Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or any other registered thing that might pop up in this fic. But I DO own my own special creation characters like Diana, April, etc.

~Chapter One~

"Hey Mom!" I cried, looking out the kitchen window and pointing to our next- door neighbor's backyard. "Lookit!"

My mother flipped one of her long pigtails back-she has really weird hair; she wears it as two little buns on top of her head, and has the rest of her hair flowing down-and looked out the window.

"What's so special about. . .grass?" she wondered.

I giggled. "No! I saw some Ponytas! I think they're trying to start a ranch or something!"

"Oh. . .um, interesting," Mom replied. She smiled crookedly and walked out of the kitchen.

I didn't follow her. I kept staring, hoping for another glimpse at those Ponytas. I go to PokeElementary, and we've been learning about fire-type Pokemon and their attacks. Ponytas are my favorites. They're so graceful and powerful.

Just then, my grandmother walked into the room, smiling.

"Spying on the neighbors, huh?" she winked.

I laughed. "No, Grandma! Just. . .looking."

Grandma smiled the same crooked smile as Mom had. "Listen Diana," she started. "If I were you, I wouldn't get too excited about those Ponytas."

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

"Well. . .you're nine, right?"

"Yes!" I laughed again. "Are you losing your memory?"

"Just making sure," Grandma said. "Anyway, April might be. . .um. . .showing you something soon."

Now I was interested. I looked away from the neighbor's backyard. "What kind of something?" I asked.

Grandma looked over my head and then sighed. "I've said too much. Never mind."

I winced. I hate that kind of half-secret. "Grandma. . ."

"Forget it," she growled, and then walked out of the room.

I sighed and tried to find the Ponytas again, but they were gone. I guess the people took them into a barn or something. So I wandered around the house, and somehow ended up in the family room, where my Mom and Dad were sitting and writing something.

"But you know that she's too young. . ." Daddy said.

"Danny, it's not like she was born yesterday. They have to accept her," Mom argued.

"April. . ." Dad complained. Suddenly they both turned their heads to me and saw me standing there.

"Oh, hi Diana!" Mom cried. Her voice sounded a little squeaky.

"Hi Mom," I said. "Do you know anything about the neighbors next door?"

"Sorry honey. All I know is that they moved in a week ago," Mom answered.

"They have Ponytas," I grinned.

"I've heard," Mom smiled, and looked back at the paper she was writing on. But Dad suggested, "Why don't you go over and say hello? I don't think they've met anyone around here yet. You can take those cookies your mom just made."

Mom looked up and playfully slapped his arm. "Danny!" she cried, pretending to sound mad. "It took me all of a package of instant cookie mix and twenty minutes to make those!"

Dad laughed. "Go ahead, Diana. Take those cookies and go say hi. And if they do have Ponytas, don't stay long," he winked.

"Oh Daddy!" I laughed. I ran to the kitchen and saw the plate of chocolate- chip cookies on the counter. I covered them with plastic wrap, and carried them out the door.

All the fifty feet it took me to walk from my front door to theirs, I was hoping they had a girl my age. Sure, I had lots of friends at PokeElementary, but they all lived in Cherrygrove City. I live in this strange place between New Bark Town and Cherrygrove, and they are both about ten miles from my house. It wasn't exactly walking distance. I was hoping for a friend that lived, well, right next door!

I rang the bell and tried to hold the plate of cookies straight. In about ten seconds, a woman with shoulder-length light brown hair and hazel eyes opened the door.

"Hello?" she said.

"Um, hi," I said uncomfortably. "My name's Diana. Diana Tamer. I live next door, and since you're new I thought I'd say hi. . ." I babbled.

The woman smiled. "Hello!" she said again. "How nice."

"Oh, and these are for you. I mean, for your family," I added, thrusting the plate of cookies to the woman.

She smiled even bigger. "This is so sweet Diana. You know what? Come in. I have someone who'd probably like to meet you. And I want to show you our stables. Oh, and by the way, my name is Danielle Mavens."

My head was spinning from her talking, but I managed to squeak out, "Your stables?"

"Yes," Ms. Mavens smiled. She walked into the kitchen and set the cookies on a counter. "We have six Ponytas and three Rapidashes."

"Wow!" I cried. "That's awesome!"

Danielle got out some cups and filled them with milk, and got some napkins. She set these things and the cookies on the table. "Do you like Ponytas?" she asked me.

I sat down and took a cookie. "Yes! I love them! We've been learning about fire-types at PokeElementary, and Ponyta are my favorite fire Pokemon."

"Well-" Ms. Mavens started, but she was interrupted when someone clomped into the kitchen. I turned around in my seat and saw a boy standing there, covered in grass and dirt, and with a little burn mark on his hand. He had short brown hair and green eyes.

"I finished feeding the Pokemon Mom," the boy said. He looked at Danielle, then stared at me.

"Oh, thank you honey," Danielle said. "By the way, this is Diana Tamer. Diana, this is my son, Shane."

"Hi," I said, and smiled.

Shane just grunted in reply and sat down to take a cookie.

"Diana lives next door," Danielle said. "And. . .what school do you go to?"

"The PokeElementary in Cherrygrove City. I'm in the fourth grade," I answered.

"Well so is Shane! And he's going to the same school. Won't that be wonderful, dear?"

Shane shrugged.

Ms. Mavens stared at her son for a minute before bouncing out of her seat and exclaiming, "Well, I have to brush the Pokemon now!" She dashed out of the room.

Shane and I sat there for a minute before I cleared my throat.

"That'll be cool if we're in the same class. When are you starting school?" I asked.

Shane didn't look up when he answered. "The day after tomorrow. Mom says I need another day to adjust."

I smiled. "Lucky you."

Shane didn't even shrug as a reply.

"So. . ." I blurted out, breaking the silence. "Can I see your Ponytas? They're one of my favorite Pokemon."

Shane finally looked up. "Okay," he said. "Follow me."

We walked out of a door in the kitchen, and on a little stone pathway to the backyard, which Shane told me was nearly three acres big and surrounded by a large fence.

"Wow," I said. "You bought all of this property?"

"Yup," Shane said. He wandered into a stable, and I followed. Shane's mom was grooming one of the Ponytas.

"Hello kids!" she said. "Need anything?"

"Nope. I was just about to show Diana Red Spot," Shane answered.

"All right. Oh, and turn him out, too."

"Okay, Mom," Shane sighed. I followed him to a stable with a happy-looking Ponyta inside. A brass plate on the stall door said 'Jupiter's Great Red Spot'.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to the plate.

"Red Spot's show name," Shane answered. "His full name."

"Cool," I said. "Did you pick out the name?"

"Yeah. I just call him Red Spot for short. Well, come over here, do you want to see him?" Shane asked.

I walked cautiously into the stall, since it was my first time around a Ponyta. He didn't show any signs of anger, though, so I rubbed Red Spot's neck.

"He's beautiful," I said.

Shane ignored me and put some sort of rubbery-looking thing on Red Spot's head.

"What's that?" I asked.

"A halter. It's made of burn-proof material. Now wait here, I have to turn out Red Spot."

I didn't get a chance to ask what 'turning out' meant, but I watched, and gathered it meant that someone lead a Ponyta out to a field where it could eat grass. As soon as Shane unclipped the halter, Red Spot started grazing.

Shane came back. "Want to see the rest of the Pokemon?" he asked.

"Sure!" I smiled.

Shane looked confused at first, but then lead me to some more stalls. All of the three Rapidashes were Danielle's, and Shane had another Ponyta named Mars Flamethrower, or Flame for short, he told me.

Three of the other Ponytas were rescued, and Shane told me they were trying to rehome them. We passed another stall, but Shane didn't stop.

"Hey, is there a Ponyta in there?" I asked, running to the stall.

"Oh, yeah," Shane said, jogging to the stall. "That's Princess Flamemight. Or Princess for short."

"She's pretty," I commented, staring at the Ponyta who was eating.

Shane snorted. "That may be, but she has the worse personality of any Ponyta I've ever seen."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, her name was well given. She acts like a Princess-she refuses to be rehomed, but she acts like she hates it here. She doesn't want to be turned out until she's ready, and loves show jumping, but hates getting tacked up. And on top of that, she hates nearly every person that comes in contact with her. She hasn't been properly brushed in ages."

"So why do you keep her?"

Shane shrugged. "I dunno. Mom doesn't want to give her up, even though she's a useless piece of nothing."

"That's not true!" I exclaimed. I put my hands through the stall door. "Princess," I called softly.

The Ponyta stopped chomping on hay and looked up at me. Neither of us moved for a full five seconds, until Princess took a step towards me, and another and another until her muzzle was in my hands.

Shane's mouth dropped open. "Mom!" he called. "Look at Princess!"

Danielle came running over to the stall. Her mouth dropped open when she saw me rubbing Princess's muzzle. "How did you do that?" she asked me.

I shrugged. "I just called, and she let me rub her muzzle."

"She never lets ANYONE do that," Danielle said. "Let go for a minute, Diana. I want to see if she'll let me pet her."

I did so, and Danielle stepped up to the stall. Immediately, Princess stepped back and snorted.

"Do what you did before, Diana," Danielle instructed.

I did, and once again, Princess let me pet her muzzle.

"Incredible!" Ms. Mavens exclaimed. "You're the first person who's been able to touch her in a long time. I think you have a gift with Princess."

I grinned.

Danielle rubbed her chin and stared at Princess. "I'll never figure you out," she whispered, before walking off to another stall.

I looked at my watch then, and gasped. "Oh man! I was supposed to be home fifteen minutes ago!"

"Oh," was all Shane said. He showed me a door in the fence, and told me I could go home from there.

"Thanks," I said, while running out. "See you at school soon!" I cried.

Shane didn't answer. He just ran off to Red Spot.

I opened the door to my own house and stared at the Maven's place for a moment before going in.

He may have nice Ponytas, I thought. But Shane is far from nice himself.

~*~*~

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