//------------------------------// // Back on Track to Kalos // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Johto. The S.S Aqua. The Pokemon Festival. Nightfall. "Let me out!" said Twilight Moonlight with a bellowing roar as she was surrounded by a Magical Forcefield made by Celestia. After hearing what Twilight Moonlight shared, Princess Celestia had a solution to this upcoming issue. Twilight Moonlight only had 9 days until she returned to her world and apparently, unlike before, nothing was going to hold her back. Not even the devices made by the Ranger Union and International Police that specifically counter Rift Travel. "This'll do just fine. It's certainly strong enough." Celestia put on a wide grin. "I wasn't slacking when it came to learning about Rift Magic. Ever since it became so rampant in Equestria, I've been studying and learning about its traits. "What are you planning? Somepony like you wouldn't just put me in this without something in mind after what I just revealed. That smile of yours speaks volumes. What are you planning to do?" "Well..." Celestia grinned, showing a rather devious and intimidating expression that even made Twilight Moonlight jerk back. "I was thinking of running tests on you to see what would keep you around. Perhaps petrification from a Cockatrice. Then again, there are Pokemon that can grant us that are more common. Or maybe we should have Dusknoir temporarily remove your soul from your body." Celestia twirled her mane, having rather devious ideas in her mind. "!" Moonlight let out a small gasp. "One of those sounds rather cruel, don't you think?" Luna added. "They say the inside of an Ursa Major is the equivalent of outer space. If we were to place you in there...No that wouldn't do either." She shook her head while making Luna fear the most. Where was her sister getting these thoughts? "S-Sister?" "Maybe the Shift Stone can change up your biology and that'll keep you around. We could have Manaphy switch your body with someone else who will suffer a different punishment and you'll take their place. Or perhaps sealing you will keep you steady. Or maybe we should drop you in the Arcane Sea where enough Rift Energy will override your immunity." The Sun Princess slowly nodded, thinking of ways to get past this advantage Twilight Moonlight had. "How was that? Was I intimidating enough?" However, she put on a cheery and hopeful expression once more, facing her friends. "Um..." Luna paused for a moment before letting out a slight shrug. "Decent? You were never that great at being threatening. Even when catching her, you're still too gentle, sister." Good enough for Celestia. "Y-You wouldn't...And even so, those will be completely ineffective against me. No matter what my body will return to its original universe." Twilight Moonlight shuddered. It seemed to be effective on Twilight Moonlight who was trying to act brave. But she'd be lying if she was intimidated by some of these threats. She wasn't even aware of the kind of pony Celestia was to know if she was bluffing or not. But Ash and his friends knew that when push comes to shove, Celestia is not afraid to go the distance just for the safety of others. But perhaps, only the sealing part would be up her alley Everything else was very different for the Sun Princess. "No. I'm not doing any of that. Instead, we're taking you to Lucas." Celestia had something else in mind that she very much prepared and was holding back until now. "We are?!" Luna gasped before pulling back. "I-Is that not dangerous?! She wishes to capture Ash and all we'd be doing is bringing her another person related to Prisma?" "I can safely say that Lucas is better that crafting gateways than your group. He isn't limited aside from needing help from our own Twilight. You've all been dealing with artificial gateways and Rift Magic. Lucas, however, has access to the natural flow of it. Even if he didn't have it from the start." "Mmm, yeah." Twilight Sparkle slowly nodded. "He wasn't born with but he looks like he has a good grasp of it." "It won't work. He's not the only one with access to Rift Energy. I'll be back home without anything to stop me." Twilight Moonlight was rather confident. "We'll see. We also have our Twilight as backup." The Sun Princess glanced at Twilight Sparkle. "Oh!" Twilight Sparkle stood up tall. "R-Right! I'll do my best! What do I have to do exactly?" "Just as backup, your own Rift Magic will have to come into play." The Ruler of Equestria explained. "I know enough about Rift Magic to know that the natural version of it is more efficient than anything artificial. You and Lucas have that advantage. Plus, there's Cold Colt if he's available." "Hm. Shouldn't you three feel uncomfortable right now?" Diancie noticed that the three Twilights were no longer going through that strange feeling within their bodies despite being so close to each other. They were completely fine. "Oh, yeah. We're completely fine right now." Twilight Wish added. "I came here for that reason but...It's not going off anymore." "Huh. I suppose so." Twilight Moonlight spoke, on the same page as Twilight Wish. "Right now, the three of us should be fighting Midnight Luminaria's potential influence. Well, two of you at least. I'm not held back by that flaw." "So highly of yourself." Twilight ish side-eyed her aggressive counterpart. "But why? Why isn't anything happening with us now?" "Interesting..." That was something Princess Celestia would also have to look into. "Princess Diancie. This is exactly what I was worried about when we joined this journey." Merrick shook his head, fearing that it was only going to escalate from here. "But it's also the kind of adventure I was looking forward to." Diancie thought otherwise, even if the ship almost burned down or crashed into Olivine City. "Maybe not what almost happened. But still." "We'll head to Lucas and work from there. I know for a fact he's trying to make a gateway and is horribly failing." Celestia ordered. "We have a lot on our plate everyone so let's work smarter not harder. Moonlight. Once we cut your connection, you'll have to answer to the Ranger Union and Interpol after this. They'll be the ones" "Tch." Twilight Moonlight kissed her teeth, still believing in her eventual escape. But for now, she was going to be kept under the watchful eye of Celestia's group, coming along with them all the while she was unable to do anything even under the Full Moon. "Ooh...What happened?" Clearly, Hollow's own body clock was out of touch thanks to what he's had to deal with. He woke up minutes after everything had finally settled down. And considering his current condition, it was best that he did. Twilight Moonlight stay silent for the most part. Her Poke Balls were confiscated, placed under the grasp of Luna at the moment. She could try all she wanted, but she wasn't breaking free from here in this current condition. All she could do was sit around and observe. "My magic is supposed to be limitless under the full moon...and yet these two spells are holding me back. What kind of ponies are these two?" Twilight Moonlight couldn't understand it herself. She had full faith in her magical capabilities since she was a prodigy and essentially the chosen one back in her universe. But that was only in her universe. "They're alicorns so they have that advantage." Twilight Sparkle spoke to Moonlight while standing next to Wish. "Their magic is above ours. Even though I'm an alicorn myself." "Alicorn, huh? We don't have those types of ponies in my universe. It's all earth ponies, pegasi and us unicorns." "Alicorns don't exist in your world? Oooh..." This came as a surprise. A world without alicorns was unheard of for Twilight Sparkle. "What about you, Wish?" "Mm-mm. No alicorns in my universe either. I guess they're rare in certain universes." Even Twilight Wish lacked an alicorn. And to a certain extent, so did Sci-Twi, even though she technically became an alicorn albeit humanized. "But I've heard about them prior to showing up here." "That would explain the wings on Twilight Luminaria..." Moonlight closed her eyes before putting on a smirk. "Hmph. That means one thing. If I continue on my path, eventually I'll become an alicorn." "You? An alicorn?" Twilight Sparkle leaned forward and back, finding that rather difficult to believe. "You became one. What's stopping me from achieving that goal? We're all the same pony after all." "I'm not sure how that works...At least I hope so." "When I become an alicorn, it might be after I stop Prisma's return. Or even before that and becoming an alicorn is the key to stopping him. After all, Twilight Luminaria was an alicorn herself. "You won't see me giving up. Both of you. I'll succeed no matter what, even if I'm stopped multiple times." Twilight Moonlight was certainly dedicated and fearless. That much was true. Her upbringing is mainly responsible for that anyway. Compared to her three counterparts, she was the most hardened of them all and also the one to harbour as much potential as Twilight Sparkle and Sci-Twi. Moonlight still needed to sleep and she would guarantee herself a full recovery by the end of it all. The unicorn was completely unbothered by who was watching her. "So...Ash told me how you broke the Moon Zone. You have the power to grant wishes?" Sparkle asked. "Not really? It's not like Jirachi's power or anything like that. Moonlight's speciality comes from her connection to the Moon. As for me, wishes are my speciality but they're limited." Twilight Wish explained. "It's somewhat new for me and it doesn't really go the distance. But it definitely helps. I wish I could use it to save my home though..." Wish still had to think about her home. To return to it was to cause trouble yet again. But with a small smile appearing on her face, Twilight Wish wondered if that could change after meeting Twilight Sparkle's group. "Well, I'd best be going now. My time in this place is almost up." It would be time for Twilight Wish to return to the Dimensional Castle, which meant she wouldn't be coming along yet again. The castle couldn't sail after all. But she would certainly be back, especially when the time calls for it. Kalos. Courmanine City. Day. At last. The Kalos Region. Arriving here, Ash and his group would meet up with the rest of their friends once more. They reunited over at Courmarine City. An exclusive resort area made popular thanks to its clear skies and mild atmosphere while also housing a port. "Ah! You're back! I was starting to get worried again!" Sci-Twi sprinted over to Ash. "We're here. No need to worry." Ash said before catching Sweetie Belle in his arms, who came running over "Maybe we should. You brought her?!" Rarity immediately locked onto Twilight Moonlight and the bubble she was currently in. They all soon spotted Twilight's counterpart sitting there, restrained yet serious. Exiting the ship and ending up in the region she was originally born in was Diancie along with Zeraora who had bags under her eyes. Safe to say that Zeraora slept well. So did Hollow, Jewel and their son Earn. But Earn was still out for the moment, as silent as a Mimikyu. Merrick breathed in and out, falling over out of exhaustion before being picked up by Espeon. "What happened while ya'll were gone?" Applejack questioned as it seemed that a lot has developed while the group was seperated. "A lot. And more to come." Luna said casually when walking past Applejack. "At least you're back. I can finally use these again..." Lucas uttered with relief. Now that Twilight Sparkle was back, new gateways could be made. A that moment, he looked to the side, spotting Twilight Moonlight's sharp glare. Moonlight was already thinking about how to bring both Ash and Lucas back to her universe. Even when outnumbered, the unicorn did not hold anything back. Lucas put on a nervous smile when seeing Moonlight's gaze, unsure of what to say in response. All he could do was look elsewhere. "It's you!" The CMC ran up to Twilight Moonlight, recognizing her. She was the same pony who saved them from a potential Despair Plant and for that, they were grateful. "I believe we've spent our time well here at Kalos. Both of our groups. It's we got a move on." Celestia said. "Right now, Daybreaker's group is out there somewhere and they are certainly not going to let this rest. Staying in Kalos won't be the best play admittedly." "So...Where to next?" Sci-Twi asked. "I had somewhere in my mind...but I couldn't do it without some Rift Energy to back me up." Lucas raised his arm. "Heck, I was thinking of doing two gateways instead of one this time." "You won't have to do just gateways, Lucas. Your Rift Energy will have to be centred around her next." Celestia instructed, referring to Twilight Moonlight. "I'll inform you later. Right now, you can open a gateway to wherever you wish." "Got it. Help me out here, Twilight." Lucas walked forward, rubbing his hands together as Rift Sparkles were already beginning to form. And wherever they were going, Twilight Moonlight was certainly coming with them. Noticeably, even with Twilight Sparkle, Sci-Twi and Twilight Moonlight being in the same area, that strange feeling wasn't showing up. Sci-Twi didn't even feel it once. It has yet to show up for her. As for where they were going, Lucas had to make a few connections since he missed out on two days. And one of these locations would be none other than beyond the beautiful Las Pegasus. A great place to stop by for the Pokemon Festival and would certainly be lively. Moonlight could care less though, but she had no idea what was coming her way very soon. Alola. A Strange Island. Daybreaker's group were still trapped on this mysterious island, struggling to find a way out of it. Their only option was to explore and see what they could find before their 5 days were up. They currently had 3 days left before they returned to their universe. Gardevoir had already fallen asleep, deprived of Aura and lacking the spirit to do much else. The Aura Vampire would lie down while under the Alolan Sun. Too lazy to do anything and couldn't be bothered to try. Gardevoir was truly reliant on the Aura as if her life depended on it when it really didn't. During their search, they did indeed come across something interesting that neither of them could ignore. They went deeper into the island, noticing a strong lack of Pokemon. No Pokemon inhabited this one island but that didn't mean it was lacking something. Burning down a wall of vines was Daybreaker, just by using her presence alone to do so instead of making direct contact. And when burning through anything in the island that got too close to her, the Solar Queen, Second Wind and Hunter J came across something curious. They were moving across this rather large island for 2 days now and finally, they found something in the lower areas. At first, it looked like a cave, but not quite. The group saw a faint light coming from the entrance of this hollowed-out spot which was certainly new. Why would this island let out any form of light, especially one that had a light blue colour within it. When advancing forward, they approached this hollowed-out area and found something else beyond it. "A room?" Daybreaker uttered. Hidden in this strange island was a room. A futuristic one too. It was a large vaulted room made entirely of obsidian, its smooth black surface reflecting the soft glow of neon lights. A strange, otherworldly hum fills the air, creating an eerie ambience. "Look at this..." J moved her hands across the walls, feeling their texture. "It's obsidian...That's incredibly rare." "Hmph. Nothing to break the diamond though." Second Wind groaned. "This is probably just an abandoned area that no one had any use for. It's far too modern to be ancient." "I don't think so. This is a lot like that secret world you found, J." Daybreaker pointed out. "Curious...It looks like some sort of laboratory." It did have that laboratory feeling. But it didn't look like any lab that either of them have seen before. Much like that tower, this place had things they've never seen before. Specifically, magic symbols on the walls. The same magic symbols that were on that monolith. On the ruined table, Hunter J picked up a damaged book that was missing a huge chunk of its pages and cover with minimal words being spared. And one word that was spared was at the bottom of one of these pages which J noticed. "Hm. Written by Professor Greystar." J read the name on the bottom. "If I had to guess, this might be one of the areas that existed in Prisma's world." Daybreaker was already going the Prisma route. And the second she said so, the room gave out a reaction. The room turned red, letting out a blaring alarm. This place wasn't as dead as they thought it would be. It was very much active but for only one reason that they would soon find out. A sound could be heard coming from the room that was completely artificial. "Prisma. Prisma. Searching for Prisma." It specifically reacted to the name Prisma. Not even the name Greystar sparked this reaction. The artificial voice was malfunctioning, as if it was trying to say something else but it was clear it wasn't stable. And neither was this room. There was indeed a door here that would shut itself immediately. Daybreaker's group were trapped in this laboratory, unaware of the type of forces that were about to be unleashed upon them. They just couldn't escape from things related to Prisma. So far, no one could. Daybreaker only came here to find a way out of the island and to free Necrozma from these mystical diamonds. Instead, she was about to receive something else as seen by the obsidian walls opening up. The laboratory was putting on some sort of defence specifically centred around Prisma himself. But even though he wasn't here, that didn't stop the lab from taking action. Daybreaker, Hunter J and Second Wind each had the same reaction after gazing at what was being revealed beyond those walls. As the journey continues. Chapter 336 End.