Chapter 11: A Cultural Understanding

It's a new day in Ponyville. At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack gave Pikachu some apple juice. "Now, ah don't know how Ash or yer other human friends begin the day," she said. "Ah just thought that ya'd like something to try like this."

("Not that I mind,") Pikachu squeaked before taking a drink. ("What about Apple Bloom?") His concern for Applejack's sister made Twilight's friend look over to seeing Apple Bloom with Sweetie Belle, Ash and Scootaloo. Apple Bloom twisted her rear hooves on her way to deliver herbs to Zecora and fell after being spooked. Ash and Pikachu helped Apple Bloom reach Zecora for treatment and realized the zebra was an interesting figure. When they left, Zecora loaned Ash a cart to carry Apple Bloom back.

"Ah'm glad mah sister's gonna be alright. Ash and ya came to her aid at the right time to pick her up."

("We did get lucky.") In the other room, Ash got up and turned to see Apple Bloom also stirring.

"Mornin'," she greeted.

"Morning, Apple Bloom," Ash greeted back. "How are you feeling?" Apple Bloom tried to get up and trot. The first few steps that awoke Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo showed the progress.

"It still hurts but it's not as bad. Ah need to be easy for a while."

"Agreed… you still look to be in pain." A nod fluffed from Apple Bloom.

"We can tell Miss Cherilee about your injury and she'll excuse you," Sweetie Belle planned.

"Thank ya, Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom praised while wincing. Applejack and Pikachu entered and the big sister caught the little Crusader when she stumbled.

"Gotcha!" she grunted. Ash and the Crusaders gulped to Apple Bloom's condition.

"Let's get you back on the couch," Sweetie Belle urged, using her horn. Apple Bloom lied on the couch, defeated to the cause.

"Ah'm sorry, everypony," she whined. "Ah tried…" Someone else agreed.

"Oh, Apple Bloom…" voiced Discord. "Don't beat yourself up for trying…" He emerged to see everyone. This made Applejack uneasy. "Recovering from a pretty bad injury is not an easy thing to do. However, springing back does take effort." Applejack began to wonder about his arrival.

"What do ya want, Discord?" she questioned. Discord scoffed to Applejack's query.

"Oh, Applejack…" he teased. "I'm merely wanted to see how Ash is doing after spending all of this time here in Ponyville… and no, I'm not doing this on a request from Princess Celestia and Luna." Ash shrugged to the moment.

"Discord, if Princess Celestia and Luna wanted to see me, they'd already do so about now," he pointed out.

"True, but you've become pretty popular," Discord studied. "Besides, you've been a busy colt after you came to stay in Ponyville from Canterlot." Sweetie Belle placed a hoof on Ash's side.

"Discord may be a bit on the loopy side, but he's right," she assured. "You have been a big help around Ponyville." Ash smiled, relieved to know he received support.

"Thanks," he replied. "Anyway, I gotta return the cart back to Zecora."

"Will ya be alright going there?" wondered Applejack. "Ah know ya were brave going through Everfree Forest…"

"Why wouldn't I be?" assured Ash. After breakfast, he began to pull the cart when they saw Angel run off.

"Angel?" This even had Ash, Applejack and Pikachu a bit puzzled.

"Did Angel see something?"

"Ah don't know… but it's not like we're responsible fer Fluttershy's bunny." Watching Angel journey off to Everfree Forest, Ash had a gut feeling to what to expect.

"I have the cart so I guess Pikachu and I'll see what's up with Angel."

"Alright, but be careful." With a nod, Ash and Pikachu left for Everfree Forest… but he had a follower. Like yesterday, Ash remained focused. Pikachu's ears tried to pick up any abnormal sounds.

("Should I still be getting the willies?") he asked.

"Hey, relax, bud," Ash tried to ease. "Angel's in here and we'll see Zecora. I will admit, she and Professor Oak would be good at sharing their poetry."

("But Zecora's poetry is different from Professor Oak.")

"Heck, they're a lot better than those Pokémon Poaching Brothers, let alone mine."

("Yeah, yours was the worst.") Suddenly…

"So, poetry also comes from your world as well?" sounded Discord. Ash and Pikachu turned around and all over to find the jester.

"You're not worried about Angel yourself," he assumed. "Are you, Discord?"

"Now, why would I worry about a rabbit that invokes entitlement and treats poor Fluttershy so poorly?" scoffed Discord as he appeared on Pikachu's head. This surprised the Pokémon. "On a side note, I've… grown interested in something." He changed sizes in a flash.

"What's that… something?" wondered Ash.

"Oh… I've been wondering how humans work. You are different than right now and I have a knack to give you that chance." Ash and Pikachu looked to each other, unsure of what Discord was planning.

"Are you saying that you're giving me my old body back?"

"Why not!? It would help me understand what you and Twilight have gone through as humans instead of ponies, being on feet rather than hooves." This made Ash puzzled.

"Twilight's… human?"

"Well, in one dimension… I just want a minute or two, just before you reach the medicine mare… and it'll between all of us." Before Ash could make an argument, Discord snapped his paws. In a flash, Ash morphed from his pony form to human form. Pikachu gasped to the magic from the jester.

"Whoa, okay…" His old body restored, he bent his fingers to get a feel for his returned human form. "There's a lot of stuff I missed as a human." He turned and lifted the cart with his hands before the wheels rolled out of soft ground. "Looks like you had me be human at the right time." Discord scoffed to the discovery.

"Well, it wasn't my idea to have you human to fix a problem," he shrugged. By Ash's shoe, Angel came back and looked at Ash.

"There you are," he founded. He petted Angel where Fluttershy's rabbit felt soft fingers combing his fur. "So, you wanna come to see Zecora?" Angel hopped forward toward the same direction.

("I think that's a yes,") Pikachu guessed.

"Shall we?" urged Discord. Ash nodded before lifting the handles and dragged the cart ahead, his shoes digging into the dirt. After a minute, they soon arrived at Zecora's hut. With a snap of his paw, Ash reverted back to pony form before finishing the delivery. Zecora stepped out to find her cart brought back.

"Ash, thank you for the cart's return," she greeted. "Though, Discord is someone that has brought scorn so stern." Another scoff coughed from Discord.

"It's a pleasure to see you, too," he smirked. Zecora shook her head as she turned to Ash and Pikachu with Angel sneaking in.

"Perhaps, distress is in loom," she dismissed. "But Ash, how is Apple Bloom?"

"Slow, but she's working on it," Ash reported. "She's strong so she'll be moving before long."

"And the therapy I provided was brief," Zecora admitted. "But it will be worth her relief. As for today with you and Pikachu here, I wish to learn of the world you and Pikachu had appear." Angel hopped to Ash's side.

"What would you like to know about?" he asked. "I would say that there are ponies that are Pokémon. However, like who I was before I came here, there are humans among the Pokémon that live together with." Discord provided the picture to Zecora.

"This is what Ash means, and you can't miss his hat," he advised before pointing Ash out. Zecora studied the picture.

"So, this is the human of Ash and his friends," she awed. "It brings marvel to how he stands." She hoofed the picture back to Discord before facing Ash. "This picture has a hint of what glory of your world within, though I should ask if you walk like Spike, Twilight's little dragon."

"We do," Ash confirmed. "I have walked from villages to towns and cities, even from one region to another. Besides, I prefer doing it on foot rather than the many forms of travel, though some is needed if Pikachu and I want to achieve our goal."

"Human or pony, hard work has be what you do," Zecora reminded. "It's like tea when you properly brew. If I may ask, what is yours and Pikachu's ultimate task?"

"By all means, you can. My goal is to be a great Pokémon Master. Pikachu my first Pokémon that I began to train. As a matter of fact, I had completed gaining eight Gym Badges from the Johto Region and was on my way to Silver Town to compete in the region's tournament, the Silver Conference." To Discord, Ash and Pikachu were taken before they could participate in this tournament.

"And that's when you were brought from your human/Pokémon world to Equestria," he summarized. "You ask me, it's a cruel twist of fate that it happened. Of course, that's coming from me, being the deity of chaos and disharmony."

"A being of bad luck and misfortune," Zecora added. "One Twilight and friends turned against your discretion."

"Well, I never said I was the perfect deity that ponies should worship," Discord scoffed. Angel and Pikachu's heads shook. Discord knelt to Pikachu's level. "You know, I could give you a voice if you wanted to disagree. I'd like to hear your words and why you oppose."

("Hey, I don't wanna sound like Meowth!") protested Pikachu.

"Abuse of your power is not permitted here," Zecora scorned. "That is, if you want punishment from an ancient peer."

"Please understand, Zecora," Discord eased. "My belief is to know as much as you about his world. I can ask if there are any of these creatures that can talk?" Ash snickered to Discord's query.

"I can give you a couple like Team Rocket's Meowth and a Slowking on Shamouti Island in the Orange Archipelago," he replied. This made Discord blink in befuddlement.

"So, there are some?" he gulped. "Huh… I guess I would need to go over there and find this Slowking. Say, you have your device, right?"

"My PokéDex?" named Ash. "Sure, you want to see that Slowking?"

"Creatures of your world are mysterious, even Pikachu," Zecora pointed out. "Of course, no one knew of this world before we met Pikachu and you." Angel pulled out the PokéDex and presented it to Ash.

"Thanks, Angel," he complimented. After working his hoof, there was a picture of a pink hippo on its hind legs standing tall and wearing a spiral shell horned crown that had a red gem shown on the screen. "Here it is." Discord and Zecora came to see the picture.

"SLOWKING, THE ROYAL POKÉMON, AND THE FINAL EVOLVED FORM OF SLOWPOKE," it computed. "SLOWKING'S INTELLIGENCE RIVALS ALAKAZAM. IT NEVER PANICS, REGARDLESS OF THE CRISIS PRESENTED." Discord picked up the device.

"A creature such as this would be nice for Princesses Celestia and Luna," he mentioned.

"However, finding one would be difficult," Zecora warned. "One may come faster than this colt."

"That may be true," Ash agreed. "However, some Pokémon I gained huge trust with. I have some luck with that."

("Try his Cyndaquil for example,") Pikachu pointed out.

"It's not that we don't trust your way of being a trainer, Ash," Discord tried to explain. "Your world has plenty to offer and hopefully we may experience closely. I'm gonna return and make sure Angel is brought back safely." He picked Angel up by the scruff, much to Angel's chagrin and opened a door that appeared out of nowhere. He then entered and closed it with the door vanishing. Zecora came to Ash and hoofed his shoulder.

"Today, I learned a lot from you and about the world of Pokémon," she started. "I would like to see you more before what you're needed here is done."

"I can arrange that," Ash promised as Zecora gave him a kiss, making him blush. "I'm gonna get back to Ponyville and see that Discord isn't hurting Angel."

("We'll see you later,") Pikachu squeaked as he boarded Ash.

"Thank you again for returning my cart," Zecora praised. "Whoever raised you was blessed with honesty from the start." Ash and Pikachu smiled before leaving. They began the journey back to Ponyville.

("I want to go to Fluttershy's cottage,") he requested.

"Where?" questioned Ash. "You're not saying Rainbow's little tree house, right?"

("No, other Pegasus.") To illustrate, Pikachu's arms were out to flap like wings after shaking his head.

"Oh, Fluttershy! I'm sure we can ask her. I know she wouldn't mind you at-" Ash stopped when he saw smoke. "That's not good!" He galloped to Ponyville where he saw the town attacked my monkeys. Cottages were heavily damaged and smoke began to billow. The two became worried. Ponyville was under attack. "What the EVerfree?" Suddenly, footsteps that shook the ground. Ash and Pikachu seemed to realize someone was behind them.

TO BE CONTINUED...