The Tale Of The Sunfire Dratini

By Moonstar

It was a hot summer day in Dream Valley.

A small group of ponies were having a picnic under the shade of a leafy maple tree near a pond.

Chatting about Pokemon , the shapes of the clouds , and all the other things that it was usual to talk about on long lazy summer days .

"You know I already have all 150 Pokemon." A orange flutter pony bragged with a yawn, stretching his hoofs out toward the sky.

"Oh Alchemy, stop saying that already!" Gusty groaned "Sheesh if I had a jingle for every time you said..."

"Yes , I think we'd all be rich Gusty!" Said Cotton Candy laughing

" Well I think your telling the truth Alchemy-honey..." Said Cloud Puff nuzzling him

"Thanks 'Puff.." Alchemy mumbled nearly asleep

Could Puff waved a hoof in front of his sleeping face and turned to the others.

"Sad. I think he must be delusional or something. I mean yesterday he said he'd caught Mew!"

The other ponies nodded in sympathy.

"Hey look over there!" Starry Wings shouted from a little way off where she and Baby Cotton Candy were playing.

"What in the world?.." Gasped Cotton Candy

"Speaking of delusional ponies Cloud Puff, here comes another one..." Said Gusty with a smirk.

Marching slowing though the tall glass of the outer meadow was a sky blue colored flutter pony.

Her moon and stars symbol was barley visible though a thick coat of mud, and her white hair was dripping wet, covered with burs.

The Squirtle riding on top of her head, and Pikachu scampering along beside her looked about the same , their prides more ruined than their bodies.

" WHA-OH, looks like Moonstar has been out on her great Dratini search again!" Said Alchemy, seeming to wake from a dead sleep.

"I HEARD THAT ALCHEMY!" Said Moonstar trotting over

Alchemy put his hoofs over his head protectively, but to his surprise Moonstar didn't hit him like she usually did for making fun of her (Which was nearly every hour of the day).

"Alchemy, for your information it is no longer a search," She said flying up in the air and extending a hoof (With those little glittery sparks her wings always made when she was excited) " For at long last after all my years of hunting I HAVE FOUND A DRATINI!"

The Squirtle that sat on her head stood up and peace signed "Squirtle! Squrit!"

" Oh ? So where is it?" Asked Gusty

Moonstar dropped back earth with a groan, so fast that the Squritle had to hang onto her ears

"Sqqquuitllle!"

She sweatdroped "Well I haven't actually CAUGHT it yet.."

( Moonstar notices her Squirtle climbing down her leg , take a few dizzy steps on solid ground ,and fall over. Her Pikachu rushes over to look at it.)

"Pika, pika?"

"Oops. Sorry Ryo." (Ryo is her Squritle's nickname) " Anyway I didn't actually catch it, but I did see one..."

"Moonstar, be honest now ,there's no way you could have seen it." Said Cotton Candy

Moonstar stomped a hoof "Why does everyone always say that! I'm not crazy! The Dratini are real! Pokemon No. 146! Just because their really, really, really, rare..."

"I have one." Alchemy said, munching on an apple.

Gusty and Could Puff mysteriously pull out huge cartoony mallets and bop him over the head.:)

(In the back ground Ryo is still laying backward on it's shell and Pikachu is poking a tender spot on the little turtle's exposed underbelly)

"Pika?" "Squirt!" "Chu?" "Squirt!" "Pika?" "Squit!" "Chu?" "Sqqquuuitle!!!"

"Why do you wait a Dratini so much any way?" Asked Starry Wings trotting over.

"Yeah, why?" Mimicked Baby Cotton Candy, picking up Ryo.

"Because I want to be..."

"Uh ho here it comes ..." Said Alchemy , bracing himself and holding an umbrella.

"THE BEST WATER POKEMON TRADER IN ALL PONYLAND !! AHAHHAHA!"

(A tide wave crashes dramatically in back of Moonstar at her last words making her clean and sparklely)

"Swell." Said Gusty for under her dripping wet mane; the rest of the ponies where soaked through too (All except of Alchemy n' his little umbrella:) )

"Well water pokemon ARE the best." Said Moonstar

"Squritle!" Said Ryo, hopping down for Baby Cotton Candy's hoofs and hugging Moonstar's leg "Squir..tle!:)"

"Pika? Chuuuu.." Said Pikachu it's eyes getting teary and ears drooping.

But Moonstar didn't seem to notice.

"The only reason I couldn't catch it is there's a really HUGE Gyarados lurking around in Sunfire Lake...I was hoping maybe you guys could help me."

"Ah, so you want the help of Alchemy, The Pokemon Master , huh?" Said Alchemy

Cloud Puff and Gusty mallet him over the head again.:)

"Actually I was hoping to ask Gusty and Cotton Candy. Got any Pokemon with ya?"

"Well, no." Said Cotton Candy "All I brought today was my daughter's pet Jigglypuff and it's never really fought.."

"Mama! I wanta help!" Baby Cotton Candy piped up. " WOKEEBALL GO!" She said tossing the ball .

Pink light blasted out and took shape as a little puff of pink fur with huge eyes and short little arms and legs.

"Jigglypuff, jigglypuff, jiggly!" It shouted for joy

"Guess what Wigglywuff? You get ta fight taday!" Said Baby Cotton Candy

"Jigglypuff? Puff! JiiigglyyyPUFF!" It said trying to do a mini magakick and falling over.

Moonstar sweatdroped "I see we've got a lot to work on..."

"Not to worry, I brought my plant Pokemon with me! And we all know about water vs. plant, it wouldn't have a chance!" Said Gusty

"OK then, lets fly!" Said Moonstar taking to the air. Alchemy and Cloud Puff followed, having nothing better to do that day.

"Um, Moonstar, aren't you forgetting something?" Gusty shouted up

"Oh silly me! Come on! Ryo! Pikachu! It's time to go!" She called

"Squritle!" said Ryo starting to go but then seeing that Pikachu wasn't following.

"Tle? Sqi?"

Ryo asked pulling on Pikachu's hand but the little pokemon just stood with it's arms crossed,

looking mad.

"Chu!"

"No Moonstar , that not what Gusty mean. We can't FLY!" Baby Cotton Candy yelled leaping up and falling back down to prove her point.

"Oh...yeah...heehee:)..I forgot.." Mumbled Moonstar

Everyone sweatdroped

"I don't know that place well enough to wink there, we might end up at the bottom of the lake!" Gusty added

"No problem." Moonstar said pulling out a little silver whistle.

Even before she stopped blowing it a yellow pegasus with rainbow hair flew in at super sonic speed and rammed into Alchemy.

The peg hovered in the air catching her breath and Alchemy spin wildy off into a cloud:)

"Skydancer's Pokemon Air, we can fly you most anywhere!" She huffed

&&&

About twenty minutes later three Flutters, two earth ponies, a Jigglypuff, a Squritle, a Pikachu ( reluctantly being dragged along by the Squritle), and one very charred unicorn, arrived at Sunfire Lake.

"Boy, that was some ride!" Cotton Candy said, smoothing out her mane.

"Yeah I never got ta' ride Fearow before!" Baby Cotton Candy said, frazzled

"You guys should be grateful." Gusty grumbled "At least you didn't have to ride Moltes!" She stomped out the last spark in her mane.

"How were we supposed to know she also used the "Legendary Bird Of Fire" Pokemon?" Cloud Puff giggled

"Still, if it wasn't for my unicorn magic to control winds taking some of the oxygen away from the flames were I was riding...." Gusty whimpered at the thought

"Hey! Aren't those Water Stones?" Cloud Puff said pointing to some pebbles that Ryo was about to walk on.

"Eek!" Moonstar yelped , pulling Ryo away before it could touch the stones in a flying version of a running tackle. "Whew, that was close."

"Why'd you do that? Don't you want a Wartortle?" Baby Cotton Candy asked

Moonstar put Ryo on her back with Pikachu again, and stated to pick up the Water Stones in a hoof.

"I do want to have Ryo evolve someday Baby Cotton Candy, but only when she's ready. Squirtle's evolve naturally at level 16. A stone too soon would make a Pokemon never learn some special attacks it needs. That's why I never use stones on Pokemon that evolve by themself's...." Moonstar said, starting to throw the stones into the lake.

Alchemy saw his chance and piped in as he was throwing one of the stones

(sounding like the Poke-Rap gone terribly wrong)

" The Pokemon that only evolve with an Elemental Stone are Jigglypuff , Pikachu, Nidorina, Nidorino, Clefairy, Vulpix, Gloom , Growlithe, Poliwhirl, Weepinbell, Shellder, Exeggcute, Staru and Eevee"

There was a CLUNK in the water and a giant roar thundered from where Alchemy's water stone had landed.

Cloud Puff gulped. "Um, Alchemy- honey...Can Water \Flying types be evolved with the Water Stone?"

Alchemy looked at her, puzzled "No, I don't think so. The radiation won't effect it...it would just be a rock to that type...Why do you ask?"

High, rough waves suddenly broke out all though the lake, and crashed against the shore.

"Because!" Could Puff said shouting to be heard "Gyarados IS that type and in it's eyes honey dear, a certain dumb pony just hit it with a big rock!"

"Eep!" Alchemy whimpered in fright

A fearsome head hose out of the water, mouth open and roaring, with a big red bump on it's face.

coil after coil of glinting scales and stone crushing muscle rose up, topped with a razor sharp dorsal fin...

Baby Cotton Candy's eyes got grew wider and wider, brimming with tears, at the sight of the monster .

Gusty leaned over to Moonstar and whispered, trying not to make any sudden move.

"Okay...the good news is we found the gyarados, the bad news is I don't think we'll be around long enough to celebrate."

"Shhh.." Moonstar hissed "I have a plan that just might work. When I give the single, wink us up to that cliff to the right...over the water...see it?"

Gusty looked "Yeah, I see it. But how..."

Unfortunately, Gusty's movement had attached the gyarados's attention and now it SAW the ponies. It roared drawing it's head back and then forward like a whip, jaws open.

"It's using it's Bite attack on us!" Alchemy screamed

"Yeah, a really BIG Bite!" Cloud Puff whimpered

"No I don't LET YOU!" Cotton Candy said stepping in front of her baby

"NOW!" Moonstar yelled

There was a brilliant flash of light and the gyarados found it's mouth full of nothing but grass and dirt.

&&&&

"Yahoo! you did it Gusty! We didn't get eaten!" Cloud Puff whooped, doing a little loopy loop in the air

"Don't thank me just yet Cloud Puff." Gusty said looking out over the cliff cautiously.

The gyarados's head was just below the cliff's over hang..

"We've still got to battle this thing, which means we need time to get out Pokemon… a... distraction."

Gusty suddenly grinned evilly at Cloud Puff ;)

Cloud Puff gulped. "Who me? Be a distraction?"

The rest of the group grinned and nodded.;)

&&&&

"But I'm a TERRORIBLE singer!" The purple Flutter whined stomping a hoof

"That's why your perfect!" Moonstar said as she and Gusty started getting out pokeballs "Your bound to attract it's attention, and with you controlling the cloud cover, we can attack it by surprise!"

Cloud Puff grumbled, calling down some clouds with her magic wing flutter in front and around the group of ponies.

"*sigh* I can't believe I'm doing this...okay what should I sing?"

"Anything, but make sure it's loud!" Gusty said

Just before she was about to step out completely from the protection of the cloud to the edge of the cliff Could Puff felt a head on her shoulder for a moment.

"Hey 'Puff.." Alchemy said quietly

"Hmm?"

"I believe in you."

She smiled and stepped out alone, with renewed confidence, right above the gyarados, and started to sing:

" Briiight lights , how I love briiight lights!

Pretty to see, shine one on meeeee!

Briiight lights , how I love briiight lights!

All in a row, look how they glow!

It's so much fun , I like it a lot!

Singiiiiing and daaaancing up here in the spot!…"

The horrible off key singing made the gyarados look up, a growl growing in it's troat.

"Now everyone! Start calling out your Pokemon!" Moonstar said, throwing two Pokeballs

"Butterfree!, Psyduck! and RYO! GO!"

"Psyduck?" Gusty asked, face-fainting

Moonstar's eyes filled with fire "And what's wrong with Psyduck? It's at level 48 , it can handle this!"

The duck Pokemon ran behind her leg and practically had to be booted into the water

"PsyyyyyyyyDUCK!" came it's fading cry as it splashed down.

Gusty backed away "Ok, ok, whatever you say...GO, VICTREEBEL, ODDISH, AND VINEY!"

"Victreebel , bel." The fierce flycatcher Pokemon said calmly

"Oddish!" It's lively leaf headed companion added

"Tangla! Tang, tangla!" The last Pokemon, looking like a bush of vines with legs and eyes, blinked.

Now it was Moonstar's turn to sweatdrop "Viney? What kind of name is "VINEY" to call a Tangla?"

Gusty reared up with a grin "My kind of name! Victreebel RAZOR LEAF! VINEY tie it up with your VINE WHIP!"

Gusty's Victreebel started whiling like a top on it's side spinning out razor sharp leafs at the gyarados while the Tangla Viney whipped out two lines of it's vine body around the huge dragon Pokemon at the same time.

"Alright!" Moonstar grinned , giving Gusty a high five with a hoof "Now I'll get 'em ! Butterfree get around it's back and SUN SPORE!"

"Free!" The little blue butterfly nodded cheerfully

"Ryo! Dive under water and headbutt it's stomach!"

"Squritle!" The tiny turtle salted Moonstar and dived, ducking into it's shell to keep from hitting the surface of the water too hard.

"AND PSYDUCK…" Moonstar called down to the yellow duck that was floating in the water "UM..JUST TRY TO SCRATCH IT OR SOMETHING!"

"Psyduck?" the duck remarked blankly.

Moonstar sweatdroped

&&&&

Everything seemed to be going well, the ponies pokemon were starting to ware the gyarados down..

"Oh boy, now it MY turn!" Baby Cotton Candy grinned and ran out in front of the group

" WOKEEBALL GO! GET 'EM Wigglywuff! " The baby shouted and though the pokeball at gyarados. The shiny red and white ball hit the dragon pokemon right on the nose, but her Jigglypuff didn't come out.

"AAW! Why didn't my pokemon come out?" Baby Cotton Candy whimpered

"Hate to say this, but it might have just been scared Baby CC, this thing is very powerful.." Cloud Puff said, putting a wing around the baby's back in sympathy.

There was a sudden humbling growl from the Gyarados and it began to whip it's long body in the water slowly and then faster and faster. Baby Cotton Candy's pokeball had been the last straw to it's patience.

"Uh oh. This is not good..I've heard about this attack before…" Alchemy whispered in the quiet horror of the moment.

Moonstar nodded "Yeah, looks like you guys are about to get the same sort of welcome I got from this thing the FIRST time I tried battling it…"

"What?" Cotton Candy asked, standing protectively over her baby

"Dragon Rage." Alchemy said simply and put his head against Cloud Puff's

The lake was starting to rise in crashing waves, lapping against their hoofs.

That's when the Gyarados's eyes started to glow.

"No, not just Dragon Rage Alchemy…" Moonstar said so softly she could barley be heard "It's powering up for HYPER BEAM.."

Alchemy looked Moonstar's way , a glint of something she had never seen before in his purple eyes.

"We've got one chance left, but it's risky, we've only have about seven minutes 'tops before it charges up all the way …Moonstar, I need your Pikachu's help." Alchemy said quickly and seriously.

"Pikachu?" Moonstar asked blankly and blinked.

She had forgot all about the little lightening pokemon!

"Pikachu?! Where *are* you ?" Moonstar called and turned around to see just the pokemon she was looking for:

The furry yellow lightening bolt shape tailed mouse was siting down, looking quite comfortable, wearing a pair of sunglasses and warming himself in the late afternoon sun. Next to him lay a pile of eight pokeballs, in all the chaos the little pokemon had somehow been able to call all of their attacking pokemon back and keep them out of harm's way!

"Pikachu, you have to help us." Moonstar said , kneeing down

"Chu chu pika ka? Pikachu chu ii pika pikachu." Pikachu said flatly

Moonstar frowned, trying to get back in touch with her inborn (and rather rusty) power that all flutters possessed to communicate with all living things…

Then the translated words hit her suddenly:

(Why should I help? You said I was useless.)

Moonstar gasped, a little hurt. "No Pikachu I never said anything like that. Why..?"

"Pika pikachu chu chu ,chu ika pi ii pikachu pikachu pika PIKA!" Pikachu said madly, tears flowing down his red cheeked face.

(Yes you did, you said water pokemon were the best, I guess then that makes me the worse in your eyes!)

"Oh Pikachu, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to take it that way.." Moonstar murmured starting to cry a little herself "I just want to be the best at water pokemon so badly that sometimes I say things I don't really mean…I forget and over look my other pokemon's feelings.."

Pikachu's face soften slowly and he stepped forward, rubbing his warm furry cheek against her muzzle.

"I'm truly sorry.." Moonstar whispered

"Pika pika." Pikachu said softly

(I believe you.)

"I hate to break up the warm fuzzy moments Moonstar, but we have about three minutes 'till this thing uses it's "burn everything within two miles to a crisp" attack!" Gusty said earnestly

Alchemy was already up in the air zipping around snaps of the gyarados's jaws as he flew just out of reach.

"Where's that Pikachu of yours already?! I can't keep this up forever!" Alchemy hollered down

Pikachu scampered over to where Alchemy had just alighted on the ground and half turned for a quick moment , smiling.

"Pikachu?"

(Friends?)

Moonstar nodded " Best friends. Now GO GET 'EM PIKACHU!"

"Pika!:)" Pikachu yelled giving her a little bow as he and Alchemy rose up and up, and up to the gyarados eye level.

The great dragon pokemon growled deep in it's throat and Alchemy grinned at it.

"Get your power from the sun, huh?" The orange flutter asked as the sun suddenly broke out full force thorough the passing clouds.

"…Well so do I!! NOW PIKACHU!" Alchemy ordered as the light hit his wings and his whole body glowed golden, shooting out a pure beam of magic energy at the monster.

"Pika..CHU!" The little pokemon on his back whooped sending forth his most powerful electric attack in a wave of crackling energy.

"GYARA..!" The gyarados reared up from the water ready to let loose it's final deadly attack upon the helpless ponies below…and froze.

A moment later Alchemy fell limp from the sky, his energy spent.

"Oh no! ALCHEMY!" Cloud Puff gasped in horror and flew up, catching the unconscious flutter's mane in her mouth and with great effort bringing his body down to rest softly on the ground.

"PIKACHU!" Moonstar gasped in unison and scooped the little electric mouse up in mid air before he landed on the sharp rocks by the side of the lake. "Are you okay?"

"Pika pi?" Pikachu murmured dimly his eyes dizzy swirls.

"Well would you look at that!" Gusty breathed, looking upward.

"Have you ever seen anything like it?" Cotton Candy agreed

Towering over the group in it's shadow was a gigantic life size golden statue of a gyarados, roaring mightily, in the stance of it's greatest attack.

"Your pikachu's power amplified Alchemy's own magic talent." Cloud Puff smiled wisely "That way, he was able to take on something that big. He turned the whole monster into gold!"

Moonstar murmured something to herself and looked out across the water of the lake, now turning purple and rose in the sunset.

Baby Cotton Candy trotted over and tugged on one of her hoofs

"What wrong Moonstar? Aren't you happy we beat 'em?"

Moonstar smiled and tousled the little foal's mane

" Of course I am Baby Cotton Candy..it's just..I was hoping I'd at least see another Dratini here today.."

"Ready to give up on your impossible dream?" Cotton Candy asked

"Not by a long shot. It's not impossible!" Moonstar grinned "Because I want to be…

"UH OH!" The four other ponies yelled collectively

"THE BEST WATER POKEMON TRADER IN ALL PONYLAND !!"

(A tide wave crashes dramatically in back of Moonstar at her last words, but this time everyone is ready for it: Could Puff flies upward, and Gusty winks herself, Cotton Candy, and her baby onto a tree limb)

"Urg.." The sound of a groan made the group turn

"So, did we win?" Alchemy asked weakly

Everyone laughed at the site of the dripping and soggy flutter, his long mane hanging down other his eyes and wings heavy with water….

******************

Unknown to them....

******************

A little blue and white dragon's head broke the surface of the water just behind the ponies backs , blinking curious midnight blue eyes. Not finding ponies all that interesting, it jumped out of the water and leaped back into the depths from where it had come, with a flick of it's jeweled tail.

"Dratini!" It giggled