Tales of a Pokemon Master

by CommanderX5

Rating: everyone
Tags: Crossover, Human, Adventure
Length: 22960

When pokemon are being summoned and used against Equestria, it is up to a Pokemon Master to aid the ponies and help them in stopping the mysterious threat.

Mysterious creatures are being summoned to Equestria and forced to serve powerful villains as they capture more and more ponies. Treated as a nuisance at first, they have formed into a legion, with the destructive forces of water, fire, electricity and so much more at their disposal.

Unsure on how to defeat this growing threat, and wishing to learn more about the invaders, Twilight -with Discord's assistance- summons help of her own. The most experienced being, with plenty of knowledge to share and a few of these creatures at her own disposal: a Pokemon Master.

Have all the trials and battles she has faced prepared her for this new adventure? Will experience and her trusted team of elite pokemon be enough to stop the brainwashed army and defeat the evil summoners?

Only time will tell.

Special thanks for Proofreading to:
LonelyLullaby
golarala

This story is a fully revised version of "Summoning of a Pokemon Master" with additional prologue and improvement of chapter 1.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2017-06-12 16:09:19 UTC

Prologue

Tales of a Pokemon Master

-

Prologue

“Okay, so… why are we exploring the Badlands again?” Discord asked, resting his chin on his claws. He was comfortably perched on a floating pink cloud, leaving a chocolate-milk wake on the sand as he slowly levitated forward. An umbrella with pegasus’ wings floated above his head. His half-closed eyes were staring at the two mares next to him as his mind sank into boredom, imagining how much fun it would be to jump on a waterslide.

Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes before looking at Twilight, already expecting yet another annoyed response. She wasn’t disappointed.

"How could you forget about something you pointed out in the first place?” Twilight frowned and turned around, giving Discord a deadly glare. “Is your memory really that abysmal, or are you just messing with me?"

Discord yawned before rubbing his eyes. “Not my fault the landscape is suuuper boring. Everything looks the same for miles. All I can think of is how I could turn these Badlands into a chaotic paradise.” He rubbed his chin. “Now that I think about it, I could turn this place into a ‘Discordland, Chaos and Fun’ theme park, with tons of attractions and cotton candy clouds as far as the eye can see! It's not like anyone owns this place after all.”

With a flashy snap of his claw, Discord's magic burst on top of his head. A long pink mane sprouted from his horns. His voice started to sound like a poor imitation of Fluttershy’s. “You started your own entertainment business, oh Discord, I am so proud.”

Starlight chuckled. “I bet all monsters living here would become main attractions of this amusement park of yours.”

Discord summoned a pen and a piece of parchment before scribbling furiously on it. “Such a brilliant idea! It would easily put Nightmare Night to shame.”

“Focus!” Twilight shouted, the strength of her voice blasting the parchment off Discord’s claw. “Ponies are being captured from towns and cities all over Equestria as we speak by creatures that were never discovered before.” She pointed at her companions. “And you two, mostly Discord, are just goofing around like a pair of foals.”

"Gee, thanks for reminding us Twilight, but come on, you need to chill. Joking around is a great way to relieve stress, you should stop being such a stick in the mud and try it out," Discord commented sarcastically, before shifting his attention to the other mare. “Heya Starlight, how about a guessing game? I bet that those weird creatures are from an entirely different dimension.”

“And I bet they’re escapees from Tartarus,” Starlight challenged.

“Tartarus? Oh puh-lease, most of them are too cute for that accursed place. Maybe they’re from another world deep within our planet,” Discord replied.

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Now that's just completely insane. Even the theory that they’re aliens would make more sense.”

“Ahem…” Twilight interjected as she walked in between her two companions. “As I was saying, I failed to find a single shred of information, or even the tiniest lead about those pony-nappers in the Royal Canterlot Library. What’s worse, the reports sent by the Royal Guard say that those creatures don’t even speak our language and are extremely hostile.” She pointed at Discord. “Furthermore, you told us you had sensed a potent magical disturbance
coming from somewhere in the Badlands ever since those new species started attacking.”

“Oh, yeah, I did,” Discord murmured to himself.

Twilight stomped her hoof in agitation. “The faster we find the culprit and the missing ponies, the faster we’ll get away from this desolate place! So would you be so kind as to concentrate for once?”

Discord snapped his claw again, summoning a teacup with Fluttershy’s cutie mark decorating it. A similar cup appeared in front of Starlight. “If this place annoys you so much, why did you come with us in the first place? Glimmy and I can save the day on our own.”

Twilight shook the sand from her chest and resumed her walk, the wind slowly covering her hoofsteps and the trail of chocolate milk behind her. “The first time you tried to save the day, you betrayed us, joined the enemy and lost access to all of your powers. In your second attempt you couldn’t use your powers at all. I just want to make sure nothing goes wrong this time.” Twilight sighed dejectedly, and added in a softer tone, “Besides, I rarely go on adventures with anypony these days save for my five closest friends. I just thought it was about time to change that.”

“Awww… I feel so *sniff* touched,” Discord said as he wiped tears from his cheek and vanished, reappearing next to the alicorn. He picked Twilight up by her belly, who yelped in surprise, and smooshed their faces together. “Just think about all the adventures we’re going to have, all those bad guys won't stand a chance against us!” He dropped Twilight in the sand and took a heroic pose, snapping his claw. The earth trembled under his feet as the entrance into an underground dungeon raised from the sand.

Twilight shook her head before wiping the sand from her face and taking a deep breath. She groaned in annoyance before standing up, shaking most of the sand from her fur and wings. Mental note: take a shower and brush all of this stupid sand from my fur and wings once this is over. The moment she raised her head though, she gasped, nearly losing balance and falling into the sand again as a result. “W-what’s that?” Her attention quickly focused on the magical runes inscripted upon the damaged stone, as if some ancient magic alone kept the decrepit old structure from collapsing.

Discord shrugged. “I dunno. Some sort of old ruins covered in sand probably used as a hideout. I felt a magical disturbance coming from there half an hour ago.”

Starlight looked at Discord suspiciously. “And you didn’t reveal this entrance to us earlier because…?”

Discord raised his head arrogantly. “I felt it was a perfect opportunity to have some fun with the both of you. It’s not very often that we get to go on adventures together after all. I also planned on revealing this entrance with some spooky music, and maybe have a few beasts jump out and scare the living daylights out of you two.” He shrugged. “But then I decided the whole idea was boring and forgot about it.”

Twilight facehooved and frowned. She slowly lowered her forehoof to her chest and took a few calming breaths. “Let’s get this over with.” Her horn lit as the double doors opened up before her thanks to her magic. She walked towards the entrance but was stopped by a lasso, which was now wrapped around her belly. “Ugh, Discord? Don't tell me you stole that lasso from Applejack."

The Spirit of Chaos was wearing a cowboy hat, and began speaking in a classic southern drawl accent, “Hold on there partner, don’t ya think them varmints set up sum traps?”

Starlight nodded. “Discord does have a point. When I was planning my revenge, I always made sure to set up some traps in my cave just in case you and your friends tried to capture me.” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I was actually surprised that nopony tried to pursue me. Even more so than when we didn’t imprison Chrysalis after her defeat.”

Twilight looked at her former enemies alternately before sighing. Discord, the very being who tried to brainwash and break her and her friends, and Starlight Glimmer, who manipulated time and space to her will, were now assisting her against a new threat. Meanwhile, a queen who nearly took over Equestria was allowed to leave. Either we’re too forgiving for our own good, or my life is just weird, she thought to herself in silence.

Discord whistled and his pink cloud formed into the shape of a dog that ran towards his leg, nuzzling it affectionately. The moment he pointed at the stairs leading down into the darkness, the cloud-dog dashed towards the pointed direction.

Upon hearing a loud smash, as if two massive objects had hit each other, a huge plume of dust billowed from the entrance. Twilight and Starlight ran closer to the staircase, Twilight’s left wing spread out to block her student’s face while her right wing covered her own eyes. Once the dust settled, her ears drooped at the indiscriminate noises of destruction. After half a minute, blissful silence finally washed over her and pervaded the entrance, she lowered her wings and illuminated her horn. Taking in the sight before her, she grimaced, her face twisting up in a small frown.

A massive boulder, three times the size of a pony, was embedded inside the wall. The floor was enveloped by bolts with marks of purple poison, barely visible at their tips, and spears emerging from small holes on the floor. Puddles of acid and melted stone were visible further ahead, making the whole room feel like the aftermath of a battle.

“Have fun disarming all the traps, ladies,” Discord said with a chuckle as Starlight looked up at him.

“Won’t you help?”

Discord shook his head. “Nah, I got no time for that.” He put on a pair of star-shaped glasses and added, “Dealing with traps and exploring these ruins- I’ll leave it to you two mares. In the meantime, I’ll get to the source of this magic distortion and save the day, chaotic style. See ya on the parade to celebrate my magnificent victory!” He snapped his claw and vanished in a flash.

Starlight chuckled and smiled nervously as she glanced at her teacher. “Let’s look on the bright side. Maybe we can discover new spells down there while he deals with the threat. Discord can take care of himself.”

Twilight massaged her forehead and exhaled wistfully. “So much for teamwork. I guess I shouldn’t get my hopes up in the first place.”

“Hey,” Starlight cooed, “we still got each other’s back." She surrounded herself with a magical shield and exclaimed, “There’s no trap dangerous enough to stop the most magical duo in Equestria!”

Twilight smiled, a fiery glow in her eyes. She spread her wings and said confidently, “Let’s do it.”

Discord hovered in the air while looking around, noticing four entrances into the large room. His gaze narrowed as he scanned his surroundings. The hall looked like the inside of a large dome, with a big star-like rune decorating the floor and a large glowing yellow crystal attached to the ceiling. Despite the sand grains dropping from a few cracks in the ceiling, the floor was kept clean. His senses still picked up residual energy of powerful magic, most likely responsible for the appearance of the invaders.

A grave and powerful voice echoed around the walls. “Welcome to my domain, Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. I have been expecting you.”

“You know me? Did we meet?” Discord asked as he looked at each entrance, unsure of which direction the voice was coming from.

Once again, that voice resonated deep within the room, a tinge of malevolence in it. “Your reputation precedes you.”

Discord sneered. “If this is the part where you praise me and invite me to join your Conquest of Equestria, skip it. Tirek already did, and his betrayal at the end wasn’t pleasant.”

“I see. I’ll go straight to killing you instead.”

Discord chuckled. “Killing me?” He raised his head arrogantly. “I’m chaos incarnate. Do you really think you can overcome my power? I would like to see you try, and laugh as you fail.”

“I won’t dirty my hooves. I’ll leave it to my slaves.”

Slowly, the room started filling with creatures. Several of them looked like dogs, with orange coats striped in black while their tails, mane and chest were fluffy and white. A few, however, were taller than the others, walking on two legs as flames undulated along their tails and heads, their red-yellow coats looking as if ready to burst into flames. Each of those creatures wore a collar with a barely noticeable dark crystal set into it.

“Magmars, Growlithes, burn him down!” the firm voice commanded.

Discord stared curiously as the flames erupted from the creatures’ mouths and enveloped him. Huh, it's getting pretty hot in here. Kind of reminds me of my vacation in that volcano during the dragon's migration, he thought, his inherent chaotic magic preventing his body from being turned into ash.

The flames and thick smoke slowly faded, revealing Discord floating comfortably on his back, this time with a pair of sunglasses resting on his nose and his claws on the back of his head. A floating cup of lemonade tilted, its content pouring into his open mouth. "Thanks for the steam bath."

“Fire doesn’t faze you?” the voice roared, failing to conceal its growing anger. “Slaves, bring in the forces of lighting!”

Discord raised his glasses and looked down, seeing as his enemies had started vacating the room only for new ones to take their place. Those dark-blue puppies do look kind of cute, especially with that star on their tail. I wonder if Fluttershy would like to adopt one.

“Shinx, attack with Spark and Thunder Fang. Luxio, use Charge and follow up with Discharge!” commanded the malevolent voice.

Smaller dog-like creatures dashed forward and leapt towards Discord. Half of them had jolts of electricity surging up from their bodies; the other half, from their teeth.

Discord teleported to the side in response, eyeing the attackers as they began falling back to the floor. His attention was suddenly caught by a thundering howl, as larger and more vicious dogs displayed yellow auras and jolts of electricity. Their teeth were gnashing together and their eyes blazed with rage. Much to Discord’s surprise, the spacious room swelled with waves of electricity. “Owowowowowowow!” He wailed upon being electrocuted as his body began to smell of burned flesh. He shook his head, and with a snap of his claws made his injuries vanish instantly.

“Wow, that was truly a shocking experience. Allow me to return the favour.” Discord smirked and snapped his claw, causing the tails of the attackers to intertwine with each other. “Catch the ball, catch the ball,” he patronized as he threw a small white ball, which grew to the size of a grown bear. Much to his surprise, the dog-like creatures didn’t react or show any fear, deciding to just stand still as the giant ball rolled over them. They stood back up a moment later, no worse for wear. “You guys are tougher than I thought.”

"Use the power of water against him!" commanded the sinister voice as the floor started to tremble.

“The power of water? Seriously?” His body started trembling like it was made of jelly as he said in a mocking tone, “Oh, look out everypony, he’s going to make me wet, I'm so scared.” He paused for a moment and his attention focused on a giant turtle with two cannons on his shell, and more intently on the creature next to it: a large snake-like monster with a long red mane and antennas poking out of its head. He pointed at the latest newcomer and asked, “What’s that?”

When Discord realized silence would be the only answer, he placed his claws on both sides of his face and said, “Is that how we’re going to play it? You’re just going to throw critters at me?” A warm smile appeared on his face. “Oh, I get it. I need to defeat wave after wave of minions before you reveal yourself in epic fashion for the final battle. I can dig that.”

Distracted by his overconfidence, Discord failed to react as two large streams of water blasted from the two cannons on the turtle’s shell. His limbs were torn off his body by the unrelenting force of water and pinned onto the wall. The stonewall behind him started cracking from the impact. Discord gasped, his eyes wide when a third stream of water was shot towards him from the snake-like creature’s mouth. Only a few seconds after having his head pinned against the wall, his body slumped back down to the floor.

After coughing the water away, he said with a raspy voice, “Note to myself: never again make fun of water-based attacks. That stuff packs a punch.” His head and hands vanished in an instant and reappeared on his body. Being a spirit of chaos had its perks after all, and he was glad it had nulled most of the pain he felt. “I suppose it’s my turn.” He snapped his claw and a portal materialized under his enemies, only for another one to appear on the ceiling right above. The two hulking giants fell into the portal on the floor and reappeared on the ceiling, ending up in a loop with ever-increasing momentum. “Hey, this is real fun, bring me more toys to play with.”

Discord had been staring at the spectacle in amusement, at least until his foes once again unleashed streams of water against him. One of the three streams managed to hit him in the stomach, pushing him towards the floor. He frowned and snapped his claw, closing both portals and causing the two giants to hit the ground with a tremendous thud, shattering the stone on the floor and filling the chamber with a considerable cloud of dust.

Starlight Glimmer galloped with determination. A few bruises covered her body, her eyes two narrow slits to match the irritated frown on her face. “Discord, you and I are going to have a serious talk… leaving us like that, with so many traps!” With Twilight researching the inscriptions on the walls, the task of finding Discord had fallen on her.

She went by tunnel after tunnel, each showing the passage of time as cracks and dust were visible on the walls. Occasionally, she’d notice a rune or two, most likely responsible for keeping these ruins from crumbling into oblivion. I cannot tell if this place is centuries or millennia old, but to keep all the sand from sinking in thanks to this magic is truly impressive.

Upon feeling a subtle trembling under her hooves, she stopped. Her ears perked up as loud bangs started reaching them. Discord? she thought before resuming her gallop, using the loud noises as a guide. She pressed her hooves against the stone to put herself into a full stop the moment she entered a very spacious room. Her eyes focused on Discord, who was standing heroically on top of a large stony creature with a horn. Two gigantic worms made of stone quickly retreated into the closest entrance. “Discord!”

“Starlight?” Discord wheezed before reappearing in front of the unicorn, the few bruises on his body indicating he was hurt. “So glad you joined in. I can finally display my abilities and heroism in front of an audience.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked, standing on her rear-hooves and pointing at a bruise on her friend’s cheek. “Were you fighting all this time? Are you hurt?”

Discord shook his claw dismissively. “Bah, just a little bit, no biggie. Some black doggy creatures attacked me with dark magic, or whatever it was they used. It surprisingly hurt a bit, but I showed them what real chaos looks like.”

“Dark magic? And wait a second now, how many did you defeat? It's only been fifteen minutes since you left,” Starlight asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Discord laughed cheerfully. “Oh, you should’ve seen it! They tried to poison me, punch me, freeze me, they threw boulders at me and even caused an earthquake after pinning me to the ground. But those didn’t hurt all that much, and beating them up was quite entertaining.” A classic old camera appeared next to him as he added, “Pity I didn’t film it.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “And you didn’t go after their leader because?”

“And cut this fun short? Who do you think I am?”

“That’s what I’ve been asking myself ever since I met you,” Starlight responded, rolling her eyes.

Their discussion was interrupted by a commanding voice, “Strike him with fairy attacks, don't give him a chance to recover!”

Discord smirked before snapping his claw in an all-too-familiar fashion.

Starlight yelped as a comfortable sofa grabbed her, gently placing her on a pillow. A cup of chocolate milk and a bag of popcorn promptly floated into her hooves.

“Enjoy the show,” Discord said before drifting towards the central part of the room.

Starlight shot a glance at the left entrance. Strange looking creatures were entering the room, most of them looking like small pink balls of fluff with overgrown ears the size of their tiny limbs. Leading them was a white feline creature with long pink ears and two bow ties, one decorating its neck and the other attached to an ear.

Aww... how cute and cuddly. Is the mastermind behind it really expecting us to fear them?

“Attack with Disarming Voice!”

Starlight quickly drew her forehooves to her ears as an extremely unpleasant noise assaulted them. Yet, despite the overwhelming noise, she could hear Discord’s painful scream. After a few moments of gritting her teeth, she opened her eyes and lowered her forelegs. Her eyes widened at the sight of Discord now lying on the floor, moaning in pain.

“It’s working!” The mysterious voice echoed, followed by a baleful laughter. “Sylveon, finish him with Moonblast immediately, show no mercy! Cleafaries, keep using Disarming Voice to pressure him!”

Without a second thought, Starlight teleported next to Discord, quickly forming a magical barrier between them and the incoming attacks. Shortly after, a silvery blast of destructive energy surrounded by a pink aura splashed against her shield, causing cracks to spread around her protective barrier.

“How dare you get in the way of our victory!” Dark sickly smoke filled the room, only to gather together in one spot and reform into a unicorn clad in heavy armor. His horn gleamed red at the end as if covered by melted iron.

Starlight surrounded Discord in her levitation aura and began to crawl backwards. “W-Who’re you?”

“Who am I?” The unicorn chuckled. “Have you never heard of the most powerful sovereign king to ever rule the Crystal Empire?” the stallion roared with a livid stomp. “I am King Sombra, one born from dark magic and the darkness that dwells in all living creatures. Remember it well, as you will serve me for the rest of your pathetic life.”

“In your dreams!” Starlight responded before shooting a beam of magic at Sombra, whose head turned into black smoke to avoid the attack. With her enemy distracted, she turned around and galloped to where she had come from. “Let me guess. You were defeated by Twilight and her friends and now you’re back for revenge.”

Sombra’s face twisted up into a snarl and his horn flashed with a dark aura, causing crystals to grow from the floor at the entrance.

Starlight focused her magic to teleport herself and her friend away, only to end up slamming into the black crystals face-first. She shook her head and stood back to her hooves, her eyes locked onto the growing crystals. Those blasted crystals blocked my teleportation, and I fear my magic won’t be able to pierce them in time, but there’s still an opening. With a resolute jump and the help of some self-levitation, she climbed up the tall crystals and jumped through the opening with Discord levitating right behind her. She fell down, bent her legs slightly and risked a quick look behind her. “That was close.”

Upon hearing the noise of cracking crystals, she bit her lip and broke into gallop, frequently teleporting herself and Discord to gain additional distance. Her pursuers weren’t far behind. She sped up her gallop and glanced at her unconscious friend in worry. Whatever Sombra’s minions did to him, it was meant to kill. “I gotta find Twilight and get out of here. Lest this dungeon becomes our tomb.”

If there’s something better than reading about ancient ruins and dungeons, it’s exploring them myself. Maybe I could even write a book or two about my discoveries, Twilight thought in excitement as she walked from room to room, reading the various notes on the walls.

“Alright... Let’s summarise the facts,” Twilight muttered to herself. She trotted through the long hallway, the dimly glowing gems attached to the walls blending in the light of her horn. “This place is clearly abandoned, yet according to these notes on the walls, it was used for magic-related experiments. Some of these notes are simply giving the description and purpose of each room, while most are just research data left for future generations.” She raised one foreleg and rubbed her chin in contemplative thought. It seems not everypony trusts books to withstand the test of time; which is odd, since there are conservation spells for that.

She lowered her head. Still no clues about the invaders, though. I need to hurry up and gather more data. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted a bookshelf from the corner of her eye. In an instant, she teleported herself into the room, regretting it almost instantly. She blanched at the sight of the precious books either torn to pieces or damaged beyond recognition. No, no, no, no, no… She grabbed the closest book with her hooves and it turned to ash before her eyes.

Taking a moment to calm her panicked mind, she resisted the urge to cry for the ruined literature. Staying up on quivering legs, she struggled to examine the room as her ears drooped again at the heartbreaking view, and she focused on her thoughts instead. There are plenty of magical preservation runes on the walls, and bookshelves with the sole reason of ensuring the books here won’t get old and fall apart. That means somepony, or some creature, came here and destroyed them on purpose!"

She spread her wings threateningly and stomped, cracking the dusty floor slightly with the impact. Raising her head defiantly, she took on her best regal stance. “With Celestia as my witness, I vow to make whoever is responsible pay for this!”

“Twilight! Twilight! Answer me, please!”

The alicorn snapped out of her thoughts and ran out of the room as soon as she heard her student’s panicked call. “What happened?” she asked, her attention now on Starlight, who kept running with Discord levitating by her side. “And what happened to him?”

“There’s no time, we have to run!” Starlight shouted, never slowing down her frenzied run.

Before the alicorn could react, she was pulled by her student’s levitation. “Calm down,” Twilight said, spreading her wings and dispelling the magic around her. With a few quick flaps of her wings she found herself flying above her galloping student. “Can’t you give me a quick summary? Who are we running away from?”

“Them!” Starlight yelled and pointed behind her.

Twilight looked at the pointed direction. She caught a glimpse of what looked like some wolfish creatures. Most of them had a dark-white coat that blackened in their backs and legs, while a few were pristine white with a single blade-shaped ear on the side of their face. Their eyes menacingly flashed green whenever they entered the darker sections of the hallway.

“Run for the exit, I’ll try to slow them down!” Twilight shouted. Her ears were drooped, but she narrowed her eyes and aimed with her horn. She began to let loose a mighty barrage of magical beams, each one barreling towards their targets faster and more furious than the last. Much to Twilight’s horror, they all splashed harmlessly against their pursuers, not even slowing them down.

The alicorn began pouring more power into her horn, gritting her teeth as she tried to levitate her enemies away, but her aura dispersed immediately upon contact. In desperation, she summoned lavender barriers to block the path, only for them to be immediately shattered to pieces by the enemies’ attack. Twilight gasped when she realized there was nothing she could do to slow her pursuers down. The snarling growls became louder and louder as the wolf-like creatures got closer and closer.

“Don’t bother. Magic is ineffective against those monsters, and they cut through barriers like butter. I already tried,” Starlight advised. Sweat had slowly began trickling down her forehead and her breathing was becoming laboured.

Twilight grabbed her student and flew to the side, just in time to evade two black crystals emerging from the floor.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Some evil king called Sombra is leading those creatures. Does it ring any bells?” Twilight gasped loudly in surprise, almost dropping her student, who emitted a yelp followed by an annoyed groan. “Hey, watch it!”

Twilight’s mind was working overtime right now. The last time we faced Sombra was in the Crystal Empire, when he cursed my brother so he couldn't use his magic, and his trap made it impossible for me to teleport away. My brother’s attacks didn’t work against him either. If his minions could beat Discord and are also resistant to magic, we’re in deep trouble. She half-closed her eyes and turned her head around, charging another spell.

“This isn’t going to work!” Starlight exclaimed, giving her teacher a disapproving look. Having her mentor’s hooves wrapped around her belly was making her feel somewhat awkward.

Twilight ignored her student and began releasing her magic onto the floor, flash-freezing it. Almost half of the pursuers lost their balance, while the rest made use of their claws to regain stability. She followed up with a powerful shot at the ceiling, causing stone and sand to crash down and block most of the pathway. Upon noticing a small hole in her improvised barricade, she ripped a loose boulder from the wall with her levitation magic and violently threw her projectile, striking one of the attackers that was trying to squeeze through the hole with great force.

Starlight smirked. “Oh, defeating magic-resistant foes by not striking them directly, clever. Seems our practices are finally starting to pay off.”

Twilight sighed in relief and placed her student back on the floor as they both headed towards the exit. “That should buy us some time, but flying through the Badlands to Ponyville would take too long, especially if our pursuers can fly as well.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Starlight responded, recalling the moment she had saved Discord. Sombra had proven beyond question that he had a large quantity of servants at his disposal. “Discord...” she muttered, finally able to pay attention to her still unconscious friend. “We need to look into his injuries. We can’t waste any time flying with him in this shape.”

Twilight nodded before landing on the floor in front of the stairs. All around her, the remains of disarmed traps and damaged spikes filled the floor. “What would you say to a long range teleportation?”

Starlight silently nodded in agreement before lowering Discord onto the floor and firing a few beams of her magic at the ceiling behind her. Following Twilight’s example, she blocked the path with countless piles of rubble and sand.

Twilight lowered her horn to the floor as her lavender aura appeared on it, growing in size with each passing second. Runes resembling her cutie mark appeared on the floor and flashed brightly. Starlight followed her mentor’s example and aided her with her own magic. After half a minute of charging, they wiped the sweat trickling down their brows.

“Done,” Twilight said, taking a peek at the rubble blocking the way. Loud booms and the dull sound of metal hitting stone indicated that their makeshift wall was under siege. “Now we just need to wait one minute for it to activate. Let’s reinforce the blockage in the meantime.” Suddenly, the loud noises were replaced by an unsettling silence.

“That won’t be necessary,” said a sinister voice as a dark figure emerged from Twilight’s shadow, towering behind her.

Twilight’s eyes opened widely as she slowly turned around and looked up, her legs bent slightly from the overwhelming pressure of raw power. She had come face to face with a creature seemingly plucked out of Luna’s deepest nightmares. The monster itself was legless, a black, irregular shape floating mid-air, the long white hood atop its head and what seemed like a thick red collar on its neck standing out the most. Apart from its pair of claw-ended arms, the creature boasted two additional spectral limbs and a tail, all three billowing as if they were caught in an invisible storm. Unable to draw her gaze from those light-blue, sinister eyes, Twilight struggled to recover her voice, “S-stand b-back.” She took a few hesitant steps backwards, her ears and wings drooped. “W-who are you?”

“I am everyone's worst nightmare,” he spoke while feigning a bow. “But between us royals, you can call me Darkrai, King of Nightmares.”

“D-Darkrai? Are you speaking with me telepathically?” Twilight shook her head and lit her horn, charging a spell. “You’re one of Sombra’s servants! If you think you can stop us from escaping, you’re too late!”

Starlight stepped in front of Discord and shot a beam of magic at the ceiling above her enemy, catching the falling rubble in her levitation field and fiercely thrusting it at the monster.

Darkrai floated in place and closed his eyes as the sharp rocks assaulted him with the speed of bullets, sinking into his body. Yet despite bearing the brunt of the attack, he didn’t budge.

Starlight grit her teeth and half-closed her eyes, visibly annoyed by the fact that not using magic directly at her foes greatly weakened her offensive.

Darkrai looked at Starlight’s annoyed expression and chuckled. “Prevent your escape? I have no intention of doing so.” He exposed his hand and started gathering dark energy into a large sphere.

Twilight quickly glanced at the flashing rune on the floor, her emergency escape only seconds away from being completed. She immediately raised a barrier around herself and her student.

“I just wish to give you both a farewell gift. A little something so you will remember me.” Darkrai clenched his fist and the gathered energy splashed in all directions, “Dark pulse,” effortlessly shattering the barrier before him as if it were made of thin glass.

Twilight spread her right wing protectively over Starlight, closing her eyes while a lavender aura covered her body, a thinner version of the one she had when facing Tirek. The dark energy began seeping through her protective aura as if it wasn’t even there, leaving numerous burns on her body. Starlight shared similar injuries up to her chest, sparing only her protected head. Both ponies fell to the floor and groaned in pain as the rune on the floor flashed brightly.

“One more thing,” Darkrai said in an enraged tone as a menacing halo surrounded his body, “I’m no one's slave!” He closed his eyes as the bright light overtook the room, and when he opened them, the mares before him were gone and Discord was nowhere to be found. “Farewell, young princess. I’m looking forward to toying with you in the near future.”

***

Loud twangs reached Darkrai’s ears as he looked to the side, staring at the gathered rubble which was violently being pushed away. The dust slowly descended, revealing an absolutely livid armored unicorn.

“Darkrai, where’s Discord? Where are the princess and her pupil?” Sombra asked in a commanding tone. “Answer me this instant!”

“Watch your tone, or are you daring to disrespect me again?” Darkrai challenged in a grim tone, crossing his arms. “Do you want to lose the support of my servants that much?”

Sombra stomped heavily, and crystals grew from the floor around his foreleg. He forced himself to stay in place, gritting his teeth painfully, and groaned in barely suppressed anger.

“I thought so,” Darkrai said as he floated closer to Sombra and patted him on the shoulder, which only annoyed the unicorn even further. “Worry not, I bid a most pleasant farewell to our dear guests. They’ll think twice about standing in our way.”

“So you enjoy playing with your prey? I would advise against it from… a personal experience.”

Sombra looked to the side, his eyes now on the form creeping out of the shadows across the room. “Chrysalis, where have you been?”

“In the dungeon. I was experimenting on our captives while feeding off them,” Chrysalis responded as she glanced at Darkrai. “It seems that our powerful ally was correct, his servants are the most deadly against our enemies out of all pokemon types. Dark-type attacks work wonders against ponies and are lethal against unicorns.”

Sombra frowned in annoyance before lowering his head. “My apologies, King of Nightmares.”

If Darkrai had lips, a large wicked smirk would have appeared on his face. ”Why so annoyed, King Sombra? You now have the army that you always wanted, and with way less brainwashing on top.” He looked at the former changeling queen and added, ”The revenge you so seek will soon be within your grasp.”

Chrysalis poked Sombra’s shoulder, who slapped her forehoof away. She decided to ignore it and change the subject. “As I expected, Discord paid us a visit. Did you succeed in discovering his weakness?”

Sombra nodded. “I did. As useless as those fairy pokemon look, their appearance has proven deceiving. Their power forced the Spirit of Chaos to his knees where other slaves didn’t even scratch him, yet that sniveling princess’ pupil saved his life before they could deliver the finishing blow.”

“The princess’ pupil!” Chrysalis shouted in rage, her composure immediately lost. She hissed, exposing her long tongue like a snake trying to intimidate its prey. “Starlight Glimmer was here!? And you let her escape!”

“I would have caught her if our ‘powerful ally’ was a bit more cooperative. The servants I sent to pursue them were about to break through the wall of rubble and corner the princess and her pupil, but they stopped because of his order.” Sombra pointed accusingly at his ally. “Darkrai let them go.”

Chrysalis looked at the Nightmare King with a deadly glare. Her legs trembled, all her inner rage demanding to be unleashed. She took a deep breath and settled with not-so-politely telling Darkrai why that hadn't been a good idea. Her wings fluttered around. Try as she might, she couldn’t find a way to word the frustration that was quickly mounting inside of her. Just as it was about to overwhelm her, she looked aside and unleashed a powerful green beam of magic, leaving a deep hole on the wall. Her mouth twisted up into a bitter frown as she struggled to refrain from straight-out insulting her ally.

"So this unicorn is the target of your vengeance, the one who ruined your plans and took away your hive.” Darkrai floated closer to Chrysalis with a wicked smirk and circled around her, staring at her angered face. ”Your undying rage is quite refreshing.”

“You let them escape on purpose, didn’t you?” Chrysalis asked with venom in her voice, restraining herself from attacking.

“And if I did, what would you do about it?” Darkrai asked as he floated towards the nearby shadows, damaging one of the illuminating gems on his way. His body started melting slowly in the darkness. ”You may have summoned me, but I care not for your conquest or revenge. I’m here to enjoy myself.”

***

Sombra massaged his forehead, his gaze still fixed on the spot where Darkrai had vanished a few seconds ago. “To think we must rely on his help to achieve our goals... How low have we fallen.”

Chrysalis raised her head arrogantly. “I don’t care who I need to resurrect, whose knowledge I use or who I summon, as long as I achieve my revenge. Once Equestria and the Crystal Empire are ours, I shall torture that unicorn, savour every second of her wails of pain and agony, and then retake my hive. Torturing that disgusting traitor Thorax will be the cherry on top.”

“And what should we do about Darkrai? He cannot be controlled and he has his own agenda. Should we dispose of him?” Sombra asked as he approached and looked the fallen queen deeply in the eyes. “He may become an obstacle if left unchecked.”

“He seeks to torment his prey. A world filled with fear and nightmares is to his liking,” Chrysalis responded with a cavalier voice. “As long as he’s helping us, he can do as he pleases. I don’t care for his personal games.”

Sombra rolled his eyes. “Allying yourself with whoever you can, even by sacrificing your dignity... You’re so desperate for revenge it hurts. To think a scuttling, pathetic bug like you was once a powerful queen, I pity you.”

“You can save your pity,” Chrysalis responded in a sharp voice as she poked Sombra’s chestplate. “Do NOT forget whose hive gathered your remains and found these ruins. The only reason I resurrected you was to brainwash the summoned masses into a new army for me, or else you would still lie in pieces inside a cocoon.” She turned around and trotted away. “Once you get your precious Empire back and I regain my beloved hive, we can fight each other for what’s left of Equestria and backstab one another to our heart's content. Until then, focus your anger on our common enemy.”

Sombra cackled. “It seems we aren’t so different after all. What I am curious about is, why did you hesitate to use the knowledge gathered here to your advantage?” He gestured over to the dusty walls. “So many tomes filled with ancient spells... You could have summoned creatures from other worlds and feasted on them.”

Chrysalis stopped for a moment and sighed. “I underestimated this place, something I now regret. Ruling and feeding my subjects, sending infiltrators into Equestria and planning my takeover garnered all my attention. Only when I lost everything did I retreat to this place and uncovered its secrets.” She chuckled and flew up. “And to think I had the tools for victory under my muzzle all this time...”

Sombra followed the former queen and spoke, “We lost the element of surprise, but we have the means of defeating Discord and the princesses with ease. Let’s rally our legion and proceed with the invasion immediately.”

“The Entire legion?” Chrysalis shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. Just send the most expendable forces of our army and lure them into a trap.”

“What?” Sombra stomped angrily towards Chrysalis. “Why not just attack with full force?”

“Experience, my dear king.” Chrysalis chuckled. “Unlike the changelings I once ruled, our new legion is vastly more powerful but less mobile and easy to spot. Its potential would be wasted if the ponies feared they could not win and retreated at the sight of our full might.” She approached and rubbed Sombra’s muzzle with her wing. “Instead, let them have false hope, let them think they can fight back.”

“Clever,” Sombra said with a growing grin. “Ponies may think they have the advantage... until Darkrai's servants crush their spirit, using their weaknesses against them.” He looked at the ceiling. “Even should they win, they would pay the price tenfold, while our legion will only grow stronger.” Upon seeing how the queen was about to leave, he suggested, “I shall appoint our mobile elites with a… special mission.”

“I approve,” Chrysalis said, her wings starting to buzz. “With an army at their doorstep, the princesses won’t be able to take any action to stop it.” She hovered in mid air, her gaze staring into space with steel determination.

“Tomorrow, Canterlot will either be ours, or burn.”

Darkness Returns - Plan B

Tales of a Pokemon Master

-

Chapter 1

Darkness Returns

Part 1 - Plan B

The citizens of Ponyville were used to extreme situations, a side effect of living near the Everfree Forest and experiencing daily exposure to Pinkie Pie’s shenanigans. Still, the presence of the Princess of Friendship and her friends provided them with a feeling of security.

As expected, seeing their princess covered in burns appear out of nowhere in the market square was enough to drive the townsfolk into mass hysteria.

A crowd quickly encircled the alicorn and stared in worry, blocking the passage between two lines of market stands and tents. Their eyes were on Twilight Sparkle, who was lying flat on the floor with an unconscious pony by her side, and they widened the moment they noticed a third figure, Discord himself. More than just a few ponies gulped or started sweating, imagining what kind of terrifying force could take down the Spirit of Chaos himself.

Murmurs and chatter overtook the crowd while a few volunteers galloped towards the hospital to call for help.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on?” Applejack asked as she pushed herself through the crowd. She gasped and galloped towards her friend. “Twilight, what happened?”

The alicorn groaned in pain as she massaged her forehead. After a few quick blinks, she raised her head and asked, “Applejack… where are we?”

“Market square, sugarcube,” the farm mare responded as she supported Twilight and helped her stand. "Just tell me who messed with ya'll and Ah’ll introduce them to mah hooves.” She gave a few tentative kicks. ”Nopony hurts mah friends on mah watch."

Starlight Glimmer stood up to her trembling legs and looked around, quickly noticing the gathered crowd and the scorch mark left on the ground by their teleportation. She looked at Twilight’s damaged wing and her ears drooped. “Th-thanks… Twilight.” Her face had remained unharmed thanks to her mentor’s protective wing. She turned around and approached Discord. Her breathing slowed down as she carefully rolled Discord on his back and shook him gently, tears welling up in her eyes. “Discord, wake up… please...”

“What happened to him?” Applejack asked Twilight.

“I’m not sure. Starlight was with Discord when this happened, so she’s the one with the answers.”

Starlight opened her mouth like she were about to speak, but was interrupted by her friend’s yawning.

Discord stretched and yawned as he wiped the sleepiness from his eyes before massaging his head and ears. “I feel as if I were listening to hundreds of cats clawing at a gigantic blackboard. What a headache...” He looked around, noticing the large crowd of ponies for the first time. He was about to speak when he caught sight of Starlight’s teary glare.

“You stupid draconequus, what were you thinking? Leaving us like that to fight the enemy all by yourself! If I didn’t find you in time, you would be done for!”

Discord blushed and glanced at the crowd before snapping his claw. “A bit of privacy, please.” He frowned in surprise when nothing happened. He snapped his claws a few more times, oblivious to the gathered ponies being randomly repositioned all over the marketplace. He looked at Starlight with an awkward smile and scratched the back of his neck. “I just couldn’t wait to play the hero… sorry about leaving you behind.”

“You should apologize to Twilight as well.” Starlight wiped the tears from her eyes and pointed at her mentor. “We were supposed to work as a team, and you ruined it.”

“Sorry,” Discord said as he tried to stand, his legs shaking from the effort. The only other time he felt so weakened was after Tirek’s betrayal. “Still, after what happened, I’ll stick to the team.” He lowered his head and added, “I promise.”

“Ya, right...” Applejack said, furrowing her eyebrows. She didn’t pick up any insincerity in Discord’s voice, but her experience told her he would most likely fail to keep his promise. “Who did this to ya’ll, Twilight? Care to tell?”

The alicorn shook her head. “This isn’t the place for stories, and we have a lot to talk about. We need to regroup in the castle.”

“Say no more,” Discord said as he called upon his magic, only to feel a dull ache in his head. After putting considerably more effort into the spell, he managed to teleport the group to the entrance of Twilight’s castle.

“That’s neat, now can ya git the rest of the team?” Applejack asked, staring up at Discord expectantly.

“Already on it, dear simple applejack,” Discord said before disappearing, leaving Applejack to roll her eyes.

“I think I’ll take a bath in the meantime,” commented Twilight after taking in the state of her coat.

Starlight examined herself and sighed. “So will I.”

“Ah’ll get Spike and wait in the map room,” Applejack said before stamping her hoof into the ground. “Ah can’t wait to pay ‘em back, whoever those snakes are.”

Twilight was now sitting on her crystal throne with Spike by her side, all her friends already in their respective thrones. Discord looked down from the chandelier made of tree roots and memory gems just above the Cutie Map.

Starlight sat on a pillow next to Spike. Despite her mentor’s insistence, she had refused a throne of her own, as she didn’t feel worthy of such an honor yet.

“Now that’s an epic adventure! I wish I had been there,” Rainbow Dash said with a wide smile on her dreamy face, her wings flapping in excitement.

“I fear you wouldn’t have made much of a difference, darling,” Rarity spoke up. “If anything, Discord’s hot temper only made matters worse, and we all know that you tend to rush into action without second thoughts. No offense.”

“Hey! I got better at teamwork since I joined the Wonderbolts,” Dash grumbled, crossing her forelegs.

Fluttershy tapped her hooves together as she spoke hesitantly, “Ummm… doesn't that mean that those animal creatures you spoke off are really dangerous? Maybe I could convince them to stop being so mean.”

“Don’t count on it,” Discord said, peeking from behind a root. “They seemed blindly obedient to Sombra, not even blinking when I counterattacked.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Now that I say it aloud, I remember they all had those weird collars with dark crystals.”

“Dark crystals!?” Twilight said as her eyes widened. “Why didn’t you mention that earlier?”

“It slipped my mind.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Sure it did.”

“Twilight, do you know anything?” Starlight asked with a hard interrogative stare as she started thinking back to her encounter with their enemies.

“Sombra once ruled the Crystal Empire, and he even raised an army in one of the distorted timelines. It makes sense that he would know the means to control others against their will,” Twilight explained.

“But how did old grumpy face get all those cute little critters to work for him? Pulling them from a wizard's hat?” Pinkie asked. She imagined Sombra in Trixie’s costume, pulling random creatures from his hat before placing brainwashing collars on their necks. She embraced herself and shivered. “S-scary.”

“I think he summons them from another dimension, using that weird rune in the middle of the room I fought in,” Discord pointed out. Several pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief. “What? Don't give me that look girls, I can have smart ideas from time to time too. It just bores me to overthink details.”

Fluttershy half-closed her eyes and spoke up as bravely as she could, “Smart ideas or not, those mean animals did hurt you. I absolutely forbid you from putting yourself in any more danger! I mean… I would appreciate it… if that's ok with you.” She hid the blush of embarrassment behind her mane.

Twilight closed her eyes and thought deeply before speaking up, “I think Discord may be right, for a change. When I was exploring that dungeon, I encountered many notes, and some of them were about some grand project about summoning. It didn’t cross my mind it would mean summoning inhabitants of different worlds.” She lowered her head and sighed. “I wished I could have gathered more data, but all those poor innocent books I found were torn to pieces.” She growled. “I swore to avenge those books, and I’ll keep my word.”

Spike raised his claws to his mouth, faking a gasp. “Destroyed books? I pity the fools who enraged you by doing that.”

Discord vanished and reappeared on the map, his head resting on the miniature of a mountain with a tiny city located on it. “Seems I won the bet, Starlight. Remember how I guessed that those pesky invaders may have come from another world?” He poked his friend’s muzzle, who gently pushed his claw to the side.

“But what can be done?” Rarity asked, looking between her alicorn friend and the Spirit of Chaos. “I got the impression from your stories that Sombra was trying to uncover Discord’s weakness. Not only did he succeed in this regard, he already had beasts resistant to magic at his beck and call.” She raised a hoof to her forehead dramatically. "Oh, c'est fini!"

“Ah gotta agree with Rares on this one. What’s the plan?”

Starlight looked at Discord curiously. “How about fighting fire with fire. Discord, you have the power of chaos on your side, could you maybe summon some help?”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Discord responded as he stood up. “Why risk my hide if I can let someone else do it for me. Though opening a portal between dimensions is quite exhausting, so don’t expect me to bring an army here or anything.”

“That didn’t stop you from trying to banish my friend,” Fluttershy scolded.

“What can I say,” Discord said and shrugged. “Banishing is easier for me than summoning.”

“Eureka!” Twilight shouted, attracting everypony’s attention. “Discord, we don’t need an army. If you could summon someone with plenty of knowledge to cooperate with us, we could learn more about those invaders and find the means to defeat them. It’s a perfect plan!” She tapped her hooves in excitement before pointing at her shy friend. “Fluttershy could translate their language, and if that fails, I could try to find a way to communicate with my magic.”

“Ya sure ‘bout that?” Applejack asked. “What if they ain’t smart enough?”

Twilight shook her head. “The one who hurt us when we were about to teleport to Ponyville communicated telepathically and seemed to be intelligent. I’m sure it will work.”

“And what if Discord screws up again?” Dash asked, giving the Draconequus a challenging glare. “His list of failures is quite long, after all.”

“Screw up? List of failures? I feel offended,” Discord said, turning around and holding a claw on his chest. He returned the glance with a determined stare of his own as he pointed at the athletic pegasus. “Just sit and wait, Rainbow Crash. I will bring with me someone so powerful, smart and awesome that you’ll eat your words. Literally.” With one solid slash of his claw, he caused a portal to another dimension to open above the table and jumped in. The portal blew a raspberry at Dash as it closed right behind him.

All eyes in the room immediately locked onto Rainbow Dash, each one of her friends giving her a disapproving look.

“What… what?”

Darkness Returns - Hitman and Master

Tales of a Pokemon Master

-

Chapter 1

Darkness Returns

Part 2 - Hitman and Master

It was a dark dusty cell, one bench to sleep on and a small window with some rusty old bars keeping him from freedom. Once an elite hitman of Team Rocket with at least thirty skilled trainers robbed of their pokemon on his belt, now but a mere prisoner with nothing but a deep festering hate for Astra to keep him company.

He lied on the bench, padded with some bedding to help make it more comfortable, eyes focused on the ceiling. How low have I fallen? He groaned in annoyance as he rubbed his beard. Instead of a large ‘R’ on his black and white uniform, all he had were the black and white stripes on his prisoner’s outfit. My perfect score of robbed trainers. Over a hundred pokemon strong enough to fight at any Pokemon League. My reputation and privileges, all lost because of that stupid girl.

He tilted his head to the side, now looking at the reinforced steel door. A sickly dim light filtered through the window, barely giving him any visibility. Giovanni trusted and respected me. He paid obscene amounts of cash to get me out of prison more than once, and he even made sure my accommodations here were luxurious and comfortable. He let out a mournful sigh. But that stupid long-tailed rat always got in the way, always saving her blasted trainer’s pokemon and her worthless life. After failing over and over, even the boss lost faith in me. He grit his teeth. “The name of Deathblow, once fearsome and respected has been dragged through the mud. What I wouldn't give to get out of this place, to once again serve a powerful organization as the professional I always was.”

Your wish can be granted... but not here.

He stood up from his bench and looked around, unsure of where the voice was coming from. He looked down upon noticing something shine on the floor in a green aura with the shape of a large star.

Serve us, and your power and position will be unquestionable.

Green lights and black smoke quickly overtook the room, leaving the cell empty.

The alarms began to echo in the entire prison. Teams of guards started to run around in panic checking cell after cell, where the most dangerous criminals in the world had vanished.

***

“Mr John, Sir,” said one of the two guards standing on both sides of a large reinforced door, “what brings you here at this hour?”

“Open the damn door,” he ordered.

“But sir… due to the protocol that is in effect, we must still confirm your identity,” the second guard intervened.

Without a moment’s notice, he showed his ID card and allowed the facial recognition scanner to begin analyzing his face to confirm his identity. “Authorization code is: ‘Celebi three’.”

The large locks made a hissing noise as the hydraulics worked to open them, each the size of a Raidon, with the door itself being tough enough to endure a Steelix charge.

John’s mouth went agape, as well as his guards’. Before him was a large room with hundreds of empty slots for pokeballs, advanced force fields preventing pokemon from leaving them.

“They’re… gone.” He fell to his knees and slammed his fist against the floor. “Damn it! All these pokemon, confiscated from the most dangerous criminals… gone!”

Deathblow slowly opened his eyes. The only source of light was a large glowing yellow gem on the ceiling, and most of the room was covered by black smoke. He looked around, noticing many pokeballs lying on the floor and a few loose grass-type pokemon that closely resembled large flowers. “Sunflora?” The most noticeable one, though, was some kind of giant green snake. “What’s going on here?”

His heart skipped a beat when the dark smoke enveloped the pokemon’s necks, who struggled and screamed in response. A black whispy aura started escaping from their flashing green eyes; collars with small dark crystals were now present on their necks.

“Human. Choose carefully. Either you join us as an officer of our legion… or as a manipulated slave,” a deep sinister voice echoed from the smoke.

“Legion? How big?” Deathblow asked. Aside from the fast breathing and sense of fear, a burst of excitement surfaced in his mind.

“Hundreds of enslaved pokemon and more than a hundred humans filled with ambition and desires for power,” replied a smooth resonating female voice. ”And it’s growing by the hour.”

Deathblow smirked. He pointed at the giant snake-like grass pokemon next to him and asked, “Will they heed my every command? Will my skills be recognized?”

“Prove yourself, and a position of power will be yours,” echoed the deep voice.

He crossed his hands and nodded. “I’m in.”

Alola, one of the most unique regions in the Pokemon World. For some dedicated trainers it’s a place filled with trials, adventures and excitement; a place to test skills, explore and learn how to use the famous Z-moves, which can push the power of pokemon to their very limit. For most, however, it's a place to relax.

The bright sun shined down upon the beach, where many were either swimming with their pokemon or having a relaxing sunbath.

Astra was lying comfortably on a sunbed, basking in the cool shadow of her umbrella. Her long orange hair was tucked under a white sun hat for good measure, some stray locks hanging limply over her blue swimsuit. The green purse she always wore attached to her belt was lying on a bronze-coloured blanket next to her, alongside six black pokeballs striped in red and gold, five of which were empty.

She raised her head to glance at the sea. Starmie, a large starfish with a huge ruby encrusted on its chest, was surfing the waves while balancing Raichu on its uppermost limb. The latter was a much smaller creature, akin to a huge rat. Orange fur covered most of her body, save for the white belly and the bronze patches in her paws and legs, and her long tail ended in a pointy lightning bolt. Despite their speed and the crashing waves, she maintained a perfect balance on the tip of her paw while her long tail swished happily in the wind.

Nica and Starmie seem to be having fun. She looked to her right at the large green beast with a giant flower on its back and a pleasant smile on its face. An egg-shaped pokemon was taking a nap under the giant flower, hiding in its shadow. On top of the flower lied a nine-tailed golden fox, its belly exposed to the sunlight and its forepaws playfully stretched outwards. Venusaur and Ninetails seem to be enjoying the sunbath too, although Blissey not as much... I hope it isn’t too hard to find some enjoyable activities for all of my team. It would be unfair if only my Kanto’s pokemon were having all the fun.

Astra was about to relax again, when she heard the growling of one of her larger pokemon. She took off her hat and looked to the side, noticing a kid wearing a black sleeveless shirt and some really gaudy looking necklace with a big ‘S’ symbol attached to it. It was at that point when she noticed that very same boy shamelessly trying to grab her belt.

”Umm… may I help you with something, sir?” she asked, dubiously noticing that the boy was struggling to take one of her Luxury Balls and failing, because she had already tied them up in chains.

“Yo homie. I heard there was a very hot chick with some crazy strong pokemon,” he said, performing some sort of dance that ended with his hands on his sides forming the shape of a skull. “I thought taking them would let me beat down any foo who picked a bone with Team Skull, and score me a grip of cash while I was at it.” He finally managed to snatch her belt and started a new dance, waving his hands up and down while swaying his body to nonexistent hip hop music.

“You do realize that my pokemon won’t listen to you, right? If anything, when they get out of the pokeballs they're going to kick you where the sun don't shine for stealing them in the first place,” Astra said, maintaining a calm composure.

“Venusaur!” growled Venusaur, attracting the attention from other vacationers on the beach and almost waking up the pokemon on his back, who yawned and returned to sleep. At the same time, Starmie and its passenger crashed upon the beach, sand cascading in all directions.

Raichu jumped from Starmie’s back performing a triple somersault, landing in front of the Team Skull member and looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

“Yo, I ain’t goin’ down without a fight. Better get it through that skull of yers.” He took his own pokeball with his hand, only for it to be wrapped by a long black tail.

“Raichu, Rai,” Nica said, shaking her head.

“Let go of my hand lil rat, this isn't how we fight. Skull cracking won’t do where I stand without Drowzee's helping hand.”

Astra looked down at her partner. “Nica, teach him a lesson on how we deal with amateur thieves like him.”

“Raichu!” She nodded, and sparks of electricity started escaping her cheeks.

***

The lone Team Skull member gulped and closed his eyes, expecting to be electrocuted any second. Much to his surprise, he suddenly felt something lift him up, his legs no longer touching the ground. He dared not open his eyes, now expecting to be thrown into the water, into a garbage can... or something worse.

His confusion grew as he felt a strong gust of wind on his face and an odd sense of speed, as if riding a mighty Tauros. Am I flying? What’s going on. He slowly opened one eye, then both. Now, he could see that he was moving along the road, when his ride abruptly changed direction and ran into a building.

“Greetings, how can I help… you?”

“Rai, Rai.”

The Team Skull member looked around in confusion. His surroundings reminded him of the famous malasada shop with yellow walls, various decorations and many tables and seats. That beautiful paradise with sweet succulent malasada, forever out of his reach due to his ever-empty pockets. He looked down, only now noticing that he was sitting on the yellow part of Raichu’s tail while being raised above the floor. Despite the critter being shorter and lighter, no signs of struggle showed on her face. “Yo, that was some sick speed, lil rat, I didn't know you could move so fast.”

“Rai,” Nica said before pointing at a sweet malasada behind the glass counter. She held her trainer’s purse in her paws. “Raichu.”

“It will be three poke dollars for a normal sized one and five for large ones,” the shopkeeper said hesitantly, not taking her eyes from the kid on Raichu’s tail. “I must say, most of the time trainers buy their pokemon malasada, not... the other wait around.”

“Wait, malasada… for me?” he asked, looking at the critter curiously with wide eyes.

“Rai, Rai,” Nica responded with a warm smile directed at the kid as she took out a notepad and pen from the purse, writing in it. Once done, she picked up eight pokedollars from the purse and presented both them and the notepad to the shopkeeper, who took them hesitantly.

“One normal sized and one large malasada coming right up.” She pointed at the nearby free table. “Please, take a seat.”

The Team Skull member, often called ‘ground C’ by his fellow teammates, stepped from Raichu’s tail onto the floor. He followed the pokemon towards the pointed table while performing his signature dancing-walk his team was famous for. With his eyes on Raichu, who sat on the opposite side of the table, he perched himself on a seat and asked, “Yo lil homie, you really… wanna treat me to malasada? No tricks?”

“Raichu,” Nica said with a casual nod and a compassionate smile.

He held his hand on his chest and felt his heart melting as tears started sliding down his cheeks. “Yo lil homie, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

***

Astra stretched her arms as she walked along the side of the road. She had left her belongings and pokeballs on the blanket with Venusaur, who was on guard duty, and Starmie was still playing in the water. I gotta say it’s nice to take a break from all these matches and challenges. Fighting elite criminals and performing in front of the TV day after day can be really exhausting, Astra thought as she held her hands behind her back and sighed. Well... at least there’s no criminal organization in this region I need to take seriously.

She slowly opened the door into the malasada shop, peeking inside. Her eyes focused on a depressed Team Skull member finishing the leftovers of his third large malasada with Raichu standing on his lap and gently stroking his shoulder.

“And then… all other trainers would clown on me and call me a loser, sayin’ only the biggest failure can lose against a Totem Pokemon three times in a row,” he said, his eyes still drowned in tears. “Like for real, lil homie, I started to believe I couldn't accomplish anything and just straight up ran away, and after weeks of failure after failure, I jus’ gave up.” He took a deep breath. “It was terrible, lil homie, I couldn't beat any trial or earn any of that shiny badge bling for months. I lost all of my status as a trainer, and they just flat out stopped me from getting free meals at the Pokemon Center. I had no skills so no one would give me a job,” the Team Skull member finished as he wiped away a few more tears.

“Raichuuuu,” Nica said, climbing up onto his shoulder and nuzzling his cheek.

“Thanks, lil homie… anyways, like I was sayin’, Team Skull invited me, gave me a place to stay and supported me as much as they could. I was jus’ too ashamed to show my face at home, so I joined them. Struggling day after day with my buddies cheering me up whenever I felt down.” He looked Raichu in the eyes. “But even they couldn’t afford three large malasadas, and you gifted them to me from the kindness of your heart despite us being enemies.” He grabbed Raichu in a hug and pressed her into his black undershirt. “I’d take a thunderbolt or even a hyper beam into the face to repay you for these glorious sweets!”

Raichu didn’t reject the hug, though her face scrunched up in disgust against the devastating smell, as the kid apparently hadn’t bathed for weeks.

“The name’s Mike by the way, yo, but my new name’s Ground ‘C’. Real nice talking with you.”

“Raichu, Rai.”

Astra took a few steps backward and supported herself against the wall of the shop, deciding to give her pokemon some space. She looked at the sea. “I swear, that’s the third Team Skull member Nica has fed this week. Maybe I should talk with the local Kahunas to organize some sort of decent-paying work for those thugs.”

“Your partner has become too soft for her own good,” a red-haired trainer in a cape chimed in from a spot on a nearby tree.

Astra examined her surroundings before looking up. “Nica may be too compassionate, maybe even hesitant to fight, but when it comes to helping and protecting others, she always gives her best.”

“And yet, your top pokemon avoid pokemon battles all the same,” Lance said. “I may consider aiming at your seat, Master Astra. Even you can’t defend your title with five pokemon, and we both know you would never keep your partner in reserve.”

“You know better than anyone that challenging me for my title is anything but easy. I bet you don't even know what steps you’d need to take to even get started.”

“Yes, I do,” Lance started in a cheeky tone. “First step, gather enough badges to participate in the Pokemon League. Next, win first place in a tournament to be allowed to fight and beat four members of the Elite Four in one region to become a champion.” He took a quick breath. “Once sixty of the current and former champions from all regions gather together, one supreme tournament is held and televised all over the entire world. Four of the best champions get the privilege of challenging you for the title.” He jumped from the tree, bending his knee upon landing. He pointed at himself and smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth. “I’ll become a champion myself and fight in such a tournament, should it take place, just you wait.”

“Not if you only use dragon types. Besides, while I don’t care much for fame, I still need my position to realize my dreams.” She got off the wall she was leaning on and walked right up to his face. “And there's no way I’ll lose my title to anyone, especially you.”

“Nice swimsuit. You should wear it more often.”

Astra blushed. “Better a swimsuit than a large, impractical and ridiculous cape.” She narrowed her eyes. “But enough joking around. You aren’t the type to fly all the way to Alola for a vacation. Is there an emergency?”

“Perceptive as always.” He approached and placed a hand on her shoulder, while Raichu and that Team Skull member peeked outside and looked at them through the window. “Pokemon from all regions are randomly vanishing. Wild and tamed alike. We know not the reason behind their disappearance, nor can we track them.”

***

Unbeknownst to the talking elites, a green star-shaped rune appeared under a wild large mouse with a tiny mustache. The critter looked down and sniffed curiously. Its ears straightened threateningly as it tried to run, only to bounce off an invisible barrier. Dark smoke escaped from the rune and surrounded the squeaking rat. The rune flashed a strong green and vanished alongside its prey.

***

“Has any action been taken yet?” Astra asked as she looked Lance in the eyes, her voice suddenly becoming serious.

“The Elite Four and the champion from Sinnoh region are preparing an expedition to find Palkia or Dialga and seek their guidance,” Lance explained. “With control over time and space, they are our best bet.”

Astra rubbed her chin. “Quite a well thought out move. Thanks for the update.” She let out a long sigh. “I guess I’ll end my vacation short and assist them immediately.” She took a few steps towards the beach, only for Lance’s hand to stop her.

“There’s more you need to know, Astra… All the prisoners from that high security prison in Kanto… are gone. Including you know who.”

“No…” Astra’s eyes widened, her breathing became rapid and drops of sweat started forming on her forehead. “N-n-no…”

Lance glanced at Master Astra for a moment before sighing. “Say no more. I shall fetch Dragonite to give you a ride so you can investigate it for yourself.”

“Thank you,” she said, her hands still trembling from anxiety. “I won’t rest until those scum bags are back where they belong. I swear on my life!” she shouted, stomping her leg on the road.

Lance’s eyes narrowed once more. “I wish you were joking, but I know better.”

Nica chose that moment to walk out from the malasada shop and, giving the thug one quick last glance, she waved farewell. “Raichu.”

***

“Good luck, lil homie… an’ don't forget to crack some bad-guy skulls for me!” he said, waving back. I really need to find a way to repay lil homie. Maybe I can buy her dinner, or a biscuit… wait, I ain’t got no cash. Maybe I can rob some other fool for cash or rob the shop… wait, her trainer gets food for free in Poke Centers. He massaged his stomach, for the first time in weeks feeling so full. He snapped his fingers. That’s it. I’ll get some buddies and steal all the Electrium Z in Alola, so lil homie would be the strongest electric pokemon… Ugh no, wait, she’s the top pokemon of the top Pokemon Master, so she is already the strongest electric pokemon. He walked outside, took a quick look at the beach and shrugged. Whatever. I don’t feel like causing any more trouble today. Relaxing day on the beach, here I come!

He walked alongside the road, waving his hands up and down with each step. A trainer riding on a Tauros passed by. Maybe some swimming will do me good. He sniffed his armpit. Yeap, it would really do me some good. He stopped, frowning. “Wait… I don’t know how to swim.” His head dropped in disappointment. “Oh, man...”

Suddenly, a green star-shaped rune appeared under his feet. He looked down curiously. “A lucky star? Should I make a wish?”

A green flash later, the road was empty.

Manehattan, the largest city in Equestria; known for its culture and glamour, always busy citizens, modern construction methods, and the large statue of a pony holding a torch displaying its might across the river.

A pair of earth ponies in casual tourist clothes walked along the edge of the water, taking pictures of the statue. Their carefree attitude was interrupted by a massive number of bubbles forming on the water, making its way ever closer to the shore.

Curious, the pair approached the edge of the water. They took a step back as a few small white fish with blue backs jumped onto the ground. Tiny collars were present in the base of their tails.

“Awww, poor little things,” the mare said as she approached, intending to help the fish back into the water. More and more fish kept jumping onto the shore every second.

Both stallion and mare walked backwards as their eyes widened. At least half a hundred of fish, one after another, had merged together forming a large monster. Their screams of terror were cut short by a stream of hot water shooting them into a restaurant right through the wall.

Several shocked ponies peeked through the windows and the hole in the wall. Their gaze rested upon a huge monstrosity, and their hearts skipped a beat. Soon enough, they were pushing and shoving each other out of the way, screaming in panic as everypony struggled to get outside.

Snake-like water monsters with long antennas, large creatures resembling whales and other various monsters jumping out of the water joined the fray. Less lucky ponies were grabbed by the giant water snakes’ long tails or got their hooves frozen in place by silvery beams. All of them were thrown into the mouths of what appeared to be giant whales, or as they later discovered, Wailords.

Some of the braver ponies engaged in combat, hooves clashing with their attackers, all the while enduring the streams of water and deceptively painful bubbles.

***

Deathblow opened his eyes. He was standing on the roof of a large building with a psychic pokemon by his side. The pokemon boasted a large mustache and held two spoons, one in each hand, though a more perceptive observer would also notice the black crystal attached to a collar on its neck.

The former prisoner now wore armor clad with spikes on his shoulders, and no less than ten pokeballs attached to his belt. The smoke in the city, the crumbling buildings, and the screams of panic indicated that the ongoing invasion was being a success.

“Get us a bit closer, Alakazam!” he commanded. “We don’t want to fail our new bosses on our first task, do we?” They both vanished in a flash of light as his pokemon followed the order without hesitation.

***

Several ponies wearing police uniforms and covered in bruises stood in between the wounded citizens and the invaders. Their attempts at negotiation had conclusively failed, as the attackers refused to quit and kept fighting until they were rendered unconscious.

With a precise magical shot, a pony police officer slammed a white seal against a wall, causing the structure to crack. After the seal had slumped back to the ground, it slowly rose back up to its fins and wobbled around a bit before focusing its stare back on the policeponies. Its eyes emitted an unsettling black-green aura.

Noticing the suspicious-looking crystal on its collar, the police officer shot another magical projectile towards it, destroying the corrupting crystal. Still, the aura in the invader’s eyes didn't recede.

“What in Equestria are those things?” one of the police officers asked.

“No clue,” said another policepony as she narrowly dodged a stream of hot water.

”For creatures that look so harmless, they sure know how to fight like beasts,” another one said as she tried to pin some weird-looking blue frog-thing with her hooves. Despite its tiny size and fragile appearance, it was quite resilient.

“This is a disaster. What do we do now, chief?” asked a fourth police officer. His shredded hat was lying next to his hooves.

“May I suggest surrendering? It’ll save me a bit of trouble, and you a lot of pain,” Deathblow’s voice reached the ponies, who were now giving a steely-eyed glare at the newcomer.

“You can talk?” asked a high-ranked police officer as she aimed her horn at the intruder. “Are you the one behind this attack? Explain yourself, scum!” She began charging her magic, but stopped when she heard the sudden groaning of a young earth pony colt floating into her view and stopping right in between her and the criminal.

“I would advise not to aim at me,” Deathblow said, pointing at the struggling colt in Alakazam’s levitation. “You may accidently hit this kid, and you don’t want that.” He pointed to his right. “Not to mention my newest hostage.”

The police officers looked at the pointed direction, failing to notice anypony.

“What are you talking ab-” her words were cut off when a pristine white creature with a single blade-shaped ear on the side of its face charged from a dark alley and slashed the pony’s side, a dark aura pulsating on its long, clawed paw. Unlike all the other invaders, no brainwashing collar was present on its neck.

“Oh, my bad, I was meaning to say that you are my newest hostage,” Deathblow said with a wide grin.

The wounded officer pressed a forehoof on her wound and grit her teeth, unable to escape or show resistance due to the pain.

Two nearby policeponies sprung into action after seeing their chief injured, both of them shooting beams of their magic at the attacker. Much to their despair, the attacks splashed harmlessly against its coat. “W-what’s happening? Our magic-”

“Is not working,” Deathblow finished and nonchalantly shrugged. “My deepest apologies, but dark-type pokemon have this splendid immunity to your spells. I would even dare to say dark moves cut through unicorns like Ice Beam destroys half-dragon half-flying pokemon.” He looked to the side and spun one of his pokeballs on his finger. After grabbing it, he pointed at the wounded officer whose bleeding wound caused the other ponies’ faces to turn green. “This pony isn’t dead… yet, so I shall give you a simple choice: surrender to me and she lives, or die with her in gut-wrenching agony.”

“We surrender,” said the policeponies who still had the strength to stand, lowering themselves to the ground.

“Just… don’t hurt her,” the stallion officer pleaded.

Deathblow pointed at the unconscious citizens. “Carry them to the Wailords if you value your life.” He watched in amusement as each of the policeponies carried more than one stallion or mare, their bruised legs trembling from the weight. “Messing with the police is always a pleasure, no matter what world I'm in. I love my job,” he mused to himself.

Other invaders joined in, carrying their wounded comrades as well as the captured ponies, ready to retreat back to the water. The Wailords were proving spacious enough to easily transport both the unconscious captives and the wounded invaders.

“Let us return to the Badlands and announce our victory,” he said with a satisfied smile and pridefully raised chin. After taking a closer look at the bleeding officer, who stared back at him with pleading eyes, he added, “Alakazam, there’s a hospital nearby, steal some bandages and whatever medicine you can find. My bosses wouldn’t be satisfied losing recruits due to battle wounds.”

As his servant followed the order and teleported, Deathblow rubbed his chin. I wonder what my new leaders will do with those prisoners.

Pokemon Master - First Contact

Summoning of a Pokemon Master

-

Chapter 2

Pokemon Master

Part 1 - First Contact

Well, I’m bored, Discord thought as he floated through a forest filled with curious creatures; none of them aggressive, thankfully, unlike the ones he had faced before. His inner nature begged him to transform some of the green or yellow cocoons into giant butterflies or make a few trees dance for his amusement, but he resisted the urge.

He had enemies to defeat, friends to protect and something to prove, and he wasn’t going to lose focus only ten minutes after arriving in this new world.

Okay, let’s use the ole noggin for a change. I need to find the smartest, most powerful, and most amazing creature this world has to offer, with only thousands of kilometers of earth to search and billions of monsters to choose from. Easy peasy. Discord’s thoughts were interrupted when a green bug fell onto his face, spraying him with some sort of white web before jumping away.

Unamused, he wiped it from his face and groaned, “Oh, screw it, I need a quick way to find someone. Think, think.” He summoned his thinking tree and perched himself on a branch, using more brainpower than usual. One minute and various thinking poses later, a light bulb appeared above Discord’s head and flashed brightly. “That’s it!” His eyes slitted halfway as he focused his chaotic sense in searching for the residual aura of the magical disturbance.

If Mr. Sombrero was summoning monsters from this world into his army, I’m sure a bookworm or two would be able to look into the disappearances. I can’t believe I’m thinking this, but please, let there be bookworms. He wasn’t disappointed, as his senses picked up on a concentration of magical energy. “Excellent! We have a winner, Mr Thinking Tree, now let us sally forth and find our target!” He jumped from his thinking tree and flew upward, hovering over the forest, his eyes staring towards the horizon. That’s odd, I can sense magic only from specific spots. Maybe magic doesn’t encompass the entire world here like it does in Equestria. He shrugged. “Whatever, let’s check it out. Maybe I’ll hit a jackpot.”

***

Much to Discord’s annoyance, he had failed to get to his target with one teleportation, as his chaotic magic was seemingly still weakened. After a bit of effort, he reappeared on a watchtower in what appeared to be some sort of large prison. Hmm... A prison on an island, interesting. Maybe I could grab a cop or two and bring them to Ponyville. He looked around, noticing the huge birds nearby. I better disguise myself for now.

After shapeshifting himself into a bird, he descended, flying from window to window. He began listening for any vital intel that could help him find his target. Rumors of disappearing prisoners from their cells, and the disappearance of creatures called pokemon that police confiscated from the inmates, seemed to be the main topic. To his annoyance, a few more birds started to follow him, repeating the word ‘Pidgey’ over and over. Oh well, at least the prisoners and guards speak our language. I just need to find one that uses complicated words, and boom! Job well done.

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, he flew up to get a better view. A massive building was filled with empty prison cells, while smaller ones were filled with guards and strange bits and bobs of blinking lights and machinery. The prison itself wasn’t just isolated from the city by water, but also by a massive stone fortification that reached seventy meters into the air. A small dock was located near the entrance, yet no ships were present there. Hmm... either those Clefairies yelled at me so loud that I’ll never be able to see straight again, or it’s ‘bring-your-twin’s-twin Tuesday’, because all those pokemon and cops look the same to me. What the heck is up with that? His attention focused on the police officers gathered on the roof of a large building, as if waiting for someone.

Curious, he vanished in mid air and reappeared on the roof, disguised as a spotlight. At least now those pesky birds will leave me alone. Now then... Let’s see if any of those cops is either an egghead or hero-material.

“Do we really have to wait for her? It’s not like a pokemon trainer can do a detective’s job any better,” said a creature in a bronze hat and coat, his tone slightly arrogant.

“You didn’t make any progress either, Detective Mirage. As for Master Astra, she may be young, but she’s faced more dangers and criminals than any of us.”

“But Prison Chief- I mean, Mr. John, how can you put so much faith in her considering how much she dislikes law enforcers? She shows no respect to us and takes action without permission,” Mirage said in annoyance. “She’s completely refused to cooperate with the police and detectives in the past.” He gestured over to the male officers, every one of them wearing a guard’s uniform and equipped with a stun gun and at least two white-red pokeballs. “She even called your subordinates incompetent that one time.”

A high-ranked officer, whose name on his ID card read ‘Rieker’, lowered his hat and joined the discussion. “It cannot be helped. Master Astra was betrayed by those despicable, corrupt law enforcers in the past. Not to mention that many of the dangerous criminals she caught were released because of some shady connections and conspicuous circumstances.” He raised his head and tightened his fist. “I’ve been in charge of this prison’s security for years now, and more than half of the inmates here were captured by Master Astra more than once. It’s pretty obvious to me why she may distrust us and use her position to act as a vigilante behind the police’s back, besides that I vastly respect her for what she’s doing.”

Mirage rolled his eyes. “To think that a Pokemon Master and even the Elite Four of each region would have such high political power to act above the law...” He shook his head. “No matter. All those criminals she caught vanished without a trace. She’ll just be wasting her time and ours by coming here.” He turned around and walked towards the stairs before entering the building.

Officer Frankie looked over to his side and whispered as discreetly as he could to Officer Jenny, "Psst, hey Jenny... what was all that about?”

Jenny leaned her head closer to Frankie before replying, "Didn't you hear about the guardians’ incident?" He looked upon her quizzically. “The Guardian organization was responsible for dealing with those who would abuse a pokemon’s power for crime in all regions. After they went rogue and were arrested, crime started rising everywhere. Many experienced pokemon trainers were robbed of their pokemon and the police couldn’t do much to help them.”

“And what does that have to do with Master Astra?” Frankie asked curiously.

Jenny decided to make some distance from the group and gestured for Frankie to follow her. Once they were a few steps apart, she whispered, “Astra’s father was leading that Guardian organization, while her mother was one of the most revered members. There’s a rumour amongst the police forces that both of them were killed and betrayed by their subordinates. Some even say that Astra’s motivation to hunt criminals was to continue her parents’ work.”

Frankie rubbed his chin. “I see. That would explain why she went after the most elite criminals, putting her life in grave danger so many times. No organization can be that competent if all they have are rookies.”

“Exactly.”

Frankie tilted his head to the side and looked at Officer Jenny questionably. “But why does she distrust law enforcers so much, then?”

“That’s actually the odd part. While fighting crime and protecting pokemon trainers, Master Astra was also trying to gather evidence to prove the innocence of many Guardian’s members. The top brass from the police didn’t like it and went against her investigation. They have been at each other’s throats ever since.”

“WHAT!?” Frankie shouted, only for Jenny to slap her hand onto his mouth.

“Be quiet, you nitwit,” replied Officer Jenny in a harsh whisper. “I don't want us to be caught talking about things we shouldn’t be.”

Frankie complied, lowering his voice into a whisper. “But didn’t you say members of that organization killed her parents? She must really believe in their innocence if she’s doing all that.”

“You didn’t hear it from me,” Officer Jenny whispered back, moving her mouth closer to the other guard’s ear and covering it with her hand. “If the Guardian organization never betrayed them, it means some members of the government and police caused a large scale incident. Either the Pokemon Master is wrong, or the top brass wants to cover up their corruption.”

Frankie crouched and started to rub the roof with his finger, drawing a sad face on the dust. “And there goes my chance to ask for an autograph...”

Interesting, Discord thought, no longer bored but excited. Someone powerful with a strong sense of justice and a tragic past. Now that’s the hero we need! Hopefully she isn’t all bronze and no brains.

“Here she comes,” Officer Jenny said, pointing towards the sky.

Discord moved slightly to look up. He spotted two figures holding the leg of an orange dragon, releasing it and falling towards the roof a moment later. One of them was taller than the other. Please don’t be stupid, please don’t be a show-off like Rainbow Dash, he thought, hoping that his chosen candidate would have both muscle and brain.

The smaller creature landed on its very long tail gracefully and caught the taller one with its paws, its tail keeping them both above the roof despite the weight pressing against it.

“Thank you, Nica,” Astra said with a grateful smile as she jumped from her partner’s hold onto the roof, standing tall on her two legs. Her voice was clearly young and female. She wore green long shoes, durable and rugged, a short blue skirt and a white-blue suit. Most of her legs, hands and neck were exposed, while her long orange hair waved freely in the wind. A green purse was attached to her blue belt alongside six black balls in red and golden stripes.

“Raichu, Rai, Rai,” the smaller creature responded with a nod and a cheerful smile. Its voice was also distinctly feminine. Her fur was orange, with a fluffy white belly and two bronze stripes on her back. Splotches of bronze fur were also present at the edges of her legs and paws. Her tail bared a close resemblance to a yellow lighting bolt attached to a long whip. She had two long bronze-yellow ears and yellow spots on her cheeks.

Astra looked up and waved at the dragon. “Thank you for the ride, Lance. I appreciate it.” Her partner waved as well.

The red-haired rider in a cape beamed a smile at Astra and saluted before flying away.

“Master Astra, Master Raichu,” greeted Mr. John, Rieker by his side. Prison guards and police officers kept their distance as they secured the perimeter. He half-bowed in respect and added, “It is always an honor.”

Astra placed her hands on her hips and looked back in disappointment. “I wished I could say the same, but the rumors on how prisoners -some of which pose a large threat to all the talented trainers in the world- have escaped from under your very nose makes it difficult for me.” Despite their size and age difference, Astra’s posture and voice displayed both authority and maturity. She glanced at the nearby guards before asking, “Are the Pokemon we confiscated still locked up securely in the maximum security vault? Or have they vanished as well?”

Both the Prison Chief and his Chief of Security looked to the side and refused to speak.

Astra sighed. “As a Pokemon Master, I am privileged to assist in an investigation as long as the well-being of pokemon is threatened. I expect your full cooperation and permission to visit any or all secured areas. Any objections?”

“N-no, of course not,” said Rieker nervously, pointing to the stairs leading inside. “We don’t wish to challenge your authority.”

Discord observed the spectacle with full interest. So those critters are called pokemon, and a Pokemon Master must be a big deal here. That Astra seems to be very young, yet grown ups respect her as if she were a princess. It seems like she's worth a shot. His vision was obscured as Raichu approached him and started poking and sniffing. What’s wrong with this large rat? I’m not a ball to be played with.

“Raichu! Raichu!” she shouted, catching everyone’s attention.

Astra stopped in her tracks and turned around. “What is it, Nica? Did you find something?” She started walking towards her partner, who kept pointing at the disguised Discord while repeating her name.

“It’s just a spotlight,” said Officer Jenny. At least three identical female cops were staring at Raichu curiously.

“Spotlight or not, Nica seems to be pretty wary of it.” Astra bypassed her Raichu and walked over to the spotlight.

Tiny drops of sweat started appearing on Discord’s disguise. Does the rat know? But how? I’m disguised as a spotlight, for crying out loud!

Astra crouched and opened her purse, taking out notepad and pen. Snatching it out of her hand, Nica scribbled a reply hastily before giving it back. “Raichu!”

After reading the notepad, Astra looked at the spotlight suspiciously. “Are you trying to say that this object is alive?”

“Rai, Rai,” Nica confirmed, nodding.

Astra poked the spotlight and spoke, “Whoever you are, reveal yourself this instant.”

They saw through my disguise, I’m impressed. Now's my chance to make a good first impression!

“Nica, maybe an Iron Tail will motivate this stalker to come out of hiding,” Astra suggested, winking at her little companion.

Raichu winked back and her tail started flashing brightly. “Raichu!” With one quick swing of her tail, she pierced through the roof, leaving a hole in it.

“Attack this spotlight in three, two, one…”

“Uncle, I call uncle!” Discord shouted, dropping his disguise and falling onto the roof. Despite being the Spirit of Chaos, his last encounter with pokemon had taught him not to underestimate them.

“D-did that pokemon just speak?” asked a dumbfounded Officer Jenny.

“He did talk!” shrieked another one. “What kind of pokemon are you?”

“Forget about speaking, it transformed from a spotlight!” spoke a prison guard.

“It doesn’t look like a Ditto, I don’t think transformation works that way.”

Prison guards and female cops took a few cautious steps back in shock before throwing their pokeballs, summoning pokemon in a red flash. Three fire-breathing dogs and three large spiders surrounded Discord and started to form a defensive perimeter around him, preventing him from fleeing.

“It seems we have a spy,” Rieker spoke in anger, pointing at the draconequus accusingly. “If you’re responsible for the recent disappearances in any way, shape or form, we’ll get the truth out of you!”

“Easy there... Don’t jump the gun,” Discord said as he stood up and stretched himself, towering over the two-legged creatures. It came as a surprise they were only slightly taller than mares standing on rear hooves, yet a bit thinner and with smaller heads. It seems I overestimated their size while disguised. I wonder if asking them how’s the weather down there would chill them out.

Astra stood up and took out some sort of device out of her green purse. “No data found.” She looked on confused at the creature before putting her device back in her purse, and when she spoke, she did so calmly, “You can talk, witch is pretty rare for pokemon, and there’s no data about you. Are you an undiscovered legendary pokemon?” she asked. Her partner stood protectively in front of her.

“What are you talking about? I’m not a pokemon, nor do I know what they are.” Discord snapped his claw and a military uniform appeared on him, from black heavy boots to green helmet. “I’ll be brief: I come from another world.” He summoned a blackboard showing two planets and an arrow between them. “An evil villain from my world is summoning those… how do you call them? Pokemon. He summons and brainwashes them into joining him. I came here to find an egghead who can help us solve this problem.” A pointer appeared in his claw as he leveled it at Astra. “You seem smart. We could certainly use your help.”

“You… cannot be serious,” Rieker said in disbelief. “Another world, summoning? I don’t know who or what you are, but we’re not going to fall for your tricks!”

Discord examined everyone's faces. Guards, cops and ranking officers stared at him either with distrust or disbelief, but the Pokemon Master showed hints of curiosity. His attention focused on the yellowish-orange rat, who approached him and looked up. Two black eyes stared at him as if judging his very soul. “What? Do I have something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Seeing as the large rat kept staring at him without any response, Discord raised his head and spoke, “I know it may sound crazy, but I’m speaking the truth.” He held claw on his chest and displayed his puppy dog eyes.“Please, believe me.”

Nica turned around and nodded. “Raichu!”

Astra smiled and spoke in a calm tone, “Since my partner is trusting you, so will I. And I have to admit, being able to speak without telepathy is quite unique for a pokemon.” She placed her hands on her hips, shifting uncomfortably. “However... if you can travel between worlds, care to show some proof?”

Discord blinked in surprise. That went surprisingly well. Maybe I can convince her to help us without taking her by force… Although now that I think about it, that would probably end up poorly. He cleared his throat and half-bowed. “Your wish is my command.” With a swift move of his claw, he hit the air in an attempt to open a portal to Equestria. After a failed attempt, he smiled awkwardly and tried again, this time successfully.

The law enforcers and their pokemon gasped, staring at the portal in disbelief. The scenery inside the portal looked like a thriving city, with a statue of a large pony holding a torch in the background. A few buildings, though, had either collapsed to the ground or displayed an unsettling amount of holes and cracks.

"Looks like your dear Pokemon had quite the party over there," Discord pointed out with a smug smile, and looked at Astra expectantly. “So, was this demonstration good enough for you?”

“Not really the weirdest phenomenon I’ve witnessed... but certainly something,” Astra said, hurriedly hiding any signs of shock. “I think I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

Raichu kept staring at Discord, judging his every action.

“Not impressed?” Discord asked, suddenly feeling as if his pride had been stepped on. “Trust me, I could unleash chaos beyond comprehension without even trying.” He looked to the side and frowned. “Also, can you pleeease tell your little rat to stop staring at me? It’s creepy.”

“Rai, Rai,” Nica said as she rubbed the back of her head, blushing.

Discord massaged his forehead. “Listen, I eavesdropped on you earlier. We both have a problem caused by the same enemy, and I came here to find backup, so are you in or out?”

Astra crouched and looked at Raichu for a few seconds, who approached and stared back at her. “What do you think, Nica? Should we risk it and take his offer?”

“You cannot be serious,” interjected Mr. John, who had remained silent during the whole conversation and was now incredulously staring at Discord. “Are you saying all those criminals were summoned to another world? Give me a break.” He looked at the Pokemon Master and her Raichu before asking, “Please tell me you don’t believe in this nonsense, Master Astra?”

“Stand down,” Astra said, glowering at him. “He’s presented us with proof and given us a chance to fix this mess. Near a hundred prisoners and hundreds of pokemon don’t just vanish without a trace.”

Discord interrupted as he summoned a life-sized plushie of Fluttershy, which was now standing next to his left leg. “Just think of all the poor ponies who will end up enslaved without help.” He held his claws together and once again displayed a puppy stare. “Please, please, pleeease...”

“Ponies?” Astra raised an eyebrow and took a closer look at the presented plushie. “It looks similar to Ponyta, but it's as big as Rapidash… though Rapidash does have a horn instead of wings. Are you trying to tell me that you're representing ponies?”

“You could say that,” Discord responded.

Raichu looked at the plushie and gifted Discord with a hard piercing stare. After a few seconds, she turned to her partner. “Raichu.”

Astra looked down at her partner. “Are you saying we can trust him?” The moment Nica nodded and smiled warmly, she smirked. “It seems the adventure we've been after for so long awaits us.”

Pokemon Master - Farewell Pokemon World

Summoning of a Pokemon Master

-

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.