Sky was shown on his bunk bed as he looked up at the ceiling of his cabin. The boy was lost in deep thought, as the past few days of the camp had been filled with excitement for him and his friends. However, something weighed on his mind as the door to their room opened. The girls had returned from visiting the hot spring on the edge of the campgrounds, and they were nice and fully relaxed. Their Pokémon had also gone with them as they walked in with their trainers, all rested and recharged.

"That hot spring was just what I needed. Thanks for suggesting it, Twilight," stated Juniper as she undid the towel around her hair.

"Hey, sugar. You good?" asked Applejack as she grabbed the edge of the bed to pull herself up and peer at their friend, who was still in the same position as when they left.

"I want to win."

"Huh?"

The girls looked at their cabinmate as he sat up and turned to address them.

"I want to win!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Twilight.

"I'm talking about how we've been getting screwed over these past few activities. Even when we get a good score, something always makes us fall short of the full points. That's why for the next activity, we have to win dominantly. Make sure we don't have anything to hold us back."

"To be fair, there's a reason why we haven't gotten the full points the past few days," said Twilight as she looked directly at the boy.

"Besides, we're still in a good place in the ranking," said Juniper.

"Look, I don't care about our ranking. I just want one solid win. Is that too much to ask?" said the boy.

The girls understood what their friend was saying and hoped that whatever their next team activity was would give Sky a chance to achieve his goal. Morning came, and everyone was in the mess hall for a tasty breakfast Celestia had personally prepared with the cooks. It was a big hit with the trainers.

"Delicious. Hm," said Sweetie Belle as she was happily munching on her food.

"It's a little bit unusual, but it tastes great!" said Rarity as she got past the weird shape and consistency of the food to admire its taste.

"What do you guys think?" asked Silverbolt as he looked to where all their Pokémon were. They happily ate away at their specially prepared food.

"I've never tasted anything like this," said Twilight as she looked at her plate. "You can really taste the ingredients. I wonder what recipe Professor Celestia used."

"Good morning, everyone!"

As if on cue, Celestia and Luna appeared before the trainers as they were ready to start the day and give them their next assignment.

"Today, you all will make your own videos."

Hearing that confused some trainers as they didn't know what the professor had just said.

"The goal for this activity is to come up with a video that serves as if you were promoting Pokémon and shows your bonds with them. For reference, please look at the one we made," stated Luna as she and her sister stepped to the side to showcase the promo video they shot the other day.

The video came on as everyone watched. It opened up with the two sisters in a meadow of sorts. Celestia had a Starly on her shoulder, while Luna had a Noibat on top of her head, and she bent down to check on a Purrloin.

"Greetings, I'm Professor Celestia. And this is my sister, Luna. Together, we research and try to learn all we can about Pokémon daily. Discoveries are constantly being made, and it's our job to push those boundaries and find out what makes Pokémon tick. This is here is our lab."

The camera followed Celestia as she walked away from Luna and stood before their lab, which showcased the massive building.

"Here is our lab where we spent time researching and caring for Pokémon."

"And that's not all. Our assistants and we are constantly busy conducting daily research on Pokémon evolution. The more we research, the more we find in the world of Pokémon," stated Luna as she took over the video.

The video transitioned from the front of the lab to the inside, where Luna was walking among the halls of their lab. They passed some rooms where their assistants were with some Pokémon while others wrote down their findings. She passed by a snack bar of Pokémon treats and tossed one up toward her Noibat, and he happily munched it; she then pushed open a set of doors as he came to a lovely habitat they had created for any wild Pokémon that would stumble across their place.

"They're all truly amazing," said Celestia. She was shown petting a Tyranitar, and he loved the woman's touch. He sat like a gentle dog while she continued to show him love.

"If you have any questions about the world of Pokémon, don't hesitate to contact us," said Luna.

The final shot of the promo video was of the two sisters sitting on the grass. Around them were cute Pokémon with a Snorlax sleeping behind them as he lay down. The small Pokémon knew their cue and began to say goodbye as Snorlax awoke and gave a gentle wave, as did both sisters.

The video ended as everybody gave a round of applause to the pair for the wonderful video they presented.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. We are grateful for your thunderous applause." smiled Celestia with a wave of her hand.

"As you just saw, the video lets trainers and Pokémon see what makes them special to a wider audience. And so, for today, each team will make their very own promo video," stated Luna. "Now, to help you make exciting videos, we have supplied everything you need. Equipment, cooking utensils, and even extra film. Please put them to good use."

"Yes! This is our chance!" said Sky. "We finally can win first place."

"The odds of something like this happening in our favor are one in a million," said Twilight.

"Just leave the filming to me, guys. I got this in the bag," boasted Juniper, as being an assistant to her uncle meant it was her time to shine and carry her team in this activity.

"Alright, campers. You have until this evening to finish your videos. We will show them after dinner and then decide who the winners are. However, in addition to our judging, there will also be a vote among everyone here after the big screening. Those will also be considered when we make our final decisions." Luna stated that how well a video can persuade their fellow trainers could make a difference in the standings.

"I'm expecting some great work. Alright… ready? Begin!" stated Celestia as she lifted the whistle around her neck and blew it.

With the signal given, everyone got up and immediately got to work. Sky's group was heading back to their cabin to grab their backpacks, as Juniper was already deciding what backdrop to use for their video.

"This is the easiest challenge we have. There's no way we can lose."

"You sure you want to jinx that, sugar?" asked Applejack.

"Come on, Aj. Have some faith."

"I got faith, partner. But I also know to be prepared when things don't go yer way. It's something you pick up living on a farm quickly," stated the country gal.

"Alright, what's the vision for the idea?" asked Twilight as they arrived at their cabin.

"Give me some paper," asked Juniper as she sat at the table and began to scribble out the idea she came up with during their walk back. "Here it is."

"What is it?" asked Applejack.

"Well, basically, the concept is we each have our Pokémon out as they'll be the video stars. And we show how much of a great friendship they each have with each other."

The three exchanged looks before glancing back at Juniper's drawing.

"No offense, Juniper, but I was kinda hoping for something a little more, I don't know, action-y," said the boy as he wanted something to really make their video stand out. "It just seems a bit… basic."

"My idea is we keep it simple. The video isn't going to be that long, plus the important thing that Professor Celestia and Luna said is to reach a wider audience and show what makes them special."

"I… I don't know."

"You're the one who said we got this in the bag, sugarcube. Plus, if anybody knows what makes a good film, it's gotta be her!" stated Applejack as she backed up Juniper and her idea. "You want to win, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, it's just… well-"

"Let's trust Juniper on this one, Sky. If she knows what's best for a video, then I'd say we go for it," said Twilight.

"A-Alright. We'll give it a shot," said the boy as he was willing to let the girl cook for her idea.

Once the group had their idea, they each began to prepare to head out. Applejack was in the mess hall, along with Twilight, as the duo made all sorts of treats and Pokémon food they would use for their video. Meanwhile, Juniper asked Sky for assistance fetching the film equipment as she used her expert skills to get all they needed. The group looked at the map board of the camp, and for this assignment, Celestia and Luna had decided to expand their restrictions on where the trainers could go to shoot their videos.

"I think we're getting pretty far away from camp," said Twilight as they were edging pretty close to the boundary line that both professors put in place for this one day.

"If we go a bit farther, we might just find the perfect spot," Sky stated as he carried the stand.

"At this rate, we'll spend the whole day searching for a good spot before we even get a chance to shoot anything," stated Applejack.

"Alright, then. What about here, Juniper?" asked the boy as he set the stand down.

The girl stepped forward as she scanned her surroundings. She looked at the nearby forest, but nothing really allowed them to have good lighting for the video. She then noticed a small path that led to a meadow of flowers.

"There! How does that look?"

The girl pointed as they saw it.

"That seems to be the best place we've seen so far. Come on!"

"Hold up, Juniper. Wait for us!" said Sky as he lifted the stand and chased after the girl.

"This will make a great backdrop for us!"

The girl was so excited about the flower meadow that she didn't notice the sudden change in the ground. As it turned out, the path leading out of the forest led to the flower meadow, which was separated by a chasm. The girl approached the end as she realized her discovery and put the brakes on; she skidded to the edge of the cliff, as she looked down, and began to wobble over. Her arms failed about as just when she looked to tip over, a hand reached out to grab her. Juniper was now leaning over the edge, and as her right arm was extended, Sky managed to make it to her in time and held her hand.

"And I thought I was the one who had to be careful," said the teen as he began to pull the girl up slowly.

"Sorry," apologized Juniper as her excitement nearly caused her to go over the edge.

The boy managed to get her back on the cliff as Applejack and Twilight were catching up to them. At that moment, the ground under them gave way to their weight. Seeing that, Sky acted on his instincts as he grabbed Juniper and pushed her forward to save the girl. The ground collapsed, and the boy cried as he fell.

"Sky!" shouted the girls, seeing their friend go off.

"Help!"

The trio peered over the cliff and saw the boy who had managed to grab onto some of it. He had fallen quite a ways down but was still clinging to the cliff wall. However, given how steep and unsettling it was, he could feel his grip starting to loosen.

"I could use a hand here!" shouted the teen.

"Hold on, sugar!"

Applejack set her backpack down as she pulled out some rope. She gave one end to Twilight, who tried it on a nearby rock embedded in the ground while she tied the other end around her waist. Twilight and Juniper held the rope as she began to go over the edge while walking down slowly. Sky saw Applejack rappelling down to where he was as she halted and stuck her hand out.

"Grab my hand, sugar!"

The country gal extended her arm out so that Sky could grab it. Bits of rock crumbled under the boy's weight as he began to extend his arm. The two teens struggled to grab the other as their fingertips were just inches away. The girls up top held the rope as the strain began slowly stretching out. Soon, a snap was heard as both fell on their bottoms. Applejack felt the sudden change as she saw the rope snap off. With no support, Applejack started to slip as she fell.

"Applejack!" shouted Sky as he grabbed the end of the rope before he felt himself being pulled down.

"You guys!" shouted Twilight from above.

Both teens were now skidding down the cliffside as Sky tried to grab something with his free hand. He soon grabbed a branch growing out of the cliff and grabbed it. He felt a sudden pull on his wrist as he managed to stop their momentum. The two were now dangling as the only thing saving them was the branch; however, that soon gave weight as they fell to the bottom. A tumble occurred as Sky lay on the ground, and he felt a huge weight on him. When he came to, he saw that he had softened Aj's blow as the girl lay on top of him. The boy got a whiff of the blond girl's hair as he took in her scent while avoiding some of her hair that was in his mouth. At that moment, Applejack began to stir as she opened her eyes and saw Sky.

"You okay, sugarcube?"

"Yeah, just… one thing… can you get off me!?" stated the boy.

The girl realized what he meant as she immediately got off of him with a face full of red.

"My bad, partner. I'm sorry," stuttered Applejack, getting off her friend as he sat up and rubbed his head.

The country gal had a brief shade of red on her face before she shook it off and approached her friend.

"You good, sugarcube?"

"Yeah, I think I'm okay- Ow!"

The girl grabbed his hand to pull him up, but Sky felt a sudden pain in his wrist as he retracted his arm as quickly as he could and held his wrist.

"Sky?"

"S-Shit!" responded the boy as he felt the pain in his wrist. "I think I might've sprained my wrist a bit."

"That's not good," said Applejack, concerned for her friend's condition.

"Don't worry, I'm… I'm good," said the boy with a smile.

"Sugar, don't try to act tough. You're hurt."

Applejack set her bag down and kneeled beside Sky. Then, the girl opened her backpack to pull out some first aid supplies.

"Hey, you two!"

The pair heard the voices of their friends as they looked up, but they could barely see Juniper and Twilight atop the cliff from which they had fallen.

"Are you alright!" called out Juniper.

"Yeah, we're okay," responded Sky.

"No, we're not!" clarified Applejack as she stopped Sky from lying about his health. "Sky seems to have sprained his wrist or something. I'm gonna check it out. Can you two go get some help?"

"On it! We'll be back, you two! Stay safe!" shouted Twilight as she turned. "Come on, Juniper."

The two girls left to get help, but Juniper stopped to look back. She felt guilty that her friends were trapped and wanted to make up for it by ensuring their rescue. Meanwhile, down below, the country gal got back to checking out Sky's wrist as she began to apply an ice pack to it.

"Applejack-"

"Just be quiet!" said the country gal, focused on checking the boy's wrist. Keep that on your wrist while I get a compressed bandage."

"You know, you don't have to make such a big deal out of this."

"You don't get how serious this could be, Sky. What if you actually injured it, or worse, you broke it? What then? How does that affect the rest of your journey? You want to enter the league with a broken wrist?!" stated the country gal as she raised her voice to emphasize her point.

"I guess not," responded the boy as she pulled out a compressed bandage.

"I just don't get how you can downplay and lie to them about being okay when you're not! What are you thinking, sugarcube?"

"I'm thinking of staying positive and not worrying them. Besides, it just hurts a little bit, Aj. I'm okay."

"How long are you gonna keep lying to my face?"

"I'm not, though. I don't want to make this a big deal, so I'm not worrying too much. Why are you, though?"

"'Cause I've had my fair share of injuries working on the farm. And I've tried to push through them and hide that I was okay. But deep down, I wasn't. Being honest is a family trait. So I can tell when someone's lying. That's why I'm concerned about you. There!"

The girl had finished wrapping her friend's hand as Sky looked at it. He saw some bandages wrap around his palm as he wiggled his fingers.

"Don't do anything to damage your wrist. You need to let it rest. Now, come on. Let's see if there's something downstream."

The country gal picked up her friend as she put his arm around her shoulder and began to lead them down the stream. After following the river for a while, they decided to rest as Applejack had Sky lean against a rock while having his arm resting on another beside to keep his wrist elevated above his heart level to help reduce any swelling that might occur. The girl decided to make some lunch; she pulled out a jar of peanut butter and spread some onto some bread. Sky was left looking at his elevated arm as he looked at his bandaged hand.

"Here."

The boy turned as he saw the girl bending over and offering him a plate of sliced sandwiches.

"Thanks," said Sky, accepting the plate as he set it beside him and used his free hand to pick up a slice. "Hey, Aj."

"What?"

"Thanks. Thanks for taking care of me."

"Heh, well, someone has to," remarked the girl as she pushed back a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"By the way, Applejack. You never mentioned much about your family since we've been traveling?"

"Yeah, well… neither have you," responded the girl.

The two exchanged looks before the country gal got up and walked toward the boy. She sat down beside him as the two just looked ahead. Neither said anything as if waiting to see who would break the silence.

"My parents are actually off on work. They're explorers. Right now, I was staying with my grandmother while they were working."

"Where are they?" asked Aj.

"They didn't say anything, but from what I've heard from my grandmother, they seem to be off on a different region. Last I heard, they were trying to explore some ancient ruins, and they were invited to help investigate."

"So, did you ever go with them on their adventures when you were younger?"

"No. I wanted to, but my mom wouldn't allow it. So I often stayed with my grandmother. She's like a second mother to me. But they promised I could go on a journey when I was ready. So I was excited when I finally could get out of the house and see some Pokémon."

"Must be nice to have such supportive parents," said Applejack; seeing the boy talk about his folks put a smile on his face. The sight alone caused her to produce a smile, but only temporarily.

"What about you? What can you tell me about your folks?"

The girl tensed up a bit at the mention of her parents. To the naked eye, it was invisible, but since Aj was literally shoulder to shoulder with Sky, he noticed the sudden hesitation. The boy looked at the girl who finger-tapped her thigh as he took that as a sign.

"Aj-"

"My folks… they're not around…"

"I'm- I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"It's okay. To be honest, I don't remember much about them. They passed away when me and Big Mac were little. Apple Bloom was just a baby, so she doesn't know them fully. Everything we've heard about our folks has come from Granny Smith herself. From what she's told us, our parents were a fine set of folks."

"I see… did she show you some pictures of your parents?"

"Yeah. We've seen what they look like. She says I inherited my father's honesty."

"Well, she's spot on with that part," smirked Sky.

"What do you mean?" glared Applejack.

"Well, sometimes you are a bit of a stubborn mule."

"What did you say?" said the country gal as she punched Sky playfully, which made them both laugh.

The pair shared a chuckle as it took Sky's mind off of his wrist and, in some aspect, seemed to help heal it. Once the two got their laugh out, Sky looked at his bandaged hand as he wiggled his digits ever so gently. When he turned back to the girl, he saw a spoon with some apple pie on it.

"Take a bite," said the country gal.

The boy looked at his friend, who had made apple pie for dessert for their lunch. Seeing that they needed something to lift their spirits, she figured the sweet treat she had made might lighten the mood. Not wanting to keep the girl waiting, Sky leaned in as the country gal fed him. Upon the first taste, it melted in his mouth, sending his taste buds into an overdrive of sensation. Applejack offered him another piece as he couldn't get enough.

With Twilight and Juniper, the pair had returned to camp as they looked to inform Celestia and Luna of their situation.

"So, are they okay?" asked Celestia.

"Yeah. Though, it seems Sky might've hurt his wrist a bit. He sounded like he was okay," explained Twilight.

"That's a good. Luna, watch the camp and make sure the campers are okay. I'm gonna put together a rescue team. You two girls, come with me!" stated Celestia as Luna nodded.

"So, Aj, about what Juniper said the other night. Is your dream really to take over the family farm?" asked Sky.

"Well… I'm not so sure, to be honest. I guess, at first, it seemed logical. My family has had that farm for as long as I can remember. And I know Granny Smith is getting up there in years, so she's gonna eventually retire and hand it down to us. But… that was before- before I went on this adventure. A tiny part of myself always wanted to go on. You know, explore, see new places, meet some cool Pokémon. It seemed like just a fever dream since I knew my life was tied to the farm. So… when you came along, and my family encouraged me to go with you- I guess my dreams might be shifting."

"There's nothing wrong with taking over the family. Given how important it is to you, I don't see it as some downplay in your life. If that's what your dream is, then go for it. I'll support you no matter what."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, sugarcube. Being on this journey so far has given me some great memories. And I've gotten to do things that I never thought I would. Compete in gym battles, qualify for the league, even attend this camp… to think it all started when you showed up."

The boy put his arm around the girl's shoulder, which surprised her. She felt Sky's hand grip her shoulder, and he seemed to pull her closer to him. He flashed the country gal a smile, making her heart beat faster. Accompanied by a small red on her face as she seemed to admire the boy's touch.

"Glad I could help you then,' stated the teen.

The girl just smiled as she did something unexpected. She leaned against the boy and rested against him as she closed her eyes. Sky was also unprepared for Applejack's sudden action, but he welcomed it as he tightened his hold on the farm girl and pulled her closer to keep her safe. The two soon closed their eyes as they relished each other's presence.

"Hello! Hello!"

The two awoke and heard a voice as they looked up. Standing directly above them at the top of the cliff was Celestia, along with Twilight and Juniper, as well as her rescue team she put together.

"Are you two alright?"

"Yeah, we're good!" shouted Sky as he looked up at the professor.

"Just sit tight. We'll have you out in no time!" said Celestia, as she had some of her assistants put on their climbing gear.

It took some time, but both Applejack and Sky were rescued. Sky had his palm bandaged up after being checked out by the camp's medic. With the boy's condition stable, the group got to work on producing the promo video for their assignment. It was nighttime as Sky was shown on the beach, looking at the ocean waves under the moonlight. The teen had his Turtwig beside him as he looked at his bandaged palm. He flexed his hand to wave his fingers while looking at the tape.

"Twig," said the Pokémon, looking at his trainer.

Sky then began to grab his palm and undo the bandage. The wrappings came undone, leaving Sky staring at his exposed hand. The swelling had long gone, and he rotated his wrist to see that his hand was starting to feel much better. The boy then heard some footsteps as Applejack approached him.

"How's the hand, sugar?" asked the country girl as she sat beside her friend.

"Feeling much better," answered the boy. "Say, Aj. You mentioned you once sprained your own hand. How did it happen?"

Oh right. Well, you see… I was running around doing my chores just like any other day, but suddenly, I slipped and took a tumble. Got myself all rattled and sprained my hand in the process. It's one of the worst feelings to have. Just forced to sit back and watch others do their stuff. It was like I was being punished for something that wasn't my fault!"

"I see. So how did you cope with it?"

"Well, I'll tell ya, it was a real test of patience and composure. I had to really work hard to keep myself from getting too angry with the situation 'cause I knew it wasn't really anyone's fault. But despite everything, I found comfort in keeping myself busy with smaller, less physically demanding tasks that I could do. It wasn't the same as being out there with my family, but it kept me from going mad."

"It takes a strong individual to do that, and no doubt you're a strong country gal."

"Oh, you're too kind to say that; I'm just a simple farm girl. It's not about being strong. It's about accepting the situation and adapting accordingly. After all, being strong also means knowing when to step back and take things easy, not about how much you lift or how long you work."

"You betcha! The farm teaches all kinds of important lessons, partner. Hard work, patience, resilience, humility. Lessons no book or teacher can ever hope to teach ya."

"I'll make sure not to say that to Twilight. She'd have a mini freak out if you told her that," smirked Sky.

"Hahaha, you'd be digging your own grave if you did that! I'd see fury in my face instantly!" laughed the farm girl as she pictured her friend's crashout. "But you know, that does give me an idea for a little fun. I wanna try."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I had this idea. Thought it'd be a little funny to mess with her just a wee bit. I got some books back home that look like they're for smart people, but they're actually the complete opposite. I want to see if she sees the difference. Hahaha!"

The two teens shared a collective laugh as they could only imagine the look of their bookworm friend.

"Hey, you guys!" shouted Twilight from the main building's porch. "Come inside! They're about to announce which team won!"

"Come on, sugarcube!" stated Applejack as she and Sky hurried inside.

Every camper was gathered around as they all sat at the dining tables. Standing before them were Celestia and Luna, and the two professors had finished watching the videos. Behind them on the screen were the thumbnails of each promo video. The duo had asked all the campers to take a quick vote for each video they liked apart from theirs to avoid any bias. With the results tallied, it was time to reveal the winners of the latest camp activity.

"First, we want to congratulate you on a job well done. Each team was able to produce stellar promo videos successfully. We can tell you all put a lot of hard work and effort into making them the best they can be!" stated Celestia with a smile.

"However, there can only be one top winner. And so… let's reveal the winners of this competition. Now, taking into consideration our own vote and grading according to the rubric we created to scale your presentations, and the input from you all voting for your fellow campers. We have the top three teams!" said Luna, and she had everyone turn to the screen behind them to see the results.

"In third place… we have the orange team. The group of Scootaloo managed to produce a stellar video showcasing the unique beauty of the nearby water-type Pokémon living on the beach."

"Yes!" shouted Scootaloo, standing up before she exchanged high-fives with Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Spike.

"And now, the second-place team goes to the group of Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Derpy. You demonstrated the elegance of flying types masterfully," stated Celestia.

Everybody in the indigo team smiled at the four girls for securing some much-needed points for them.

"Finally, we come to the winning team," stated Luna. "And the first place goes to… the group of Applejack, Twilight, Juniper, and Sky!"

"Yay!" said all four as they nearly leaped out of their seats after hearing they secured the top spot.

"Finally… we win without any screwups!" stated Sky as it felt good to get first place.

"I can't believe this!" barked Rainbow as she angrily slammed her fist on the table.

"You know, I'm just saying. We could've had a better shot if you weren't so focused on making our promo video battle-heavy," stated Silverbolt.

"Shut up, Bolt!" responded the chromatic-haired girl, who didn't want to hear it after suffering defeat.

"The way you brought up the unique character of each of your Pokémon is what put you over the top," remarked Celestia with a smile. She then began to clap as Luna, and everybody else followed suit. "So then, all three winning teams will be receiving points. Congratulations. You all should be proud. Great job today, everyone!"