//------------------------------// // The Journey Starts with an Old Foe // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Ponyville. Late Afternoon. "Harmony Phenomenon?" Just now, Ash and Rainbow Dash brought some stellar news back to their friends. They spoke in unison after hearing about the Harmony Phenomenon. "Wait. First, it was the Bond Phenomenon and now it's the Harmony Phenomenon?" Carlita said as all this talk of phenomenons was starting to mess with her head. "Is there a third one I don't know about?" "So, it was never the Bond Phenomenon in the first place..." Twilight gasped. "And you're saying that everypony has it??" "Looks to be that way from what Professor Sycamore said. Either by Mega Evolution or something else." Ash replied. "Neat, right? You can all do it! Everyone can do it!" "Pikachu!" "Like right now?" Applejack leaned in. "Yeah. But I'm guessing it's different for everyone since Rainbow Dash and Celestia have two ways of doing it. Or maybe it's just two ways." Ash wondered. "Can we do it with just one Pokemon?" Fluttershy asked. "Uh, he didn't mention anything about that." Ash scratched his face. "But since it's mostly one Pokemon that gets it, then maybe so. Then again, Rarity's got two Mega Stones, doesn't she?" "Indeed. I could perform a double Harmony Phenomenon if I wanted to when I do. "That will be fun to discover." Rarity giggled. "I'm afraid I'll be a bit busy by tomorrow. It is getting late to boot." "Right on. But thanks for telling us anyway, Ash." Applejack then looked to Sceptile. "Ya hear that Sceptile? Soon, we'll be getting some even more special than we've got." "Sceptile!" "Speaking of late...I should head back." Carlita faced Ash. "It's been great visiting here. And to an extent, that whole event that happened back in the Human World. Not done with yet." "Looking forward to seeing you around some more, Carlita." Ash held his arm out as he and Carlita shook hands. "We're not gonna forget about those Alpha Pokemon around, are we?" "Didn't forget about them for a moment. And I'll be seeing you all later, my little ponies." Carlita then faced Twilight and the others. "Especially you two. Spike. Deino." "Thanks for the help, Carlita!" Spike appreciated being helped out by a fellow Dragon Trainer and a Dragon Pokemon. Once more, most of his mentors, if not all of them, have been Dragon Trainers. No better option. "Deino." After that, Carlita was off, heading for Manehattan as that gateway was the closest to Eindoak. I.E, Castelia City which could be found next to the long-lasting town. As for everyone else, they would call it a day. But for Ash and Pikachu, the day will barely end as their adventures have made it so that it feels like multiple hours are left. That was just one of the many joys the felt during this timeless journey to become a Pokemon Master. But for now, heading back to Pallet Town was the best option. They still felt the effects of the vampire attack from last night. It was only until now that he just realized how time flew by compared to what happened in the Human World and learned about the Harmony Phenomenon. "Don't forget, boy. Flurry Heart wishes to go on her adventure. I could teach her some things along the way and unfortunately, you have to be dragged along due to our connection." "It'll be a short but fun journey, Sombra." Ash laughed. "I can't wait!" The Crystal Empire. Day. "I can't wait!" The next day, Flurry Heart from Universe 6 was booming with excitement. Today was the day that she went out on a Pokemon Journey. Albeit a short one. "Today's the day. I really get to go wherever, right?" "That's right." Cadence shook her head. "But just for a bit! It'll be a short journey, remember." "Yeah, I know, mom. But I'll have friends by my side to help me along the way. Especially since I'm already travelling with a pro. Ash. And if I were to choose a region...I'd go with the Sinnoh Region, no doubt!" "Flash. She put a lot of faith in you. So make sure you keep her safe." Shining Armor turned to him. "I will, captain." Flash Sentry saluted before thinking to himself. "Although...I think Ash, Pikachu and Giratina are enough protection for her. I'll just be on the side when I think about it." "Take all of this. Every Pokemon Trainer needs this." Cadence had then used her magic to suddenly bring over a plethora of times. They were all placed inside of a large saddlebag, hovering over Flurry Heart. The young princess gasped before seeing them rain on her. "You won't get hungry or thirsty with all of this. And since the Pokemon World doesn't accept bits yet, you'll need Pokedollars. Lots of them. Luckily, we have enough to go around thanks to BigTime Ben." "Uh..." Flurry Heart tried speaking with her head poking out of the sea of items. Cadence cut her off once more with the next batch of items. "Here are your Poke Balls. I'm only giving you Quick Balls." Cadence dropped next to Flurry Heart. "They're efficient on the first go and that'll decrease the chances of you having to engage in a Pokemon Battle. Especially against a powerful Pokemon." "But I already have a powerful Pokemon, mom. Giratina." "Giratina or not, those Pokemon are unpredictable." Cadence shook her head. "At least give her other Poke Balls in case the Quick Balls fail. They don't always catch a Pokemon on the first turn, Cadence." Shining Armor recommended. "Oh. Right. You have a point there..." Cadence bit her hoof. "Alright then. How does a Timer Ball sound?" She chose the complete opposite of the Quick Ball. The Timer Ball. "If a Pokemon's giving you trouble, just use it depending on how long the battle's been going on. And just like that, your chances skyrocket." "You gotta have more faith in Giratina mom...but thanks anyway." The young princess from another universe laughed. "And you're not forgetting one other batch of items, right?" "Oh. Your Pokemon Cards." Cadence pulled out Flurry Heart's favourite pastime activities. Collecting Pokemon Cards. She had a massive collection of them as it was her ultimate hobby. Thankfully, they were minuscule enough to be placed with the saddlebag even with all the items added. Magic was the result of that. "Sweet! Maybe I could buy some more along the way." She happily held the bag with the cards within. "Also...Ash, Pikachu and Sombra should be here right about now." "Hey, there!" Just as Flurry Heart predicted, here they were, sliding into the room. Sombra was under his Jet Black disguise whilst within the Crystal Empire, wanting to avoid the public from noticing him. "Right on time. Right?" "Right! Thanks for making it you three." Flurry Heart placed the bag around her, prancing over to her friends. "I've got everything ready." "And make sure that Sombra's kept an eye on as well..." Shining Armor whispered to Flash Sentry. The pegasus understood clear as day. "Let's head to Sinnoh, guys." Flurry Heart held out a map of Sinnoh. "Which gateway's the closest to it?" "The closest is Canalave City. That gateway moved a while ago, so now it's near Vanhoover." Ash explained. "We can take that and it's Hello Sinnoh." "Great! Well, we'll be off now, mom. Dad. I'll be back tomorrow. Or maybe the day after that." "Just make it soon. Your younger self from this world will be rooting for you. As will we." Cadence held out baby Flurry Heart who was giggling at her older self. "We also need to find a better way to name you both...Saying self is just getting tiring now." "I'll figure that out along the way." Flurry Heart chuckled before then zipping her bag. "Okay, enough talk! Let's go!" "Pikachu!" And they were off. A nervous part of the two rulers of the Crystal Empire kept poking out. But they had faith in their daughter's return. Even if she wasn't from this universe, she was still family either way. "Alright." Shining Armor took a deep breath. "If we focus too much on this, we won't get any rest tonight. Let's turn our attention to something else, Cadence. Something that endangers not just her but everyone else." "You mean the Dread League, right? Aunt Celestia already told me yesterday." Cadence nodded as the existence of the Dread League had been brought over to the Crystal Empire. "And thanks to Chrysalis getting some knowledge from her mother Mellifera, we know where they are. They're closer than we think." Indeed. Ever since Mellifera shared information about the Dread League to Chrysalis months ago, their existence and where the nation of Magehold resided had been revealed. Somewhere, hidden in the Frozen North, this land of vampires, skeletons and the Lich Queen could be found. And nothing but terror and despair awaits there. Sinnoh. Canalave City. Afternoon. The wonderful port city of Canalave City. Bisected by a canal while always possessing a distinctly exotic air of foreign culture. Flurry Heart had a lot to see in the Pokemon World. Next to the residents of Pegalysium, she hadn't even scratched the surface of Pokemon at all. Immediately, she set her sights on the building that attracted her the most. Not the Gym or even the only library in the Sinnoh Region. A new area. Not necessarily new enough to be made after the crossing over of both worlds, but it was made here in Canalave a few years back to still be considered new and young. Located on the near outskirts of the city, it was an arcade. Predictably, it was known as the Zero Arcade with a stylish number zero being next to the R. She set her sights on that before anything else. Ash, Pikachu and Flash Sentry were eager as well as they approached the arcade. Once inside, the bombardment of colours had graced their eyes. They were there to lighten the darkened room while also highlighting the various players and arcades. A stunning variety could be found. Arcade Games, pinball machines, claw cranes, billiards and so much more for different audiences. "Every region's getting something new over the years, huh, buddy?" Ash spoke, elated that there was always something new even in regions he had previously visited. To a big adventurer such as himself, this meant that no matter what, there would never be a boring visit with something new waiting somewhere out there. "Pika-Pikachu!" "An Arcade..." Flash's eyes widened for a bit, gazing at the colourful interior. "I remember when I wanted to go to the Arcade." "Good times, right?" Flurry Heart turned to him. "Nope. I said I wanted to." Flash Sentry took off his helmet, shaking his head. "Never got the chance though." "Why not?" Ash and Flurry Heart both asked. "Well, I had the dream of becoming a Royal Guard." He then looked at the helmet. "It was bigger than anything I ever wanted. But I guess shooting for that dream with such passion led to me missing out on a lot. Because my parents figured that I shouldn't waste time on something like arcade games when I should be putting all of that time into becoming a Royal Guard. And I mean, it paid off. Look where I am now." "Oh, Flash. That's a bummer though." The alicorn's ears dropped, feeling for Flash and the things he had missed out on. "Your parents had the right decisions in mind." Sombra thought differently with a smirk gracing his face, being a stark contrast to Flurry Heart. "It's always the superior idea to stay fixated on one thing. I aimed to be a king and lo and behold, I was once the ruler of the Crystal Empire." "Yeah, but you gotta have fun here and there doing other stuff." Flurry Heart pouted in response. "You've both got a point." Ash stepped in. "You always gotta shoot for what you love. But there's also knowing when to have fun too. Sometimes, you can do it when you're aiming for your goal. And Flash. Now's your chance to catch up." "Huh? Catch up?" "Yeah. We're in an Arcade now, aren't we? Here's your chance to go where you never got to go for so long. Let's do it." Ash showed Flash Sentry what he had been missing out on. Flash realized that this was his chance. He got his position as a Royal Guard, so there was nothing to stop him anywhere. "You're right! This is going to be great! I can't wait!" "Neither can I! Oh! Let's start with that!" Flurry Heart already found the first game to try out, immediately using her magic to drag Flash Sentry along. Ash and Pikachu set their sights on another game while Sombra merely chose to stay out of this. All of this was of no interest to him for even a moment. But either way, they had a blast. The group split off to try different games and test their skills. Ash got to try out one of the Arcade Games, choosing a racing one. He was in the mood for something of high-adrenaline and this was perfect. Flash saw some glasses that he wished to wear in the crane game, testing his luck. Alas, he came to experience the horror that was crane games. Flurry Heart sat on a special chair that struck her fancy. Upon sitting on it, not only did the chair start vibrating, massaging her and making her feel comfortable, but she could also move with it. Pikachu took part in an arcade game that was built for Pokemon. All he had to do was approach it and stand on a pad. The Mouse Pokemon looked at his arms and the screen in front of him, feeling connected to it. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he started indulging in it once he was moving his arms, playing a virtual tennis game. The group swapped games constantly. Going from one arcade game to the other. Along the way, they started scoring points. And also tickets that were being gathered. Sombra just sat in the corner, hearing the cheers and chatter of everyone within the arcade. They were certainly having fun. But eventually, something did catch Sombra's eye. One of the arcade games looked rather interesting. A sort of space game involving attacking spaceships. The former Ruler of the Crystal Empire certainly didn't want to just sit around and neither did he want to make it seem like he would enjoy himself. So, with the power of improvisation, he had used his magic. He telekinetically grabbed a Pokedollar from one of the Arcade Machines of a child, sneaking it away from him without the child noticing. After grabbing that dollar, he inserted it within the machine that caught his attention, starting the game. Thanks to his magic, he could control the game from afar without needing to use his hooves. And before he knew it, Sombra found himself something that he could enjoy. He started blasting away at the ships, immediately imaging them as Twilight and the others to only further get into the action. It pleased him greatly. Minutes upon minutes passed with the enjoyment they found. Especially Flash, who had missed out on this since his childhood. Truly a great start to this journey as Ash was surrounded by tickets, having the power to purchase whatever he wanted with them. And noticing him with all of these tickets was someone who had just left the staff room. A man saw him with the lights from the arcade missing him, covering him in shadows. Mainly his face. The rest of his casual wear was exposed. Upon seeing Ash, a smirk met his face as he approached the Alola Champion. "These are a lot, huh, buddy. Looks like you got your own prizes when you beat that game." Ash looked at Pikachu with garments of tickets. "Pikachu!" Pikachu received food as treats. He patted his belly, feeling satisfied with his victory. "You think I could buy that chair?" Flurry Heart asked, already loving that chair that she could move and massage herself with. "I'm sorry. But it's not for sale." Just then, the voice of the man who saw Ash had replied to Flurry Heart after finally arriving on their spot. "Well. Look who's here." "Huh?" Ash felt like he recognized this voice. So did Pikachu. Both of them turned around to the one who replied to Flurry Heart. And when they did, they saw a familiar face. A very intimidating familiar face via an old foe from years back in this very region. Zero. "It's been a while. Ash." Zero spoke. "Hey, you're...Zero!" It clicked to Ash. Zero had returned after so long. "Pika!" "A friend of yours?" Flash Sentry asked. "Oh, sadly, that isn't the case." Zero shook his head. "I never thought I'd meet an old enemy here after so long." "Yeah..." Ash nodded his head as him and his partner and Zero looked at each other for a bit. There was a tense atmosphere now. One that brought even Sombra over. Flurry Heart and Flash Sentry could feel this shift in the atmosphere and the tension that it brought. It was always so nerve-wracking to see old foes meet up once more. However, that tension was soon broken up once Ash, Pikachu and Zero started laughing, confusing the three ponies. The trio could only laugh at what they had been through ever since their first encounter. "Haha! Well, looks like you got out, huh?" "Hm-hm. I did. Served my time and reduced it by being of great help." Zero chuckled. "Even when locked up, I made inventions that benefitted the prison I was at. I never slowed down with my creative mind and what I could craft." "Awesome!" Ash gawked. "It is. I once wished to harness cataclysmic power over dimensions and now look at me. Strange how things turn out sometimes." "So before this, you were like an evil genius then?" Flurry Heart questioned. "Correct, my little pony. You see, I had once wished to harness the power of Giratina so that I could travel through dimensions. Could've been a king as well." Zero smirked, thinking back to years ago during his vehement mission to capture Giratina. "Especially the Reverse World. But of course, along came you two. Ash. Pikachu. It was best that you stopped me." "Giratina...?" Flurry Heart gasped as she soon realized that she had a Giratina. "And, wait. Don't you mean Distortion Realm?" "No, the Reverse Realm. Giratina owns two different realms. The Distortion Realm and the Reverse World." Zero explained. "Well...I have a Giratina." Flurry Heart revealed the Ultra Ball to him. "You do?!" Zero gasped as Flash Sentry covered the young alicorn's mouth. Knowing that he once tried to have Giratina's power in the past, Flash Sentry feared that he might try it again. "Pretend she never said that!" Flash exclaimed but it was too late. After learning that Flurry Heart had a Giratina of her own, this revelation did only one thing to Zero. He thought back to his attempts to capture Giratina. All that hard work he went through just to end up in failure and a pony that was younger than him ended up having one as a friend before he did. This didn't infuriate Zero. Instead, it made him laugh. Laugh at his failure compared to Flurry Heart's success. The contrast was stellar as Zero only found humour in it. "Hahaha!" He put his hand over his face. "To think...all that hard work. And all it took was an Ultra Ball. Hmph. No complaints here. Anyway, it's in the past. You have no reason to fear what I could do next." "Okay..." Flash pulled his hooves away from Flurry Heart's mouth. "Besides. I've moved on to better things. Such as this. My Arcade. The Zero Arcade. When my sentence was reduced and I would soon finish my time, I was offered a chance to have a go at science once more for another lab. I declined, opting to go for something else on a lower scale. And here we are. I made this arcade with what I could perceive. Welcome to the Zero Arcade." "So this is your Arcade? Aw, sweet!" "Pikachu!" "Nice place you got here." Flurry Heart nudged him. "Everything here is so fun and advanced too." "It should be. I spent years perfecting virtual inventions to make this arcade possible. Mostly everything here is traditional arcade fare, but my best work shines with the ones that are virtual. Of course, none of them are in this room." "They aren't? What about the one Pikachu experienced?" Ash asked. "It's close. But not quite. Allow me to show you." Zero would gladly show them all the room where all the magic truly happens. Virtual games that he stated to have perfected. There was no doubt that Zero was a genius. Right past the nearest door, the next game room could be found. Appearing identical to the first one, but with a greater variety of machines. Virtual ones with striking effects. Clearly, even if someone were to finish all the games in the first room, there was this room, waiting to show off more. "Everything here is made by me, catering to everyone's personal favourite activities." Zero showcased the room. "Right now, no one is using it, but it does get a plethora of players." "Oooh..." Ash, Pikachu and Flurry Heart pressed their faces on a machine screen. They started zipping around, looking left and right at everything that this room had to offer. But, there was something that grabbed Flurry Heart's attention. Even more so than what the first room had to offer. There was one game that catered to her the most as Zero perfectly mentioned and confirmed how everyone's personal favourites were here. She froze in place, standing before a giant virtual box that was focused on one thing. Flurry Heart's favourite activity out there. Pokemon Cards. "Woah...A Pokemon Card Game?" "Like what you see?" Zero walked over. "A virtual recreation of the popular card game that already exists. I didn't just invent in prison. Sometimes, I would have a nice past-time by playing cards. This game is my personal favourite among everything else here." "I love Pokemon Cards! I've got a huge collection right here!" To express her love for them, the young alicorn pulled out her box from her bag, showing it to Zero. "Do you think I could try it out?!" "What's stopping you from doing so?" Zero shrugged. "Of course...you will need someone to go against. No one else here has a deck...except for me." Just then, Zero revealed his own collection to Flurry Heart. He indeed shared the same love for this game as the pony from another universe, past the already known connected universe. "So. How about this? Let's have ourselves a card battle." "Card Battle?" Ash pondered. "Oooh, I've never seen that yet come to think of it." "Pikachu." "Yes please!" She accepted without a second thought. A chance to play with her cards at last. No way she was going to miss out on this chance. Once the two of them entered the virtual box, the game sensed two individuals entering it. Flurry Heart and Zero. Immediately, Flurry Heart saw that her hooves were placed on a pedestal along with Zero. In front of their respective sides, 5 card slots had appeared. "Here's the fun part, my little pony. The cards that we play will show the Pokemon via a holographic effect. Makes it feel like they're really there. Even though they aren't." Zero explained. "And as for certain cards, this simulation will add some new ones to your decks. Cards that are focused on the ones you know and love." "Really?" Flurry Heart wondered if this was true. She used her magic to look at her cards before noticing some new ones pop into existence. The young alicorn gasped before pulling out the cards that had been materialized. And upon looking at them, they were of her friends and family. Cadence, Shining Armor, Twilight, Ash and more. All of them had their own cards that were never in Flurry Heart's collection. But such was the way of the game. "Mom! Dad! And everyone else? Amazing!" "Isn't it? It helps spice things up a bit. And they each work in unique ways. Now then...since you've been collecting them, you at least know how the game is played, correct?" "Oh yeah! I look at what these cards say a lot of time, so I know what to do." Flurry Heart grinned with confidence. Ash, Pikachu, Flash and Sombra sat down to watch this incoming match with three of them cheering her on. "Good. Now then, enough chatter!" Zero eyes flared as a timer that went up to 30 minutes had appeared above them. The stage had been set. "It's time to duel! I expect nothing but your best strategies." "I'm about to figure out what my best strategies could be." Flurry Heart replied as the first round had come. The time was now. Certainly, this was not the first thing that everyone does on a first-time Pokemon Journey. But that's what makes them all so much fun. Meeting with an old foe in a fun place was an odd combination, yet not a dull one. This duel between Zero and Flurry Heart had begun as the journey continues. Chapter 765 End.