17th Spell: [Video/Action for Ponies] (Forward dated to Saturday morning)

[friendyousohard]

[The gear clicks on in the middle of a room in the Pokemon Center. Someone's clearly using it, since the sheets are rumpled and the monitoring gear seems to have seen recent use, but no one's in the bed at the moment.

There's a splashing sound nearby, muffled by a door. The gear is moving very, very slowly towards that door.]

Mmmmmmffff... huh?

[Someone appears to have just woken up behind said door, as well.]

A-AJ...?

Um... h-hey there, Sugarcube. You sure had one crazy sleep, didn't ya?

I did...? Where am I? What's going on...?

[The gear is about halfway to the door at this point.]

You passed out on us right 'bout the time we got into Celadon. We were all real worried about you.

Passed out...? The comas!

[Twilight's voice suddenly gets much stronger and there's the sound of a sudden splash, as though she's just moving around in a pool of water.]

I had one! I went back home! Well... sort of. You know what I mean, right?

I... think so?

I saw so much... My brother, and Cadence, the Crystal Empire, even Discord, there's so much to... Um, AJ?

Discord? What in tarnation's he doin' back? We sealed him up for good!

I'll explain that in a moment, but first... what were you doing just before I woke up?

... Givin' you a bath.

[The gear has almost reached the door, when suddenly a large yellow foot slams down in front of it. It wobbles and falls to the ground, showing an Alakazam glaring down at a Slowpoke, which was carrying the gear.]

And what do you think you're doing?

[The gear floats up into Starswirl's hand...]

Apologies to any who saw this and wanted to speak to my trainer. She is currently occupied, but will be with you shortly.

[And clicks off.]

A few moments later...

[The gear clicks on to show a wet haired and slightly bedraggled Twilight.]

Ah, hello everyone. It seems I've encountered one of those week-long sleeps that we go into on occasion, and gotten some new memories of home. Honestly, it feels a bit strange to be back here... but I'll adjust soon enough. If anything important has happened in the past week, I'd appreciate it if somepo- someone could let me know.

... Also, if anyone has any ideas as to how to curb the tendencies of some Pokemon to abscond with peoples' gear and pull, or try to pull, obnoxious pranks on their trainers and others, I'd love to hear them.

Comments

[buckyouup]

We should take her along! I bet she'd love t'play with all the grass pokey-mon.

[friendyousohard]

Good idea! And Rainbow... can go do something else. She'd be bored silly.

[buckyouup]

Grass types ain't exactly as thrillin' as some of the stronger types, but they sure have their uses.

[Says the trainer who currently has three grass-types hanging from her belt.]

[friendyousohard]

Rainbow likes Daring well enough, at least. I'm not going to try to convince her of the values of the rest of the type.

[buckyouup]

Lasso's already one a' the strongest grass-types there are. You... just gotta convince her that, sometimes.

[friendyousohard]

Aristo has the opposite problem. Absolutely convinced he can take on everything and utterly self-important about it. Fortunately he's not as given to bragging as Megasoma is, but still...

[buckyouup]

There ain't much worse than a headstrong pokey-mon.

[Except maybe a headstrong trainer, Applejack?]

[friendyousohard]

You'd know.

[Sympathy pat on the shoulder. Poor AJ, having to deal with the likes of Dozer.]

None of mine actually disobey me in battle, thankfully... Snails just doesn't listen outside of it.

[buckyouup]

It's not a problem I gotta worry 'bout for most of them. But Dozer... he's a challenge.

[friendyousohard]

Do you know what the source of his problem with you is? I mean, he's pretty unpleasant in general, but sometimes it seems like he legitimately hates you.

[buckyouup]

He seems t'hate everypony, I just happened t'be the one who puts him back in his ball when he gets too destructive.

[friendyousohard]

I guess the question then is why he hates everything so much. I'd suggest letting Fluttershy talk to him, but... I think there are limits to what we should ask of her.

[buckyouup]

If we had a way t'keep him from rampagin' in the first place, Fluttershy might be able t'talk to him.

[friendyousohard]

I could have Megasoma beat him to the edge of consciousness first.

[Her lips quirk up a bit. Yeah, she's joking, but the kind of joke where you actually do kind of want to do the thing you're joking about.]

[buckyouup]

That might not be a bad idea. [She chuckles.]

[friendyousohard]

Nah, he'd like it too much. [She gives a soft little snicker.]

... Megasoma, not Dozer.

[buckyouup]

Dozer'd find a way t'get him back for it, I'm sure.

[friendyousohard]

Okay, the last thing we need is those two making rivals of each other. Every training session would turn into an all out brawl.

[Stag Beetle versus Wooly Mammoth, goooooo!]

[buckyouup]

Yeah... I'd rather not have t'separate them every time we train.

[friendyousohard]

I mean, I guess we could just always let them keep going until one of them was out, but that doesn't seem like the best training regimen.

[buckyouup]

It's better than how I normally train him, at least.

[friendyousohard]

How do you usually train him, anyway?

[buckyouup]

Take him as far out of town as I can an' let try t'convince him t'let me command him? He usually tires himself out after destroyin' a few trees.

[friendyousohard]

[Twilight's mind has no trouble envisioning this... and also picturing AJ smack-dab in the middle of Dozer's rampage.]

And has that... ever worked? Even temporarily?

[buckyouup]

I'm hoping one day.