Chapter disclaimer: No ownership of David Guetta or Usher.

Chapter 12: Settings Up for the Play

It had been about two weeks since Ash's Pokémon Class. Since then, Canterlot High continued its preparations for the Indiana Jones play. Ash answered questions about Pokémon and has alternated sleeping at Sunset's and Fluttershy's homes. During time off, he joined the girls in the music room to hear their songs, which the Pokémon enjoyed a lot. He still prepared himself for the role of Indiana Jones, as well as others like the tallest Diamond Dog. Posters have painted the city and the school. The posters contained a golden box with a brown silhouette in front of a white one with forest green silhouettes running after them. There was also half of a swastika shown. One woman cloaked in black saw a poster. All that could be seen is her nose, red lips and a chestnut worn as a necklace. "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark," she read. "And Canterlot High's doing it? Well, it hasn't been that long since I had some on the set." At Canterlot High, Ash resumed his Pokémon Training with Pikachu and his creatures.

"Okay, Leavanny!" he ordered. "Charge Energy Ball!" Leavanny made a ball of energy in front of his mouth. Pikachu, Snivy and Oshawott prepared themselves as Tepig and Scraggy watched. Leavanny launched the ball, Oshawott as the first target. "Razor Shell, Oshawott!" Removing his shell, Oshawott used the blade protruding from it and sliced the ball in half. The split attack passed Oshawott and exploded in midair. "Nice!" Oshawott celebrated the praise. "Okay, Pikachu, Snivy, who wants to try next?" While the Pokémon train, three teenage girls viewed Ash and the Pokémon from nearby bushes.

"I'm surprised he's got enough time to do some of his training," a carmine-haired girl awed. She had green skin. "Teaching Fido how to box? This kid's got a lot of talent!"

"I know!" a lime-green-haired girl cooed. She had bleach yellow skin. "It makes me wonder if he came here just to get away from his world."

"Maybe he prefers it here rather than back home," a brunette suggested. The purple skin on her fingers cupped her chin. "Technically, I prefer he stays here." Suddenly, they heard someone clearing her throat. The three turned to find Principal Celestia, not happy with the girls.

"It's Principal Celestia!" the carmine-haired gawked. Celestia showed a scowl that struck fear into the three.

"May I ask why you three are beating around the bushes?" she asked. The girls soon escaped the bush.

"Sorry, Principal Celestia!" the lime-green-haired cried. The girls away, Celestia came to Ash and his Pokémon.

"I've been looking for you," she called. Ash turned to Celestia, a little surprised.

"Hey, Principal Celestia," he gulped.

"Sorry, I had to get some of the students out of there. Anyway, I came to see you for some help with the sets." Ash and the Pokémon heard the need.

"On our way. I'm gonna check on the Ark." Ash and the Pokémon raced out to help with the play. Celestia watched with a smile painting her face.

"Luna's probably right." Back in her office, Celestia told Luna about her inklings of Ash.

"So, you've been having similar feelings for Ash?" the little sister assumed.

"Luna, I haven't been the same since I let Ash stay with Miss Fluttershy," Celestia admitted. "Although, he's been with Miss Sunset for the play." She walked to the doorway but stopped her hand at the door. "He does need to be back to his world… but I feel as if he belongs here as well." Luna heard her sister and acknowledged her reasoning.

"Catch-22." Celestia nodded to Luna's term. In the auditorium, the girls propped up backgrounds like the classroom scene and a small city constructed.

"Almost at the deadline," Twilight huffed. "But we're nearly done."

"I'll say," Applejack laughed. "We have nearly every set complete. Just some final touches…" Fluttershy was on top of a ladder, securing a cardboard sun with rays beaming in a few directions.

"I've… almost… got… it," she struggled. One swipe to connect the sun missed and nearly sent her flying off. She regained her balance. "That was close…" Ash entered with a large gold box. It had slabs of gray Styrofoam with various symbols embedded in the cover. Seeing Ash carry the large structure made the girls concerned.

"One Ark of the Covenant, delivered!" he announced. Sci-Twi and Rainbow came to help Ash.

"Easy…" she advised. "Easy…" Slowly, the Ark of the Covenant was set on the stage.

"Thanks," he praised. "But I had it the whole way." Rainbow scoffed to Ash's word.

"Yeah, right," she shook. "The Ark of the Covenant is a bit on the heavy side, no thanks to the lighting installed." Sci-Twi and Sunset didn't think it was that small of a feat.

"I think someone's been pulling his own weight back in the Pokémon World," Sunset sneered. She palmed Ash's head when her eyes began to glow.

(Sunset's Vision)

Without a voice, Sunset saw Ash in different attire while holding different Pokémon: one was a blue baby elephant with orange plates on its snout to the trunk and ears. Another had Ash holding a tiny forest green baby dinosaur with an orange abdomen. Another had Ash carrying a red tortoise with a charcoal shell from the bottom of an ocean and back to the surface. Lastly, Ash held a small brown baby hippo on his head.

Sunset released Ash's arms to stop the glowing. All wondered to what Sunset saw. "A baby blue elephant," she listed. "A green baby dinosaur, a charcoal tortoise and a brown hippo?" All blinked to the names listed.

"Could you repe-AHH!" shrieked Fluttershy as she fell from the top of the tall ladder. The others gawked the falling girl.

"Oh no!" gulped Ash before racing after Fluttershy. Ash dove and caught the pink-haired in his arms. He landed perfectly on his feet while she was held like a bride. "You okay?" Fluttershy looked up to see who caught her and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you!" she cried. She followed the hug with a kiss to his lips.

"He so deserved that one," Sunset smiled. After recovering, they all wanted to know of Sunset's findings.

"Now, you mentioned a few creatures like a charcoal tortoise and a blue elephant," Rarity recalled. Ash snapped his fingers to identify those creatures.

"Torkoal and Phanpy…" he named. He brought out his PokéDex to bring up the blue elephant.

PHANPY – HT: 1'8" - WT: 73.9 LBS. - TYPE: GROUND – ABILITY: PICKUP

"Phanpy, the Long Nose Pokémon," it computed. "Despite its small size, Phanpy can lift and carry a human adult on its sturdy back." Ash worked with the PokéDex a little more to bring up the tortoise.

TORKOAL – HT: 1'8" - WT: 177.2 LBS. - TYPE: FIRE – ABILITY: DROUGHT

"Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. When threatened, Torkoal will billow out soot." Ash recalled Sunset mentioned two other Pokémon.

"It sounded like you also brought up Larvitar and Hippopotas," he named. First was the small green dinosaur.

LARVITAR - HT: 2' - WT: 158.7 LBS -TYPE: ROCK/GROUND - ABILITY:: GUTS

"Larvitar, the Rock Skin Pokémon," it computed. "Larvitar grows by eating soil in mountains before sleeping to grow up." Ash fooled around the PokéDex once more to reveal the hippo.

HIPPOPOTAS - HT: 2'7" - WT: 109.1 LBS. - TYPE: GROUND - ABILITY: SAND STREAM

"Hippopotas, the Hippo Pokémon. Hippopotas journey in colonies of ten through the sand." Seeing how much the Pokémon weighed made Applejack whistle.

"All those Pokémon weighing that much would need a lot of muscle," she sneered. "No wonder the Ark of the Covenant wasn't much of an effort. I bet you wrangle stampedes as well." Ash scoffed to Applejack's remark.

"Well, I do have a herd of Tauros at Professor Oak's ranch," he admitted as he jostled the PokéDex. On the screen was a brown bull with three whip-like tails.

TAUROS- HT: 4'7" - WT: 194.9 LBS. - TYPE: NORMAL – ABILITY: INTIMIDATE

"Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokémon," it computed. "Tauros is well-known for its violent nature." Applejack gawked to the Tauros.

"And you've got a herd of them?" the gleeful blond squealed. "You lucky dog!" She hugged Ash and rustled his hair. Sunset took the PokéDex and skimmed through many pictures of Pokémon.

"I wonder what other forms of Pikachu is in-" she zipped when she found something.

"Sunset?" wondered Twilight. She and the other girls gathered around Sunset and the PokéDex. They found a picture of a Pokémon that made them scream so loud, every window shook. Celestia and Luna buckled at the knees from the screech. Ash fell onto his back while Fluttershy, Pinkie and Sunset confronted Pikachu.

"I bet that's what you looked like, huh, Pikachu?" cheered Pinkie. The Mouse Pokémon gawked to having Sunset hold him and seeing a tiny yellow mouse with black on the neck and tail and tips of the ears.

PICHU – HT: 1' - WT: 4.4 LBS. - TYPE: ELECTRIC – ABILITY: STATIC

"Pichu, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon," it registered. "Because of their small electric sacs in their cheeks, they're prone to shocking themselves." This made Fluttershy hug Pikachu in wishful thought.

"How I wish I could have one like that!" she cooed. "Angel would be happy to have a playmate like that!" Sci-Twi had a hunch to their meeting.

"So, you had Pichu before he became Pikachu?" she asked. Ash palmed his face.

"Pikachu was my first Pokémon before I learned of Pichu," he corrected.

"You're kidding!" gulped Applejack.

"You didn't get anything that cute before Pikachu?!" snapped Pinkie.

"Pikachu has been Pikachu, no one else," Ash clarified. Everything realized, the group continued their work until the last brush hit the paint can.

"Okay, costumes: check," Sunset listed. "Props: check. Actors: check. Settings: check. Lighting: check. Music by DJ Pon-3?"

"Checkarooni!" thumbed Rainbow.

"Posters?" continued Sunset.

"Crusaders have them over the city," Fluttershy confirmed. Sunset ran her finger down the list on the clipboard in her hand. Her eyes lit up.

"We're done… We're actually done! We're all set! Raiders of the Lost Ark is a go!" The announcement brought celebration among the crew. High-fives, fist bumps and hugs became part of the victory. "We're celebrating this at the burger joint!" The group cheered wildly as they closed up the auditorium. The school day ended and those in the play gathered at the burger joint, including Flash. Fluttershy and Rarity had salads with Thousand Island dressing.

"I can't believe we got all of this done!" awed Twilight.

"I know, it's so exhilarating!" agreed Rarity. Ash felt his time to act coming.

"I have to say, if not for you guys," he spoke up. "The time I've spent with you wouldn't have gone as smoothly." Flash came from behind Ash and patted his shoulder.

"You've got everything you need for this," he encouraged. "Besides, if you can handle a school for your Pokémon Lessons, a packed auditorium shouldn't be much of an issue." Sci-Twi giggled before she felt something inside her.

"We can make a move to claim the boy as our own," Midnight plotted. "We'll strike after the show." Sci-Twi felt Midnight's energy start to irritate her. She stood up, the danger imminent.

"I'm sorry, everyone!" she apologized. "I gotta go, I'm not feeling good." The others saw Sci-Twi and her feigning posture.

"I can help bring you back-" Bulk offered but stopped at Sci-Twi's hand slapping his chest.

"No, I can get back just fine," she refused. She left the joint. Outside, three silhouettes viewed Ash through binoculars with numbers in the lenses.

"The twerp's gonna be in that Raiders play?" spoke a crimson redhead woman. She wore a white uniform with a red "R" while donning boots, skirt and midriff. Her hair extended out far from her scalp and held in place with the tips drooping. "So, while he plays make-believe, we can make off with his Pokémon."

"Not to mention that the Dragon-Type twerpette doesn't care what happens to him," sneered an ice-violet-haired man. He wore a similar uniform but with slacks instead of a skirt and nothing exposed.

"Don'tcha dink dat da twerp will find out where we came from if he spotted us?" asked a dirty white cat. He had a curled tail with a brown end and an oval coin wedged in his forehead.

"Who cares, Meowth!" the redhead scoffed. "What we need to do is find a way to get Pikachu away from the twerp and return home to get off the boss' back about debts."

"Easier said than done, Jessie," the ice-violet-haired pointed out. "All of those twerps and twerpettes will hound us if we do! And we're not exactly in a place where the laws are in favor of trainers." Meowth gulped to the point.

"James' right," he mewed. "Dis isn't home, da laws protecting youse guys don't apply!" Sci-Twi, her glasses in a light blue flame, found the three.

"Can I… help you?" asked Midnight. The trio spun to see Midnight. Jessie snorted to seeing her.

"A twerpette like you doesn't need our help," she scorned.

"Is that so? You seem to be after those creatures."

"And what's it to you?"

"A plan." Jessie rose an eyebrow to Midnight's offer.

"There's a fair over the weekend. Those in the play will want to have a nice time. This way, you can take the creatures but leave the boy to me." Meowth seemed perplexed with the offer.

"Jess, I'm not sure we should take her offer," he gulped.

"Sure, she's a bit sketchy," James described.

"And I can tell she knows how to kill two Flying-Type Pokémon with one stone," Jessie sneered. After dinner, everyone returned home and Ash traveled with Fluttershy while Rarity took Pikachu along. Night settled as Sunset's smile showed that she began to have a wonderful dream.

(Sunset's Dream)

A concert and young men and women flocked to see a band. In it were Ash, Flash, Shining Armor and a couple others as they sang and dance on stage. Ash had grown. He's older and even has a goatee between his chin and lower lip. Sunset was also a little older as she enjoyed seeing the band play. The band had fun as they performed their last song and Ash saw Sunset in the crowd. The song began to slow down where Flash patted Ash to make a move. "I am lost!" sang Ash loudly. The spotlight found Ash making his way to Sunset. "I am vain! I will never be the same… without you…" That's when he dropped to a knee and reached in his pocket, all in front of Sunset. "Without you…" He pulled out a small box to the woman, her mouth slightly covered. "Without you." He opened the box, revealing a diamond ring. To Sunset, Ash proposed to her. Her eyes lit up. The young man she fell for as a teenager now has come to wish for her hand in marriage. She couldn't hold her happiness any longer.

"YES!" she cheered. "YES, ASH! YES, A THOUSAND TIMES, YES!" Ash slipped the ring on her finger. They have been engaged and they celebrated with huge hugs and a shared romantic kiss together. Sometime later, a wedding occurred. Ash stood with the Flash by his side and Timber and old Canterlot schoolmates further apart. Both Sparkles stood on the other side of Ash, Flash and the groomsmen along with Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow and Pinkie with the latter showing tears. Coming down the aisle in a gorgeous white gown was Sunset. She walked down the aisle of standing attendees. She reached the end and stood by Ash. Everyone sat. Pinkie sniffed as more tears streaked down her face. Fluttershy had a sad look but hoped everything will work for the two.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to unite Ash Ketchum and Sunset Shimmer," the man in a robe announced. "These two, from different worlds, have become loved since the first time they've met. Now, they're taking the next step in their lives by coming together. If anyone has doubt as to the two uniting as one, speak now. Otherwise, hold your peace." Not one peep came out as Pikachu, wearing a white tuxedo like his master, trotted up with the rings on a pillow. "We'll now proceed. Ash Ketchum, as you take the next step in life, do you take Sunset Shimmer as your wife to live in eternal harmony, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, till death do you part?"

"I do," Ash accepted as he slipped the wedding ring on Sunset's finger.

"Sunset Shimmer, as you take the next step in life, do you take Ash Ketchum as your husband to live in eternal harmony, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, till death do you part?" Even Discord floating around the gazebo couldn't hold any tears back.

"I do," Sunset said as she slipped the given ring to Ash's digit. The robed man closed the book.

"These two have acknowledged their love together. With many, many witnesses around, I happily pronounce you… as husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." Ash and Sunset embraced each other with a passionate kiss. The crowd cheered as Pinkie bawled onto Applejack's shoulder.

"I watched my best friends get married!" she happily cried. Applejack sighed to the pink-haired.

"Ash, the honeymoon awaits…" she spoke in her sleep. The Raiders play is upon Canterlot. How will it go?

TO BE CONTINUED...