Tales of a Pokemon Master

Summoning of a Pokemon Master

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Chapter 2

Pokemon Master

Part 2 - Farewell Pokemon World

Twilight trotted back and forth nervously, which over time caused a shallow furrow to appear beneath her hooves. Her student had resigned herself to observe her movements in silence after a few failed attempts to calm her down.

Spike and Dash were sound asleep in their respective thrones, deeply engaged in their particular snoring contest. Rarity was drinking tea with Fluttershy in silence, while Applejack and Pinkie lazily bounced a red ball across the table to each other.

Their wait was abruptly interrupted when the room suddenly darkened. A blue portal replaced the door in a flash of multicolored lights followed by a generous amount of fireworks, loud fanfares and confetti. The noise caused Fluttershy to jump in place, while Rarity and the other ponies covered their ears.

“Honey, I’m home,” Discord said nonchalantly as he jumped from the portal with a jar of honey in his claw.

Spike and Dash stirred in their thrones. They rubbed their sleepy eyes before cracking them open, staring at Discord with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. Everypony else was already focusing on Discord intently, their initial surprise shaken off.

“You’re back!?” Twilight leaped towards Discord and looked up at him. Her wings flittered about in nervousness as she asked in a frantic tone, ”Tell me you managed to stay focused for once and found someone to help us!” She paused for a moment before giving him an uneasy smile, her eye twitching. “I mean… it’s not like you failing this task would greatly reduce our chances of victory and saving Equestria… N-no pressure.”

“Did you find someone competent enough to help us?” Starlight asked, kindly ignoring Twilight’s outburst. She narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t spread chaos here and there while you were on your mission, did you?”

Discord waved his claw dismissively. “Oh, trust me, it crossed my mind many times,” -he held his claw on his chest as a cape appeared on his back- “but I endured the tantalizing temptation to spread chaos and searched for clues high and low. Eventually, I ended up in a prison, and from there I started eavesdropping on conversations until I found the famous heroine who’ll save Equestria!”

“Prison?” Fluttershy asked in shock. “Did they lock you in a cold dark cell? What did you do to deserve that?”

“I wasn’t arrested! Have a little more faith in me, Fluttershy," Discord huffed playfully.

Rainbow Dash spoke in a skeptical tone, “Yeah, riiight… And who’s that famous heroine?” Her eyes went back to the portal, but no one else came from it.

“She’s a Pokemon Master,” Discord said as he gritted his teeth. “She’s brave, smart, and has elite pokemon ready and willing to listen to her every command.”

“Pokemon?” Twilight asked curiously. “Is that what they call those invaders in this other world?”

Discord flicked the alicorn’s horn. “Bingo!”

“Hey! Be careful with my horn, Discord, you know it's sensitive…” protested Twilight, pushing Discord’s claw away.

“And where’s this Pokemon Master?” she asked with a suspicious stare. “Hurry up and show her already, I’m waiting.”

The portal behind Discord closed. “Well… After I explained our problem, she asked me for two hours to formulate a plan and strategize. She didn’t want to come here unprepared.”

“A quick summary 'made in Discord'?” Starlight said before adding in a joking tone, “I get the impression we’ll need to answer a lot of questions to cover for what you forgot to tell her.”

“I bet he’s making it up,” Dash said with crossed forelegs. “That heroine he found is either really lame or doesn’t exist.”

“Oh Rainbow Crash… it will be so delightful when you finally get to eat your words… As a matter of fact, I've prepared something very special just for you.” The moment Discord finished speaking, he pulled out what appeared to be an ordinary can of alphabet soup with a simple label reading ‘Discord rules, Rainbow drools’.

Twilight rubbed her chin, pointedly ignoring the exchange between Rainbow Dash and Discord. “What if time is going at a different speed in our world? What if one hour here equals one minute there and vice-versa? If that were the case, we could be waiting for days!”

“How long was I gone?” Discord asked simply.

Starlight regarded the question for a few moments. “About half an hour.”

Discord stroked the top of Twilight’s head soothingly. “You see, Princess? You don't have to worry your pretty little head.” He turned around and slashed the air with his claw a few times before a portal finally reopened. “I’ll be on the other side, catch you later girls!” The moment he entered the portal, it vanished.

As everypony kept staring at the door in silence, Spike poked Twilight’s side and asked, “Sooo… what now?”

“Your Highness!”

Everypony flinched except Starlight, who took a fighting stance; her muscles tensed and her horn shimmered with magic the moment the doors slammed open. They all calmed down at the sight of a pegasus royal guard. Starlight breathed a sigh of relief and powered down her horn.

“Is something wrong, officer?” Twilight asked, smiling bashfully when the pegasus bowed to her. “P-please, stand.”

The royal guard stood up and saluted. “Princess Celestia appointed us to patrol the Badlands’ borders and report anything suspicious.” He took a quick breath and wiped the sweat from his face. “My squad already warned Dodge Junction and Appleloosa, and they are on their way to Canterlot.” He took another quick breath. “I flew here to warn the Mayor, and she told me you returned from your mission, Your Highness.” He took one last deep breath and stood at attention. “Permission to report.”

"Oh no... don't tell me that our pursuers left the Badlands," Twilight said as her ears laid flat on her head, her face twisting up in worry.

The pegasus guard cleared his throat. “We spotted an army heading from the Badlands. There were some flying creatures among them, but they didn’t pursue us. They all kept moving steadily in strict formation.”

Spike gasped, while Twilight and Starlight took a step back and nearly lost their balance. Dash and Applejack gritted their teeth. Fluttershy hid behind her throne with a barely audible ‘Eep’ while Rarity took a quick sip from her tea cup, all the while maintaining an elegant posture.

Dash flew up and slammed her forehooves together. “Finally some action! Bring ‘em on!”

“No!” Twilight shouted, giving her friend a disapproving glare. She kept on staring until the pegasus finally relented and sat down on the floor, groaning in annoyance. “Those ummm… pokemon were resistant to our magic, and even found a way to overcome Discord. They know our weaknesses, but we still don’t have enough information about them.” She turned away from Dash and looked at the guard authoritatively, her wings subconsciously bristled in fear. “Is this army heading to Ponyville? How long till they arrive?”

“We don’t know their destination yet, but we suspect they’re heading either to Ponyville or to Canterlot. I think they walk on hoof to conserve their energy. It should take them at least a day and a half to reach the capital.”

“Makes sense,” Spike said. “A large army isn’t exactly mobile.”

“Duh, it would be if they all had wings. Lucky for us they don’t,” Dash chimed in, proudly stretching her wings.

The princess stomped. “Keep me updated about the movements of this army, and reassure Princess Celestia and Princess Luna that we’ll come up with a plan on how to defend against it.”

The royal guard saluted and flew outside the room.

Twilight's wings drooped and her legs started shaking, no longer bothering to hide her panic. “This isn’t good. We need to evacuate Ponyville, and if Discord’s ally isn’t able to help...” She calmed down the moment her student placed a forehoof on her shoulder and she saw the reassuring smiles from all her friends.

“I’m sure Discord can be trusted,” Fluttershy said in a warm voice. “He’s changed a lot and wants to protect us. If he says he’s found a great ally, I trust him.” Starlight nodded in agreement.

“Discord, trusted?” Dash said, “Psssh... come on, Twilight, you’re smart. I’m sure you can come up with a better plan without that clown’s help.”

“Ah must agree with Dash on this one.” Applejack stood up from her throne and approached the exit. “Ah ain’t gonna believe it till Ah see that new ally of ours in action. Either way, Ah better warn mah family.” She sighed. “We need to get some apples and prepare places to rest for th’ folks from Appleloosa. Ah bet they’ll be here by the next train.”

Spike raised his hand hesitantly. “I’m in favour of coming up with a plan B... or an evacuation.”

Pinkie jumped from her throne and trotted towards the door, following Applejack’s example. “If we’re having a visitor from another dimension and stuff, I’ll have to prepare the bestest Pinkie Pie welcoming party ever!”

Rarity nodded as she left her throne and walked towards the exit. “If we’re going to meet a heroine from another world, leaving a good impression is quite important. I shall assist Pinkie Pie in her preparations and add my own personal touch.”

Fluttershy glanced at the cutie map and spread her wings. “Oh my. If Ponyville is going to be invaded from the Everfree Forest, my cottage may be in danger. I better warn my little friends.” She flew outside the room.

Twilight gazed at the map in concern. If the invasion force is indeed heading towards Canterlot, the most likely route for them to take would be to follow the train tracks. The train ride between Appleloosa and Ponyville should still be safe though. She kept examining the map. However, the shortest way towards Ponyville for the enemy would be to go through the Everfree Forest, with Fluttershy’s cottage being the first target.

After a few moments of thinking and examining the map, a thought crossed her mind, Ever since we returned the Elements of Harmony, The Everfree Forest became a much safer place. This means the enemy can use it to their advantage, or worse, they can target the Tree of Harmony. Twilight's ears flattened on her head. Canterlot, Ponyville or the Tree of Harmony, all three viable targets and in the enemy’s range, and I don’t know how to stop them. I still have a day to come up with a plan, but without information there’s just so much I can do. She approached her throne and sat on it, considering her options. If war is really unavoidable, that heroine Discord spoke of may shift the battle in our favour… I hope.

The Spirit of Chaos, a force to be reckoned with, was now lying on the roof of one of the prison’s watchtowers, groaning and pressing his claws on his head. What’s wrong with me? Never before have I had to put so much effort into using my own magic, and these endless headaches... He sighed. But I must stay strong. I can’t let Fluttershy and Starlight know. His eyes became heavier with each passing moment. Although I don't think anything will happen if I take a real short nap...

***

“Raichu!”

Discord felt a paw on his cheek, shaking his head gently. He opened his eyes slowly, something white and fuzzy blocking most of his vision. “Huh? I don’t remember the sun having so much fluff...” Before he could react, a long tail wrapped around his belly and lifted him up, making him grateful he had skipped dinner that day. “Hey, don’t pull a Pinkie on me!” He stared curiously at the little creature, who approached the edge of the watchtower’s roof and lowered herself in preparation for a jump. He looked down at the patrolling guards looking like ants and gulped. “Y-you’re not going to…”

His pupils shrank, and he yelped in panic the moment Nica jumped. They were now both falling towards the hard ground, the small windows of prison cells on different floors dashing by from the corner of his eye. The loud thud caused by the Raichu’s legs hitting the ground registered in his brain a few second later, yet his face wasn’t flat against the stone but a few centimeters above it. A few drops of sweat fell from his face into the tiny cracks on the pavement, which were too visible for his liking. His face pale with shock, he slowly turned his head and looked to the side, breathing heavily. He was both scared and impressed at the sight of Nica’s little legs stuck in small craters in the pavement while her tail still lifted him, his massive weight no doubt playing a big role in the strong force of the recent impact. “Alright… you’re officially above Pinkie’s level of crazy,” he murmured, now fully awake.

“Thank you, Nica,” Astra said. She was standing next to the reinforced entrance leading into the watchtower, alongside a large backpack and two steel containers, each considerably bigger than her. She looked at him questionably and asked, “Were you waiting for me up there all this time… ummm?”

“Discord’s the name and chaos is my game,” he reminded her in annoyance. His attempt to maintain a prideful posture failing due to his awkward position, he crossed his arms and frowned; being held hostage by a tiny creature did little good to his wounded pride. He massaged his forehead before asking, “How long was I asleep?”

“I’m not sure,” said Astra, pointing at her massive baggage, “but I’m packed, equipped, and ready. The two hours I asked for passed a few minutes ago.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked down at her partner. “Nica, would you please be so kind to release our unique ambassador?”

Nica placed Discord carefully back on the ground, helping him stand up with her little paws. “Rai, Rai.”

Discord glanced down at Astra and next looked further down at the large rat. “Your pet sure knows how to lift for someone so small. I mean, it’s already impressive that she lifted me with her tail, but to be able to fall from such height and not let me hit the ground... now that’s something!” He placed his claws on his sides as he towered over the little pokemon.

Nica rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, blushing through her toothy grin. “Raichuuu…”

Astra chuckled. “I would advise not to be fooled by a pokemon’s size. My partner is considerably stronger than she looks.”

Discord raised his head and looked around. A patrol of prison guards saluted to Astra as they walked past them, not surprised in the least by his appearance. Master Astra returned the gesture with an annoyed glare. Yikes… I wonder what those cops did to her to react like that; either way, she sure is well respected by them. I suppose it speaks highly of her reputation.

He looked back at Astra, now noticing that her short skirt and suit had been replaced by a green-blue armor. A blue helmet with goggles rested on her head, and she was wearing a white belt with Luxury Balls that apparently stored pokemon inside them, safeguarded by a heavy duty chain. A rounded shield was attached to her left arm.

“You look as if you're ready for war,” Discord commented with a chuckle, only his headache preventing him from summoning a military uniform for himself. “And here I thought you would leave all the fighting to your pokemon. That’s what pokemon trainers do, right?”

Astra rolled her eyes. “Oh trust me, we pokemon trainers need to know how to take care of ourselves.” She put on her backpack, despite it seeming heavier than Discord himself, and placed her hands on her hips. “Besides, many criminals I fought often targeted me instead of my team.” She narrowed her eyes and added in a serious tone, “Instead of robbing me of my pokemon, they tried to rob me of my life.”

“Raichu, Rai, Rai,” said Nica, her voice swelling with pride as she puffed out her chest, placing her paws on her sides in a surprisingly accurate imitation of Astra’s signature position.

“Yes, Nica, you never let anyone hurt me,” Astra said with a soft smile, nodding.

“Maybe if you left fighting crime to the professionals, your life wouldn’t be in danger so often.”

Astra, Discord and Nica looked at the approaching figure who had just a moment ago walked from behind the watchtower. A detective’s hat lay on his head. A magnifying glass and a few blue-white pokeballs attached to his belt completed his attire.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Mirage, detective of the year,” Discord commented with a smug smile.

The detective glared back in disgust. “Listen, freak. Everyone here is just tolerating your presence because this naive Pokemon Master is trusting you, but don’t expect me to fall for it. It doesn’t take a genius to see that you’re either a troublemaker or a manipulator.” He smirked. “I could even say, this time the book matches its cover.”

“Raiiichuuu,” Nica demanded, receiving a notepad and pen from her trainer. She returned it after a moment of writing.

Astra chuckled and spoke, “Nica wrote that she suspected Discord to be a troublemaker and a stalker who tried to manipulate us. But she didn’t sense any malice or hidden intentions when he asked for help.”

Mirage looked down at the Raichu. “Oh right, your partner’s famous seventh sense. Now that I think about it, you wouldn’t have survived for so long without her babysitting you.” He readjusted his hat and added in pity, “Whenever I see you both, I start to wonder who’s the trainer here.”

Astra rolled her eyes. “Whatever... I don’t have time for your petty insults.”

Mirage was about to respond, but stopped the moment Nica approached him and started staring at him with her judging eyes. He crossed his arms and looked aside, his face displaying annoyance.

Nica’s ears drooped. She ran back to her trainer and wrote another message, this time writing for nearly half a minute. Discord stretched his neck to take a better look, but his vision of the notepad was purposely blocked by the Raichu’s tail.

Master Astra crouched and started reading. Before long, she was looking at the detective with a grin. “You’re jealous.”

“J-jealous? Are you stupid?” Mirage asked, his eye twitching in annoyance. He refused to look Astra in the eyes.

“Don’t try to hide it. My partner is a great judge of character.” Astra stood up to her full height with the notepad in her right hand. “Aside from anger and disappointment, she sensed a lot of envy you’re trying to hide with insults.”

“Sensed anger and envy? Seems familiar,” Discord murmured to himself. “And here I thought only changelings could detect emotions.”

Mirage blushed brightly. “Why would an experienced and successful detective like me envy a teenager who just pretends to be mature and responsible?”

“Better a teenager who tries to be mature than a grown up who’s acting like a kid,” Astra responded with a glare of her own. Her pokemon closed her eyes and put her paws on her ears in distress, while the detective started to lose himself in his own anger. “And what's your problem!? Do you envy my skills as a trainer, or the power of my team, or the fact that I caught more criminals than you solved cases?”

Mirage slammed his fist against the wall. “I don’t care about any of that!” He took a few deep, shaky breaths and calmed his nerves. “You want the truth? Fine, I’ll tell you.” He pointed at Astra accusingly. “You have power on your side and you’re quite smart for a teen, but your deduction skills are still severely lacking. Your success comes mostly from using yourself as a bait and winning through brute force. You would stand to benefit so much from working with the police and detectives, yet you always shut us down and treat us like garbage!” He pointed at Discord. “You were ever so eager to assist this... hybrid, yet not even for a moment did you consider asking for help.”

A few patrolling guards stopped and looked at the spectacle curiously from a distance.

Astra looked to the side and remained silent. Nica was hiding behind a watchtower, shutting herself from the discussion as much as she could.

“This prison is filled with guards whose pride is on the line and Officer Jennys who’re helping with the investigation. The Chief of Security respects you for all you've done and wants to do nothing more than to assist you, and you still arrogantly refuse to accept their help.” He took a deep calming breath, feeling much better after unleashing his bottled anger. “When it comes to pokemon, your teamwork is unmatched, but I can’t stand how you shut yourself away from other people.”

Discord raised his claw. “To be fair, moving objects and living beings between worlds and dimensions is very tiring, so I-” His sentence was interrupted by the ongoing discussion.

“Fine, I admit, I lack your deduction skills and experience, and I prefer to work alone. Cooperating with you and other law enforcers would no doubt be beneficial for both sides,” Astra said, her tone slowly becoming softer. “However, the police arrested many members of the Guardian organization on false charges, knowing full well they can’t replace them.” She let out a depressed sigh. “Criminal organizations always tend to have an advantage when it comes to technology and resources. They work in numbers, while the law enforcers are too spread between cities.” She crossed her arms and shook her head. “A few Officer Jennys can’t catch less competent but better equipped, more organized and more numerous criminals; same as a lone detective cannot catch an elite hitman who has very powerful pokemon on his side, yet many of you all are too prideful to admit it. No wonder you always need kids to fight crime for you.”

Mirage closed his eyes, struggling to contain his once again rising anger, but part of his mind told him it was the truth. In his long carrier he had solved hundreds of cases, yet only a few times had he actually managed to keep a criminal behind bars. Usually, they either teleported away, flew away, or broke free by force because he and the police lacked the manpower and equipment to stop them. He loathed himself for all the criminals that had escaped his grasp. He hated how those with power on their side were so easily bribed to turn a blind eye, or the ones with weaker wills that allowed themselves to be blackmailed. He hated those with power who abused it to satisfy their own greed. And yet, part of him wished he had such power on his side.

The prospect of cooperating with a Pokemon Master to fight crime was more than inviting: teaming up his brilliance and experience with the fighting force of a skilled trainer he idolized to create an unstoppable team. Astra’s refusal to cooperate in the past had slowly turned his hopes into envy and irritation. Such potential wasted because of the arrogance and distrust of the one he once secretly admired.

Astra pointed at the detective’s belt. “I see you have three Net Balls. Are you using water or bug pokemon?”

“Bug pokemon, why do you ask?” Mirage asked, caught off guard.

Astra picked a Luxury Ball from her belt and threw it. The pokeball released a pokemon and fell down, not getting far thanks to the chain keeping it attached to Astra’s belt. “Starmie is not just water type, but psychic as well. It should give your bug pokemon a slight advantage. Pretend I’m an elite hitman who’s trying to escape, use your entire team at once.”

Mirage sighed and readjusted his hat his hat once more. “You want me to prove my strength to you, so be it; but if I beat your Starmie, you’ll let me assist you.”

“That’s the deal I was going for,” Astra responded while her large starfish stomped with its limbs. “But first, you’ll have to prove that you won’t slow me down.”

Discord summoned a sofa and a bag filled with popcorn covered in chocolate icing. “Oh, this is gonna be good.” He was about to levitate Raichu to his side, but decided against it as the large rat cowered behind the nearest watchtower. What’s wrong with her? Why’s she acting so depressed? He shrugged. ”Whatever, more popcorn for me!” he exclaimed before pushing the treats into his mouth.

Without a moment's hesitation, Mirage threw his pokeballs, releasing two violet furballs with red eyes and one large moth.

Astra massaged her forehead. “Bug and poison types…” She sighed. “So much for the advantage I tried to give you.”

The detective pointed at Starmie and commanded, “Venomoth, use Bug Buzz with all you got. Venonat, put Starmie to sleep with Sleep Powder, use your improved sight to your advantage.”

Astra smirked, observing as the red destructive waves spread by Venomoth went towards Starmie while pushing the sleeping powder at the same time. “Interesting combo,” she murmured before pointing at the large moth. “Starmie, use Psychic to push Venomoth into the sleeping powder and hit the detective with it.”

“Wait, what?” Mirage said as he took a step back. Much to his shock, his top pokemon was levitated into the sleeping powder and pushed with great force towards his chest. He could feel his back hit the wall while the sleeping powder that was stuck on Venomoth filled his nostrils. His eyes became heavier with each passing second.

“Your team seems well prepared to put criminals to sleep, and your pokemon cooperate well with each other, I applaud that. But you should always expect outlaws to play dirty. The moment you lowered your guard, you lost.”

“D-damn you…” Mirage said before falling asleep alongside his Venomoth. They both lied awkwardly on the ground.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered quietly, her stare now one of pity. “I once swore to spare others the pain I had to endure, even if it meant constantly putting myself in danger. If I must hurt your feelings to protect you...” A solitary tear rolled down her cheek, and her voice dropped even lower. “So be it.”

Starmie didn’t bother to move as the sleeping powder covered it, the red waves leaving a few small bruises on its body. Starmie fell flat onto the ground, now deep asleep.

The two Venonats looked at each other in confusion, unsure on what to do without the detective’s command.

Astra addressed them, “Go ahead, use your bug-type attacks on my Starmie, I won’t recall her. But once she’s awake, this battle will be over in one move.”

Both Venonats trembled in fear before pressing a small button on their pokeballs, returning inside.

“Figures,” Astra said, using her own Luxury Ball to bring Starmie back. “Her natural cure should get rid of the sleeping powder in no time.” She looked behind her and shouted, “Nica, you can come out now, the battle is over!”

“C-chuuuu,” Nica said as she approached hesitantly with shaky steps. Her sadness was clearly visible on her stance, her ears drooped and her paws dragging along. Upon noticing the detective fast asleep alongside his pokemon, she dashed forward, shortening the distance in less than a second. She repositioned the detective in a more comfortable position, supporting him against the wall. Grabbing the large moth with her tail, she carefully placed it on Mirage’s belly and delicately caressed his cheek. She glared at her trainer in disapproval, who looked aside, refusing to meet her gaze.

Discord chuckled, snapping his claws twice. A pillow materialized under the detective’s head, and a bright pink teddy bear appeared next to his cheek. Nica and Astra rolled their eyes at his gesture. “That was a fun show, but let’s not waste anymore time,” Discord said as he tried to open the portal, failing yet again on his first attempt. After a few more tries and a considerable amount of effort, a large blue portal opened on the wall of the watchtower. “There’s a specific hot-tempered character I really want to introduce you to.” He half-bowed and gestured at the portal. “Ladies first.”

Nica stared at the portal for a moment before approaching and poking it. Magical energy scattered upon contact, flowing around her paw like water in a stream.

Much to Discord’s confusion, Master Astra grabbed a small stone and threw it at her Raichu, who slapped it to the side with her tail, still examining the portal without a care.

“What was that all about?” asked Discord, genuinely surprised.

“Just a little training exercise,” Astra responded before approaching the portal herself. She noticed a blurry image of three ponies in a spacious room, gathered around a single table. She waved at them, but didn’t receive any response, a clear indicative that they didn’t see her. She looked down and said, “Would you be so kind and pick up our equipment?”

Nica turned around and nodded. “Rai, Rai.” She approached the large containers, the green paint barely hiding the fact that they were made of steel.

“Exercise? Can I get in on this training and use a few of my tricks on your companion?” Discord asked hopefully.

“Go right ahead. I’m actually curious to see what kind of other moves you have.”

Discord was more than happy to accept the invitation. He snapped his claws and caused a few pies to appear above the large rat. Nica avoided them by jumping from side to side a few times, not bothering to look up as the pies splashed on the ground.

Taking it as a challenge, Discord summoned an anvil, which Nica ended up cutting in half with her tail, causing the two parts of the anvil to crash safely near her sides. The Raichu’s tail shined brightly for a moment before returning to normal, while she kept walking the whole time at an unchanging pace.

Nica stopped herself between the two towering containers, attaching her tail to the handle of the one behind her while pressing her little paws against the one in front. As if being part of a train, she pushed them both towards the portal. She grit her teeth and her ears drooped from the effort.

No tail to defend yourself, what will you do now? Discord thought, summoning a sink and a few flowerpots.

Nica raised her right paw and grabbed the sink, using it as a shield against the flowerpots. Her legs were trembling, as she had kept pushing and pulling both containers despite the distraction.

“How about a heavier caliber?” Discord said with a frown, letting a large piano fall down on the little critter only for it to be blasted into pieces with a jolt of electricity. Raichu stood on the tip of her rear paw, taking the pose of a ballerina as she gracefully evaded the falling piano’s fragments. Discord applauded with his claws, on which Nica answered with a slight bow as if a performer ending her spectacle.

Astra giggled cheerfully. “Enough playing around.” She waited for her partner to get closer before entering the portal. Raichu followed right behind her with the cargo, leaving a visible dragging mark on the dirt leading to the watchtower.

Discord closed his eyes and grit his teeth, his hands trembling. Heavy drops of sweat fell down his face. Once the Pokemon Master, her partner and the cargo had ended up in Equestria, he dropped to his knees and breathed deeply. Being the Spirit of Chaos allowed him to travel between dimensions with little effort, but letting others do that was a different story.