Equestria. Up in the skies. Day.
At this moment, Pinkie Pie was out spending time with her Pokemon. Ranging from the Mythical Mew, Spinda and her six Slurpuff were seen in the sky. The reason for them being in the sky was thanks to Mew. He had transformed into Lugia, carrying his friends on his back.
Pinkie Pie felt the nice warm breeze of the skies around her. On top of that, she was also having a picnic on Lugia's back. Spinda and the Slurpuff were indulging themselves in this sweet buffet.
"Okay, so here's the game plan." Pinkie on the other hand was holding a sheet, having a plan for today. "For today and tomorrow. Stop by Las Pegasus for the upcoming Pokemon Festival and set up some stuff. Check out Rarity and Rarity's movie over at PokeStar Studios, set up a food stand for the students over at the Pokemon School for the Pokemon Festival and then some! Absolutely nothing's gonna stray my path away from this plan!"
For today's plan, Pinkie Pie was mainly setting up for the upcoming Pokemon Festival. Much like how Ponyville was already setting itself up,
"Wonder what's gonna be the big thing in this years Pokemon Festival. The first one was alright. Another universe. Nothing too big. The second one was a lot of fun! I mean, a lot of dangerous things happened, but still! The third one was my personal favourite even if all of Equestria was nearly destroyed so I'm excited to see what the fourth one's going to be!"
Admittedly, Pinkie Pie did enjoy how outrageous the Pokemon Festival can be. It always starts out with enjoyment and then soon escalates into something wild. First was the arrival of visits from another universe. The second had instances were the Empress' forces showed up here and there. And the third one was all about the Dread League.
With the Dread League defeated, the Empress' forces taking a massive hit and a vast lack of gateways, it was hard to figure out what the fourth one could entail. It could be anything, but so far, nothing has really been a vital threat like those last two. Peace has been very much prominent as of recently ever since the Dread League was vanquished, with a few sudden surprises here and there. The most consistent one being Twilight Moonlight.
The clouds above were starting to darken as there was rain set to appear very soon. Seeing this, Mew would descend with Lugia's body, cutting this air ride short. The nearest location was a small town which was also setting up for the Pokemon Festival. The shadow of Lugia loomed over it, grabbing the attention of the ponies living there.
They witnessed Lugia descend slowly, however, he would soon revert to his original form. Mew. Right after getting Pinkie Pie and the others to ground level. The food had been saved and instantly covered up by the heads of the Slurpuff as a mild drizzle was already forming.
"Hiya! Just stopping by since it's about to rain." Pinkie Pie greeted. "Mind if I come inside before it's too late?"
"Mmm...You're the one with the Mythical Pokemon they call Mew, right?" Already, Pinkie's name was known in this town. But it was mainly Mew who they were focusing on.
"That's right! Are you gearing up for the Pokemon Festival too?" She went straight for the Festival, bypassing the rest of the Mew Question. "I'd love to chime in! I'm gonna make sure everyone's eating good for this year's festival. And hopefully, nothing shows up and attacks us."
"That's what worries though." One of the residents uttered, popping her head out of the window. "The three past Pokemon Festivals have all had something critical occur. The first one was safe but the last two?"
"I mean, yeah. Those went haywire." The earth pony couldn't deny that. "But relax. This year's looking to be totally peaceful with absolutely nothing going wrong. And if something does go wrong, we can fix it like we always do. I mean, we're still here, right?"
"Hmmm..." But those words didn't exactly spark hope. The residents of this town and by extension, all of Equestria, knew what to expect. No matter what, something big was going to happen. The 4th Pokemon Festival wasn't going to go by smoothly at all. They just had to be ready for whatever comes their way next. "Doubt it. Something will happen. And if it does, we will at least have our comforter to count on."
"Comforter?"
"Oh, yes. She's rather recent but we already feel nostalgic when she comes around." Another residents expressed with a gleeful look on her face. "She showed up just two days after the Black Crusade was over."
"Not all of us were exactly jumping for joy even after the Black Crusade ended. We were living in fear here at this town during the attacks, worried that the Dread League might show up."
Just thinking about it made the ponies smile. They certainly didn't smile after what Pinkie Pie said, so for them to put on these faces meant that this individual brought great joy to them.
"But we had one Pokemon to save us It was a Blissey." An old pony confirmed who was responsible for it.
"Blissey, huh? That makes sense." When it comes to Pokemon that bring happiness, nobody did it better than the Blissey line.
"This isn't the only town she's been to. Have you heard about her escapades across smaller towns?"
"Nope." Pinkie shrugged. This was the first time she was being informed of this in any way. But apparently, this Bissey has been making a name for herself. "Why? Did she brighten up those other towns?"
"Most definitely!" A few ponies said in unison. "She's only been targeting smaller towns."
"Because of their size, they're bound to struggle more than most locations out there. That's when Blissey arrives as soon as possible."
"I guess the smaller towns would take a bigger hit. Nowhere else was full of dread. Not even the Crystal Empire after it got overtaken. Blissey's such a great Pokemon, isn't it? I'm surprised I never had one of my own."
"We can count on Blissey to be here for us depending on whatever abnormal force shows up at the Pokemon Festival this year." A pony proudly said.
"Sounds fair to me. I'd love to meet this Blissey is she's moving across small towns. I've always wanted a Blissey ever since I first heard a bout it. But I've got Mew who can turn into any Pokemon, so that's fine with me!"
"Mew!" Mew loved the sound of that, nuzzling Pinkie Pie's face afterwards.
"It's not the real deal though. Mew can just turn into the Pokemon and borrow some of their traits." Suddenly, a young filly spoke, pointing out the obvious.
"Hey! He's just as good as the original! And then some!"
"Then why didn't he turn into Jirachi and fix everything from the start?" He said the greatest question possible It was easy to answer but answering it would make Pinkie Pie lose the conversation immediately.
"Manners, please." One of the older ponies said after the child's harsh words. Children do tend to speak their mind a lot and rarely hold back on their words.
"Mmmrrgh..." Pinkie pouted as she had no comeback for that. "Fine. I'll get a Blissey. The real deal. Plus, if I befriend one, then that'll make things even better back home. I can see it now!"
Before she could say anything else, the rain started pouring, turning from a drizzle to a downpour instantly. The ponies all got inside immediately as they spent too much time chatting with Pinkie Pie. Pinkie's playful and fluffy mane would drop instantly, making it impossible for Mew to hide in it. The food was thankfully protected by the Slurpuff, who still kept their heads together, showing dedication.
Thankfully, Pinkie Pie was allowed in by the townsfolk to protect herself from the downpour. Immediately after entering, Pinkie would shake off all the rainwater, acting like a dog. Mew transformed into a Camerupt, melting away the water while also making everyone in here warm.
She would have to stay here for a little while until the storm clears. But she could still do a lot even with these limitations. After all, Pinkie Pie was helping set up this year's Pokemon Festival. Why not make some food for everypony here to boot? She had the resources in her saddlebag and it was her moment to show that much like this infamous Blissey, she could bring smiles to the faces of others.
Canterlot.
Canterlot was already ahead of the curve. The whole city was already fitting that Pokemon Festival theme with decorations up and ready. Overseeing this year's Pokemon Festival much like the previous three was Princess Celestia. And this year's was looking to be the true version of the Pokemon Festival.
The Golurk were seen moving objects over that were brought here via a van. Courtesy of BigTime Ben. Celestia herself had a long list of what was going to be here at this Festival. The attractions and other things were already decided on. They've been here since day one but there was something new on Celestia's mind. It has only been a week since the Royal Phantasy ended and she was already continuing on her work.
"This year's Pokemon Festival will be the definitive version. With no gateways around, it'll be impossible for everyone to head from region to region in a flash. Our worlds are now united as one." Indeed. Humans and Ponies have been bonding ever since the first Pokemon Festival and now the fourth one could elevate that bond to a new level.
"Garde. Gardevoir." Gardevoir pointed at the sheet, having her own preferences for this Pokemon Festival.
"I know, Passion, I know. As for this year's festival...I think the previous 3 weeks work fine for us." Celestia decided on just 3 3 weeks for the Pokemon Festival. Most would expect this year's to reach 4 weeks and the next one would be 5 weeks and so on and so forth. But Celestia found a comfortable time span. 3 weeks was the final decision.
And of course, even though she was excited about this, Celestia was very much aware of what could go wrong. The past Pokemon Festivals have shown her that anything could happen. She couldn't afford to bypass anything crucial. One thing she could expect were the other kingdoms that she's managed to speak with during the Royal Phantasy as their subjects would be involved.
If the chance that someone like Twilight Moonlight or anyone from the many kingdoms could make a savoury move, Celestia would be ready. The existence of Ghetsis and his hidden kingdom was a major factor too. This year's Pokemon Festival absolutely cannot spiral into chaos.
"Hopefully, by the time the festival comes around, we at least have some new gateways." said the Ruler of Equestria. "We just need Twilight to figure out how to open gateways between locations. It's great that she's figured it out but so far...nothing."
Sinnoh. Hearthome City.
Hearthome City. It was doing well for itself. With the Dread League defeated and the damage done by Rosa Maledicta's Despair Plants, the city was back to how it originally was. This involves Fantina, who was now the Lich Queen of Magehold but mostly preferred to be back at Hearthome. Hearthome City was also undergoing decorations for this year's Pokemon Festival which wasn't too far from arriving.
And at this moment, when sitting in her room, Fantina had in her hands a letter. When she's not over at Magehold, her subjects can send letters to her. And with an extra Magehold flair, the letters would open themselves, showing off bat wings, which greatly pleased Fantina. She absolutely loved unique flair and Magehold certainly had it.
"Ah. Eccentrick wrote to me this time." This letter came from Fantina's biggest fan from Magehold. Eccentrick. A vampire who loves entertainment just as much as her while also possessing a rather powerful magic. "The Entertainment Community is growing well, hm?"
This was about the Entertainment Community that Fantina established. It was already starting to see some great development. Fantina already decided what it would possess and the effects were already showing. Fantina could smile knowing she was truly bringing joy to Magehold. They needed it after the lack of entertainment they've dealt with for centuries.
As Magehold's Lich Queen, she would have to prepare Magehold for the Pokemon Festival as well. It was obviously involved, but there was one major problem. Fantina remembered the comments from some of the noble ponies and how they despised the vampires.
And it wasn't hard to see why. Not everyone fully trusts vampires after what happened with the Black Crusade. And the Pokemon Festival might not help them at all. At least, so far. Fantina was determined to change that. As if she'd let her subjects feel left out. It was her goal to help others understand and get along with the vampires. The Pokemon Contest was the best possible opportunity.
Preparations all around the world were going swimmingly. The Pokemon Festival wasn't too far from now and what this 4th one would bring was rather unknown. One thing was for sure, it would be a spectacular gathering.
Equestria. Out in the mountains. Afternoon.
And at this moment, exempt from even thinking about the Pokemon Festival was none other than Lena Ketchum. The ancestor of Ash was still on the move days later. Even after the Royal Phantasy came to an end. Joined by Team Rocket who were masking their real names, Lena's group were on their way to the Changeling Lands.
Found in the Faye Mountains, Lena knew where to go. According to her, the mystical shards were also somewhere in the Changeling Lands. And after days of moving, they were close. The Faye Mountains were close as well as the Changeling Lands. A few more hours and they could be there soon.
Spying on Lena Ketchum the entire time was Diadora, who was still exempt from the Sea Temple. Knowing she was from the past, Diadora still had some resentment against Ash and his ancestors. Hiding behind one of the mountains, she listening in on this upcoming conversation
"Whoo..." Lena sighed, coming to a halt. She sat down immediately, taking a deep breath. Team Rocket would feel the same way as they have been moving for a while now. "A bit exhausted. Let's use this as an opportunity to rest, my friends."
"Same here...I thought this trip would've been quicker." Jessie groaned, lying on her back. "Glad we're almost there though."
"But so far, this team of ours that we've formed is looking to be something special," said Lena. "The quest for our shards could help stregnthen our teamwork."
"You should know...the Changelings might not like you snooping around," James warned her while stretching his arms. "I hope you won't be intruding at all."
"You have nothing to fear. I will speak to them when we get there. Hopefully, I don't worry them about why I need those shards. If they even care or know about the shards being there. Isn't that right"? Lena asked before turning her head. She wasn't speaking to Team Rocket at all. Instead, she focused on Diadora. "You can show yourself now."
"?!" Diadora had been seen. She wasn't hidden at all, prompting her to flinch. Team Rocket soo noticed her once Lena called her out. "Y-You knew I was here? Before today or just recently?"
"From the very beginning." In reality, Lena was completely silent about it, not acknowledging her presence at all. She said nothing while being with Team Rocket.
"Seriously?" Team Rocket collectively said. They feared that Lena might know about their true identities and team. But so far, nothing has given that part away to her.
"Kh!" Diadora grizzled her teeth. She truly wished to sneak up on her but that was an absolute failure.
"You were very brave though." Lena shrugged. "This quest we're on has some peril in it without a doubt. And you don't seem like you wish to stop anytime soon."
"Absolutely!" Diadora stood tall, vigorously pointing at Lena Ketchum. "Not since you're that very Ketchum! Out of all the ancestors of Ash Ketchum, you are the one I've heard about before."
"You have? Are you from the past too?" Lena instantly believed that she was flung through time as well. And she technically wasn't wrong.
"Yes. But I didn't travel through time. Never mind why I'm still here! What's important is you! I wasn't sure if it was truly you but you are indeed that very Ketchum. The Ketchum that robbed my family of their rightful place."
"Umm..." Lena pondered, trying to think about what Diadora was on about. Nothing was clicking for her.
"Many don't know this. Mainly because the foundation of this kingdom has crumbled because of you, Lena Ketchum. After all, I'm off the Harmonia family line. You may not know who I am, but my green hair and red eyes should be a giveaway. Especially since you sabotaged us from obtaining world power."
"Oooh! Are you related to that guy?!" It was clicking for Lena. There was someone from the past that Diadora reminded her of. Green hair, red eyes and that signature sharp look. Lena was finally seeing it.
Indeed. Something in the past that led to Diadora's anger against Lena Ketchum. Specifically her and Ash Ketchum. Lena has done more than just make a name for herself in Hisui. In the midst of the Pokemon Festival being set up, things from the past were once again coming back. 10-year-old Ash's arrival was merely the first.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 271 End.