Equestria. Las Pegasus. The Pokemon Festival. Day.
Here at Las Pegasus, a special Pokemon Contest was going on. No battles would be done. Just a full-on showcase of flair for this special contest and a strong lack of ribbons. Jessie managed to get Lena Ketchum invested in this, at least for a little while. And after a ton of makeup, Lena passed by many coordinators and those who were coming to see this small contest, looking rather unkempt.
"Rental...Rental..." After being told about Rental Pokemon from May, Lena Ketchum was on her way to partner up with one while still wearing the dress that Jessie set up for her. Holding the lower part of the dress up to sprint, Lena bolted her way past the other coordinators. "Morning! Is this where I can find a Rental Pokemon?!"
"W-Well, yes..." The employee pulled back. "They're just over there, lined up inside of those boxes."
"Thank you!" Lena bowed before sprinting once again. The spot to rent out some Pokemon was just up ahead. Sitting in front of her was an assortment of boxes, each holding different Poke Balls with Pokemon within them. Lena could team up with any of them at this very moment.
Lena was the only one here since every other coordinator had their own Pokemon. Lena wasn't sure which Pokemon she would team up when glancing at them. The ancestor of Ash grit her teeth, unsure of who to pick. So, in all her unique wisdom, she went for as much as she could, unaware that she only needed one.
"I'm counting on all of you!" Lena said with excitement.
"Um...You only need the One Pokemon..." A staff member said.
"Just one?" Lena paused, glancing at the Poke Balls in her hand. "Hmm...That seems like a waste to leave them all out. But if so, then I'll choose this one." After choosing her Pokemon, she raised the Poke Ball into the air triumphantly. After that, Lena was ready to remove the fancy getup she had on for something more her style.
"Lena, wait! Whatever you're thinking, reconsider!" Jessie pleaded, wishing for Lena to keep this beautiful look.
"Sorry, Jessie. But I'm going with my own style!" Lena would remove this style instantly for something catered towards her. She effortlessly ripped parts of the dress off, revealing her true clothes which were still on her. Her own style was her original look. Lena even managed to remove the lipstick from her lips while also bringing her hair back to how it previously was, which was just Ash's own hairstyle.
Jessie fell down to her knees, gutted by this reversal. All that hard work to get her dressed up went to waste. All the while, Lena had the brightest smile on her face. "All that hard work...For what? She's going to be seen so differently out there..."
"Now I'm ready." Lena gazed at the Poke Ball, throwing it into the air. "Whoever you are, please help me in this!"
"Clefairy!" Out of it emerged Clefairy. This would be the Pokemon assisting her. Lena had no Contest experience and this was her first time unleashing a Poke Ball. A first time for everything and much like her descendant, she was very eager to take a huge swing at it.
"Hoooooot!" Meanwhile, Ash and Lucas just got done trying out some Saddle Arabian spices on their food, only to suddenly breathe fire due to how hot they were. Ash and Lucas managed to use Flamethrower together, spewing crimson flames into the air.
"Told you. But you two handled that better than I imagined." Twilight Sparkle shook her head. After they used Flamethrower, Ash and Lucas collectively slumped over with smoke coming out of their mouths.
During that time frame, Pinkie Pie has been chatting to Twilight Moonlight this entire time while she was still stuck in the bubble. For 70 straight minutes and the contest had yet to begin. There was still time to spare. "So, it's not all bad I mean we got to go to space! How crazy is that?! I think we can even further than that pretty soon!"
Moonlight could be seen having a straight face, practically zoned out as she was absolutely bombarded by information from Pinkie Pie. With her hooves restrained, she couldn't even cover her ears. Minutes upon minutes of listening to Pinkie Pie chatter about herself and the things she's done.
As for Sci-Twi, she was still looking at her Arceus Pendant, wondering why it was letting out a faint glow. If she had to guess, something else related to Arceus's power somewhere here. Curious, Sci-Twi wandered off, a little spaced out at the moment. She would soon venture through Las Pegasus, passing by the droves of Pokemon, Ponies, Hippogriffs and Humans that were present here.
She pouted, trying to make the pendant glow with a stronger rate but something was off. While it was glowing, Sci-Twi wasn't sure if she was getting close or not and she wasn't even aware about what was causing it. In her mind, she believed that the shards were the cause of this and there were new ones here at Las Pegasus. She was partially right. There were other shards here but they were in possession of Lena's group. There was a second reason for this.
And speaking of Hippogriffs, Sci-Twi unknowingly passed by a rather important figure. That would be Queen Novo herself. Putting on a disguise that was too flashy to be considered discreet, she was also here for the Contest but it seems as if she did not want anyone else to know about this. in the dressing room, she managed to put on a Contest Dress tailored to her.
It was an authentic Seaquestria dress that was rather rare considering how the Hippogriffs had to flee Mount Aris in the past. But now that they didn't have to worry about the Storm King, this type of dress would be exposed to the world once more, right on the Queen.
"So far, nothing..." Novo commented, opening the exit to the Contest Hall, where Sci-Twi passed her. "Excellent. I still have a few hours left until it starts so now is a good time to get some practice. This looks solitude enough."
Novo was about to get in some practice before the Contest could begin. She would slip forward, finding the best possible place to practice on her own without anyone noticing. Las Pegasus was an incredibly crowded place after all so she really needed this one spot.
Alas, it wasn't as free as she wanted it to be. Somepony else found this spot to be perfect for practising and that pony was Sweetie Belle, who was already working alongside her Pokemon.
"!" Novo grimaced as her glasses nearly fell off. This was the one spot she needed and it was already taken. But where else could she go at this moment?
"Great, great!" Sweetie Belle cheered. "Way to go, Teddiursa!"
"Ah, it's just a child." Novo sighed. "I bet she doesn't even know who I am. Why was I so worried?" Sweetie Belle wouldn't mind, either way, royalty or not. She would much rather continue practising with her Pokemon. Novo pranced over, keeping her distance from the young unicorn.
"Hm?" It didn't take long for Sweetie Belle to notice the Queen of the Hippogriffs. The dress she had on was appealing but Sweetie Belle could definitely tell she was a Hippogriff based on her build from the front. "Nice dress!"
"Thank you...Just don't mind me, sweetie." Novo commented before pulling out her own Poke Ball. She never had one before but after the events with the Storm King, she now possessed one. And out of it emerged her partner. Primarina.
"Primarina!"
"Primaina...." Sweetie Belle gawked. It's not often she got to see a Primarina. "Oh, right! Focus! Do it, Teddiursa!"
"Teddi!" Nodding in understanding, Teddiursa used Night Slash. She generated an aura of darkness around her claws before spinning on the spot. The result was a black tornado that would soon be sliced in half by Teddiursa's surprisingly sharp claws.
"Ah..." Novoc ouldn't get the chance to make another move once she saw what Teddiursa pulled off. The Black Tornado was now split into individual parts and yet they were still stable and staying airborne.
Teddiursa then took a mighty leap, jumping through the Split Black Tornado while also using Swift. The stars of Swift emerged from his body, illuminating the Black Tornado with rays piercing through the darkness. Teddirusa would then emerge from the eye of the storm and right at the top, summoning a larger Swift Star on top of her head.
"That's the one!" Sweetie Belle applauded. "Let's work on that and create different versions of it!
"...Oh dear." Novo realized how outclassed she was instantly. Sweetie Belle, who was just a child, had impressive skills that could 'Wow' others. It certainly wowed Queen Nova and even Primarina who had their jaws dropped. But Primarina would soon applaud it herself.
"Prima!"
"Ooh! I should've started working days before this festival started! The kids are this skilled already?!"
"You're from Seaquestria, right?" Sweetie Belle said. "You've probably got something new I've never seen before in a Contest, right?"
"W-Well um...Yes. Different regions, different styles, right?" Novo tried playing it off cool, but in reality, she was absolutely intimidated by Sweetie Belle's skills.
"I can't wait! Can you show me right now?!"
"Hey, mom! Do you think I could get a Master Ball for-" Appearing around the corner was none other than Princess Skystar, who could potentially give away Novo's disguise. Quickly, Novo would rush over, shoving her hoof into her own daughter's mouth. "Mmm?! Mmm-mmm!"
"Not right now. I need Primarina to have full energy for the contest."
"Oh, right. Gotcha." Sweetie Belle understood, even if it was a lie. "By the way...Isn't that...?"
"Nopony! She was just on her way right now." Swiftly, Novo would grab Skystar, slipping away from this solitude spot while Primarina would wave farewell.
"Blah! What was that for...? I'm supposed to be the one who keeps stuff hidden." Skystar asked.
"You could've given away my identity..." Novo wished to stay discreet while Skystar was completely out in the open with no disguises whatsoever. She wasn't sugarcoating anything.
"Why's it such a big deal? I mean, it should be since you're the Queen. Everyone's gonna love seeing you here even if they don't know who you are from the start."
"I want to keep this as low as possible, Skystar. We're not out of the whirlpool just yet. The Storm King wasn't our only enemy. While he was the most dangerous, there are more out there."
"It's fine. We've got the best protection we could ask for. The whole of Equestria's got our back after all. What's there to worry about?" Skystar saw no issue considering they had Ash, the entirety of the Sea Temple and Equestria to back them all up.
"A lot. There's always a lot to worry about. There's no such thing as permanent peace." Novo shook her head. "I'm just curious about these Pokemon Contests since I've only heard about them here and there. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself so I have to be incognito, taking on another identity."
"Well, uh..." Skystar paused for a moment. "Not sure how your enemies would be here and also, who would you even be known as?"
"I'll go as a mystery coordinator. I'll play it off as if I've been an expert coordinator from the start even if I come from Seaquestria. I won't give them a name and they'll only name me based on my appearance. See this fabulous dress on me? That'll be how I get my name."
"Oooh..." Skystar gawked. "That's a great idea! But won't you get busted?"
"Not for a moment." Novo scoffed. "Before you came along, I was also a bit of a trickster back in my day. I've matured but I still have my old tricks in me. All I need to do is to really give off that Expert Aura. But that's a different kind of challenge. That little girl was so talented and it's only been 4 or 5 years since we've encountered Pokemon?"
"Why not just ask her then?" Skystar then suggested that Novo sought advice and help from Sweetie Belle herself.
"...You're kidding, right?" Novo lowered her glasses. "Me? Taking lessons from a child? I mean, she seems sweet but...really?"
"I mean, she's better than you isn't she? In every way." Skystar shrugged, laying it on thick. "Plus, Primarina's only good at singing which is totally fine, but I don't think Pokemon Contests are looking for that."
"Mmmrgh...I only have a few hours." Novo bit her hoof. She was contemplating it, wondering if she should head to Sweetie Belle for advice. However since she had no skills as a coordinator and this was her very first attempt at this, there was only one efficient solution. "Fine...I'll ask her for help."
Admitting that she needed help, Novo lowered her head, returning to the solitude area where Sweetie Belle was still practising. Right as Teddiursa was prepared to use that Swift and Night Slash Combo, along came Novo, who kept her name discreet.
"Oh, hey!" Sweetie Belle waved. "Back so soon?"
"Ahem..." Novo cleared her throat. "I just need to do one thing. For this small contest, I want to gauge how good you are as a coordinator."
"Wait, what?" Skystar uttered before being hushed by Novo. Queen Novo was taking a completely different approach. She wasn't going to tell Sweetie Belle about her lack of Contest Skills. Instead, she was still going to keep up her fake expertise as a way to learn from Sweetie Belle.
"I'm uh...rather experienced in my craft, but I don't get out there that much." Novo flipped her hair. Skystar's jaw dropped after seeing what approach her mother was taking.
"I'd love to!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, already up for it. Why wouldn't she be?
"Bingo." In her mind, Novo hit the jackpot. This way, she could learn from a good coordinator while playing it cool.
"Mom..." Skystar silently said.
"Hmm...Why isn't lighting up all that much?" Sci-Twi grumbled when looking at the Arceus Pendant. She would still stay in the radius of this energy, making sure she wouldn't lose it. Eventually, she entered the Contest Hall, where the shards were definitely close.
Sci-Twi still wasn't getting a strong signature at all even though she was in the same building as them. Something else was in the way. Something was disrupting this connection. Sci-Twi continued on her way until she came across the dressing room. This was where the light would hit an impasse, mainly because the shards were here.
Sitting there at the dressing room where all the coordinators were readying themselves was a bag. Specifically, Lena Ketchum's bag and in it, were the other shards. But standing around them were Team Rocket who kept it safe for Lena. Jessie was huddled next to the bag, having her dreams crushed by Lena's decision. And it was all thanks to May, who received a devious glare from Jessie. Yet again, May foils her plans even in the modern day. Not unlike Ash.
"Her?!" Jessie pulled back after seeing Sci-Twi appear. This was only making things worse for her. "Why'd she show up of all times? Is she here for the contest?"
"Doesn't look like it." James answered before showing his friends what truly mattered and it was around Sci-Twi's neck. "Look at her neck. Doesn't that look familiar?"
"That's Arceus's symbol...What's she doing with his symbol?" Meowth squinted. "It's glowing too."
"Not that much. What an embarrassment." Jessie scoffed.
"Are the shards in here? What am I gonna do to force them out...?" Sci-Twi sighed as she might have to find it in public, right here in the dressing room. "Hah...After this, I'm going to train Spike to sniff out shards."
"I've already been practising!" Spike the Dog popped his head out of the bag, raising his paw.
"Shards? Is that why she's here?" Jessie gasped silently. "Is she onto us already?"
"It can't be. The twerp doesn't even know yet. At least I hope not." James grimaced. "We'd better keep the bag away from her then. It looks like she knew that they'd be in here somewhere. But she can't sniff them out."
Wandering the room, Sci-Twi found nothing at all. Since the shards were in the bag, she had no clue, unless the pendant glowed at a good level. But that wasn't happening right now.
"Okay...What's your deal, pendant?" Sci-Twi started speaking to the pendant. "I wish I knew more about you. Heading to Arche Valley's on my mind but you're still so mysterious. I thought learning from the valley would help me deal with you a bit better..."
"Alright, people! Only 3 hours until we can begin!" A staff member exclaimed when entering the dressing room, announcing to the coordinators. "Remember, all of you are going to be in the same room instead of just back-to-back solo performances so get ready!"
With Sci-Twi having no luck, she would move away from the dressing room, trying her luck elsewhere if possible. However, the second she left the room, the pendant would flash for a moment, immediately causing Sci-Twi to turn around. "Wah! Hey!"
Without her own control, the pendant was forcing Sci-Twi to head back inside of the dressing room. She had no control over her movements as the pendant was doing something completely new that she's never seen before. it was practically moving on its own, bringing Sci-Twi along. As for where it was taking her, the pendant was going straight for the bag, knowing where the shards were.
"She is onto us!" Team Rocket immediately assumed Sci-Twi figured out where the shards were. Together, they would pick up the bag, bolting away as quickly as they could.
As soon as Team Rocket left the room, the pendant would swerve Sci-Twi's body, making her turn and instantly pursue Team Rocket. Sci-Twi wailed, passing by the other coordinators who witnessed her effortlessly slide across the floor with her as only the back of her shoes were touching the ground.
"Wow...She can move without stepping?" May uttered with amazement, unaware of what was going on. No one was. The pendant couldn't communicate and Team Rocket didn't have all the context, thus, resulting in an unlikely pursuit while Sci-Twi was the vehicle for this pendant.
"Arceus if that's you, this isn't funny...!" Sci-Twi bellowed, looking distraught and confused at the same time. But alas, she couldn't do anything about this and hope that the pendant would come to a halt eventually. The shards inside of both of their bags were glowing, responding to each other's presence, as if they wanted to reunite once more.
And yet again, with time passing, Pinkie Pie was still rambling on to Twilight Moonlight. All of her adventures were still coming up which would be fascinating to others, but not to Twilight Moonlight, who pressed her face on the golden bubble with a tired face.
"If Celestia did this just to torture...It's super-effective." Moonlight groaned. She was going to be here for a while until the 9 days were up, much to her chagrin. While she had the seriousness to talk back to anyone, it seemed that Pinkie Pie could negate that with her endless chatter.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 338 End.