Chapter 8: Sisters of the Core
The sun rose on what was a partly cloudy morning. Just enough of the sun bled through some of the cloud cover to light the room which Applejack slept in over at the Pokémon Center. The sun got her to stir a day after Fluttershy starred on the radio. While opening her eyes, she caught a glimpse of a pink bow exiting the room. She's not fully awake but she had an odd suspicion. "I hope I'm dreaming," she groaned. "That looked like Apple Bloom's bow." She looked at the clock which read 7:45. "Guess I was more exhausted than I thought. Might've needed that extra hour." Slowly, she crawled out of bed. However, when she found the kitchen, her dream was a reality, and not of the good kind. Twilight and Fluttershy were having breakfast with the Pokémon and the Crusaders. Even if they drank coffee, no amount could match the wake-up call the ponies/trainers received. "What in thunderation are you three doing here?!" The Crusaders jumped at Applejack's yell.
"Goo- Good morning, Applejack," Sweetie Belle stuttered her greeting while helping Twilight feed Cyndaquil. A simple welcome didn't really help out for the younger trio.
"Don't "Good Morning" me! We you not told that you needed to stay in Ponyville?" Fluttershy's Sentret wondered in curiosity.
"That's our home," Fluttershy replied. Her Pokémon got the memo.
"We came over to wonder how long you're gonna be until you return," Apple Bloom briefed. Twilight chose to explain more.
"It seems the three of them came over and heard Fluttershy over the radio the day before," she clarified. "And Discord felt it was necessary to drag them here while we near Blackthorn City and Clair." So how did Discord think having the Crusaders meet with the trio on the Johto journey?
(Flashback)
I would like to thank both our guests, Professor Birch and Fluttershy," DJ Mary said over the radio. "Coming up, your local news. For Professor Birch and Fluttershy, I'm DJ Mary, signing off." After the radio show, Apple Bloom turned the radio off.
"So that was who Fluttershy's looking for?" Scootaloo awed. "She sounds like some-pony that can help in Equestria!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at each other before back to Scootaloo.
"You... do know Clair's not a pony, right?" Apple Bloom corrected. Scootaloo blinked when she realized her error.
"Sorry. I'm just not yet used to being a human long enough." Apple Bloom forgave Scootaloo when Discord arrived.
"I just remembered," he figured. "You three aren't supposed to be here! Time to get back home!" The Crusaders heard and turned to Discord, the only hoof changing human.
"You weren't kidding," Sweetie Belle gulped. "But that would mean you can still use magic, right?" Discord held Angel and made his ears grow before draping him on the bunk bed.
"I guess so. Never really considered that possibility." Apple Bloom wanted to tell Discord the details of what Fluttershy did.
"We heard Fluttershy on this," she cheered as she patted the radio. "They're over in Goldenrod City and she got to hear some-pony... I mean some human who works with dragons." Discord's claws picked up the radio and studied it.
"Quite a contraption, this is." This left him to wonder where Goldenrod City was. "So somewhere in the Johto Region is Goldenrod City and that's where my favorite little pony is. Perhaps a visit can tell us how she's really doing." Then an idea... "Tell you what... I'll go find the ponies and we'll see them." The Crusaders couldn't believe their luck.
"You mean it?" Scootaloo gasped.
"Absolutely. We don't need to tell them we're coming anyway." Just like the jester he acted...
"And that's pretty much how we found you and joined up," Apple Bloom finished. Applejack clutched her head in anguish. She didn't need all this.
"Just... what in Equestria is Discord thinking?" she muttered. To Twilight, Discord was doing this because he's Discord.
"What do you expect from the almighty lord of chaos?" she groaned. "We'll keep them around until he comes back." How long until that happens? Even Applejack felt disturbed.
"This is the last thing I need." After breakfast, the group headed out and soon traveled down a road. Applejack still looked glum about having her little sister and her friends along. As they passed trees, Apple Bloom smelled something in the air and it's familiar.
"I smell apples!" she noticed. This got Applejack's attention and gave her nose a good whiff. Sure enough, she scented the apples as well.
"Hey, you're right! I smell 'em too!" Both sisters raced to find the source with the others trailing. Over a few rising roads, they found apple trees up the wazoo and both girls acted giddier than before. "You've gotta be picking my apples! It's an orchard!" When the rest reached, they couldn't believe their eyes.
"So humans also grow apple trees?" Scootaloo asked. Seeing how ripe the apples were, Applejack and Apple Bloom wanted some to bring home.
"Well, whoever this human is, I want as another sister! Those apples look so juicy, I want a few to eat at this moment!" The sisters raced toward the orchard, amazed at the amount of apples ready for harvesting.
"I wanna get those!" Apple Bloom shrieked as she latched onto a tree and started climbing. She didn't get far when electricity rained down, shocking both of them. Stunned in body and mind, Applejack had a theory about what hit them.
"I'm thinking these apples are considered 'forbidden fruit.'" The rest caught up, seeing the down teen and child. Fluttershy looked up and found yellow ears.
"Wait a second..." she suspected as she brought out her PokéDex. On the screen was a yellow mouse, a lighter color than Pikachu with a smaller tail and smaller body.
"Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon," it computed. "Pichu's electric sacs aren't as developed as it's evolved form of Pikachu, and can shock itself." Hearing that had all the ponies gawking to what the PokéDex read.
"That... evolves to Pikachu?" Twilight repeated. "How exactly?" A den of Pichu leaped from the trees and surrounded the group. Applejack reached for her PokéBall.
"I won't get intimidated that easily," she scorned. "Sandshrew, I need you!" The ball opened and out came the brown mouse. The Sandshrew looked ready to throw down.
"Wait," Fluttershy stopped. Hearing the pink-haired, Applejack thought this was her friend's moment to resolve the matter.
"You sure you can reason with these Pichu?" The Pegasus girl walked pass the blond and knelt to the Pichu. One of the Pichu squeaked angrily to Fluttershy.
"They're still upset at Applejack and Apple Bloom for going after the apples," Sweetie Belle determined. Before Fluttershy could translate...
"What are you girls doing to my Pichu?" another girl protested. The ponies looked up to see a violet-haired girl in pigtails wearing red overalls. The Pichu regrouped and stood in front of the new girl who petted two of them.
"Hold on," Applejack pondered. "Are you in charge of this orchard?" The girl looked up to the ponies, still a little miffed.
"I am. You weren't trying to steal my apples, weren't you?" The other four and the Pokémon glared at the sisters. Applejack took a deep breath before trying to talk her way out.
"We got caught up admiring the orchard and wanted to taste how different it was to our orchard." The girl and the Pichu got interested with Applejack's explanation and that she had one of their own.
"You run an orchard too? Then you must know how much effort goes to growing all these apple trees." Apple Bloom and Applejack smiled at her dedication to her craft.
"More than we realize," Apple Bloom awed. "Our entire family pitches in to grow our apples while it's just you and these Pichu." The smallest Pichu came up to Apple Bloom and squeaked with a more somber tone. She didn't need Fluttershy to help know what it said as she gave the Tiny Mouse Pokémon strokes to the head. "You're just helping her out. We should be apologizing." The interaction between Apple Bloom and Pichu caused the girl to giggle.
"Why not come inside. I like to hear about your orchard-running business." Everyone agreed as they entered a hut in the back of the orchard where the girl explained her run-in with these Pichu. "I was embarrassed when I mistaken Ash's Pikachu for the culprits. However, it was thanks to Pikachu that I found out these Pichu had come from the forests because the weather was uncooperative to growing their fruit, thus they didn't have enough to eat and that's why they came to my orchard." Hearing about Ash and his actions made Fluttershy awe about him even more.
"I see now," Twilight studied. "You took pity on their shortfall and had them help you."
"Right. It's not that these Pichu did this maliciously. They were starving. I guess you could say having them around was a blessing in disguise." The ponies admired the thought and so did the Pichu hanging by Apple Bloom. "Although, that Pichu's gotten rather attached to you, Apple Bloom." The little girl smiled to the sight.
"It's like I wanna take it home and show it around, Charmaine," she admitted. Pichu squeaked, highly interested in seeing their orchard. Something else got to Applejack.
"I noticed you had those thingamabobs hanging in them apple trees," she pointed out.
"My noise-makers?" she guessed. "I have them up for when Pidgey, Spearow or Taillow try to take my apples. It's stressful enough before the Pichu and I teamed up. They're still somewhat untrained in using their electric sacs but they've improved rather considerably." Everyone turned to the Pokémon, eying Sandshrew talking to a Pichu, perhaps some advice offered to it.
"Those two are certainly getting along," Fluttershy noted. They even laughed a little before noises were heard from outside.
"The noise-makers!" Twilight recognized. The alarm sent everyone outside. Various bird Pokémon, some black swallows, sparrows and pigeons were picking at the apples. The Pichu climbed the trees and fired electric attacks. Some of the bird Pokémon scattered and ran but at the cost of the Pichu's health.
"There's no way we can let those Pokémon ruin them apples!" Applejack growled. "Fluttershy?" A nod from Fluttershy followed with her grabbing a Pokéball.
"Altaria, help us!" she summoned and her ball opened. Altaria came out, its wings stretched wide. Twilight wanted to help out as well.
"Cyndaquil's Aerial Ace should help too," she suggested as she grabbed her ball. "Here we go, Cyndaquil!" The ball opened and out came the Fire Mouse Pokémon who leaped on Altaria's back to fly above the trees to spot the birds who seem to be in a flying feud. Neither bird Pokémon wanted another type to taste the apples.
"I've heard of ruffling some feathers but this is ridiculous!" worried Charmaine. Twilight turned to her Pegasus friend.
"Didn't Altaria say that it used Ice Beam to break away from Team Rocket's trap?" A nod from Fluttershy gave Twilight an idea. "Let's use that to cool them off!"
"Right!" Fluttershy agreed. "Altaria, Ice Beam!" Altaria spat the Ice Beam attack which looked bigger than her Totodile and nailed almost every bird in the aerial scrum. Most of the birds scattered away but one of each bird didn't surrender. The raced after the Humming Pokémon. They weren't aware of the rider.
"Cyndaquil, Ember!" Cyndaquil sprayed Ember on the birds. They looked like they're on a last wing. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Cyndaquil leaped off Altaria before zipping at the three. The sparrow Pokémon swung its wing but Cyndaquil suddenly vanished. Before the bird wondered where its opponent disappeared to... BAM! The Fire Mouse Pokémon slammed its head to the back of the sparrow and knocked it out of the sky.
"Altaria, one more Ice Beam!" Altaria flew in to catch Cyndaquil before striking the pigeon and swallow with another blast of Ice Beam. The two froze up, literally, and fell. The frozen birds prompted the ponies to bring out more balls.
"Pokéball, go!" they shouted as they threw the balls at the birds: Twilight on the swallow, Fluttershy on the pigeon and Applejack on the sparrow. The balls hit and turned the birds to red balls of energy as they were absorbed to the spheres. The red light on the button blinked for all three while Altaria and Cyndaquil came back. Pichu came down and gathered itself on Apple Bloom's head. After awhile, the blinking stopped and the Pokéballs laid still. The three ponies cheered to the moment.
"Way to go, you three!" Sweetie Belle cheered. The elder ponies picked up the balls thrown and Charmaine came over to congratulate them.
"This is wonderful!" she praised. "Twilight caught a Taillow, Fluttershy caught Pidgey and Applejack caught a Spearow!" Altaria and Cyndaquil also celebrated their efforts to stopping which Twilight came over to compliment their work.
"Cyndaquil, Altaria, you were great up there," she smiled. Both Pokémon enjoyed it when Cyndaquil felt something inside. Twilight and Altaria saw it, concerned that something may be wrong with the Pokémon. It became wonder when Cyndaquil started to glow. Charmaine had an idea what's happening.
"Cyndaquil's starting to evolve!" Cyndaquil's shape kept shifting for a few seconds when it stopped glowing. Cyndaquil was longer and it had more of a mole appearance than a mouse. Fluttershy brought out the Dex again on the new Pokémon.
"Quilava, the Volcano Pokémon," it computed. "Quilava is the evolved form of Cyndaquil. The non-flammable fur protects Quilava from many Fire-Type attacks." Twilight got ecstatic at her growing Pokémon and embraced it in a hug.
"Quilava..." The newly evolved Quilava squeaked at Twilight's embrace. Back at the hut, the Crusaders had their moment to pet the new Pokémon and so did the Pichu who stayed with Apple Bloom.
"So that's what it's like for a Pokémon to evolve," Scootaloo awed. "Maybe something like that will happen with these Pichu becoming Pikachu." Pichu looked like it was ready to grow up.
"It may happen one day but sometimes an evolution needs a boost from an item like a Thunder Stone for a Pikachu to become a Raichu." As fun as a Raichu sounded...
"I'm happy enough with Pichu as Pichu," Apple Bloom finished. "When it wants to be a Pikachu, we'll help it all we can... Right, Cutie Mark Crusaders?"
"Right!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo agreed. Charmaine knelt to Pichu, pondering its decision.
"So, Pichu?" she called. "Do you wanna go with these three back to their home and their orchard?" Pichu nodded, wanting to travel with the Crusaders.
"So having my sister and her friends around wasn't such a bad idea after all," Applejack sighed. "In a sense, we all win in this. We got new Pokémon, Charmaine's orchard's safe and the Crusaders have a friend of their own." Twilight had one more piece Applejack forgot.
"Let's not forget my Cyndaquil is now a Quilava," she added. A minute later, they left the orchard and were on their way forward to Blackthorn City, hopefully to meet Clair soon. Before long, the vortex opened up. Princess Luna, Rarity and Rainbow waited on the other side and two of them didn't look happy.
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity scowled. "Apple Bloom, Scootaloo!" The Crusaders shuttered in some fear of the scolding they were getting. Pichu looked perplexed at seeing ponies.
"Hi... sis," Sweetie Belle stuttered. Rainbow looked ticked off at the Crusaders, maybe more than Rarity.
"Do you three have any idea how long we've been searching for you?!" she snapped. "I don't care if Discord brought you to Egghead and the others. You weren't supposed to leave Ponyville!" The Crusaders bowed their heads in shame at disobeying orders. Pichu petted Apple Bloom's hair to comfort, Rarity seeing the Tiny Mouse Pokémon.
"Who's that on her head?" she asked. Pichu leaped down and walked up to the vortex.
"Such a little Pikachu," Luna assumed. "A son of Ash's Pikachu, perhaps?" Pichu gawked at Luna's thought.
"No, it's actually a wild Pichu," Twilight corrected. "Its trainer gave it to Apple Bloom since it likes apples." To Rainbow and Rarity, this Pichu could fit in with the village.
"Sounds like it'll fit right in with Sweet Apple Acres," Rarity believed. "As long as Opal doesn't consider you a meal." Then, she gave a hard stare to the Crusaders. That stare told the three to come back and they did by stepping through the vortex with Pichu. Crossing the vortex didn't alter Pichu but it did change the other three back to the pony forms. It freaked Pichu out.
"It's okay, Pichu," Sweetie Belle reassured. "This is what we really look like." Pichu scratched its ear confused. As they hoofed off with Pichu still befuddled but trailing them, Luna now faced the three still traveling.
"Twilight, my sister wanted to tell you to not rush your aid to Fluttershy," she informed. "I understand that you want to get her to meet dragons but time shouldn't be an issue. Take a break if you need one." In other words, relax if that's what it calls for.
"Of course, Princess Luna," Twilight understood. A nod later, Luna closed the vortex. The ponies looked to each other, perhaps rest is okay. "Well, every pony? Let's move on." The day was long for all involved: the ponies caught three bird Pokémon, the Crusaders now own a Pichu and Cyndaquil evolving to Quilava. What could be next for every pony?
TO BE CONTINUED...