My Little Pokemon: Dragon's Ascent

-Zap Apple Orchards, Ponyville-

Applejack hummed quietly to herself as her rear hooves struck the bark of an apple tree with a thud, the impact shuddering the branches and raining bright red apples into prearranged buckets. She watched with a sigh on her breath, as the apples that reigned were but a few with the bringing of the drought. Fortunately, help would be arriving soon. And by Celestia's word, that help should be approached cautiously. She wondered what could be so dangerous about somepony helping patch things up on the farm, but tried not to look to much into it. So long as they were strong for bucking, things should be alright.

As Applejack approached another tree, a loud snort tore her attention away from her work. Lifting a brow, the Element of Honesty followed the sound of heavy thuds in the earth that swayed the ground beneath her hooves slightly. She walked with caution, as what she assumed was an animal sounded heavily built, more than a match for somepony her size. But hey, she'd stopped a stampede of cows before, and this sounded like one animal.

Just as she rounded the thick trunk of an apple tree, she was greeted by the crack of three whips against her chest, the impact throwing the earth mare to the ground. Gritting her teeth, Applejack uttered a pained grown and looked down at her chest to inspect the damage. Sure enough, three thin, red marks ran across her chest, a sign of her state. Looking up at the aggressor, Applejack beheld the sight.

Before her was a massive, snorting bull with a pair of long, recurved horns jutting out of the side of its skull, with three small, grey circles running up the center of the forehead. Behind the large skull were hunched shoulders enveloped in a collar of thick brown fur that hung down between its charcoal grey hooves. The back legs were shorter, a trait common in Equestria's cattle, but the trio of long, lion-like tails was definitely not.

Applejack lifted a brow in a mixture of confusion and awe as the longhorn thrashed its head about, the three tails slapping its flanks with a loud crack.

"What in tarnation?" the mare exclaimed as the bull bellowed, rearing onto its hind legs momentarily before crashing back down with a shake in the earth beneath. Its right hoof scrapped against the soft dirt, digging a shallow trench before the beast lunged forward.

Applejack's eyes nearly escaped the sockets as the longhorn rushed full sprint across the field of apple trees, snorting as it held its head low and charged forward. Her shock only lasted a split second before it melted into a determined smirk, the closest rope to her quickly being tied into a lasso and held in her teeth.

With a jerk of the neck, the rope was sent twirling over the mare's head as the massive bull surged forward, nostrils flaring to allow hot air out and back into its lungs.

Applejack rolled aside as the animal lunged forward, throwing the rope over her head so that it looped around her foe's muzzle. With a bellow, the animal jerked its head, yanking Applejack down onto the ground. The mare squeezed her eyes shut to prevent the kicked up dust from clouding her vision. All the while, she struggled to rise to her hooves. The longhorn was moving too fast for her to find a foothold against the ever changing terrain.

For nearly ten minutes Applejack was dragged across fields of apple trees until finally, she kicked off of a passing tree and landed behind the buffalo's woolly shoulders.

"YEEEE-HAH!!" she shouted triumphantly, pulling her hat off of her head and waving it in the air, while her other hoof gripped tightly onto the animal's fur.

Hearing this and feeling the weight on its back, the bull stopped running and started bucking, bellowing in a mixture of rage and irritation at the being on its back. A stray kick struck a tree and splintered it with a snap, the sound all but inaudible over the heavy, rasping breath and roars of Applejack's mount.

The mare lasted for approximately seven minutes before one last buck threw her over the beast's shoulders. She struck the dirt with a grunt as the bull threw the rope on its snout aside and reared onto its hind legs. Applejack rolled aside just in time to see a pair of hooves strike the ground beneath where she had just been with nearly a quarter ton of force.

She rolled to her hooves as the bull snorted and heaved, stirring up dust as a result of its low hanging head. Applejack cautiously circled the animal as it stomped the dirt, three tails thrashing in agitation. "Bring it on, little dawgie," she grinned with a determined glare.

Quick to oblige, Applejack wasn't fast enough to avoid being struck a second time by the tufted tails. She could have remained conscious too, if it hadn't been for the apple tree that stopped her from skidding across the ground. With a gasp, her vision blurred, the longhorn's shape becoming a brown and grey blob as it approached. Her eyes rolled back into her skull, and Applejack fainted.

-The Apple Farm-

Groudon walked down the long dirt driveway, Kyurem following in tow. The sight of a large, red barn was one of the last things he wanted to be seeing right now. The number one spot, though, belonged to Kyogre's ugly mug. Squinting in the broad daylight, the unicorn stallion noticed a heavily built pony leaning against the barn, a western hat shielding his eyes from view and a thin strand of wheat sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

Groudon fired a questioning glance at Kyurem, who in turn mouthed the words "I don't know," and shrugged.

Upon turning his head back to where he was going, the Continent Pokemon noticed the bright red stallion approaching with a smile, tilting his head up to reveal a pair of emerald green eyes. "Howdy!" he called out as he advanced, waving to the not-so-dynamic-duo.

The earth stallion, as Groudon would come to know his kind by, stopped a couple feet away from him. "You two must be th' help Celestia sent over," he exclaimed, lifting a hoof. "Name's Big Macintosh, but ya can just call me Big Mac," he grinned.

Groudon, thinking the motion best to just copy, took his hoof. "Groudon," he acknowledged before releasing his hoof.

"Pleasure tah meet ya," he said before turning to the grey alicorn and lifting his hoof again.

Kyurem turned his head away from Big Mac, rolling his eyes with a slight grumble.

The earth pony frowned momentarily, dropping his hoof and shifting the piece of wheat in his mouth. "There ain't nothin' tah be shy about," he exclaimed.

On cue, the alicorn whipped his head around. "Shy?!" he hooted in displeasure. "You think that I, the Boundary Pokemon of Truths and Ideals, is shy?!" he barked, throwing his hooves up in despair.

"Uh..." Big Mac spluttered with wide eyes, withdrawing his head slightly as Kyurem waited for an answer. "I'll take that as a no?" he said finally, motioning to Groudon.

"You'll get used to it," he replied with a flat expression, patting his shoulder as he passed and made his way towards the homestead.

Kyruem followed with a puff of cold, icy air in Big Mac's face.

"Okay, then."

-The Crystal Empire Train Station-

Prince Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza waited patiently at the train station for Giratina to make his grand return, knowledge that another joining him not eluding their minds. "If he's anything like Giratina," Shining said, "then we should enjoy his company.

Cadence smiled with a nod as he wrapped a cloak around her to shield the alicorn from the cold winds that had developed as they waited. Icy air lashed at his face as the distant cry of a train horn became audible over the winds. Both let a sigh overtake them as the snow-covered train became visible over the horizon, layers of snow flying off of its roof as it ground to a halt before them.

The royal pair approached the doors of a train car and waited a moment before they slid open, shards of ice collapsing as the car's inhabitants debarked from the transport. Giratina came out with a smile and a deep bow, one which Cadence and Shining returned.

"Welcome back," Princess Cadence told the changeling.

"Thank you," Giratina responded. "Now then, it is my current knowledge that Celestia told you of our situation, if I am not mistaken?"

"Indeed... But where is the 'we'?"

"Rayquaza will be out momentarily. Needed to get bundled up first," Giratina smiled.

"Speak of the devil," Shining exclaimed, nodding at the kirin exiting the train car. His first thought was that the fact that who they assumed would be a 'he', based upon what they heard about the being's power, was actually a 'she'. If he had to admit it, this 'Rayquaza' looked quite attractive in the grey and white fur coat that shielded her fur from the now frigid temperatures. He must have been staring, for he felt a wing smack the back of his head lightly. Looking over, Shining saw his wife shooting him a glare.

Giratina laughed a deep, rolling laugh. "Catching a few eyes already, huh, Ray," he chuckled, nudging the kirin mare's shoulder.

She didn't respond, and he was quick to acknowledge why. Rayquaza's teeth chattered noisily as the wind slashed at her face and knocked her sideways slightly. The yellow rodent that had huddled inside of her coat poked his head out momentarily before, at the shock of the cold air, pulled back in.

"Pik-" Pikachu's muffled voice chittered.

"Your majesties. I'd like to get Ray inside before she freezes. Normally she's a big snake, so I'm sure you can see why this might be of concern?" Giratina said with worry spreading across his muzzle.

"Yes, of course," Cadence replied, coming to the kirin's side and wrapping her cloak around Rayquaza's neck like a scarf before beginning an advance towards the empire.

Giratina smiled at her selflessness. These beings, he was growing to like. First, for their acceptance of him, and second, at their concern for somebody that they met not even five minutes ago. With a satisfactory sigh, the changeling stallion slipped back to walk alongside the lagging behind Rayquaza, nuzzling her snout like a father bird.

"Th-tha-ank you," the mare stuttered to both Giratina and Cadence, her muscles shuddering at the cold wind.

-The Apple Farm-

"We had been plannin' on you workin' out in th' fields to gather the apples, but AJ got into a bit of a scuffle with a longhorn this mornin', so we need you here at th' moment," Big Mac told the two stallions at his side.

Groudon lifted a quizzical brow at the earth stallion. "Is this normal?" he asked.

"Well," Big Mac said, scratching his head, "not outside of th' stampede she stopped 'bout a month ago," he acknowledged. "Anywho, Granny Smith's been waitin' tah meet you two, so go ahead in." He pointed at the red door next to them before he turned away. "I got a bit a work tah do. I'll see ya guys at probably 'round break time."

"Sure," the unicorn shrugged, turning to Kyurem before nudging the door open slightly.

"Quit yer squirmin'!" he heard a mare order in a thick, country accent with no small amount of age.

"Granny! I'm fine!" Groudon heard a younger mare groan before he finally stepped in.

Both turned their head to face the newcomer with confusion. "Greetings," he said at last with a nod before Kyurem too, became visible. "My name is Groudon, this is Kyurem," the Continent Pokemon explained, motioning towards the grey and blue alicorn at the last part.

"So yer finally here, eh?!" the one Groudon assumed was Granny Smith hooted with a grin. "What took yeh so long, boy?" she cackled, approaching the stallion.

Groudon didn't bother correcting her on his age. He was at least 2,000 years old, and still young for his age, but he disliked being called 'boy'. "I'm new around here, so finding the train station wasn't particularly easy," he replied at last, grimacing as she stuck her snout right up against his own. She had to stand on the tips of her hooves to do so, but he found it unnerving nonetheless. Taking a step back, he took in the smells of the barn in one breath. Apples, anti-aging cream, and hay. It was one other scent that had his attention. It lingered on the younger of the two ponies before him, and was vaguely reminiscent of something he knew back on Earth.

Approaching the light brown earth mare, he leaned down, nostrils flaring slightly as he absorbed the scent into his capillaries. "Tell me," he said, standing back up, "what did this to you?" Groudon asked, nodding at the bandage around her chest and bag of ice on her forehead.

The mare lifted a brow with a hint of skepticism before she sighed. "Some big ol' bull with a nasty temper," she acknowledged. "Why?"

"What are your names?" the stallion asked, apparently not hearing her.

"Mah name's Applejack. This here's Granny Smith."

"Well then, Applejack... I know fully well what did this to you. And where I come from... That 'bull' would be a Tauros," the Pokemon turned unicorn told her. "It was very unwise on your part to try to reign in a beast like that. They are known to be very aggressive, and will not hesitate to charge," Groudon went on.

"How did you know what it was?"

"I have a very acute sense of smell," he said before leaning closer to Applejack, "acute enough to smell your grandmother's wrinkle cream," he whispered.

Applejack held back a laugh, putting a hoof to her snout before looking up at the disgruntled form of Kyurem. It was almost instantaneously that she noticed the icy wings at his shoulders and yellow horn between his brows. "Yer an... alicorn?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Aaaaa... what now?" the stallion queried, pulling his head back slightly and letting his wings drop in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about. What did that Tauros DO to you?!" the Boundary Pokemon snorted.

"Well... First, it whipped me with its tails, and then it charged at me, THEN it dragged me for about ten minutes, THEN, it almost flattened me, and FINALLY it whipped me again," the Element of Honesty obliged.

"Jeez," Kyurem said with slight shock audible in his voice. He was even, to some extent impressed that she was still alive. "And how did you not DIE?!"

-Cloudsdale-

Rainbow Dash sped across the city of clouds, tailed by a large, pitch black alicorn whose tail sparkled with blue and yellow as he pursued. The stallion uttered a thunderous bellow as he chased, red and gold eyes flickering as a cone of air formed in front of him.

Her heart on the verge of exploding, the Element of Loyalty gasped for breath, her wing beats slowly growing irregular and frantic. Daring to look back, her pursuer seemed to not be tiring in the slightest, the mach cone only seeming to grow larger as he gained on the cyan pegasus.

Unable to stay airborne any longer, Rainbow Dash let herself fall, her body softly striking a fluffy cloud. As she landed, a sprinkle of water fell to the ground below.

The one she'd been flying from, Zekrom, landed beside her, a look of shock forming on his face at the solidity of the cloud he stood on. Sitting on his haunches, the stallion looked down at the tired form of Rainbow Dash beside him, a soft chuckle leaking from his throat. "You alright?" he laughed in his characteristically deep voice, nudging her shoulder.

She nodded weakly before forcing herself up. "Are you SURE we're not related?" she choked, looking into his golden eyes.

"Unless you want to tell me that you're from Earth and live with a bunch of bipedal talking monkeys, then... no... we're not related," he smiled. Already, he was growing to like this place, and felt that he would fit in well. His thoughts were pushed aside by an irritated groan from his new friend.

Looking over, he spotted a trio of strongly built pegasi flying over to greet her, mischievous grins crossing their muzzles. "Hey! Rainbow Crash, how ya doin', huh?" the center pegasus chuckled. "See ya got yourself a new stallion-friend ey?" he grinned, landing by her side.

"Oh my GOD!!" Rainbow Dash shouted, leaping to her hooves. "Dumb-Bell, how about you and your friends just buck off, huh? I don't need to hear you lips flapping like your wings!"

"Oh, c'mon, we were just teasing," the deep brown stallion smiled.

"Were you now?" Zekrom's deep voice interjected. Rising to his hooves, the alicorn approached the trio with a stern glare crossing his face. Rainbow Dash's eyes widened at how much taller the Pitch Black Pokemon was than the three stallions. "Clearly, she doesn't LIKE to be teased, a sentiment that I'm sure you share with her, if you mortals have taught me anything," he growled at them, poking Dumb-Bell in the chest. "Now, scram... Before you have to worry about what others will think of your mangled body when I'm through with it," he snarled, peeling back his lips to reveal ranks of curved fangs.

On cue, Dumb-Bell took a step back, followed by Hoops and Score. "Uh... y-yeah. S-sure," he spluttered, turning to fly off.

Before he could, Zekrom stepped on his tail. "And don't let me catch you teasing, harassing, or otherwise bullying... ANYbody," he barked.

"Okay," the pegasus said weakly.

"Good." With that, the alicorn released his tail so that he may join his friends. Looking over, Zekrom spotted Rainbow Dash gawking at him. "What?"

"How did you-?"

"I'm a being spoken of in legends. A couple of bullies are nothing more than an interruption," he smiled, taking a seat beside her.

-Canterlot, Celestial Wing-

Dialga adjusted his celestial helm with an all but inaudible grumble. He was used to the nice, heavily built silver that he wore previously, not some silly looking pile of scrap that sat on his head and clicked against the floor with each step. When he asked why he had to wear it, Celestia had replied that it was to prevent visitors or residents suspecting that he was some viscous war-lord and not a respected member of her guard.

But he wasn't a respected member of her guard.

At least not for much longer... I hope, he thought as he approached the training hall of the Celestial Wing of the castle. With a sigh, he pushed the door marked "Training" open and beheld the sight.

Ponies of various species and size were partnered up, some at heavy sacs hung by chains from the ceiling, others on treadmills, and some in a wrestling ring. Only one thing had him flustered... All were in training gear. He was straight up dressed for war.

Before he could slink back out, a light blue mare with a dark blue and streaking white mane approached with a welcoming smile that seemed to drag him back.

"Ya gonna keep tryinna escape this insane asylum, er come say hello?" she asked with a chuckle, waving him back in.

Dialga sighed in defeat, and with an eye roll, reproached her.

"Glad tah have ya... Buuut I never did catch yer name?"

"Dialga."

"Well, Dialga, you can call me Cap'n Frost. As said before, glad you 'cided to show up. But where's yer training gear?" Captain Blueberry Frost asked, looking over his shoulder for a saddle bag that might hold his belongings. Instead, she saw a spiny, silver fin that jutted out of his hips.

"I was never given any," he muttered in slight embarrassment.

"No matter. Long as yer tough enough for partner work, ya shouldn't be needin' any at th' moment," the earth mare smiled in reponse, beckoning him to follow her.

Jeez, this place is weird, the Temporal Pokemon thought with an eyeroll and a frown as he followed Captain Frost to the nearest bucking bag.