It had taken a few weeks, but life at Canterlot High finally seemed to be returning to normal. The events that had unfolded at the quadrennial Friendship Games had taken their toll on the staff and students.
Nobody felt it more than Twilight Sparkle, who after a long two weeks, had finally completed her transfer to CHS. The classes at her new school were… easy, to say the least. So easy that the only enjoyment she found came from hanging out with her new friends when it came time for lunch. Admittedly, she didn’t know them too well, but one thing became quite obvious as she took a seat next to Sunset Shimmer.
“No way, I’ll kick your butt! Nobody’s beat me, and you won’t either!”
“That’s what you think!”
“It’s what I know, Applejack!”
“What’s going on?” Twilight whispered, nudging Sunset, and grabbing the attention of their other friends. “Hey, guys,” she waved, garnering smiles from them.
“They’re about to play some dumb game,” Sunset sighed. “They do this every Friday…”
“It’s not dumb!” Rainbow Dash retorted, drawing a bit of attention from the other tables. “You’re just mad you don’t have a 3DS!”
“I don’t want one,” Sunset calmly replied. “Just play your game, everyone is staring,” she continued, eyes darting back and forth.
“What game?” Twilight spoke up.
“Why, only the best game ever created. Pokemon!” Rainbow Dash grinned, her soon to be opponent doing the same.
“Oh my gosh, I love Pokemon!” Twilight practically squealed, eliciting some groans.
Applejack laughed at that, eyeing their other friends. “They don’t even know how to play it, so they think it’s bad.”
“WHAT!?” Twilight freaked out, turning back to Sunset with a death stare. “How can you hate Pokemon!?”
“First of all, I never said I thought it was bad.” Sunset slowly pushed Twilight back into her seat as she said that. “Second, I have no desire to play it because they won’t even tell us how it works. Right, girls?” She beckoned to Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, who all nodded. “Lastly, I don’t want to buy a gaming system for one game. That’s dumb.”
“You’re dumb!” Rainbow Dash shot back, blowing a raspberry and getting some of her spit on the table.
“Um, actually, I think you’re being dumb, Rainbow Dash,” spoke up their shy yellow friend, to the shock of everyone. As they all turned to her in disbelief, she looked a little confused. “Wh-what? Is there something on my face?”
“Dang. Shut down by Fluttershy, of all people,” Sunset closed her eyes, smirking. “Tsk, tsk, I’m disappointed in you, Rainbow Dash.”
“Uh, not to interrupt your bickering’, but we only have fifteen minutes of lunchtime left,” Applejack reminded her friend, who turned back with renewed determination.
“Right! Okay…” She trailed off, pressing a few buttons. “Are we doing a three v. three or a six v. six?”
“Six against six is fine with me,” Applejack replied, taking a sip from her milk carton. It didn’t take long for their virtual battle to finally begin, and everyone watched as Applejack picked her first monster. “Oh, so now you guys are interested?”
“We just want you to beat Dashie so we can actually talk to her,” Pinkie explained.
“I’m inclined to agree,” Rarity smiled. “Knock her right off her high horse, Applejack.”
At that, the two competitors finally started the game, and their first Pokemon flew out to face off against each other. A smirk appeared on Rainbow Dash’s face as she looked at Applejack’s choice. “A Breloom? Seriously? My Blaziken is gonna mess it up!”
“Oh my gosh, she really doesn’t know…” Twilight muttered, grabbing the attention of her friends. She ignored any questions they had as Rainbow ordered her Blaziken to use Flare Blitz. The move had an immediate effect, and the blue-skinned girl began celebrating. Too soon. “Applejack’s Breloom has a Focus Sash, meaning it can take a hit that would normally knock it out, and survive with one hit point.”
“Eeyup, but here’s the best part,” Applejack chuckled as her Breloom used Spore, putting the Blaziken to sleep. “Didn’t expect that, didja, Rainbow?”
Her friend’s only response was a guttural growl, and it didn’t take long for her Breloom to finish off the Blaziken with a couple Rock Slides.
“Wow, someone actually beat one of your pokemon,” Sunset laughed. “Maybe Twilight is Applejack’s good luck charm.”
“Applejack is gonna beat Dashie, yay!” Pinkie exclaimed, and Twilight swore she could see a vein throbbing in Rainbow’s forehead.
For the next ten minutes, their “battle” raged on, until they Rainbow Dash was down to her final pokemon. Applejack, on the other hand, still had five. Looking across the table at her friend, she smiled. “Nervous?”
“Not even a bit!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “My Tyranitar has a secret ability.”
“It’s that it can transform, right?”
“It can transfor-- Okay, when and how?”
“Fluttershy told me.”
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash freaked out, shooting a glare at her closest friend. “Why would you do that!?”
“Because you’re mean when you play that game!” Fluttershy cried out, making Rainbow Dash reel back in shock. Shaking off her confusion at her friend’s outburst, she turned back to Applejack, ready to commence.
“She doesn’t have a chance,” Twilight muttered. But hey, she’d at least gotten some enjoyment out of watching her friends play.
“Let’s do this,” Rainbow Dash sighed. It didn’t take long for Applejack to knock out the Tyranitar with a Scald, and Rainbow slammed her 3DS shut in a rage. “Stupid game…”
“That’s too bad,” Sunset chuckled. “Maybe you won’t talk so much smack next time?”
“At least I know how to play!”
“Clearly not, or you would have put an Assault Vest on your Tyranitar, giving it a one hundred percent boost to its special defense with Sandstorm active, allowing you to tank a few hits.”
At that, everyone’s jaws dropped, even Twilight’s. “Wait, I thought you said you didn’t play Pokemon,” she asked, bewildered.
“Hah! I can beat all of the games with my eyes shut. I just didn’t want to embarrass Rainbow Dash,” Sunset tittered. The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch, and she popped some sunglasses out of her jean pocket. Putting them on as she walked away, she looked back at her stunned friend, and said one thing. “Deal with it.”
