//------------------------------// // Hulbury's Top Model // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Galar. Hulbury Town. Nightfall. Hulbury Town. Located in Central Galar, this was a bustling seaport that many visit to see its lively market stalls and famed restaurant. But at the moment, some were about to rest. Either from the arrival of the moon or arriving at this town from another region entirely. In this case, Ash's friends Equestria and the Human World were the ones who showed up. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had come from Equestria, appearing in their human forms after passing through the mirror portal and a peculiar Infinity Gateway that had suddenly vanished. Its current location was unknown. For the Human World, Sci-Twi was with them along with Sunset Shimmer who did originate from Equestria. After coming here from Unova to Galar, the moon had already come up and of course, they experienced jet lag. Luckily for them, Hulbury gave them a small hotel to stay in. And with Professor Oak's money, all expenses had been paid. "Whew...!" Ash was glad to feel the comfort of a bed, even if it wasn't his. "Well, we're here. But maybe now's not the best time to head to the Wild Area, right?" "Right..." Sci-Twi sighed. "We're now far from home at this point. Way more than ever now that the number of gateways has dropped to two." Indeed, this was the furthest Twilight has ever been from home. Mainly due to the absence of so many gateways that used to allow simple transport that would usually take days. But now, it would all certainly take days. "Since we're gonna be humans for a few days until we finish finding an Alpha Pokemon, we'd better get used to it." Rainbow Dash said before lying on her back. "Where did that gateway go though? And why did it suddenly leave?" Sci-Twi said, worried about the Infinity Gateway's sudden departure. "How long is it gonna take for me to head back home too..." "Oh, it's not so bad when you think about it." Sunset Shimmer replied. "After all, the mirror portal's not the only way to head to the Human World. Ghetsis found a way to reach here after all. But I don't know if that was by the gateway or Equestrian Magic." "You'll get home just fine, Twilight. Plus, you can take a shot at being a pony. I mean, Discord did it to me once." Ash Ketchum added. "It's not that bad. It'll freak you out for the first time though." "I guess so. I'm not ready for it yet. Let's just get some rest and find Lopunny by tomorrow." "Before that, I've always wanted to do this!" Pinkie Pie would quickly grab a remote that was near a TV. She needed some entertainment in her eyes and for everyone else as well as she switched would rapidly move her fingers, trying to properly press the correct buttons on it. "Umm...Which is which?" "It's this one." But having a TV herself thanks to the Hearth's Warming/Christmas Gift she received, Rainbow Dash pressed it for her. And the first channel shown was an Entertainment Channel. The group would take the time to enjoy the televised entertainment that the Pokemon World has to offer. Ash, despite knowing this world more than his friends here, has never watched much TV ever since he left on his journey for the first time. And immediately, one of the first things they saw was a show that featured a certain figure here at Hulbury who was currently doing an interview. "So, it's a bigger hassle getting to the Gym in Dodge Junction is harder than it's been, right, Nessa?" The news reporter said to a lady named Nessa. "Multi-tasking both Gyms from Galar to Equestria wasn't this difficult before. I only recently received the position as the Water-Type Gym Leader for Equestria. It used to be at Dodge Junction, but not anymore., so now I have a longer distance to travel." "Oh, that's the new Gym Leader who replaced Misty?" Pinkie Pie pointed out, remembering that Misty was the one who temporarily filled in that second Gym Leader Spot. Ever since the Gym Leader, adjustments had been as the Equestria's Leagues management had changed. "How is it so far? Ever since the Dread League attacked, you didn't really get the chance to head there as much for a few months thanks to the damage." The news lady asked. "The trainers there have a lot to learn. But they're still new to Pokemon, so I don't blame them. But I'd say it's partially because of me that most of them are being held back and have yet to reach the 2nd Gym." Nessa revealed that many trainers from Equestria had failed to get past her so far. "They're all adorable though but that won't let me go easy on them." "They are, aren't they? But maybe holding back a bit isn't so bad. I mean, I know that's what Gym Leaders do but..." "Sorry. I can't do that." Nessa shook her head in disapproval. "The Equestria League needs at least 80 Competitors to enter the preliminaries. And they won't get there with those skills, I'm afraid." She gave honest criticism to all trainers from Equestria who have yet to reach the 3rd, 4th or even 5th Gym. "Wait, she's the reason why the Equestria League hasn't started yet?!" Rainbow Dash gasped. She did hear about how the Equestria League couldn't start because there was a Gym that many struggled to get past. Turns out, Nessa was the reason for doing so. And because of her, the road to becoming Equestria's first Champion wouldn't come sooner. "Maybe I'm being too harsh." Nessa twirled her hair. "But I want to see them succeed. That's all. Us Gym Leaders exist to help bring out the best in Pokemon Trainers." "Maybe a switcharound?" The newslady suggested. "The Equestria League isn't shy when it comes to rearranging things, right?" "I'd like that." Nessa put on a confident smile. "I wouldn't mind being the 6th or 7th Gym Leader to really push them some more. As long as I'm ahead of Milo. He hasn't gotten a role in the Equestria League yet." "Well, aside from your job as a Gym Leader, what about your job as a model? Is that being held back by this long trek you have to make?" "No. Equestria is rather model-friendly actually. But, eventually, I won't be a Gym Leader there forever. They need to find their footing after all. They'll have Gym Leaders that come from Equestria and can help push trainers. But to those who still can't get past me, I'll encourage you while I give you a hard time." Nessa said, looking at the camera with smirk. "If you feel like exacting revenge, you can find me at Dodge Junction or my home, Hulbury. Good luck." "Hulbury? Oh, that's here!" Pinkie Pie gasped as Nessa was this town's Gym Leader. "Yeesh, that's rough." Sunset Shimmer shook her head. "But I guess I should be grateful somewhat. Because of her, I'm able to attend school without going back and forth." "Oh, right. You would already know her, Sunset." Sci-Twi said, referring to the fact that Sunset Shimmer was Equestria 3rd Gym Leader. "How is she?" "Haven't met her yet. I've only met and chatted with Misty when she was Equestria's 2nd Gym Leader for a while. Itl looks like Misty went a bit easier on them than Nessa, huh?" "Harsher than Misty?" Ash thought about it for a second. Could there really be a Water-Type Specialist that was somehow harsher than Misty from Cerulean? Thinking back to his many experiences with Misty, he shook his head, still believing Misty to be at the top. "Nah..." "Besides, I'll go above and beyond those roles. When I win the Pokemon World Championships, I won't have to worry about any of that." Nessa then revealed her other ambition. And of course, it involved beating Champion Leon. "Her too?" said Ash. Then again, he should've expected this. He had already met with Bea, who was also a Gym Leader from Galar that aimed to beat Leon just like everyone else. "If she's here, then challenging her is free game after what she said." Rainbow Dash went up to the window, pressing her face against it while gazing at the Gym. The Hulbury Gym was one of the bigger structures here, practically impossible to miss. "Right, but you don't need to face her. You've already got your 2nd Gym Badge, Rainbow Dash." Pinkie replied. "Maybe you do, Ash, since you're in the Pokemon World Championships." "Yeah, you're right. Anyway, let's clock out for tomorrow." Rainbow Dash yawned, stretching her hooves while attempting to fly, only to remember that she didn't have wings in her human form. "Oh, right..." Everyone would call it a night but Pinkie would still leave the TV on for background noise. She preferred it that way. Each would sleep in their respective ways. Since this room was rented for Twilight, the bed as all hers. Everyone else would find ways to make themselves comfortable. Ash and Pikachu didn't mind sleeping against the wall. Travelling the world has adjusted them to sleeping on hard surfaces. But most would prefer if it was soft. Mew had transformed into a Snorlax just to give Pinkie Pie a soft place to rest her head while Rainbow Dash dozed off sitting next to the window. Tomorrow would be a new day of intrigue. It wasn't just the Alpha Lopunny but also Nessa, who they had just learned about. A new day had come with the brilliance of the Sun showing itself in the blue skies above. Getting up, the group would continue to their set destination. The Wild Area. Since they were heading to such a vast area with a plethora of Wild Pokemon, the right essentials were needed. Twilight went over what she currently had. Ever since Ash brought Poke Balls of different kinds, she was stacked up with options. The most common was the Quick Ball for obvious reasons. "I think we're good to go here." Twilight zipped her bag. "How about everyone?" "Just a bit longer!" Pinkie Pie was seated on the bed as her eyes were locked onto the TV. A show had caught her interest, gluing her to the bed. An entertaining animated show is what captured her eyes. "Maybe later." Rainbow Dash would try and turn off the TV, only for Mew to use Psychic, holding the remote away from here. He was also interested in it. "Woulda ya look at that..." Ash held out his Rotomphone as a notification came through. And it was something he was expecting since last night. "A World Championship Battle is near." The Rotomphone said as the chance for a Pokemon World Championship Battle was nearby. He would then see who it was as the image of the specific trainer would appear. The Gym Leader of Hulbury, Nessa. "And it's Nessa. I guess she's online now. Lucky us, Pikachu!" "Pika-Pikachu!" "Uh, maybe later, you two." Sci-Twi slid over, placing her hand on Ash's shoulder. "I'd like you to be there at the Wild Area, please. I-If it's not a hassle. I can always go with the others." "Ah, don't worry about it. We'll finish the Wild Area first before I challenge Nessa." Ash stuck to the main objective. "How are we gonna do this? By foot or boat? Carlita took a boat from Unovaa to try and reach here, so I think we're ahead right now." "If I could fly even like this, that would be so great." Rainbow Dash jumped, trying to unleash hidden wings. She was already aware of her counterpart being able to do so despite not being born as a pegasus or even a pony. It was simply the magic. "There's always the best way to travel." Pinkie winked, pointing her thumb over at Mew. Mew would then grin as his various transformations allowed for various forms of travel. But knowing Mew, he'd probably be bombastic and go for Lugia. Despite all these options, they would go by foot anyway. Ash would keep the Pokemon World Championship Challenge on hold until he was ready to accept it. As seen on the map, the Wild Area was between Motostoke and Hammerlocke, so there was ways to go, even if they were to use the trains here, they would still have to trek there by foot. Meanwhile, away from Ash's group, the Gym Leader Nessa was currently in her Gym. But there wasn't a Gym Battle going on at the moment. Instead, Nessa held her own Rotomphone out as the same notification that Ash received went off. Nessa would see Ash's face along with his rank as well. "Oh, that's him?" Nessa recognized the face of Ash. "He's been making a name for himself over at Equestria. And with a such high rank too...I could rise the ranks with this." Since Ash had a relatively high rank, defeating someone with this number is a good opportunity for any trainer to ascend. Nessa even knew that in the case of Ash, this was a huge chance. Ash wasn't extremely popular in the Pokemon World, even with his achievements and status as King of the Sea. But in Equestria, he was well-known by almost, if-not everyone, granting him a grand status. And since Nessa now heads back and forth to Galar and Equestria, why dodge a chance like this? With a smile on her face, Nessa was ready to strike. "I wonder if I beat him, I'll become just as popular, if not more popular than him." Nessa had another ambition. As a model, popularity was certainly a factor, especially since she was also aiming to take down Leon. It was safe to say that Nessa was an opportunist. She accepted the World Championship Challenge. However, even though she accepted it, she would have to wait thanks to Ash's current decision. "Your World Champsionship Battle is put on hold until your challenger is ready to accept." The Rotomphone said as Ash put it on hold. "Fine. But you're near, Ash. I hope you're ready for me." Wild Area. The Wild Area. The vast expanse of the Galar Region that adjoins the cities of Motostoke and Hammerlocke. This was a place where a majority of Wild Pokemon call their home. No one will find a shortage of Pokemon in this area. 18 Sub Areas in total. Each with unique shapes. Ash's group had left Hulbury, passing through another area to reach here. That would be Motostoke as it was the closest. "Woohoo!" And already, Ash and the others were enjoying themselves, mainly with Ash and Pikachu sliding down a hill just for the fun of it. This was also done by Pinkie Pie who was travelling down the hill differently. Mew had turned himself into a Carracosta, allowing Pinkie Pie to ride on his back while he descended the hill. "Pikaaa!" "Can you two wait up?!" Sci-Twi cried out while standing at the top of the hill. "Maybe now is a good time to let Rapidash and the others roam freely. The Wild Area is big enough for that." "I can help you find Lopunny easier with one of my Pokemon." Rainbow Dash said, holding up a Poke Ball. And out of it emerged her ace Pokemon, Braviary. "Braviary!" "If you want to find Alpha Lopunny, try a place where most Pokemon don't gather." Sunset Shimmer suggested while carefully climbing down the hill. "After all, Alpha Pokemon are very hostile, which should also make them territorial." "That's a good point. Try to keep up, okay?" Rainbow Dash gave a thumbs-up before also sliding down the hill, joining Ash, Pikachu, Pinkie and Mew. "Alright then." Twilight replied before looking at the hill and its height. It wasn't that tall the more Twilight looked at it but heading down this hill should be taken with caution. Compared to the others, she would take the most care in climbing the hill. But thankfully, since Sunset Shimmer was nearby, she would help Twilight descend it, holding onto her arm to guarantee some safety. If only Twilight had an aerial Pokemon to help her through this. "Ribom! Ribombee!" While descending from the hill, the sight of various Ribombee flying by would occur, startling Sci-Twi with how close they were and the sound of their buzzing. It even startled Hisuian Zorua who was still within the bag. Ash himself would come to a screeching halt next to a group of Hippopotas who were crunching down at large berries. While staring at the Ground-Types, this resulted in Pinkie Pie crashing into Ash's back, causing them both fall while Mew reverted to his original form. But despite the crash and Pinkie on top of Ash and Pikachu, they simply laughed it off. It was just friends being friends in the most chaotic way they knew how. And when searching for Alpha Lopunny, they certainly wouldn't take it seriously. They were determined to finish this objective but they were certainly loose and free as they can be. However, above the skies of Galar and gradually approaching the Wild Area was someone who threw away the concept of freedom. A strange ripple in the sky kept going off, distorting the shape of the clouds and confusing anyone who would take a gander at the azure skies above. This was none other than Pokemon Hunter J's Airship and its invisibility function. Much like her old airship, this one came with an invisibility feature that allowed her to mask herself from the authorities, moving across the skies of the Pokemon and only letting it down when necessary. But right now, even when heading to the Wild Area, J couldn't help but notice something. "Hm?" She leaned in, looking at her screen which gave her an overview of the Wild Area. She too was searching for Alpha Lopunny. She had only recently caught Alpha Kricketune and went for the next target. And when spotting the various Pokemon below, some familiar faces showed up. The faces of Ash and Pikachu. "Of all the rotten luck...Those two?!" J gasped as seeing Ash and Pikachu certainly sparked a reaction out of her. And not a pleasant one. After all, no one has gotten in her way and ruined her plans as much as Ash has. "And would you look at that..." The Desire of Princess Twilight Sparkle within J spoke, also spotting a familiar face. "My true self's counterpart seems to be here as well. These two are normally together when you're involved, aren't they?" "Right. The novice." J scoffed as the screen had also shown her Sci-Twi along with other faces. "I swear this must be some sort of cruel fate. They must be here for Alpha Lopunny as well." "It's a new age and a new world J. I believe it's time I took care of one of them. Mainly my Human Counterpart." The Desire suggested. "You? Finally doing something about this? What can you do?" "Avoid Ash Ketchum at all costs. Take care of my human counterpart. After all, though she may be a counterpart to my true self, essentially, they are the same being. And the best part is...this one is full of issues that my true self previously has. The Princess has grown out of it but the Scientist hasn't." "Ooh...I see." J caught on immediately. Taking advantage of Sci-Twi's weaknesses was a now an option. And another one of these options was avoid Ash at all costs if they could, only capturing Alpha Lopunny. "If she thinks she can catch Alpha Pokemon to try and outpace me, she has another thing coming. I'll crush her spirit right her and now and take all of her Pokemon!" As the journey continues. Chapter 30 End.