Canterlot. Day.
"So yes. I have a plan to find Jirachi. Might not be foolproof, but it could work." Twilight said as she was speaking to Celestia and Luna. "Mythical Pokemon all have one thing in common. They tend to shelter themselves away from others. Except for either when they're feeling playful or when another one of their kind is around."
"And so...what are you getting at, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked as she and Celestia leaned in.
"We have Mew transform into Jirachi to try and bring out the other Jirachi. Granted, there's more to the plan, and I haven't figured out where we should go? Or even if it will fully work." Twilight pouted.
"It's a good idea in general, Twilight." Celestia went up to her fellow alicorn. "If it's an effective way of finding Jirachi, then we'll tackle it. Let's think about it a bit longer. Unless...you two have an idea?" Celestia then turned to the corner as her parents' Sunlight and Eventide were there.
"You saw us? Usually, it takes hours for you to notice our arrival." Sunlight said as she and Eventide emerged. "Look at you having greater senses than usual."
"That's my girl." Eventide nodded. "We're here to see the ongoing at the Pokemon School. This time, up close instead of afar in the Ambrosial Plane."
"Oh!" Realization kicked in for the Princess of Friendship. "I was too focused on telling you about the plan! I'm almost late for the second session."
"Twilight. Just teleport." Celestia said, calming Twilight down.
"Oh. Hehe. Right." Twilight chuckled before using the Teleportation Spell to vanish. She was off for classes, not late at all. Now it was just the Royal Family. Not for long anyway as Sunlight and Eventide would make their way there as well.
"Um, about that whole Jirachi thing. What animal is it meant to be?" Sunlight leaned in, whispering to Celestia. "You know...some Pokemon that are similar to the animals in our world have the same preferences as their less magical counterparts. What is Jirachi?"
"I'm...not sure. I'll have to ask Ash." Celestia whispered back. "I-If it's based on something."
"Well, anyway. Can't wait to see them learn. Wish I could join the school myself, but...you know how I am with education." Sunlight chuckled before Luna lowered her eyes.
"We know." Luna nodded. "It's why sister is the Ruler of Equestria in the first place."
"Luna." Celestia nudged Luna after that little comment. Sunlight let out a small giggle afterwards.
The Pokemon School.
"In any case. If you do want to be some sort of billionaire or trillionaire, using Meowth and the move Pay Day won't grant you that wish. I'm sorry." Roxanne instructed the students. "Meowth can only give out so much money before it exhausts itself. After all, it can only do so much. The same goes for other Pokemon that can learn it. You can use the move as much as you want for all the money you need. But reaching the triple digits, that's where a roadblock will come in the way."
"Can't we just like...catch a bunch of them and have them use Pay Day?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"You could. You could do that." Roxanne nodded. "But it would take longer than you think." She then started drawing and writing on the board. "At most, Pay Day can give you around 900 Poke Dollars or 1000. Higher depending on how it's used. If you can win a battle by using only Pay Day, then your money chances skyrocket."
"So it is possible to get rich with that move."
"Yes. But take my advice. Don't rely on one Pokemon. If you want to reach that level, then just catch an abundance of Pokemon with that move. But I don't recommend it unless you're good at managing money. If not, you're better off just having your opponent pick up the cash after the battle or just buy whatever pleases you and-"
"Hello!" Bursting into the room was Sunlight as she opened the doors, startling everyone. "Oh, sorry."
"Greetings, everypony." Eventide greeted. "And Pokemon. And human."
"Who are you two? Are you new here?" Roxanne asked before observing the two alicorns. She recognized the similar colour patterns to Celestia and Luna, quickly recognizing who they were. "Oh wait! You're King Eventide and Queen Sunlight!"
"Former king and queen." Sunlight intervened. "We're just here to check up on things and how lessons go here. I mean we already know from way up there but this time up close. So, what are you up to?"
"Nothing too important." Roxanne shook her head before thinking for a moment. "Well, it is money so I suppose it is important. Just details about certain Pokemon Moves like Pay Day and how the move can only have its usage for so long."
"What's the big idea? I know somepony with a Psyduck that uses Pay Day when she's in a bind." A student said. "But uh...it's only for when she's in the Pokemon World. It can't make bits."
"Ooh. Mind showing us then?" Eventide stepped forward.
"Sorry. None of my Pokemon know that move. But aside from that, we're moving on from currency." Roxanne then switched boards, revealing another one. "Still on the subject of moves, we'll be talking about certain status moves that can contradict each other and how to utilize that. But take a small break before that."
With that order, a break had been issued, allowing for the students to converse. They had sent out their Pokemon for this break. Sunlight and Eventide chose to stay around just for the fun of it.
Soon, the room was flooded with various Pokemon of different types, roaming Roxanne's classroom. At the same time, some noise could be heard from the other classroom nearby. That being Roxie's classroom and her constant usage of music.
Twilight also started conversing with her friends, she also brought up the plan to find Jirachi A plan that was still a work in progress to them. "So that's what we'll do. After we swapped Pokemon and I figured out what Mew can replicate, that's our best shot at finding Jirachi. 'Cause, it's not like there's a secret way to summon it."
"And we're trying to figure out what animal or creature Jirachi is based on," said Sunlight. "If we can find out, it should be easy to bring it here. Fluttershy. You're the animal expert. Any idea?"
"Oh. Sorry. But since none of us have ever seen Jirachi before...I'm not sure." Fluttershy shook her head.
"We only saw a bit of what it could look like back at the Pokemon Festival." Rarity chimed in. "Over at Ponyville, there was a wishing booth that was modelled after Jirachi. It seems to have some sort of arrow-like appearance. Not sure about everything else."
"No luck with Jirachi yet?" Just then, Roxanne came over. "I don't blame you. I can't think of any other Pokemon as elusive as it is. It's certainly the one Pokemon with the most time away from everything."
"Roxanne. You're from Hoenn. And Jirachi's most common there. Can you recall a time where you heard about Jirachi showing up and where? And Brawly too since he's from Hoenn as well." Twilight asked.
"Sorry. But even in Hoenn, Jirachi's impossible to catch wind of. You'll only hear from the elders about Jirachi, but even they have trouble recalling Jirachi's presence. One second it's there and the next it's not."
"Not even Mew's this tricky to find." Pinkie Pie looked up at Mew who was resting on her head.
"Please tell me we ain't going on a wild goose chase for just one Pokemon." Applejack sighed. "I could use a wish right now t find that Wish Pokemon already."
"Mhm." Twilight and the others agreed.
"How exciting. All of this reminds me of my younger years when I used to go on adventures. Usually for the harder parts of journeying." Sunlight squeed. "Why, I'm more envious of my daughters having more exhilarating adventures than me honestly."
"How many did you go on?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Too many to keep track of. But, they promptly stopped when it was decided that Celestia would end up becoming the ruler of Equestria."
"Just like that? Why didn't you continue? I mean, if you were free, then you could do whatever you want, right?" More questions emerged from Rainbow Dash before remembering why. "Oh, right. Your magic was uh...leaking and messing everything up."
"Yes. That's true. Not any more thanks to how the Pokemon have changed the world." Sunlight looked at her hooves and how her body was giving off an endless golden glow. "We'll be happy for Celestia and Luna when they eventually become like us. They won't have to worry about harming others."
"And as a greater bonus, they will still have the thrill of adventures to look forward to," said Eventide. "They, well currently Celestia is a greater ruler than we ever were."
"Oh, but you two were probably wonderful rulers back in your time too, right?" Rarity said. That's when the two alicorns scrunched their faces and mouths as if they were feeling thirsty.
"W-Well..." Sunlight leaned back with her mane covering her eyes. "About that..."
"Honestly..." Eventide took a deep breath. "There is a reason why we aren't as remembered in the history books that much as compared to other figures from before. The truth is, we were never great rulers, to begin with. In fact, that is why our reign over Equestria ended sooner and lasted less than our daughters."
"You sucked as rulers?" Rainbow Dash uttered before being nudged by Applejack. "Oops. Sorry."
"It's fine," said Eventide. "Yes, our time as rulers of Equestria was one of...less stellar proportions. But it was not terrible per se. Let's take you through the past a bit." Everyone sat down to hear what Eventide and Sunlight had to say. They were intrigued about the past and their roles as previous rulers of Equestria.
8000 Years Ago. Canterlot.
You see, we weren't alicorns yet. Back then, alicorns were practically non-existent. I was still an earth pony and Sunlight was still a unicorn. But even so, we managed to become the rulers due to Sunlight's heritage. It wasn't until we had our daughters and later on in the future, we would become alicorns during their younger years.
Canterlot back then had a different appearance compared to what it looks like now. Some buildings had yet to be constructed as this was during the earlier years of Equestria's founding. Currently, many of the Canterlot Guards were searching for a certain pony without much success.
"Where is she?" A guard said, moving across the hallways while the rest were around Canterlot as fast they could, looking in a hurry. "Queen Sunlight!"
"We have searched everywhere inside and outside the castle. No sign of her anywhere. Should we inform King Eventide?" Another guard asked.
"I think that is for the best. He always knows where the Queen is." The guards then went over to inform the current King of Equestria Eventide. Back then, his magic wasn't leaking out and threatening to harm everything else.
The servants of the castle watched as the guards rushed over to the throne room to ask the king. But right now, Eventide was going through an issue. He was currently sorting the court, speaking to ponies that had many requests for him and to an extent Sunlight.
And from the look of his distressed face, it was clear that he had a hooffull.
"Your majesty. The extra food we've been able to store in the granaries has attracted more settlers. What shall we do? Should we let them in?" A pony asked.
"Finally. Some good news. Let them in, please." Eventide nodded with a smile on his face.
"About that. I haven't finished yet your majesty. The stock is a bit infected. If we let more of them in, it will cost us a heap to replace it, but if we don't, ponies could get sick. Should we do it?"
"Oh." Eventide's frown had returned with disappointment in his heart. "Then no. We'll let them stay until we can refresh everything." He made his decision as the pony left. Another pony came with a different question.
"Your majesty. If it is not a bother and my love for plants, would it be fine for me to open up a garden here in Canterlot? For others to come and experience it."
"A garden in Canterlot sounds agreeable." The earth pony nodded. "Certainly. It will be ready in a few weeks." The pony left as the king had slumped over. His eyes seemed baggy along with his mane being messy.
"Your ma-" Another question was about to come through, only for one of the Canterlot Guards to interrupted.
"Your majesty! Apologies for the interruption, but have you seen the Queen by any chance?"
"She's missing already?!" Eventide sat up. "It's only been two days since we've started..."
"Seems her old habits are sticking to her even during your current rule, sire." A royal advisor said. "For a Queen to be constantly moving out without attending to her kingdom is very detrimental."
"I know, I know." Eventide groaned. Indeed, they had just become rulers of Equestria. It has only been two days since their coronation. They were adults now, but a bit on the younger side. However, they were not alicorns yet. At this time, making their roles as Rulers of Equestriathe opposite of what would come later. To speak with Sunlight, he had used the Telepathy Spell to do so. Even in this time, it existed.
The spell reached from Canterlot to an area that would one day come to be known as Saddle Lake in the future. Sunlight had found herself there after some exploring. She was currently relaxing in a pile of leaves, basking in the afternoon sun. That was when she heard Eventide's voice.
"Dear. Where are you right now? You're needed desperately."
"Oops. Sorry about that." She communicated back. "I just found this nice area when venturing around."
"You're having an adventure right now? We've just started our duties as King and Queen. We shouldn't be slacking off or going on adventures at all. Or rather frequent adventures."
"I know but I'm still getting used to this. I was a princess not too long ago after all."
"Just don't overdo it. Being ruler doesn't mean absolute freedom."
"Phooey." Sunlight pouted her lips. "But it's also so boring, all of those tasks. I won't have to do them for centuries, will I? Sitting around and saying yes or no to a lot of requests?"
"I thought you were ready to tackle something like that."
"Oh, right. Apologies. My younger self is still somewhere in there." Sunlight chuckled. "I'll be right there."
10 years later.
During those 10 years, they carried their duties as king and queen out with little issue. They could give out orders without fail. However, despite that, Sunlight was disinterested. Throughout her years of being a queen, while she enjoyed the citizens here and their company, doing good deeds for them and seeing the kingdom thrive, her other side wasn't feeling it as much.
She wanted to get out there and go on perilous adventures. But, she knew that her role as a princess was more important. She could perhaps go on journeys that involve her stepping in, but those are rare to come by. During this time, Equestria had few dangers roaming around.
As for Eventide, while he was mostly unbothered by everything happening around him, he was certainly not used to so much overwhelming demand. He was the opposite of Sunlight. Whereas Sunlight is all about excitement, Eventide is on the slower side of things.
But despite all of this, they managed to push through. Eventide encouraged Sunlight to hang in there. She could still find excitement even during all of this. After all, fun events don't need to take place somewhere else. And it showed.
As time passed on in Canterlot, new buildings were made. Buildings that had grabbed Sunlight's interest. She wasn't fully bored of the place ever since these little moments occurred. Hearing news from around the world about new lands being discovered whilst sitting on the throne had its own excitement. Even seeing new ponies arrive at Canterlot to settle down was just as entertaining.
Despite how it may sound, we did manage through it all. We may have had preferences on how to live, but that didn't matter. Our kingdom came before everything else. Sunlight and I tossed aside our drive for excitement and weakness to overwhelming abundance for Canterlot and all of Equestria.
That's when Celestia was born first. Even with her birth, things didn't become more difficult for us. But we were treated to a lot of crying in the morning and night. But she did cry more in the night than the morning.
19 years later.
Then after that, Luna was born. But right before she was born, we had collectively decided on something. Celestia was already prone to be the next heir of Equestria. But we weren't sure about passing such a huge burden to her. But surprisingly...
"So you see, Celestia. Very soon, you'll be on the throne as Princess. And then maybe soon, you can find yourself a king to sit by you." Sunlight said. "We hope it's not too much of a burden."
"Wait. You're going to retire soon?" Celestia said.
"No-no-no. We won't retire. Not at all. Not even soon either." Eventide shook his head. "It is just something natural to Royal Families after all. You're the heir."
"Oh. Okay. But, am I ready for that? I mean, being a ruler sounds like a big deal." Celestia scrunched her mouth. "And what about my sister? Is she next?"
"Most likely. But listen. When you become princess or queen, you'll have to go past what you're normally used to. Your father and I weren't used to the activities and events that happened here. But, we learned to adapt to them. Can you do the same?
"Well...it sounds boring." Celestia pouted. "Sitting around all day and everything. I mean, nothing interesting happens in Canterlot or Equestria."
"That's not true. Well...partially." Sunlight uttered. "It's true. This kind of life isn't the most exhilarating. We thought the same thing ourselves. But there are ways they can be. Like friends."
"Friends?"
"Yes." Eventide nodded. "Despite the circumstances or situation, you can always count on your friends to give you that enjoyment you're missing. Friends have their way of having fun. Besides, who said you didn't need to have fun as a ruler?"
"Oooh...I get what you mean." Celestia nodded in understanding. "But...do you two even like being king and queen?"
"It's alright." They both said.
"But what matters more than that is putting your subjects before everything else. No matter what, you'll never abandon them, even if it gets rough, right?"
"Right. I won't. I'll do my best, mother. Father."
Reality.
"Were you expecting something different from what we told you?" Eventide said.
"Wait, that's it?" Twilight sat up. "That's all? I thought there would be more! Maybe something massive happened to push you over the edge! Or-or maybe you ended up deciding to-"
"Nothing like that." Sunlight shook her head. "Because you see, compared to our time as rulers, nothing dark threatened Equestria. But Celestia's time certainly did. Tirek, Discord, the Everfree Forest, Sombra and more. So many threats had usurped during her time as compared to ours. I'm a little bit jealous she and Luna got to have so much to tackle while we were left within nothing."
"Oh. So...I guess your time was just peaceful. That's all. Is that why you aren't that noticed in history books? Doesn't seem like something for that." Twilight sat down.
"Oh, no. That's not why. Celestia and Luna just had a bigger impact on things. We're still remembered despite all we've said." Eventide chuckled. "Yes. Their legacy won't be forgotten, that's for sure. And you all. Can you make new legacies that will last forever as well?"
"Yeah, we will!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "When I become Equestria's Pokemon Champion, I'm gonna leave behind one monster of a legacy."
"We'll leave our behind. Mine is spreading friendship to all walks of life." Twilight said. "So that it'll last forever."
"And the rest of you?" Sunlight asked as everyone shrugged. They weren't sure if they could ever leave their own legacies behind. Some already had something in mind, however. "Well, you all think about that. And when you do leave those legacies, we'll make sure to spread them to others. After all, we alicorns aren't going anywhere."
"Same here." Pinkie Pie raised her hoof. "Thanks to Ash and Ho-oh, we're gonna live waaaayyy longer. Like you all!"
"Huh?!" Sunlight pulled back along with Eventide. "Y-You're joking right?"
"Glad she ain't." Applejack nudged as everyone laughed. After a while, the break had ended up with lesions resuming. Sunlight and Eventide stayed behind to watch them play out.
While they may not be as memorable as their daughters, it's undeniable that they had their own impact. Sunlight and Eventide are the reason for Celestia and Luna's strong hearts. And it was safe to say that this impact will carry on from pony, Pokemon, human, dragon etc as the journey continues.
Chapter 552 End.