//------------------------------// // Destined Solitude. Meeting with Giovanni // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Pegalysium. Ethereal Pavilion. The Pokemon Festival. Nightfall. Up at the Ethereal Pavilion, the view of Windkiss' past continued and everything she left behind. Previously, Ash and his friends viewed two memories. The day she made the Pavilion and the day she met an invisible pony from Equestria. With these two memories, they learned a lot. And right now, even when the moon was out, they managed to view a memory that came after the first one which was fairly lengthy. It followed Windkiss' experience on how she reacted to the potential outcomes in the future. Mainly, concerning the Pavilion and the presence of the Indigo Alliance. Because of this fear, she tried cheering herself up by witnessing everyone's enjoyment at the Pavilion and the various shows it bestowed. The diary already revealed what happened on the second day. These were the words spoken by it via Windkiss' own voice, minutes ago. "Dear Diary. It's been a day since the Ethereal Pavilion opened up. My fears of the Indigo Alliance still run strong, sadly. Even though I made this place to get away from them, I can never forget about them or stop bringing them up. My sages are right. That's my biggest weakness by far. I'm always fearing the worst. But...on this second day, when I saw how everypony enjoyed themselves, it eased me down." Windkiss could be seen looking over a balcony, witnessing how everypony admired this show. The show in particular was a hypothetical view of the cosmos itself since nopony here has ever seen outer space. And for a hypothetical rendition, it was accurate, mainly considering who made it. In the current day, Ash and everyone got to witness this show as well. They saw how all the planets and stars moved so beautifully as if they were dancing. "Sweet!" Ash gawked at this sight. "Pika..!" "I knew we'd get the chance to look at the stars again in a peaceful way!" Rarity exclaimed as her dream to admire the stars without having to worry about any conflict came true. Although, it wasn't in the way she expected it to be. Viewing it from the past was a new but definitely welcomed experience. "But why isn't Windkiss feeling the same?" Twilight wondered, gazing at the magical projection of Windkiss. All these smiles brought some happiness to her. Her main objective was realized. In this instance, everyone else forgot about the Indigo Alliance entirely. However, even though it made everyone wonderfully happy, it didn't soothe her fears at all. She was the only one not enjoying the pavilion. "This is great...so then why can't I get it out of my head?" She placed her hooves on her head, whimpering a bit. That's when Windkisss saw something rather special that answered everything for her. She wasn't the only one nervous about the Indigo Alliance. Other ponies here had reasonable fears and worries even with the amazing sight before them. They feared that the Indigo Alliance had snuck in and were waiting for the right moment to strike. But they all had something in common. Or someone. A friend. Their friends who were less stressed about those fears were there to ease them. As long as they had friends who brought a unique sense of safety, they had little to fear. "That's right...I don't have any friends." Windkiss' heart sank after saying that. Something new about her had also been revealed. She had no friends in her life, surprisingly. For how wonderful her magic was and the beauty of the Ethereal Pavilion, it was surprising. But at the same time, it made sense as to why this was the case. "She didn't have any friends?" Pinkie Pie gasped. "I thought for sure she would've had some." "It's not uncommon for something like this to happen." Cynthia shook her head. "She's from a noble family and possesses such an amazing magical ability. Sometimes, those that are the most gifted and splendid struggle to find friends." "That's very true." Twilight would know about this. Mainly from Celestia and Luna. "It's a shame though. Not even her sages are counted as friends?" "Or even those Sky Fish. But I guess they can't really do much." Fluttershy added. "What about that pony from Equestria she met before? She didn't become friends with him? Didn't he show up again as promised?" Hilda questioned as there were still possibilities for Windkiss to have a friend. This was only the second day after all and she did meet that pony on the third day. "What else is there, Twilight?" "That's where the second day ends." Twilight showed them the diary. "But the fourth day's touchstone is said to be right over here." She would soon use her magic to zap the nearby touchstone that was on the other side of this room which led to the outside. Instead of showing an arrow that would point them to the next room, the next memory would play instead. It switched to Windkiss standing just in between the outside of the pavilion and the inside. There, she faced some ponies who were showing up to the pavilion for a fun time. It already gained popularity after the show that was displayed. "Dear Diary. Today is the day I try and make some friends for the first time. I heard from my mother and father that friends are there for many things. To help you get started, to give you a push on your way. They're even to help you to turn you around and get your feet on the ground for a brand new day. All the most amazing things I've heard from them as so exciting. It would be nice to have some friends. Somepony to pick me up when I'm down, maybe swallow my pride or each others'. And for once, I'd like somepony to open up to if something goes wrong. My father even says that friends will be there when they're needed and even when they're not. I can't wait to have friends." On this day, she attempted to make friends herself after what she saw on the second day and what she learned on the third day about the Magic of Friendship and the other two Critical Magics. She would greet the ponies in front of her, trying her hoof out at befriending them first. "So...I was wondering if you all would be my friends. We can spend time together anywhere. Mainly here." She asked them, scratching her mane. The Destiny Pegasus certainly wasn't nervous to ask them. She was brimming with confidence. "Oh, no! We can't!" Unexpectedly, the ponies declined right on the spot. "Eh? Why not?" Windkiss pulled back. "We're not worthy, obviously. You're too amazing for us." The ponies chuckled. "I-I am? Thanks but-" "Mhm. Possessing the power of time itself, something that nopony in the Royal Family has achieved before is too amazing. And the Ethereal Pavilion as well? Too splendid." "Well...they are neat and all but-" "And even the other items you crafted. All of it exceeds natural imagination. Please. We aren't at your level. But if you want us to be your servants, that could work!" "It's fine." This was a failure. The ponies saw her in a different way. It was somehow positive and negative at the same time. But, this would not discourage her to keep trying. Surely, not everypony thinks this way and genuinely wants to be friends with her. Her voice from the diary spoke once more, sharing what else came next. "I'm apparently too respected to have friends. No one is in my league, according to what everypony says. I don't get that, honestly. Even my sages think the same surprisingly. I kept trying though, seeing if I could make some friends. I figured that maybe the nobles from the Pegalysium Capital and more fashionable ponies from the Casino City Big Sky would be my friends at least." "Ah! But of course!" The nobles chuckled pompously in front of Windkiss, agreeing to be her friend. "We shall be your friends! Why befriend anypony else when you have us at the wonderful Pegalysium Capital?" "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Windkiss had a beaming grin from this. She felt like she succeeded in making some friends. Elated to a new level, Windkiss felt like she could be at ease with friends by her side. But the diary revealed more to it. "I was so thrilled when I got some friends to be by my side. We could do so much and go everywhere we wanted. But...that's when I found out why they wanted to be my friends so quickly. It was the opposite of why so many of them didn't want to be my friends. It was my magic and my imagination. That's all they wanted. And I guess my family's riches too. Just like that, I stopped seeing them once I found out." Heartbroken, Windkiss felt betrayed by who she thought were her friends who only used her for her magic and wanted every beneficial thing from her that would benefit anyone in existence. For Big Sky, they wanted her time magic to rig games just to have better odds and for the nobles, youth was all they wanted. They wanted to feel the joy of looking young forever. Writing this down in the diary made Windkiss tear up. She rubbed her eyes, trying her best to cry silently, only to fail at it before slamming her face on the diary page. This truly hit her. At this point, Windkiss felt alone. So far, the first few pages of her diary have been nothing but saddening news. Fear of the Indigo Alliance, the fear of being alone and the fake facade of friends. It was all hard on this pegasus who was known for such amazing feats. She would still try, fixating on the invisible pony from yesterday who promised to return one day. She stood on the edge of this sky island, staring at the azure skies which would soon become grey and cloudy, hiding the sun's rays. "I waited for that one pony from Equestria to show up again for weeks...but he never did. And I don't know why. I'm afraid to say it...but I think I'm truly alone." "Please tell me there's something good in there...Cause I'm not crying!" Rainbow Dash scrunched her face, trying to hide her tears away to the best of her abilities. "It's all gut-wrenching, I know. But from what I can gather here...it does get better. But not until the 7th day." Twilight took a sneak peek at one of the pages. That page had a positive outcome to it, potentially leading to more positive pages in this diary. "But...I'm a sucker for consistency and chronologies so we're reading it in order!" "Aww...." Her friends groaned as that meant more time going through saddening moments. But just then, they all looked outside to see the glorious glow of the moon. "But it's getting late. Let's call it a night. Uh...if w can find somewhere to sleep." Twilight squeed before seeing the diary glow once more. With amazement, a new page sprouted out. It was an extra page that was separate from the others as it did not have a number. Windkiss' voice would speak from it once more. "Just a quick intermission. If you're seeing this page that means it's probably nightfall by the time you're done viewing that fourth memory. Tired? I bet. So, to let you rest and still keep up, I created magical beds just for this room. Just tap your hoof on the floor five times and it'll show up. "Tap our hooves five times?" The Mane 6 collectively said before doing just that. But just to make sure they didn't do it out of order, each of them would tap in a unified rhythm. That rhythm did the trip as materializing into existence were magical beds. It managed to detect multiple species in this room, creating a number of beds specifically for them. They were all lifted off the floor before then landing on these soft and comfortable beds. Each were tailored to their respective sizes. From pony to human to Pokemon. "Oh, this is great!" Ash laughed as he automatically starts bouncing on the bed. Pikachu, Pinkie Pie and Mew would start doing the same. "Pikachu!" "It is! It feels exactly like my bed too." Rarity felt some familiarity with this bed. It reminded her of her bedroom. "I think it's made to fit our own needs." Twilight felt the bed. "It feels like mine as well. Even exactly how it's designed as well. Windkiss is truly impressive." "A shame she never got any friends. Or at least, I think so. The diary isn't over yet." Fluttershy said. "I assume the happier parts are when she received friends finally." "But I didn't know it would be so tough on her." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Gee, that blows." "It does, doesn't it? But it can't be helped. Stuff like this always happens to those who are famous." Hilda sighed, sitting up on the bed. "But at least there's always a chance for a better outcome. We can look forward to that tomorrow." "Oh! Check it out! This view is still here!" Ash pointed out how the projection of space was still present even when the flashback had ended. The planets spun around above them all as if they were accessories in a baby cradle. They could admire the soothing sights of space while lying on these comfortable and familiar beds. This pavilion did not fail to surprise them at all. They all stayed silent to gaze at the spiralling cosmos which would soon descend to get closer to them. Ash held his hand out, grabbing a hold of the Sun while Pikachu held Jupiter. They suddenly felt physical to them as this was most definitely a part of these magical beds and Windkiss' expertise in magic kicked in. Everyone else would soon have a planet in their grasp. Twilight held the planet Juno with her magic instead, managing to move it around as she could interact with this show instead of just gazing. That added to the excitement. Applejack caught the planet Dian in her hat as if she playing a cup game. Rainbow Dash caught Mercury in her wing before rolling it around. Fluttershy had caught Pluto via an accidental landing on her face which would then be picked up by Audino. Rarity had Venus land on her horn before then twirling it as if she was holding a basketball. Finally, Pinkie Pie used her fairly bushy tail to catch Saturn. Cynthia, Bertha and Hilda would hold Uranus, Minverna and Neptune as there were many other planets and stars for them to interact with. It was certainly a massive contrast compared to what they went through back at the Galaxy Tower. It felt amazing to hold the planets and stars s if they were giants. Thankfully, they weren't the real deal, otherwise, that would cause major problems and one of them would definitely lose a hand. Eventually, after admiring the cosmos, they all began falling asleep, resting here at the Ethereal Pavilion. It was a peaceful night for them with no disruption. And as to be expected, Absol would stay up, keeping guard despite how peaceful the pavilion was. Absol always refused to let his guard down. Watching them was none other than the Royal Family, who were currently disguising themselves as the sages from the past, having the same glow and echoed voice. "Boy...I never knew it got that bad for Windkiss." Shooting Star said. "She never had any friends?" "Not for a while. But eventually, she did find a friend." Paramount said. "Isn't that right, dear?" "That's right. My grandmother to be exact." Luminary revealed to Shooting tar that her grandmother knew and was friends with Windkiss in the past. "I remember how my grandmother mentioned how thrilled Windkiss was when she found a true friend. The reaction was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. In fact...it was so explosive, she managed to change it from day to night." "For real...?!" Shooting Star gasped before putting his mouth over his hooves, trying not to wake them up or even alert Absol. "Funnily enough, Windkiss' true potential was never realized. Despite having Time Magic, she never used it to go back in time to change anything. That's why she left the Clock Door to us. Sothat no one would take advantage of such a power." Paramount explained. "But that one moment of happiness made her accidentally fast-forward time to one day. Of course, it was fixed but my grandmother never forgot it and now my entire family knows it." "Oooh..." An amazed Shooting Star uttered. "So then, if that's the case, what's up with the tiara? Windkiss left so much behind but what can that one tiara show you exactly?" "Well, why don't we head there and see for ourselves?" Paramount suggested that they try the tiara on. "It can show you a lot. Even though that is the only function, depending on who puts it on, the tiara will show the wearer something unique." "I can't wait to see what it gives me. Maybe a hint on my own new magic?" Shooting Star wondered as they slowly creep away from this area, keeping a low profile. It was off to the room where the tiara could be found. Kanto. Near Fuchsia City. Out in a forest. Nightfall. Celestia and Luna had arrived. Tracking down the Matori Matrix, they found this special Team Rocket Group and the Pokemon they captured. The Matori Matrix's chances of escaping had dwindled because of this. To make matters worse for them, their Pokemon were down and out after what happened back at the Pokemon House. The only one with at least a healthy Pokemon was Matori. Watching through Matori's phone was Team Rocket's Leader Giovanni, who saw Celestia and Luna for the first time. "This is bad..." Matori grumbled as she would have to answer to not just two alicorns, but two alicorns who had healthy and powerful Pokemon. Not only that, but Officer Jenny's group were still approaching. The Matori Matrix were in a grim position. "This is as far as you go," Luna said as her magical aura started flaring up with vast intensity. A bit of Lunar Ire was also being summoned by her. "I'm going to pay you back tenfold for what you did." "Hold on. Let's not get aggressive." Celestia halted her little sister. "We could harm this forest and the Pokemon that call it home. But we will be bringing the Pokemon back home, without a doubt." "As if!" Matori shouted in denial, ready to take out one of her Poke Balls. "We've come this far and-" "Matori." Just then, interrupting her was none other than Giovanni himself. "Show me to them." "Yes, sir." Matori would raise the phone, showing Giovanni to Celestia and Luna. "And who would you be?" Celestia questioned. "Who am I? A fellow ruler. I am Team Rocket's leader in its entirety. Giovanni's the name." Giovanni revealed himself to the Royal Sisters without sugarcoating anything. We meet at last, princesses." "That's Team Rocket's leader?" Luna uttered. "Well, I didn't expect to meet the leader so soon." Princess Celestia added. "Definitely not in a forest. Any reason why you want to speak with us now of all times?" "Indeed. I would've thought Matori was more clever than this. The other Pokemon are unable to battle and she only has two that can do anything. But against you two, that won't do." "S-Sorry. I got careless, boss." Matori lowered her head as she almost slipped up by nearly challenging Celesti and Luna. "In that case, do you yield?" said Luna. "You should know when there is a visible disadvantage and when to cut your losses. But I am feeling bitter after what they did." "I can see that. And indeed, Team Rocket does know when to back out when necessary." Giovanni smirked. "But, I'vehearda bout my...lesser known workers being at your world." "Jessie, James and Meowth?" Celestia uttered their names. "What about them?" "Nothing. I thought I could do something with them but... never mind. Back on topic, while we know when to back out, I'm a different story. I like to create a compromise, you see. How about we make a deal?" "A deal?" Celestia repeated, narrowing her eyes. "Yes. You might want to hear this. For your own sake and for Canterlot as well. It's about Team Plasma and their accomplices." "Canterlot? What does that mean?!" Luna roared. Giovanni knew something that they didn't. They saw that look in his eyes. Those were the eyes of a devious plotter who had something crucial that could be unleashed. Celestia and Luna had visible sweatdrops. "Go on..." Celestia agreed to hear what Giovanni had to say. "Say what you can. And about Canterlot as well." "Very well. Read my lips, princesses." As the journey continues. Chapter 942 End.