Chapters New Friends and New Pokémon!
"Apple Bloom...wake up, sugarcube..."
"Mmmnnn...five more minutes..."
Applejack sighed, pulling her hat down over her head. "Dang it all...Winona, give 'er a Nuzzle."
"Joooool!" Winona, Applejack's faithful Jolteon, leapt onto the sleeping girl's bed and rubbed against her. Apple Bloom's pinkish-red hair exploded out in every direction.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Apple Bloom jumped straight out of bed, twitching madly. "Ah'm up! Ah'm up!"
"Jol jol," Winona said, leaping off the bed and landing beside Applejack.
Apple Bloom ran her hands through her static-maimed hair. "Dagnabbit, AJ! Every dang time!"
Applejack laughed. "That's whutcha git fer bein' lazy, li'l sis." She reached out and mussed Apple Bloom's hair back into something resembling its usual style. "C'mon now, git cleaned up an' dressed. You gotta eat breakfast mighty quick, 'cuz you gotta get over to Miss Cheerilee's place."
Apple Bloom gasped. "Oh mah gosh! Today's th' day!" She rushed out of the room, shedding her pajamas and underwear on her way to the door. Her panties landed on Applejack's head, who stared after her, blinking repeatedly.
"That girl," Applejack said, shaking her head and dislodging the underwear.
"Jol," Winona agreed.
* * * * *
Apple Bloom studied her reflection in the mirror as she adjusted her big pink hair bow. She wore a red shirt with a greenish-gold scarf, blue jeans, a braided brown leather belt with a hip pack, and black high-tops with yellow laces.
She headed downstairs to find a huge breakfast waiting for her. "Eat up, sis! Time's a-wastin'!" Applejack said.
Apple Bloom sat at the table, looking around at her family: Big Macintosh, her strong, silent big brother, whose sleepy eyes and messy orange hair belied a deep intelligence and compassion. Granny Smith, her slightly senile grandmother and one of the best bakers and jam-makers in the world. Applejack, her big sister who'd raised her since their parents had passed away. Sometimes, Applejack was the bane of her existence. Other times, she was the safety blanket Apple Bloom clung to when the world made her want to cry. She couldn't remember her own mother's face, but Applejack had always been there.
And now, she was about to leave home for a long time...
"You okay, sis?" Applejack asked.
Apple Bloom sniffled. "Yeah. Jes'...a little nervous, Ah guess."
Applejack chuckled. "Yeah, Ah reckon y'are." She sipped her apple juice. "Mah li'l sis...goin' off on her Pokémon journey..." She smiled. "Trust me, Apple Bloom. Yer gonna have th' time of yer life. It'll be fun, an' it'll be scary, an' it'll change yer life..." Her eyes misted over. "You'll find out who you really are...make friends that'll be with you th' rest of yer life..." She brightened up. "That reminds me! Miss Cheerilee said there'll be two other girls waitin' for you at her place! They're startin' out today too!"
"See? You're already gonna have friends, yung'un!" Granny Smith said.
Applejack scratched Winona's head and fed her a bite of bacon. "Ah can't wait t' see how much you grow when you come back to Ponyville..." She grinned. "You better catch lots'a strong Pokémon, 'cuz you know beatin' me t' get yer Apple Badge ain't gonna be easy."
Apple Bloom laughed weakly. "Ah don't think Ah'll ever be good enough t' beat you," she said.
"Actually, you'll have an unfair advantage," Big Macintosh said. "You know about AJ's secret weapon. Most trainers that come here lookin' fer her badge don't count on a Grass-type gym havin'..."
Winona let out a piercing howl.
"Heheh, yep...Ah'll hafta come up with some other way t' trip you up," Applejack said.
"Do all gym leaders have a trick Pokémon up their sleeves?" Apple Bloom asked curiously.
Applejack shrugged. "Can't say, sugarcube. Word of advice, though...be ready for anything. Oh, hey! Ah got some stuff t' give ya 'fore ya take off."
After breakfast, Applejack ran upstairs while Apple Bloom headed into the living room, leaving Big Macintosh and Granny Smith to wash the dishes. She looked out the living room window at the dozens of Grass-type and Ground-type Pokémon which roamed the sprawling grounds of Sweet Apple Acres. The Pokémon made the job of tending and harvesting the apples and various other crops much easier, which was handy because most of the time, the only member of the Apple family available to work on the farm was Big Macintosh...
"Here ya go, sis!" Applejack rushed back into the room carrying a suede backpack. It was stained and looked like it had seen better days, but appeared sturdy. "Mah lucky pack...Ah carried this all over Caballos when Ah was out on mah own Pokémon journey."
Apple Bloom took the pack; it was heavy. She hefted it onto her own back, adjusting the straps. "Thanks..."
"Ah know it don't look like much, but it'll hold durn near anything you need. An' Ah already put a buncha medicine an' Pokémon treats an' snacks fer you an' your new friends an' stuff in it. An' here's somethin' else..." Applejack handed Apple Bloom a shiny red-and-white belt buckle. She turned it over in her hands; it was the symbol of Sweet Apple Acres, a shiny apple that was red on top and white on the bottom, with a black line and a white button bisecting it in the middle, resembling a Pokéball.
"Wow, thanks, sis!" Apple Bloom replaced her own belt buckle with the new one.
"Ah got one more thing," Applejack said. She presented Apple Bloom with a shiny chrome Pokéball holder to clip to her belt. "Every Pokémon trainer needs one'a these!"
"Oh wow," Apple Bloom said. "It's just like yours!" She attached the holder to her belt, adjusting it so it was within easy reach.
"An' of course, you need some Pokéballs," Applejack said. "Ah can only spare a few, you'll hafta get some more later, but these are mah special Apple Balls." She handed Apple Bloom a tray of ten apple-shaped Pokéballs. "There's some Pokémon that'll be easier t' catch with these here," Applejack said.
"Thanks," Apple Bloom said, putting the Apple Balls in her backpack.
"Now, you'd best get on over to Miss Cheerilee's," Applejack said. Her eyes were wet.
"Okay."
* * * * *
Apple Bloom stood at the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres, looking at her family. Big Macintosh was smiling, Granny Smith looked sad, and Applejack's eyes were wetter than ever.
"Take care, li'l sis," Applejack said, sniffling.
"Be good now, yung'un," Granny Smith said.
"Call us whenever you can," Applejack said.
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh said.
Apple Bloom rushed forward and threw her arms around Applejack's stomach, tears streaming from her eyes. "Ah...Ah'll miss you," she said.
Applejack hugged her. "Now now...yer a big girl now...you don't need me no more..."
"Ah'll always need you," Apple Bloom said. She stepped back, sniffling as she looked up at Applejack. "Ah love you." She looked at Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. "Ah love mah family. Ah...Ah'll miss you all."
"We'll miss you too," Granny Smith said, tears filling her eyes.
"Eeyup."
Apple Bloom wiped her eyes and her nose. "Well...Ah'm off..."
With one last look up at the farm's brightly-painted sign, she turned and walked down the dusty road into Ponyville. After walking for almost ten minutes, she reached the edge of the small town, and the landmark that drew most of its out-of-town visitors: a large, barn-like building surrounded by bales of hay. Out front, a large wooden sign in the shape of an apple proudly proclaimed:
PONYVILLE GYM
Leader: Applejack
The Honest Farmer
Across the old weathered road from the gym stood the shining Pokémon Center, with its bright red roof and glass sliding doors.
She continued on into Ponyville proper. It was a quiet town; people she saw nearly every day were going about their business. There were people she didn't recognize as well, of course; some were from out of town, while others, she simply didn't know.
A block from Miss Cheerilee's house, she ran into two people she wished she didn't know.
"Well well, if it isn't the little hayseed."
The girl who had spoken had long, wavy soft lavender hair with white streaks and wore a short pink dress with matching platform shoes, black tights, and a wide black leather belt. A tiny little tiara was perched on her head, and an expensive leather handbag hung from a slim strap at her right hip. Next to her was a taller girl who wore dark grey slacks, a white silk blouse, and light blue high-tops that matched her overly large glasses. Her long silver hair hung down her back in a tight braid, tied off at the end with a fuschia ribbon. A silver brooch shaped like a spoon was pinned to her blouse, a pearl choker graced her throat, and she carried the exact same bag as her friend.
Apple Bloom groaned. "Ah ain't got time for you two today," she said.
"Really? Did you hear that, Silver Spoon? The little hayseed says she doesn't have time for us today."
"I so totally heard that, Diamond Tiara! Like, what do you think could possibly be so important?"
"For your information, Ah'm headed t' Miss Cheerilee's t' get mah very first Pokémon!" Apple Bloom said hotly.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked at one another and giggled.
"Your f-first Pokémon!"
"O-M-G, she has to go to the teacher for a Pokémon!"
Diamond Tiara snickered. "It's really too bad you can't afford to buy a good Pokémon," she said. "Our daddies just got us the bestest, most amazing Pokémon!" She reached into her handbag and pulled out a gold-plated Pokéball. Silver Spoon pulled a silver Pokéball from her own bag.
"Pokémon, GO!" they said in unison.
In twin beams of red light, two Pokémon appeared in front of Apple Bloom. The Pokémon which stood before Silver Spoon was an Espeon, while Diamond Tiara's was a Victini.
"Aren't they just amazing?" Diamond Tiara asked. "So much better than the common Pokémon all the little kids with poor families get stuck with..."
"Yeah, good luck winning a single battle without Pokémon as amazing as ours," Silver Spoon said haughtily. The two girls laughed, performed a silly secret handshake, then recalled their Pokémon.
"See you around, hayseed!" Diamond Tiara said. The two girls jumped on their expensive bicycles and sped off, laughing. Apple Bloom sighed and continued on her way to Miss Cheerilee's house.
Cheerilee lived in a cheerful little red brick house with a low sandstone fence and a wrought iron gate. Her garden was full of bright, sunny flowers. The gate was open; Apple Bloom walked up the flagstone path to the front door and rang the bell.
After a moment, Miss Cheerilee appeared. She wore a mulberry sweater and dark maroon skirt, and her light pink hair lay in pools of curls around her shoulders. She smiled brightly. "Good morning, Apple Bloom! I was beginning to think you weren't going to make it!"
"Sorry Ah'm late, Miss Cheerilee!"
"Come on in, the others are waiting."
Apple Bloom followed Miss Cheerilee into the living room, where two girls she didn't recognize sat. One of the girls had a deep tan, greyish-purple eyes, and short, messy fuschia hair. She wore an orange vest over a sky blue T-shirt with an emblem on the front of a cloud and a three-colored lightning bolt, as well as khaki shorts, white socks, and brown hiking shoes. An orange knapsack lay beside her on the couch.
The other girl, who sat in one of Miss Cheerilee's easy chairs, had pale skin, light green eyes, and curly hair that was mostly a light rose pink, but had swirly stripes of dusty lavender. She wore a knee-length off-white dress with dark purple trim at the collar, cuffs, and hem, a gold chain link belt, and pink slippers with little lavender bows on them. A royal blue suitcase on wheels stood beside her.
"Well, now that you're all here," Miss Cheerilee said, "first of all, let's all introduce ourselves!"
"Ah'm Apple Bloom!" Apple Bloom said.
The short-haired girl raised a hand in greeting. "Name's Scootaloo," she said.
The pale girl looked up. "I'm Sweetie Belle," she said.
"Wonderful!" Miss Cheerilee said, clapping her hands together. "Now, let's move on to why we're all here. As you may know, ever since Professor Golden Oak retired a few years ago, it's been my job to provide new Pokémon trainers with their first Pokémon." She frowned and muttered, "We really need a new Pokémon professor here in Ponyville..." Her bright smile returned. "I have three Pokémon for three trainers, so I'll let each of you decide which one best suits you." She walked into a side room and returned with a tray containing three Pokéballs. "First up, we have..." She picked up one of the Pokéballs and held it out. In a red flash, an Oshawott appeared.
"Oshaaaaa!" it said, waddling in place as it looked around at them.
"Awww, it's so cute!" Sweetie Belle cooed.
"That's a water-type, right?" Apple Bloom asked. "I'm not very good with water-types."
Sweetie Belle got up out of her chair and knelt down, holding out a hand to the Oshawott. It waddled over to her, leaning in and examining her. "Osha. Wott?"
"Would you like to be my Pokémon?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Osha!" Oshawott said, smiling cutely.
"Go for it," Scootaloo said.
"Yeah, it seems t' like you," Apple Bloom said.
Miss Cheerilee smiled and handed Sweetie Belle Oshawott's Pokéball. "Alright then, Oshawott is now your Pokémon."
"Yay!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, accepting the Pokéball. "Let's be good friends, Oshawott!"
"Okay, next up..." Miss Cheerilee picked up the second Pokéball from the tray. In a red flash, a Chikorita appeared.
"Oooh, we've raised a ton of those out at the farm!" Apple Bloom said.
"This one actually came from your family's farm," Miss Cheerilee said.
"Chiiiikariii!" Chikorita said enthusiastically.
"This might be a good Pokémon for you, Apple Bloom. You should be a natural with Grass-types, right?"
"Yeah, Ah guess so. That okay with you, Scootaloo?"
"It's cool with me," Scootaloo said.
"Okay then," Apple Bloom said. "Chikorita, looks like you're comin' back t' th' Apple family!"
"Ri rii!" It leapt up and batted its Pokéball from Miss Cheerilee's hand to Apple Bloom, who caught it easily, laughing.
"My, it's so energetic!" Miss Cheerilee said, rubbing her hand. "Okay then, that just leaves this one for Scootaloo. Are you ready to meet your Pokémon?"
"Yeah, I'm ready," Scootaloo said.
"Okay...say hello to Torchic!" Miss Cheerilee held out the final Pokéball, and a Torchic appeared.
"Toooorchic!" it cried.
"Oh cool, a Fire-type!" Scootaloo said, suddenly excited. "Now that's what I'm talkin' about!"
Miss Cheerilee handed Scootaloo Torchic's Pokéball, then stepped back. "Now, girls...I want the three of you to start out on your Pokémon journey together. I know you just met, but I'm sure in no time at all, you'll be good friends! But before you head out, I think I should teach you some of the basics. If you'll follow me out into the back yard..."
The three girls recalled their new Pokémon, then followed Miss Cheerilee through the house and into the back yard.
Once they arrived, she stood a distance from the girls and faced them. "Send out your Pokémon, girls," she said. The girls did as instructed. "Now, the best way to teach you about using your Pokémon is...a battle!" Three Pokéballs appeared between Miss Cheerilee's fingers. She tossed them out; they expanded and released three Pokémon: an Emolga, a Buizel, and a Geodude.
"Get ready, girls!" Miss Cheerilee said. "This is your first step on your Pokémon journey!"
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Trial By Fire! Scootaloo Has A Lot To Learn!
Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo released their Pokémon, which stared down Miss Cheerilee's team.
"Let's see what you girls can do," Miss Cheerilee said.
"Torchic, shoot fire at them!" Scootaloo declared, pumping a fist.
Torchic turned and looked at her, tilting its head curiously. "Torchic tor?"
Apple Bloom facepalmed. "Scootaloo, ya gotta call out an attack yer Pokémon knows!" she said.
"Oh. Okay. Umm..." Scootaloo frowned. "Do...whatever fire move you know!"
Torchic fell over. "Toooor..."
"You...have no idea what you're doing, do you?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Sure I do!" Scootaloo replied hotly. "I...!" She sagged. "Okay, not so much."
Apple Bloom sighed. "Torchic," she said, "do you know Ember?"
"Tor!" Torchic declared, flapping its tiny wings and bobbing its head.
"Okay then!" Scootaloo said. "Torchic, use Ember on that floaty weasel!"
"Buizel," Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle said together in a flat tone.
"Toooor!" Torchic jumped forward and spat out a tiny fireball. It hit the Buizel right in the chest.
"Bui," Buizel said.
"That's it?" Scootaloo cried. "That sucked!"
"Well, Buizel's a Water-type," Sweetie Belle said. "Of course your Fire-type isn't going to work very well against it." She pointed at Geodude. "Oshawott, use Water Gun on Geodude!"
"Wott!" Oshawott declared, opening its mouth wide and issuing a stream of water at Miss Cheerilee's Geodude. It thoroughly soaked the other Pokémon, who grunted in annoyance.
"Dude," Geodude said irritably.
"Hah! You didn't do any better!" Scootaloo declared.
"Oshaaa," Oshawott said, looking down and kicking the grass.
"Cut it out, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom said. "These are young Pokémon! They gotta train an' get stronger!" She knelt down and rubbed her Chikorita on the head. "Show 'em somethin' good, Chikorita. Use Razor Leaf!"
"Chiiiiiikariiii!" Chikorita chirruped. The large leaf on its head began to spin like a propeller. A flurry of leaves burst forth, striking each of Miss Cheerilee's Pokémon.
"Buiiiii!" Buizel cried, covering its head with its paws.
"Geoooooo!" Geodude moaned, shuddering.
Emolga dodged and weaved, evading the attack.
"Nice, Apple Bloom!" Miss Cheerilee said.
"Whoa," Scootaloo said, eyes wide. "What happened? That was just...a bunch of leaves!"
"Grass-type attacks are very effective against Water-type and Rock-type Pokémon," Miss Cheerilee said. "Water-type moves are also good against Rock and Ground-types..." She frowned. "Actually, your Oshawott should've done a lot more damage to Geodude," she said.
"Wott," Oshawott whined, plopping down on its butt.
"Awww," Sweetie Belle said, picking up her Oshawott and cuddling it. "You'll get the hang of it..."
"Osha, wott."
"Now it's my turn!" Miss Cheerilee said. "Geodude, use Tackle on Chikorita!"
"Geo!" Geodude sprang forward, its impressive bulk flying through the air like a miniature meteor. Chikorita, caught off-guard by the speed, couldn't dodge in time and was knocked backward.
"Chikaaaaa!"
"Emolga, use Nuzzle on Oshawott!"
"Eep!" Sweetie Belle squeaked, recoiling as Emolga flew toward her, its cheeks sparking. Oshawott jumped out of her arms and began running around in circles, trying desperately to avoid the flying Pokémon. It was a futile effort; Emolga caught up and rubbed its sparking cheeks against Oshawott. With a crackling, popping sound, Oshawott fell over, eyes spinning.
"Oshaaaaa...."
"Buizel, use Water Pulse!" Miss Cheerilee commanded. "Go for Torchic!"
"Buiii!" Buizel cut loose with a pulsing jet of water, which caught Torchic and lifted it off the ground. Torchic slammed against the trunk of a tree and slid down.
"HEY!" Scootaloo cried, running over and picking the little Pokémon up. "Not cool!"
"Sorry, but this is what it's like to battle with other Pokémon," Miss Cheerilee said. "You have to be careful—"
"Not that!" Scootaloo said. "That was so lame, just taking it and getting knocked around like that!" She bapped Torchic on the head with a fist. "Don't be so lame!"
"Tor tor!" Torchic spat a tiny fireball at Scootaloo. She coughed as her face was smeared with soot.
"Don't treat your Pokémon like that!" Sweetie Belle squeaked.
"Okay, I think that's enough," Miss Cheerilee said, recalling her Pokémon. "I just wanted to give you girls a little taste of a real Pokémon battle...don't feel too bad about how it turned out. My Pokémon are way too strong for yours. You'll have to train your Pokémon well once you start out on your journey so they'll get strong enough to battle." She smiled. "You girls need to take your Pokémon over to the Pokémon Center and get them healed up so you can...oh! I almost forgot! Come inside."
The girls recalled their Pokémon and followed Cheerilee inside. She rummaged around in her desk, then handed each of them a slim handheld device with a red cover. "I have a Pokédex for each of you," she said. "This is the latest model. The Pokédex contains information on the Pokémon you'll meet, as well as a map of the Caballos region and a GPS so you won't get lost. You can also use it to call anyone you know from anywhere in Caballos."
"Cool!" Scootaloo said.
"Thank you," Sweetie Belle said.
"Mah own Pokédex...an' it's a lot better than mah big sister's!" Apple Bloom said enthusiastically.
"Alright...head on over to the Pokémon Center and get your Pokémon taken care of," Miss Cheerilee said. "After that, you should get going. You'll want to head west to Salt Lick City." She frowned. "It's going to be good experience for you two, but Scootaloo may have some trouble...still, it's the ideal place for beginners to learn a lot about becoming a Pokémon trainer."
The girls thanked Miss Cheerilee, then left.
"Man...the only one who got a cool Pokémon is Apple Bloom," Scootaloo complained. "Ours are junk."
"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle snapped. "That's not a nice thing to say!"
"Scootaloo, give your Torchic a chance, okay?" Apple Bloom said. "It's jes' starting out...jes' like you." She looked at Scootaloo. "Do you think you're junk?"
"Of course not!" Scootaloo cried.
"Then don't call your Pokémon junk."
"Mine either!" Sweetie Belle said. "Oshawott just...needs time to get good."
"Yeah yeah," Scootaloo said. "So...Salt Lick City, huh? Sounds like Dullsville." She brightened. "Hey! Why don't we head to Cloudsdale instead?"
"Or Canterlot!" Sweetie Belle said.
"We'll go to all those places," Apple Bloom said. "But if Miss Cheerilee says we should go to Salt Lick City first, then that's what we're gonna do."
"Who died and made you leader?" Scootaloo challenged.
Apple Bloom smirked. "Wanna battle for it?"
"You bet!" Scootaloo said hotly.
"We need to get our Pokémon to the Pokémon Center, you two!" Sweetie Belle reminded them.
"Alright, fine. But after that...we battle! Whoever wins decides where we go first!" Scootaloo declared.
"You're on!" Apple Bloom said, pumping a fist.
Sweetie Belle sighed. "This won't end well..."
* * * * *
"Here you go, girls," Nurse Redheart said as she returned the girls' Pokémon to them. "Are you just starting out on your Pokémon journey?"
"We sure are!" Scootaloo said. "And as soon as I show Apple Bloom here how awesome I really am, we're gonna go straight to Cloudsdale!"
"Cloudsdale?" Nurse Redheart asked, tilting her head. "Are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure!" Scootaloo declared. "That's where my idol is! But Apple Bloom wants to go to Salt Lick City—"
"Ah don't want to necessarily, it's jes' that's where we're supposed ta go—"
"—so we're gonna have a battle to decide where we're gonna go first!" Scootaloo declared, pumping a fist.
"Oh dear," Nurse Redheart said. "Girls, I...don't think you should really use Pokémon battles to settle something like that..."
"Eh, it'll be good trainin'," Apple Bloom said. "Miss Cheerilee's Pokémon whupped us somethin' fierce."
Nurse Redheart sighed. "Well...if you insist ..." She looked around; the Pokémon Center was quiet and empty for the moment. "Alright...I'll be your referee." She looked at the egg-shaped Pokémon which was organizing magazines on a rack. "Chansey, keep an eye on things for a little bit, alright?"
"Chan~sey!"
The girls and Nurse Redheart headed out to the back. "Alright...this will be a one-on-one match," Nurse Redheart declared.
Apple Bloom tossed her Pokéball confidently. "C'mon out, Chikorita!"
"Riii!"
Scootaloo held out her Pokéball. "Torchic, let's win this!"
"Torchic tor!"
Chikorita and Torchic stared one another down with determination.
"This'll be interesting," Sweetie Belle said. "With the type difference, you'd think Scootaloo would have this one in the bag, but..."
"Torchic, use Ember!"
"Chikorita, dodge and Tackle!"
Torchic spat out a tiny fireball. Chikorita leapt to the side, then closed the distance, ramming full-force into Torchic. Torchic went flying, landing on its back.
"Good hit, Chikorita! Now use Razor Leaf!"
"Torchic, get up and use Ember!"
Torchic jumped up and spat out several tiny fireballs, which intercepted the spinning leaves that bore down on it like shuriken. The leaves burned away to nothing. Scootaloo grinned. "Okay, do Ember again!"
"Does...does she only know one of her Pokémon's moves?" Nurse Redheart asked.
Sweetie Belle sighed. "Yeah..."
Torchic spat out another tiny fireball, which staggered Chikorita. "Shake it off, Chikorita!" Apple Bloom said. "Hit it with another Tackle!"
"Chiiika!" Chikorita lunged forward, slamming into Torchic again. Torchic went down, flailing its tiny legs for a moment before falling still.
"Torchic is unable to battle!" Nurse Redheart said. "The winner is Apple Bloom's Chikorita!"
Scootaloo sighed as she recalled Torchic. "Can't even beat a Grass-type," she muttered.
"You gotta learn how to battle," Apple Bloom said. "Ah been watchin' mah sister battle for years. You don't even know your Pokémon's attacks. That's why we gotta go to Salt Lick City, so we can all learn together." She smiled. "We'll git t' Cloudsdale sooner or later. Jes' trust me, alright?"
Scootaloo groaned. "Fine," she said. "But if this gets boring, I'm bailin' and goin' to Cloudsdale on my own."
"Now that that's settled," Nurse Redheart said, "let me heal up your Pokémon...again ...so you girls can get on the road."
* * * * *
"So why are you all fired up t' git t' Cloudsdale, anyway?" Apple Bloom asked as the girls left the Pokémon Center and headed for the northwest road out of Ponyville.
"Because the coolest, most awesome, most radical Pokémon trainer in Caballos is the Cloudsdale Gym leader!" Scootaloo said. "I've been waiting my whole life to meet her...Rainbow Dash!" Stars filled her eyes. "She's everything I've ever wanted to be!"
"I've heard of her," Sweetie Belle said. "She's part of that Flying-type Pokémon stunt team, right?"
"The Wonderbolts? Nooot exactly," Scootaloo said. "She quit the reserves to take over the Cloudsdale Gym. But she still does her own stunt show when she has time, and when the Wonderbolts are in Cloudsdale, she performs with them. Oh, I want to see it in person!"
"Well, Ah guarantee we'll be headed that way before you know it," Apple Bloom said. "Jes' be patient, alright?"
Scootaloo sighed. "Alright..." She looked down the long, dusty road that lay before them. "So how far is it to Salt Lick City?"
"It'll take us about four days t' git there," Apple Bloom said.
Scootaloo's jaw dropped. "FOUR DAYS?! "
"Eeyup," Apple Bloom said. "An' we gotta pass through Appleloosa first."
"Is there a gym there?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Nope, it's a settler town," Apple Bloom said. "One'a mah cousins lives there. Ah reckon we might drop in on him."
The grass alongside the road ahead of them rustled suddenly. With a loud shriek, a Taillow darted out into the road. It flapped its wings uselessly. One of its wings was noticeably mangled.
"Oh my gosh! It's hurt!" Sweetie Belle declared. She pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at the Taillow. It chimed, then reported in a halting mechanical voice:
//Taillow. The Tiny Swallow Pokémon. It has a gutsy spirit that makes it bravely take on tough foes. It flies in search of warm climates.//
The grass rustled again, and a thick purple snake slithered out into the road, its slitted yellow eyes fixed on the Taillow. "EKANSSSSSS!"
"It's an Ekans!" Scootaloo cried.
"Oh, I don't like those," Sweetie Belle moaned. "an Ekans fell down my sister Rarity's brassiere one time. She screamed for three solid hours!"
The Ekans lunged at the Taillow, who struggled to get out of the way.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Apple Bloom shouted, pulling out her Pokéball and throwing it. "CHIKORITA, AH CHOOSE YOU!"
In a flash of red light, Chikorita appeared.
"Chikorita, protect that Taillow!" Apple Bloom cried.
"Ri rii!"
The Ekans hissed and reared, poised to strike...
False Start! Turn Taillow And Run!
"Ekaaaaanssssssss," the Ekans hissed as it lunged at Chikorita.
"Chikorita, dodge and Tackle!"
"Chiiika!" Chikorita leapt out of the way; Ekans slammed into the road, kicking up a cloud of dust, then slithered around to glare at Chikorita. Chikorita shot forward, catching Ekans just behind its head.
"EKANSSSS!" Ekans' tail rattled; it swung it around and wrapped it around Chikorita.
"Riii!" Chikorita cried. Ekans' tail constricted, squeezing Chikorita.
"Hang in there!" Apple Bloom called. "Use Razor Leaf!"
"Chikari!" Chikorita's leaf spun, launching a dozen tiny leaves which slammed into the Ekans. It hissed, shaking its rattle, but continued squeezing.
"It's a Poison-type!" Sweetie Belle said. "Grass isn't very good against it!"
"Ah know!" Apple Bloom cried.
"Ekansssssss!" Ekans reared up, baring its fangs, which dripped venom. It prepared to sink its teeth into Chikorita...
"TAAAAAIIIII!" Taillow suddenly lunged in, hopping off the ground and pecking Ekans repeatedly in the head.
"EKANSSSS!" Ekans released Chikorita and slammed its tail into Taillow, knocking it over to the edge of the road. Taillow shuddered and twitched, struggling to stand.
"Now, Chikorita! Tackle!"
"Riii..." Chikorita pushed itself to its feet and, with a strangled cry, piled into Ekans, nailing it right between the eyes.
Ekans hissed and struck Chikorita with its tail, then reared up, focusing its terrible yellow eyes on Chikorita. Chikorita drew back, shuddering; its leaf fell limp.
"That's Ekans' Glare attack!" Sweetie Belle said. "It can paralyze other Pokémon!"
Chikorita struggled to move, but fell to one knee. Ekans shook its rattle menacingly, then slithered purposefully over to the Taillow, which could no longer move to defend itself...
Apple Bloom pulled an Apple Ball out of her bag and threw it at the Taillow. "Ah hope this works..."
The ball popped open as it hit Taillow, sucking Taillow inside in a flash of red light. The ball dropped to the ground, wobbling; the white button began to flash red.
"Ekans?" Ekans drew back, watching warily.
The ball's wobbling ceased, and the button turned white with a loud *ping!*
"Looks like you caught your first Pokémon, Apple Bloom!" Sweetie Belle said.
"EEEEEKANSSSSSS!" Ekans rounded on Chikorita, eyes burning with rage. It bore down on the stunned Chikorita, who could only watch in terror...
"Chikorita, return!" Apple Bloom said, throwing Chikorita's Pokéball. Chikorita was recalled, and the ball snapped back to Apple Bloom's waiting hand.
"Ekansss..." Ekans glared at the three girls menacingly, its tail rattling.
"Now what?" Scootaloo asked.
"Ah gotta git t' that ball," Apple Bloom said.
"I don't think either of us can battle that thing and win," Sweetie Belle said fretfully.
A dark shape dropped out of a tree on the side of the road. "CAPTURE DISC!"
A shining silver top flashed through the air, trailing beams of light as it looped around the Ekans. The Ekans looked around in confusion, but its gaze turned placid, its tail stilling its rattle.
The girls looked up to see a man in a black muscle shirt and black cargo pants standing in front of them. He had short, stiff, spiky grey hair, and held a small blue device in one hand. He looked back at them. "Are you girls alright?" he asked.
"Y-yeah..." Apple Bloom said.
The man turned his attention to the Ekans. "You were lucky...I've been tracking this Ekans all day. It's been terrorizing wild Flying-type Pokémon all around Ponyville."
"Who...are you?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Name's Thunderlane," the man said. "I'm a Pokémon Ranger."
"A Pokémon Ranger?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ah heard'a y'all!"
"You should get that Taillow and your own Pokémon to the Pokémon Center," Thunderlane said. "I'll take this Ekans and release it somewhere it won't be so much of a nuisance."
"Right!" Apple Bloom said, edging past the Ekans and picking up the ball containing the Taillow. "Umm...thanks..."
"Just doing my job," Thunderlane said. He jerked sharply on the device in his hand. Ekans slithered forward and coiled itself around his leg, then up his arm, still entwined in beams of light. Thunderlane waved at the girls, then leapt into the tree again.
"Whoa," Scootaloo said, her cheeks heating up. "That guy's awesome ."
"C'mon y'all," Apple Bloom said. "Let's git back t' th' Pokémon Center..."
* * * * *
"You girls are back already? " Nurse Redheart asked.
"We ran into a little trouble right outside town," Scootaloo said.
"Yeah, there was this real nasty Ekans," Apple Bloom said. She handed Nurse Redheart the two Pokéballs. "Mah Chikorita got beat up pretty bad, an'...an' this here Taillow's hurt."
"That stupid snake was about to kill it," Scootaloo said.
Nurse Redheart gasped. "That's horrible!" She accepted the Pokéballs and set them in the scanning aparatus, studying the readout. She frowned. "Well, your Chikorita will be fine with some medicine and a little rest, but this Taillow...it'll take a little while longer."
"But it'll be okay, right?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Of course," Nurse Redheart said. "By tomorrow it should be flying again."
"Great!" Apple Bloom said. "Well then, as soon as Chikorita's ready t' go, we'll hit th' road again..."
Nurse Redheart frowned. "You're...not going to wait for your Taillow?"
"Huh?" Apple Bloom asked. "Oh, it's not...Ah mean...yeah, Ah caught it in a Pokéball, but...that was jes' t' protect it from that Ekans..."
"But it's your Pokéball, and you caught it," Nurse Redheart said. "That means it's your Taillow now."
"Huh," Apple Bloom said. "Ah...didn't really think about that..."
"It's okay, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle said. "We can wait until tomorrow to leave." She gave Scootaloo a stern look. "Can't we?"
"Yeah," Scootaloo said.
The front doors whooshed open. "Hey, Nurse Redheart!" a familiar voice twanged. "Got a minute? Ah got a peaky Pansage here...oh, hey Apple Bloom! You're still here?"
Apple Bloom whirled around. "Applejack!" she cried, throwing herself at her sister.
"Hey now, li'l sis!" Applejack chuckled. "It ain't even been six hours yet!" She mussed Apple Bloom's hair, then walked up to the counter, laying down a Pokéball.
"I'll have a look in just a minute," Nurse Redheart said. "I've got to take care of your sister's Chikorita and start treatment on a badly injured Taillow first."
"No rush," Applejack said. She looked at Apple Bloom as Nurse Redheart left the lobby with Apple Bloom's Pokéballs. "So, you got'cherself a Chikorita, huh?"
"Eeyup!" Apple Bloom smiled. "It's pretty strong, too! After all, it's one of ours."
Applejack chuckled. She looked at the other girls. "Now Ah know Sweetie Belle here, but who's your other friend?"
"I'm Scootaloo," Scootaloo said. "So you're a Gym Leader, huh?"
"That's right," Applejack said. She looked at Apple Bloom. "So whut happened t' yer Pokémon?"
Apple Bloom told Applejack about their encounter with the rogue Ekans, the injured Taillow, and Thunderlane.
"Wow," Applejack said, blinking. "Y'all sure are havin' a...uh...excitin' start t' yer journey." She smiled. "But hey, not even outta Ponyville yet an' you already got two Pokémon! Not bad!"
"Yeah, but Ah caught it by accident," Apple Bloom said, frowning. "If...if it don't like me...Ah'm gonna hafta let it go..."
"You totally saved its life!" Scootaloo said. "Why wouldn't it like you?"
Nurse Redheart returned. "Chikorita is all better," she said. "It needs to rest a little while, though. Don't let it battle again today." She handed Apple Bloom her Pokéball back.
"Thanks," Apple Bloom said. "An' Taillow?"
"Taillow will have to stay overnight," Nurse Redheart said. "It'll take me a few hours to finish tending to that wing. You can come back for it in the morning." She took Applejack's Pokéball and began examining her Pansage.
"Well...since you girls can't rightly leave Ponyville yet," Applejack said, "why not stay th' night out at Sweet Apple Acres? Y'all can get t' know each other better, have a good home-cooked supper, then make a fresh start bright an' early tomorrow!"
"Sounds good to me," Sweetie Belle said.
"Yeah, I guess since we're not ready to leave yet," Scootaloo said. "Maybe you can give me some pointers about battling."
"Scootaloo's...got a lot to learn," Sweetie Belle said.
Applejack scratched her head. "Well shucks, didn't we all at your age..."
"Your Pansage just needs some vitamins," Nurse Redheart announced. She walked into the back and returned with a bottle of pills, then handed it and the Pokéball back to Applejack. "Give it a few days, it'll be good as new."
"Thank ya kindly," Applejack said. "Well, girls? Wanna head out t' th' farm?"
"Let's go!" Apple Bloom said happily. The three girls followed Applejack out of the Pokémon Center and down the dusty trail to Sweet Apple Acres.
* * * * *
The group arrived at Sweet Apple Acres just in time for lunch. They wasted no time in digging into Granny Smith's home cooking while regaling the Apples with their eventful day.
"That was so good!" Scootaloo said as she put down her fork and leaned back in her chair. Her belly was distended; she patted it and let out a belch.
"Heheh...glad y' liked it, yung'un," Granny Smith said.
"So, Sweetie Belle, how's ol' Rarity doin' nowadays?" Applejack asked.
Sweetie Belle blinked. "You know my sister?"
"Yeah...we had sort of a friendly rivalry back when she still lived in Ponyville," Applejack said. "Her prissy fussin' got on mah nerves a lot, but Ah sure do miss her sometimes." She sighed. "So how's she doin'? Last Ah heard, she was a top Coordinator up in Canterlot."
Sweetie Belle nodded. "She's still doing that," she said. "She wants to come back to Ponyville for a visit, but she's been really busy...I visit her once in a while, but now that I'm about to start my own Pokémon journey, I won't see her again until..."
"Until you girls head up t' Canterlot?" Applejack broke a cornbread muffin in half. "Yeah, but you can keep in touch with her, let 'er know how you're doin'..."
"Why can't we just go to Canterlot first?" Scootaloo wondered. "I mean it's half a day's train ride up the mountain..."
Applejack laughed. "You can't even git inta th' gym there without at least six badges, so it'd be a waste'a yer time," she said. "Anyway...Canterlot's where th' Pokémon League Castle is, so...best t' take on that gym last. Trust me..." She shuddered. "Y'all really wanna be ready afore you go up against Twilight Sparkle. Ah ain't never won a battle with that gal."
"What's her Pokémon type?" Apple Bloom asked.
"She uses a mix of types," Applejack said. "She changes up her team a lot, too, so tradin' tips ain't gonna do no good."
"Oh..."
"Why do we have to go to Salt Lick City first, anyway?" Scootaloo asked. "I mean, can't we go where we want?"
"Well, y'all could , but..." Applejack scratched her head. "The Caballos League recommends y' take on th' eight gyms in a certain order. Reason bein' that th' gyms are ranked. Ah could give y'all an Apple Badge if'n ya battled some'a th' weaker Pokémon on th' farm, but that ain't how it works. Ah'm ranked seventh of th' Caballos League Gym Leaders, so even if Ah do have some Pokémon y'all might be able to battle now ..."
"What rank is Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo asked.
"She's ranked second," Applejack said. She began counting off on her fingers. "Th' first rank gym is in Salt Lick City. Now that'n used t' be run by Maud Pie, but she went on a study of th' coastal mountains an' left her sister Pinkie in charge. Like Ah jes' said, Rainbow Dash is the second gym leader, up in Cloudsdale. Th' third ranked gym is in Fillydelphia, that there's Vinyl Scratch. Fourth gym's in Manehattan, an' th' leader there's...Octavia, Ah think her name was?" Applejack tilted her head, her brow furrowed in thought. "Then y'all gotta go all th' way to th' Crystal Empire up north for th' fifth gym, which is run by Cadance. Th' sixth gym's deep in th' Everfree Forest, so you gotta have strong Pokémon t' make it through, an' Zecora ain't no pushover. Then y'all gotta get through me, an' th' last gym's up in Canterlot, an' if'n you manage t' beat Twilight Sparkle, only then can you enter th' Pokémon League and face th' Elite Four."
"And who are the Elite Four?" Scootaloo asked excitedly.
"They're th' top four Pokémon trainers in Caballos," Applejack said. "An' Ah can't tell ya who they are. You'll find that out for yourselves. Ah reckon Ah probably told you more than Ah should have about what you're up against already."
Sweetie Belle called up the map on her Pokédex, tracing out the route. "Wow," she said. "That's a really long journey!"
"Yep, so y'all better rest up tonight, git yer gettin' t' know each other done quick as you can, 'cuz come sun-up, y'all best be off t' Appleloosa." Applejack stretched. "But first, Ah reckon Ah better give y'all some tips about battlin' an' what-not."
"We could sure use the help," Sweetie Belle said. "Especially Scootaloo."
"Hey!"
* * * * *
A short while later, the girls gathered out in a clearing on the farm, where Applejack taught them how to use their Pokédex to check their Pokémons' moves, as well as a brief lesson on type matchups, catching wild Pokémon, and battling other trainers.
By the time she was done, Scootaloo and her Torchic were able to hold their own against a weak Bellsprout, and Sweetie Belle had coaxed an almost-respectable Water Gun out of her Oshawott.
Applejack watched Oshawott shoot a stream of water at one of her trees and scratched her head. "Ah hate t' say it," she said quietly, "but that there critter ain't..." She frowned. "Ah mean, it's cute an' all, an' maybe you'll have some luck with it, but..."
Sweetie Belle looked down. "You don't think it's very strong, do you?"
"Ah think you might not wanna rely on that one in a serious battle," Applejack said. "Unless it gets a heap stronger..."
"Shaaaa," Oshawott said as it watered another of Applejack's trees, then plopped down on its butt.
Sweetie Belle frowned. "I'll help Oshawott get stronger, you just watch," she said.
"We all will," Apple Bloom said, smiling.
After dinner, the girls had an impromptu slumber party in Apple Bloom's room.
"To be honest, I'm not sure if I want to be a Coordinator like my big sister, or a Trainer," Sweetie Belle said as she kicked her bare feet in the air. "She works so hard all the time...she never comes home to visit anymore..."
"How about you, Scootaloo?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Well..." Scootaloo began. "Honestly? The only reason I'm even doing this Pokémon journey thing is to meet Rainbow Dash. And because, well...Ponyville's kinda boring. I want excitement!"
"How about you, Apple Bloom?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Apple Bloom grinned. "Ah've wanted t' be a Pokémon Trainer since Ah was little," she said. "Ever' since Ah can remember, Ah been watchin' Applejack train Pokémon an' battle trainers at th' gym. Ah wanna..." She drew her knees up to her chin. "Ah wanna be stronger than mah big sis one day...an' Ah wanna git there on mah own, with mah own two hands." She looked at the others. "Course, Ah'll be happy t' have y'all with me all the way."
* * * * *
The sun was barely up when the girls were summoned for breakfast. After breakfast, they returned to the Pokémon Center to retrieve Apple Bloom's new Taillow. Once outside, she released it from its Pokéball. "Hey there," she said.
"Tai!" it cried, ruffling its wings.
Apple Bloom knelt down. "You don't gotta come with me if you don't wanna," she said. "But if you do...Ah'd be happy t' have you."
The Taillow strutted up to her, tilting its head and bobbing curiously. "Tailloooooow!" it screeched. It pecked the button on its Pokéball with its beak; in a flash of red light, it was withdrawn into the ball.
"I think that's a yes," Scootaloo said.
Apple Bloom stood up and held up the Pokéball with a huge grin. "Yes! Ah got a Taillow!"
"Well then...we'd best get on the road," Sweetie Belle said. "I sure hope there aren't any more ugly surprises waiting for us..."
"Yeah, we need to make better time than this, even if it was fun spending the day at Sweet Apple Acres," Scootaloo agreed.
Apple Bloom looked behind her at Ponyville, squared her shoulders, and turned to face the open road. "Let's go, girls."
Five hours after leaving Ponyville, the girls broke for lunch. It was a warm day, and while they'd seen a number of different bird and bug Pokémon flying around in the sky, as well as various Pokémon calls coming from the trees, they hadn't had any more direct encounters with any wild Pokémon.
Once they found a decent place to stop, Sweetie Belle spread out a picnic blanket, while the other girls dug around in their packs for food. Scootaloo had a couple of sandwiches and a bag of potato chips, Apple Bloom had some hard cheese and jerky and a baggie of apple crisps, and Sweetie Belle had a small tray of spring rolls. "Now remember, eat light," Apple Bloom said. "We got a long way t' go till we can stock up on food." She rummaged in her pack. "Oh, an' let out yer Pokémon, Ah got some Pokémon treats." She released her own Pokémon; Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo released Oshawott and Torchic.
After they ate and packed up, they got back on the road. An hour later, they saw a boy about their age sitting on a big rock on the side of the road. He had messy reddish-orange hair and wore a brown T-shirt and loose white shorts. A propeller beanie was perched on his head. His attention was focused on a handheld gaming system. As they drew closer, he noticed them; he looked up, blinking, and jumped off his rock. He clipped his game system to his belt, then ran out in front of them, spreading his arms wide. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!" he screeched in a whiny voice.
The girls drew up short. "What's wrong?" Scootaloo asked.
"Don't you know?" the boy asked. "Only people wearing shorts can pass here!"
The girls looked at one another in confusion. "...huh?" Apple Bloom asked.
The boy pointed at Scootaloo. "You! You can pass." Then he pointed at Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. "You two!" He made an X with his arms. "No entry!"
Scootaloo snorted. "Get lost, dork," she said.
The boy ran behind the rock, and returned with a wagon full of shorts in various colors, styles, and materials. "If you want to go past, you either have to buy some shorts and put them on, or beat me in a Pokémon battle!"
"And what if we just walk past you?" Sweetie Belle asked.
The boy smirked, rubbing his nose with his forearm, and laughed. "Heheheh...hahahah...AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....!"
He pulled a small remote out of his shorts pocket, then pressed a button. A chain link fence flipped up out of the dusty road, locking into place with a loud ka-kliiinggg! sound.
Scootaloo groaned. "Oh, you have got to be KIDDING ME! "
"How in the heck did you even...?" Apple Bloom wondered.
"Now, what's it gonna be, ladies?" the boy asked. "Shorts...or battle?"
The girls looked at one another, then back at the boy. "Battle," they said in unison.
The boy grinned. "You're gonna regret that!" he said. "My name is Button Mash, and I'm the gatekeeper of Shorts Road!"
"This ain't Shorts Road, it's Route 1!" Apple Bloom declared. "Girls, let me handle this!"
"Get 'im, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo said.
Button Mash sneered at Apple Bloom. "Prepare to face the wrath of...!" He pulled a Pokéball out of his pocket, expanding it and throwing it. "...MAGIKARP!"
A Magikarp appeared in the middle of the dry, dusty road, flopping uselessly on its side, its mouth gaping. "Karp, kaaaarp," it moaned.
The three girls facefaulted.
"Oh, for..." Apple Bloom shook her head. "Ah almost hate t' do this, but...Chikorita, Ah choose you!" She threw Chikorita's Pokéball.
"Ri riii!" Chikorita said as it appeared. It looked at the flapping Magikarp, then back at Apple Bloom. "Chika?"
"Yeah yeah, Ah know, but jes' get it over with, okay? Use Razor Leaf."
"Magikarp, use Splash!"
Magikarp flopped around on the road. Chikorita exhaled a resigned sigh and launched a flurry of leaves at the pathetic fish.
"Kaaaaaaaaaarp!" Magikarp moaned as its eyes rolled back in its head and it stopped flapping.
"Aww!" Button Mash groaned, stomping a foot. "I thought this time for sure!"
"Okay, we battled, you lost, now git this stupid gate outta th' way!" Apple Bloom demanded as she recalled Chikorita.
Button Mash sighed. "Alright," he said. He pressed the button on his remote again; the gate crashed back into the dirt, narrowly missing his poor Magikarp.
As the girls started to walk past, Button Mash rushed out in front of them again, dragging his wagon. "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!"
"Oh come on!" Scootaloo moaned. "What NOW?"
"You beat me fair and square, so I'm giving you free shorts!" Button Mash said.
"Uhh..." The girls took a step back, faintly alarmed expressions on their faces.
"That's, uhh...nice an' all, but..." Apple Bloom said.
"No no, it's okay, really!" Button Mash said. "Everybody should have shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!" He looked the girls up and down, then dove into his wagon, coming up with a pair of indigo denim cutoffs, which he presented to Apple Bloom. "Here, these are for you," he said.
"Uhh...thanks?" Apple Bloom took the shorts. They were actually pretty nice shorts...and, scarily, they were exactly her size.
"And for...the pretty girl," Button Mash said, blushing faintly. He rummaged through the pile of shorts, producing a pair of short, pinchy-looking royal purple bloomers. He presented them to Sweetie Belle with trembling hands and a furious blush.
"Umm..." Sweetie Belle backed away slowly.
"Just take 'em," Scootaloo said.
"Okay...thank you?" Sweetie Belle said hesitantly, daintily taking the shorts with the tips of her fingers.
"And you..." Button Mash said, studying Scootaloo. "...you're already wearing shorts. Pretty nice shorts, too. I don't think I have anything better than what you've already got." He kicked his wagon off the side of the road. "Well, that's that...goodbye, ladies! Safe travels! Maybe we'll meet again one day! And when we do, I really hope you're wearing shorts!"
The girls walked past Button Mash, who was waving enthusiastically at them, and his fainted Magikarp. As they got a good twenty yards away, Apple Bloom chanced a glance back at him. "Weird kid," she said as she stuffed the shorts into her backpack.
"Super weird," Scootaloo said.
They had just turned away to continue their journey when a blinding flash of strobing light caught their attention from the direction of Button Mash. "What the—?"
"Whoa, what's happening?" Sweetie Belle asked.
They could hear Button Mash laughing triumphantly. "AT LAST!" he screamed.
A tower of strobing light filled the road in the direction of Ponyville...
...and a massive serpentine Pokémon rose up from the dust, unleashing a roar into the sky.
"What the HECK IS THAT?!" Scootaloo cried, eyes wide as dinner plates.
"It's a Gyarados!" Sweetie Belle squeaked. She gasped. "No...it couldn't be—!"
Apple Bloom pulled out her Pokédex. It beeped as she scanned the distant Gyarados.
//Gyarados. The evolved form of Magikarp. It is believed that Gyarados' Dragon Rage is the result of the frustration it feels during its life as a Magikarp.//
Scootaloo's jaw dropped. "That pathetic fish evolved into THAT?!"
Button Mash suddenly started screaming as a tower of blue-white fire filled the road. "RETURN! RETURN!" he cried. In a bright crimson flash, the Gyarados disappeared.
"Do you think...he'll be okay?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Who knows," Apple Bloom said. She shook her head. "Come on, girls. Let's git goin'."
They turned away and continued down the road to Appleloosa. Sweetie Belle looked at the purple bloomers she held. "I guess...he was just trying to get his Pokémon to evolve..." She gripped the bloomers tightly. "Maybe he wasn't such a bad kid..."
"Are you kidding? He's totally wacko!" Scootaloo said. "If we never see that dork again, it'll be too soon..."
Where the Bouffalant Roam!
The first night of their journey, the girls camped under the stars, lulled to sleep by the gentle songs of the wild Pokémon living in the forests and foothills.
The second day was uneventful as they entered a long stretch of empty nothing, with increasingly sparse vegetation and loose soil. By late evening, they could see the dusty little settler town of Appleloosa sprawled out ahead of them.
At the very edge of town was a rustic wooden building with a red tin roof. A sign hung over the door that read "Pokémon Lodge".
"Pokémon Lodge?" Sweetie Belle wondered, tilting her head.
"They're still settin' up this here town," Apple Bloom said. "Settin' up a full-fledged Pokémon Center takes time."
"Whatever," Scootaloo said. "So long as there's a place to sit down and something to eat. I'm tired!"
The others agreed, and they trudged through the swinging double doors.
Behind a long, splintered wooden counter stood Nurse Redheart, wearing a bright red scarf and a Western blouse. A white cowboy hat hung behind her head, tied with a cord. "Howdy!" she called out. "C'mon in, set a spell! If'n ya got sick Pokémon, Ah'll give 'em a lookover. If'n you're hungry, Ah'll rustle up some vittles!"
Scootaloo stared at her. "Buh?!" She looked at Apple Bloom. "How'd she beat us here? We never ran into anybody except that Button Trash kid!"
"It ain't th' same Nurse Redheart," Apple Bloom said. "Every town with a Pokémon Center...or Pokémon Lodge, Ah guess...has its very own Nurse Redheart."
"And they all look exactly alike," Sweetie Belle said. "It's a little confusing, I know..."
Scootaloo stared at Nurse Redheart again, then shook her head. "Whatever. Food now, clone nurses later."
Nurse Redheart laughed. "Ah'll fix y'all up some good ol' country steak an' taters."
The girls sat down at a wooden table. A short while later, Nurse Redheart returned with three plates, which she sat in front of the girls. She put a bottle of sarsparilla next to each, as well as utensils and napkins. Finally, she put salt, pepper, and a bottle of ketchup in the center of the table. "Dig in, y'all!" She bustled back over to the counter. "If'n yer stayin' th' night, Ah'll git a room ready upstairs. Don't get much in th' way of travellers here."
"That'd be great, thanks," Sweetie Belle said.
Nurse Redheart headed upstairs, and the girls began eating. Scootaloo took a bite of steak and made a disgusted face. "Ugh! This tastes like butt!"
"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle chided. "That's not nice!"
"Well it does," Scootaloo said.
Apple Bloom handed her the ketchup. "Here, put some ketchup on it."
"Greeeeat. Then it'll taste like ketchup-flavored butt. Or butt ketchup."
"Ewww! Cut it out! I'm eating!"
"Hey...y'all hear that?" Apple Bloom said suddenly.
"Hear what?" Scootaloo asked as she poured ketchup on her plate.
The ground began to shake. It was a soft, subtle tremor at first. Then, their plates began rattling on the table. A loud rumbling filled the air.
Sweetie Belle's eyes flew open wide. "Is it an earthquake?"
Nurse Redheart suddenly came crashing downstairs. "STAMPEDE!"
"Stampede?" The girls looked at one another, then got up and scrambled over to the windows.
A cloud of dust rose from the ground. The rumbling increased. Suddenly, a herd of Bouffalant charged past the Pokémon Lodge.
"WHOA!" Scootaloo yelped, jumping back in alarm.
"BOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU," the Bouffalant lowed.
"What are they?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Apple Bloom pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it out the window. It pinged. //Bouffalant. The Bash Buffalo Pokémon. Bouffalant charges headlong into anything in its path. Its large, powerful head and sharp horns can smash through almost anything, while its thick hair protects it from the impact.//
The Bouffalant continued to rush past for a full minute. When the last of them ran past, the noise of the stampede began to die down, and gradually, the ground stopped shaking.
Scootaloo stood in the center of the room, eyes wide, clutching her chest. "What the heck was all that about?"
Nurse Redheart sighed. "We've been having trouble with a herd of Bouffalant that live near Appleloosa," she said...with a distinct lack of country accent.
"Hey, what happened to your accent?" Scootaloo asked.
Nurse Redheart took a step back, covering her mouth. "Oh, that—that's just so I fit in with the atmosphere," she said nervously, scratching the back of her head and laughing.
The three girls fell over.
"So about them Bouffalant," Apple Bloom said. "How long's that been goin' on?"
"About three weeks now," Nurse Redheart said. "Around the time we started planting the orchard."
"The orchard?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"We used half the arable land in the valley to plant crops that'll take time to grow," Nurse Redheart said. "We're using the rest to transplant various fruit trees from other farms, such as Sweet Apple Acres, so we'll have locally-grown food that's ready faster."
"Oh yeah, Ah remember Applejack cuttin' down one of our trees t' send this way," Apple Bloom said.
"So the Bouffalant are after the orchard?" Sweetie Belle asked.
Nurse Redheart shook her head. "If they wanted the fruit, they could just take it. We don't have any Pokémon strong enough to stop that many Bouffalant. They seem to be angry about the trees themselves, but...they aren't knocking them down, and they could wreck this whole town if they wanted to." She shrugged helplessly. "Frankly, we're not sure why they're acting this way."
"Huh," Apple Bloom said. "So they just...stampede through town, but don't hurt nothin'?"
"Yeah...every couple of days or so."
The doors to the Pokémon Lounge suddenly exploded inward, and a tiny Bouffalant, slightly shorter than the trio of young trainers, with pale white-blond hair instead of the usual brown hair, burst in, letting out a high-pitched "Bouuuuuu" as it shook its head violently.
"Oh, it's so cute!" Sweetie Belle said, approaching the little Bouffalant with a hand outstretched.
"Bouuu," it lowed, taking a step back from her.
"It's a calf," Nurse Redheart said. "It must've gotten separated from the herd."
"Don't be afraid," Sweetie Belle said. "I'm a Pokémon trainer, see?" She took Oshawott's Pokéball out of her pocket and held it out. "Come out, Oshawott!"
Oshawott appeared in a flash of red light. "Oshaaaaaa!"
"Bouu?" The Bouffalant crept forward, snuffling at Oshawott.
"Wott!"
"Bouuu," Bouffalant lowed uncertainly.
"Osha!" Oshawott jumped on the little Bouffalant's back, beaming.
"Awww," Apple Bloom said. "That's so cute!"
"Bouu?" Bouffalant looked puzzled. It tilted its head, snorted, and pranced around the room.
"Y'all might wanna git that'n back outside afore th' herd misses it," a man's voice said from the door. "So far they ain't hurt nothin' here in town, but they might get mad at us if'n they think we took one'a their calves."
A tall, thin-shouldered man in blue jeans, dusty boots, and a suede jacket over a red shirt stood at the entrance. He had long, shaggy orange hair and bright green eyes, and wore a beat-up old cowboy hat with the edges of the brim curled up on the sides.
"Braeburn!" Apple Bloom cried excitedly, running over to him.
"Cuz?" Braeburn asked. He grinned broadly. "Well howdy! Ah didn't know you was headed out this way! Is AJ with you?"
Apple Bloom shook her head. "Nope," she said. "Ah'm startin' out on mah Pokémon journey. We're on our way t' Salt Lick City."
"Land sakes, you're already that growed up?" Braeburn shook his head in disbelief. "Lemme guess...you're startin' off with a Grass-type?"
"Yep! A Chikorita!" Apple Bloom straightened up. "Oh! These are my new friends! This is Sweetie Belle, and that there's Scootaloo!"
"It's nice to meet you," Sweetie Belle said, bowing politely.
"Sup?" Scootaloo said casually.
"Oshawott, return," Sweetie Belle said. Oshawott gave the Bouffalant a sad pat on the head as it was sucked back into its Pokéball.
Braeburn knelt down and laid a hand on the Bouffalant calf's head. "C'mon now," he said. "Yer family's waitin'."
"Bouuuu..." The white Bouffalant followed Braeburn out into the dusty streets. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle tagged along behind.
"Hey, wait up!" Scootaloo said, following them.
Several minutes later, they caught up with the Bouffalant herd, which was milling around the edge of the orchard, lowing anxiously and pawing the ground. The white Bouffalant calf lowed and charged into the herd, nuzzling one of the adults.
The Bouffalant circled around to stare at the humans, lowering their heads and narrowing their eyes. "We should...get out of here," Braeburn said nervously.
"Bouuuuu," the white Bouffalant lowed plaintively. The adults calmed down, resuming their restless shuffling.
"Bye," Sweetie Belle called sadly, waving to the calf.
* * * * *
The three girls sat in Braeburn's living room, fresh, cold root beers in front of them. There was one other person present: a man wearing rough leather pants, a black shirt, a denim vest, and a red scarf, as well as black cowboy boots and a black hat. He had short brown hair and a thick black handlebar moustache. A star-shaped silver badge was pinned to his vest. He had been introduced as Sheriff Silverstar.
"So you don't have any idea why them Bouffalant keep stampedin' th' town?" Apple Bloom asked.
Braeburn shook his head. "Not a clue," he said. "They ain't hurt nobody an' they ain't smashed up nothin', they don't seem t' want th' fruit, they steer clear'a our crops..." He shrugged, scratching his head. "It don't make a lick o' sense."
"They're just senseless beasts," Sheriff Silverstar said gruffly.
"They're Pokémon," Apple Bloom said, frowning. "Pokémon don't do things without a reason. Ah been around Pokémon all mah life, Ah ain't never seen one do somethin' there weren't no reason for."
"Then what's the reason for them tryin' to shake our town to the ground every couple days?" Silverstar demanded. "Because I sure don't see one."
"How about before you planted the orchard?" Sweetie Belle asked. "What were they doing then?"
"Actually, that particular herd use'ta jes' roam around out on th' prairie," Braeburn said. "We known 'bout 'em since we set up here, but we ain't never bothered them an' they ain't never bothered us. It ain't until three weeks ago that they started comin' 'round every couple'a days."
"And where do they go after the stampede?" Apple Bloom asked. "We seen 'em millin' around by th' orchard, but where do they go after?"
Braeburn shrugged. "They hang around by th' orchard for a bit, then they wander back out to th' prairie. We been tryin' t' keep an eye on 'em, but all we know is they stick ta their own place fer a spell, then they jes' up an' stampede Appleloosa..."
"It's getting to the point where we have to plan around the herd," Silverstar said. "A lot of the settlers are getting fed up with this nonsense. Some are demanding we take action against the Bouffalant."
"Uhh...that sounds...like a really bad idea," Scootaloo said. "I mean, those things are huge , what could you even do to them?"
"Well if you've got a better idea, child..." Silverstar growled.
"Ah do, actually," Apple Bloom said. "Girls, Cuz, we're gonna follow that herd!"
"Nope! Not doing that," Scootaloo said. "I wanna stay the night and get back on the road to Salt Lick City. Every day we waste is another day I gotta wait to meet Rainbow Dash, and I'm tired of waiting!"
"I...don't think it's a good idea to get involved," Sweetie Belle said. "I mean...let the grown-ups handle this."
Apple Bloom sighed. "Ain't y'all th' least bit curious?"
"Well...yeah, but not curious enough to risk getting trampled by wild Pokémon," Sweetie Belle said.
"I couldn't care less," Scootaloo said. "It's not my problem."
Apple Bloom frowned. "Well you don't gotta be a jerk about it. Ah happen t' have family here, so it is MAH problem."
Scootaloo looked away. "Sorry," she said sulkily.
"Don't fight," Sweetie Belle said.
Braeburn sighed. "Ah appreciate your concern, li'l cuz, but...your friends are right. It's best y'all got on t' Salt Lick City. After you spend th' night, o' course."
Apple Bloom looked around at the others, then bowed her head. "Yeah...Ah guess you're right. Ah just...wanted t' check it out..." She sighed. "Okay. Let's rest up so we can git on th' way out tomorrow."
* * * * *
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were sound asleep, but Apple Bloom was tossing and turning. She couldn't take her mind off the Bouffalant, and worrying about Appleloosa kept her from falling asleep.
Just past midnight, she had almost made up her mind to sneak out and go off on her own to investigate the Bouffalant. She sat on the edge of the bed, debating whether or not to follow through on that impulse, when the ground lurched violently. She gripped the edge of the mattress tightly, her heart pounding.
"Ugh...what...?" Scootaloo mumbled.
The ground gave another tremendous lurch, throwing Apple Bloom and Scootaloo to the floor. Sweetie Belle, cocooned in blankets, sat up, wide-eyed. "What's going on?" she asked.
The ground continued to shake. The girls climbed to their feet, fighting to keep their balance against the strong, steady shaking. "Those stupid Bouffalant are back again?! " Scootaloo groaned.
"Ah don't think so," Apple Bloom said worriedly. "I don't hear—"
A particularly violent tremor threw the girls against the door. They collapsed in a pained heap. "We gotta check this out," Apple Bloom said.
"Yeah," Scootaloo agreed. They stood up and barged out into the hall.
They found Braeburn in the living room, pressing his hat to his head. The overhead lamp was swinging crazily. "Is it the herd?" Apple Bloom asked.
"They never come at night!" Braeburn said.
A loud clanging rose from outside, just audible over the steady rumble of the trembling ground. Braeburn and the girls ran outside.
The settlers were pouring out into the dusty streets, flashlights and lanterns held aloft. There was no sign of Bouffalant anywhere...save for one.
The little white Bouffalant calf bounded up the dusty trail into Appleloosa, lowing "Booooooouuuuuu!" in a panic. It looked frantically to and fro; in the lantern lights, tears shone in its eyes.
It saw Sweetie Belle and ran straight for her. "Bouuuu, Booooooooou," it complained.
Sweetie Belle crouched down and reached out to it. "Are you scared?" she asked.
"Boooooou." It turned suddenly, facing the direction it had come from. It started wailing and shrieking, every hair on its body standing on end. Without warning, it tackled Sweetie Belle, knocking her against the front of the house. She cried out as she slammed into the wall, sliding to her butt.
"HEY!" Scootaloo shouted. "Bad Pokémon! Go, Torchi—"
The barber shop across the street from Braeburn's house exploded violently, boards and nails and splinters flying every which way, as the dusty ground erupted violently upward. To all appearances, an enormous hill had suddenly decided it needed to be where the barber shop was.
"Whoa," Apple Bloom said, eyes wide.
Sweetie Belle rubbed her head. She looked at the white Bouffalant. "You...you saved me," she said.
"Boooouuuu," the calf said, standing protectively in front of her and glaring at the hill.
"What in thunderation is goin' on here?" Silverstar roared as he raced up to them. He looked at the massive shape that had taken residence across the street, and his moustache straightened out. "Holy he—"
And then, suddenly, the Bouffalant appeared from every direction, converging on the inexplicable hill.
And the hill...moved .
The ground rumbled and shook as the mighty hill heaved itself up, shedding dust and dirt and wreckage. It bulldozed the hardware store next to the barber shop, heaving itself into the middle of the road.
"BOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU," the herd lowed thunderously as they piled onto the enormous hill.
As the dust from its emergence began to clear enough for the lantern light to penetrate, the silhoutte of a massive tree standing atop the hill revealed itself, along with a trio of small triangular protrusions.
Apple Bloom gasped. "That...!"
"TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR," the hill bellowed.
Scootaloo's jaw dropped. "It's a POKÉMON?! "
"It's a Torterra!" Braeburn said. "A big'un, too!"
Sweetie Belle pointed her Pokédex at the Torterra. It pinged. //Torterra. The Continent Pokémon. Ancient civilizations believed this Pokémon slept beneath the ground, supporting the world above.//
The ground shook violently again, and the remaining buildings creaked alarmingly.
The Bouffalant backed away from the Torterra, then lowered their heads. Their horns began to glow, and they lowed purposefully.
"What's going on?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"I think they're gonna attack!" Scootaloo said.
The Bouffalant charged as one, slamming into the Torterra. There was a blinding flash of light at the moment of impact, and a tremendous shockwave which stirred up a tremendous dust cloud, knocked everyone off their feet, and threatened to raze Appleloosa to the ground.
When the dust cleared and everybody could see and stand again, the Torterra had been knocked onto its back. It flailed its immense legs and head, growling and roaring. The tree on its back had snapped in half and lay nearby.
The Bouffalant lowed in victory, stamping their hooves.
"Ooookay, so..." Apple Bloom said, staring.
Braeburn scratched his head. "Well. If'n that don't beat all."
The biggest Bouffalant, with immense horns and a darker, shaggier coat than the others, shuffled up to Sheriff Silverstar. "Boooou," it lowed.
Silverstar frowned. "I...don't quite follow," he said.
The Bouffalant jerked its head at the flipped Torterra. "Bou."
"I get it!" Sweetie Belle said. "I think it wants you to catch the Torterra in a Pokéball before it can recover!" She looked at the little calf that stood in front of her. "Is that right?"
"Bou, boou!" it agreed, nodding.
Silverstar scratched his chin. "Is that why you've been stampeding through town every few days? You knew this thing was underneath Appleloosa the whole time?"
"Boooooou," the shaggy Bouffalant lowed, blinking slowly once.
"Here," Apple Bloom said, tossing an Apple Ball to Silverstar.
He caught it, expanding it. He strode up to the Torterra, then threw it.
In a flash of red light, the massive overturned Pokémon disappeared into the tiny ball. The ball shuddered violently as it hit the ground, wobbling back and forth. Then, after several long, tense moments, the button went *ping!* and the ball's wobbling ceased.
Silverstar let out a shaky sigh of relief. "Well, that's that." He looked around. "It's gonna take a while t' rebuild after all that damage."
"Ah wonder what that Torterra was doing here, an' why th' Bouffalant didn't start goin' nuts until we planted th' orchard?" Braeburn said, scratching his head.
"The orchard..." Apple Bloom frowned. "Ah think...we should dig it up an' see what's under it."
"Dig it up? But...it took days of backbreaking labor for man and Pokémon to plant it!" Silverstar said as he picked up the Apple Ball. "And just what do we do with this? "
"First, we need to find out why all this happened," Braeburn said. "Mah cousin's right. We gotta dig up th' orchard. We can replant it...with some help." He looked at the Bouffalant.
"Boooou," the lead Bouffalant agreed.
* * * * *
At daybreak, Appleloosans with shovels and ground-type Pokémon began digging up the orchard, carefully preserving all the trees.
After three solid hours of work, they found what they were looking for: A large nest of baby Turtwig lay in the soft, wet soil where the orchard had taken root.
"So that's why," Silverstar said, face pale.
"We dug right into its nest," Braeburn said, shuddering. "No wonder..."
"Well, now that we know why all this happened, it's up to all y'all t' figure out th' best way t' solve this problem," Apple Bloom said. "A way that'll help both y'all and them Turtwig."
"We will, don't worry," Silverstar said.
A short while later, the Bouffalant herd regrouped at the edge of town, preparing to head back into the prairie. Silverstar, Braeburn, and the girls approached them.
"Thank you for all your help," Silverstar said.
"Boooouuu," the lead Bouffalant lowed.
The little white calf trotted out of the herd, looking at Sweetie Belle with its head tilted. "Bouu?"
Sweetie Belle smiled. "Thank you for saving me. I'll never forget you."
"Bouuuuu," the calf lowed, rubbing its head against Sweetie Belle's stomach.
The shaggy Bouffalant lowed gruffly, pawing the ground. The calf turned and looked at it, letting out a high-pitched, plaintive "Booou."
The shaggy Bouffalant looked from the calf, to Sweetie Belle, and back. It blinked its huge yellow eyes once, slowly, and nodded its head. "Boooou."
"What's goin' on with them?" Scootaloo wondered.
The calf turned back to Sweetie Belle. "Booou," it insisted, prodding Sweetie Belle gently with its stubby horn.
Sweetie Belle blinked. "You...you want to come with me?"
"Booou!"
The herd turned away as one, making their way back out into the prairie, leaving the calf behind.
Sweetie Belle's eyes widened.
Apple Bloom grinned. "Looks like you got yerself a Bouffalant, Sweetie Belle."
Sweetie Belle let out an excited squeak. Hurriedly, she fumbled a Pokéball out of her pocket, then tapped it lightly against the white calf's head. In a flash of light, the little Bouffalant disappeared into the Pokéball, which immediately went *ping!*
Sweetie Belle laughed happily. "I got a new Pokémon!"
Braeburn smiled. "Welp...guess you girls got some gittin' on t' do."
"Yeah, we sure do," Apple Bloom agreed, adjusting the straps of her backpack. "Seeya 'round, Cuz."
"Take care," Braeburn said, tipping his hat.
As the Appleloosans debated what to do with the Turtwig nest and the orchard, three young trainers and their Pokémon headed off down the road, away from the settler town and toward the next stop on their journey.
