My Little Pokemon Silver Spoon Version

I checked my bank balance before we left the Pokemon Center. It wasn’t much after we started shopping for supplies. Brock always chose the best brands and was good at finding discounts. Ash lost interest in shopping quickly, preferring to look at the cool gear he couldn’t afford. Misty had him well in hand, but I could tell she wasn’t too interested in shopping for supplies either. Still, she treated it seriously and took it upon herself to make sure Ash and Pikachu didn’t wander off. Weiss pitched in, but she always hung around behind me. Honestly, it kind of creeped me out considering what we’ve gone through these past few days.

Still, I found myself pausing by a camera shop.

“See something you want, Sarah?” Brock noticed me staring.

“I wanted a camera but I’m not sure I can afford one yet.” I shifted my weight side to side. “Do you mind if I just check the prices real fast?”

“We’re not in any hurry. Let’s check it out.” He smiled and readjusted the bags we’d already gotten.

The store was packed with cameras and reels of film. They were mostly disposable cameras that I saw could hold a single reel of film. The example photos didn’t have very good quality though. Too bad, considering they were well in my price range.

“Anything I can help you with?” The store’s clerk walked up to us.

“I want a camera that’s good for taking detailed photos.” I explained. “We’re only looking for now.”

“Well, these disposable cameras aren’t so good for detail. They’re mainly for tourists. What you’re looking for is something more along these lines.” He led us over to a different wall. Half a dozen shelves were dedicated to different kinds of cameras. They were bigger than the flimsy disposable ones, easily the size of two of my fists. Some were even bigger and had accessories like a tripod or extendable scopes.

I didn’t need anything like that. Which was good considering the prices on those things. Most of the remaining cameras were still out of my reach but I did find a few I could afford.

I’d need to wait for my next stipend next time we stopped for supplies. It wasn’t fair to the others to splurge and not contribute fairly.

But photos of my pokemon, Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Brock and their pokemon. I want pictures of them to show to Diamond Tiara and everypony back home. To show them the adventure that I had.

I chose a camera that could take the detailed pictures I wanted. I’d have to go into town every so often to get the film developed and I’d need an address for them to send the pictures to but that was something I’d think about when the time came. I might just have them mailed ahead to the next Pokemon Center on our route. That would be the simplest solution.

We finished up our supply shopping and started down the road to Celadon city. Ash and Misty almost restarted the bike argument until Brock and I separated them. He took Misty so I took Ash.

“This button changes the focus to make fine details easier to see.” I was explaining the various functions of my new camera. “If I twist the scope a little I can zoom in on far away stuff like that mountain.” I looked up further along the path.

“Or like that phone booth!” Ash ran towards a tall glass box down the dirt road. “This is great! I totally forgot to call Professor Oak before we left! He’s gonna be stoked to hear about my latest badge!”

“A phone booth?” I glanced towards Weiss.

“They’re booths with a phone that you can use to call for help if you're lost or stranded.” She responded with a shrug. “Honestly, it’s been awhile since I last saw one.”

“Huh. But we aren’t lost or stranded, so should Ash really be using one to call Professor Oak?”

“If Ash has the spare change then that shouldn’t be a problem. In the meantime, how about we take a break and I prepare some lunch. I packed rice balls.” Brock offered temptingly.

“Oooh, sounds good! You coming?” Misty smiled at me and Weiss.

“You sure took your time.” Brock held up a lunch box as Ash walked up. “C’mon and dig in, the round ones are filled with pickled plums and the triangles contain freshly picked kelp!”

“Are you okay, Ash? You look a little down?” Misty jumped down from the rock.

“I just found out Gary already has five badges and over fifty pokemon.” He groaned, slumping dramatically.

“Oh, I get it. You feel like you’re falling behind.” Misty glanced at Weiss before nodding to herself. She put on a smile and clapped him on the back. “Well cheer up, unlike those other trainers you’re going to become a Pokemon Master your own way, right?” I shot her a quick smile over his shoulder. It was nice to see that she was beginning to accept Ash’s methods as being legitimate.

“Plus, Gary’s being driven around.” Weiss pointed out as she ate one of the triangular rice balls.

“Right, so it’s really not fair to compare your rate of progress and with fifty pokemon I doubt he’s spent much time getting to know them.” I said.

“Right, it’s quality not quantity.” Brock handed him a rice ball.

“I guess.” He didn’t look convinced. He did start eating so hopefully he didn’t feel too discouraged. “I definitely wanna catch more pokemon though.” He said around a mouthful of rice. He stopped chewing for a moment, staring at a bush across the road.

It rustled, in defiance of the still day we were having.

“It’s a pokemon!” He quickly scarfed down his food and pulled out his pokedex, ready to scan whatever popped out.

I saw white fur first, then a lanky limb.

“Mankey: This Fighting Type pokemon is known for its fantastic footwork and terrible temper. Once it begins to Thrash it is almost impossible to stop.”

“Huh, I wonder what that means.” Ash frowned at the pokedex in his hands.

“Thrash is an uncontrolled physical attack.” Weiss explained as she brought out Yun. “Basically it just starts wailing on whatever made it mad.”

Sounds like one heck of a temper tantrum.

“Maaan.” The Mankey’s snout twitched. Slowly, it eased out of the bush and approached us. It jumped side to side, and when none of us made any threatening moves it went right up to Brock and started sniffing at the rice balls.

“You want one, little guy?” Brock chuckled, keeping his voice low and soft. “Here, try one.” He offered it a round rice ball.

“Maaaan.” Mankey seemed a little uncertain. It had probably never seen rice balls before. I know I hadn’t until this journey. Maybe I could have Brock teach me how to make them so I could make them back in Equestria.

“Pika pika chaa!” Pikachu darted up and held up his own rice ball, taking a nice big bite out of it to show Mankey it was safe.

Watching a wild pokemon up close like this was amazing. It snatched up Brock’s rice ball and raced away almost too fast to keep track of. It didn’t go far, deciding to perch itself on another large rock where it could keep an eye on us and eat its treat.

“It likes it!” Misty looked delighted.

“I made them with my own special recipe, no artificial ingredients.” Brock boasted proudly.

“I’ve never caught a Fighting type before!” Ash put the pokedex away and reached for a free pokeball.

“Ash, you are going to weaken it first, aren’t you?” Misty challenged him.

“How stupid do you think I am?” He glared. “Just watch, Pikachu and I will catch Mankey, no sweat!”

“Pika?” This seemed like news to Pikachu.

“C’mon, Pikachu, we’ve fought way tougher than a Mankey. Remember Kadabra?” He knelt down, eyes shining bright.

“Chuu.” Pikachu nodded reluctantly. “Pika pika pikachu.”

“Great!” Ash jumped back to his feet. “Mankey, prepare to be caught!”

“Maan?” It looked up, stuffing the rest of the rice ball in its mouth.

“Pikachu, Thunderbolt!” Ash was standing tall and ready, sure in the victory ahead.

Too bad Mankey had already been putting that fancy footwork to use. It was inches away from Ash in the blink of an eye and then knocking him over before I could even realize what I saw.

“Water Gun.”

Apparently Weiss processed what was happening before any of us did and Yun managed to blast Mankey off of Ash. Mankey scuttled away, climbing the only tree in sight. We watched it scurry up to the top before it turned and began waving a hat.

“It stole my hat!” Ash seethed as he stood up. Before I could check on his face Ash ran towards the tree and began climbing it.

“Jeez Ash, it’s just a hat. Get a new one.” Weiss said uncaringly.

“It’s not just a hat.” Ash grunted from his position on a tree limb. “I got it from the official Pokemon League Expo.”

“The Pokemon League Expo?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah! I can’t just replace it!”

“Oh, I remember it now!” Misty exclaimed while scratching her head. “I tried to win that hat too.”

“Yeah, and I had to send a bunch of postcards to win that hat.” Ash cried out from just beneath Mankey. Just in time to be sent hurdling to back down, courtesy of Mankey.

Just as I was about to help Ash three figures jumped out ahead of us on the road.

“Prepare for trouble!”

“And make it double!”

And I started tuning them out.

“Can’t you see we’re a little busy right now? Scram!” I tuned back in to see Ash back on his feet.

“That’s why it’s the perfect time to strike!” Jessie declared. “Hand over your Pikachu, boy, and we’ll let you go free.”

“Not on your life!” He retorted.

“Yeah, not happening.” I brought out Clefairy’s pokeball. Huh, I can’t remember the last time I sent her out to fight. Maybe I should see if she could learn a move via TM.

“Maan?” Team Rocket had thoroughly distracted us from the thieving Mankey. Mankey, however, had only grown more curious.

It jumped from the tree onto Jessie’s head.

“EEEEEEKK! James, Meowth, do something!” She pinwheeled her arms back and forth. Mankey wasn’t hurting her, just inspecting her. Up close.

Mankey must’ve gotten bored though because it jumped on James next. He screamed even higher than she did. I lost the fight against laughter and the others were already doubled over holding their sides.

“Get off, you stinking hairball!” James pried it loose and kicked it away harshly.

“Hey!” I sobered up quickly. “It wasn’t hurting you!”

“It was sniffing and messing up my hair!” He defended himself, still speaking two pitches higher than normal.

“Maan…Maaaaaan!” We all looked at Primeape.

“What is it with James’ kicking things that makes them evolve and want to rip out his sternum?” Wiess thought out loud.

“What!?”

“Feh, I’m not scared of a dirty, little hairball like that.” Jessie tossed her hair over her shoulder. “It’s hardly bigger than it was as a Mankey.” She leveled a cold stare at it.

I took perhaps a bit too much pleasure in watching the disaster unfold. Team Rocket would definitely be feeling the results of this attempted heist for the next few days.

“Man, this is going to make catching it even harder.” Ash muttered before shaking his head. “I’m gonna catch that Primeape and get my hat back!” He boldly declared for all the world to hear.

The world included Primeape.

“Don’t look it in the eye!” We all took off running as fast as we could, hoping to lose it in the bluffs. It was pretty hopeless considering this was likely its territory but we didn’t have a whole lot of options.

“There’s a fork in the road! It can’t follow all of us!” Ash cried.

Brock was…not with us. But Primeape was still following us so hopefully Brock had just found a convenient hole to hide in. The fork was a two lane road so while Misty took one, Ash took the other and Wiess chose to teleport us up the side of the cliff. We took off after Primeape who was focused on Ash.

It was the sound of battle that led us to Ash. We caught up to him as he was battling Primeape. Squirtle, Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Charmander, he used them all in turns to weaken Primeape and keep it from being able to adapt. His pokemon moved between and around each other easily, following his commands. I don’t remember seeing him train…at all, or at least since Pewter City and that was more like Ash charging up Pikachu by turning a waterwheel. The only other place he would have fought like this was the St. Anne. Did he really learn so much then or was he a natural?

“Charmander, finish it with Flamethrower!” The final attack. I kept my eyes open wide for the whole thing. A little streak of yellow darted between the fighters, Pikachu taking back Ash’s hat, and then Primeape crashed and burned.

“Go, pokeball!” I held my breath with Ash as the pokeball thrashed back and forth violently. Would Primeape escape and the battle continue?

Another shake, less violent than the last. One more.

Click.

“I…I did it! I caught Primeape!” Ash whooped, picking up his new pokemon. “And you got my hat back, Pikachu! Thanks!” He happily replaced his prized hat upon his head.

I started clapping.

“Sarah, did you see?” He waved his pokeball.

“I saw!” I confirmed, leaving off on the clapping. “That was a great battle, Ash.”

“Ha, we finally caught up to you twerps!” Team Rocket was panting. Jessie put on a decent façade of being unaffected by the run, but James had his hands on his knees for support and Meowth just flat out collapsed on the ground. “And now we’ll…we’ll be…Er, where’d the Primeape go?” She looked around, afraid it would jump down and ravage her hair again.

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Ash cheekily tossed his pokeball.

“PRIIIIIME!”

And so Team Rocket blasted off again.

“We got here a lot sooner than I thought we would.” Brock remarked as we entered the Celadon city Pokemon Center.

“Yeah, what with Primeape chasing us all over the place.” Misty yawned. “It’s not even dinner time yet but I’m already exhausted.”

“I say we get a bite to eat and turn in early tonight.” Brock nodded. “What about you guys?”

“I’m going to give my pokemon to Nurse Joy for a check-up first.” Ash started heading for the front desk. “I want to make sure everybody’s in top condition for our gym match tomorrow.”

“I’m glad he’s waiting until tomorrow.” Misty bent backwards to stretch out the kinks in her spine. “I think we all deserve a good rest.”

“Yeah, after dinner.” I commented.

“Looks like we still have an hour until dinnertime.” Brock checked the Center schedule, helpfully posted on the wall for traveling trainers.

“I’ll reserve a room for us.” Weiss stepped up to the desk.

“I’m going to take a shower then.” Misty decided. “A nice shower, some good food, and then sleep!”

“I hear that.” I joked with Misty.

“So let me get this straight. You’re saying that Discord whisked your friend, Silver Spoon, off on an adventure in another world?”

“That’s right!” The tiara wearing filly shouted.

“But Discord and I were having a tea party in my house for the past hour.” Spoke a concerned Fluttershy.

“And need I mention that I would never do anything to risk my teatime with Fluttershy?” Discord interjected.

“Need I mention the Gala?”

“Hey! I was invited and you know it!”

“You threatened to send one of the guests to another dimension!”

“Twilight!” A rainbow maned pegasus rocketed into the castle from the open window before halting above the group. “I searched everywhere and talked to everypony, no one’s seen Silver Spoon. Applejack’s leading a search party into the Everfree forest and Rarity is talking with the mayor.”

“Ok, Discord? You need to work with us here because this is not looking good for you.” Twilight stared sternly at Discord. “A filly has gone missing and her friend says that you literally sent her to another world.”

“And I still say I had no part in her mysterious disappearance.” Discord turned up his nose before pausing. “Although that would explain the rip in the space-time continuum.”

“What?”