Episode 1: New Friends, New Foes!
Applebloom didn't get any sleep the previous night. She was just too excited, and for good reason: today was the day she was to become a Pokémon Trainer! She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
Her sister, Applejack, opened the door to Applebloom’s bedroom. “All right, little sis,” she said. “Y’all’d best be gettin’ ready for your meetin’ with Twilight!” When the Pokémon had first appeared in Equestria, Celestia had given Twilight the task of giving new Trainers their first Pokemon.
Applebloom hurried downstairs. Applejack and Granny Smith were eating breakfast at the table, while Big Macintosh was nowhere to be seen.
“Big Mac said he would be here shortly,” Applejack said. “Until then, why don't you get started on breakfast?” Just as Applebloom finished her breakfast, Big Macintosh ran in through the front door.
“Now, first off,” said Applejack, “we just wanted to say how proud we are of y’all for finally becoming a Pokemon Trainer.” Big Macintosh gave an affirmative “Eeyup.”
“But bein’ a Pokémon Trainer isn't all fun and games,” Applejack continued. “It's a lot of hard work, especially if you plan on challenging the League.”
“Eeyup,” said Big Macintosh.
“I know all that already,” Applebloom said. She didn't like when other ponies treated her like a child. “Now, outta my way! I'm off to get my first Pokemon!” With that, Applebloom ran out the door and in the direction of Twilight’s castle. As she ran through town, she overheard a fat stallion talk about how amazing technology was.
She approached the castle to find Twilight standing in front of it, as well as a table with three Poké Balls on it. She could also see her fellow Crusaders, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
“What took you so long?!” Scootaloo asked. “We've been waiting for you for half an hour!”
“It was only 29 minutes,” Sweetie Belle said.
“What are you, a stopwatch?”
“Girls!” Twilight interjected. The Crusaders turned to face her. “Now, on this table are the three Pokémon Princess Celestia has instructed me to give new Trainers. These Pokémon are Turtwig, the Grass-type; Chimchar, the Fire-type; and Piplup, the Water-type. Now, each of you, take your pick!”
“Turtwig!” Applebloom said.
“Chimchar!” Scootaloo shouted.
“Piplup!” Sweetie Belle screeched.
Each Crusader eagerly grabbed their starter.
“Hey,” said Scootaloo, “now that we each have our own Pokémon, let's battle!”
“Great idea!” Sweetie Belle said. “But how?”
“Hmm…” The three of them thought for a while before deciding on a way they would all get to battle each other: first, Applebloom and Scootaloo would fight, followed by Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, and finished off with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.
“Chimchar! Come on out!” Scootaloo said, releasing the orange ape Pokémon from its ball.
“You too, Turtwig!” Applebloom said, releasing her turtle-shaped Pokémon from its ball.
“Chimchar! Use Scratch!” Scootaloo ordered. Chimchar’s fingertips glowed with a white energy as it scratched Turtwig, knocking the green Pokémon on its back.
“Turtwig!” Applebloom yelled. “Get back up and use Tackle!” Turtwig did as Applebloom requested, ramming into Scootaloo’s Chimchar. Chimchar barely managed to stand its ground.
The two Pokémon continued exchanging Scratches and Tackles until, finally, Chimchar passed out from exhaustion.
“Don’t worry, Chimchar,” Scootaloo said to her fainted Pokemon as she returned it to its Poké Ball, “we won’t lose the next battle.”
“My turn!” Sweetie Belle said excitedly, hopping over to where Scootaloo was. “All right, Piplup, I choose you!” Sweetie released her blue penguin Pokémon from its Poké Ball. “Pound!” Piplup ran to Turtwig, its wing glowing white, then punched it in its face.
“Turtwig!” Applebloom called. “Retaliate with Tackle!” Turtwig rammed into Piplup, knocking it back.
This battle continued in a similar manner to the previous battle, leaving Sweetie Belle as the eventual victor. “We won, Piplup!” she exclaimed, hi-hooving her Pokémon companion.
Finally, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle fought. Applebloom watched as Piplup and Chimchar exchanged Scratches and Pounds, trying to learn more about Pokémon battles. Scootaloo’s Chimchar won against Sweetie Belle’s Piplup.
“Don’t forget, girls,” Twilight said, “it’s very important to heal your Pokémon.” She used Potions on each of the three starters before giving the Crusaders some of their own. “Now, there’s something I would like to ask of all of you.” She gave each of them a book. Applebloom looked through the pages. They were blank.
“What’s all this about?” she asked.
“It’s the Pokédex,” Twilight explained. “It records data on all the Pokémon you capture across Equestria. I would fill it out myself, but I kind of have important royal duties to fulfill here in Ponyville.”
“What kind of duties?” Scootaloo asked.
“Run along now, you three!” Twilight said, smiling nervously. The three looked at each other, shrugged, and walked off to begin their Pokémon adventure.
Applebloom ran to Route 1 to train; however, she was forced to stop when somepony stepped on her tail.
“Well, well, well,” said a familiar voice. “Look who just became a Pokémon Trainer!”
Applebloom sighed, exasperated. “What do you want, Diamond Tiara?” she asked.
“A battle, of course,” Diamond Tiara answered. “What else would I want?”
“Fine,” Applebloom said. “But prepare to lose!”
Applebloom sent out her Turtwig. Diamond Tiara sent out an angular Pokémon that was pink with some blue spots. What is that?! Applebloom thought, pulling out her Pokédex.
“PORYGON, THE VIRTUAL POKéMON,” the Pokédex read. “THIS POKéMON CONSISTS ENTIRELY OF PROGRAMMING CODE AND CAN MOVE FREELY THROUGH CYBERSPACE.”
“Do you like it?” the rich filly asked. “My father bought it for me. It’s the most expensive Pokémon out there!”
“Expensiveness don’t mean nothin’ if it can’t fight!” Apple Bloom said. “Now, Turtwig, Tackle!” Turtwig charged into Porygon, who took the hit. Diamond Tiara smirked.
“All right, then,” she said. “Porygon, Conversion2!” Porygon became surrounded by a light purple aura. The air felt a little cooler.
“That’s your strategy?” Apple Bloom laughed. Porygon had barely done anything! “Turtwig, Tackle again!” Turtwig ran towards Porygon; however, this time, it ran right through it.
“Wh-wha--?!” Apple Bloom was shocked. Diamond Tiara laughed.
“‘Conversion2’ is a move that changes the user’s type to one that resists or isn’t affected by the type of the last attack to hit it,” she explained. “Now that I’m invincible...Porygon! Tackle!” Apple Bloom could do nothing as her opponent’s Pokémon continually attacked hers, eventually knocking it out.
“Well, well,” Diamond Tiara said, “looks like somepony should’ve prepared to lose!” She laughed, returning her Porygon to its Poké Ball. Apple Bloom returned her Turtwig to its Poké Ball.
Diamond Tiara went deeper into Route 1, laughing. Apple Bloom looked down at the Poké Ball in her hoof.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Author's Note
fun fact: the Conversion2 thing is based on something that actually happened to me while making a ROM hack. long story short, i decided that Porygon wasn't a good choice for a starter.
Episode 2: Badge of Honor!
Apple Bloom waited impatiently at the Pokémon Center for her Turtwig to heal. As she waited, all she could think about was becoming a better Trainer than Diamond Tiara. She couldn’t stand losing to somepony as arrogant as her. Despite being friendlier, Diamond Tiara was still barely tolerable. Apple Bloom wanted nothing more than to become the Pokémon Champion and rub her victory in the face of that little b--
“Your Pokémon is fully healed!” said the nurse, giving Apple Bloom back her Turtwig. She ran out the door and headed back to Route 1 to train.
As she was training, she came across a wild Starly. “Turtwig!” she shouted. “Come on out!” She sent out her Turtwig. “Tackle!” Turtwig rammed himself into Starly, causing it to fall backwards. Apple Bloom threw a Poké Ball at the Starly. The Poké Ball shook three times and clicked, signifying a capture. Apple Bloom jumped for joy.
After a little more training, Apple Bloom decided to try and find where the first gym was. There was just one problem; she didn’t have a map. She ran back to Twilight’s castle and knocked furiously on the door, but nopony answered.
Just then, Starlight Glimmer trotted just within Apple Bloom’s peripheral vision. Without any hesitation, she ran into Starlight’s path, causing Starlight to nearly trip over herself trying to avoid hitting the young filly.
“What are you doing?!” she asked, surprised to see the yellow foal.
“Can I have a map?” Apple Bloom said.
“I’m sure Twilight has a few somewhere in the castle,” Starlight answered, unlocking the castle door. Apple Bloom ran in. Starlight followed her. “Stay with me!”
The two ponies wandered around before finally arriving at the library. When Starlight opened the door, Twilight was pacing around some strange contraption, muttering something to herself.
“Twilight?” Starlight said. Twilight jumped and hid the contraption under a tarp.
“Starlight!” Twilight responded, smiling guiltily. “What do you need?”
“This filly here needs a map,” Starlight said, gesturing to a smiling Apple Bloom.
“What’s under the tarp?” she asked.
“I’m sure there’s a map somewhere in the library,” Twilight said, watching the tarp closely. “Starlight, would you be a dear and go look for it?”
“Uh, sure?” Starlight said, sounding the exact opposite of sure. She and Apple Bloom entered the library.
“What’s under the tarp?” Apple Bloom asked again.
“You should help Starlight look for the maps,” Twilight said, not keeping her eyes off of the tarp.
“But I wanna know--” Twilight shoved her hoof into Apple Bloom’s mouth.
“Listen here, Apple Bloom,” Twilight said with a much more serious tone than usual. “You don’t want to know what’s under this tarp. If you knew, well...I’m not sure you could handle it.”
“Buh ah cah hammle amyfing!” Apple Bloom said indignantly.
“This is unlike anything you’ve ever seen in your life,” Twilight continued, “and anything you ever will see. Do. Not. Touch. It. Understand?” Apple Bloom nodded.
“I found the maps!” Starlight said, walking over to the two of them. Twilight quickly removed her hoof from Apple Bloom’s mouth. Apple Bloom quickly took the map, then made a mad dash for the tarp before Twilight levitated her out the door.
“Awh.”
Apple Bloom looked at the map. “Aha!” she said. “The first gym! Right here in...Ponyville...at Sweet Apple Acres?” Apple Bloom looked closer at the information section of the map. “And the gym leader is--”
“Hey, Apple Bloom!” Diamond Tiara yelled from five inches behind her. Apple Bloom flinched. “Guess who just beat your brother at his gym! I have more badges than you!” She trotted off, laughing. Apple Bloom growled.
“Looks like I’m going back home,” Apple Bloom said.
When she arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, she found that there was, indeed, a gym behind her house. “How did I never find this?” she asked herself.
“You never bothered to look,” said Granny Smith.
Apple Bloom sighed and entered the gym. A stallion with sunglasses stood at the entrance.
“Hey there, champ in the making!” he said. “It’s always nice to meet new challengers! Now, I’m sure you already know the rules of the Equestria League, but just in case, here’s a refresher: there are gyms in several locations across Equestria, from Ponyville to Manehatten to Las Pegasus and even the Crystal Empire! In order to challenge the Elite Four, trainers must gain all the gym badges and travel through Victory Road to Canterlot on hoof. If you don’t defeat a gym leader, you’re free to rematch them; however, if you lose against the Elite Four, you must face all four of them again. Good luck, little filly; I know you can do it!” Apple Bloom gulped.
Diamond Tiara entered the gym, galloping towards Apple Bloom.
“What do you want?!” Apple Bloom asked.
“Just thought I should give my good friend some advice,” Diamond Tiara said. “You have a Starly, right?” Apple Bloom nodded. “Focus on training it; your brother uses Fighting-types, which are weak against Flying-type moves.”
“And why should I trust you?” Apple Bloom said spitefully.
“Let’s see,” Diamond Tiara answered, “which one of us has the gym badge? Oh, that’s right; me. So the real question is, why shouldn’t you trust me?”
Apple Bloom sighed and looked down at her Starly, which she had barely used since catching it. “All right,” she said, “I believe you.”
Apple Bloom returned to the gym, her Starly at Level 10. At this point, she felt ready for anything. She strode across the gym floor, prepared to take on her brother.
She approached Big MacIntosh. The two looked into each other’s eyes and nodded. Big Mac sent out a Machop. Apple Bloom responded with Starly.
“Wing Attack!” Apple Bloom shouted. Starly’s left wing began glowing as it slapped Machop. Machop fell to the ground.
“Focus Energy!” Big Mac said. Machop got back up and seemed to be more focused. It didn’t matter, though; another Wing Attack from Starly knocked it out.
Big Mac’s next Pokémon was Timburr. It, too, fell quickly to Starly’s Wing Attack, due to Big Mac’s decision to use Bide instead of an actually useful move. Apple Bloom had won her first gym battle!
“This is the Buck Badge,” Big Mac explained, giving Apple Bloom her first badge. “With this badge, the Attack of all your Pokémon has been increased.”
“All right!” Apple Bloom explained, holding up her gym badge proudly. She was one step closer to the Pokémon League!
Author's Note
i'm really dating myself with that badge effect, aren't i? why did that stop being a thing? i'd really like to know.