//------------------------------// // Soft no More // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. The Winged Mountain. Afternoon. After gathering the Pheromosa who were looting Equestria, they all were shocked to see who was the one that called them all here. Rarity's Pheromosa was known by them all as she was responsible for summoning them. To think that she was the one who managed to make that Alpha Song was absolutely ridiculous in every notion. For that, they insulted and lambasted her, seeing her as unfit to be their Alpha. They were all almost on the verge of accepting an Alpha Pheromosa in their life but now that has changed drastically. "Pheromosa!" Her two friends defended her. They were the only Pheromosas who would defend their friend from such slander. How dare they insult her in such a way just because of her generous nature? Naturally, this created tension in the air between these two Pheromosa and a horde of them. "This is bad. We brought them here but not only do we not have a way to maintain them, they don't look too happy with our Pheromosa." Twilight uttered. "What now?!" "Pheromosa doesn't look like she can handle this one!" Pinkie Pie yelped. "Mosa...!" Pheromosa's two friends were now looked down upon since they chose to defend her. And due to that, the Pheromosas were rather bitter now. They would even glance at Ash and the others. They all remember how this Pheromosa was since the Ultra Desert was all that they had. And Pheromosa herself remembered as well. She recalled it all and how things didn't seem different with the rest of her species. Something like this was completely normal. Ultra Space. Ultra Desert. Many Years Ago. The home of the Pheromosa. It was a vast desert landscape filled with turquoise crystals and sand. An abundance of rocky structures and monoliths scattered around the landscape as well as what appear to be small clusters of shrubs. And in this space, obtaining what you want was key. Because of this, the Pheromosa would constantly fight over what gemstones they managed to find, making it a hostile place to live in. But for the Pheromosa, it was the usual. The number of crystals that have been grabbed were outrageous and with gemstones hidden across the Ultra Desert, the Pheromosa would not stop until they had these gemstones. But there was one Pheromosa who took a different approach. Rarity's Pheromosa. Instead of fighting for the gemstones, she would do the opposite. The reason why she and Rarity were such a great combination in the future was because of one reason. Her generosity. At this moment in time, the Pheromosa were grabbing as many gemstones they could find as usual. Plenty of Pheromosa would always end up retreating to recover, knowing when to cut their losses but also vowing revenge. For Rarity's Pheromosa, she wished to give instead of take. "These will do." She would also go out searching for gemstones like the others. And upon finding them, she would decide to share them amongst her species. "Mosa!" She approached a group of Pheromosa, having plenty of gemstones in her clutches. There was reason for this. Not just because she was generous but also because she wished to make friends. "This is my chance to make more friends. I know for a fact this will work." Two of her friends were already around but Pheromosa was the kind to aim higher. The Ultra Desert was a hostile place and for someone like her, she wished to diminish some of that hostility. In her eyes, the best way to do so was by being generous and kind to others. That part of her was thanks to one part of Yuki's Spirit. The one that was filled with love as opposed to what Froslass received. "W-What the? What is it?" The group of Pheromosa looked over at her, seeing the gemstones she brought over. "I just wanted to share these with you that I found! A sign of us getting to know each other." Sharing what the Pheromosa love the most was her game plan. The other Pheromosa would promptly stop their scuffle, looking at Pheromosa with confused expressions. The fact that she would approach them with such a proposition was outrageous. "Heh. However, this was a chance for them to take advantage of Pheromosa. Seeing her generosity, they would use it to their benefit. The Pheromosa would promptly stop any conflict they had, smirking at each other before putting on fake innocent faces, putting on a false act just to take these gemstones without seeming rude about it. "Of course! How sweet of you! We'll gladly take these gemstones you so kindly offered." "Really?! That's great to hear!" For Pheromosa, it was a positive. She felt like she was getting somewhere. One of the Pheromosa would put her arms around her, going along with this plan. "So, how did you manage to find so many gemstones? Mind sharing that with us?" "It just comes to me. I always know the right spot to find something new. It feels like there's another part of me telling me how to do it." Unbeknownst to her, that was the soul of Yuki who was definitely not Human. "Is that so? Then perhaps you can help us with that. Mind finding as many gemstones as you can? For your new friends?" Knowing this, they would use this as a chance to get all the gemstones that they wanted. "Oh, really? Well, I was thining about just chatting right now. This is the longest I've been around someone else without any running or fighting." "Sure, sure, whatever. But you can do that, right? Since you're apparently so good at finding them. It's not often we find this many. Not in one day. Can you do that for us?" "I guess can do that. If it means making new friends." Pheromosa agreed. But this was just where her reputation started to be known across the Ultra Desert. And it was not in a positive light. She was unknowingly being used as a tool to find gemstones. She did have a knack for finding these gemstones which translated well in the present day. And because of this, the other Pheromosa were beginning to realize the benefits that they could gain from this. Because of Rarity's Pheromosa, conflict in the Ultra Desert came to a halt for a while. They would simply stay idle, watching and waiting for Pheromosa to bring them gemstones, just to pretend to be her friend. Her reputation as a softie was known because of this and that made it easy for the other Pheromosa to take advantage of her. Why start battles and hunts over gemstones when they could have this Pheromosa bring them to her? She truly was a natural at it, finding plenty of hidden gemstones in the Ultra Desert that many of these Pheromosa struggled to do. She made it so easy. As for Rarity's Pheromosa, she truly believed she was making new friends. Plenty of Pheromosa would follow her around when she searched for gemstones, making sure she was not alone. But it was only for their own benefit. And as for her real friends, they knew what was going on. The two of them watched from a distance, knowing that their good friend was being taken care of. They understood what friendship truly was and this was as fake as there being water in the Ultra Desert. "How dare they?!" One of her friends growled, refusing to let this stand. She was about to rush in there and take action. And by that, she was intending to attack all those Pheromosa. This Pheromosa was not the one who was the most prone to action. She was the one who only followed what her hot-headed friend did so for her to have this reaction was proof of how wrong this was. "Don't! If we do anything, we could be hunted by them." Her hot-headed friend was actually reasonable in this instance, knowing that it was not worth the risk. "And they all know our faces by now." "But they're using her! What do we do then?" There wasn't much they could do. The two of them were not strong enough to stop them all. But they just couldn't see their friend go through this. Nothing had come up in their minds that could solve this, unfortunately. And for a Pheromosa, talking wasn't exactly their strong suit. But it had to be done. But eventually, the day came when Pheromosa found out the truth. They wouldn't have to do something about it as Pheromosa found out herself. When bringing over new gemstones while walking on her own, she came across a cave that the Pheromosas were currently sitting in. And in there, they were showing off the gemstones that they have gathered. Never before have they managed to find so many. Like ladies at a Jewellery District, they would boast about them. But neither of them were friends. "Oooh, this is wonderful!" A Pheromosa exclaimed. "I look perfect with these tourmalines around me! Who knew they were even here in the first place?" "It's more of a surprise that she knows what these gems are called." Another Pheromosa said, pointing out the fact that Rarity's Pheromosa knew the names of these gemstones. The Pheromosa didn't even know since they've been in this desert their whole life with no other form of communication. "Who cares how she knows their names? As long as we have them." A Pheromosa would juggle some sapphires around. "It does feel a bit satisfying not having to run around so often. Now she's doing it for us." "How long do you think we can keep this up?" "Eh. The Desert is vast. There are probably enough gems to last us for many years. And if they do run out, we won't need her anymore." A Pheromosa shrugged, finally revealing the truth to Pheromosa. "It's all sand here so might as well keep going until a limit is reached." "Right. She doesn't look like she'll run out of stamina that much compared to us. It's nice having someone do all the work for us?" A Pheromosa laughed and so did the others. They truly found this as a staggering benefit. They felt like they were living in luxury right now and it was all because of the hard work Rarity's Pheromosa did. Knowing the truth, Pheromosa didn't even bother to throw her own words in. She didn't even say anything about this. She would simply walk away, not running off since that would make a sound. Her friendship with them was now discovered to be false. They were only freeloading off her talent and generosity. On that day, she ceased any communication with the rest of the Pheromosa, saying nothing and doing nothing. She made herself completely invisible to them, making sure that she vanished without a trace. That way, the rest of the Pheromosa won't have to suspect that she knew the truth. Present Day. "Mosa." Thinking it about it upset Rarity's Pheromosa. But there was no rage boiling within her. She was never mad at them even after finding out the truth all those years ago. And now in the current day, she was being unfairly lambasted even though they were the ones who took advantage of her. Recalling that memory in time and how she walked away from them she was glad that she did. And while there was no animosity or anger, there was a rather strong reaction from Pheromosa. She wasn't about to just stand by and let these insults fly at her some more. Especially when her two real friends were sticking up for her, risking their own safety to defend their closest friend. But now, Pheromosa had the strength to defend herself. She would lightly push her two friends out of the way, confronting the other Pheromosa. Hearing that her friends were also being insulted and threatened prompted her to step forward. That moment of weakness did not last long. "Pheromo!" "Mo?!" To their surprise, Pheromosa gave a powerful retort. She was not as soft as they originally thought. After her battle with her friends earlier and everything she's been through, the Lissome Pokemon definitely knows how to toughen up. To think that this soft Pheromosa would not only try and play herself off as an Alpha but also try and act strong in front of them. That was what was going through their minds. But Pheromosa wasn't acting at all. This was her genuine response and who she could be. When it comes to her friends, all formalities and expected mannerisms are thrown out of the window. Pheromosa did not wish to engage in yet another battle with all of these Pheromosas but if they would dare harm her friends, she would gladly engage. "Pheromosa!" She would then point at all of the Pheromosa, talking about how she wasn't easy to walk all over anymore. Even going as far as to say that she's glad she's out of the Ultra Desert, not having to deal with their nonsense. But now that their nonsense has shown up here, she would gladly put an end to it. And at that moment, Pheromosa declared that they put a stop to their actions. Looting from the entire world would not be allowed. Intimidation tactics were impossible against her by now. Pheromosa was once again, unknowingly appearing as the Alpha in this situation. "Excellent!" Rarity cheered, gleeful at Pheromosa's strong-willed response. "That's my girl!" "She's really living up to that Alpha Status!" Twilight excitingly said. "Are we sure this is going to be temporary?" The other Pheromosa would get into certain stances, ready to take on Rarity's Pheromosa since she was so defiant. They still wouldn't let the one who was so soft walk all over them. But a few Pheromosa in the back were actually very intimidated and did not get into a stance One Pheromosa was rather confident, believing that Rarity's Pheromosa was simply doing this just for show. She wasn't actually capable of doing anything about this. I mean, she has been spending time around Humans and Ponies who didn't look all that threatening to them. To show the others that she was all talk, this one Pheromosa would dash in, attacking Rarity's Pheromosa. "Osa!" However, that was the wrong call. With just one kick, Pheromosa delivered a crushing blow to her opponent's chest. The opposing Pheromosa gasped as the kick was faster than anything that it expected. It was so fast that even the other Pheromosa didn't see it coming. This time, they were the ones who saw a white blur. The kick to the chest was absolutely titanic, generating a powerful sound. This one Pheromosa was sent flying, feeling multiple shockwaves hit its body as it flew over the rest of its species. The pressure even affected many of the Pheromosa knocking them down and disrupting their balance. Some of the Pheromosa who were also attempting to attack her would be launched, rolling and tumbling across the ground. Their jaws dropped as this Pheromosa crashed through a piece of the Winged Mountain, leaving a hole in it. It was a total one-shot. Pheromoa's leg was even smoking, showing just how much power she put into it. There was nothing soft about it. And after seeing such power, the other Pheromosa now knew what she was capable of. She stood over them all while they were on the ground after losing their balance. At last, they saw her as the Alpha Pheromosa and if anyone else wants to challenge her, she would gladly do so by exhibiting greater power. After all, she has battled worse than another one of her species. The Pheromosa submitted. If she could make them all stagger, fall, roll and tumble by just attacking one of them, then they would hate to find out what would happen if she actually took all of them on. All that was left for them to do was walk over to the Pheromosa Idol. They could at least have this beautiful monument based on their species. They would even slowly approach it as Rarity's Pheromosa eyed them down. "Wow. Has Pheromosa always been like this?" Cold Colt asked. "She may not look like it, but my Pheromosa is more than meets the eye," said Rarity, knowing who Pheromosa truly was. And she was truly proud. "And it makes my heart so proud." They would stay here for a while. After all, they had the rest of the Pheromosa to find. Thankfully for them, the plan worked so well that the other Pheromosas were rushing in the direction of where they heard the sound. It would be a while until they would leave the Winged Mountain. Once the Pheromosas approached the idol, they were fawning over it. It easily surpassed everything that they have seen and taken to the point where they fell in love with it. Naturally, this prompted new conflict to rise but thankfully, it was not against Rarity's Pheromosa. Instead, they would start bickering over the idol. The Pheromosas each wanted it for themselves. Unlike gemstones, something like this was singular and the only one of its kind in the world. There was no way they were going to pass this up. And because of this squabbling, it soon turned into a battle. Ash and the others watched as the Pheromosa were fighting against who would get to keep the idol. They obviously intended to bring it with them. The Winged Mountain was soon met with a fierce clash between the Pheromosa species. But they obviously held back just so they wouldn't destroy the idol otherwise it would be for nothing. The Pheromosa won't be going anywhere as the perfect way to keep them in one spot had been found and it just so happened to be the monument. "Well, that's one way to keep them occupied," Ash uttered. "I'll talk to everyone back at Alola to see what they can do. They've got speciality with Ultra Beasts and Ultra Wormholes after all." "But who do you think opened up those Ultra Wormholes? Do you think it's Team Plasma again?" Cold Colt wondered. "We'll find out soon enough," Twilight replied, believing that the answer could come to them soon. And she was right about that because one of her friends already has the answer to that. For now, they could put a pin in this. A potential Pheromosa Nightmare had been stopped. And it was fittingly stopped by another Pheromosa who was now the top Pheromosa of them all. And knowing this, she put on a smile. There was something rather special about being at the top, especially when it involves those that have looked down on her and walked over her. Pheromosa and by extension her other half Froslass, could be proud of this achievement. A truly great level of progression on their part as the journey continues. Chapter 244 End.