Pokemon: Star Version X

by Just Some Guy

First published 30th of June, 2015

Long ago, ancient creatures nearly destroyed the land if it was not for the beast of the sky. Years later, Scootaloo is beginning her journey. Little does she know this journey will be more interesting than she thinks. (Honorable remake of old story)

Long, long ago, there existed ancient beasts that controlled the land, sea and sky. The one of land and the one of sea were governed by the one of sky, and harmony reigned throughout the land. However, with the arrival of mysterious object from the stars, the beasts of land and sea went berserk, causing destruction upon the world. However, with its unlimited power the beast of sky managed to defeat the rampaging beasts and put them in a deep slumber. Some say it still roams the skies to this day; protecting them.

Many, many years later, a young girl named Scootaloo is about to begin her very own journey through the world of Pokemon with her friends Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Unbeknownst to them, this adventure will be far more interesting than they ever expected, what with an evil syndicate capturing Pokemon for an unknown reason. Can they defeat the syndicate before they do something drastic?

---

This is a remake of my previous story, Pokemon: Star Version. It was pretty crap quality, so I've decided on just doing it again. I'll leave it up if you're curious, but just be warned.

Art belongs to SelenaEde. Check her out if you need some MLP bases!

My friend code, if you wish to battle me, is: 2509 - 3338 - 1786

[Prologue]: Legends

Our story begins a very, very long time ago, when the world was still on the brink of ruin. The volcanoes burst violently and the water flooded the land relentlessly. This curse was caused by the combat of two legendary and extremely powerful god Pokemon known as Groudon and Kyogre, who had existed since the dawn of time itself. For life living there, it was a bloodbath. The people and Pokemon of the world prayed to the heavens for a blessing; anything to rid themselves of this terrible fate. But no such blessing came.

And then... something appeared, like a heavenly light in the darkest hour. A flying god of serpentine nature with a green hue and sparks of gold flowing through its skin. It was known as...

Rayquaza.

The wind howled as Rayquaza flew through the air at a terrifying speed towards the fight between its foes. The magma rose from the ground at the green serpentine dragon with full force, and the tides cut loose rocks to cause even more destruction. The dragon merely looked over its surroundings and let out a sigh of disappointment.

Finally, after evading all the ruined world had to offer, it slowed down and stopped at the heart of all the cause; Groudon and Kyogre facing one-another on the land and in the sea respectively. From Groudon's side, the bipedal red wyvern with large silver spikes all along its body and sharp claws on its hands piercing the horizon, fire and magma exploded in a surprisingly beautiful display of ruin. From Kyogre's side, the whale-like leviathan with red markings along its body and powerful fins to propel itself through disaster, rain and lightning struck the world and shook it to limitless ends. Rayquaza wanted to stare in awe of the two.

But it knew what it had to do.

With a mighty roar, the serpent dragon engaged the two beings of fire and water to end their conflicts forever. It charged up an attack from its mouth before firing its Dragon Pulse attack at Groudon, gaining the latter's full attention. The brute Pokemon let out an ear-shatteringly loud roar at the green creature before stomping its left foot on the ground and causing an Eruption to occur underneath Rayquaza, to which it merely dodged.

Kyogre wasn't finished with its original opponent yet, as it opened its large mouth and let out its Ice Beam attack at Groudon, completely freezing its left arm. With this opportunity of Groudon being distracted for the time, Rayquaza fired yet another Dragon Pulse, this time at the legend of the seas. The attack seemingly did a good amount of damage, as Kyogre soon cried in pain afterwards.

Finally, the red beast broke free of its icy prison and stared directly at Kyogre. This time, however, its eyes glowed golden and it let out an even louder battle cry before giant blades of rock began coming out of the ground around it. It aimed these spikes at its original opponent before sending them flying towards it.

Kyogre realized this and quickly summoned up its own attack. Countless beams of light appeared from the whale's body before they hardened and were sent flying towards Groudon.

Rayquaza saw this as an opportunity to end this once and for all. Quickly, it flew up into the air before it came crashing back down with full force, right at the oncoming meeting point of the two attacks. It wasn't long before all three attacks met, and a blinding light was formed.

(Music Stop)

The light stayed for quite a while, hindering all three Pokemon's movements. It was almost as if they were frozen in time. Then, from the dimming of the light there was only one thing standing before them; Rayquaza. However, burns had been formed all over its body, and small rock shrapnel pierced its skin, causing its red blood to pour out. Slowly, it collapsed onto the ground before it succumbed to its wounds and passed on.

The remaining legendary Pokemon merely looked at the corpse of the green dragon before looking around them and finally understanding the damage that they had caused. With a glare to one-another, they slowly began to move back to a place where they could sleep and leave the inhabitants of this world in peace.

Elsewhere, in a small village on a tall mountain, a middle-aged red-headed woman with a very simple wool dress came out of her home and saw the skies of her world clearing up for the very first time in her life. She was soon joined by an elderly woman with a wood cane to hold her up, who wore a wool dress as well and had never seen the clear skies in her life either.

"Mother" the red-headed woman smiled "Isn't it wonderful? The skies have been cleared of ruin, which means Kyogre and Groudon have ceased their fighting. The world has been saved thanks to Rayquaza!"

"It truly is a miracle, my dearest Lauren" the elderly woman spoke with a small smile "Perhaps now we may finally be able to live in peace..."

"But, whatever happened to Rayquaza?" Lauren asked nervously.

"I sense it is no longer of this world, my dear..." the elderly woman sighed somberly, making Lauren hang her head in depression "However, its life force is not truly gone. If we need it again, it shall appear and protect us."

"Let us hope that day never comes then" Lauren smiled before happily walking around, exploring the world around her now bathed in the fresh sunlight that hasn't appeared for more than a millennia "Thank you, Rayquaza..."

Years pass, and the village on the mountain of nothing more than straw houses soon became a town of brick and stone. Soon enough, gold and diamond appeared on the buildings, and the town expanded and became a great city, erecting a grand castle of marble and forming two princesses to rule over the land, with the guidance of the god Rayquaza. Eventually, the city became the largest city in the world, creating trading routes and forming alliances with other countries.

Twenty-thousand years had passed since the defeat of Groudon and Kyogre, and the once tiny village has become a thriving metropolis. However, something horrible was about to happen that would change the seemingly ever-lasting peace. A great rock from the stars had fallen unto the planet, creating a massive explosion and scarring the face of the world. From this rock slipped a red jewel that fell into the depths of the caverns where Groudon slept. The jewel touched Groudon's body and was absorbed into the great beast.

A fierce earthquake shook the land and the city on the mountain. The inhabitants of both people and Pokemon looked over to the great crater of which the rock landed, and saw a great plume of magma rise from the core of the planet. From this plume emerged a great beast, red in colour with spikes all along its body. The people cowered in fear as the Pokemon known as Groudon emerged. However, it looked different. Flowing through its body was a glowing yellow energy that gave it a disturbingly powerful appearance. It let out a huge roar that shook the entire mountain.

Soon enough, another great rock came down unto the world, straight onto Kyogre's resting point. It too had a jewel that fell into the crevasse the sleeping Pokemon lay, to which it was absorbed into its body as well. Soon after, a powerful tornado of water shot out of ocean, and out came Kyogre. It too was different, as it had the same glowing energy Groudon had coursing through its veins. It too let out a haunting cry before engaging its long-time rival. The skies turned black as lighting and rain poured from Kyorge's side, and ash fell from Groudon's side. The great battle had begun again.

"Groudon?! Kyogre?! Why have they awoken?!" shouted a young man with a very proper attire, witnessing the entirety of the fight "And why is it that they have different forms now?!"

"I know not, young one" an elderly woman sighed "But there is one thing I know for sure: If this conflict is not resolved quickly, this new power of theirs could bring about the end of the world as we know it."

As Groudon and Kyogre fought, the land leveled and rose without warning, the seas expanded and dried simultaneously between seconds, and the lightning struck the earth, sending powerful energy into the planet and powering the two legendary Pokemon even more. Pokemon and people alike scattered away from the destruction as their world crumbled around them. The once great city had turned to ruins, and the mountain it was held on was obliterated. All hope was lost.

But then, a tiny glimmer of light shone through the destruction. One man stood and rose against the two legendary Pokemon, his long black hair flowing in the harsh winds, his black cape blown off by the powerful forces at work. All that remained on him was his black, gold and purple chest and arm armour, his black pants, purple secondary cape, and a flute tied as a necklace around his neck.

He brought the flute up to his mouth and began playing a lovely tune. It was almost inaudible due to the sounds of destruction around him, but he continued his song nonetheless. Once he was finished, a great rumbling occured beneath his feet. He looked up and saw the clouds part ways to let down a long green dragon with yellow markings along its body from the heavens.

The survivors of the attack merely watched in awe as the hero had just called upon the great savior Rayquaza, a holy light basking the Pokemon and preparing it for battle. With a smirk, the hero flung a green gem into the air. Rayquaza swooped down right at the hero and ate the gem. Seconds later, its body glowed and its shaped was formed into something new until the light dispersed and it finally revealed its true form. It retained its long body shape, but from its head protruded longer horns and tusks, as well as four glowing ropes of yellow light flowing from said horns and tusks. It let out a roar at Groudon and Kyogre, warning them.

"Mega Rayquaza, finish this foolish battle with Dragon Accent!" the hero commanded. Without question, the now named 'Mega Rayquaza' flew into the air before it descended down onto the battlefield with full force. A great light occurred when it hit the ground, forcing the two other legendary Pokemon to be blown back from the force of the impact. Both Groudon and Kyogre flew through the air before landing on their respective territories, the jewels slipping out of their grasp.

The jewels traveled around aimlessly until the hero held up his hand as if to call them to him. Soon enough, the jewels raced toward him and fell into his hold. As he did, the skies began to clear away, revealing the damage done by the two legendary Pokemon in the bright sunlight. New mountains had been formed, and the land had become distorted with lava, rock and water. The survivors gazed upon this new world of theirs.

"Whatever shall we do now?" asked a young woman with ripped formal clothing "The city has been decimated!"

The hero simply stared at the remaining townsfolk and sighed. He then played his flute to order Mega Rayquaza to do something. The great dragon then looked upon the world began glowing violently brightly. Soonafter, it exploded into millions of shards, spreading out throughout the ruined world. Slowly, these shards descended and, to the glee of the survivors, began repairing the aftermath of the battle. Fissures were sealed and lakes were filled again, but not even the shards could fix everything, such as the extremely tall mountain in the centre of the land.

"But... What of now? Are we merely supposed to start from scratch?" an older man asked the hero.

"What you choose to do lies in your hands" the black haired hero explained "Be you pay respects to Rayquaza, build anew, or ravage the world like Groudon and Kyogre have, it is all up to you."

"Oh thank you, great hero!" an elderly woman bowed "What is the name of such a great warrior?"

"Me?" the hero wondered before putting on a small smile "I have no name. I'm but a wandering soul in search of a greater cause. But do not thank me..." he looked to the heavens and nodded "Thank Rayquaza. He is the true hero here..."

"And so, the hero wandered off, leaving the townsfolk to decide on what to do with their lives" an elderly woman on a rocking chair spoke as a younger child with purple hair was on her lap, listening to her story "It was then when Ponyville was made, and soon enough all that fancy tech-e-o-nology wandered into our lives, including Poke Balls."

"Wow, Gramma!" the young child's eyes sparkled in wonder and amazement "Did that really happen?!"

"Darn right, it did!" the woman laughed "How do you think the Ghastly Gorge or even the Macintosh Hills were made? Groudon and Kyogre fought endlessly, and Rayquaza merely evened it out."

"Alright, Grandma, no need to fill her head with that kinda stuff" a rainbow haired girl in her pajamas, consisting of a sports bra and some shorts, said with a smile "Scootaloo won't be able to wait to turn ten now!"

"Oh, hush now, Rainbow Dash" the woman rolled her eyes "It's not as if your sister was any less excited already."

"Yeah, but now she'll be even more excited!" Rainbow sighed with a small grin "It's kinda hard taking care of her by myself already, but ever since she learned she could train Pokemon when she turned ten, I haven't heard the end of it!"

"But I'm just so excited, Rainbow!" Scootaloo got off her grandmother's lap and started bouncing around "I'm gonna get the best Pokemon ever, then be strong enough to beat you!"

"Yeah, because that'll happen" Rainbow laughed "Anyways, it's getting pretty late. Maybe you should think about heading off to bed, squirt?"

"Okay!" she nodded before happily hopping upstairs to her bedroom. Once Rainbow and her grandmother heard her bedroom door close, the former let out a small sigh.

"She's growing up too fast..." she said "She's only six, but already I think she's... I dunno... a teenager?"

"Hmm..." the woman smiled "Raising a child would do that to you, especially after your parents pass away. But let me just tell you that if you're worried she might do something drastic, just remember she has potential."

"Yeah, I know..."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"Well," Rainbow began "I just... Don't want her getting hurt. There are some nasty people out there. Believe me, I've met a few..."

"Oh, don't worry yourself over it, Dashie" the woman got up from her chair and hugged her elder granddaughter "Her journey will be fine, her Pokemon will be fine, the people she'll meet will be fine, and most importantly, she'll be fine. Heck, she might even get better than you!"

"Heh, heh... As if!" Rainbow laughed as she hugged her grandmother back "But you're right, I shouldn't worry all that much. I mean, what's honestly the worst that could happen?"

Elsewhere, three figures stood in a cave almost right next to Ponyville. They were female teens with purple hoodies over their heads, covering their faces and hair colour. They stood over an ancient plaque with an outdated language on it. They smiled devilishly at the same time before smashing the plaque open and revealing a glowing light. They simply stared in awe before one of them spoke up.

"Girls..." the middle one and clearly the leader of the three said "We've finally found it..."

"What is it?" asked the dumber of the trio.

"Ugh! Were you not listening when she told us the mission?!" the annoying one complained "She clearly said go into this cave, smash the plaque should there be one, and this'll be here! Honestly!"

"Will you two shut-up?!" the leader growled "What matters is we got what we came for. Now let's take it back home before I rip one of your heads off..."

Author's Notes:

And finished! That's the brand new intro to the remake of my second story ever! Sorry it took awhile (exams, sister's graduation, and other things). But anyway... yeah!

Oh, hey there intrepid readers! If you're wondering what I mean by "remake", allow me to explain. You see, I had a story called Pokemon: Star Version I posted a while back when I was still starting out on this site. Back then, I had limited knowledge in writing skillz, so once I gave it a break one day to start Monster Hunter MLP: Ultimate, I sorta just... forgot about it...

However, I didn't want to end the story there! Think of this story as Pokemon ORAS, a newer and (flame shield activated) clearly better version of the original RSE; the past story, which is still up if you want to check it out (don't, it's kinda bad) is the RSE version, whereas this is the ORAS version.

Pokemon: Star Version X will be updated as frequently as I can update it. If you want to battle me online, my code is in the description of the story on the cover. Just press the "Show More" button or something and add me. Make sure you tell me you're adding me so I can add you as well!

Like all my stories, we'll be going for a goal! This time, our goal is 60 Likes.

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until next time, see you guys then!

[Chapter 1]: Adventure Begins!

Day had broken out through the horizon and the sunlight filtered down through the trees and grassy plains. Eventually, the light went through the window of a certain short-purple-haired, white footie pajama-clad 11-year-old girl sleeping in her fluffy cloud-pattern bed. As soon as the sun hit her eyes, she groaned and squinted a bit before slowly opening her orbs to the day.

She yawned and stretched her limbs before looking outside her house with a smile on her face. Still half-asleep, she never realized what today was as she got out of bed and headed downstairs to meet with her rainbow-haired sister.

"Morning, Rainbow..." she groggily spoke as she went directly for the cereal in the cupboard "How... How're you doing?"

"Whoa, Scoots" Rainbow Dash, who was sitting at the kitchen table wearing nothing more than a tank top and underwear, laughed at her sister's still half-asleep antics "You feeling okay? Still a bit groggy?"

"Y-Yeah..." Scootaloo shook her head trying to wake herself up "Hey... What is it today?"

"Tuesday, June 15th" Rainbow smiled knowingly before completing her sentence "Or as you would know it as; your friend Sweetie Belle's birthday."

Scootaloo immediately felt like a bullet train had slapped her across the face and woke her up. She stared into space with a blank expression on her face before she finally smiled and began bouncing around the kitchen.

"Today is Sweetie's birthday!" she chanted over and over again "Today is Sweetie's birthday! Today is Sweetie's birthday!! Yes! Now we can all get our Pokemon at the same time!"

Scootaloo was the eldest of her three friends, so when she turned ten, the legal age to have a Pokemon license, it pained her to have a Pokemon before her friends did. So, she promised to wait until all her friends had turned ten so they could get their license at the same time. It was a grueling year-and-a-half, but she pulled through, and now she could finally become a Pokemon Trainer!

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there, squirt!" Rainbow got up and put her hand on her sister's shoulders, stopping her from continuing her bouncing "It's still early in the morning. Why don't you have something to eat and-"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, exciting the 11-year-old once again. She immediately rushed to open the door, to which her friends Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were waiting for her.

Apple Bloom had long red hair with a pink bow tied behind it. She wore a simple cream tie-up shirt and a pair ripped short jeans, along with yellow and pink boots. Sweetie Belle had long, curly pink and violet hair she always had her sister do for her in the morning. She wore a pink dress that went down to her waist, along with white knee-shorts, a violet belt around her waist, and purple sandals.

"Mornin' Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom spoke in her country accent "As soon as Sweetie got up, we rushed to yer house as fast as we cou- Oh, yer still in yer PJs..."

"Who cares?! Let's go and get our Pokemon!" Scootaloo cheered, to which the other girls did as well soon after.

"Hold on there, kiddo" Rainbow picked her up playfully, much to the latter's dismay "You're not going out in that. It's bad enough I let you wear that thing INSIDE the house, but not outside."

"Aww, c'mon Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo whined a bit, struggling to break free from her sister's grasp "Ash Ketchum began his journey in his pajamas, why can't I?"

"Because at least his pajamas were decent" she argued as she took her younger sister back inside "Besides, Ash is a character in a TV show. TV show characters can do what they want."

"Wait for me girls! Promise me that you'll...." was all Scootaloo could shout out before she and Rainbow turned the corner to head upstairs and change her attire.

(Music Stop)

It was ten minutes later when Scootaloo finally emerged from her bedroom and appeared before her friends. She now wore an orange tank top overlapping a white t-shirt, a pair of olive green knee-shorts, orange sleeve-gloves with black at the hand part, orange socks and purple sneakers. She proudly showed off her outfit to her friends.

"Okay, now I'm ready to go!" she nodded before joining her friends hand-in-hand and skipping all the way to their new adventure. However, Scootaloo stopped for a second and looked back at her home decorated with cloud paintings she and her sister did when she was younger. In the doorway was Rainbow Dash, now wearing some grey pants, giving a confident smirk to her younger sister. Scoots smiled before once again hopping along with her friends.

After a while, they finally reached the Pokemon professor's make-shift outdoor lab, which her assistants set up for her as she came from a far-away land to study the Pokemon species here.

"Professor Zecora?!" Sweetie Belle shouted in a cute but slightly squeaky voice "It's my birthday today! Do you remember what that means?"

"Uh... Sweetie?" Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow in confusion as she looked around the entire facility "Ah'm not sure she's 'ere..."

As soon as the country 10-year-old finished her sentence, a loud crash was heard from behind an iron cabinet in the lab's boundaries, followed by a female voice quietly saying "Ow!", which was only followed by more crashing around. Finally, a redheaded, poofy haired young girl with a white labcoat on fell out from behind the cabinet. As she got up and dusted herself off, she revealed that she wore a pink and yellow t-shirt under her coat, a purple skirt, pink socks, purple shoes, and large purple glasses. She looked at her visitors after cleaning herself up and gasped slightly.

"Oh, hey guys!" she greeted with a nervous smile "Sorry about the mess... Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Hey there, Twist!" Scootaloo smirked "Good to see you haven't changed. Well, Sweetie Belle here is finally ten years old, and you know what that means!"

"Oh, you guys are here for that?" Twist asked, slightly saddened "Well, you see... I can't give you your Pokemon right now..."

"WHAT?!" the three friends all shouted at the same time.

"What do ya mean ya can't?" Apple Bloom crossly questioned "Well then, ifin y'all can't, maybe Professor Zecora can!"

"No, guys, you don't understand!" Twist desperately cried out "That's the point! I can't give you your Pokemon right now because the professor is out trying to get them back!"

"Get them... back?" Sweetie wondered.

"A little while ago, they escaped from our lab and went off to who-knows-where!" Twist nervously shuddered "The professor, Pip and Feather went out to try and get them back, tasking me with keeping this place under control. But, let's face it; with my track record of botching things up, that's probably for the better."

"So, what, do we just wait for them to come back?" Scootaloo asked, slightly frustrated at the whole scenario.

"Sorry, guys" Twist apologized "That's just the way things have to be..."

"Nuh-uh! I don't wanna wait that long!" Sweetie squeaked "I CAN'T wait that long! C'mon guys; let's go and get our Pokemon back!"

"W-WAIT!! Twist shouted at the young girl dragging her elder friends along much to their displeasure, but it was too late; the three girls were out of earshot "Oh no... The professor isn't gonna be happy..."

"Not happy about what, dear Twist?" a familiar voice to the redhead said, making her even more nervous than before "Could it be that something's amiss?"

"Uh oh..." Twist quietly spoke.

(Music Stop)

The three girls had finally reached the center of Ponyville and begun forming a plan to capture the loose Pokemon. Sweetie Belle would investigate the north part of town, whereas Apple Bloom would search the south east part, and Scootaloo the south west. The latter was already beginning to become tired from walking around, searching for a Pokemon she wasn't even sure was in the city right now.

"Maybe this is just one giant wild goose chase" she pondered "Who knows? Maybe Pipsqueak and Featherweight already have the missing Pokemon, or maybe Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle got lucky and found two in one place."

After a while longer, she saw a nearby bench on the edge of town next to a forest, known to most people as Everfree Forest, and finally decided to take a short break searching. She sat down and let out a huge sigh, a large smile across her face.

"Ah... Much better..."

Mere seconds into relaxing, she heard a rustling coming from a bush in the forest's edge. She perked up and saw an orange head poke out from said bush and search around the area for some food. She didn't know too many Pokemon species, but she knew from watching her favourite TV show that this particular Pokemon was a Torchic, and it didn't take an IQ of 300 to know this was one of Professor Zecora's missing Pokemon. From the way it hopped around, it looked like it hadn't seen her yet, so she took advantage of this.

Slowly, she got out of her seat and crouched, getting closer and closer to the unsuspecting Pokemon, readying herself to pounce on it and capture it. Unfortunately, she had stepped on an cracked a small twig on the ground by accident and alerted the small Pokemon to her presence. It quickly turned around to face her, a curious look on its face. The two stood there until Scootaloo broke the silence.

"Um... Hey there, Torchic" she nervously greeted "Uh... Mind if you just... hold... STILL!" she quickly reached to grab the Pokemon chick only to have it scratch her face and run off deeper into the forest.

"Ow!" she cried out, clutching her face to try and ease the pain, "Shoot, it got away..." she got up and put her hand back down and looked into the forest "Great, now what? Am I supposed to chase it into the forest?"

She looked around devilishly, making sure no one was around her.

"Well, it's just a quick in-and-out mission, right?" Scootaloo confirmed to herself with a grin "Not like anything bad will happen to me in a minute or two."

With those words spoken, she entered the forest.

"Here, Torchic! Come out, come out, wherever you are..." Scootaloo chanted as she continued her travels through the surprisingly dense forest. The very moment she had entered the wood, the skies became darker and she could barely see two feet in front of her. Her eyes eventually adjusted to the darkness, but it was still rather hard to see.

"Ugh... This is hopeless" she sighed in defeat "Maybe it would be a good idea to- WHOA!!"

(Music Stop)

Her sentence was interrupted when a rope of sorts wrapped around her ankle and pulled her up high into the treetops. She bounced around upsidedown, the only thing keeping her up being a rope and a branch. However, as she looked around, she saw that a rope wasn't what caught her. It was in fact a huge string of spiderweb connected to a whole web nest.

"Uh oh..." Scootaloo's pupils shrank at the realization of where she was "HELP!! SOMEONE HELP ME!!"

"Torchic..." spoke a rather rude voice beside the purple haired girl. She looked to her left and saw that the Torchic she had been after got trapped in the very same web she had, it's body all tied up and it too upsidedown. She couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"Wow, you too?" she chuckled.

"TORCHIC!!" the little Pokemon shouted at her, an angry look in its eyes.

"So, you can escape from Professor Zecora and outrun both me and her assistants, but you can't seem to avoid spiderweb traps, is that right?"

"TOR!! TORCHIC, TOR!!" it flailed around fruitlessly, causing Scootaloo to laugh even more. However, the fun was cut short when a hiss from the trees was heard. The single hiss turned into ten, then thirty, then a hundred. Soon enough, thousands of red eyes began opening up all around the Pokemon and person.

"Torchic, mind if you shut-up?" Scootaloo whispered to the little Pokemon, of which it didn't seem to notice the intimidating eyes all around it.

"Tor. Chic" it rudely refused, scoffing its head away from the young girl. However, this was about the same moment it noticed the hundreds upon thousands of red eyes staring right at it.

"Tor..." it whimpered a bit before going ballistic "TORCHIC!! TOR!!"

"Aw, nuts!" Scootaloo exclaimed before trying to struggle out of her trap as well "HELP! SOMEONE!!"

No response. This was all up to them now. Sure enough, as they struggled, the eyes came out of the shadows to reveal themselves as a horde of red and black, spider-like Pokemon with purple and yellow legs. Scootaloo realized what they were from the lessons she barely missed in school; they were Ariados, extremely poisonous Pokemon that resided within the forest.

"Ariadosssssss..." one of them, much larger than the other ones, hissed. Soon the others began hissing as well, preparing themselves to dine on their recently caught feast.

"Torchic, you're a Pokemon! Do something!" Scootaloo urged desperately.

"...Tor?" Torchic asked confusingly before a smug grin appeared on its face "Torchic..."

Without thinking, its feet claws glowed with a bright light and slightly grew in size. It then used its newly grown feet to slice right through the thick web surrounding its body. It face-planted right into the soil when it hit the ground, but quickly got back up and shook itself off. Its feet then shrank back down to normal size.

"Awesome! You're out!" Scootaloo smiled "Now, mind if you help me out too, please?"

Torchic merely looked at the purple haired girl in disbelief. It then scoffed and began strutting away from her, leaving her to deal with the oncoming threat.

"Oh, yeah, THANK YOU!" Scootaloo shouted at the exiting Torchic before remembering she was still trapped and surrounded by a swarm of Ariados "Oh, right... So, how are you guys- er, girls doing today?"

The Ariados horde simply hissed in hungriness.

"Uh oh... Um... OH, what would Rainbow Dash do in a situation like this?!"

Scootaloo's expression deadpanned as she realized she had overlooked something important. After giving herself a face-palm, she pulled her body up and untied herself from the web, falling down onto the soil with a quiet 'whump' sound. She quickly got up and hightailed it out of there faster than a speeding Linoone.

"Gotta go fast... Gotta go fast... Gotta go fast..." she chanted as she both tried to run away from the Ariados nest and find the missing Torchic "C'mon, Torchic! This isn't funny! Come on ou- WAAAAAA!!"

Scootaloo had tripped over a fallen branch and was unfortunate enough to be sent falling down a steep hill right next to it. She tumbled all the way down until she finally came to a halt, her face planting itself in a small puddle of water. That unfortunate accident was followed by the chirping laughter of a familiar snarky chick Pokemon. The young girl lifted her head up to see Torchic laughing its butt off at her fall.

"Not cool, man..." she groaned before sinking her face back into the puddle.

A little later on, she finally got herself out of the water and cleaned up. Just as she was about to scold the Torchic for bringing her all the way out here, albeit unintentionally, she noticed she was in a large forest clearing. In the middle was a completely wrecked structure that appeared to be an ancient castle of sorts. Something about it made her shudder in fear, telling her to stay away from it. But at the same time, she couldn't repress the urge to go closer.

"Torchic, how about you and I explore something?" Scootaloo suggested to the little chicken Pokemon "Some way to bond? Y'know, a bit of off-time, person and Pokemon?"

"Tor. Chic" it stated in an uptight tone "Torchic, Tor."

"Fine, be that way, stupid chicken" Scootaloo groaned before heading toward the ruined castle "Just remember that those Ariados are still pretty hungry! Maybe they're in the mood for some roasted chicken with extra BBQ sauce! Mmmm..."

The Torchic sweated a bit, but still held its snarky expression upon its face. However, it soon heard a hissing sound slowly approaching it. Not being able to handle the sounds of the forest, it panicked and quickly ran to Scootaloo, hopping right on top of her head and shivering in fear.

"Aww, poor guy..." she chuckled a bit "But, I guess this means we're a team now."

"Torchic..." the Torchic spoke with venom in its voice, as if to say 'I hate you'. Scootaloo just rolled her eyes as she continued heading toward the castle, unbeknownst of what would be in store for her there...

Author's Notes:

Will Scootaloo survive the perils of the castle, or will she fail and be sent to another dimension? Find out next time, same Kamek hour, same Kamek channel!

This was a fun one to write, even if I accidentally deleted a bit of the chapter, lost motivation and sorta left it for a bit... Sorry... But I'm going to put my all into this story. THIS will be my next big project, with action, adventure, sadness, romance (okay, maybe not so much that one...), happiness, and, in normal MLP fashion, lessons!

I promise this won't be like any other of my stories you've seen! Whether you interpret that as good or bad, I still technically would've fulfilled my promise right?

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, this has been SuperKamek saying thank you, have a great night, and stuff as many legendary gods into baseballs as you can!

[Chapter 2]: Castle in the Forest

As the duo got closer and closer to the castle, they noticed just how ruined it really was. Pillars had crumbled down, as well as floor tiles were completely shattered, some even missing. The walls had giant holes in them, and burn marks large and small were abundant. No doubt a few ghost-type Pokemon had made this their home.

"What the heck happened here?" Scootaloo asked herself "Was there some kind of battle or something?"

"Torchic, Tor..." the Torchic still on her head replied in a scared tone "Torchic..."

"There, there, little guy" Scootaloo patted it on its head, much to its displeasure "This place isn't so spooky... Well, at least, I HOPE it isn't too spooky..."

"Tor?!" Torchic shouted in angry towards its ride "Tor, Tor! Torchic, Tor!!"

"Can you stop spazzing out already?" Scootaloo crossly asked her temporary partner before she let off a cocky smile "Well now, Mr. Hotshot over here can't stand haunted houses. Not so much Mr. Hotshot now, hmm?"

The Torchic merely pecked her in the head multiple times, followed by her quietly saying "Ow!" every time it did so. This constant pecking eventually threw her off balance, causing her to trip over a thick vine, sending Torchic tumbling off her head and onto a pressure plate. They both heard a small ticking noise getting faster and faster each second.

"That doesn't sound good..." Scootaloo pointed out just before both Pokemon and person was sent falling down a trap door that opened up beneath them "AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH........."

They continued to fall down the surprisingly long and very dark chute to who-knew-where until they finally hit a soft, plush floor. They bounced a bit on the floor before finally coming to a complete stop. Unfortunately, it was still pitch-black for the duo's eyes. Not even the light from where they entered could bask them anymore.

"Torchic, can you see anything?" Scootaloo asked the Pokemon.

"Torchic, Chic!" it spoke in a disappointed tone.

"Well, keep looking. There's gotta be a switch around here somewhere..."

"Torchic..."

"Wait..." Scootaloo felt something protruding out of the wall with her hands "I think... Yeah, I think this is a switch! Pretty big switch, though..." she attempted to pull the lever-like switch, but to no avail "Oh, come on... Hrrrgggg!"

(Music Stop)

Finally, after a few more seconds, the switch finally let out and was pulled down by the young girl's hands. Light flooded the small room they were in and a door on the opposite side of the lever unlocked itself. The duo looked down and saw they had landed on a blue water bed that took up the entire floor of the room, meaning it was large enough, and probably strong enough, for a Snorlax to sleep on. They then turned their attention back to the unlocked door.

"No way to go but there, I guess..." Scootaloo spoke with nervousness in her voice "C'mon, Torchic; let's go before something else tries to eat us..."

Without question, the tiny Pokemon hopped back onto the young girl's head and snuggled into her purple hair. She smiled a bit before walking on the plush floor, with a bit of struggle of course, towards the door and opening it, bracing herself for the worst.

"It's all my fault!" Twist cried "I should have never said the Pokemon were missing! Now Scootaloo is gone and there's nothing I can do about it! She could be in horrible danger, and I'm the one responsible! I'm such a screw-up!

After Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom found the other two missing Pokemon, Chikorita and Squirtle respectively, they had gone back to the lab to wait for Scootaloo to return. However, after waiting and waiting for her to show up, they deemed that something bad had happened to her. Unfortunately, this caused Twist to freak out about the situation. Professor Zecora, who had been there for a while now, called Rainbow Dash immediately once her sister failed to return to the lab after a while.

"Twist, calm down!" Rainbow urged the young lab assistant "This isn't your fault and you're not a screw-up. Whatever Scootaloo got herself into is her fault, not yours. Besides, she's WAY too strong to be in any mortal danger."

"Miss Dash, a word, if I may?" Zecora, a dark-skinned woman with black and white Mohawk styled hair, a white lab coat, a dark velvet midriff shirt, grey jeans and golden tribal jewelry around her neck and ears, pulled over the rainbow-haired young woman "You do not fret for your sister, is that what you say?"

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow whispered "Of course I'm worried for her, but I know she's a strong girl. If it'll help you cool down, I'll go and search for her on my Crobat, okay?"

"That would be the responsible thing to do" Zecora nodded "But next time, I expect more from you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes before pulling out a Poke Ball from her side and tossing it upwards, releasing a large purple bat about half the size of its owner. It had four large wings on either side of its body, the two lower ones being slightly smaller than the upper ones, as well as two yellow eyes, a forever frowning mouth always exposing its teeth, and large purple ears on its head.

"Crobat, take me around the city" Rainbow commanded as she got on her ride. The Crobat took no time in following its orders and began taking off with its master on its back.

"Ah sure hope Scoots is alright..." Apple Bloom said in a saddened tone.

"Me too..." Sweetie Belle sighed "But Rainbow Dash told us that she'd be alright, so I'm gonna hold onto that as closely as I can! She has to be okay, I just know it."

Behind the door Scootaloo and Torchic went through was, to their surprise, a gigantic warehouse with metal walls and pillars, as well as a concrete floor and ceiling. The entire area was filled to the brim with empty cages and giant wooden creates filled with who-knew-what. A straight pathway through the intimidatingly tall stacks of boxes was present in front of the temporary teammates.

"This is incredible!" Scootaloo stared in awe of the warehouse "Just how long has this place been here?"

"Tor!" Torchic whispered as it pecked her on the head, as if to try and keep her quiet "Torchic! Tor! Tor!"

"Okay, okay, I'll shut-up" Scootaloo lowered her voice, not to a whisper but rather an indoor voice, before she continued down the only path she saw "So, we're here alone. Wanna tell me your story? Why'd you run away from the lab?"

"Tor, Tor, Tor..." the Pokemon snickered before jumping off its ride and running around, trying to explain in a way Scootaloo could understand "Torchic, Tor. Torchic, Chic! Tor!"

"So, basically," she nodded as she tried to understand what she saw "you escaped because the cage was open and the 'stupid person' was busy? Torchic, how could you say that about someone?!"

"Torchic... Torchic, Tor..." Torchic spoke in a smart aleck tone.

"D- What did you just say?!" Scootaloo shouted "You take that back right now!"

"Torchic!" the little Pokemon argued with its 'teammate'.

"It really is a good thing I have no idea what you're saying, because if I did-"

(Music Stop)

"I think I heard them over here!" spoke a male voice that came from neither Torchic nor Scootaloo. Both of their bodies froze with fear, not knowing what to do or where to hide, if even they should. The voice sounded unfamiliar, but question after question went through Scootaloo's mind. Was he from the police? Was he here to help? Was he someone evil? Was he going to hurt her and Torchic?

Finally, she had to make a choice. Without thinking, she grabbed Torchic and fled into a small dark crack between two of the crate pillars. Even the normally annoying Pokemon stayed quiet as it and its partner saw the man and a woman stopped right in front of them. The man wore a zipped up purple hoodie with the hood down, as well as black jeans. His skin was pale and his hair was short, black and messy. His ears had several piercings in them. The woman wore her purple hoodie the same way as the man, only she had a black skirt instead. Her skin too was pale, and she had long, black and only slightly messy hair. Her nose and lower lip had one piercing each.

"I swear, I heard someone over here!" the man insisted "It sounded like a little girly brat and that chicken-y Pokemon, I swear!"

"Hmm... That girly brat voice must've echoed over here from you" the woman smiled devilishly.

"Why you-" the man was about to say something, but inevitably stopped himself "You know what? Fine! I've had it with arguing with you anyway! Ugh!"

"Whiny and girly... Yep definitely you!" the woman laughed "Now try not to embarrass me again, clear? We're the only two here guarding this place since the relocation, so perk up and get guarding!"

"Y-Yes ma'am..." the man sighed before the woman walked off back to her post "Stupid, stupid woman... With her around, it's like I can't even get one thing done right! Jeez... Good thing this spot's gonna be swapped with someone less fortunate than me tomorrow; That way, I never have to see her again. Nothing even interesting happens here anyway! Ugh..."

Soon enough, the man began walking away, much to the relief of the hiding duo.

"Okay, we need to sneak outta here, Torchic" Scootaloo obviously pointed out, much to the annoyance of the little Pokemon "First of all, we need to distract that guard, so you can go and-"

Her sentence was halted when she felt something crawl onto her shoulder. Her pupils shrank as she turned to head slowly to reveal the new visitor to the small nook she hid in. It had a black and green body with six yellow and black legs, a silver horn and red pincers. It was harmlessly and fruitlessly trying to nibble on her arm. It was then when its two beady black eyes stared right back at her. She had no idea what this thing was, but whatever it was, she didn't like it.

She let out a small scream and flew out of the crack with Torchic still in her hands and the mysterious spider-like Pokemon still attached to her shoulder. This, of course, gained the attention of the man walking by. Scootaloo didn't even care the spider was on her shoulder anymore, as she was too stricken with fear from the man to care about anything else buy what would happen next.

"Well, well, well..." the man smiled "I knew I heard someone in our warehouse, but gotta admit: didn't expect you to actually be a little girly brat. Points for surprising me" he clapped three times "Unfortunately, that's the only congratulations you're gettin' kid! Wanna explain why you're trespassing on private property?"

"L-Look, sir, I'm sorry, I can explain!" Scootaloo panicked.

"Oh, lemme guess" the man rolled his eyes "You didn't know, right? You were just curious, right? Been there, done that, kid! But this time, I ain't letting another brat get away with trespassing on my turf, got it?!"

"Wait... Another kid?"

"Yes, you idiot" the woman had come back after hearing the commotion, making all present turn to her general direction "Mind if you tell us who this other brat is?"

"W-Well..." the man swallowed a bit "It was about seven years ago... A 12-year-old kid with the stupidest rainbow-colored hair came into my turf one day, and started messin' my boss's plans up!"

"Rainbow... Wait, Rainbow Dash?!" Scootaloo gasped.

"That was her name! Right!" the man laughed before suddenly going very strict again "Wait a minute... How is it you know her name? What, does she carry some kinda legacy or something?"

"She's my sist-" she covered her mouth to stop herself from finishing, but it was too late.

"You're sister, eh? Makes sense... The apple don't fall too far from the tree, I see."

"But, wait, if you knew Rainbow Dash like that..." Scootaloo thought before finally becoming very cross with the man and woman "That means you two are a part of Team Chaos, the syndicate my sister and her friends took down when they were kids!"

"Right again, kid" the woman chuckled, now standing next to the man "But this is the new and improved Team Chaos, not those wimps back in the day. But I shouldn't say much more than that. I fear your tiny brat head wouldn't understand that much."

"Hey!" Scootaloo shouted before taking notice of and remembering literally the only thing surrounding her "So, since I obviously won't understand, can you tell me what's in these crates?"

"Sorry kid, that's highly classified" the man grinned "Even I'm not that stupid!"

"There, see? We're improving!" the woman patted the man on the head.

"Don't patronize me" the man scoffed before turning back to the young girl in front of him "Now leave! Or else me and my partner here will have to do something drastic!"

"Not until you tell me what's in the crates!"

"Ugh... Still with the crates, kid?" the woman rolled her eyes "Look, we aren't gonna-"

(Music Stop)

Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed that the Torchic in Scootaloo's hands was just about fed up with all this talking. It squirmed out of the young girl's grasp and hopped on the side of one of the crates, scratching it with its feet like there was no tomorrow. Before the man or woman could stop it, the crate opened up, and out flowed what seemed like hundreds of dead Pokemon, all looking exactly like the one on Scootaloo's shoulder. This caused it to stop nibbling and stare in awe and sadness of what it was witnessing.

"Spin... arak?" the spider Pokemon asked curiously, revealing it to be called a Spinarak.

"D-Dead... Pokemon?" Scootaloo asked with somberness in her voice "Why... Why is this..."

"Aw nuts!" the man panicked "That little twerp of a chicken Pokemon dug us out! Now what?!"

"Calm down" the woman hushed calmly "As long as she doesn't figure out WHY these crates are filled with dead Pokemon, we can still save this one."

"You... killed... them..." Scootaloo felt tears on her cheeks "What horrible people would do something like that?! But all these Spinarak Pokemon... They look a lot like... No...

"Oh no..." the man shuddered.

"That's why the Ariados attacked us back there, Torchic!" Scootaloo finally pieced it all together "They weren't just hungry; they were protecting themselves after these two took away their kids!"

"Kid, I would advise you leave immediately!" the woman warned, reaching for a Poke Ball around her waist "Don't make me battle you! You'll regret it!"

"I... I..." was all the young girl could say after her discovery. Just before she was about to give up, Torchic bounced on her head and spat out a few small flames at the woman. These embers did nothing more than annoy her, but this gave Scootaloo an idea. It was dangerous, but it might've been the only option left for her.

"Spinarak..." she began "...use String-shot."

The Spinarak staring at its dead brothers and sisters in confusion snapped out of its trance and looked up at Scootaloo. Without a word, it spat out a long stream of web from it mouth onto one of the crates, which formed itself into a small net-web. The young girl took a deep breath and turned to Torchic.

"Torchic..." she closed her eyes "...use Ember on the web."

"Wait, what?!" the woman shouted in fear, finally understanding just what Scootaloo was trying to accomplish. She reached out a hand to stop the little chick Pokemon, but it was too late. The small flames came out of Torchic's mouth and onto the web, causing a flame to ignite. The flame soon grew until the wooden crates began catching fire as well. It was only a matter of time before the whole place would go up in smoke.

"I can't tell if you're insane or just plain stupid, kid!" the man shouted at Scootaloo. This was the moment when she had to make her speedy getaway. Quickly, she grabbed Torchic and the living Spinarak and hightailed it away from the Team Chaos grunts as fast as she could. Another iron door was on the other side of the hallway, and as soon as she reached it she opened it and closed it behind her, making sure to lock it as well. She turned around and looked up at the tall flight of stairs, presumably leading to the exit.

"She locked the door!" the man shouted over the crackling of the flames behind him "I heard the 'Ka-chunk' sound! Now how're we supposed to escape?!"

"Relax, idiot!" the woman slapped him across the face before pulling out a Poke Ball and releasing a yellow and brown, cat-like Pokemon with closed eyes and sharp claws that floated in the air "Abra, use Teleport and get as far away from this place as you can take us."

The Abra obeyed and began warping the two grunts out of the warehouse with a bright flash. They teleported out of there just before a fiery pillar of crates came crashing down where they stood.

Scootaloo had climbed the stairs all the way to the top of the flight, coming out back into the castle and collapsing in exhaustion. Torchic and the Spinarak looked at her in disappointment and curiosity respectively.

"Guess I'm not as fit as I used to be when I was six..." Scootaloo huffed.

"Spin! Spinarak!" Spinarak nudged the young girl with its pincers, urging her to get up.

"Alright, alright, I'll get up..." Scootaloo finally gave in and leaned her body up into a sitting position. She checked the staircase to make sure the grunts hadn't followed her; not even the smoke got through. She sighed in relief before grabbing Torchic and Spinarak and taking them outside the castle.

"Torchic, Tor!" Torchic crossly spoke at its partner.

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying" she replied "Don't go into old, abandoned castles, right?"

The little Pokemon nodded.

"Spinarak?" the spider Pokemon asked curiously.

"Oh, sorry little guy. I guess you're wondering who we are, right?" Scootaloo asked, to which Spinarak nodded "Well, I'm Scootaloo, and this is Mr. Grumpy-Pants, better known as Torchic."

"TOR!!" Torchic shouted at the girl, blushing in embarrassment.

"Okay, I won't call you that anymore, okay?" Scootaloo laughed "Instead, I'll call you Mr. Fluffy-Butt."

"TORCHIC, TOR!!!!" it squirmed around violently and angrily at its new name.

"Spin, Spin, Spin, Spin!" Spinarak chuckled at Torchic's fruitless attempts at breaking free.

"Heh..." Scootaloo smiled "Y'know, I think we're all gonna make one heck of a team. We'll be the absolute strongest trio ever, and heck, even more than a trio! We'll have four, five, ten! Who knows?"

As the team walked out of the ruined castle, a purple shadow flew overhead them. Knowing exactly who it was, Scootaloo waved at her sister to come down and pick her up from her little adventure through the woods.

"Oh, you guys still have to meet my sister" she remembered "I'll tell you, she's super cool!"

"What the heck were you THINKING, Scootaloo?!" Rainbow Dash shouted crossly at her younger sister, and for good reason too "Do you wanna know how long I've searched for you? Well... Not that long... But I started searching for you the SECOND I found out you were missing!"

Once Rainbow brought her sister back to the lab, the latter's friends were quick to hug her. Many tears were shed, but Rainbow was quick to get to the point. As soon as the reunion was finished, she brought her younger sister to another place of the lab to sit her down on a chair have a serious conversation with her. Professor Zecora followed as well to try and see how Rainbow punished Scootaloo.

"But, Rainbow Dash, I-" Scootaloo spoke before getting interrupted by her sister.

"No buts!" she stated profusely "You should be ashamed of yourself! Running into that forest by yourself? What were you thinking?"

"You don't even think it was a little bit awesome?"

"Well..." Rainbow paused for a second and thought before answering "...maybe it was a little awesome... But that was still really dumb of your to do!"

"Rainbow Dash, a word with your sister, if I may?" Zecora asked politely, to which the rainbow haired young woman nodded and stepped out to give her space "Scootaloo, whatever compelled you to do this, this way?"

"Well... At first, I just wanted to catch Torchic and bring it back to the lab, until it ran off into the forest" she stared at the orange Pokemon, which was sitting on the ground beside her, with slight disappointment "Then we, um... Got caught by a horde of Ariados..."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow Dash shouted, but Zecora was quick to calm her down "Sorry... Continue..."

"At first, Torchic and I thought we were toast" Scootaloo continued, thinking of a small lie to keep Torchic's side safe "But then, Torchic saved my life. We traveled down to an old castle where-"

"Old castle?" Rainbow questioned "You mean the one from a hundred-thousand years ago or something? Y'know, the one crawling with poisonous bug-type Pokemon?"

"Rainbow, I only found this little guy" the young girl picked up Spinarak from off the table next to her, to which it started nibbling on her hand in a cute fashion "It's really, really young, so it's not poisonous yet... I think... And it was abandoned by its horde, so all the more reason to keep it, right?"

"...No, I don't like this" Rainbow shook her head "You, young missy, are grounded for a month, which means no Pokemon adventure for you, got that?"

"Rainbow Dash, please, don't jump to that" Zecora urged "Just look at where she's at. Like it or not, she's already begun. So maybe, just maybe, let her have some fun?"

"But Z, she went into the Everfree Forest and-"

"I'm well aware of her flaws" Zecora continued "But she did it with a noble cause. She brought the Pokemon back, right? Please, there is no reason to fight."

"Well..." Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and though long and hard on what she was going to say next "...I mean, she did what she did with the best intentions... well... alright, you've convinced me."

"R-Really?!" Scootaloo's eyes widened in excitement "Yes! Torchic, Spinarak! Do you know what this means? This means you guys can come with me on my adventure!"

"Spinarak!" the spider Pokemon gleefully bounced.

"Torchic..." the chick Pokemon rolled its eyes.

"Aww, c'mon, don't be a sour-face, Torchic" Scootaloo sighed with a smile before picking it up and swinging it around playfully "We're gonna have so much fun on our journey!"

"But, you can only go on ONE condition" Rainbow Dash spoke up again "Stay close to your friends, no matter what, okay? There are some nasty people out there. I would know..."

"I promise, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo nodded.

"Hey, um... Are you guys done there?" Twist nervously asked as she entered the area the three were talking in "Sorry to interrupt, but if Scootaloo's going on a journey, she should probably have these things. I already gave them to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, but, y'know..."

"Ah, of course, my mistake" Zecora laughed a bit before taking the items out of Twist's arms and handing them to Scootaloo "Hopefully this isn't too late?"

"Of course not!" Scootaloo confirmed "So, whatcha got?"

"This here is a Pokedex, see?" Zecora pointed to the red device that looked a lot like a GBA "Many useful things it can be. It can record any Pokemon you meet, whether they'd be as large as your head or down to your feet."

"Record any Pokemon I meet?" Scootaloo questioned for gently taking the Pokedex and pressing the blue button on its side, activating it. She then aimed it at Torchic and pressed the button once again.

Torchic, the Chick Pokemon
Torchic has a place inside its body where it keeps its flame. If it is given a hug, it will be glowing with warmth. This Pokémon is covered all over by a fluffy coat.

"So you ARE fluffy!" Scootaloo laughed, much to Torchic's dismay and embarrassment. She then turned her attention to Spinarak, who was in the middle of exploring the new world around it. Without further ado, she pressed the blue button once again.

Spinarak, the String Spit Pokemon
The web spun by Spinarak can be considered its second nervous system. It is said that this Pokémon can determine what kind of prey is touching its web just by the tiny vibrations it feels through the web's strands.

"I can use this..." the young girl nodded before turning the Pokedex off and placing it in her pocket "So, what else do you got?"

"This is Torchic's Poke Ball" Twist handed her friend a ball with red on top and white on the bottom, as well as a button in the middle "Probably a good idea to have this just in case..."

"Knowing this trouble maker? I'll be sure to keep in on-hand" Scootaloo nodded, making Torchic stomp around in frustration.

"Torchic! Tor! Tor!" it shouted at the top of its lungs, annoyed by its new owner's actions. Scootaloo just laughed and patted it on its head to try and pacify it. It didn't work, but it was worth a shot right?

"Here are your remaining Poke Balls, Scootaloo" Professor Zecora handed five of the six remaining objects in her hold "I hope these allow you to pull through."

"Awesome!" she grinned before taking one of the Poke Balls and walking over to Spinarak "Okay, Spinarak. You ready?"

"Spin! Spinarak!" Spinarak joyously hopped up and down in anticipation to begin its journey with its new master. It closed its eyes as it felt the cold touch of the metal Poke Ball on its head. Its body soon formed into a glowing ball of light as the Poke Ball opened up, sending the ball inside it before closing tightly shut. Scootaloo smiled a bit at her latest capture before turning to Torchic with its Poke Ball in hand.

"TORCHIC!!!" it panicked "TORCHIC, TOR!!"

"I guess it doesn't want to be in a Poke Ball then" Rainbow Dash chuckled "That's fine. Some Pokemon are like that, I suppose."

"Okay then, Torchic" Scootaloo put away its Poke Ball "Would you prefer sitting on my head the entire time?"

"Torchic~" it happily replied before hopping and nuzzling itself into Scootaloo's hair, pretending it to be a nest "Tor... Chick..."

"I suppose that leaves your final item" Twist directed the young girl's attention back to the remaining object in Professor Zecora's grasp "This is your-"

"Trainers License!!" Scootaloo finished her friend's sentence and cheered with glee, bouncing up and down like she just had twelve cups of coffee "Yes! Finally!"

Zecora, with a smile, quietly gave the purple haired girl her legal permit to catch and own Pokemon. This marked the beginning of her journey across the world, and she couldn't be happier. Soon enough, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle joined their friend to congratulate her on her latest achievement.

"We finally did it, Scoots!" Apple Bloom hugged her purple haired friend.

"We're finally Pokemon Trainers!" Sweetie Belle joined in on the group hug. It didn't take long for Scootaloo to start hugging back. Finally, they released themselves from the embrace and all turned to Professor Zecora.

(Music Stop)

"So... Now what?" Sweetie Belle asked curiously "Where do we go from here?"

"Well, Route 1 would be a start" Zecora nodded "The day is dying, so soon you must depart."

"Right, of course..." Scootaloo sheepishly chuckled before going to collect her stuff and begin her travels. However, Rainbow Dash placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her aside for a second.

"Scootaloo, when you were out in that forest, did you see any people with totally pale skin?" she asked her younger sister.

"N-No, of course not, Rainbow Dash" she smiled, hoping her sister would buy her lie. She didn't want Rainbow to pull her out of her adventure right before it began just because some jokers were around town again. Besides, she could totally take them with Torchic, Spinarak and even the new Pokemon she would obtain on her journey. Rainbow looked at her younger sister closely before nodding and letting her go.

"Have fun, you three!" she waved as the trio of friends left to begin their journey.

"Um... Rainbow Dash?" Twist spoke up to the 19-year-old "You do know she was lying, right?"

"Unhuh" she nodded.

"Then why did you let her go on a journey if you're so worried about her?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm worried sick about her" Rainbow got that point across very quickly before looking back at her sister and her friends slowly walking away from home to Route 1 "But those grunts were probably just some stragglers. What's honestly the worst that could happen?"

Author's Notes:

How about everything imaginable, Rainbow Dash?!

And so marks the beginning of our grand journey! What will Scootaloo and her friends find along the way? Will Torchic ever stop being a little bitch? And will Zecora ever stop rhyming? Tune in next time to find out!

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, I'll see you guys then!

[Chapter 3]: Rivals

Past Route 1 lay a forest not as terrifying as the Everfree Forest, simply known as Whitetail Woods. The wood served as a migrating point for many indigenous Pokemon species from all across the region, including several types of bird Pokemon, fish Pokemon, and even bug Pokemon. Since each species had different migrating times, the forest was always filled to the brim with life, which, in trainer language, of course meant a perfect place to catch everything that moved.

"Mah sister Applejack says there ain't too many places like this anymore" Apple Bloom recalled "Ah mean, sure, there are still places fer Pokemon ta live, but ah think she meant clean forests like this."

"What a perfect way to start out our adventure!" Sweetie Belle beamed right before she heard her stomach growl "Oh, well, I guess it's time to eat then. Did anyone bring any food?"

"Torchic, Tor..." Torchic whined, it too being very hungry after not eating in a while.

"Oh, I think Rainbow slipped a few sandwiches in my backpack" Scootaloo remembered, reaching for the backpack she took with her before beginning on her journey and opened it up "Just gimme a second and- WAAAHH!!"

She panicked and dropped her bag at the sight of what she saw. Soon enough, a little green spider, who had somehow gotten out of its Poke Ball, crawled out of her bag, still munching on a slice of bread it found. Spinarak looked up at its master and gleefully bounced. The trio of girls just quickly face-palmed themselves. However, Torchic was slightly more displeased by the situation.

"Tor...?" it looked at Spinarak in complete disbelief before bouncing off Scootaloo's head and going absolutely ballistic "TORCHIC!! CHIC!!!"

"Torchic, please, calm down!" Scootaloo urged her partner "Spinarak is just a baby. It didn't know any better, okay?"

"...chic" Torchic subsided and sat itself down on the ground "Torchic, Tor!"

"I know you're hungry; we are too" she rubbed its head "Just hold out for a little while longer, okay?"

"We forgive y'all, Spinarak" Apple Bloom nodded with a smile before clutching her belly "But... Gosh, ah sure am hungry... Now how're we supposed ta git food?"

"Didn't any of you guys pack anything to eat?" Scootaloo asked her friends.

"Nope, sorry..." Sweetie Belle sighed "I guess I was just so excited to go on this journey with you guys that I completely forgot to both eat and pack food. Some birthday this has been..."

"Some adventure we've started..." Apple Bloom double face-palmed.

As the three were trying to figure things out, Torchic took this opportunity to peck Spinarak on the head for screwing things up. The spider perked up at the feeling of something touching its head, but then happily went back to munching on its slice of bread, much to the annoyance of Torchic.

"Okay, guys, wait..." Sweetie Belle thought of something "What if we eat something from the forest?"

"Are you kidding?!" Scootaloo shouted "Any number of things could be poisonous, not to mention just about anything could be a Pokemon! I can't eat a Pokemon!"

"Some Pokemon eat other Pokemon" Apple Bloom unintentionally made the situation more grim than it already was.

"Really, Apple Bloom?" Scootaloo turned her attention to her country friend "Well, thanks for that uncomfortable sentence! Now, seriously, any ideas?"

"Well, I mean, we could always ask someone for help" Sweetie Belle suggested.

(Music Stop)

"Uh, no!" Scootaloo laughed "We're strong, independent young women! This generation is counting on us, the younger of age, to fulfill the legacies of our ancestors who strove for food so many moons ago. They never gave up the search for food, and neither will we! We will continue to search until our bodies ache and our minds become corrupt!"

Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Torchic all stared at Scootaloo in complete shock of what just came out of her mouth. They stood there, mouths agape, until finally Apple Bloom broke the silence.

"W-Wow, Scoots..." she was still awestruck by her friend's sentence "Ah've never heard somethin' that philosophical come outta yer muzzle..."

"Nope, and you never will!" a bubbly woman with poofy pink hair, a white t-shirt, a pink skirt with white polka-dots, a dark pink belt, yellow stocking socks, pink shoes and bracelets all over her wrists popped out from out of a bush, causing all but, again, Spinarak to scream in terror "Wow, am I that scary? Huh, who knew?"

"Wait a minute..." Sweetie Belle and the others stopped screaming for a second to analyze the woman "Poofy hair, silly outfit and bracelets?" she gasped "Pinkie Pie!"

"Girls!" Pinkie Pie spread her arms out and gave them all one big group hug "Look at how much you've grown! Sorry I couldn't be there to give you parties and such for your birthdays, but I'm here now!"

"It's okay, Pinkie" Apple Bloom smiled "We know ya need ta work in the Crystal Empire. Speakin' o' which, ya still a Gym Leader?"

"Nope!" Pinkie hopped in a oddly gleeful way "I gave that position to someone else so I could work on baking sweets with my Pokemon. It's a great way to bond with them, I'll say!"

"Oh... Speaking of sweets..." Sweetie Belle clutched her belly "Do you have any food on-hand? Our supply was kinda eaten by that rascal over there" she pointed at Spinarak, still munching on its slice of bread.

"Sure thing!" Pinkie Pie went back to the bush she was in and pulled out a backpack. Opening it, she stuck her arm inside, only to pull out four pink, heart-shaped berries about the size of a human hand. She gave one to each of the starving souls, person and Pokemon alike.

"Are these... Pecha berries?" Scootaloo asked curiously.

"Yeparoony!" Pinkie grinned "Those things may have a hollow inside, but they're practically a full-course meal with every bite, packing in nutrition and, my favourite part, sweetness! Never will you find a sweeter fruit on this planet!"

"Thanks, Pinkie!" Sweetie smiled before absolutely devouring her berry.

"Torchic..." Torchic sighed with a smile as it looked at the meal in front of it. Just before biting into it, it took a look at Spinarak and made sure it was still munching on its slice of bread. Once it confirmed the spider was still distracted, the chick wasted no time in munching on the extremely soft and extremely sweet berry.

"Making people smile, it's what I live for!" Pinkie gave a kind grin "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the Crystal Empire Sweet Shop and bake some sweets! Gummy, c'mon outta there and dig us back home!"

Much to the surprise of the three adventurers and the little orange chick, a red bipedal Pokemon with a long mouth, black stripes, sharp black eyes, black spikes on its back and a long tail came out of the same bush Pinkie did. Scootaloo, quickly pulled out her Pokedex and scanned it.

Krookodile, the Intimidation Pokemon
Very violent Pokémon, they try to clamp down on anything that moves in front of their eyes, never allowing prey to escape. Their jaws are so powerful, they can crush the body of an automobile.

"Nah, don't listen to what that dumb old thing has to say" Pinkie spoke to both the girls and her favourite Pokemon "I don't care if Krookodile can eat diamonds; Gummy here is just a big softy, aren't cha boy?" she rubbed its belly, making it growl with delight "Now, dig away, my baking buddy!"

With that being said, Pinkie hopped on Gummy's back and allowed it to dig itself and its master all the way to the other side of the world. Sweetie Belle in particular was worried that the trip would be too much for the poor Pokemon, but to her pleasant surprise, the dust cloud that followed their path went at a near supersonic speed. Before long, the cloud could no long be seen, and Pinkie was well on her way back home.

(Music Stop)

"Well, that was certainly a thing..." Scootaloo stated.

"Yeah, but she DID give us food ta snack on" Apple Bloom pointed out "Anyway, we should probably git goin'. According to mah map..." she pulled out a map of the Equestria Region from the side of her backpack "...Yeah, Route 2 should be right at the end o' this here forest. After that, Las Pegasus city! Let's git goin', girls!"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the three losers from down the lane..." spoke a voice the girls knew all too well, sending shivers of hatred down their spines. They turned around and saw two girls about their age, one with silver hair tied into a ponytail, and the other with more elegant violet hair.

The one with violet hair wore a light purple sundress underneath a dark blue jacket with purple rims. She also wore a purple belt around her waist, a pearl necklace and expensive-looking dark blue shoes with a small purple crystal on each. The one with silver hair wore a purple shirt underneath an unzipped midriff jacket with violet rims. She also had a white buckle belt around her waist, grey sweatpants, purple running shoes and light blue glasses positioned on her nose.

"Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon" Apple Bloom crossed her arms and stared intently at the violet haired and silver haired girls respectively "Not surprising y'all would show up on our journey. Besides bullyin' us like ya have fer the last few years, whaddya want?"

"Hahaha! You losers actually started your lame journey?" Diamond Tiara laughed "How pathetic! I've already started my journey days ago, AND I have a stronger Pokemon than you!"

"Look, just get lost, okay?" Scootaloo shook her head in disapproval "C'mon girls. You too, Torchic and Spinarak" she motioned for her Pokemon to follow her, the latter gleefully scuttling along while the former reluctantly groaning and eventually following as well.

"What's the matter, Scootaloo?" Silver Spoon called out at the trio of girls with a devilish smile "Chicken?"

Scootaloo stopped at the mention of this word. She had never in her entire life understood why it riled her up so much for someone to say it. Chicken. She clutched her fists as that taunt echoed through her mind, searching for its origin. Chicken. Did it really matter to her? They were just making fun of her, like they always had, and every time she had been able to shake them off, except when they called her a chicken. What was it about that word that made her so... sad? Suddenly, she turned around and stared at the two bullies intently.

"Fine then" she sighed "You want a Pokemon battle? You got one."

"Scootaloo, is she really worth the effort?" Sweetie Belle asked her friend in a concerned tone.

"Trust me, once I'm finished with her, she'll never rear her head towards us again" Scootaloo assured her friends "Besides; Torchic and Spinarak could use the experience."

"Well... Good luck ta ya" Apple Bloom smiled and patted Scootaloo on her shoulder before backing up with Sweetie Belle to give the battle some space. Diamond Tiara grinned a bit before grabbing the only Poke Ball on her waist.

"Snivy, go and win for me!" she shouted right before throwing the ball out. The ball opened up and a bright light shot out of it, eventually forming into a small green snake Pokemon with tiny legs and small, leafy arms. It had large eyes and a pointed nose, giving it an elegant yet uptight look to it. It also had a three-leafed tail. It landed on the ground and smirked at Torchic.

"Snivy?" Sweetie Belle questioned curiously before getting out her Pokedex and activating it "That's a new one..."

Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokemon
They photosynthesize by bathing their tails in sunlight. When they are not feeling well, their tails droop. It uses its vines more adeptly than its hands.

"T-Torchic?!" Torchic blushed at the sight of the new Pokemon before seemingly trying to hit on it "Torchic... Torchic, Tor?"

"...Sni?" Snivy replied curiously before giving a rude grin at the orange chick "Snivy, Sni..."

"TOR!!" Torchic was taken aback before it got absolutely enraged by the new Pokemon's attitude and stepped up to the plate with Scootaloo "Tor, Tor! Torchic, Tor!"

"You're right, Torchic" Scootaloo pretended to understand the Pokemon, but thought she had a pretty good idea what it said "These two are pretty rude. Why don't we show them a lesson?"

"Ha! That's a laugh!" Diamond Tiara giggled "Even though you have the type advantage, it's all in the strategy, loser. Snivy, use Vinewhip on the nearby trees!"

Snivy did just as instructed and sent two vines from its back out onto two of the surrounding trees, wrapping the former around the latter. Slowly, it began to pull itself back as if preparing to launch itself. Scootaloo took note of this immediately.

"Torchic, use Ember on those vines!" she shouted out, but it was too late. Snivy released itself from the trees and catapulted right into Torchic's face, knocking it over face-first on the ground. Snivy simply laughed at the poor chick's failure before running back to Diamond's side to continue the fight.

"Yeah, go Diamond!" Silver Spoon cheered from behind her friend's back.

"C'mon, Scoots an' Torchic! Ah believe in y'all!" Apple Bloom shouted at her own friend.

"Yeah, you can do this!" Sweetie Belle joined in "You can finally beat this bully for everything she's ever done to us!"

"You're right..." Scootaloo smiled "Torchic, get up and let's get going! We have a battle to win!"

"Chic..." Torchic whined as it left its face in the ground.

"Now's not the time for this, Torchic!" Scootaloo urged desperately "C'mon, get up!"

"Looks like that Pokemon of yours is really disobedient towards you, loser" Diamond giggled maliciously "In that case, this battle will be a breeze. Snivy, take that little chicken out!"

There that word was again. Chicken. It wasn't even directed at her, yet Scootaloo felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she clutched her fists again, wanting to utterly destroy that violet-haired coward for what seemed like an eternity. This was the moment when she was done turning her back to Diamond Tiara. Finally, she would stand and fight.

"Torchic, get your butt outta there and switch with Spinarak!" Scootaloo shouted at the chick Pokemon, frightening it out of its lazy state and making it run out of the battlefield "Spinarak, stop eating the slice of bread and get over here!"

Spinarak looked up at Scootaloo with a bit of confusion before dropping the bread out of its mouth and scuttling over to fight for its master. It looked at Snivy with curiosity.

"Eww..." Silver Spoon shuddered "Of course YOU would pick a BUG Pokemon to be on your team. How gross!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Silvie" Diamond nodded in agreement "Now, Snivy; use Vinewhip on the trees again!"

"Not this time!" Scootaloo smiled "Spinarak, swing up into the treetops and use Poison Sting when you see an opening!"

Spinarak looked at Scootaloo in slight confusion before finally understanding what she was saying and obeyed without question. It shot some of its web from its mouth and went into the branches, blending in with the leaves.

"Snivy, uh... Do something!" Diamond Tiara panicked "Use Vinewhip on anything that moves up there!"

Snivy brought out its vines to prepare to strike the spider Pokemon should it see it. It looked closely at the tree leaves, studying them and checking them twice just to be sure. Finally, it saw a few black stripes on a "leaf" and smirked, readying its vines once again. However, just as it was about to strike Spinarak, the Pokemon in question swooped down and bit right into Snivy's nose, leaving a nasty purple bug bite mark. It wasn't just purple for no reason though; Snivy was now poisoned.

"Great job, Spinarak! Return!" Scootaloo brought out Spinarak's Poke Ball and called it back with a red beam traveling from the ball to the spider, grabbing it and placing it safely inside the comfort of its ball "Torchic, Snivy's weak! Use this chance to take revenge for it taunting you and/or turning you down by using Ember!

Torchic perked up at this and immediately went back to battling. It inhaled in a heavy breath right before exhaling out multiple small flames from its mouth. The poisoned and temporarily incapacitated Snivy could only watch as the embers drew closer and closer to it, finally touching its skin and leaving nasty burn marks. The wave of embers was surprisingly too much for the grass snake as it fainted a few more flames afterwards, it's eyes being replaced with swirls.

(Music Stop)

"No!" Diamond Tiara shouted as she stomped her foot down in anger "That can't be! My butler said this was the best Pokemon out of all of them!" she looked right at Snivy "Jeez... I pay more than 12,000 bits to get a good Pokemon and this is what people can give me. Worthless!"

"Ya did it, Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom cheered as she and Sweetie Belle ran out to congratulate their friend for a victory well earned, smiles burgeoning on their faces "Ya showed that bully what for!"

"But... Is that really how you treat your Pokemon, Diamond Tiara?" Sweetie Belle looked at the bully in disbelief.

"What do you care, losers?" Diamond Tiara scoffed before returning her Snivy in the same way Scootaloo returned her Spinarak "I still can't believe I lost to you, loser. C'mon, Silvie; let's go and maybe get a better Pokemon this time."

"R-Right away, Diamond Tiara!" Silver Spoon joined her friend as they walked away from the trio back to Ponyville.

"Hopefully, we won't have to see them again" Sweetie Belle prayed.

"I'm not holding my breath" Scootaloo sighed before smiling at Torchic "You did a good job, Torchic. C'mon; hop on my head and let's get a move on."

"Torchic, Chic!" Torchic nodded before bouncing right on top of its partner's head and once again nuzzling into her hair. Scootaloo smiled and patted it on the head, much to its dismay. She then began walking towards Las Pegasus city, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle gleefully following behind her.

In the woods, a small fairy-like Pokemon watched them leave. It hadn't been noticed by any of the humans, even the pink one. However, it managed to stay hidden and quiet. It let out a small giggle before flying off. Scootaloo quickly turned to a direction she thought she heard something move.

"Scoots?" Apple Bloom wondered "Y'all alright?"

"Y-Yeah... Sorry..." Scootaloo blinked before shaking her head and continuing forward "Thought I heard something moving in those bushes over there."

"Pinkie Pie again?" Sweetie Belle wondered.

"No, it was a Pokemon" Scootaloo assured with a small chuckle "The question is... What kind?"

Author's Notes:

That's the chapter! I hope you read closely, because anything I say in this story might affect the climax at the end, so pay attention!

I thought Silver's theme would fit perfectly into Diamond Tiara's personality: thinking of Pokemon as nothing more than a tool to buy and use to crush all opposition around you! What, you didn't hear the song? Well, there's another issue I'd like to address. Because some people are young and clueless on this site (don't worry, I don't blame you), they don't quite know how music works. Simple right click over any green lettering you see in the story, left click "Open in new tab", and Bob's your uncle! You have a great track to listen to!

Finally, I updated my prologue with a message in it, but I'll say it again for reminders. Our goal of the story is 60 Likes. Here's hoping we can reach that goal!

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, I'll see you guys later!

[Chapter 4]: Out of the Frying Pan

"C'mon girls, ah can see Las Pegasus city from here!" Apple Bloom ecstatically cheered as she pointed at the bright city over the treeline "Think o' the food we can eat! Mmmmmm...."

Evening had fallen over the land and already the nocturnal Pokemon had begun to creep their way out of their homes to search for food. The light in the sky danced glorious and warm colours across the clouds as the sun set. This was probably Scootaloo's favourite time of the day, simply because of its beauty. Torchic, on the other hand, was beginning to become anxious at the setting sun.

"Torchic..." it shivered a bit.

"Aww, Torchic, are you cold?" Scootaloo kindly smiled before she finally realized why her partner was shivering, a cocky smirk appearing on her face "Oh, you're scared, aren't you?"

"TOR!!" it shouted, pecking Scootaloo on the head.

"Ow! Haha! Don't worry, Torchic" she laughed "I was scared of the nighttime when I was younger as well. My sister was the one who helped me out with that one, and now I'm A-OK with the dark. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Maybe Torchic just needs a friend to help it out?" Sweetie Belle suggested before pulling out the only Poke Ball on her waist and tossing it upwards "Chikorita, come on out!"

"Chiki!" a green, quadrupedal Pokemon with a ring of flower bud around its neck and a giant leaf on its head cheerfully spoke.

"Oh, totally forgot to add that to my Pokedex" Scootaloo face-palmed herself before taking out said device and activating it "Let's fix that, shall we?"

Chikorita, the Leaf Pokemon
In battle, Chikorita waves its leaf around to keep the foe at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, becalming the battling Pokémon and creating a cozy, friendly atmosphere all around.

"Well, if there wasn't a better way to help Torchic out..." Scootaloo smiled at the 'friendly atmosphere' part "Alright you to; go ahead and mingle or something!"

"Tor..." Torchic rudely refused to jump off Scootaloo's head and speak with Chikorita.

"Oh, c'mon, Torchic" Scootaloo attempted to pull the chick off her hair, but to no avail "I'm trying... To... Be... NICE to you!"

"T-Tor... Chic..." Torchic held onto her hair by its surprisingly strong mouth. Eventually Scootaloo just gave up all together.

"Fine, Torchic. If that's what you want, then I guess that's the way it'll have to be" she sighed "But you're passing up a good chance to make a new friend and, y'know, not ruin friendships."

"Torchic..." it continued to be uptight and refused to meet with the grass-type Pokemon near it.

"Chiki..." Chikorita was saddened by Torchic's answer before slowly and sadly walking back to Sweetie Belle.

"Aww, it's okay, Chikorita" she patted her partner on the leaf, making it surprisingly purr "You did your best. Alright, return!" she called back the green Pokemon with her Poke Ball.

"That Torchic is gonna git us inta trouble one day..." Apple Bloom told Scootaloo before she heard something off in the distance "Wait... Do y'all hear that?"

(Music Stop)

"Sounds like... someone crying?" Sweetie Belle confusingly suggested "If it is, we better help him or her!"

"Well first, we gotta find them" Apple Bloom stepped up "Scootaloo, go search west. Sweet Belle, y'all go lookin' east. Ah'll check south, since we just came from the north."

"Got it!" the other two girls nodded before all three ran off to their respective searching posts.

"Hello? Anyone crying over here?" Sweetie Belle called out, trying to listen for and following the crying sound emanating around her "I don't really have anything to cheer you up, but I've got a warm hug to maybe give you a smile."

"And just who the heck are you?" someone asked behind Sweetie's back. She turned around to see a young woman with swirly dark blue and violet hair, a white sundress with a small blue ribbon on the front, and white and blue sneakers. She would have looked kind enough to the new Pokemon Trainer, if it wasn't for the stern look in her eyes.

"Oh, um... My name is-" she was about to reveal herself right until the woman interrupted her.

"I swear, if you're a part of those Team Chaos ruffians, I'll have you know I'm a member of the Frontier Brains at the Battle Frontier, and my Sliggoo can easily defeat you" she spoke in a cross and rather talkative manner "Furthermore, if you ARE a part of Team Chaos, then you better return my friend's Pokemon immediately before I do something drastic."

"Whoa, whoa, let's not get outta control here okay?" Sweetie Belle calmed the woman down "First of all, I have no idea who Team Chaos is, so we're good on that. Secondly, do I look like someone who would steal a Pokemon?"

"Well, no, but-" the woman spoke again before being interrupted by another voice, this one sounding like she just cried a river.

"Bonbon, it's... it's okay..." the feminine voice said from behind some bushes "Don't get... *hic* ...Don't get... too into something like this... especially... *hic* ...Team Chaos..."

"Oh, Lyra..." the woman, now revealed to be Bonbon, sighed as she went toward the voice. Without a thought, Sweetie followed and found another young woman with mint hair, a green midriff shirt over a white sweatshirt, blue jean shorts and green rainboots laying on her back on the ground. Her face looked like she had cried for a solid half hour.

"Are you okay, Miss... um... Lyra?" Sweetie Belle asked the woman on the ground.

"*sniff*... No..." she replied "My... *hic*... My..." she couldn't contain it anymore and began crying again.

"Oh, Lyra, don't cry..." Bonbon tried to comfort her friend before looking back at Sweetie Belle "Sorry for snapping at you back there. After Lyra's Blitzle was taken by those ruffians called Team Chaos, she's been like this. And just in case you were wondering, Team Chaos was, or I guess still is, an evil syndicate bent on ruling the world. They almost succeeded too, if it wasn't for the heroics of six young girls a few years ago. I was about their same age when they saved us from an iron fist. In fact, I-"

"Bonbon, d-don't... *sniff*... be an Exposition Elena..." Lyra sniffed, a small smile appearing on her face "Man you... *sniff*... never change, do you?"

"Well, I-" Bonbon was about to go into full detail why that wasn't true, but just sighed instead "...Good to see you smile again Lyra."

"Hey, my friends and I can help you get your Pokemon back!" Sweetie Belle suggested gleefully, squeaking a bit.

"R-Really? Y-You'd do that for me?" Lyra gasped in happiness from Sweetie's offer, proceeding to hug her "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"O-Okay..." Sweetie nervously chuckled as she was squeezed by the young woman "Hugging... Tight... Crushing... Lungs..."

"Oh, sorry..." Lyra sighed as she let go.

"But, wait, you have a... Sliggoo, was it?" Sweetie asked Bonbon curiously "Why couldn't you go and save Lyra's Blitzle?"

"Well, truth is..." she took a deep breath an told the truth "...Team Chaos took my Sliggoo as well. I'm sorry for lying to you, but since Sliggoo is a very powerful Pokemon, so to speak, I wanted to strike fear into others' hearts by telling them I still had my Pokemon so they wouldn't find Lyra and take something else from her, or worse. Furthermore, if I-"

"Okay, thanks for the answer..." Sweetie Belle began to get bored with Bonbon talking all the time "Man, Lyra's right; you ARE a Exposition Elena."

"I know..." Bonbon sighed.

(Music Stop)

"Sweetie Belle, we got here as soon as we could!" Apple Bloom rushed towards her friend's location after being called solely by Sweetie Belle's shouting voice "What's the problem?"

"This is the problem" she motioned her hand to the still weeping Lyra, still on the ground, and still missing her Pokemon "Bonbon here says she's been like this for half-an-hour. She says a Pokemon of both hers and Lyra's was taken by some guys called Team Chaos. You guys know anything about them?"

"T-Team Chaos?!" Scootaloo gasped, remembering earlier today "Y-Yeah, I know who they are! Um... Rainbow Dash tells me about them all the time!"

"Wait, Rainbow Dash?" Bonbon questioned "Are you perhaps related to Rainbow Dash, one of the six heroes that saved our world from the conquering of Team Chaos? If so, I feel WAY happier about entrusting this job to you three girls, as surely blood of Rainbow Dash's would resonate in siblings/daughters/cousins/aunts/nieces, right?"

"Um... Yes" Scootaloo said very blatantly before turning to Lyra "Does she always-"

"Yeah..." Lyra nodded, still with a few tears in her eyes "But I suppose... *sniff*...that's why I like her so much... Please get our Pokemon back for us! I miss Blitzle already... *sniff*" she proceeded to cry again.

"Quite sorry about her" Bonbon apologized "She can get very emotional when something bad happens. Please find our Pokemon, and we'll be indebted to you for as long as you need."

"Tor, Tor, Tor..." Torchic laughed on Scootaloo's head at Lyra's dispense.

"Torchic, don't be mean!" Scootaloo scolded her partner.

"Will do, Miss Bonbon" Apple Bloom nodded at Bonbon's request "So, which way did they take take off?"

"Last I remember, they headed off deeper into the forest" Bonbon recalled, pointing over where she remembered the syndicate running off to "I think there might be some sort of secret base in there that we're unaware of. It's most likely hidden by trees and bushes, as surely Team Chaos wouldn't like to be seen."

"How do ya know Team Chaos has a secret base in the forest?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"AB, have you seen Star Wars: Return of the Jedi?" Scootaloo wrapped an arm around the back of her friend's neck.

"Um... No?"

"That would explain it then" Scootaloo nodded before walking in the direction Bonbon pointed towards "Alright guys, let's get a move-on! We have places to be and Pokemon to save!"

"She sounds nervous about something..." Sweetie Belle whispered to Apple Bloom "There's something she's not telling us. You don't think that..."

"No, she wouldn't be a part o' those guys" Apple Bloom whispered back "But ah do think she knows somethin' else about them... We better keep an eye on her just ta be sure..."

"Agreed" Sweetie nodded before she and her country friend rushed to meet up with their purple-haired friend.

The trio continued to trek through the thickening trees of Whitetail Woods. Soon enough, the air around them began to become colder, signalling they were getting closer to Vanhoover, according to Apple Bloom's map. They searched and searched, but they never found anything resembling the entrance to a secret base. Not one out-of-place rock, and not one unusually large tree.

"This is hopeless..." Sweetie Belle sighed "We'll never find that secret base entrance at this rate..."

"Don't give up hope, girls!" Apple Bloom triumphantly urged her friends to keep going "Two Pokemon lives are at possible stake, here! We have ta find them, no matter what!"

"Apple Bloom's right" Scootaloo nodded with a smile "We made a promise and I intend to keep it. But where would we find a secret base? We've looked everywhere, and found nothing..."

"Don't worry, girls" Apple Bloom smiled "Sometimes ya gotta let these things find y'all. Ah dunno what that means, but Pinkie told it ta me once, and right now, we could use some serious Pinkie logic."

The moment Apple Bloom finished her sentence, the ground beneath the trio shook a bit. Then, the ground around Sweetie Belle's feet began rising slightly, slowly making way for a drill to take the earth's place.

"Girls, hide!" Scootaloo ran away from the drill, her friends in hot pursuit. They hid behind a plethora of trees and watched the iron drill make its way to the surface of the planet. The drill's body revealed itself to be iron in material and cylindrical in shape with a painted but slightly faded purple shield with a yellow capitol "C" on it, more than likely standing for Chaos. A single man stepped out of the elevator-like drill machine, looking very similar to the man Scootaloo saw in the warehouse, purple jacket and all. In fact, the more Scootaloo looked at him, it WAS the same man!

"Darn it!" the man groaned as the drill slowly descended into the earth, covering the hold it just made "I can't believe I was put on look-out duty again. And I still can't believe that stupid, air-headed idiot is my boss. If she wasn't around, we would have gotten more than just two lousy Pokemon today."

"Is that..." Sweetie Belle whispered "...someone from Team Chaos?"

"He's gotta be..." Apple Bloom answered "Okay, he's clearly out-numbered, but if we approach him slowly, we should be able ta grab whatever key he's holdin' use it ta bring up the elevator, and infiltrate their base. Ya with me, Scoots?" she looked over at where her purple haired friend was, only to see Torchic lazily munching on a leaf.

"Torchic, Tor" it said calmly, opening its eye in Scootaloo's direction. The two girls looked over to see that Scootaloo was out in the open, ready to talk down to the man.

"Hey you!" she got his attention.

"No way... Not you again!" he gasped at Scootaloo's appearance, confusing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle "You here to burn down another one of our warehouses, demon child?"

"No, but I AM here to retrieve the Pokemon you stole" Scootaloo spoke in a determined voice "So, um... Give them back, or else!"

"Hahaha! Kid you may have scared me before, but that's in the past" the man laughed "This time, I was given a special Pokemon that'll cream you for sure. You're not getting away from me twice! For Chaos!"

(Music Stop)

The man pulled out a single Poke Ball from his waist and stared at Scootaloo devilishly. Scootaloo in turn grabbed her own Poke Ball, containing Spinarak. Both persons backed up a bit before finally throwing their Poke Balls at the same time.

"Go, Espurr!" the man shouted as he threw his ball, a bipedal grey cat Pokemon with large ears, white hands and feet, and horrifying lavender eyes that seemingly stared into space. Spinarak soon popped out of its own ball as well to face the cat Pokemon.

"Espurr?" Apple Bloom wondered, pulling out her Pokedex "That's... pretty scary, actually..."

Espurr, the Restraint Pokemon
The organ that emits its intense psychic power is sheltered by its ears to keep power from leaking out. It has enough psychic energy to blast everything within 300 feet of itself, but it has no control over this power.

"Spinarak, use String Shot into the trees and do the same thing as when we fought Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo shouted at the spider, it looking slightly confused at first but complying eventually. It once again spat some web into the trees and waited for the most perfect time to strike.

"Ha, that's a good one kid" the man laughed again "I dunno what I was so worried about when I saw you burn the warehouse down; you're still a newbie! Espurr, use Confusion on the trees!"

"Espurrrrr..." the Espurr purred as it stared intently at the treetops. Spinarak was unfortunate enough to stare right back and wobble right off the branch it was standing on, right onto the ground. Scootaloo hesitantly reacted to the situation.

"Espurr, Scratch that bug!" the man chuckled.

"Spinarak, quick! Use String Shot on Espurr!" Scootaloo shouted at Spinarak, to which it reacted quickly to its master's orders and got up, shooting its sticky web right at the cat Pokemon, sticking it firmly into the ground "Great! Now use Poison Sting on it!" she ordered. Without question, Spinarak crawled up to Espurr and sunk its maws right into the latter's skin, poisoning it. To Scootaloo and even Spinarak's surprise, it didn't seem fazed by the situation at all.

"Heh... That all you got?" the man smiled again "Espurr, ignore your poisoned state and use Confusion once more!"

Espurr stared right at Spinarak again with its deep, terrifying eyes and caused it to wobble around a bit like being in a drunken stupor. The cat Pokemon then blinked and sent a powerful wave of psychic energy at the spider Pokemon, causing it to collapse, its eyes now replaces with swirls.

"Spinarak, return!" Scootaloo pulled out her Poke Ball and called back Spinarak "Torchic, you're up!"

"Torchic, Tor..." Torchic lazily spoke, calmly eating a leaf it found on the ground.

"Torchic, c'mon out, I don't have all day!" Scootaloo urged "Please? For me? For, um... The FEMALE Blitzle?"

Torchic perked up at its partner's white lie. Without question, it spat the leaf out and went to fight for Scootaloo, staring right back at the Pokemon with stares that could kill... Literally!

"Alright, now it's game time!" Scootaloo smiled "Espurr's weak and still trapped. Use Ember on the web!"

"Ember?" the man questioned "Crud, that's right! Espurr, break free from that web as best as you can!"

Espurr struggled to break out of the sticky web Spinarak laid out for it, but to no avail. The man panicked as tiny flames shot out of Torchic's mouth and quickly approached the cat Pokemon's trap. Finally, Espurr was able to break out, but was still covered in web. The flames hit the web and caught on fire almost immediately, dealing major damage to the cat and even burning it.

"Crud, no!" the man shouted, but his pleas were not heard.

"Torchic, use scratch while you still can!" Scootaloo ordered. Torchic reluctantly nodded and ran forward toward Espurr, jumped on its head and scratched the ever-living crud out of it. The chick then pushed the cat face-first into the ground, hopping off of it and sticking its beak up like it owned the place, so to speak. Espurr rolled on its back to reveal it too had swirly eyes.

(Music Stop)

"NOOOOOOO!!!" the man cried out "How could I have lost to a pathetic little runt like you?!" it then looked right at Espurr and scoffed "They told me you were a good Pokemon and you lost to a spider and a bird! What a waste of my time..." he pulled out Espurr's Poke Ball and smashed it right in front of Espurr.

"Hey, what the heck, you big brute!" Sweetie Belle called out from behind the trees "Just because you lost a Pokemon battle, you give up on your Pokemon?!"

"Well, of course" the man smiled "Pokemon are just tools for battle anyway. That's what they always have been and always will be till the end of time."

"Why you..." Sweetie Belle was about to go nuts on that guy before Apple Bloom stopped her.

"Sweetie, it ain't worth it" she assured, calming the dress-clad young girl down. But this didn't stop her from approaching the downed Espurr with a warm smile "Hey there, little one... Would you like to come with me instead of that bad man?"

"Espurrrrrrr..." Espurr weakly nodded right before Sweetie Belle picked it up and carried it back to where Apple Bloom lay waiting "You two go on ahead. I need to get back to Bonbon and Lyra to see if they have any medicine for this little guy."

"Good idea, Sweetie" Scootaloo nodded "Take care of it, and good luck!"

Sweetie Belle nodded and quickly rushed back to where the two young women lay in wait. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, who had joined her friend's side, looked at the Team Chaos Grunt with fire in their eyes.

"No Pokemon left" Apple Bloom said with venom in her voice "Give us the access key ta yer secret base."

"Excuse me?!" the grunt gasped "First off, it's a research facility. Secondly, there is no way in heck that I'd give you this key. You can go ahead and beat me up with your Pokemon, but I will protect this with my life!"

"Fine then" Apple Bloom sighed "Ah didn't want ta do this, but ya left me with no choice... Squirtle, yer up!" she tossed her only Poke Ball up in the air, releasing a bipedal, bald and blue turtle Pokemon with a yellow belly shell and a reddish-brown back shell, as well as a long, curly blue tail.

"We don't want to do something drastic here, mister" Scootaloo made the man fall down on his backside before talking down to the him "Give us the key, or else!"

"...okay, fine" the man gave in and tossed the key, or rather button pad, at Apple Bloom "But only because I'm not ready to fight you. Mark my words; I WILL fight you again. And when I do, I'll beat you..."

"Good job protectin' this with yer life there, bud" Apple Bloom joked, ignoring the man's threat and looking down at the button pad key "Now, how do ya activate this thing? Maybe... This button?" she pressed the button and felt shaking under her feet. Soon enough, the elevator with the drill on top began rising from the exact same spot it did before. Finally, it stopped, and a door slid open, allowing Scootaloo and Apple Bloom to enter.

"Great job, AB" Scootaloo smiled before looking at Torchic "You did a good job, Torchic! Now, let's get going so we can save that Blitzle and snag you a girlfriend."

"Torchic!" the chick ecstatically cheered before hopping onto Scootaloo's head and riding her once again, her and Apple Bloom entering the elevator. Squirtle waddled its way into the elevator as well before all four stared at the man in shame. The man did nothing but stare right back as the elevator doors closed, and the cylindrical object slowly began sinking back down into the earth.

"...my boss is gonna be so angry with me..." the man sighed as he watched the last of the elevator go into the ground, once again covering up the hole it left.

Author's Notes:

Part 1 complete! This was a fun one to do, actually! Not sure what else to say in this AN... So, how was your day today? Catch any Pokemon? Do anything over the summer? No? We good? Okay...

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, I'll see you guys later!

[Chapter 5]: Into the Fire

The doors of the elevator opened for the four souls the second said elevator reached its destination. The room they peered into was smallish, circular, dark, and completely made of metal with more painted Chaos crests on the sides. In the middle was a glowing white circle with six semi-sphere slots that seemed to fit Poke Balls nicely. On the other side of the room was another door and a control panel.

"This is kinda spooky, Scoots..." Apple Bloom nervously looked around the room.

"I... I've seen creepier" Scootaloo remembered her camping trip with her sister a while back "This? Ha! This is n-nothing! Right, Torchic? Torchic?"

She placed a hand on her head only to see that Torchic was shivering from the bleakness of the room. Even it found the area terrifying. It didn't help Team Chaos grunts were all over this place, which was already pretty scary in its own right. Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo began looking around the room. First thing was first: what was the glowing machine in front of her?

"This machine" she touched it, thankfully discovering it was harmless "What do you think it is?"

"Scootaloo, don't touch that thing!" Apple Bloom urged desperately "Ya don't know what it does!"

"Oh, chill out, AB" Scootaloo smiled "Do you remember the day we played around in that Pokemon Centre? Remember the healing machine we saw? This is a different shape, but I think it works the same way."

"Are ya seriously sayin' this thing is like one o' those machines we saw at the Pokemon Centre?" Apple Bloom questioned with a monotone voice "Ya don't know that fer a fact!"

"Stop being such a worry-wort, AB" she placed Spinarak's Poke Ball on the machine, a bright light enveloping it before fading away harmlessly "See, nothing bad!" she withdrew the spider Pokemon from inside its ball, to which it bounced around gleefully.

"Spin, Spin, Spinarak!" it danced around with glee in its eyes.

"Okay, now that we have that outta the way, we should probably get back to saving Blitzle and Sliggoo" Scootaloo nodded, perking Torchic up again "Ah, I see that got your attention. Now, let's go!"

"Hold up there, partner" Apple Bloom stopped her friend "That door looks like its sealed off by some sorta lock. Ah doubt the key we got from the guy up there will work on the panel, so what are we gonna do now?

"We could always short-circuit it" Scootaloo suggested "I mean, you have a water-type Pokemon with you. Actually, speaking of..." she pulled out her Pokedex once again.

Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon
Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds.

"See? It had the word water in the Pokedex entry, so it's a water type" Scootaloo gave her argument "Surely it knows ONE water-type move, right?"

"It does, but ah'm just not sure this'll work out okay" Apple Bloom worryingly sighed "But, ah suppose there really isn't much more o' a choice here. Okay then; Squirtle, use Watergun on the control panel!"

The turtle Pokemon nodded and opened up its mouth, a steady stream of water spraying out of it and onto the panel. The panel sparked a bit before finally stopping and opening the door to the other side. What awaited Scootaloo and Apple Bloom past the door truly shocked them. They stepped onto the metal grate platform with the iron handle bar and looked over the edge to see an entire network of grunts male and female alike, wearing the exact same clothing, traveling from area to area carrying boxes filled with Poke Balls. Some people even wore lab coats, signalling they were scientists researching something.

The two girls didn't know what dark things people were experimenting on here, but they couldn't care less. All they cared about was the equine-like black and white Pokemon that was strapped to a large machine, tied to multitudes of wires and cords. The Pokemon gave off an electrical current and screamed in pain, the energy then going through the wires to who-knew-where.

"This is terrible..." Apple Bloom whispered, staring in horror at the ensnared Pokemon "We gotta do somethin'!"

"And that's exactly what I plan to do" Scootaloo nodded.

"And... There!" Bonbon sprayed some pink liquid, which she called Hyper Potion, on Sweetie Belle's half-asleep Espurr, treating its wounds and healing it "It should be fine so long as it doesn't move around too much in about 24 hours. Speaking of, where did you find this little guy anyway?"

"I found it, or really took it in, when a Team Chaos grunt abandoned him after losing a Pokemon Battle with my friend Scootaloo" Sweetie Belle explained.

"That's awful..." Lyra, who had calmed down significantly, spoke with sorrow in her voice before cheering up again "But don't worry, little guy; you're in good hands now. Sweetie Belle won't be at all like your previous trainer."

"Es... Purrrrr?" Espurr questioned before its eyes closed and it dozed off to sleep.

"Aww, its so cute..." Sweetie Belle smiled "Anyway, my friends are infiltrating Team Chaos's secret base as we speak, so knowing them, they should be done within half-an-hour or so."

"Oh, that's good to hear..." Bonbon sighed in relief "And here I was worried that Lyra and I would have to have gone in there by ourselves and gotten our Pokemon back without Pokemon to defend us. You and your friends are very lucky to have Pokemon that will protect you with their lives. It reminds me of the time when-"

"Okay, Bon, that's enough" Lyra chuckled a bit "I'm glad that their going after Team Chaos as well."

"Did someone say Team Chaos?" spoke an unfamiliar male voice to the three girls. All of them turned around to see an older man with short black hair, a long brown trench coat, dark velvet pants and a dark velvet vest, black shoes, and literally the most chiseled face any of them had ever seen.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Bonbon asked the man.

"Sorry, that information is highly classified" the man smirked "However, I can tell you that I work for the international police. My codename is Looker, and I'm searching for the villainous syndicate known as Team Chaos. I couldn't help but overhear you ladies speaking about such a team."

"The international police?" Lyra questioned "I've never heard of them."

"And it's unlikely you ever will again" Looker affirmed, returning to his more serious face "I'd like to drop that conversation and ask where you saw or heard of those crooks."

"Wait... How do we know we can trust you?" Sweetie Belle asked with a cross look on her face "How do we know you aren't a part of Team Chaos yourself?"

"Fair question, but unfortunately, I must refuse to answer to reveal any more about myself" Looker said "All you must know is that I'm on your side. I'm not usually forced to begging, but please, I must ask you again... Where did Team Chaos go?"

"*sigh*... Over that way" Sweetie pointed in the same direction she came running from to help Espurr "If you're lucky, a Team Chaos guy will be there near the secret base."

"I thank you for your contribution to stop those criminals" Looker nodded with a smile "Now, I must be off. Take care, my fair ladies. Until we meet again!" he dashed off towards Team Chaos's secret base.

(Music Stop)

"Well, that was... odd" Lyra stated the obvious "I wonder if he was telling the truth."

"I don't know, Lyra" Bonbon sighed "But if he was, I truly hope he's able to help Scootaloo and Apple Bloom save Blitzle and Sliggoo. If not, then perhaps he can do something else, like shut down power to the facility, or arrest any Team Chaos grunts that stuck around after the invasion, or even-"

"Alright, Bon, we're good" Lyra sighed with a smile "You talk way too much, you know that?"

"...Yes..." Bonbon looked down in slight shame.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had basically begun a game of espionage, trying their best not to get spotted by any grunts, knowing they'd be outnumbered in a Pokemon battle with all of them at the same time. By this point, Apple Bloom had returned her Squirtle as to be more quiet whilst moving. Walking along the metal grate bridge they started out on, they used wooden boxes on the bridge as a means to stay hidden should they need to be.

"So, Scootaloo..." Apple Bloom began "How was it that grunt up there knew 'bout yerself? Is there somethin' yer not telling Sweetie Belle and ah?"

"Well... I guess you two do deserve to know..." Scootaloo sighed before explaining "You see... I lied to Rainbow Dash about meeting Team Chaos..."

"Ya did what?!" Apple Bloom raised her voice before Torchic pecked her on the head angrily to reminded her she was sneaking around "Ow! Sorry, ya grump! But, why would ya do that?"

"Because I was scared she would stop me from going out and having an adventure with my friends" Scootaloo sorrowfully said "I know she's had a run-in with Team Chaos in the past, and knew she was gonna make sure I was safe. She's always been protective of me since my parents ran away from home, but I feel like the worst person ever for lying to her..."

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay?" Apple Bloom smiled and patted her friend on the shoulder "If ya didn't lie, ya wouldn't have shown Diamond Tiara what fer, and we wouldn't be here right now. Don't feel too down 'bout it, okay?"

"Okay..." Scootaloo smiled a bit "Thanks, AB."

"Anytime" she nodded "But now, we gotta git that Pokemon outta there. We can't just keep sneakin' around and hope fer the best. We need ta take action."

"You're right" Scootaloo nodded "But the thing is, I don't know how we begin. I mean, we could try waiting it out and hope that something happens that'll give us the advantage..." she peered over the box they were currently hiding behind and saw some commotion down on the lower level of the base "Like that. C'mon, Apple Bloom; let's try to get closer and listen in!"

"I'm telling you, Sonata," a man with brown hair and a white lab coat, blue pants and red shoes spoke to a woman with blue hair tied into a long ponytail, a velvet coat with a yellow "C" on it, a pink skirt, pink boots and a gem around her neck, in a concerned tone whilst he sat down at his desk, monitoring Blitzle's heart-rate "if we take too much energy from the Bliztle, it has a high chance of dying!"

"Ha! That's the point, you big dummy" Sonata laughed "We're taking all the energy from this Pokemon that we can take! Does it really look like I care what happens afterwards? Ahahahaha!"

"Sonata, this is madness!" the man shouted "You told me if I joined Team Chaos, I would have a chance to study rare Pokemon species closely, not partake in this monstrosity of a plan!"

"Wow, and people call ME dumb!" Sonata grinned "You are studying rare Pokemon closely since..." she pulled out a notebook, opened it up and started reading "...Blitzle is rare to the Equestria Region" she closed her notebook and put it away "So there! We didn't lie, you get to study Pokemon, and we get all of its power! Fair trade! Besides, we kinda need this power after losing our warehouse of Spinarak corpses."

"Spinarak what?!" the man became furious and stood up, facing Sonata face-to-face "You have some serious explaining to do! Just what were you planning to do with all that energy?!"

"Oh, we were planning on-" Sonata began before realizing what the man did "Ah, I see what you did there. Trying to fool me. But that won't work, because me, Sonata Dusk, can never be fooled! Now, get back to work, or I'll force you to instead" she tapped the single Pokeball on her waist.

"...very well" the man reluctantly sighed, knowing what Pokemon lay hidden within his boss's Poke Ball "I'm sorry, Blitzle..." he flicked a switch and absorbed more of Blitzle's power. Sonata watched gleefully as all the Pokemon's energy was sapped.

"That man looks like he doesn't want to be there" Scootaloo pointed out with a whisper "Maybe we can convince him to join our side if we're lucky enough!"

"Are ya nuts?" Apple Bloom whispered loudly "Y'all could git caught! And ya heard what that lady said: in short, her Pokemon is really tough! Ya can't possibly do this alone!" she put a hand on her friend's shoulder once again "Which is why ah'm joinin' ya."

"Thanks, AB" Scootaloo determinedly smiled before looking up at Torchic "What about you, little guy? Are you ready to save Blitzle and snag yourself a girlfriend?"

"Tor! Torchic, Tor!" Torchic cheered quietly

Apple Bloom nodded before following Scootaloo to the end of the bridge, where a flight of stairs was present. Keeping themselves hidden, the two slowly walked down the steps, making as little noise as possible. Finally, they stopped behind a box and waited for the majority of grunts to move away from the area before revealing themselves.

"Stop right there!" Apple Bloom popped out from behind the boxes and pointed her finger at Sonata with a smirk "Ah'm part o' the police, so stop what yer doin' and give up and stuff!"

"Um... What?" Sonata snickered "That's pretty cute actually! Thinking you're part of the police! Whatever, I don't really have time for intruders. Tea Timer, get rid of these pesky bugs for me?"

"That's Time Turner" the man sighed "And are you sure? They don't look like huge threats."

"Do as I say, Tina!" Sonata shouted crossly.

"It's- Oh, forget it" Time Turner shook his head before facing Apple Bloom "I'm terribly sorry about this, but due to my orders, I'll have to battle you now. Oh, please forgive me" he reached into his Pocket and pulled out a single Poke Ball before tossing it into battle "Go, Spinda!"

(Music Stop)

"Go, Squirtle!" Apple Bloom threw her own Poke Ball out, releasing the little blue turtle Pokemon. Time Turner's Poke Ball released a bipedal and admittedly pretty cute red and cream panda Pokemon with swirls on its ears, swirls for its eyes, two red spots on its face, and nubby arms and legs. It waddled around aimlessly as if it was constantly confused.

"Spinda?" Scootaloo wondered as she brought out her Pokedex and activated it "Looks interesting..."

Spinda, the Spot Panda Pokemon
No two Spinda are said to have identical spot patterns on their hides. This Pokemon moves in a curious manner as if it is stumbling in dizziness. Its lurching movements can cause the opponent to become confused.

"Squirtle, use Watergun!" Apple Bloom called out.

"Spinda, use Copycat!" Time Turner commanded. At the same time, both Pokemon shot out a huge burst of water from their mouth. Each powerful stream collided with one-another and sprayed all over the floor, walls, and control panels. Thankfully, Sonata was enjoying the battle too much to take note of the sparks flying off the panel. Finally, each Pokemon tuckered the other one out and stopped for a brief moment before continuing to look at each other, waiting for their masters next order.

"Okay, let's try ta be a bit more creative..." Apple Bloom took note of her previous attempt "Squirtle, curl up inside yer shell and spin around while usin' Watergun!"

Squirtle nodded and did as it was told, spinning around at rapid speeds and spraying water everywhere.

"Spinda, Copycat once more!" Time Turner shouted. Spinda dozed around a bit before falling on its backside and spinning around just like Squirtle, spraying water all around it. They clashed like conflicting spinning tops and continued to do so for quite some time.

"Yeah, you can do it, AB!" Scootaloo cheered from behind the boxes "C'mon, Torchic! Cheer!"

"Tor... Tor..." it sarcastically cheered for Apple Bloom.

"Close enough..." Scootaloo sighed.

"There's gotta be a way ta break that Copycat move... But how" Apple Bloom thought to herself before finally getting an idea "That's it! Ah know how ta do this!"

Finally, after a while longer, Squirtle and Spinda ceased their clashing and returned to face each other by their owners sides. Squirtle stared intently at Spinda, whereas Spinda merely danced around in an attempt to confuse its opponent, smiling all the while, completely oblivious to the damage it endured a few moments ago.

"Squirtle, use Tackle!" Apple Bloom shouted.

"Spinda, one more time with Copycat!" Time Turner ordered. Both Pokemon went flying at each other full-force. However, just before they touched each other, Apple Bloom spoke up again.

"Squirtle, use Watergun!" she called out triumphantly, surprising Time Turner and throwing him off guard. Just before he could react properly, the turtle Pokemon blasted the panda Pokemon in the face with a powerful stream of water, knocking it back and making it fall face-first on the ground.

(Music Stop)

"No, Spinda!" Time Turner called out "Okay, I concede defeat. Spinda, return..." he pulled out his Poke Ball and called back the fainted Pokemon "You're such a good trainer to your Pokemon, kid. Maybe you'll be able to defeat Sonata."

"Ugh! You're so worthless, Timmy!" Sonata rolled her eyes "First you argue with me, then you and your prissy little Pokemon lose for me, and now you're turning on me? You big, dumb, meanie head!"

"Hey, you did it, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo came out from behind the boxes and hugged her friend "I knew you could do it! Now, there's just a few more things we have to do..." she looked right at Sonata "You! You stole people's Pokemon, tortured them, and even went so far as to killing an entire nest of Spinarak! We may not be part of the police, but you'll pay for your crimes!"

"Ahahaha! That's a good one!" Sonata laughed before putting her attention to all the personal in the research facility "Grunts, leave this place and head back to HQ! This one's mine!"

"Ma'am, yes Ma'am!" every grunt male and female dropped their things, saluted, and ran off back to wherever they came from. Soon enough, the base was filled with just Sonata, Time Turner, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and their Pokemon. It had become colder without the heat of the people originally there, but it made for a chilling atmosphere for a battle.

"Bring it on, police girl!" Sonata smiled.

"She may not a part of the police" spoke a voice unfamiliar to the blue-haired admin of Team Chaos "But I am!"

Everyone looked to see a man wearing a brown trench coat enter the room with a strange blue frog-like Pokemon by his side. He and the Pokemon jumped down onto the lower floor and faced Sonata with a serious glare.

"I go by the codename Looker" the man introduced himself "I'm a part of the international police, and I'm here to stop Team Chaos from doing anymore harm. Come to think of it..." he looked right at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo "You two look like two young girls I worked with a few years back when Team Chaos was a smaller operation. Perhaps it's a coincidence."

"A-Actually sir" Apple Bloom spoke up "Are those girls yer talkin' 'bout named Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

"Why yes, they were" he confirmed.

"We're their younger sisters" Scootaloo finished.

"Ah, good" Looker nodded "Always nice to work with familiar territory. However, you, my blue-haired administrator, are certainly new to the scene. Is this Team Chaos completely different from my past encounter with them?"

"I don't get it..." Sonata confusingly stated "I mean, you say you're a part of the police, but you're not wearing that funny black and white outfit they all wear. Why not? Are you lying to me?"

"I see you're not quite the brightest bulb on the Christmas Tree..." Looker closed his eyes and rubbed his chin with his hand "This could prove easy, yet difficult at the same time. Very well. In that case, I would like to calmly ask you to have me escort you out of this place for some questioning."

"Ha! That's another laugh!" Sonata laughed again "I don't like you all that much, and now it's time to show you that I don't mess around! But we're doing this old-school style!"

"A battle?" Looker wondered "Hmm... Perhaps this would enhance my skills of battle should it ever come to that. Very well, I accept. However, I would like to have a partner to make things even."

"Psshhh! Whatever" Sonata rolled her eyes "Do what you want, I'll still kick your butt!"

"You there! Purple-haired child with the chick on her head!" Looker pointed right at Scootaloo "Battle with me so I can finally put this crook away for a long time."

"Me?" Scootaloo questioned before nodding "Yeah, okay" she walked out next to Looker.

(Music Stop)

"I'm gonna crush both of you with Team Chaos's very own classic... Shadow Pokemon!" Sonata cheered before grabbing the only Poke Ball on her waist and throwing it out "Sliggoo, go and get 'em!"

The Pokemon that came out of the ball had a pink snail body with a lavender belly and two nubby little arms on its front. It had four antennae sticking out of its head; two short and two very long. It had green spots traveling all down its neck and a pink shell was positioned right on its back. Its eyes were pupil-less, signalling it was blind, but they gave off a sinister red glow. Above all that, a dark aura enveloped it, completely taking control of it.

"Sliggoooooo..." the Pokemon let out an unnatural and haunting moan, scaring most but horrifying the Blitzle behind Sonata. In rocked back and fourth, trying to break free of the cords it was ensnared in, but to no avail.

"Torchic, Tor" Torchic proudly said, trying to show off its power to Blitzle "Chic! Torchic, Tor! Torchic!"

"Blitzle..." the Blitzle whinnied, still more concerned for the Sliggoo than anything else.

"Torchic, c'mon, let's go!" Scootaloo called back her Pokemon.

"A Shadow Pokemon?" Looker questioned "That was a part of you last plan a few years back. Truly a terrible fate for any Pokemon... Very well. Croagunk, come over here and use Double Team."

"Might as well add while ah still can..." Apple Bloom pulled out her Pokedex.

Croagunk, the Toxic Mouth Pokemon
Its cheeks hold poison sacs. Inflating its poison sacs, it fills the area with an odd sound and hits flinching opponents with a poison jab. It tries to catch foes off guard to jab them with toxic fingers.

"Croak!" the frog Pokemon, now by Looker's side, jabbed its hands together and began splitting itself up into multiple versions of itself. The copies surrounded Sliggoo, but it seemed unfazed by it all.

"Sliggoo, use Shadow Wave!" Sonata shouted out with a smile on her face. The snail Pokemon obliged without question and let out a wave of darkness at all of the Croagunk copies, disintegrating all but one of them, forcing the original and Torchic back a bit from damage. However, both Pokemon were able to recover from the attack.

"See? Sliggoo here is as powerful as ever!" Sonata laughed "Probably the best thing I snagged myself today!"

"Wait, that would mean..." Scootaloo put two and two together before staring at the admin with full rage "That Sliggoo is Bonbon's! How could you!"

"Oh, so that was her name?" Sonata giggled "I really didn't care. This Pokemon is super strong, and now it works for me, and you'll never see it again! Ahahahahaha!!"

"Blitzle..." Blitzle worryingly spoke before Time Turner came up to it and began untying it from its cords.

"Blitzle, I'm so sorry about earlier. I had no idea" Time Turner apologized "I was scared about what might happen to me if I didn't comply that I never thought about you. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me."

"Blitz..." Blitzle smiled, bringing relief to Time Turner. Unfortunately, he seemed to have some trouble detaching the wires on the equine Pokemon. Back over at the battle taking place, Torchic had attacked the Sliggoo relentlessly with as many Embers and Scratches it could muster in an attempt to save Blitzle. Unfortunately for it, all its attacks bounced right off the slimy body of Sliggoo.

"Sliggoo, Shadow Fire on the pest, go!" Sonata shouted at the mind-controlled Sliggoo. It responded by shooting a stream of dark flames at Torchic, sending the poor chick Pokemon flying back at Scootaloo. However, it merely shook off its damage and continued its assault.

"Torchic, stop, you'll tire yourself out!" Scootaloo advised, but Torchic ignored its partner's pleas and just kept attacking "Oh, what am I gonna do with you?"

"Torchic appears to have a drive to save Blitzle from peril" Looker examined "Perhaps we can put this to good use. I would advise you prompt your Torchic to do as you say while saying Blitzle's name as well. It might respond to you then."

"Thanks, Mr. Looker" Scootaloo nodded before turning her attention back to the battle "Okay, Torchic! Come back here and regroup with Croagunk if you want to save Blitzle!"

Torchic responded immediately, but still reluctantly, to its orders and stopped fruitlessly attacking the Sliggoo, returning to partner. It stared down, or rather up, the slimy Pokemon in front of it

"I think I have an idea on how to do this" Scootaloo smiled "Torchic, store all of your Ember attacks into one big ball of fire!"

"Not on my watch!" Sonata crossly spoke "Sliggoo, use Shadow Chill and put out that fire!"

"Hold it!" Time Turner shouted "Blitzle, just this once for me, use Shock Wave on Sliggoo!"

"Blitz! Blitzle..." it nodded as it appeared to be apologizing to Sliggoo as well before dashing right at the Shadow Pokemon and striking it with an electrical current flowing through it, knocking Sliggoo out of charging its attack.

"Good job!" Time Turner smiled "Now, use Thunder Wave and hold it down for Torchic and Croagunk!"

"Blitz..." Blitzle sighed before sending a wave of electricity right at the slimy Pokemon, paralyzing it temporarily. As it did this, Torchic already created a large ball of fire with as many little flames as it could muster.

"I think I understand what you're trying to do" Looker nodded with a serious look on his face "Croagunk, use Poison Jab on the ball of fire and shoot it at Sliggoo!"

"Croagunk!" the frog shouted as it charged up a punch with its hand and punched the ball of fire, turning it purple and holding it in place for a brief second before it shot off faster than even Blitzle could run. It struck Sliggoo hard and knocked it back at Blitzle, collapsing on top of it. It's eyes had been replaced with swirls as all fainted Pokemon have, and the shadowy aura surrounding it faded away.

(Music Stop)

"No, Sliggoo!" Sonata collapsed to her knees "You were my last stand, you stupid, stupid Pokemon!!"

"Is that really what ya think o' Pokemon?" Apple Bloom stood up to the blue haired admin "Just what kinda person are ya anyway? Treatin' yer Pokemon like that. Its not even yers!

"Whatever! Like I care what happens to a Pokemon after it fails me" Sonata laughed "Keep it for all I care! Team Chaos has what we want here... I think... So I'll just be seeing you then!" she pulled out some small white balls from her pocket and threw them down onto the ground resulting in a puff of white smoke to explode around her. All the group ever saw, or rather heard of her after that was the sound of footsteps running away as fast as they could.

"She got away..." Scootaloo sighed as the cloud dissipated.

"It's not your fault, kid" Time Turner smiled "Besides, what matters is that you have Sliggoo and Blitzle back."

"Now, if I may go onto slightly more important matters," Looker began, staring at Time Turner with seriousness in his eyes "all charges put on you will be removed for your actions in realizing your mistake and saving Blitzle. However, I would like you to accompany me for further questioning."

"Of course, sir" Time Turned nodded "Anyway I'm able to take down Team Chaos, I'll do it."

"Torchic!" Torchic went up to Blitzle and Sliggoo, the latter who was just waking up "Torchic, Tor! Chic!"

"Slig... Goo?" the Sliggoo wondered curiously until it saw, or rather sensed, Blitzle underneath it "Sliggoo? Slig!"

"Blitzle..." Blitzle whinnied joyously before closing its eyes and nuzzling Sliggoo on the head, Sliggoo doing the same thing to the electrical horse not a second later. This, of course, completely shocked Torchic.

"TOR!!" it shouted before falling on its back.

"Sorry, Torchic" Scootaloo giggled "Better luck next time, I suppose..." she picked up his unmoving but still breathing body and placed it on her head. She then called Blitzle and Sliggoo to come with her as each soul exited the research laboratory, hopefully never laying eyes on it ever again.

"BLITZLE!!!" Lyra shouted as she ran over to hug her partner Pokemon, beginning to cry again "I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU-HOO-HOO!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

"Sliggoo! I'm so happy you're safe!" Bonbon hugged the slimy Pokemon, despite its body covered in sticky slime "Nothing bad happened to you over there, right? Did they hurt you? Oh, who cares, I'm just glad that you're here. Lyra has been crying for Blitzle and you to return, and just before we gave up hope, these wonderful trainers here came and saved you" she looked at the trio of newbie Pokemon Trainers "And I think they deserve a reward."

"Sliggoo!" Sliggoo nodded.

"Right, well, this is really all I have on me right now" Bonbon searched her dress pocket and pulled out a small yet very pretty red and black gem "I found it lying around. Maybe you can sell it for something, or keep it. It's all up to you. In fact, I-"

"Thank you, Bonbon" Scootaloo smiled as she held the stone in her hands before putting it away in her backpack "After what we went through, I'll treasure it."

"Thank you, girls, for aiding me in stopping Team Chaos" Looker nodded "Unfortunately, I must take my leave. Crime is always somewhere in this world. Farewell."

"Girls, thank you for standing up to Sonata" Time Turned bowed "When we meet again, I hope it's on better terms. Until then."

"Bye, Time Turner! Bye, Looker" all five females shouted at waved at the two men walking away, Lyra albeit slightly more teary-eyed.

"Torchic, Tor..." Torchic pouted, upset that Sliggoo was the one who Blitzle loved and not it. However, it was then when the equine came over to the small chick Pokemon and kissed it on the cheek, making its face turn redder than a cherry and its body collapse from pure bliss.

"Aww, that's adorable..." Sweetie Belle cooed "I guess he got the girl in the end after all."

"C'mon, Torchic" Scootaloo giggled "Hop on my head and let's get a move on. We're so close to Las Pegasus City, where I can finally earn my first gym badge!" she looked back down at Torchic and sighed "Or I can just pick you up myself. Come here, you little rascal..." she picked the euphoria-induced Torchic in her arms and carried it.

"Bye girls! Thank you so much!" Lyra cried out.

"Bye Lyra and Bonbon!" they shouted back and waved before turning away and continuing on their adventure once again. However, a feeling washed over Scootaloo. Something told her that this wasn't the last she was going to see of Team Chaos. That thought frightened her, but she tried her best to shake it off and enjoy her adventure while she still could.

Author's Notes:

This one took FOREVER!! Thankfully, I still managed to pull it out on schedule! I hope you enjoyed your chapter!

This wasn't my best chapter, especially the kind of awkward intro, but I personally think Looker and his awesomeness made up for that. I hope Looker appears in later games! He's really becoming a staple in Pokemon history. And in case you're wondering, this story comes after X and Y, the latest in the Pokemon Timeline.

Also, be sure to check out this story linked in green, as it's really good and more popular than mine!

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, I'll see you guys later!

[Chapter 6]: City Lights and Big Dreams

"Girls, girls, look!" Sweetie Belle ecstatically cried out as she pointed in just about every single direction "There's the Las Pegasus Gym for you, Scootaloo, and there's Las Pegasus Tower for you, Apple Bloom, and there's... OHHH!! It's just too much to take in!"

Since hearing about it as a little girl, Sweetie Belle has always wanted to visit Las Pegasus City, and for good reason. It was a sparkling ville filled with bright and happy people, clean air, and most importantly, beauty. Unfortunately, she and Rarity never got around to going there for personal reasons. She managed to keep in her excitement while she and her friends were traveling here, but the moment she crossed the border, she burst out in happiness. The city had become even more beautiful since the day turned to night, and the lights shined brightly over the three girls' heads.

"Whoa, show down there, partner" Apple Bloom calmed Sweetie Belle down "This is a pretty big city, and ah don't wanna lose ya the minute we git here, alright?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry..." Sweetie Belle sheepishly scratched the back of her head before looking dazzled at the flickering light again "It's just that this place is so pretty! I wanna go everywhere and eat everything here! Oh, I bet the food here tastes amazing!"

"Torchic, Tor..." Torchic rudely scoffed "Tor, Tor. Torchic, Chic, Tor!"

"Torchic, I have no idea what you said, but I am greatly offended" Sweetie Belle stuck her nose up in the air before sighing with a smile "Oh, I can't stay mad at you! You're just to darn cute!"

"TOR?!" Torchic gasped in anger "Torchic, Tor!"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and their little dog too" a familiar voice spoke from behind the three girls. They turned around only to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon standing there.

"What do y'all want this time, Diamond?" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.

"Oh, sorry, I couldn't help but notice this near-perfect city had a huge muddy hole in it" Diamond Tiara laughed "But I digress. Oh, wait, no I don't! Hehehehahaha!!"

"Do you wanna go?!" Scootaloo rushed forward at Diamond who just kept a sinister smile on her face the entire time. Fortunately, the purple-haired girl was stopped by her friends.

"Oh, very antsy, are we?" Diamond waved a finger in front of Scootaloo's face "While I would adore the chance to beat you with my new Pokemon, I will have to decline. You see, Silver Spoon here will be entering tomorrow's Pokemon Contest, and I don't want to waste any time coaching her."

"Pokemon... Contest?" Sweetie Belle got her curiosity perked, giving Diamond Tiara a devilish grin.

"Ah, so I've triggered your fancy, have I?" she smiled "Pokemon Contests are much like a battle, but rather than brute force and brainless combat, it's a battle of sparkling beauty and intelligent thinking."

Suddenly, Espurr came spiraling out of the Poke Ball Sweetie Belle caught it in a little while after their encounter with Lyra and Bonbon and looked up at Diamond Tiara with amazement, imagining what it could do in a contest.

"How disturbing..." Diamond Tiara spoke with disgust in her voice "That Pokemon looks like it had ten cups of coffee and hasn't blinked in days. Just what IS it?!"

"Hey, don't talk about Espurr like that!" Sweetie Belle went down and hugged the grey feline Pokemon before realizing why Espurr came out of its Poke Ball in the first place "And we would like to enter the Pokemon Contest as well."

"You can join if you want, not that it would matter though" Silver Spoon giggled fixing her glasses slightly "MY Pokemon is going to win the contest without a doubt. You might as well just give up while you still can."

"Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon; I'm just about fed up with you..." Scootaloo clenched her fists "Don't make me-"

"Girls, girls, whatever is the matter here?" asked a soft female voice near the group of girls. They all turned to see a young woman with long pink hair curled softly upward with a small blue hairpin in it, a long green skirt, a belt, and a cream tank-top shirt. She also had a wrist bracelet with an odd gem on it. Her face was one of genuine concern.

"Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom wondered "Fluttershy! It's been so long! How've ya been?"

"Oh, girls, how lovely it is to see you again" Fluttershy smiled in a bit "Now, whatever seems to be the problem here?"

"Nothing, Miss Fluttershy" Silver Spoon waved as she and her friend walked off "In fact, we were just leaving. Farewell, and have a wonderful night!"

"They're lyin', o' course" Apple Bloom deadpanned "They've been bullyin' us since we were little, and now that we all have Pokemon, ah can only imagine what will happen next..."

"Now I think I've made a terrible choice..." Sweetie Belle worryingly spoke "I challenged Silver Spoon to a Pokemon Contest tomorrow, and because I did, I think I've just trapped myself in a corner..."

"Oh, dear me, why ever would that be?" Fluttershy kindly asked.

"Because I've never gone in a Pokemon Contest before!" Sweetie Belle clutched her head and shouted to get some stress out "Okay, I'm feeling better now. But seriously, how am I supposed to train Espurr here to do something dazzling by tomorrow?! Maybe Silver Spoon is right; maybe I should just give up..."

"Sweetie Belle, don't speak like that" Fluttershy gently lifted Sweetie Belle's head up with her hand and gave her a warm smile "Contests are very popular here in Las Pegasus, and while I haven't participated in very many, I know enough to make sure that you and Espurr are ready for anything!"

"R-Really?" Sweetie Belle felt a tear roll down her cheek.

"Of course" Fluttershy nodded "Fortunately for you, it would appear Silver Spoon lied to you about the correct date of the contest. The contest begins tomorrow night, not tomorrow right away. You have time to relax after your long journey here, and tomorrow we'll begin your training" she then pulled out a card from her dress pocket "Here, a small token."

"What is it?" Scootaloo asked, curiously eying the card.

"That is my trainer card" Fluttershy explained the nicest way she could "Show this to any hotel owner you wish and they'll make a room for you three to rest in for the time being."

"Yay! Free stuff!" Apple Bloom cheered, to which everyone, even Torchic, giggled at her sudden outburst. Once their small moment of laughter was over, Espurr went back to imagining what it would be like as the main star of the show, its eyes wide open and its mouth drooling a bit, signalling it was in pure bliss.

"Espurrrrr..." it purred as it continued day-dreaming.

"That's right, Espurr" Sweetie Belle triumphantly said, wiping the tears off her face "With Fluttershy's help, we'll be the best Pokemon Contest Winners ever!"

"That's coordinator, Sweetie" Scootaloo snickered a bit "But Apple Bloom and I have every faith in you! We'll be cheering from the sidelines all the way!"

"Thanks, you guys" Sweetie smiled.

"Well, I think you five ought to get some rest" Fluttershy calmly spoke up "You all have a big day ahead of you, and you need to sleep to regain your energy. In the morning, meet me in the Las Pegasus gardens just north of here. See you soon!" she waved farewell as she walked away from them back to her home.

"Well, y'all heard the woman!" Apple Bloom took charge "Let's find us a hotel to stay at fer now!"

"Right!" the two girls nodded before joining their friend in their search for a hotel.

(Music Stop)

"And here is the best room we can accommodate for you young ladies" a older man with a tuxedo and rather refined French mustache opened the door to Scooatloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's suit; a large room with three beds, orange walls and fine carpet floors "Please enjoy your stay here at Las Pegasus Hills, and do try to keep your Pokemon out of the snack gallery" he gave a stern look at the Torchic resting on Scootaloo's head before closing the door and leaving the girls be.

"Hey, these beds are super-soft!" Scootaloo bounced on the bed she claimed to be her own, yawning not a few seconds later "Jeez, I sure am tired... I dunno about you two, but I'm gonna hit the hay early tonight. Alright, Torchic, get into bed and let's sleep."

"Torchic..." Torchic scoffed before rolling around in Scootaloo's hair and closing its eyes.

"Um, no" Scootaloo took it off her head, placing it in her bed "You're not sleeping in my hair."

"Tor? Chic, Chic!" the chick Pokemon angrily stomped its talons, pointing at Scootaloo's hair and then the bed "Torchic, Tor! Torchic, Torchic, Tor. Chic, Torchic!"

"I don't really care if my hair is comfier than the bed, I don't want my hair looking like a Ratatta's nest when I wake up!" Scootaloo argued "Sleep in the bed!"

"Tor!" Torchic retaliated.

"Bed!"

"Tor!"

"Bed!"

"Tor!!"

"Bed, and that's final!" Scootaloo figuratively put her foot down.

"Torchic, Torchic, TOR!!!" the chick shouted.

"Well, why don't you take those words and shove them up your-"

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom stopped the two from bickering any longer "Try not ta shout, okay? And Torchic, stop bein' so dang uptight all the time! Yer gonna split us apart one day, ah know it."

"Torchic..." Torchic pouted before reluctantly getting into Scootaloo's bed. Spinarak soon popped out of its Poke Ball and crawled up onto Scootaloo's arm, latching on and dozing off.

"Hey, that's a good idea, Spinarak!" Sweetie Belle nodded before bringing out her own Poke Balls and letting out Chikorita and Espurr out from her own Poke Balls "Okay, everyone, you can sleep with me in my bed and not in those crammed up Poke Balls. Well, at least I would assume they're crammed. How do they even work?"

"Don't care... Really tired..." Scootaloo tried to get some shuteye.

"Sorry... I'm just really excited about tomorrow! And kinda nervous..." Sweetie blushed a bit "I mean, I have no idea how many people are gonna be looking at me when Espurr and I perform. It's really intimidating, to say the least."

"Sweetie Belle, ah've known ya since we were both really little" Apple Bloom put a hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled "After all ah've seen ya do, ah'm sure y'all can do it! Remember the time ya punched Diamond Tiara in the face in second grade?"

"Hehehe... Yeah, I remember that" Sweetie Belle giggled "Got in huge trouble, but if you ask me, it was totally worth it."

"Ya stood up fer yerself, and that's somethin' Scoots and ah could only dream of doin' when we were that age" Apple Bloom nodded "Ya got this, okay? You and Espurr will do fantastic out there."

"Y-Yeah! You're right!" Sweetie triumphantly spoke "But we better get to bed... I'm getting pretty tired too..."

"Agreed..." Apple Bloom yawned before going over to her bed and pulling over the covers "G'night!" she flicked off the light and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight" Sweetie Belle smiled as she too walked over to her bed and did as her friend did. Tomorrow was going to be a huge day for all of the girls, for better or for worse.

The morning sun had risen in Las Pegasus City and cast its ray of light over Sweetie Belle's eyes. She opened them immediately and hopped out of bed, rushing to get ready for her meeting with Fluttershy. After brushing her teeth with the generously provided disposable toothbrushes in the suit's washroom and getting dressed in an identical outfit to the one she wore yesterday she packed with her, and rushed out the door, bringing her Pokemon with her, of course. However, she left a note on her bed telling her friends where she dashed off to.

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom woke up about half-an-hour later only to find their friend had disappeared on them. Before they began freaking out, Apple Bloom spotted the note on Sweetie's bed and read it aloud.

Dear Scootaloo and Apple Bloom,

I'm sorry for my absence this morning, but I just couldn't wait to begin my training with Fluttershy. I've gone off to Las Pegasus gardens like Fluttershy told me to, and don't worry about me losing my way; I have a map. While I would love for you two to be there with me, cheering me on as I practice, I would like it if you two don't follow me. I want to make my performance a surprise even for you! Besides, I want you guys to save all your cheering for when I finally do enter the contest. Thank you guys so much, and I hope to see you soon. We should be able to meet again when the contest begins wherever it is.

- With lots of love, Sweetie Belle

"Well great! Now what are we supposed to do?" Scootaloo complained "I was hoping to watch Sweetie Belle practice, but... *sigh*... If she wants to be alone, I guess I can accept her wishes..."

"Torchic, Tor" Torchic stated, bouncing onto Scootaloo's head and nodding out the doorway "Tor, Tor! Torchic!"

"Hmm? You wanna explore the place?" Scootaloo wondered "Well, I mean, this IS a big city. I just don't know what I can do here, since nearly this entire city is based around... con... tests..." she remembered seeing an orange-roofed building on her way into the city "Of course! The gym! I can get my first badge from the Gym Leader!"

"Hey, that's a good idea, Scoots!" Apple Bloom agreed "Let's head down there right now!"

"Alright! I'm gonna get my first badge!"

"CLOSED?!!" Scootaloo fell to her knees as she read the white sign hanging on the gym doors "How could it possibly be closed?! I thought the gym was always open for, I dunno, people who want to challenge it!!"

"Well, ta be fair, Scoots," Apple Bloom spoke up "The contest is today, and ah'm pretty sure everyone is scurryin' around ta try and prepare fer it, even Gym Leader..." she checked the statue out on front, only to have a wave of disappointment wash over her "Darn, it's too faded... Well, it dun matter. Ya can always challenge the gym tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Scootaloo disappointingly said. Suddenly, Torchic bounced off Scootaloo's head curiously and ran off, following something it smelled from a little bit away.

"Torchic?" Scootaloo wondered "Hey, Torchic, get back here!"

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom chased the tiny chick Pokemon through the streets of the city, passing person after person until finally finding Torchic at a small restaurant with the incredible scents of freshly baked bread and perfectly warmed soup. Torchic bounced on the table of three men, two middle-aged and one elderly, and began sniffing the elderly man's soup.

"Oh-ho-ho, why hello there, little one" the short elderly man with a bald head, black oval glasses, and a robe with yellow and black lines all over it chuckled at bit at Torchic's antics "Ah, you must be here for my soup, of course. Please, have some! I insist!"

"Grand Master, that is a wild animal you're feeding" the middle-aged man with long blue hair, blue shades, grey boots and a grey robe overlapping a blue one underneath it spoke with concern in his voice "You shouldn't be doing that. You know they will simply rely on you to feed them if you continue."

"Ardos, please, call him father" the middle-aged man, younger than the other, with short red hair, red shades, grey boots and a grey robe overlapping a red one underneath it reminded the other man "Our days of Cipher are long gone. Please, try to enjoy our new life without recalling the past."

"Boys, boys, settle down" the elderly man gave a kind smile "Let the poor thing eat. It must be so hungry after-"

"Torchic!" Scootaloo called out, going over to the three men's table and picking the tiny chick Pokemon up, much to its annoyance and dismay "Don't run off like that again!" she then turned to the three people trying to enjoy their breakfast sitting at the table "I'm so sorry, sirs. I have no idea what got into it."

"Nonsense! All is forgiven" the elderly man laughed "But, where are my manners? I do believe we still have to introduce ourselves. My name is Greevil Verich, and these are my sons, Ardos and Eldes Verich."

"A pleasure to meet you, young lady" the man in red named Eldes nodded.

"Please try to control your Pokemon next time" the man in blue named Ardos lightly scolded.

"Ardos, behave yourself, please" Eldes grew annoyed by his brother's words "I apologize about my brother; he has a difficult time with other people, including myself and my father."

"Scootaloo!" Apple Bloom caught up to her friend "There ya are! Ah was- Oh, is this where Torchic ended up ta?"

"Yep" Scootaloo nodded "Apple Bloom, I'd like you to meet Mr. Verich and his two sons Ardos and Eldes. Torchic was attracted by Mr. Verich's soup here."

"Wonderful to meet you... Apple Bloom, was it?" Greevil wondered, to which Apple Bloom nodded "Ah good. Now, what brings you two lovely ladies here to Las Pegasus City?"

"Well, originally, I was going to challenge the gym here to get my first gym badge" Scootaloo began "But then, our friend Sweetie Belle wanted to enter the Pokemon Contest later tonight, and because the Gym Leader is probably busy helping set up the contest, and because Sweetie wants some time to train with someone, I'm just about the most bored-est person on the planet."

"Hmm... I didn't know bored-est was a word now..." Greevil rubbed his chin with one of his hands "Anyways, why don't you battle one of my sons? In fact, why don't you battle both?"

"Grand Ma- Father, you cannot be serious" Ardos stopped himself just in time "We would crush these girls if we were to engage them in a Pokemon battle!"

"Then why don't we use the Pokemon we obtained when we traveled to this region?" Eldes suggested "They are significantly weaker than our normal Pokemon, and it would give these young girls a chance. Besides, we haven't had a proper battle since we arrived here, and I'm sure all our Pokemon are itching themselves to fight."

"...very well" Ardos sighed before looking at both the girls "I'm sure you are familiar with double battle rules? If not, it is quite simple. Two Pokemon fight two Pokemon at the same time, whether it be two of your Pokemon or one of your Pokemon and another person's Pokemon. These types of battles are very popular where we come from."

"Right, so, two-on-two then?" Scootaloo smiled "Fair enough! Get ready to fight, guys!"

(Music Stop)

The four people walked out into the car-less street and spaced out a bit as to give their Pokemon room to battle. Ardos and Eldes immediately went for one of the six Poke Balls on each of their waists, somehow knowing exactly which Pokemon was in which Poke Ball. That's when the battle began.

"Electrike, go!" Eldes shouted as he threw his Poke Ball, releasing a small green dog Pokemon with a long and straight yellow and green mane, and a yellow tail.

"Onwards, Horsea" Ardos flung his own Poke Ball out, releasing a small blue Pokemon that floated in the air with a curled up tail, large eyes, a hose-like mouth, a cream belly and two cream fins on its back, as well as three blue spikes sticking out on both sides of its head.

Electrike, the Lightning Pokemon
Electrike stores electricity in its long body hair. This Pokémon stimulates its leg muscles with electric charges. These jolts of power give its legs explosive acceleration performance.

Horsea, the Dragon Pokemon
Horsea eats small insects and moss off of rocks. If the ocean current turns fast, this Pokémon anchors itself by wrapping its tail around rocks or coral to prevent being washed away.

"These seem like pretty powerful Pokemon, Scootaloo" Apple Bloom said as she put away her Pokedex "Are ya still sure ya wanna fight these two?"

"Trust me, we got this one!" Scootaloo nodded in triumph "Okay, Torchic! Let's go!" she called Torchic to battle, to which it was already rearing to go.

"Alrighty then..." Apple Bloom was still a bit skeptical, but tossed out her Poke Ball as well "Come on out, Squirtle!" her Poke Ball opened up to the small turtle Pokemon once again as it stared at its opponents intently.

"Interesting choices..." Ardos nodded "However, it would appear you do not yet understand type advantages and disadvantages. Eldes, let us use this to our advantage! Horsea, use Water Gun on Torchic!"

"Torchic, Ember on the water stream, go!" Scootaloo quickly reacted to the situation. Torchic and Horsea both spat out their respective element, meeting with each other and creating a huge puff of steam in the middle of the battlefield. Both Pokemon went at it, trying their best to be stronger than the other. However, it was Horsea that was just slightly stronger than Torchic, finally breaking through Torchic's fiery line of defense and hitting it straight on, damaging it significantly.

"Torchic, no!" Scootaloo shouted at Torchic, but it soon got up after the attack, albeit not as fit as before "Oh, thank goodness..."

"Impressive... I admire your resilience..." Ardos nodded with a smirk.

"Squirtle, Water Gun on Electrike while spinnin' around!" Apple Bloom commanded her Pokemon. Without question, Squirtle hid inside its shell and began twirling around rapidly, spraying water all around the battlefield. It quickly approached Electrike.

"Electrike, stop it!" Eldes ordered, to which Electrike nodded and leaped right onto Squirtle's shell, stopping it from continuing its spinning "Now, use Thunderbolt!"

It howled into the air, electrifying itself and shocking the water-type Pokemon underneath it. Squirtle popped its head, limbs and tail out of it body as it was thrown back towards Apple Bloom, its eyes replaced with swirls.

"Squirtle, return..." Apple Bloom said as she summoned her Pokemon back into its Poke Ball "Ya did good, little guy. Now it's all up ta ya, Scootaloo!"

"That won't last long, however" Ardos smiled "Horsea, Water Gun once more!"

"Torchic, use Ember again!" Scootaloo shouted. Weakly, Torchic spat out tiny flames at the oncoming blast of water Horsea created. Unfortunately, the water plowed right through the embers and struck Torchic once again, causing it to fall over and have swirls in its eyes as Squirtle did.

(Music Stop)

"Torchic..." Scootaloo went over and picked her Pokemon up "We lost..."

"Oh-ho-ho! That was a very enjoyable battle!" Greevil hopped off his seat and grabbed a wooden cane next to his chair, revealing himself to be half the size as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom was "Just the thing I needed to brighten up the morning. You two girls fought quite valiantly."

"But we lost, didn't we?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Indeed you did" Greevil nodded "However, when it truly comes down to it, there is only young man I have ever met able to beat both of my sons and me. Besides, I think this is an important lesson for both of you."

"Don't challenge Ardos and Eldes?" Apple Bloom jokingly asked.

"Well, that" Eldes couldn't hold back a small and quiet chuckle "And that losing is just as important as winning. While true, it's the least desired outcome of anything really, at the same time it can help you learn from your mistakes and better yourself for when you battle, compete, or do anything again."

"So, basically, it's okay to lose if you learn from your mistakes afterwards, right?" Scootaloo wondered.

"Precisely" Ardos nodded.

(Music Stop)

"Scootaloo, here" Eldes gave Scootaloo Electrike's Poke Ball "I want you to have Electrike."

"W-What?!" Scootaloo gasped "But Eldes, that's your Pokemon! I couldn't!"

"Please, my gift to you" Eldes smiled before pressing the button on the Poke Ball, releasing Electrike in a blue glow as apposed to a white one "Electrike, I have decided you shall go with Scootaloo here on her adventures. Do you accept you mission?"

Electrike stood tall and bowed in a chivalric manner before walking over to Scootaloo and standing guard of her.

"Well, as long as you say it's okay..." she looked down at Electrike and smiled "Okay, Electrike, I guess you're with me" she pulled out a spare Poke Ball from her bag and touched it on the electric dog Pokemon's head, sending it into the ball. The Poke Ball wobbled around a bit before finally ticking into place and holding Electrike firmly inside.

"That was real nice o' ya, Mr. Eldes" Apple Bloom nodded.

"Please, call me Eldes" Eldes smiled "And you're quite welcome. Besides, I have a Manectric and other Pokemon as well. I wasn't sure if I was going to use Electrike all that much, so better it goes to someone who might be able to use it."

"Thank you, Eldes" Scootaloo brought up her hand to give him a fist-bump, but he just stared in confusion "Um... I'm giving you a fist-bump, bro. Just hold out your hand like this..." Eldes did as he was told "And now bump your fist with mine!" he did as instructed again before putting his hand down.

"Was that... Something you kids do these days?" he wondered.

"Yeah, just..." Scootaloo awkwardly said "...just roll with it. Anyway, great meeting you, Ardos and Mr. Verich!"

"We hope to see you two again soon" Greevil waved as the two girls walked off to go and do something else "What sweet young girls. Now, back to enjoying my soup..."

"Wait, father..." Eldes stopped Greevil from enjoying his breakfast "Do you sense that?"

"...Yes, I do" Greevil sighed "A Shadow Pokemon is nearby. It wasn't with those girls, or the radiance would have been off the charts. However, I fear someone else has taken some tribute to our original Shadow Pokemon plan. How long it's gone on for, I know not. But it is vital that we alert the police about this... As soon as I'm finished with my meal, that is!"

"O-Of course, father" Eldes nodded "Ardos, come and enjoy the rest of your meal."

Night finally fell over Las Pegasus City and the city lights twinkled in beauty once more. However, the Las Pegasus Tower, the tallest tower smack-dab in the middle of town with four arched legs and a large contest arena underneath it, was extremely bright and busy for particular and obvious reasons. Once Scootaloo and Apple Bloom took their Pokemon to a Pokemon Centre, they waited in line to get front row access to Sweetie Belle's performance.

"Ah wonder who's up first" Apple Bloom wondered to Scootaloo after they sat down in their seats in the semi-circle seating arrangement in front of the main stage, front row of course "Ah mean, Sweetie was kind o' a late entry, so she might be last or second last."

"Well, we don't really know, do we?" Scootaloo playfully rolled her eyes just as Spinarak and Electrike came popping out of their Poke Balls to watch the event about to unfold "Oh, hey guys! Here to watch with us?"

"Trike!" Electrike sturdily nodded.

"Spin, Spin, Spin" Spinarak playfully bounced.

"Alrighty then, might as well send ya out too, Squirtle" Apple Bloom tapped her Poke Ball and released her Pokemon out into the open with the rest of them "Enjoy yer time!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded calmly before joining its Pokemon friends. However, it sat next to Spinarak away from Electrike, confusing Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.

"Tor, Tor, Tor!" Torchic laughed on top of Scootaloo's head, staying on probably just to get a better view of the contest than everyone else "Torchic, Torchic, Chic!"

"I'm guessing Squirtle doesn't like Electrike too much..." Scootaloo sheepishly chuckled a bit "Honestly, I can't blame it. It did lose to it after all."

"SQUIRT!" Squirtle quickly gave Scootaloo a glare that she swore could kill if possible.

"Okay, okay, I'll shut-up..." Scootaloo sighed.

(Music Stop)

"Mesdames et Messieurs..." a female voice with an eastern Kalosian accent spoke as the lights dimmed out and the two girls, as well as their Pokemon and the entire audience, took a deep breath in anticipation "My name is Fantina, your starworthy host, and welcome all to the 20th annual Junior Stars Pokemon Contest!"

The audience exploded in cheering, yet the lights stayed dim. As soon as the cheering calmed down, the woman named Fantina on the intercom spoke again.

"Oui, oui! Parfait! We certainly have a very large crowd tonight, non?" Fantina chuckled a bit "Very well... Well then, I suppose you all wish to see ze Pokemon Concours? Well then, in that case... Que le spectacle commence!"

The lights flicked back on, now brighter than ever before as sparks began to fly, quite literally in fact, and the crowd roared in excitement. No other cheered louder than Scootaloo, who had absolutely hollered at the top of her lungs. A large screen then came down from the ceiling and revealed the head and torso of a woman with a odd purple hair tied into four bulbous ponytails, but her sparkling purple dress made all up for it. She wore a headset, allowing her to communicate with the outside world. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom assumed this was Fantina.

"Let's get the show on the road, non?" Fantina raised her arms ecstatically "I've always loved hosting for this event. Seeing all the new trainers start out their coordinating careers here, it's just so, how you say... Incroyable! Very well, let us begin with jeune formateur, Silver Spoon!"

The crowd cheered once again, but Scootaloo and Apple Bloom just lazily clapped. Scootaloo did have to stop clapping eventually in order to prevent Torchic from falling down onto the stage and pecking Silver Spoon the moment she went out to give her best to the people watching. Eventually, she did, wearing an admittedly very beautiful silver skirt dress with white frills on the bottom. She had let her hair fall down loosely down her back, and was wearing a blue ribbon atop her head, as well as her stylized silver boots on her feet.

"That outfit looks good..." Apple Bloom admitted "...but on someone else."

"Couldn't agree more, AB" Scootaloo nodded.

"Magnifique Silver Spoon here has two Pokemon she would like to show off today!" Fantina smiled as two Pokemon joined Silver Spoon on stage "One is her élégant Snivy, and the other her gracieux Fennekin!"

"Fennekin, hmm?" Scootaloo pulled out her Pokedex and scanned the new Pokemon with a fox-like appearance, yellow fur, and big ears with great tuffs of orange fur coming out of them.

Fennekin, the Fox Pokemon
As it walks, it munches on a twig in place of a snack. Eating the twig fills it with energy, and its roomy ears give vent to air hotter than 390 degrees Fahrenheit.

"Without futher ado, Silver Spoon; commencer votre acte!" Fantina cheered, wishing the young girl to begin.

"Okay, you two" Silver said to her Pokemon "You know what to do. Snivy, use Leaf Tornado!"

Snivy nodded and, with a smirk on its face, cast what seemed like millions of leaves from its back, all of which twirled up into a huge spiral shape that went to the top of the stage arena, or rather the bottom of Las Pegasus Tower. Silver Spoon then stood in the centre of the floating leaves and looked right at Fennekin.

"Now, Fennekin, use Ember on the base of the leaves!" she commanded. The small fox Pokemon nodded and approached the base of the leaf spiral, opening its mouth and setting the leaves ablaze one-by-one, exploding brightly as the spark from the flame traveled quickly upward until it finally ended where the leaf spiral ended, raining beautiful ashes and embers that sparkled in the stage lights, Silver Spoon raising her arms up and basking in them. The audience once again began cheering at the performance.

"Oooooh! How classique!" Fantina praised "But never a second not beautiful as always! Silver Spoon, you may exit the stage. Now, our next contestant is a bit shy, but let us all give a warm welcome to formateur mignon, Sweetie Belle!"

The crowd once again cheered, this time being even louder with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and all their Pokemon, with the exception of Electrike, screaming and hollering as Sweetie Belle made it on-stage, wearing simply the most amazing outfit either of the young girls had ever seen. It was nothing more than a simple sundress, but it had glittery, pink lining all over it which practically shimmered in the light, as well as a beautiful red ribbon tied in a bow on the side of her waist and sparkling pink slippers. Her hair had been expertly curled more straight than she originally wore it, and to top it all off, she wore glittering silver earrings. She quickly tapped one of her ears in slight discomfort, signalling she just got them pierced earlier today.

"Isn't she stunning tonight?" Fantina smiled warmly "Joining her are her two Pokemon, mignon Chikorita, and magnifique Espurr. Okay, Sweetie Belle; commencer votre acte!"

"O-Okay" Sweetie Belle nodded "Just as we rehearsed guys... Chikorita, use Razor Leaf up into the air!"

Chikorita nodded and, much like Snivy, sent dozens of leaves up in the air, albeit in a much more disorderly fashion.

"Espurr, use your powers to hold the leaves like how we practiced!" Sweetie Belle nodded at Espurr. It simply stared at her until moving slightly to the left and making its eyes glow purple, holding out its nubby arms and moving the leaves into little platforms. This wasn't the end of Sweetie Belle's act, however. She soon got on one of the small platforms and began hopping from one to the next, twirling around on every second one she leaped upon. Finally, once her dance was done, she bravely jumped down the middle of the floating leaves and allowed some platforms to safely float her down before she finally touched the stage again. Espurr let go of all the leaves and caused all the platforms to explode, gently letting the leaves float down. Again, the crowd cheered at the performance.

"Magnifique, I say, magnifique!" Fantina smiled "Truly a gracieux performance! Sweetie Belle, you may exit the stage."

Sweetie Belle curtsied before leaving the stage with Espurr and Chikorita right behind her. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom saw her quietly cheering to herself as she left, bringing a smile to their faces.

(Music Stop)

The rest of the contestants performed afterwards. A lot of them were good, but none could truly compare to Sweetie's and, admittedly, Silver Spoon's, with the exception of one. To Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's surprise, Eldes and his Manectric had entered the contest as well, probably finding a loophole for his age with the sign-up sheet saying "First time coordinators". They had given off quite the dazzling light show of electricity, yet Eldes couldn't be bothered to change out of his normal attire. Nonetheless, his act was still quite amazing.

Finally, all the contestants were finished with their routines. The audience stayed so completely silent for the next and final part that one could hear a pin drop and echo throughout the arena. In fact, someone actually did! No one focused on that, however; they all focused on the large screen in front of them and Fantina's voice.

"It has come to this, téléspectateurs in their seats" Fantina spoke in a voice that kept the suspense floating in the air, all the contestants on the stage hoping they won "The top three. Who will come out on top? Let us see... Coming in at numéro trois, we have échappatoire Eldes!"

The crowd cheered as a spotlight shown on Eldes. He bowed in respect.

"Coming in at numéro deux, we have formateur mignon Sweetie Belle!"

"Aw, what?" Scootaloo depressingly sighed. The crowd's cheering however only escalated as another spotlight shone on Sweetie Belle. She waved a bit, putting on a smile that only Scootaloo and Apple Bloom could see was fake.

"And coming in at numéro un, the champion of the contest, jeune formateur Silver Spoon!"

The crowd roared in excitement as a light shone down onto Silver Spoon and a staff member from the contest hall came out and gave her a small golden trophy shaped like any other generic trophy. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo just leaned back in their seats and sighed, feeling sorry for how Sweetie must've been feeling up there.

"Merci everyone who came out to see this spectaculaire event!" Fantina waved to everyone on the big TV screen "Until then, avoir une bonne nuit et une maison de promenade en toute sécurité!"

The lights went out and everyone began to get off their seats and begin their journey home. All of the contestants went back to their dressing rooms backstage, and even though they weren't supposed to, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom returned all their Pokemon, with the exception of Torchic, and followed Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie heard a knocking at her dressing room door. Reluctantly, she went to open the door only to see Fluttershy waiting for her. The latter gave off a warm smile as the former allowed her into the room.

"I'm sorry that you didn't win, Sweetie Belle" Fluttershy comforted the young girl, patting her on her back "I'm sure you'll win next ti-"

"It wasn't about winning, Fluttershy!" Sweetie yelled on accident "...sorry... But I never cared if I won or not. All I cared about was that I came out over Silver Spoon and gave her a taste of her own medicine! She and Diamond Tiara have bullied us since we were all really little, and I just wanted to show her that I was better..."

"Oh, poor thing..." Fluttershy hugged the now softly crying Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo came rushing into her room which still had its door open, Apple Bloom entering very soon after "Oh no, Sweetie Belle..."

"Sweetie, are y'all okay?" Apple Bloom questioned.

"No, I'm not okay!" Sweetie cried "I just wanted to... *hic*...proove I was better than Silver Spoon..."

"Sweetie Belle..." Scootaloo sat next to her friend and placed a hand on her back "I... well... Look and listen, okay? A wise man once told me that losing sucks. Nobody ever wants to lose ever, since it's literally the worst feeling ever."

"And just how was that... *sniff* ...supposed to cheer me up?" Sweetie Belle questioned.

"I wasn't finished" Scootaloo smirked a bit before becoming more serious again "In a nutshell, losing stinks. However, sometimes losing is good. It can help you learn from your mistakes and better yourself for next time. And next time? Oh boy, next time! You'll beat Silver Spoon and take home gold!"

"Y-You really think so?" Sweetie Belle asked, cheering up a bit.

"Sweetie, I KNOW so" Scootaloo laughed before embracing her friend in a warm hug, letting go a little while afterwards "Now, how about you and I go out dancing on the stage while no one's looking? The night's still young, right?"

"Scootaloo, that's so gay" Sweetie Belle giggled.

"Yeah, I know" Scootaloo chuckled as well. Unexpectedly, all four souls heard a knocking at the room's door. They all turned and, much to their surprise and slight anger, Silver Spoon was there, still in her contest outfit.

"What do ya want, Silver Spoon" Apple Bloom crossly asked her.

"Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now..." Silver Spoon began "But... I wanted to congratulate you, Sweetie Belle, on your performance earlier."

"What do you care, Silver Spoon?" Scootaloo angrily spoke to the silver haired girl.

"Scootaloo, please, let me speak" Silver hushed the girl.

"Wait... Not loser or dummy?" Scootaloo grew confused.

"Diamond Tiara's speaking with her dad in my dressing room, and I told her I had to go to the washroom for a second" Silver explained "I lied to my best friend just to come here and say... Good job, Sweetie Belle."

"R-Really?" Sweetie Belle curiously wondered.

"Yeah..." Silver nodded with a smile "Now, I know this won't make up for everything I've done to you and your friends in the past, but... Here, I want you to have this..." she brought out the small golden trophy she won earlier and handed it to Sweetie Belle "I'm not asking for forgiveness. After what I've done to you over all these years, how could I? But... I think the one more deserving of that trophy should have it."

Sweetie Belle looked at the trophy in her hands and began tearing up a bit. However, she held her tears back as she stood up and walked over to Silver Spoon, looking her dead in the eye. She then gave the trophy back to Silver, surprising her a bit.

"Thank you, Silver" Sweetie smiled "But after a bit of thought, I want to earn this trophy the next time we enter a contest together. Next time, I will become better, and I will beat you fair and square" she then did something even Scootaloo wasn't expecting; she hugged Silver Spoon "And for the record, I accept your apology."

"Th-Thank you..." Silver had begun to cry as well. Suddenly, something touched Sweetie Belle's leg. She removed herself from the embrace only to look down and see Espurr pawing at her. She simply smiled and picked it up, showing it to Silver Spoon. However, before she could pet it, a familiar and loud voice was heard down the hallway.

"Silver Spoon, get out of the washroom and let's get going!" Diamond Tiara shouted.

"Sorry guys, I have to go" Silver hugged Sweetie again "And, I'm sorry. Truly" she then rushed out the door and shouted back to Diamond Tiara "Yeah, sorry, I just had a few particular losers get in my way again!" and with that, she ran off back to her dressing room.

"Those words..." Sweetie Belle wondered "Did she really mean them?"

"While it's gonna sound weird comin' outta my mouth," Apple Bloom said "ah think she did. My guess is that she just acts the way she does when she's around Diamond Tiara because... hmm... Ah dunno, actually. Maybe fear?"

"Whatever the reason, that was very nice of Silver Spoon to apologize like that" Fluttershy softly smiled "And you, Sweetie Belle. Good job on setting a record for yourself in the future."

"Thank you, Fluttershy" Sweetie Belle nodded politely before turning back to Scootaloo "Now, about that dance... I think I accept graciously..."

"My lady..." Scootaloo smirked as she took Sweetie's hand and lead her out onto the stage to dance, leaving Torchic, Espurr, Apple Bloom and Fluttershy behind.

"Torchic, Tor..." Torchic was starting to cry.

"Aww, Torchic, are ya cryin'?" Apple Bloom giggled a bit.

"Tor?! Torchic, Tor!" Torchic furiously stomped around a bit before calming down and conceding with a small nod.

"Trust me, little guy," Apple Bloom smiled as she patted it on its head "ah would be too if ah saw somethin' like that..."

Author's Notes:

Right off the bat, gotta a few things to say! First off, I'm bisexual, so making gay jokes is okay. Secondly, looks like Torchic has a soft spot after all! Thirdly, Eldes and Ardos are Greevil's sons, and if none of you saw that coming, you're clearly idiots (I'm kidding, I love you all!). Lastly, did I give you the feels? If I'm allowed to give myself some credit, if I may, I'm quite good with sad scenes as well as action scenes.

So, the Verich family can sense Shadow Pokemon! This was sorta just a thing I came up with since they were all originally part of Team Cipher in Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, which specialized in Shadow Pokemon. But, who could be the owner of this Shadow Pokemon, if there was one to begin with? Find out... uh... soon-ish!

I want to apologize about the slight lateness of this "Episode", if you will. It was long, I had other things to do, you know the drill. Do not acknowledge this message in the comments however, as too many people do that already. Get's annoyin' y'know? No offense, mind you. Sorry...

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, I'll see you guys later!

[Chapter 7]: The Source of Shadows

Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom slept like logs when the contest was finally finished. And how could they not? After an exhausting contest and a wonderful dance between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, the moment they got back to the hotel, they hopped in their beds without even saying their goodnights. However, day broke out over the city and the sunlight shone through the window of the three girls' room, onto their still immensely tired eyes. Reluctantly, they woke up.

"Ugh... Good morning... *yawn*... everyone..." Scootaloo greeted groggily "Is anyone... actually up yet?"

"Ah am..." Apple Bloom yawned.

"Me too..." Sweetie Belle raised her arm before lazily flopping it back down onto her bed.

"Torchic, Torchic, Tor" Torchic laughed at the others' lazy behaviour "Tor, Tor! Torchic, Tor!"

"I guess Torchic's awake too..." Scootaloo stretched and felt a lot less tired than before "So, what's on the agenda for today?"

"Ah'm surprised ya fergot" Apple Bloom chuckled "Today ain't the contest, so naturally this means..."

"...Oh!" Scootaloo slapped herself on the head after a short second to gather her thoughts "The gym is open today! Yes! Now I can finally get myself my first gym badge!"

"Torchic..." Torchic brought out a pamphlet it got from someplace the girls didn't know, pointing to a specific part of the paper "Torchic, Tor. Tor, Tor, Torchic."

"Oh, this is the section on the Gym Leader, Scootaloo" Sweetie Belle picked the pamphlet and began reading it "I think it would be a good idea to take a look at this and plan out... your..."

"S-Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom wondered "Are y'all alright?"

"I think you girls better come and take a close look at who the Gym Leader is" Sweetie Belle responded, not sure if she should feel happy, angry, or what.

"No way..." Scootaloo looked at the pamphlet and stared in disbelief "...Fluttershy?!"

"Oh, is that what ya were so worked up about?" Apple Bloom chuckled "Ah figured that one out ages ago."

"Ages?" Sweetie wondered "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Kinda thought ya already knew" Apple Bloom shrugged "Ah mean, if ah'm allowed ta use Pinkie logic fer a second, she was the most important character in the city besides Mr. Verich, Eldes and Ardos, and ah doubt that they actually live here in Las Pegasus City."

"What makes you think that?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Their clothing, their accents... Their names" Apple Bloom gave a few points, her voice falling flat on the final point, but perking back up soon after "Anyway, we should probably head out to the gym and get Scootaloo her first gym badge!"

"Sounds like a plan to me" Scootaloo nodded before looking right at Torchic "Okay, little buddy; hop up and let's get going!"

"Torchic" Torchic nodded and did as instructed, happily hopping on its partner's head "Torchic, Tor! Chic!"

"That's the spirit!" Scootaloo cheered "Together, you and I are gonna beat Fluttershy. Then after that, we'll take on the rest of the Gym Leaders and earn their badges, then go for the Pokemon League and-"

"Okay, okay, settle down there, Scoots" Apple Bloom calmed her friend down chuckling a bit "Now before ya overload on excitement, let's head on down ta the gym."

"...okay" Scootaloo sighed with a small smile.

The three walked through the scenic route of Las Pegasus City from their hotel to the gym, as suggested by Sweetie Belle. Along their way, they encountered many shops and bakeries with blissful aromas and sparkling jewelry. Unfortunately, Scootaloo and Torchic had begun to become very impatient with the route.

"Ugh... When can we start battling Fluttershy?" she complained "Look, you guys know I'm pretty patient when it comes to stuff like this, but what if we're late and I'm denied battle with her twice-in-a-row?"

"Scoots, the gym won't be closed by the next hour" Apple Bloom rolled her eyes "Stop worryin' so much."

"But I can't help it, AB!" Scootaloo eagerly bounced a bit "Look, I'm gonna run ahead and start my battle with Fluttershy, and you two can come later, okay?"

"Okay, but just don't bump into anyo-" Apple Bloom told her as they turned a street corner, accidentally bumping into someone "Ow... Oh, ah'm so sorry... Mr. Verich, Eldes and Ardos?"

"Oh-ho-ho! Why, if it isn't young Apple Bloom and her companion, Scootaloo" Greevil laughed kindly "What a wonderful meeting! It's been a bit since our last encounter. Oh, but I see you have another friend with you. Are you, by chance, the Sweetie Belle I've heard so much about?"

"Um, y-yeah" Sweetie Belle nodded nervously before looking at Scootaloo "Do you know these people, Scootaloo?"

"Ya mean ya fergot ta tell her?" Apple Bloom deadpanned at Scootaloo "Ya had the entire night ta tell her about what we did before the contest. Ya even danced with her fer darn's sake!"

"Okay, okay, you're sounding more and more like your sister, AB" Scootaloo chuckled "And I guess it kinda just slipped my mind. Anyway, yes, Sweetie Belle? I'd like to introduce you to Greevil Verich and his sons Ardos and Eldes. They were the ones that gave me Electrike yesterday."

"Oh, well then, very nice to meet you guys" Sweetie Belle smiled.

"A pleasure" Eldes bowed "Now, where would you three be headed today?"

"Well, I'M heading off to the gym to get my first gym badge!" Scootaloo proudly stated "And with Torchic on my side, or rather my head, it'll be a cinch!"

"I see you are not well informed" Ardos spoke up "Gym Leader Fluttershy is a user of water-type Pokemon. Your Torchic would be utterly extinguished before the battle even began."

"T-Tor?!" Torchic was taken aback "Torchic, Tor?"

"Yes, I'm afraid Torchic will have to sit this one out, so to speak" Eldes said, much to both Scootaloo and Torchic's disappointment "However, the Electrike I gave you will not only be able to resist any water-type move, but critically damage any water-type Pokemon. It would be wise to use to use it."

"O' course!" Apple Bloom cupped a fist in her other hand "Most Pokemon moves have a super effective or a not very effective effect on the opposin' Pokemon dependin' on its type!"

"Quite" Greevil nodded with a kind smile "Now, why don't my sons and I see you to the gym? Please, we insist."

"But father, I-" Ardos said before being elbowed in the arm by his brother "...apologies. This way, young ladies."

(Music Stop)

"This way, you slouches!" shouted a female voice from behind the group. They all turned around just in time to move out of the way for several men and women dressed in purple hoodies and black jeans. The trio of heroines recognized them almost immediately.

"Team Chaos!" Sweetie Belle pointed out, a particular anger towards the evil syndicate swelling up inside her "C'mon girls, lets go!" she ran ahead of her friends, hot on Chaos's trail.

"Sweetie Belle, wait up!" Scootaloo cried out before giving chase as well.

"Ya two get back here!" Apple Bloom shouted, she too running after Team Chaos and, more importantly, her friends.

"Team Chaos..." Eldes scratched his chin "Father, perhaps they are the ones creating those Shadow Pokemon?"

"It is a very high chance..." Greevil nodded "Quickly, we must accompany the girls at once! Whether or not they've faced this syndicate before is irrelevant. Shadow Pokemon are much stronger than normal Pokemon, and could prove a great threat to them."

"At once Gra- Father" Ardos quickly corrected himself before the three attempted to catch up with the young trainers.

Scootaloo, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle skidded to a stop when they saw the three Team Chaos grunts who flew right past them struggle to open the door to the gym. They banged on the door and called out to their superiors, but to no avail.

"Aww, c'mon!" shouted one of the male grunts "You can't leave us out! We're only thirty seconds late!"

"Calm yourself, private!" the female grunt slapped him across the face "Staying outside is still a very important job, y'know! It stops little brats like those girls behind me from getting in!"

"What?!" Sweetie Belle questioned "But... How did you know?!"

"Oh come on, twerp" the woman grunt turned around with a smug grin on her face "I've smelled your little friend here before, so she was pretty obvious. But you literally skid your way behind us, and that kind of gave it away."

"Wait... YOU?!" Scootaloo gasped in realization "Oh man, I've waited a while to take you out!"

"Well, whatever!" Apple Bloom shook her head and shouted at the woman "Whatever ya got planned, we ain't gonna let y'all go through with it!"

"Oh really now?" the woman laughed "Look, I don't have time to play with your dollies right now, okay? We have important adult stuff to do. Now, do us all a favor and SCRAM!!"

"Ah, jeez!" Scootaloo covered her ears in retaliation "Do you really have to shout all the time? Man... But seriously, we're not going anywhere."

"Excuse me?" the female grunt's smile wiped off her face pretty quickly.

"Yeah, you heard me!" Scootaloo repeated, now with a smug grin herself "What you guys are doing is wrong! Pokemon shouldn't be sealed away from emotions and used as weapons!"

"Well, don't you all fight with Pokemon yourself?" the woman smiled once again, taking Scootaloo's smile this time "Think about it: you and I aren't too different, you know. That's what Pokemon basically are, right? Weapons to use against opponents like us. Against opponents like the Gym Leader, and like just about any other trainer in the world."

"I..." Scootaloo looked away, slightly depressed.

"Tor... chic?" the Torchic atop Scootaloo's head questioned, it too looking slightly saddened "Torchic, Torchic?"

"H-Hey, you're wrong!" Sweetie Belle argued "Pokemon aren't weapons or tools or anything! They're our friends!"

"Okay hun, you just keep telling yourself that" the woman laughed.

(Music Stop)

"Enough of this!" spoke a proud voice from behind the heroines, making all present, including Team Chaos and Torchic, look back only to see Ardos, Greevil, and the one speaking, Eldes "Have you no heart or soul? Crushing the hopes of young girls before their adventure truly begins? I know not too much of this 'Team Chaos', but from the looks of things I can only say bad about them."

"Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom" Greevil began "Pokemon are not weapons. It took me many years to finally realize this, and even then I needed the help of my son, Eldes, to understand it. The reason trainers battle with Pokemon is to strengthen the bonds between the two. Never forget this."

"Mr. Verich..." Scootaloo closed her eyes and smiled before opening them again a few moments later and giving off a confident smirk "You're right! These guys don't know what their talking about!"

"That's the spirit, Scoots!" Apple Bloom cheered before she and her friends turned back to face the grunts "Now its time to deal with these jerks!"

"So, plan A has officially failed" the woman rolled her eyes "Whatever. I'm just stalling by this point. If you brats really want a battle with Team Chaos's finest, then come and get some!"

(Music Stop)

The three girls backed up to give the Pokemon some room to battle. With haste, the woman and her two male cohorts pulled out their Poke Balls at the same time and threw them into the field.

"End them, Abra!" the woman shouted.

"Take 'em out, Spinarak!" both the male grunts called out. From the woman's ball came out a yellow cat-like creature with a long tail and brown chest armor that seemed to levitate in the air. From the others Poke Balls came out two normal Spinarak to aid the woman's Pokemon.

Abra, the Psi Pokemon
It sleeps for 18 hours a day. It uses a variety of extrasensory powers even while asleep. It senses impending attacks and teleports away to safety before the actual attacks can strike.

"Come on out, Squirtle!" Apple Bloom tossed out her one and only Poke Ball, releasing the tiny turtle Pokemon.

"Espurr, you can do it!" Sweetie Belle threw out the ball containing her psychic cat. It popped out and gave off an excited cheer, whilst still staring at everything with its unblinking, terrifying eyes. The grunts shuddered at this.

"Torchic, that leaves you" Scootaloo bent down and allowed the tiny Pokemon to hop off her head. It scurried over to where the other Pokemon faced their opponents.

"Spinarak, String Shot!" the two male grunts ordered their Pokemon's task. Without reluctance, the two Spinaraks shot out their sticky web from their mouths and stuck all their opposing Pokemon together, leaving them open to attack.

"Abra, the usual" the woman said simply. Abra, apparently knowing exactly what she meant, grabbed the two spider Pokemon and encased them in a shadowy aura, more akin to a ghost-type move than an actual Shadow Pokemon attack. Finally, it threw them like boomerangs straight at the three trapped Pokemon.

"Espurr, do something with your powers!" Sweetie Belle panicked "Make a shield, do laser beams, ANYTHING!!"

Espurr responded by closing its eyes and muttering something quietly. A pink dome-like bubble of psychic glass then appeared around the three Pokemon, shielding them from the oncoming Spinarak. The bubble stayed long enough for the three to wiggle out of the web, and stayed around even after that.

"Looks like Espurr learned Light Screen" Apple Bloom pointed out "In that case, try an' make a ball with it. Ah have an idea!"

"Alrighty then..." Sweetie Belle nodded "Espurr, make that Light Screen into a ball!"

Espurr immediately complied and turned its dome bubble into spherical one, causing all the Pokemon inside to slid into the middle. This caused some slight discomfort between the them.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" Squirtle complained.

"Espurr, Purrrrr..." the Espurr replied, sticking its nose away from the turtle.

"Torchic!" Torchic bopped it on the head, reminding it to focus.

"Okay, Squirtle, use Water Gun while inside yer shell!" Apple Bloom commanded "Roll that bubble towards that Abra!"

"Torchic, pop out of that bubble and use Ember to set the outside on fire!" Scootaloo added onto her friend's request, earning some stares of curiosity at her from her companions "What? Just thought I'd add some flare to it, y'know? Do a bit of an overpowered final move, like the ones you see on DBZ!"

"Tor..." Torchic sighed before doing as Scootaloo told and setting the ball on fire with the tiny flames spewing from its mouth. Soon enough, the fiery ball began moving forward towards the opposing Pokemon, striking fear into the eyes of the Chaos grunts.

"Abra, teleport away!" the woman grunt shouted, but to no reply "Abra, I said go! Get out of the way!" she looked closer at the Pokemon and saw that it was actually asleep "Oh for the love of... ARE YOU JOKING?!"

"Boss, how long has Abra stayed asleep for?" one of the male grunts asked his superior.

"I dunno, maybe a few hours?"

"Oh no..."

(Music Stop)

Just then, the Abra and two Spinaraks were flattened by the rolling ball. But the ball didn't stop there. As the grunts jumped out of the way, it continued on until it broke a hole right through the gym's door, allowing access into the previously locked building. Finally, the ball dissipated and released the Pokemon inside. The grunts then looked at their Pokemon and saw they weren't dead, but totally knocked out. They pulled out their Poke Balls and returned them to rest.

"Grrrr..." the woman clenched her fist "Don't think this is over because you won by a fluke! I promise you, when we-"

"What is all that racket outside, hmm?" a voice spoke in a calm and collected tone. Everyone looked to see a man with a purple lab coat, white pants, black shoes, pointy shades and dark bluish grey hair with a long strand of it coming down in front of his face. He looked at the hole in the wall and sighed.

"B-Boss!" the woman grunt shivered in fear "L-Look, I can explain! These kids, they-"

"Are you telling me that you fools could not even stop three children from getting into the gym?" the man questioned "How disappointing. And here I was told I was given the best Team Chaos had to offer."

"Ein?" Greevil wondered "Is that... you?"

"Waah! Grand Master! My deepest apologies!" Ein bowed in forgiveness.

"Wait... Greevil... You're...?" Scootaloo looked at him like he just committed murder.

"No, child. Not anymore" Greevil assured before looking back at Ein with a cross face "But this man... This man seems to still be blinded with the curtain of evil."

"Grand Master? You defend these children?" Ein questioned, devastated that his former boss would betray him like that "I always believed your downfall was a ruse so you could one day seize Cipher once more. I always saw you as an inspiration in the Shadow Pokemon plan, but now I see you as nothing more than a sad old man."

"Oh... You make me so angry!" Sweetie Belle frustratingly shouted at the scientist "Who even are you anyway? The big boss guy? The one leading the charge or something?"

"Stupid brat" Ein tried to insult her, but to no avail "Well, I never expected you to know anyway. In short, whilst waiting for Greevil's supposed return, I needed to make a living somehow. So, I merely gave my Shadow Pokemon research to the nearest syndicate I could find in an attempt to branch out the plan. In return, they made me a head scientist in the operation, and right now you are ruining this mission. So take your old geezer home and stay away."

"Enough of this!" Ardos, quite surprisingly, defended his father "Ein, you will cease your actions immediately! Shadow Pokemon should not be created, I finally realize this."

"Look, mister" Apple Bloom began "We have Pokemon, an' y'all don't. So back off an' let us take back..." she gasped "...Fluttershy!"

"Where did you put Fluttershy, weirdo?!" Scootaloo shouted "If you hurt her..."

"Oh, you mean the previous owner of this building?" Ein asked with a smile "I am afraid she will not be present at this time! Fufufu... But if you want to see her..." he tossed out a Poke Ball and summoned his Rhydon "...then you will have to get passed me."

"Nope!" Sweetie Belle grabbed her friends' arms and pulled them past Ein where their Pokemon were waiting for them.

"Hey, get back here you-" Ein shouted before hearing another Pokemon being released from its Poke Ball behind him. He turned around and saw that Ardos had summoned his Alakazam to combat the Rhydon.

"You have a stronger opponent to fight than them" Ardos said simply. This caused Ein's blood to boil, and without thought he began the battle with ex-bodyguard of the original Grand Master.

Author's Notes:

And cliffhanger! How long has it been since the last chapter? Too long? Okay! This was just sort of a shorter chapter to make way for the longer one later. In the next one, Scoots gets her gym badge! Yay!

Like previously mentioned, constructive criticism is widely accepted! However, please don't mention that this chapter was rushed. I am already fully aware of that, and I honestly just wanted to get this one out to you guys sooner rather than later. Besides, I have an entire new chapter up and waiting next time!

Oh, speaking of Shadow Pokemon, there's a petition up that, if we reach our goal, will help Nintendo make a new Shadow Pokemon game! If you want to see a new console Pokemon game that DOESN'T suck, please sign up. All you need is an e-mail address and a fake name, which you can easily make one up. Or your username on FIMfiction, that works too.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/poke

I'm doing a Nuzlocke on Pokemon White, so if you want to keep track of how many deaths I have, please follow me!

Be sure to Like, Comment, Favourite and Follow, and until then, dream on guys!