hours. So, theoretically, she could buy the Master’s Starter Kit at any time, and she saw no reason to wait. Though, it may not be a poor idea to wash in the river first...

Like before, she was humming a merry tune as she made her way back home, the sun having set half an hour ago. The sky was still aglow with Flurry Heart’s victory, which drew Rain’s eyes. She was practically home, when she noticed the pony standing at her doorstep.

Her heart skipped a beat as Slugger noticed her.

“Oh, look who returned,” he said, turning towards her with a dangerous grin. Rain took a step back, her gaze darting between him and her home. “Eyes on me, boffet,” he said, a flash from one of his stones summoning Pooch to his side. Rainshine’s eyes widened with the dog’s arrival. “Rain, Rain, Rain. Did you think of leaving without telling me?” he asked, getting a confused look from her. He levitated a small chest to his side, its red label visible even in the low light. “Running off to join a gang? In my city? Rain, that hurts my feelings—”

“I wasn’t- I’m not going to join them,” she insisted.

“Well, of course not. I’ll make sure of that,” he assured, grabbing his other stone, pointing it towards her home. Out appeared a large bird, half as big as a pony. It wore a cloudy white body, crowned with a fiery orange head and feathers; a Fletchinder. Heat radiated from it, small embers of fire licking its wings as it let out a small chirp.

“Wait!” Rain shouted, panic stricken. She stepped forward, but froze in her tracks when Pooch mirrored her. Her ear started to ache, the sounds of howling clawing at the back of her mind.

“Oh. So you do want to stay?” he said with a grin, making Rain’s thoughts freeze up as he turned back to her. “Alright. Say it. Say you’ll stay, and I’ll just let it all slide.”

“I- I’m going to stay—”

“That’s right. And you’re gonna keep finding knick-knacks, and giving me your prize, with a smile, like always.” She glanced to the side.

“Like always…”

“Very good,” he said smugly, toying with his bird’s capture stone with his hooves, before looking to the winged mon’. “Burn it.” Rain’s mouth fell open, feeling like the world was falling out from beneath her, as the bird’s feathers burned brighter. “Ohh Rain. You were always a terrible liar.” The bird flapped its wings towards her small home, and under the dry safety of the bridge, it was prime tinder.

Her legs trembled as her home was bathed in fire. The glow, the heat, the smell, and the silhouette of the canine before her paralyzed her. The wolves were howling. “You’re not going anywhere, my little boffet.” She couldn’t hear his words. “Right, Pooch?” he asked, making the Mightyena’s head lower, letting out a small growl as it stepped towards her. She did hear that. The wolf’s approach made her snap into action, her body an unbound spring, making a mad dash towards the river. Her pursuer let out a nickering snarl as it chased after her.

Pooch let out a pained yelp, being knocked to the side. Rain glanced back, seeing the mutt laying on the ground, a dark bipedal monster half its height standing between Rain and him. The new mon’s fur was black, besides a bright splash of pink on its head, the tips of its ears. Instead of a puffy tail, it had a small spread of feathers, a vibrant pink that matched the ears.

“Who dares!?” Slugger asked, looking back to the city.

“Mwaha ha! I dare!” a bright mare in black clothes decreed, a spotlight shining on her from out of nowhere. The odd sight made Rain stumble in confusion. Everypony stared dumbly at the mare for a moment, a moment her mon’ took advantage of. “Prepare for trouble!” Her mon’ came to her side, pressing its back against its master as it folded its clawed arms.

“En snes is sneasel!” the mon’ let out proudly, making its master falter.

“Y- Yeah, that sounded terrible,” she admitted, immediately getting an irritated look from her mon’. “Ohhh, this isn’t gonna work after all!” she added distressingly, eyeing her companion, who was giving off an unsettling aura. “I- It’s okay, it’s not your fault!” she insisted, blushing as her Sneasel looked away, disappointment written on its face.

Rain glanced from the odd display, her eyes falling to the fire that was her home. The bird eyed her warily as she approached.

“Tch,” Slugger let out, Pooch coming to his side while the Team Rocket pony was distracted. “Scorch! Blow away what’s left, and deal with Rain.” The bird squawked at its master’s order, taking to the sky. With its wings, it assaulted what was left of her home with a strong gust. Rain looked on, the image burned into her mind as fiery wood, rags, magazines, and treasures were scattered into the river, the embers quickly being taken downstream.

She galloped to what remained of her foundation, oblivious of what was going on around her. It reeked of burnt trash. The air was hot. Goo was nowhere to be seen, and the bits she’d gathered were gone. Those thoughts raced through her mind over and over, before it all came to a crashing end.

Scorch plowed right into her, and despite being smaller than the mare, the bird sent her sprawling. Her world flickered white, the sound of howling still ringing true as she slid to a stop.

“Gooomy! Goooomy!” a familiar voice cried out. Rainshine blinked, her vision blurry as she spotted her roommate, fishing itself from the river, giving Scorch the most intimidating glare it could. The bird eyed the intruder with an annoyed squawk, as glowing embers continued to swirl silently around its wings.

The smell, the pain, the howling. It made her reach out towards the slug-like monster, uttering a four letter word she hadn’t spoken since she was a filly:

“Goo. Help-” she winced as the mon’ looked at her, immediately giving her a determined look. Scorch sent its fire out, bathing Goo completely. Everything hurt, her eyes welling up with tears as Rainshine tried to get to her hooves, eyes locked on where Goo stood. When the fires passed, all that was left was a black silhouette of the mon’. The bird let out a happy chirp, before fluttering back in surprise. The charred shell before it slowly crinkled off of Goo, only its slime burned. The slug looked none too happy.

Rain blinked as Goo’s cheeks puffed up, before the mon’ spat out a series of large bubbles. They flew with surprising speed, catching Scorch off guard. The first in the stream hit with a loud pop, the air shaking, the impact sending Scorch back a foot. It couldn’t avoid the remaining bubbles, being struck time and again, before falling to the ground, down, but still conscious. Rain looked at Goo in surprise, the mon’ sticking out its tongue towards the downed foe.

“Nothing but talk!” Slugger shouted, snapping Rain from her daze. Looking out from under the bridge, it looked like her savior wasn’t faring too well. Slugger’s mon’ looked injured, moving with a limp. Its master stood at its side, glowering at the Sneasel, who was reluctant to approach. There was a clear hoof-mark on Sneasel’s face. The Team Rocket mare looked somewhere between distressed and pissed off.

“Ch- Cheater!” the mare exclaimed, before her eyes locked with Rain’s, “Come on, Rain, bail us out!” she pleaded. Rain blinked at her words, eyeing the ground for a moment, before frowning. The comment prompted Slugger to turn around, discovering Scorch’s fate.

It was the distraction the Rocket mare was looking for. The spotlight still held in her magic, she charged towards Slugger, slamming the light right on his head. Rain blinked in surprise, Slugger stumbling away from his mon’. Pooch turned towards the attacker.

“G- Goo! Do that bubble thing!” Rain shouted, pointing towards Pooch. Goo didn’t hesitate, firing a line of bubbles. And alarmed tweet made Rain’s breath catch in her throat. Scorch flapped up, getting right in the path of Goo’s attack. She put a hoof over her mouth, her heart aching as the bird suffered the entire barrage, being sent flying past Slugger, striking the ground, no longer moving. Slugger put a hoof to his head, clearly bleeding, as he eyed Scortch.

“Tch,” he let out, “Pooch, return!” The Mightyena disappeared with a flash, returning to its capture stone. Without further ado, Slugger turned and ran, his eyes glowering at Rain as he did. “This isn’t over, boffet!” His words were heavy, making Rain hold a hoof over her heart as her eyes followed him. She didn’t doubt him for a moment. When he was far out of sight, she let out the breath she’d been holding. Slowly, her ears fell, as she turned to the burnt husk that was her home.

It was all gone. Not even a scrap to keep as a momento. She knew she’d be leaving it behind to go on her journey, but the idea that it’d be waiting for her when she returned was one she found comforting.

But, why would she return?

As she considered this, the Rocket mare quietly came to her side.

“Um, really sorry about your house,” she said, levitating the portable- broken spotlight into her saddlebags. “I, I didn’t think he’d actually do it. I mean, if I did, I wouldn’t have used the spotlight- I’m just- Sorry.” Rain simply looked on, not an ounce of blame in her heart. “...I guess you don’t want to join now.” The mare added, her ears falling.

“I- I just lost my home,” Rain replied quietly.

“Yeah. That happened,” she said, making Rain frown, “I- I’ll just, leave you alone now,” she added, giving a weak smile. “Come on, Sneasel.” Her mon’ looked at Rain for a moment, as if trying to size her up, before following its master, who was leaving Rain behind. Rain’s gaze shifted to the river, taking in its sounds as she settled her thoughts.

She’d have to start saving up again. Five hundred bits, washed away without a care. Perhaps if she told Slugger, he wouldn’t have burned it down. Perhaps if she were a better liar, he wouldn’t have suspected anything. Perhaps if she had more backbone-

Something nudged her, making her look down to Goo. Her heart skipped a beat. The mon’ had her box in its mouth, looking at her expectantly.

“You- You- Sticky devil!” Rain exclaimed, scooping her friend into a hard hug. It blushed, nearly losing hold of the box. The embrace was short-lived. Rainshine grabbed the cache, and Goo eagerly let go. Her heart froze, seeing the solid R on the case.

Those bits she gathered were part of the river now, and nothing short of winner’s luck would bring it back to her. Goo looked on happily, oblivious of the fact that it was the wrong container.

She stared at it for a long moment, running her hoof over the R. It was stark red, like passion. A color she liked.

“H- Hey, wait!” she shouted, the Rocket member’s ears perking up. She glanced back, a hopeful look in her eyes. “If- If I join, can I be able to become a Monster Master?” she asked, catching the mare off guard.

“Uhm- Don’t see why not!” she quickly replied, turning towards Rain. She then tilted her head. “I mean, getting to the gyms could be tricky, but there’s no rules against it,” she quickly explained. Rain’s face started to lighten up. She got on her hooves, giving the box to Goo, who quickly picked it back up in its mouth.

“Goo, you want to come with me?” Rainshine asked. The mon’ didn’t even pause to consider it. It nodded eagerly. Smiling, she stood tall, looking to the recruiter- Her eyes caught the still form laying in the grass behind them, her ears falling at the sight. “I’ll sign up, but I’ll need a healing spray.” The Rocket mare smiled at that, nodding as she pulled one out.

“Yes. Of course! Welcome to Team Rocket, Rainshine!” she said, giving one of the heartiest grins Rain had ever seen. She couldn’t resist matching that smile.

Team. She was part of a team. She didn’t quite understand what that meant, but, it sounded kind of exciting. She took the spray from her, walking past her. Without further ado, she used it on Scorch. The recruiter blinked at that, before giving Rain an oddly proud look. Still the spray didn’t seem to do anything. Scorch wasn’t moving, a fact that was starting to make Rain’s chest hurt. The mare came to Rain’s side, whose eyes had started to tear up.

“Eheh. You need to use one of these first, silly!” the recruiter said, levitating out a small crystal over Scorch. It cracked, breaking into shimmering dust that swirled around the mon’. Scorch’s wings twitched, making Rain’s breath catch as it slowly opened its eyes. It looked to the ponies, before hopping on its talons. It looked a little confused, before eyeing Goo. It frowned, and with a flap of its wings, took off, and hastily flew out of sight.

“Um, thanks,” Rain said, blushing. “What was that?”

“Revive crystal~,” she replied, sounding a little bothered. “Looks like you’ll need a tutorial class!” Rainshine tilted her head at that, before giving her a small smile.

“You’re JJ, right?” she asked, getting a wide-eyed reaction from the mare.

“I- That’s right! I’m Jumping Juniper! JJ for short!” she replied. “Come on! I bet you’ll look cute in uniform!” she exclaimed, walking past Rain, into one of the alleys lining the river.

“R- Really?” Rain asked, letting Goo onto her back, before she followed after.

“Bet my hat on it!” J.J. replied.

“Umm, thanks, for taking care of Slugger.”

“Don’t mention it~” JJ replied, “It was well worth the spotlight.” Rain couldn’t help but grin at that.

As they left the river, Rainshine glanced back to the bridge, one last time. She recalled when she first found the spot. How she made it her home. Now, it was vacant, and she was moving on to something greater for it. She set her eyes forward, her first destination clear:

New Appleloosa’s gym…

Author's Notes:

This story is planned for quick progression. (but not necessarily quick updates.)
Hope I've managed to catch your interest, as there's a lot of fun ideas I have in mind for Rainshine and JJ's adventure.
If not, well, thanks for reading anyways! And a shout-out to Llyrisviel, for help with editing this chapter.

Monicite Mine - Odd Partnerships

Rainshine was resting on her haunches, her back pressed against a dead tree. Her worn hat was held in her hooves, being used as a fan. A small relief from the heat. Now if only it could banish the temperature-born headache. Letting out a pained sigh, she grabbed her canteen. She paused, her eyes taking in the newly stitched red R on the front of her hat. It brought a smile to her. After downing a few big gulps of water, she let out an invigorated gasp.

“Guuuh,” Goo let out, feeling as miserable as she, getting a sympathetic pat on the head from Rain. His skin felt rough and rubbery. Not even a drop of slime. Her eyes widened at that, turning her canteen over the mon’, dumping the rest of its contents on the dry slug. He let out a weak, but happy coo.

“You know, you can stay in the tent. I’m not going anywhere,” Rain assured, returning to fanning herself. The mon’ fervently shook its head, winning it an appreciative pat. Her hoof came back slimy. She smiled, her eyes lazily glancing to the tent at her side, sounds of snoring coming from within, before her gaze drifted back to their surroundings.

About a mile ahead of their camp, to the north-west, loomed a small rocky mountain. It jutted from the surrounding baked-earth, as if something deep beneath had heaved it up. The rise was cracked all over, slabs of shattered rock resting atop one another. Its sides were littered with lifeless trees and stumps, all pointing at odd angles. At the very top, was a small desolated town.

Structures of wood still stood, abandoned, in shambles, dry. Their foundations broken like the rocks beneath, leaving the structures also resting at odd angles. The fact that so many were still relatively whole after over a decade of neglect was a testament to the craftsponyship of their makers.

Much like the mountain, most of the terrain south of it was littered with cracks. Despite the dry heat, clouds were gathered over the western side of the mountain. Beneath those clouds was a wall of tannish-green trees, as if a line had been drawn between the two biomes. Rain took in the vista, picturing the structures hidden within that made New Appleloosa.

“Hey, Goo,” Rain began curiously, “Think you could cause something like that?” she asked, pointing to the mountain. Her companion tilted to the side, before shaking a fervent ‘no’. “Glad to hear it,” she replied quietly, petting him as her eyes returned to the sky, briefly glancing to the east. If she squinted, she could make out Dodge City. It was amazing how far you could go in a couple of days. She really missed the frigid rain...

“Spooky, huh?” Rain flinched, now noticing the lack of snoring, and the pony sitting next to her. “Team Rocket doesn't want another Mt. Groudon,” JJ added, nodding to herself, before looking to Rain.

“Don’t think anypony does,” Rain pointed out, getting a sheepish laugh from JJ.

“Guess so,” she replied, glancing to the sky. “No birdy?”

“No. Not yet,” Rain assured, glancing to the tent eagerly. She looked back to JJ, but hesitated.

“What’s up?” she asked, before noticing the sweaty mess her partner was. “Oh. Oh! It is hot,” she pointed out, a small fire lighting in her eyes, “Sneasel!” There was a slight pause, before an annoyed sigh was given from the tent in reply. The dark mon’ stepped out, giving the unicorn a short glare. “Let’s put this heat on ice!” she exclaimed, pointing at Rain. That got a confused look from said mare. Sneasel rolled its eyes, before taking in a deep breath. Rain stepped back defensively, wide-eyed.

“JJ, wait-” The mon’ exhaled, blowing a freezing stream of cold air at Rain and Goo. Rain stood rigid, her sweat becoming beads of ice on her coat. The sudden switch from hot to cold left her feeling a little confused. She still felt hot, in a cold kind of way. A tad too cold. “J- JJ!” she exclaimed, getting a flustered look from the mare.

“Sneasel, don’t blow that hard!” The black furred mon’ looked at JJ, before it started laughing. “It’s not funny!” Rain shook off the beads of ice, letting out a shuddered sigh as she looked to her mon’. Goo wasn’t moving. His body was encased in a thin layer of ice.

“Goo?” Rain asked hesitantly, bending down to him. His slimy layer was totally iced over. She gave the mon’ a light tap, cracking the mold. The cracks grew, before Goo broke out, shaking off the ice, his body wiggling like jelly. The mon’ gave Sneasel a miffed look. Said culprit was now holding its sides, lying on the ground in a fit of giggles.

“S- Sorry Rain.”

“You okay Goo?” Rain asked, getting a nod from the mon’. She smiled, before glancing to Sneasel, wearing a troubled look. She frowned, before her shoulders sagged, letting out a small sigh. She forced on a loose smile as she turned to her partner. “It’s okay JJ. It’s not your fault your mon’ screwed up its breathing.” Sneasel’s fits seemed to cut off as she said that. She could feel it glaring at her. She paid the mon’ no mind, deciding to distract herself. So, she started taking down the tent. Doing so let out what little cool air remained inside from Sneasel’s presence.

“Errm, umm,” JJ began, still flustered. “Oh! Hey Rain, you still have those capture stones?” she asked as she began digging through her bags, “I think we should get ourselves another mon’ or two before reaching New Appleloosa.” She nodded to herself, “Having two will help you agaist the gym!” Rain paused at her task, looking at JJ blankly, before recalling giving the stones away. She adopted a sheepish look.

“I uhh, ran out of them,” she ‘admitted’, getting a gasp from her companion.

“Already? Wow!” JJ exclaimed, before placing one of her stones in Rain’s hooves. “Well, here’s a spare. Just. In. Case!” she said with a big grin, making Rain eye it warily. As she did, JJ took over dismantling the tent. Rain watched her, confused to why her companion hadn’t asked for details. She eyed the stone in her hoof, before glancing to Goo.

A second mon’ wasn’t a bad idea. After all, most masters had a team of six. But, to get that number… Rain pictured herself fighting some faceless mon’, cackling maniacally, thunder booming as she shoved it inside a capture stone.

She frowned, eyes still on the trinket. She couldn’t shake off the fact that Goo wasn’t going to be enough. Considering that, she dug out her uniform, and pocketed the stone.

“Oh! It’s Mr. Birdy!” JJ pointed out, making Rain follow her gaze to the east. Flying a short distance over the ground was a large bird with light-brown feathers. Much bigger than any pony, it moved incredibly fast, picking up altitude as it approached. Rain could make out a Team Rocket bandanna around its neck. As she got to her hooves, the mon’ flew right past their camp, dropping a crate that parachuted down slowly. “Thaaaankss!” JJ let out, waving at the Fearow, getting a caw in return. It circled around their camp once, before continuing west.

“So, this’ll have our, uhh, orders?” Rain asked, guiding the box closer as it fell in their midst.

“Yep! Our very first mission together!” JJ said wide-eyed, practically brimming with excitement. “Oh, and supplies~” she added, nonchalantly kicking the lid off the crate. Without even looking inside, she pulled out a folded letter.

Rain peeked at the container’s contents, a little confused when she saw a pair of pickaxes. There was also a single hard-hat, a pair of saddlebags, some rope- her eyes widened as she spotted rations. That was something she wasn’t going to miss about her old life: Hunger.

Oh, and there were also two small pocketbooks. Most everything looked worn and used. Not a single sparkly new item in the box. Well, besides the rope, which practically looked pristine. It all seemed so… mundane.

“What’s with that look?” JJ asked, making Rain blush as she glanced to the side.

“N- Nothing.”

“Oh, okay!” JJ replied, eyes still on the letter.

“So…” Rain began as she fished out the contents, “We’re miners?” she tried to hide her disappointment this time.

“I am. Don’t know about you,” JJ replied, letting out a disappointed sigh, “Three more months…”

“Not what I meant,” Rain replied, picking up a pickaxe, “How is this supposed to save Equestria from devastation?”

“Uhm, gimme juuuust one sec’,” JJ replied, holding a hoof up, her eyes never leaving the letter. Rain tilted her head as the second turned into a minute. “Okay!” JJ began, looking very serious as she glanced to Rain, “Our mission, should we choose to accept, is to go into the ‘abandoned’, back entrance of Monicite Mine and acquire as much rare monicite as we can!” That got a flat look from the earth pony.

“Okay. And what’s monicite?” Rain asked, making JJ glance into the box, pulling out one of the small booklets.

“It’s quartz!” she said proudly. “Well, mostly quartz,” she added, before pulling out Sneasel’s capture stone, “Like this. Monsters have a weird affinity to it. That’s why capture stones are made from them. Some mons can even transform from rare types of quartz.” She gave Rain a knowing glance, as if predicting the next question, “Monicite’s the general name for rocks like this. But, most monicite is quartz!”

Well, that was oddly informative.

“Really?” Rain said, glancing to Goo, who seemed just as curious as she. “And the mine’s abandoned?”

“Nope! Only the back side.” Rain frowned at that. Wouldn’t that be stealing?

“And what do we do with the monicite?” she asked hesitantly. JJ blinked at that, before looking back to the letter. She tilted her head.

“‘You made your cake, so you can share with whom you want,’” she quoted, making Rain blink.

“So we can do whatever we want with it?”

“Yep!” JJ replied, nodding sagely, “That’s pretty common with Team Rocket missions,” she then frowned. “My last partner made sure to always send everything back to HQ. It … wasn’t very fun.”

“So, it’s up to the team...” Sounded like a recipe for drama. Rain eyed the mountain for a moment, tossing the idle thought for something that brought a smile to her face “We could give the monicite to ponies that need them…” The mine’s abandoned after all, she’d just be going in and nabbing the leftovers. Just like trash! JJ quickly mirrored her grin.

“I like this idea~!” she exclaimed, getting a fired up look from Rain.

“Well, let’s get to it then!” she replied, her reservations melting away as she started pulling out the box’s contents.

“Sure thing~ Oh! Dibs on the hat!” JJ exclaimed, taking it before Rain could object, placing it on her golden head. Getting a better look at it revealed that it was a miner’s cap. It even had a small light fixed atop it. However, it clearly wasn’t made for unicorns. “Aaand this is for you, junior master!” she added, levitating the other booklet, which was thinner than the first.

“For me?”

“Yep! A gift from HQ. It’s a Monster Manual. I had one of these as a filly. They’re really neat.” She then rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the Monster Bestiary, and it’s a little rude, but it’s better than nothing!” Rain blinked at that, before opening the book.

There were only five pages, and all of them were blank, save for a small watermark in the corners that clearly said: A Disc Co. product!

Rain give JJ a curious look, who seemed to be eyeing her eagerly, as if begging for Rain to ask how it worked.

“How’s it work?” Magic, no doubt.

“Close the book. Look at Goo. Open book. Look at book~!” she replied, making Rain raise an eyebrow, before doing just that. With the book open, she looked away from Goo, who seemed just as curious as her. Now, there were words on the pages, and it even included a small monochrome picture of the mon’.

‘Goomy. A mon’ commonly mistaken for a pathetic overgrown slug bug type. And who can blame it!? It’s actually the weakest of all the known dragon types. That’s right, a dragon!’ Rain blinked at the narration, her eyes shifting to Goo, before back to the book.

‘Likes wet places. Turns places wet (and slimy). Complains in dry zones. Pay that no mind, it’s just being a wet blanket. Loves eating plants, but isn’t above eating small bugs. Some ponies use its slime as a cleaning solution, since it’s a fairly weak acid. Something you should take advantage of, Ms. Rainshine.’ Seeing her name in the book almost made her drop it. She slammed it shut, eyeing it warily for a moment, before tossing it back in the crate.

“Goo?” the mon’ asked, making Rain shake her head.

“It’s nothing,” she assured, looking over her mon’. Dragon type? That means Goo wasn’t easily burned and electrocuted and … ?

Rain glanced to the side. If Goo was weak, then what did that make Scorch? These questions only made her more aware of the mountain that was her journey. She still had quite a climb ahead of her.

But, that was for later. Today was about digging for treasure. She looked back to her uniform, before adopting an excited smile. She was used to doing that, but she’d never gone about it like this.

Guess it was time for some spelunking...

~~~

Rain and Juniper shared a look. The entrance to the mine was before them, the way open. To either sides of it were cautionary signs: ‘Do Not Enter’, ‘Falling Rocks’, and even ‘Safety First, Wear a Helmet!’ There was even a big, over-sized STOP sign, perched over the entrance.

Despite being abandoned, it was lacking that little extra abandoned feel. The signs weren’t worn down, just dusty. The wooden beams over the halls were still solid. There wasn’t even a trace of rust on the mine tracks. Still, despite its sound appearance, there was an eerie aura about it. Wind was flowing out from the entrance, carrying a low howl that sent a shiver down JJ’s spine.

“Looks inviting,” Rain said, not concerned in the least. There was an alley or two in Dodge that were far more intimidating.

“Eh heh heh,” JJ replied, swallowing, before advancing. “R- Right, it’s mission time!” she said, her words making Rain feel a little fired up. She was even decked out in her uniform, with pickaxe and saddlebags on her back, ready for the challenge. Without further ado, Rain entered, with JJ falling a step behind her.

They followed the tracks, seeing them as a road back out. An easy line to follow, to keep them from getting lost. As they went, Juniper seemed more than eager to relight the lanterns left behind, softly responding to her magic.

“...So Rain, did you practice our motto?” she asked, “Prepare for trouble, and make it double?” she added, getting a nod from Rain.

“Sounds like something you threaten your enemy with,” she pointed out, getting a dismissive wave from JJ.

“Rain, if we get into trouble you’ll be totally ready to follow my lead?” she pressed, getting a confused look from Rain.

“Ready for what?”

“You know, to recite it!?”

“Umm, yes?” Rain replied, unsure just what JJ was on about. That got an invigorated look from the unicorn.

“Good. Great. Excellent!” Juniper replied, taking a long moment to soak up the sight of Rain in uniform. “It really does look good on you,” she added. Rain couldn’t help but blush.

Besides the idle chit-chat, their trek proved to be completely uneventful, coming to an end at an open chamber. Where all the halls and rooms they’d passed were cut from the mountain, this chamber was clearly natural. There were ancient stalactites hanging from the ceiling, their angle stilted, as if the whole room was at a slanted angle. The path ended before a ravine, with the mine track crossing a few feet over the edge; an incomplete bridge. Parallel to it was a rope supported wooden bridge, that connected to the other side.

“Guess this is as far as they got,” Rain said, giving the ropes a light tug. They felt reassuringly sturdy. “Why was it abandoned?”

“Letter didn’t say,” JJ replied, glancing over the side. “My guess? Started on wrong side of the mountain,” she added, her horn glowing brighter, revealing a layer of fog about thirty feet below them. “It- It sure would be something if there were monsters sleeping in here,” she said sheepishly, making Rain frown.

“...What do you think?” Rain asked, glancing to the slimy mon’ on her back. Goo tilted side to side, before shaking his head. “Well, if there is a mon’, then we’ll just have to defend ourselves,” Rain added, eyeing the bridge for a moment. She then took a deep breath, before crossing. JJ was quick to follow. Sneasel sniffed the air as they went, looking alert. Rain let out a sigh relief, which was soft compared to JJ’s, when they reached the other side.

As Rain glanced back across the bridge, she noticed some light coming from the chamber below. It was slightly obscured by static, odd-shaped shadows in the fog, making her squint. She could barely make out a lit lamp hanging from a wooden beam, slightly beneath the fog line.

“Look,” Rain pointed out, making JJ squint towards it.

“That must be part of the front end of the mine!”

“Eh- JJ, maybe we should keep our voices down?” JJ’s eyes widened, putting a hoof over her mouth as she gave an agreeing nod. Moving from the bridge, they both paused as they entered the next room. The walls glistened with opaque stones of different colors. Most were clear, but there was still some of the colored variety. Some even sparkled in JJ’s light. The sight dispelled the unicorn’s fear, making her smile shine anew.

“Jackpot!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing prominently down the halls. Rain frowned at her, getting an embarrassed grin from the unicorn.

“...JJ, you’ve done stuff like this before, right?” Rain asked as she walked around the chamber, relatively left untouched by mining tools.

“Yep! Mining’s easy~!” she replied, before her eyes widened, “Oh, you mean Team Rocket? Weeelll, a little bit. Been with them for a few months,” she explained, levitating out her pickaxe.

“Is it normal to not run into any monsters?”

“Also a little,” she replied, giving her axe a little spin, before getting a solid hit on the wall, dislodging a chunk of monicite. “A Ranger probably scares them off,” she speculated. Rain tilted her head at that, a little disappointed by the lack of an encounter. Despite that, she still picked up her axe, and went to work.

~~~

The cavern proved quite bountiful. A healthy portion of the color on its walls now glistened in a pile resting at the room’s center. Rain wore a proud smile, wiping sweat from her brow as she tossed one last stone onto the pile.

“Wooo. I’m beat!” JJ exclaimed, pulling herself towards their collection, before collapsing on her haunches. “Okay, let’s see what we got here~” she added, glancing over the pile they’d made. Before she started tossing stones out from it. “Useless. Pretty, but not monicite. This is just a rock,” she divvied out. Rain couldn’t help but notice the majority of scrapped stones were coming from her half of the pile. And, JJ never compared the stones to the booklet they’d been given.

“You know this stuff, huh?” Rain asked, eyeing a stone that’d caught her eye earlier, that JJ just tossed.

“Yep,” she replied nonchalantly as Rain picked up the rock. It was dark-yellow, with lines of black running through its center. Light reflected off it in a shimmering fashion that reminded Rain of one of her lost trinkets…

“What’s this one?” she asked, getting a curious look from her companion.

“Oh, that’s a chrysoberyl! It’s just a pretty rock. Not monicite,” she explained. Rain eyed it for a moment longer, before pocketing it.

“And these?” Rain asked, pulling two from the pile JJ approved of. One was glimmering scarlet, the other shimmering emerald.

“Monicite. That one is fire-red, and the other is leaf-green,” she quickly replied, before leaning closer to Rain, “A small number of mons change if you give them one of these. Neat, right!?”

“Sure sounds like it,” Rain replied, eyeing Goo, who seemed content to suckle on one of the abandoned rocks, before spitting it out. Curious, she pulled her MM from her pocket, eyeing her mon’.

‘Nope. No evolution stones for this one. Please try again never.’ Rain frowned at that, closing the booklet. She then eyed Sneasel, who was busy using the rocky wall as a scratching post. She opened the book: ’A stone won’t do any good with this rude little [censored]. But, maybe if it held something sharp…’ There was an illustration of a kitchen knife under that line. Rain wasn’t sure if the MM was misleading her or not.

“So,” she began, pocketing the offensive literary item, “Is that why HQ sent us down here?” she asked, getting a confused look from her partner. “Because you know rocks?”

“Oh no no!” JJ quickly assured. “You see, you wanted to go to New Appleloosa. So, I made sure they sent us there,” she added with a nod, getting a surprised look from Rain.

“Oh. Uhh, thanks for that.”

“No problem! You want to be a master, well, I’ll help!”

“You don’t have to,” Rain quickly replied, looking troubled.

“Nonsense! You’re my partner, and partners help each other!” Rain frowned briefly, before glancing to the side. “So, you choose where we go, and I’ll make sure HQ lets us!” she assured. Rain looked like she wanted to say something, but kept it to herself, simply giving JJ a nod…

Several minutes later, the pile was sorted through, and now split between their saddlebags. “Okay. Wanna leave, or do we want to sleep in the dark, cold, totally not creepy strange smelling cave?” As if in reply, a low grumble was heard. It came from all around them, the ground trembling weakly beneath them, making the ponies share a sheepish look.

“We can leave,” Rain quickly assured, seeing a glimmer of relief on JJ’s face. Did she really expect Rain to say otherwise?

“Thanks. My last ‘partner’ would have stayed,” JJ explained, walking past Rain towards the bridge. Rain wanted to ask about that partner, but had the distinct impression that JJ didn’t want to talk about it.

As they crossed the bridge, the cave started rumbling again, making the two quicken their pace. As they were about to reach the other end, a deafening crack sounded above. Rain felt something whoosh behind her. Whatever it was, it broke through the bridge like rock against paper. Her eyes widened as her hooves left the boards, time seeming to slow down as weightlessness overcame her. It felt like her stomach wanted out. It was unsettling, a fact she decided to voice.

Her scream was cut off when her body spun sharply, the sound of something snapping and wood striking stone made her close her eyes. She lost her breath when she landed, crashing into a pool of water hidden beneath the fog. The imminent threat of water filling her lungs kept her from blacking out.

Luckily, she could swim. Unluckily, after the fall and spin, she wasn’t quite sure which way was up. Her lungs were burning as she swam fruitlessly. Wait, a light, above! She dove towards it, breaking through the surface. She gasped, taking in a deep breath, which was followed by a fit of coughs.

“Rain!?” JJ shouted, her voice rife with concern, “Please tell me you’re not dying!”

“I- I’m okay,” Rain coughed out, looking around. It was too dark to make out her surroundings. “Are you!?”

“Yes. Pulled myself up…” she replied. Considering how far up JJ’s light was, Rain must have fallen at least fifty feet. She sure felt like it. Her whole right side ached, a fact overshadowed by how much it hurt to put pressure on her shoulder. The chamber was still shaking slightly.

Rain’s eyes widened as she glanced around. “Goo!?” she cried out, getting a gurgle from behind her, making her splash around.

“Goomy~!” the mon’ let out, oblivious to their predicament at the sudden abundance of moisture. Rain swam towards him, pushing broken boards out of the way. She caught Goo off guard as she gave a thankful embrace. “Ooom,” the mon’ added warmly.

“Water broke our fall!” Rain added, looking up, “It’s dark down here—”

“O- On it!” JJ replied, before levitating her miner’s hat down. At least, most of the way. Rain saw it hovering twenty feet above her. “I- I can’t lower it any further. You’ll have to catch it.” Without further ado, the helm was dropped. With its light still on, it was easy to follow. Rain had to dive to catch it, making her gasp in pain.

After getting the hat on her head, she looked around. There were bits of bridge all around her, broken boards, ripped ropes, and the broken stalactite that slew it. She frowned, realizing how light her back felt. She eyed the water, before glancing to-

Right next to her, towered a tall stalagmite. It stood at a slight angle, her saddlebags completely impaled on it. A chill run down her spine. She felt a little sick as she glanced around, finding that she was surrounded by stone spikes.

“You really okay?” JJ pressed, “I can see your light, but it’s really foggy down there.”

“I’m sore, but okay. Please tell me Sneasel is still with you.”

“Sneasel is still with me. No joke,” she assured, getting a small huff from said mon’. “Look, just stay right there, I’ll be right down!” Rain’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest, eyes back to her skewered bag.

“No! Stay put!”

“What? Why!?”

“It’s really spikey down here,” Rain pointed out, wondering why the ponies that made the bridge didn’t think to break these things up. She discarded the thought, swimming around the room, spotting a light on her level that shined through the fog and spikes. “JJ, the tunnel that’s down here, you still see it, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll take that way out.”

“Okay…” JJ replied, not sounding too thrilled by the idea. “Oh! I’ll just use the rope and—”

“I have the rope,” Rain pointed out, easily picturing JJ’s ears falling. Rain let out a small sigh, before eyeing her bag warily...

Several minutes later, Rain let out a frustrated yell. It was times like these she wished she was a unicorn. The bag was out of reach of her hooves, and well out of JJ’s magic. She tried knocking down the pillar. She nearly pulled a muscle trying. She tried climbing it. It was slippery, even for Goo. The mon’ used its bubbles to knock it down, only to blow apart the bag, sending its contents everywhere. That was, everything but the rope, which was neatly rolled up and coiled over the stalagmite, like a perfect toss in a game of horseshoe. The rope seemed perfectly content to stay there, despite their efforts. Rain glared at it, before her ears perked up. The mountain was rumbling again.

“JJ. I’ll have to take the other way out!”

“There’s no other way?” JJ asked, sounding scared.

“No. But Goo’s with me, and you have Sneasel,” she assured, working through the pillars and puddles, spotting the mine. She hesitated, “I lost my haul,” she added, ears falling. That wasn’t entirely true, as there were bits of rocks from her bags scattered all over the area, but without anything much to hold them in, she’d only be able to carry what she could fit in her pockets.

“To gravel with the haul!” JJ exclaimed, stomping her hoof down. “Just get out safely, okay!?”

“Uhh, okay! You too! We’ll meet up outside!”

“Promise?” JJ asked, surprising Rain with the notion.

“Promise!”

“O- Okay! Be safe!” Rain nodded, a fire burning in her chest as she reached the hall. It ran along the edge of the water, a wooden cart track lining the rim, heading off in two directions. Rain paused at the tracks, unsure which way was the right one. The ground trembled slightly, small rocks falling from the ceiling in response. Rain hoped the left was the right way, because that’s the path she bolted down...

~~~

Finally, something going right! The path wasn’t going down, deeper into the mountain. She was climbing. The halls trembled from time to time as she climbed, keeping her alert, eyes darting from cracks to falling pebbles. She hesitated a moment when she passed a collapsed tunnel. Just what the hay was going on in this mountain?

Despite the feeling of dread growing in her gut, Rain couldn’t help but notice this mine’s contrast to the older mine.

Here, pockets of monicite were still in the walls. The lanterns were maintained, and there was equipment all over the place. The only thing missing was the ponies, who seemed more than eager to abandon the rumbling mountain.

They even left their dinner! Sitting out in an open room was some water canteens and a fresh meal. After brushing off the pebbles, Rain and Goo took their fill, and ate on the move. She went as fast as she could, but thanks to her work, and the fall, her body was tired and ached all over. It was frustrating. Which made the free meal all the more amazing.

Goo was faring far better, a fact Rain was only a little envious of.

Much like how they descended, she was following the mine tracks to the surface. Not long after beginning her climb, she started to notice some strange things. Well, besides the tremors, which seemed to be getting stronger. Oddities, like mine tracks where the metal had been pulled out. Pickaxes, without the pick. There was even evidence that a crate had been torn apart, its nails missing. The further she went, the more metal was missing from the mine. It was a little disconcerting.

A particularly strong tremor made her pause, eyeing the walls cautiously, her heart pounding. The image of an entire mountain falling atop of her came to mind. The weight on her back, and the promise she made kept her thoughts from lingering too long on the building claustrophobia.

The lanterns around her swayed ominously as she waited it out, thanking whoever made this mine for the sturdy framing they used. Not long after the tremor passed, Rain was greeted with a sensation that brought a wave of relief. There was a faint breeze; a hint of fresh air carried on it.

There was also the sound of voices. Oddly sweet voices. A clamour of them, ahead. Rain glanced to Goo, slowing down, her steps quieting as she reached a bend in the hall. Peering around, she finally encountered some wild monsters.

They had short bodies, easily shorter than her, the tallest barely level with her back. They were bipeds, like Gallade. Their bodies were mostly yellow, standing on wide legs, that gave the illusion that the mons were wearing bulky leggings. Their arms were short, and black, like their head and hair. Their hair was surprisingly large, looking like a pea-pod that stemmed out from the top of their heads. The pod was easily as big as the rest of their body, and the mons moved as if there was a great weight to it. There were five mons total, and she watched them curiously, before her heart skipped a beat, face paling.

The mons were speaking to each other, but half the time it was the pod that was talking. The stem of hair was actually a second mouth, with a small number of sharp teeth lining its rim. It looked so inconspicuous when it was closed! Her and Goo shared a startled look, before slinking back from the corner.

Well. That’s a problem. The halls trembled weakly, as if to agree with her.

Rain placed a hoof over her chest, taking several slow breaths as she came to terms with what she saw. She knew mons came in all shapes and sizes, but ones with such prominent, and intimidating maws was something she had not expected. She frowned, pulling out the Monster Manual.

She blinked as she took it in. The book was still damp, getting a troubled look from the mare. Well, not reason not to try. Peering around the corner, she opened the book. One of the mons started to look her way, making her slink back, heart racing anew. She waited several seconds. After she was certain none had noticed her, she glanced at whatever information the book offered:

‘Glgle gluggga glib glip.’ It would appear the author is drowning.

Rain frowned, about to close the book, when she noticed a small arrow at the bottom of the page, as if the book were asking for her to turn. She did just that, finding a stick-figure drawing of the mons around the corner, and a few paragraphs.

’Somepony can't take a joke! Anyways, that’s a horde of Mawile. They’re steel-fairy types, so they’re short, ‘mystical’, and tough as iron. They like to eat metal, and are really strong, physically speaking. You probably shouldn’t try tackling- Actually, nevermind. You can take them. Have at them, slugger!’ Rain frowned at that last word. There was another arrow at the bottom.

’They’re also very sociable, and possessive. Oh, and they have a really big mouth, but you already knew that! Some ponies think it’s a transformed horn, since it can’t eat with it. But, it can certainly bite with it! As a personal aside, do try to keep me away from water. Handsome book types like myself are pretty weak to that sort of thing… Rain shook her head as she closed the book. Was the Monster Bestiary just as snippy as the MM? Pocketing it, she glanced back to the cluster of mons. They seemed to be having an argument, with the tallest of them being at the center of it.

Of course, she had no idea what they were saying, but from the looks they were giving each other, she had to guess that the tallest was in hot water. And that it was probably their leader. Considering where they were, and the missing mining equipment, and the tremors, Rain saw why said leader was in trouble.

Their chattered suddenly stopped, all of them glancing to the walls warily, making Rain slink back a little. There was another set of tremors, these ones being even stronger than before. Somehow, Rain doubted this was nature’s doing. A large crack appeared in the ceiling above Rain, making her move hastily from the spot, entering the hall. As the tremors died down, a pebble from the ceiling decided to land right on Rain’s head.

Good thing she was wearing that mining helm. It let out quite the metallic ring. In unison, the horde looked to her, making Rain and Goo freeze on the spot.

There was an awkward moment between the two groups, before the lead Mawile let out a little laugh. Rain took a step back as it motioned to the others, before pointing towards her. It pointed proudly as it waited for its pack to descend upon her. Rain glanced between the mons nervously, Goo sliding in front of her defensively.

The leader blinked when nothing happened. Confused, it looked to the others, most of whom were sporting unamused looks. It pointed at Rain, stomping its foot. Two of the pack shared a look, before moving forward, getting a pair of satisfied smiles from the lead mon’s mouths. It let out an indignant cry when the two volunteers slapped it with their black mouths, sending it rolling towards Rain. The mare blinked in surprise, taking a small step back as the mon’ slid to a stop at her hooves.

The leader got up, confused. Its surprise shifted to fear when it noticed its comrades making a run for it. Rain had to admit, she hadn’t expected that, making her and Goo share a look. The lonely mon’ slowly turned to her.

Its confusion briefly shifted to sadness, then fear, before anger lit in its eyes. It shouted something at those that ran. Whatever it was, Goo didn’t like it, as the mon’s cheeks puffed up, prepared for a fight. The Mawile steadied itself, turning to Rain, glaring at her. It turned its back towards her, facing its giant maw her way. It crossed its arms, giving Rain a look that made her take a step back.

The message was loud and clear. Rain frowned. Despite her earlier enthusiasm to encounter a mon’, now really wasn’t the time for this.

“Um, look, Mr. Mawile—” It hissed at her indignantly, “Ms. Mawile, can we do this somewhere else? Like, not in a shaking mountain?” she asked, giving the mon’ a pleading look.

“Goom,” her partner added, making Mawile glance to the side, hesitating.

“Can we pass, without a fight?” Rain pressed. The mon’s body stiffened at that, its maw letting out a small snarl. It was adamant to keep her from passing. Seems talking wasn’t going to progress this encounter…

From what she saw of those that ran, the mons weren’t particularly agile. She could easily outrun the Mawile. But, an annoying thought nibbled at her. This was her first encounter with a wild mon’ since starting her journey. What would it say about her if she ran? She frowned. The mountain was dangerous now. Running was the smart thing to do.

Her ear ached, the howling at the edge of her mind. Running solved nothing. She didn’t leave Dodge, or join Team Rocket, simply to run away.

“Goo, bubble,” Rain muttered under her breath. Her mon’ was more than eager to comply, much to Mawile’s surprise. It really was slow. It eyed the bubbles as they came upon it, flinching back which each pop, the sound drowning out distant cracks and rumbles of the earth. Still, it took the attack better than Scorch did. A lot better. But that didn’t mean it got out unscathed. The last few bubbles were blocked by the mons’ large mouth, which didn’t have a mark on it, a fact Rain noted. As soon as the barrage ended, Mawile stepped towards Goo.

“Maw!” it cried out, the air letting out a loud whoosh as it swung its head. Rain’s eyes widened as Goo was sent flying, crashing into the wall with a splat. Goo let out a weak groan as it slowly slid down the wall. “Mwahaha!”

“Goo!?” Rain asked, coming to his side. He gave her a reassuring lick, surprising her. He moved slowly, but still faced Mawile. Rain couldn’t help but imagine Goo now felt as bruised as herself.

“Ha!” their attacker declared valiantly, advancing towards them. The way it waddled backwards almost ruined its attempt to intimidate them.

“Goo, give it another shot!” He let out an affirmed grunt, his cheeks puffing up.

Rain knew who was faster. She also knew Goo couldn’t stand another hit. But, she had a plan. Another barrage of bubbles was fired, and Mawile cried out in pain, forcing its way through the barrage to reach them. Goo slinked back as it came, but again, the slug wasn’t fast enough.

With another loud woosh, Mawile swung its head towards Goo. Her eyes on fire, Rain clenched her teeth, pushing Goo away from the blow, and taking it herself. Both mons were surprised by the act, a fact Rain didn’t immediately register. She crashed into the wall, in the same spot Goo had, the wind being knocked out of her.

So, that’s what it feels like to be hit by a metal beam.

Rain was coughing as she got to her hooves. She could taste iron in her mouth. Wh- Whoa, the room’s swaying. Rain shook her head, her vision spinning briefly as she looked to the mons. As her eyes fell to Goo, hindsight decided to rear its ugly head. Why not have Goo attack safely from her back?

“Goomy!?” her mon cried out, looking both mad, and concerned for her. She gave him a weak smile, before looking to their opponent. Mawile seemed at a loss on how to react.

“We’re not running,” Rain coughed out, melting Goo’s upset glare. The Mawile eyed her, a glimmer of respect in its eyes as it readopted its battle stance. “Goo, do it agai-” the chamber started to tremble, getting an alarmed look from all of them. “For Luna’s sake, stop with the shaking!” Rain spat out, leaning against the wall as she eyed her surroundings.

A hair-raising crack echoed through the hall, making the three of them flinch. The ceiling was clearly tired of this nonsense, coming down around them. Rain dived to Goo, holding him tight as she curled her body protectively. The noise was deafening. She was pelted by a number of rocks, some sharp, as the shaking ever so slowly died down. She really needed to thank JJ for the helmet, as her head was the only thing not hurting when the dust settled. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, her chest still beating frantically as she took in the mess.

The hall was littered in stoned debris. A number of lanterns had fallen, casting light in odd ways from the rocks. Parts of the hall ahead of her had collapsed, leaving piles of rubble. Mawile was nowhere to be seen. She eyed the pile of rubble at her hooves blankly, her body feeling as rough as a time she didn’t want to remember.

Their foe was buried, the battle over. They were free to pass.

To Rain, that hardly mattered. Placing Goo down, she moved towards where their opponent once stood, and started pushing aside the rubble. She worked as fast as she could, heart pounding, body itching from sweat and dust, muscles and sores screaming in protest as she did. Goo watched her, its confusion slowly shifting to resolve, as he began aiding her.

After moving stones for what felt like hours, but was only a minute, the pile started to shift, making her take a step back. The load was light enough for Mawile to start tossing rocks off itself, freeing itself from the pile. At least, half its body was.

Like a pony with their tail caught in the door, the mon’s other mouth was pinned under the pile. It tried to pry itself free from, but it seemed its small arms weren’t up to the task. Looking over the mon’s shoulder, Rain could see that the ‘stem’ that the larger mouth connected to was caught between a thick rock and a wooden beam, which was buried under a majority of the pile.

Seeing that, she started pulling stones off the beam. The mon’ eyed her as she did, confused. As Rain worked, rocks from the higher part of the pile started to shift, making her freeze, seeing a small avalanche just waiting to undo her effort. She’d have to deal with the whole pile to free the beam. She was pretty sure she’d either pass out, or the mine would collapse further before the beam was moved.

What’s a mare to do?

Said mare blinked, pulling out a small rock from her pockets. The capture stone. Mawile’s eyes met her as she pulled it out, its body freezing at the sight. She considered assuring the mon’. The painful breath she sucked in dissuaded the consideration. She simply tossed the stone at it.

Problem solved.

The mon’ tried to avoid the stone, which proved a vain effort. When the stone touched, the sigil inside glowed, and the mon’ disappeared in a flash of light.

Rain quickly rolled the stone away from the pile as the sigil flashed. The pile of rocks shifted, now that the mon’ wasn’t stuck inside. She eyed the pile for a moment, hoping it wouldn’t shake or collapse any further. She let out a sigh of relief after several seconds, before her eyes fell back to the stone. She blinked in confusion.

A capture stone’s magic wasn’t absolute. If it was used on a mostly healthy and strong-willed mon’ like Mawile, then the sigil’s magic would be overpowered by the mon’s endurance. It could break out. The sigil’s color had shifted from red to yellow.

Had the collapse hurt it? Besides being dirty, it didn’t seem like the mon’ suffered any harm from it. Rain’s mouth fell open as the sigil flashed green, before fading to a neutral tone. She looked to Goo, who was just as confused as she. She picked up the stone, eyeing it in her hoof for several seconds. She’d captured a monster?

The dominating image of Slugger came to mind, making her frown.

“Come out,” she asked, pointing the stone at the ground. The Mawile appeared in a flash, its arms crossed, as if trying to keep its dignity intact as it gave her a side-glance. She looked it over for several seconds, letting out a sigh. She then gave it a warm smile, before she nonchalantly placed the stone on the ground, and crushed it under her hooves.

“Oom?” Goo said, getting a confused look from the mare. He answered by nuzzling her, making her flustered.

“S- Stop it Goo,” she replied, before looking to Mawile. It considered her for a moment, its eyes shifting between her and the broken stone. It then turned from her, running deeper into the mine. Rain watched as it ran, before turning towards the rubble. Despite the collapse, she could make out the tunnel beyond. Mawile chose its path, now she needed to continue hers. Glancing one last time the way the mon’ fled, Rain continued her climb out of the mine. At least, till the ground started to shake again...

~~~

Rain slowly opened her eyes, blinking blankly, a haze over her thoughts as she looked around. It was dark, but she was definitely outside. The moon was high in the sky. The light on her helm flickered, its lens cracked. She was at the mine’s main entrance, but she couldn't recall how she got here.

She passed out?

Rain felt something warm and slimy resting next to her. Goo was nuzzled to her side, sleeping soundly. She eyed her companion for a long moment, before adopting a smile. She climbed to her hooves, a task that required some effort. Without disturbing him, she picked up the slimy mon’, placing him on her back.

Getting to her hooves, Rain could hear the faint sound of leaves rustling in the wind. She closed her eyes for a moment. The breeze was quite soothing, and pleasantly cool. It almost lulled her into passing out. She shook her head, trying to knock away the fatigue, before looking to the left: South.

She took a step forward. She stopped when an electric jolt ran up her spine. Her tail was snagged. Well, that certainly woke her up. Sleeping Goo almost slid off as Rain looked back, seeing Mawile, her tail in its tiny hands. It was giving her a conflicted look as it let go. Rain eyed her, slowly turning towards the monster, comprehension in the pony’s eyes.

“You got us out,” she assumed, making the mon’ blush as it looked away. Rain couldn’t help but smile. Guess their spelunking wasn’t a total waste. “...Want to come with us?” she asked, making the mon’ frown. It simply crossed its arms, letting out a small sigh. It gave a small nod, while also giving off the impression that the mon’ didn’t have any better options. Rain couldn’t help but laugh. It hurt to laugh, so it was short lived, tears in her eyes. She wiped them off, feeling Goo stir as she offered her hoof to Mawile. “Welcome to the team.” The mon’ let out a small huff. “Now, let’s go find our partner,” she added, glancing to Goo, getting a curious look from Mawile.

With that, she continued to the south, her eyes glancing to the trees to her right. She would occasionally see a flicker of light trickle through the trees. New Appleloosa.

“Rain!?” a familiar voice cried out, making the earth pony look to the source, seeing a glowing, golden light heading her way.

“JJ!”

“Sneasel, it’s Rain!” JJ replied, running to them, her mon’ on her back. Both of them looked a little beat up. Almost as much as Rain. Mawile stepped back as Rain was caught in a tackle, knocking Goo from his perch. She nearly blacked out as she fell to the ground, feeling JJ’s hooves wrapped around her. “Rain. You’re okay! I was so scared!” Rain’s presence of mind slowly returned as JJ’s voice picked up in speed. “The mountain got scarier and scarier and I thought you’d get lost. Then I was like ‘Good going JJ! Our first mission and we’ve already lost our partner. And I was gonna cry but then I ran into these lizard monsters that dug through the walls and Sneasel fought them and got hurt and I captured one but the tunnels were collapsing and-” Rain put a hoof to her mouth, her eyes following a trail of dried blood that ran down JJ’s head and across her cheek. Something that seemed a little more important to Rain than the clustered exposition.

Rain returned the hug, which seemed to help calm down her younger partner.

“Thanks for the helm. It really helped,” Rain whispered. “Next time, just make sure they send us two.” JJ blinked at her, before letting out a short laugh. A sincere giggle that shifted to weak crying. “And I’m glad you’re okay too. Now, could you get off me? I’d really like it if we went to New Appleloosa now. And maybe the clinic, too.”

“Heh heh,” she replied, wiping tears from her eyes. “Sure thing. Partner.” And, while leaning on JJ’s shoulder, she and Rain did just that, cutting through the orchard outside the town, with their mons in tow.

Author's Notes:

Rain's reached New Appleloosa, and she's still in one piece! A gym battle's right around the corner, but is she ready?
Probably not.
Thanks to Llyrisviel for editing, and I hope to see you good readers in the next chapter!