Pokemon: Conflicting the Backgrounds (Private for me and Asterisk*)

"Uh, Amy Tesla, beginner trainer." Amy said shaking the offered hand. 'weird girl.' she thought watching her leave before returning to her meal. It actually wasn't that bad, in fact it was delicious and well prepared. Of course when it came to paying the bill Amy was met with a shocking discovery. Just before starting her journey she had bought herself a new wallet which she put all her money in. Naturally she neglected to toss the old one and ended up bringing it with her on her journey, while the one with all her money in it remained at home.

"Please just put it on a tab! I leave right down the route there, I'm good for the money, please don't make me work on your farm!" she pleaded with the large man when it came time for paying.

Marcus frowned at Amy while max blocked the door. "No money, ya'll gotta work it off. Follo' me. Mary, watch the store." He said as he led Amy out of the back of the restaurant to a quaint wooden Ranch house. "Ya'll be workin' with ma lil' Charise fow the nex' couple days ta pay off tha debt." He said before he took Amy around to the sid and took a pair of Overalls, cowboy boots, leather gloves, and a Stetson hat like Charise's. "Tha's yer uniform. Work day star's at tha crack o' dawn. Ya'll bunk with Charise."

"Wait days? Wouldn't my debt be paid after an hour or two fo liek dishwashing or something?" she begged while she was lead out back. She looked down at the uniform she was handed. "What? What's wrong with my clothes?" she said looking down at her designer trainer garb that was meant for outdoor travels.

"Ya'll won' learn yer lesson doin' namby pamby work like washin' dishes. Ya'll learn how hard we Rachez work ta provide tha meal ya'll jus' ate." Marcus said as he took Amy inside. "Now go get in yer uniform. We gotta get ya'll a steed ta get aroun' tha ranch, and that silly outfit ya'll got on is jus' plain worthless on tha ranch!"

"Stop saying ya'll." Amy mumbled hoping it was in a tone the man couldn't hear. "Fien, I'll go put it on." she sighed pouting at the way he called her outfit silly.

Marcus glared at the bratty city slicker. Their attitudes were what upset him the most, as did their whining and complaining. "An' hurry up! We gotta get ya'll at leas' halfway decen' at ridin' a Ponyta! Ya'll be helpin' Charise take tha herd out ta Thunder Bluff ta recharge from tha storm rollin' in!"

"Oh, I've ridden ponyta!" Amy said suddenly lighting up. She did come form some wealth, the kind that let her visit the Unova region every summer, and one year they even rode ponyta in kanto, so she figured she wouldn't be half bad. "Um where do you want me to change?" she asked looking around.

Marcus pointed to a hallway. "Firs' door on tha righ'. And this ain't no carnival game kinda ridin'. We's talkin' bareback ridin'. Our Ponyta don' take kindly ta saddles." He said as he heard hoofbeats outside, knowing Charise must have returned because Spark started barking.

"It wasn't a carnival ride." Amy pouted going towards the door heh ad pointed out and changing her clothes. She tried her best to look good, but the uniform was a little big on her. "Day one and I'm already in trouble." she grumbled grabbing her belt with her three pokemon and putting it on.

Marcus was waiting in the Living room for Amy was Charise came in. "Howdy Pa! Ma jus' told me tha' Amy couldn' pay." She said loudly as she looked around.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah, an' she's gonna be helpin' ya'll with yer chores fow tha nex' few days. Now go get ready. Storm's comin' an' those Mareep need ta be ready."

Amy soon came out fixing her belt some more. "Storm? Is it okay to ride ponyta in the rain? Won't it hurt them?" she asked ignoring Charise for the moment and showing her concern for the pokemon.

"Our Ponyta are tough lil' critters. Tha rain don' bother them. Now go with Charise. She'll get ya'll set up with a steed." Macrus said before Charise dragged Amy out back and to a Corral.

"Ya'll get used ta Pa. He's worked tha Ranch since he was fou' and wrasslin' Machop." SHe said as she led Amy to a rather spirited colt. "Tha' thar's Windrider. Noone's eva ridden him, but Pa makes all traina's try." She said with a smirk, as if expecting Amy to fail too.

"Still I was only concerned for the ponyta." Amy said to Charise as she was dragged to the stable. "Windrider, huh?" she said looking at the colt. "That's pretty cruel to force them to try and train a horse that no one's ridden." she said looking the ponyta over "He's beautiful." she murmured slowly reaching out to pet him.

Charise shrugged. "Pappy reckons Windrider's waitin'' fow his 'Destined Rider'. Pa says it's all buncha mumbo jumbo. I say Windrider's jus'...." She said but tapered of as after a bit of snorting and whinnying, Windrider actually let Amy stroke him! "Well butter ma buns an' call me a biscuit! Windrider's never let anyone stroke him withou' burnin' them!"

"Really?" Amy asked continuing to stroke the pony. "Does this mean I'm his destined rider?" her eyes sparkled happily.

Charise SHrugged. "All I knows is tha' we gotta get movin' befow the storm passes." She as she bridled Windrider and helped Amy up. "Ya'll sure ya'll ridden befow? This ain' an easy ride." She warned.

"Well I at least remember the basics." Amy said getting up on the ponyta and continuing to stroke him to keep him calm. "But a bit of review would be good." she requested settling into the ponyta.

Charise nodded. "Well if ya'll remember the basics, one thin' ta rememba in bareback ridin' is ta grip with yer knees. to get 'im to go, ya'll tell 'im giddy'up, and ta stop, tell 'im whoa. Easy 'nough ta rememba. Now let's go." She said as she mounted a beautiful Rapidash and headed off to a distant part of the ranch.

"Easy enough." Amy said looking down at the ponyta. After a deep breath she said in her best commanding voice, the kind she reserved for battles, said "Giddy up." The ponyta immediately started in a gallop quickly catching up to the rapidash. "Eee!" Amy squealed holding onto her hat with one hand while the other tightly gripped the ponyta's reins.

Charise smiled down at Amy. "Not bad fow a city slicker!" She shouted as she gently pulled back on Glory's reins to slow her down as they reached a herd of bleating mareep who looked rather restless. "Ya'll get behind them. When I open tha gate, ya'll start herdin' them out. We're takin' them ta THunder Bluff, abou' a quarter mile from here." She said as she headed to the gate.

Amy glared not liking the constant talk of her being a city slicker. "Whoa." she said slowing Windrider down just ahead of Glory. "Um, okay, but can you tell me where we're doing this?" she asked confused.

Charise sighed and poited to a plateau a quarter mile from the ranch across open fields. "Tha's Thunder Bluff. We're takin' the Mareep thar ta gather static in their wool ta use ta power tha ranch." She said as she reached the gate. "Get ready!" She said before opening the gat ane urging Glory to the back of the herd. "Hyah!"

"Okay." Amy said hoping that her ponyta knew most of the work already. "giddy up!" she shouted directing the little horse behind the mareep as well.

The mareep all started moving together out of the Gate as Charise rode behind and too the left while Windrider stuck to the right. About a few minutes from the Ranch, one of the Mareep broke from the group and started to run off. "Go head 'im off and herd 'im back!" She shouted at Amy as she rode Glory along the back edges of the herd to keep them together.

"Um, okay!" Amy shouted getting her ponyta to gallop faster and bring the mareep back to the herd. It took awhile but eventually she managed to make it rejoin the herd. "Did I do it right?" she asked still riding beside the herd.