The Human World. Twilight's Home. Day.
Visting as always were Ash and Pikachu. This time they were joined by Sunset Shimmer and Professor Oak. They were, of course, here to help Twilight further with Pokemon Knowledge. But Twilight by herself was able to catch on so quickly that she had covered a lot in the span of a few weeks.
"A job well done." Professor Oak applauded Twilight. She has just recently taken a test on all that she's learnt so far. And it had been aced it without difficulty. "I'd say that's the best anyone has ever done with Pokemon Knowledge in such a short amount of time."
"That's Twilight for ya! Good job!" Ash and Pikachu cheered.
"Pikachu!"
"Thank you, everyone. Glad I aced it." Twilight replied, feeling a bit embarrassed from all this praise. But it was made better since her friends were there to cheer her on. Usually, something similar to this would happen at Crystal Prep when she was still a student there. However, this one had a different mood compared to Crystal Prep. "I worked hard to learn everything I could about Pokemon. And of course, I've got two great friends who helped me get there." She referred to Ash and Pikachu, winking at them.
"You certainly did. I'd say in about one more month, you'll be as knowledgeable as I was during my teenage years. Give or take less."
"Thank you, Professor Oak. And if it's not a hassle to ask..." Twilight twiddled with her fingers, having a question she at first hesitated to ask but went through with it anyway via guts and courage. "Would it be okay if I worked at your lab?"
"Hm? My lab?" Oak pointed at himself with his eyes widening from the question.
"I still have a lot to learn. But I want to take it a step further. Ash was the one who told me that there are even others more knowledgeable about Pokemon than him. And you're one of them. It'd be so amazing if I could learn from a Pokemon Professor. Just thinking about it has me all excited right now!"
"Hm-hm." Oak nodded with his eyes closed and slight mumbles. "I see. Next to Tracey, I would have another assistant by my side. Wouldn't hurt at all. After all, your Equestrian counterpart is a Pokemon Professor."
"She is?!" Twilight gasped.
"Oh yes. Equestria's first Professor. And to add to that, an assistant to Professor Cerise. Though she spends more time in Equestria than over at Vermillion City."
"Then is that a yes?! Can I help you out at your lab?!"
"Of course. You can be my second assistant, Twilight Sparkle. It'd be wonderful to have someone as skilled as you at my lab." Oak accepted Twilight, making her his new assistant.
"Thank you so much, Professor Oak!" Out of excitement and a spur of happiness, Twilight grabbed Oak's hands, shaking them vigorously. Professor Oak was almost taken aback by this. "I won't let you down!"
"I-I know you won't!" Oak stammered while having his hand shaken. "Whew...Such strength. How about today, you come over for some practice?" Oak suggested, putting his hands behind his back. Twilight's eyes shot open from that.
"I'd love to! D you hear that Spike? Zorua?"
"Sure did." Spike nodded in response as Zorua hid behind Spike due to Oak being essentially a stranger.
"And I'd love to get to know this Zorua some more." Oak looked over at the Hisuian Zorua, only scaring her further. She squeaked afterwards.
"Sorry. Zorua's still shy around others," said Twilight.
"You did a great job helping Twilight out, Ash. Pikachu." Sunset nudged him. "Already going places. Kinda."
"Mhm. We sure did. Thanks, Sunset. Oh, that reminds me..." Ash's mind started revving, digging into the multitude of memories that he had. "I gotta go see Sunset also!"
"Um...I'm right here." Sunset Shimmer chuckled.
"No, I mean the other Sunset Shimmer." Ash pointed to the north. "You see, I bumped into your human self in this world when I was in Ghetsis' body. I promised her I'd teach her about Pokemon."
"Wait! You did?!" Sunset Shimmer grabbed Ash by the shoulders with a thundering bellow. "I didn't even think about that...Where?!"
"Uh, just around that one city. I don't know the name though." Ash chuckled after being gripped. "But now's a good time to help her out. D-Do you wanna see her?"
"No-no-no." Sunset pulled away. "I was just curious that's all. I'm not sure if I'm fully ready to meet myself, you know."
"Really? What about Twilight?" Ash nudged his head over at Twilight. "You know two different ones."
"I know but...It's just a bit weird right now." Sunset pouted. She wasn't sure how to put her words properly. Seeing counterparts and alternate variations of others wasn't too odd to her. But something about seeing herself threw Sunset Shimmer off balance. She wasn't ready for that yet.
"Alright. Well, Pikachu and I are gonna head out now. Good luck with your practice, Twilight."
"Sure. You do the same too, Ash. Show me everything, professor" She exclaimed with enthusiasm. Something that Oak admired.
"Right. But a quick question. Would you prefer to go through Equestria's portal and appear as a pony or show up as your usual human self via Eindoak Town's gateway? It will take some time with Eindoak Town. But the transport won't be an issue at all." Oak asked.
"Well..., I'm still a bit nervous about passing through a gateway. Especially after everything that happened before. But for this, I'll do it. I'll take Eindoak Town, please. Not sure I could end up getting any work done with limbs that I don't know how to use."
"Splendid. Follow me." Oak walked off Twilight had placed both Spike and Zorua in her bag, grabbing the necessary essentials for this Pokemon Professor tour. As for Ash and Pikachu, they would be in the city, ready to teach someone else once more.
While Ash doesn't want to be a full-on teacher, he is certainly excellent at mentoring others. Perhaps that was one of the many qualities of a Pokemon Master.
Unova Region.Castelia City. Day.
Twilight got to see the Pokemon World for herself. And she was amazed by how wonderful it looked, completely different to what she was used to. The huge, sprawling metropolis with skyscrapers that almost pierced the clouds were graced upon her eyes.
But what amazed her the most were how people and Pokemon were so connected with each other. In her world, people were mostly afraid of Pokemon with very few owning some. Even then, she wasn't sure the percentage of people who lived with Pokemon.
But here, that was not the case. Pokemon live in harmony with them, walking and lounging around whether freely or with partners. Twilight could only marvel at this. She had already seen Eindoak Town but it did not compare to this view.
"Wow...I should've passed through instantly! All of this is so amazing!"
"It only gets better the more you look. Every region across the world has stunning views such as this. Some smaller than others but bursting with life either way. And this is just the largest geographical city in Unova and one of the largest in the Pokemon World."
"This region is my home..." Zorua's head popped out of the bag, gazing at Castelia. "I was born in this region. It sure looks different than I last saw it."
"We can head off to catch a ship to Kanto now. Or if you'd like, view this metropolis for yourself for a while. This is your first time in this world so it should stand to reason that you should experience what it has to offer."
"Thank you, Professor Oak. But maybe another time. I'd like to adventure it on my own time when I'm not busy."
"I see. Besides, I would've suggested the famous Casteliacone. Unfortunately, they're not at their best in this weather. Even then, since they're so popular, they've probably run out by now until next Tuesday."
Oak and Twilight continued on their way, heading for the Ocean Piers. Twilight could still sightsee Castelia. Soon, she would get to explore this massive city and potentially the rest of the Pokemon World. For now, it was off to Kanto which was indeed another part of the Pokemon World.
The Human World. The City. Afternoon.
Resembling Manehattan in appearance, Ash and Pikachu had arrived here. The skyline was spreading with modest skyscrapers and while modern now, their history still shined through. The quality of life is high in Kilbrook and it has attracted a lot of attention.
"Okay...So Sunset's apparently in one of those apartments over there." Ash said, gazing over at the apartment that graced this city. He wasn't sure how he was going to reach her, nor knowing which floor she was on. "Hm...What to do?"
"You don't have to worry about that, pal." Just then, thinking of a way, appearing right behind him was the girl of the hour. This world's Sunset Shimmer as she patted Ash's back.
"Oh! Awesome! That makes things easier. Good to see you again, Sunset. This is me. The real Ash Ketchum." He showed himself to Sunset Shimmer, appearing as who he truly was.
"This is you?" Sunset observed his full appearance. A stark difference from what she previously saw him as. "Hm...You don't look all that impressive honestly. And what's with that yellow thing on your shoulder?"
"This is my partner Pikachu." Ash introduced the Mouse Pokemon. "And I've got all my real Pokemon with me this time. So it'll be smooth sailing from here on."
"Pikachu!"
"Well, you're a bit late for that. I already know how to catch myself a Pokemon." Sunset smirked.
"Wait, you do?!" A surprised Ash and Pikachu collectively gawked.
"Right. And from what I hear you're the reason. Check this out." She then dug into her jacket pocket, taking out her phone. Sunset Shimmer quickly shuffled through her phone's screen before finding a video. This video contained some familiar faces to Ash and Pikachu.
Students from Crystal Prep.
The video played as it showed the familiar face of Indigo Zap and Lemon Zest. This took place during their break from school due to their casual clothes. And within the video, they were currently in a park, standing before a Nuzleaf and a Loudred with Poke Balls in their hands.
Sunset Shimmer had recorded this scene as the two of them managed to capture Nuzleaf and Loudred. They had done this via the Pokemon they already owned when they were given their first Poke Balls. And now, they could easily catch Pokemon with assistance, showing their growth already.
"Oooh! Great work you two!" Ash cheered.
"Pika!"
"So I already know how to do that catching thing. Plus, I hear you're the reason for this." Sunset paused the video. "You're kinda popular, ya know."
"Huh? Me?"
"Yeah. Look." Another video was shown. Yet another familiar face was shown as this video was viewed on a website. It seemed to be intensely popular with a heaping number of likes and comments.
That familiar face was Abacus Cinch. In this video, ever since Ash had taught Crystal Prep about Poke Balls and despite Ash not becoming a teacher there or even a student at Canterlot High, fame had spread about him. Cinch made a demonstration to many people, showing them how the Poke Ball could be used.
"As you can see, the Poke Ball can work in various ways. The most effective method is battling a Pokemon and catching it with this standard Pokemon. However, other methods work well. If you do not own a Pokemon and wish to use these, the best option is to utilize Quick Balls which succeed better when thrown immediately against a Pokemon. The one to thank for this all was Ash Ketchum and his expertise. Now, we have a limited number of these but I am hoping to get into contact with Ash Ketchum to bring over more Poke Balls. And unfortunately, that would require some contact with Canterlot High."
"You're kind of a big deal now. Since you're the one with the most knowledge about Pokemon here. Since that old lady said you were an expert, everyone's looking to you." said Sunset Shimmer as her words were proved once some of the people here noticed Ash.
"Look at that. Isn't that him there?" A man pointed at Ash. Soon, others gazed at him, noticing his appearance from his signature thunderbolt birthmark, hat and clothes.
"It is. Hey! Thank you!" A woman cried out, waving to Ash. Clearly, they were happy about gaining Poke Ball knowledge. They needed it due to the abundance of Pokemon.
"No problem!" Ash waved back as many others surrounded him, taking pictures. This was only happening due to how much Cinch popularized him. This wasn't uncommon since Ash is massively popular in Equestria. However, it was less extravagant here in the Human World. "Guess I should've had Professor Oak come into the city too. He knows more than me."
"Pika-Pika..."
"Anyway. Forget this boring stuff. Come on." Sunset then walked off, encouraging Ash to come along. Ash and Pikachu then followed her to wherever she was heading to.
Kanto Region. Pallet Town. Professor Oak's Research Lab. Afternoon.
They had arrived. It took some time most definitely. Luckily, Eindoak was near Castelia City so taking a ship to Kanto was inevitable.
Twilight also got to see Ash's hometown for the first time. Located in southwestern Kanto, she saw how peaceful it was. Few buildings filled the town. Very few. But that was the beauty of Pallet Town. Its small appearance the fact that lively characters could be found here made it so special.
"Here we are," Oak said as he and Twilight were now within his lab. "Ash's Pokemon are also housed here if you must know. You're already familiar with them, aren't you?"
"I sure am, professor."
"Well then, why don't you go meet them first?" Oak guided her towards the back of his lab. Right where Ash's Pokemon could be found lounging about. Once he opened the door, Twilight was met with more Pokemon of Ash that she was used to seeing.
Her eyes were widening and a smile was forming. However, in the midst of that, a flaming explosion went off, startling her instantly. "Ah!"
"Infernape!" It was Infernape who was currently having a Bout with Charizard. Flames erupted everywhere as the Fire-Fighting-Type had moved back from a Flamethrower.
"Zard!" Charizard chased Infernape down, spreading flames from his mouth repeatedly. Infernape then leapt over the flare of flames, going for a Mach Punch. After evading the flames, Infernape slogged Charizard's face with a swift Mach Punch, staggering him. But after that initial hit, Charizard had used Dragon Tail, slapping his fellow Flame Pokemon away.
"What's happening?!" Twilight gasped.
"The usual scuffle between Pokemon. Having this many means that some are bound to battle each other. Whether it be arguments or to improve one another."
"S-So...which one is this?"
"Considering Bulbasaur hasn't stepped in, I'd say they're just helping each other get stronger. No need to fear, Twilight. It's all-natural."
"Hah...Okay. A bit terrifying to be honest." She laughed whilst witnessing the flames fly.
"Osha? Oshawott!" Oshawott was the first to notice Twilight's familiar appearance as his eyes formed into hearts. Excited to see Twilight again, the Sea Otter Pokemon used Aqua Jet, boosting his way towards her.
Along the way, he accidentally tackled both Infernape and Charizard, knocking them over. The power of love gives anyone enhanced strength after all. Twilight soon noticed the increasing stream of water as Oshawott's arms were out, ready to embrace Twilight.
"Bulba!" But, Bulbasaur managed to catch him before he could end up accidentally tackling Twilight. The vines had held him back as Oshawott's Aqua Jet had ended.
"Char..." Charizard grumbled as he and Infernape sat up, holding her heads. They were a bit confounded from that sudden Aqua Jet. After sitting up, they noticed Twilight. "Zard?"
"Snivy!" Snivy and the others soon noticed her, greeting the Twilight from another world.
"Hey!" Twilight ran out, waving back. "It's good to see you-" But just as she ran over with a wave, she was quickly interrupted by the many Tauros that existed here.
"Tauros!" The herd of Tauros came galloping in, crashing into Twilight. Instantly, Twilight was sent flying because of this impact along with Zorua and Spike who were inside of her bag.
"Gaaaaah!" Now she knew how Ash felt whenever he shows up here. There will always be the herd of Tauros that will come crashing in when least expected.
"Ah, you haven't met the many Tauros yet," said Oak as Twilight was falling from above. But Oak wasn't worried as Twilight had been caught by Noctowl.
"Noctowl!"
"Oh..." Twilight sighed as Noctowl descended. A nice quick save from the Normal-Flying-Type. "Thank you."
"Noct."
"Snivy, Sni!" Snivy ran over, stopping next to Twilight.
"Hi, Snivy." Twilight held her hands out, holding Snivy up. "Great to see you again."
"Sni!"
"Osha! Oshawott!" Oshawott wanted to be held instead as he jumped up. Only for Snivy to take out one of her vines, catching Oshawott midair. "Sha!"
"So now, Twilight." Oak approached as Twilight was soon surrounded by Pokemon. Zorua stayed hidden in the bag while Spike enthusiastically jumped out to meet with the rest of them. "One of the things to know and learn is how to handle all of these Pokemon. The roster's only going to get bigger in the future the more Ash adventures I suspect."
"Right. I can do that." She observed all of Ash's Pokemon. "Hopefully. There are quite a lot of them. More than I'm used to, honestly."
"Don't you worry at all. With assistance from Tracey, you'll end up getting used to whatever comes your way. This is only the first practice. I'd like for you to come in next week. How does that sound?"
"Sure. I'd love to!"
"Excellent. I have more to show you before we finish."
The Human World. The City. Afternoon.
"Say...we're way past your apartment right now," Ash said as Sunset Shimmer was leading him and Pikachu to an underground area.
"Yeah. You don't have to worry about that. Since I and a few others caught wind of this Pokemon stuff and Poke Balls, we improvised with it." She replied as they went down some stairs. This part of the city had graffiti sprayed everywhere while all of these stairs led to a door.
Once there, Sunset opened the door, showing Ash and Pikachu was beyond it. It had opened as more people were inside along with the booming sound of music. A very booming sound. Enough to make Pikachu's ears rattle.
"P-Pika!"
Within this room, many of these people had Poke Balls, indicating that they have already caught some Pokemon. Aside from that, they were dancing to this booming music, not even hearing the door open.
"Oh hey!" But someone did see them come in. "Sunset! And uh...Who's that?"
"This is the guy who made me aware of this Pokemon stuff." She moved to the side, showing Ash to everyone. "The one who knows the most about these things. This is Ash."
"That's him?!" A wheeze and a laugh echoed out followed up with a point. "I thought he'd be more intimidating than that! Look at him!"
"Hm?" Ash looked at his getup, observing himself for a moment. "Looks fine to me."
"Trust me. This is the guy. Looks can be deceiving sometimes." Sunset shrugged.
"So, what's this place? A secret base?" Ash wondered.
"Something like that. This is a club for some of us to come to." Sunset explained "Ever since I got out of juvie, I've been away from this place for a while now. Just returned a few weeks back and it feels good. Plus, it's even better with these Pokemon. We can battle with them."
"So you've already figured out Pokemon Battling, huh? Nice." Ash approved of this, seeing how fast they had learned. He might've not needed to come along since they all got the hang of things so quickly.
"Hey, Sunset. Can you come here for a moment?" A girl called for Sunset Shimmer as a few of them were huddled up. Sunset went over after the call. Once there, she joined this group huddle. Meanwhile, Ash stayed back since it wasn't his business to be in a group huddle without being asked.
"What's up?" Sunset asked.
"Christmas has come and gone. You know what that means? Some of the leftover stuff is up for grabs. Right before they can throw everything out."
"Oh..." Sunset nodded as this topic involved crime. Mainly theft. "Almost forgot. it's been a while after all. This time, can you not let me get busted again like before?"
"Sure. Got you a new mask too." A boy held out a mask. "Not sure why we need it when our hair is so radical?"
"You don't have to worry about that. I've got a Pokemon that can make things easier for us." The girl chuckled. "We'll hit one of the bigger spots soon. We can count on you since you're so skilled, Sunset."
"Don't you think we should do it without that Ash guy around?" Another boy asked.
"I get what you mean. He looks like the kind of guy to spill everything if he finds out. We'll leave him in the dust before we get to our gig. Or you can just tell him to leave, Sunset."
"I don't know. He promised to help me out with this Pokemon stuff. Plus, since he's the expert, don't you think he knows something we could use?"
"Good point...Let's do that." The girl nodded as they broke up their huddle. "Hey. Ash!"
"Yeah?" Ash looked over.
"You know your stuff. Got something to teach us? Maybe about our Pokemon?" The girl held out a Quick Ball with a grin forming on her face.
"Sure, sure. I can teach you everything you know. Plus the Pokedex too."
"Pikachu!"
"Appreciate it, Ash. Teach away." Sunset bowed as she and the others were ready to take advantage of Ash. Since Ash was always keen to help, he stepped right into their ploy.
A ploy that involved crime. Ash was now within the vicinity of a shifty crowd while Twilight was over at the Pokemon, practising to be an assistant to a Pokemon Professor. All before the New Year can begin as the journey continues.
Chapter 632 End.