The Human World. On the Road. Nightfall.
On the road again were the Dazzlings and their mother. After finishing up at PokeStar Studios, they were back in the Human World, continuing the search for their fellow sirens. Sonata could be seen almost asleep, completely surrounded by food she's eaten. Every bit of it was junk food.
"Well, where to next?" Aria asked. "So far, we haven't found a single one. We're getting nowhere."
"I know. It's frustrating." Adagio placed her hands in her massive hair, trying to make sense of it. "We followed the clues and not a single one of them has shown up. What gives?"
"Don't give up hope now." Their mother, Vivace spoke. "You're not thinking we're truly the last of our kind, are you?"
"We weren't thinking that." Both Adagio and Aria said.
"But, I have faith they're still out there. Even if it's taking us a while, at least we sirens live long." Vivace looked on the bright side.
"And if we are the last of our kind, we might have to get busy and fix that." Sonata sat up, making a joke that made her two older sisters grimace. As for their mother, she just laughed that.
"We're out of clues right now." said Vivace. "If we're to find them, we might have to retrace our steps. We can't sit around and wait for them to come to us."
"What if that works?" Sonata asked. "What if waiting for them to come to us pans out? I mean, that's been our backup plan."
"Your backup plan?" Vivace would slow down the vehicle a bit, turning her head to face her daughters.
"Our backup plan is that if we get popular enough for the entire world to know about us, then the other sirens will have to come out of hiding." Adagio explained. "In the 3rd Pokemon Festival, we got to perform the closing song and we're getting into the movie business just this morning."
"The first plan's not going so great. So we're going for the second plan." Aria spoke. "It's way up our alley and easier for us than going on a search."
"Fair enough. Succeed with your best skills. That's the kind of enthusiasm I-" But before Vivace could finish, up ahead, she would stop her vehicle once she saw someone on the road.
She grimaced at the sight of this person, rapidly stopping the van as it would make a screeching sound, causing the Sirens to rock as Sonata fell off the seats. As Vivace brought the vehicle to a halt, the Dazzlings peered ahead to see who had caught their mother's attention. The girls would hold their heads after the bumpy ride.
A Pokémon battle was underway, and standing at the centre was a figure who, at first glance, resembled Ash. "Is that...Ash?" Aria questioned, the darkness of the night masking the face of this trainer. But when they all looked ahead, thanks to the flames of what appeared to be a Charizard lighting the area up, something was amiss. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that it wasn't Ash but one of his counterparts.
Red.
"I know that guy...I think." Sonata uttered.
"Hey!" Adagio immediately got out of the van, yelling at Red. "What's the big idea?! Get off the road!" As Adagio stepped out of the van, her frustration evident as she marched over to Red, who remained focused on the intense battle unfolding before him. Ignoring her initial outburst, Adagio tapped Red on the shoulder, trying to grab his attention.
"..." But no response from him, as always.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" She exclaimed. "You can't just stand in the middle of the road like this!"
Adagio's attempt to capture Red's attention was met with a surprising turn of events. Just as she approached him, a sudden burst of energy erupted from the ongoing battle. Charizard, in a swift and powerful motion, unleashed a ferocious attack on its opponent, causing a dazzling flare of energy that illuminated the surroundings.
Adagio staggered back, startled by the unexpected display of power. She watched as the intense clash between Pokémon unfolded before her, realizing that Red remained utterly unfazed by the spectacle. His focus remained solely on the battle, his expression calm and composed despite the chaos unfolding around him.
The oppossing forces in question were masked figures, who were revealed to be bank robbers, their Pokémon in the middle of a battle as they clashed with Red and his Charizard.
With a swift and decisive strike, Charizard unleashed a powerful attack, sending one of the robbers' Pokémon, a Boldore, flying backwards.
"Charizard!" Charizard unleashed a blistering Flamethrower attack, engulfing the remaining Pokémon in a searing inferno. The flames blazed through the hard road as the robbers' Pokémon were swiftly defeated, unable to withstand the overwhelming force of Charizard's fiery onslaught.
Adagio flinched for a moment as the battle came to a swift and decisive conclusion, the robbers incapacitated and their Pokémon defeated. Charizard stood proudly amidst the aftermath, towering over his defeated Pokemon.
Red approached the defeated criminals with a steely resolve, looking down at them with such intensity. The bank robbers screeched, immediately dropping their bags of money and returning their Pokemon. Terrified of Red and not wanting to deal with him any further, they made a run for it.
"We're sorry!" They yelled while running off into the distance where police sirens could be heard.
With all that said and done, Red turned to face Adagio at last. His expression was still stoic.
Adagio shook her head, trying to regain her focus. "Umm...Anyway! Like I was saying, don't just stand on the road like that!"
As she spoke, Sonata, her curiosity piqued, joined her sister outside the van. "Oh, you're Red! You're one of Ash's counterparts!" Sonata exclaimed, recognizing the Pokémon Trainer.
"That Red?" Adagio faced her sister before looking back at Red. "Ugh. That explains the Aura."She would then step back, cleaning some dust off of herself.
Sonata strolled up to Red, her curiosity getting the better of her. "What are you doing here in this world?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be back at your world? Like Kanto or something? Or maybe even Equestria."
"..." Red remained silent as always.
"Yeah. This place is pretty boring compared to both worlds," Aria chimed in, echoing Sonata's sentiment as she joined her sister near Red. "Unless you've been here multiple times."
The latter was very much true. Red has been here before as seen by the smile on his face. Despite this world lacking a strong connection to Pokemon, Red finds himself here at times. The same goes for Ethan, Brendan and Hilbert.
Red would then look over at the van before nudging his head at it. Adagio blinked for a moment, unsure to what he was trying to say. Neither could Aria. None of them could properly read Red's body language. All except for Sonata.
"You want a ride? Well sure!" She translated.
"H-How'd you understand him?!" Aria stammered. Nothing from Sonata implies that she can properly read body language but she witnessed an example of it today.
"Oh, need somewhere to be, sweetie?" Vivace questioned. "We can make that work. Come along."
Red nodded gratefully before approaching the van. Returning Charizard to his Poke Ball, he climbed into the van, taking a seat among the Dazzlings and their mother.
"Welcome aboard!" Sonata greeted him cheerfully, her enthusiasm infectious as always. "We've got plenty of room here.. You're not the first guest we've had here. Especially not one with a serious look on his face." She referred to Paul."
"Where are you even heading?" Aria asked before then looking at Sonata, needing her to translate what Red was about to say.
"..."
"You're heading to Sunset Shimmer's home?" Sonata translated. "Really? How come?"
"Aw, her?" Adagio then chimed in. "What's someone like you going to her home for? You don't look like the type to bother with someone like her."
"I think she's like the Fire-Type Gym Leader when she heads back to Equestria. Even though she stays at that school most of the time." Aria replied to Adagio. "Is that why you're going to her? To give her some pointers?"
Right on the mark. Aria was 100% correct. That's exactly why Red was heading there. He did make a promise to Sunset Shimmer to help her get stronger, especially with that brief battle they had.
"Help her? What, so she's like weak or something?" Adagio snickered, taking the opportunity to taunt Sunset Shimmer even from afar.
"If she's receiving training from Red, she's probably stronger than you." Aria pointed out, giving Sunset Shimmer some props.
"Pssh. You wish."
"You don't think the Fire-Type Trainer can easily beat the Bug-Type Trainer?" The older sister rolled her eyes at such a notion.
"Not my fault I have two Pokemon that just so happen to be bugs." Adagio scoffed, crossing her arms at such a response. "Besides, Type Advantage isn't everything."
"You'd make a great Bug-Type Gym Leader though!" Sonata raised her arm before being shoved aside by Adagio.
"Anyway, I'd catch more Pokemon if I wanted to. Believe me." She would lay back on the seats. Adagio has only caught one Pokemon officially and that was her partner Kricketune. Pheromosa was only given to her. "If there was one Pokemon I could catch...It would be a Gardevoir."
"Same." Aria and Sonata collectively said. All three of them were in agreement, having a preference for the same Pokemon. But Adagio had one extra reason.
"Ah. You want a Gardevoir because of Princess Celestia. I thought you weren't her student anymore?"
"I've only been her student for like 2 years. But I've already learned a lot. And no, her Gardevoir's not why I want one, it's just a beautiful Pokemon. Not as beautiful as me though." Adagio boasted. "You two want one for the same reason?"
"I just think it looks neat." Sonata was honest before grinning in Aria's direction. "But Aria wants one because she probably wants to know how Paul feels about her and-"
"You wish that was why!" Aria covered Sonata's mouth, causing her to muffle.
"Not a bad idea." Vivace raised a finger, indulging in Sonata's words. "Getting a Pokemon to know how someone feels about how. How sweet."
"Mom!"
"What? Don't act like you wouldn't have done it. It's natural for us Sirens." Vivace chuckled. "If we want to know something, we'll go to huge lengths. Sometimes, a little mind control helps. A little. Or you just could tell him how you feel. That works too, Aria."
"Urgh..." The middle sister was embarrased, lowering her head and blushing. She didn't wish to talk about this any longer. When lowering her head, she would take out her phone, immediately turning it on to see Paul's phone number. Aria was a bit tempted to call him right now to maybe steam things off.
"I'm not too shy about it." Sonata proudly said. "I know someone who I can confess to no problem. What about you, Adagio?"
"No one."Adagio shut it down immediately. "Never in a million years. And I'm currently in my early millions. No one can handle all of me."
"I don't know..." Sonata twirled her finger while pointing at Adagio. "You're sitting next to someone who totally could."
"Gah!" Adagio's body would shiver for a moment before turning to face Red, who looked back at her. Red would then look away, acting as if nothing happened. "Gross..."
"I thought you'd like the strong, silent types?" Sonata asked.
"Live with someone who probably has no musical taste? As if." The older sister simply groaned at such a notion.
"Gee. Thought you'd like that since he wouldn't criticize your music." Aria taunted, followed by a snicker from Sonata. Adagio simply shook her head, putting on a smile as well. She did find it rather humorous. All of this was just sisterly banter.
The van continued on its way, heading straight for the town where Sunset Shimmer could be found.
As the night went on, two of the sisters were currently asleep. Aria and Sonata obviously. Only Adagio was asleep while her mother parked the van near a lake, falling asleep as well. All seemed silent right now, but there two individuals still awake at this time.
Adagio would be asleep, but she was only halfway there. Adagio's eyes fluttered open halfway, her senses alerting her to a presence missing from the van. With a groggy mind, she sat up, blinking away the remnants of sleep as she noticed Red's absence inside the van. Sitting up, she wondered where he had gone at such a time and her answers were given upon hearing a specific sound.
It sounded like flames, prompting her to look outside. Right now, near the lake, Red could be seen with his Charizard, Pikachu and his Lapras at this very moment, not appearing tired at all.
"What are you doing? It's late." Adagio would ask while rubbing her eye.
Red glanced up from his task, his expression unreadable as he regarded Adagio with his silent glare. Without a word, he gestured towards the lake, where the flames were perfectly standing on the water without showing signs of being put out. Not even once.
"Oh..." Adagio blinked a few times when seeing the fire perfectly standing on the water. "You couldn't wait until the morning to try this? Don't you sleep?"
"..." Red shrugged. That answer only raised a lot of questions for Adagio that she didn't want answered.
"Whatever. I guess this looks nice anyway." She would then look at the flames on the water, taking the moment to admire it. "I didn't think someone like you would try this out. You don't look like the type."
But Red dabbled. Much like his counterpart, he knew how to make flashy sights, even past that serious nature. As for Adagio, she was absorbed by the view of the flames, seeing it move around while Lapras was swimming. It made for a rather calming sight, especially this late at night.
"Say...Since you're Ash's counterpart, are you dealing with that whole Prisma thing?" Adagio questioned. "Heard a lot about that. You're not dangerous, are you?"
Adagio's question hung in the air. As she awaited Red's response, her mind couldn't help but wander to the topic of Prisma, the amalgamation of Ash, Red, and other legendary trainers from the various regions. The idea of such a powerful entity dwelling within Red's counterpart sparked a sense of unease within her, mingled with a growing apprehension about the potential dangers it posed.
Red remained silent for a moment, actually giving Adagio an answer. But of course, it was by silence, however, this tme, Adagio could read it.
Judging by that look in his eyes, it was confirmed. Red actually did go through an instance where Prisma did show up, albeit for a brief time. "Y-You did?!"
The memory was a strong one, a fleeting glimpse of power and chaos that threatened to consume him from within. In that moment, he had felt the overwhelming surge of Prisma's presence.
He remembered it since it was not too long ago. Red saw the visage of the Fairy Matter in the sky. He was there. He was there when Daybreaker used the Fairy Matter on Equestria for the first time. Much like how her actions managed to get Prisma out of Ash's soul due to anger, Red went through the same thing. Much like Ash, it didn't last long and he was back to his senses, but he could not forget that moment.
The first time that Prisma was actually influencing him. And this was not too long ago either.
"Seriously? S-So you are dangerous!" Adagio leaned back. However, at this moment, Red was not dangerous, however, that sense of a threat was certainly within him.
"..." Red would simply smile at her.
"Well...As long as you get it under control," She grumbled. Though she hoped for the best, Adagio couldn't shake the lingering sense of unease that gnawed at her thoughts. "Now get some sleep already. It's late."
Red watched her go, his expression inscrutable as he pondered her words. Red settled down in front of the lake, his thoughts still consumed by the memory of Prisma's awakening. He simply watched the flames dancing around the lake while Lapras was putting herself to sleep. Though sleep eluded him for now, he would eventually clock out.
Sunset Shimmer's Home. Day.
As the night slowly passed, giving way to the first light of dawn, the van continued on its journey, winding its way through the quiet streets until it finally arrived at Sunset Shimmer's home.
The morning sun cast its golden rays upon the landscape, illuminating the town with a warm glow. The air was filled with the gentle chirping of birds and Pidgeys and the soft rustle of leaves as a new day began to unfold.
Sonata's voice rang out with a cheerful tone as she emerged from the van, her expression bright and energetic despite the early hour. "I slept like a Queen!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head in a luxurious stretch, allowing her muscles to relax and unwind.
As Adagio stepped out of the van, her expression was less than enthusiastic, her features twisted into a slight frown as she surveyed their surroundings. The warm rays of the morning sun danced upon her face, but they failed to lift her spirits, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of reluctance about being at Sunset Shimmer's home.
"Ugh. Do we really have to be here?" she grumbled, her voice tinged with irritation as she glanced towards the familiar abode.
Aria, noticing her sister's discontent, furrowed her brow in concern. "You still don't like her?" she questioned, her tone gentle yet probing.
"Still bitter about the whole Battle of the Bands thing? I thought you got over that. I mean, we all did," Sonata remarked.
"I got over it too. Not Sunset. I never forgave the Human Counterparts in this world and Sunset is no different," she admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of resignation.
"Well, if you don't wanna come along, be our guest," Aria simply shrugged it off.
Meanwhile, Red stepped forward and knocked on the door of Sunset Shimmer's home, the sound echoing through the quiet morning air.
As the door creaked open, revealing the familiar figure of Sunset Shimmer on the other side. "Red! You're here!" She said with a smile before noticing the familiar faces of the Dazzlings. "And...you brought them? You three are here too?"
As Sunset's gaze swept over the trio, Aria stepped forward with a casual greeting. "Thought we'd pay a visit," she offered with a nonchalant shrug, her tone light despite the tension in the air.
Meanwhile, Sonata, ever the embodiment of enthusiasm, frantically waved her arms in greeting, a wide smile plastered across her face as she tried to diffuse the growing tension with her infectious energy.
However, Adagio remained silent, her expression darkening as she observed the exchange from a distance. Her scowl spoke volumes. Sunset's own expression mirrored Adagio's, her features contorted into a scowl of her own as she eyed the trio with a mixture of suspicion and irritation.
"Did you have to bring her along too?" Sunset's voice dripped with disdain as she directed her question at Red. She wasn't too fond of Adagio being here too. It seems that the two of them never made up, unlike Sonata and Aria.
"We won't be long. Right?" Adagio smirked before looking at her sisters.
"Well, I mean, we're not doing anything right now..." Sonata shrugged while rolling her eyes. "Why not visit old friends?"
"Well, I called for Red only, but whatever. Red promised to train me today and help me out with something. You'd better get in right now." Sunset grabbed Red's arm, pulling him in. "Come on."
As Sunset spoke, her tone left little room for argument. Adagio exchanged a glance with her sisters before nodding reluctantly, realizing that they had little choice but to follow.
"Fine," Adagio conceded, her voice tinged with resignation as she followed Sunset's lead, her sisters trailing behind her.
"It'll be great having you with us, Red." Sunset spoke once she let them all in. "It's pretty early in the day, so we can get a head start. We can do a tiny bit of training and get out there."
"Are you two heading somewhere?" Sonata asked.
"Not just us two. But all of my friends. You see...That Alpha Pokemon thing's come up again. Heard of it?"
"Alpha Pokemon? Oh, araen't those the big Pokemon this world's Twilight's been catching? How many does she have again?" Aria spoke, recalling the Alpha Pokemon.
"There's been another sighting of them. But this time, the Dragon Matter and Fairy Matter showed up." Sunset Shimmer continued, making three of them gasp. "Twilight's already called Ash to come over today and since Red was close, I figured I'd call him today to help out."
"Does the Pokemon have Dragon Matter and Fairy Matter?" Sonata questioned.
"Not sure. Professor Oak wasn't too descriptive when he told us. All he said that there was a bunch of Alpha Pokemon. Usually, there's only one, maybe two. But a lot of them have gathered up and it could be big trouble. This world still isn't used to Pokemon like how it is back in Equestria."
"Oooh! We get to go on an important mission?!" The eyes of Sonata lit up. "With such a big group too!"
Adagio's groan cut through the excitement in the air, her reluctance evident as she voiced her concerns. "Do we have to?" She groaned. "Why should it matter to us?"
"Uh, pretty sure it does." Sunset Shimmer walked over. "In case you don't know, the Dragon Matter and Fairy Matter are back at Equestria and they're just as dangerous as they sound. If no one takes care of them, it'll be a huge deal."
"Then handle it. Don't drag us into it."
"It could drag you into it too." Sunset pointed at Adagio. "Especially the Dragon Matter. It'll tear everything apart and it's tough to escape from. Next thing you know, you'll be swalloed up by it as it rips open the ground. It passed through an entirely different world just to show up here, ya know."
Adagio's lips tightened into a thin line, her resistance faltering. With a frustrated sigh, she begrudgingly conceded, her pride swallowing her pride for the sake of the greater good.
"Tch," Adagio clicked her tongue in annoyance, her reluctance evident. "Whatever. We're not doing anything yet, I guess. Wish we had new song ideas already."
"Ash will be here soon, I bet. So before we head out, let me just get myself warmed up, ready, Red?" she asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.
Red nodded in response, his expression stoic as ever. Without a word, he stepped forward, ready to assist Sunset in her preparations. Both would walk out of the building, ready to find a spot to practice.
It would be quite the Mammoswine of a group. Ash's group and Red's group combined would make this the largest Alpha Pokemon search yet. But also one that calls for this many numbers. Both the Dragon Matter and Fairy Matter have found their way into this world as well and some Alpha Pokemon are already surrounded by it. Pokemon as powerful as them being around such powerful forces could only spell disaster.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 439 End.