//------------------------------// // Wormholes and Gateways // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Out in the Fields. Nightfall. Across the world, the Pheromosa gravitated to one thing. The Pheromisa Idol which was highly effective. However, there was just one issue. Getting them back home. Unlike Ash's time with the Ultra Guardians, sending these Ultra Beasts back to their home would be rather difficult considering that there were multiple of them. Granted, they were all in one area so it was easy to keep them around, plus they now answered to Rarity's Pheromosa. The problem was the fact that they were squabbling over the Pheromosa Idol that was made to lure them in. It was a bit too effective as now it was harder to get them home. However, thanks to Cold Colt, they at least knew the location of one of these Ultra Wormholes. And of course, an Ultra Wormhole could be spotted up there. "That's the one. This definitely leads to the Ultra Desert." Cold Colt said as they all stood before the Ultra Wormhole. "We're gonna get all the Pheromosas through there?" Pinkie Pie uttered. "Does it look smaller or larger from this distance? I can't tell." "We're lucky that they're all choosing to follow Pheromosa," said Twilight, looking back at Pheromosa. Behind her were all of the Pheromosas that gathered and gravitated towards the Alpha. After the demonstration of power she showed, she was no longer a pushover for them. Those years of gathering gemstones have led up to this. "Mosa..." Pheromosa sighed. Even though she was now seen as the Alpha of her species, she wasn't really all for them following her around. "Hm. It was on the other side the last time I saw it." A slight difference that Cold Colt noticed. The Ultra Wormhole's position had been changed. It was still in the same area but the last time he saw it, it was not off in a different direction. The young Rift Pony did not think much of it. "Alright. We can send them home through this one Ultra Wormhole. It's the only one we know of anyway." Ash faced his friends. "And anyone on the idol...we could probably send it through. That way, the Ultra Desert will have a monument there." "Yeah, if we can get them to stop bickering over it." Twilight pointed out as the Pheromosa were still arguing about who gets to keep the idol. None of them were willing to share it and if this was to enter the Ultra Desert, they would cut loose and go wild for the idol. On the bright side, at least Rarity could say that her Monument Plan was a smash hit. "Pheromosa. Do you think you could tell them to go through?" "Mosa." Pheromosa would do just that. She was now the boss of them so they basically had to listen to her. However, a part of her also wanted her friends to stick around. She only had two real Pheromosa friends and she has finally seen them after so long. "Aw, darling. Do you want to spend some time with your friends before you send them off?" Rarity already understood her based on her expression and the way she looked at her friends. "It's alright. You can keep them around and send the others home." "Yeah. Besides, we can't close the Ultra Wormholes." Pinkie Pie shrugged. "Apparently, the good folks back at Alola have the tech for that so it's gonna be A-Okay!" And that moment, catching everyone off guard, the Ultra Wormholes closed. Their pupils shrunk, their jaws dropped and their reactions were all the same. This was the worst possible timing in the world. The one way for the Pheromosas to get home had been completely erased. "Really?! Now of all times?!" Goh screeched, putting his arms over his head. This just seemed like the universe was laughing at them all. "I-It can't just close like that! Was it outside interference or something?!" Twilight pulled back. "How could it just close so soon? Cold! You said you saw it last night, right?!" "Y-Yeah. It was pretty recent." The Rift Pony stuttered. That was a rather young Ultra Wormhole and now it was gone. On top of that, each of the Pheromosas came through different Ultra Wormholes and so far only this one has been seen. But considering that the Pheromosa Invasion happened overnight, those other Wormholes were probably just as young as this one that just vanished. "Something or someone must've shut it down." Ash gawked. "It was probably the same way the Pheromosas showed up here. "So...now what?" Pinkie scratched her mane. They were at a bit of a slump here. There was no way for them to reopen the Ultra Wormholes. For the longest, Ultra Wormholes have merely been opened by a mysterious energy and the only people who have managed to open were Team Plasma, which was incredibly unlucky. Now they just had all of these Pheromosas here and their options were looking rather slim and thin. "Well...There is one way we can figure this out." Ash had something in mind. "We're gonna have to head back to Alola for this." Alola was the region to go to for this issue. It specializes in Ultra Wormholes after all. But no one there had the power to open them. There was a way for a Pokemon Trainer to open it but required a specific power that only Ash has done. Even if that power was not available to him anymore, he had something in mind. "Tomorrow's when we'll do it. Twilight. We're gonna really need your Twilightium Z for this." Ponyville. The Pokemon House. "Well, that was a nice chat we had. It's getting late here." Back at the Pokemon House, Fluttershy had returned home, completely safe. And she ended up returning with the one who kidnapped her in the first place. The Pheromosa from before who she had a chat with was now present in the Pokemon House once more. "Since you're tired, I made a clean spot for you." A clean area for Pheromosa had been made. It was a large carpet that was completely spotless, letting out sparkles. Just what Pheromosa wanted. The Lissome Pokemon couldn't just take clean objects, it could also use them. And for the first time, a Pheromosa that was not Rarity's would lie down on something pristine and neat. "Pheromosa." The Pheromosa yawned, needing some time to rest. She hasn't even done that much running compared to the rest of her species and yet she expended herself. This was a first. For the longest, she's been lying on sand back at the Ultra Desert. Naturally, it was a rather uncomfortable feeling. Sand was coarse, rough and it tends to get everywhere. This immediately trumped it in every possible way. Pheromosa would take this in, having the most pleasant look on her face. This was bliss. This was paradise. And the best part was that it was large enough for her tall physique. She was going to enjoy this rest as it would be the best rest she's ever had. "Raboot?" Raboot was a bit nervous having an Ultra Beast just sitting around here. But he was friends with Rarity's Pheromosa so this wasn't too bad. Plus, it sounded like Pheromosa would only be here for the night and after that, she would return home. That is if she could even get home now that the wormholes are all gone. "Do you think she'd like to stay here?" "B-Boot!" Raboot gasped after hearing that. Fluttershy was already having ideas to keep Pheromosa around. If she wanted to. It was a possibility. A strong one. And there was only one condition for it to become a reality and that was if the entire place was clean. "Sshh. Let's let her rest, Raboot." Fluttershy said. By this time, a majority of the Pokemon, minus the Nocturnal Ones, would be fast asleep. That was when it hit Raboot. The place would just have to be dirty for Pheromosa to leave. That was easier said than done. "I know what you're planning. Naughty." Fluttershy caught on instantly. "You're alright with Rarity's Pheromosa. Besides, I can always just ask her if she wants to stay." "Boot..." But this wasn't the only Pheromosa he would have to worry about. The attention of Rarity, Raboot and other Pokemon was drawn to something else. They noticed that the large Pheromosa Idol from before was getting closer all of a sudden. It was previously seen at Saddle Lake and later in the far distance of the Winged Mountain. They suddenly heard the voice of multiple Pheromosas going off. Not just the one here at the Pokemon House. It was impossible to ignore, especially for Audino and her advanced hearing. She even heard it earlier. The Pheromosa Idol would come to a halt as the sound of it being placed down was heard. They would glance over to see a horde of Pheromosa. It was all the Pheromosa who have not returned to their homes just yet. They were all brought back to Ponyville with Rarity's Pheromosa leading the charge. "Was bringing them to Ponyville the right choice?" Cold Colt asked. "We couldn't think of anywhere else to take them. If we leave them alone, who knows what they can do? We have to keep them around us." Twilight explained. It was a rather difficult task dealing with all of these Pokemon. Even the Pokemon back at PokePark were not this much of an issue since they live their own lives and take care of themselves. "I was thinking about sending them to PokePark but...that would only lead to more problems." "Is this how Fluttershy feels? Her ability to manage animals and Pokemon is more impressive than we originally thought." Rarity had to give extra praise to Fluttershy now that she was being hit with a similar issue. Of course, all of this would be noticed by the residents of Ponyville. Inside and outside, they witnessed the array of Pheromosa and yet Rarity's still stuck out since she was a Shiny Pokemon. The Pheromosas would also notice how clean Ponyville was. This greatly interested them as the town was a relatively clean place despite what goes on in it. But it wasn't close to the Pheromosa Idol. Apart from Rarity's Carousel Boutique but that spoke for itself. "Oh, what's this? The Pheromosa Invasion's already hit Ponyville?" said Mayor Mare, approaching Ash and the others. "Hi, Mayor. S-Sorry about this. But we don't really have anywhere to take them that doesn't lead to trouble. But we just ended up bringing trouble to Ponyville..." Twilight sighed. "I can see that. You've gotten yourselves into a colossal mess without a doubt." Mayor Mare chuckled, staying completely calm about this. "Please tell us you know of a place where we can keep them until we can solve this?" Rarity pleaded, hoping for an easy solution. "Can't say. This is a tall order even for me." Alas, Mayor Mare couldn't really bring relief to any of them. "The best thing I can recommend is to keep them all in check. Make sure they don't start causing trouble for others." "That's what my Pheromosa has been doing but she's not quite fit for this leader role." Rarity answered. "I mean, she is the top Pheromosa, not to brag. But she needs her rest and these Pheromosa won't stop arguing over the idol I made. Which, by the way, is proof of my artistry." "Why not keep them here?" Amethyst Star questioned while passing by. "We can't do that. If there's a disagreement between any of them, it could be ugly. And they were already squabbling when they saw the idol and every single one of them wants it." Twilight explained as it wasn't that simple. "Keeping there here at Ponyville would just cause more problems and disrupt the citizens." "They aren't that easy to talk to, believe us." Rarity chimed, supporting Twilight's words. "Even if Pheromosa told them not to cause trouble...I believe you know the answer and outcome to that." "But we're heading to Alola tomorrow to figure things out," Ash spoke. "I really wish we had the gateways right now...There's a probably a place we can leave them at." Cold Colt grumbled. "How about this? Just speak with Starswirl? He's an insightful pony and we've talked for a while. He's older than all of us combined so he probably has something valuable to share. As for me, I need to get some sleep myself. Just...don't let them stay here if it means they'll cause us trouble." "Do you think Starswirl has a solution? Isn't he a bit busy with the gateways?" Pinkie Pie questioned. "I think he's still out there working." Cold Colt groaned. "There's only one left to do then." Ash put his fist in his hands, throwing out another idea. "I'll look after them all." "You? By yourself?" Rarity faced him. "I won't be alone. I've got Pikachu and my Pokemon with me. We'll keep an eye on the Pheromosa. Plus, I can keep 'em entertained until tomorrow." Ash winked, aiming to handle this while his friends get some rest. "Pikachu!" "Well, I can trust you with that, Ash. You know how to keep others entertained. Cold. I'm leaving you with Ash. It's impossible for you to fall asleep so you'll be with him." Twilight would pass that role onto Cold Colt thanks to his Rift Physiology. "Uh, sure. "Leave it to us!" Ash gave a thumbs-up as he would pass on sleeping for tonight. He is very much used to this by now. It would be him, his Pokemon and Cold Colt in the night with all of these Pheromosa. "Besides, they're not instantly dangerous." And as a bonus, Ash knew more about the Pheromosa. They can be dangerous without a doubt but that didn't mean they were prone to attacking others in an instant. If anyone was well-equipped to handle these Ultra Beasts, it was him. Twilight's Castle. Returning home, Twilight was ready to get a good night's sleep. She'll need it since she wasn't quite done with the Pheromosa Debacle. She thought it would be over but the second the Ultra Wormhole closed up, that only made things worse for her. She could at least rest knowing that mass hysteria involving the Pheromosa had been ignored all thanks to the efforts of her and her friends. Lo and behold, Starswirl was here, present in Twilight's Castle. "Oh, Starswirl. You are here." Seeing Starswirl brought some relief. She could ask him about the possibility of sending the Pheromosa elsewhere in the meantime. "Whatever questions you have, I hope it is about the Rift," Starswirl said with a smile on his face. "Uh...It's not. Not really." "A shame. But I will answer those hypothetical questions anyway. I have made quite the discovery." "H-Have you found a way to open up gateways again?!" Twilight unleashed a prolonged gasp. "Not really. I haven't opened any gateways." Unfortunately, that was not what this was about, instantly crushing Twilight's spirits. "But, I've found out why it's so hard for me to do so or for any of us to do so." "You have? What is it? Whatever it is, we can figure it out as soon as possible." "Soon is not good enough, Princess Twilight. I learned from you and Cold Colt that whenever you make an item with Rift Energy, you always have to know the molecular structure of it." "Yes. That's how we made that Platinum Monument. It wasn't easy, remembering all of that and even finding the strength to create it. How does that add up to gateways. What is it made out of?" "The reason you and others have struggled to find new gateways is simple. I spoke to Cold Colt last night and I learned that inside every Rift is a universe. They do not have internal organs like us and that part of them allows them to tap into such a cosmic power." "Right? Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?" "Even Cold Colt did not know about this. It only came to him naturally. And the gateways are just an extension of that. To put it simply, we cannot open gateways because it requires us to know everything about the universe and how it was made." "Say what?! That's why?!" Twilight finally learned the truth. And it was a rather staggering one that made a lot of sense. "That's right. We'd have to know everything. From the stars, the galaxies, the planets, the nebulas and so on." Starswirl continued as he already had a map available. By using his magic, he brought over a map which he opened up, showing outer space. Of course, this was much smaller compared to what the universe was like now thanks to Jirachi but the fact that this was the smaller version of what used to be was incredibly intimidating. "We would have to recreate it all down to the very essence." "Recreate it all..." Twilight looked down, realizing how impossible of a task that was. "But we can do that." "Precisely." Starswirl would close the map. "Recreating the Universe is impossible. The gateways were always pathways to two separate universes. And now that they are one, there is no other separate universe. Well, none that we can reach." "So it's over then." A disappointed alicorn sat down. "We only get one working gateway and a mysterious one that keeps moving around. What a shame." "Espeon." Espeon would rub her head on Twilight, trying to comfort her. "I know. I know. This is out of my reach as well, I'm afraid." Starswirl shook his head. "It was rather fun getting to experiment with such powerful forces but we should know our limits. This is something beyond us all." Of all the reasons that could've been given as to why it was so hard to reopen the gateways, this was by far the worst possible answer and yet it made the most sense. The Princess of Friendship and all those who enjoyed using the gateways wouldn't get that thrill again. Recreating every part of the universe was the tallest order possible. "Well, I don't want to give it up just yet." Twilight shook her head, refusing to let it end there. "There has to be a way even with this setback." "Glad you said that." Suddenly, Starswirl put on another smile as if he expected it. "Eh?" Twilight blinked. She thought that he had given up already, which is why he said all of it. But it seems like it was a bluff for the most part. "B-But you said-" "I know what I said. I was simply seeing how you'd react. And I thought you were my biggest fan." Starswirl would raise his eyebrows a few times. "You should know that I am the kind to never give up on something. Even the projects I stopped working on, I only stopped because of the danger they posed. I also feared that I wouldn't have the time to finish them and I had other things to worry about such as the Pony of Shadows. It was never about not bothering to finish them." "S-So...There is a way? To recreate every element in the universe?" "Oh, no. Absolutely not!" He furiously shook his head. "That is still out of our reach. But we have the means to use a similar power to it. The gateway that leads to Ponyville, of course. I spent plenty of time around it, trying to make sense of it. And once I finally figured out how the gateways are truly made, I extracted energy from it. Why recreate every part of the universe when you can have a strong remnant of it?" "You really are amazing, Starswirl!" Twilight's eyes lit up. This was exactly why she was his idol. "Why didn't I think of that?! Oooh, I should've caught on sooner!" "You would've caught on eventually, Twilight." Starswirl approached her. "It would've taken some time but still. And besides, you have energy from the Rift within you so you can already play some part in this." "I can?" "Oh, most definitely. How would like to be the first to make a new gateway? The energy from the gateway that I gathered will be the crux and mould of it all. And you will be the one to form it. It will still take some effort and time, but I am positive we can finish it as soon as possible. Every piece of the universe has already been taken out. All it needs is for someone to give it that missing life." "This is the best news I could've asked for. It completely overwrites everything else that's happened today." Twilight found her relief. And it was truly outstanding. "But...can I at least call it a night, first?" "Sure. My eyes are baggy anyway. And my bags have bags." Starswirl showed off his bags, needing that rest too. He was the definition of a hard worker. The energy he gathered would not be seen tonight but by tomorrow, it would be gazed at for sure. All of this made up for the troublesome Pheromosas who were currently with Ash. Ash was playing his part and very soon, Twilight would play hers. And it was all for a better and safer future. Tonight was just the bridge between the past and the future. The present was about to end as the journey continues. Chapter 245 End.