My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

The Lich Cycle

Galar. Hulbury Town. Afternoon.

After a riveting Pokemon World Championship Ultra Class Battle between Ash and Nessa with Ash emerging as the victor, the afternoon could be seen slowly setting. And yet, despite this battle coming to an end, interactions between these two did not end.

Nessa's fans were heartbroken that their favourite trainer had lost to Ash. But they would soon recover. As for Nessa, losing to Ash did irritate her but she could accept it either way. And after their battle, she brought Ash and his friends along to a modelling area.

"Wait, why are we here, Nessa?" Ash asked.

"Even in defeat, I'm still chasing my dream. And I hope you don't mind but I need you to promote me."

"I don't know how to do that though..." Ash scratched his hair as this was lost on him.

"Don't worry about it, Ash." Sunset Shimmer wasn't so lost on it, however. "I think she just needs someone to get her more recognition and all you need to do is just be here, doing whatever."

"You're famous back at Equestria and you did beat me. Here's the thing. As a model, I'm doing whatever I can to get my name out there. It's fine back here at Galar but since I recently got involved with Equestria, my name needs to pop some more. And with you, who's going to resist noticing me?"

"Using Ash though?" Pinkie Pie squinted. "Hmm...Ain't that a bit fishy? Heh. Get it?"

"Yes, very funny." Nessa smiled. "It's only for a bit though. Just for promotion. Pictures of us will be taken, which will mostly be about me of course. I'll do all the talking while you just be you. Okay?"

"Sure, sure." Ash agreed to it. "If that's all, then it's fine with me. Let's try and look cool for the camera, Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!"

"As for you all, you can chime in, if you want." Nessa looked over at Sci-Twi, Carlita, Sunset, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, offering them a spot.

"Wait, really?! We get to be models?!" Sunset Shimmer's eyes lit up. "Seriously?!"

"Pass." Carlita instantly passed on that suggestion. But the others seemed interested. Especially Sunset Shimmer.

"But! I won't let you steal my spotlight." Nessa was still shooting for the top spot. "Get dressed in whatever you prefer. You can have your Pokémon join if any of them are Model-Worthy. I'll be getting ready in the meantime." She would walk off to prepare herself.

"Ash, we should give you a suit too!" Sliding over was Sunset Shimmer.

"Ah...Not that big of a fan of suits though..." Ash groaned. "I'm cool wearing this outfit. Ever since Rarity made it, it's the best one I've worn so far. Plus I got copies back home and in my bag. Sweet, right?"

"You have been wearing it longer than the previous ones. It suits you too much to change. Blue and all." Pinkie Pie nodded as changing Ash's look was out of the question. It had become too iconic to change. "But as for us, I know what I wanna wear. Do you wanna get involved, Mew? You can look like a model with just an easy transformation."

"Mew!" Just for the fun of it, Mew would get himself involved. Why not? And with his power to transform into so many Pokemon, he could be a model in a heartbeat.

"Being a model is about looking pretty, right? I think I'll pass too." Rainbow Dash said. "Although...Maybe one of my Pokemon wouldn't mind."

"Oh?" Suddenly, without Sunset Shimmer needing to do anything, one of her Poke Balls acted on its own. Or rather, her Pokemon. Out of it emerged her partner Braixen who caught wind of all of this.

"Braixen!" Upon arriving, Braixen would frantically jump up and down while looking at Sunset Shimmer, expressing her reaction to this.

"Do you want to get involved that badly?" Sunset asked.

"Brai!" Most definitely, she wanted to get involved. It's why she showed up after all. This was one Pokemon who definitely wanted to do it the most.

"After this, we're heading back to Unova for Alpha Scyther. Are you gonna stick around Carlita?" Ash questioned, facing the girl from Eindoak.

"I could just head back home to Unova and find that Alpha Scyther first but...I had a blast watching that battle between you and Nessa. Might stick around a bit. But nothing's stopping me from vanishing all of a sudden and beating you all there."

"I still wanna catch an Alpha Pokemon of my own too." Rainbow Dash added as that was the main reason she tagged along in the first place. "Maybe not that Lopunny. I'll leave that to you, Twi."

"Okay, Braixen! You're going to look both beautiful and adorable pretty soon! I mean you already are anyway." Sunset said as she and Braixen would leave to dress up. Ash would simply stay here with Carlita and Rainbow Dash while Twilight and Pinkie would join Sunset Shimmer.

---

Equestria. Canterlot. Canterlot Castle. Afternoon.

Mellifera had arrived. After wishing to speak with the former Changeling Queen, Celestia would spot the arrival of Mellifera wo was also joined by Chrysalis, who escorted her here.

"So. You wanted to speak to me?" Mellifera said to Celestia.

"Mother...!" Chrysalis nudged Mellifera, wanting her to speak to Celestia with some respect.

"Oh please. I'm royalty too." Mellifera scoffed. "I can speak however I want to her."

"Ahaha...It's fine. Really." Celestia chuckled as she didn't mind Mellifera's tone at all. "Thank you for coming anyway. I wasn't sure that you would show up after hearing my request."

"I showed up because my daughter relayed your message to me. And I couldn't refuse to add my hoof in it because the Dread League are involved."

"My mother has already cut ties with the Dread League. But she still has knowledge about them that I also have." Chrysalis added.

"Great! So you all can share a lot with us. But what I really need to know the most is how to enter Magehold. It's protected by a powerful magical force that makes it difficult to enter or even find within the Hyperborean Island. Is there a way?"

"Only if you're an ally to them. The only reason I could enter was because by then, I wasn't going against them. The same goes for my daughter, Chrysalis. As it stands now, there is no way to enter it. Unless you had something unbelievably powerful enough that could break that magical force. It's straightforward but the Lich Queen won't make it that easy for you. You have no idea how far her magic can reach."

"I do." Celestia sighed. "Even when she's not there, Rosa can still speak to us and interact with the surroundings."

"Even when she's injured. It's something that all previous Lich Kings and Queens were capable of. They can interact even in the worst conditions. And with Rosa, she might be the best Lich Queen so far." Mellifera explained.

"But still...We just can't break through it because of her magic and we don't have anything strong enough to so far?" Chrysalis said.

"Daughter. She's a prodigy. One of the best prodigies I've ever seen. Far better than you." Mellifera shook her head while Chrysalis pouted at that response.

"Thank you for the response, mother..."

"Plus, that magical force has been there since the first Lich King. And the next Lich Rulers would add their magic to it, only increasing its defences more and more. And since Magehold is so dependant on those that have long gone, the magic of the previous Lich Rulers had been preserved for so long. While each of them weren't as talented as Rosa Maledicta, they were still powerful in their own right. So you are dealing with a magical force that has numerous Lich Kings and Queens powering it even from the great beyond."

"That many?!" Celestia and even Chrysalis gasped. The difficult entry to Magehold made way more sense and seemed reasonable now. Years of protection are what kept it from either being found or even broken into. And this would most likely be the case for future generations.

"Intimidating, isn't it? But it's inevitable. The one who is chosen to be the next Lich King or Queen is told this." Mellifera continued. "Even if she is not from Magehold."

"She was told this?" Celestia leaned in. "By who?"

"Who else? The previous rulers and their souls. I can still remember how I witnessed the 5th Lich King enter power by listening to the voices of the previous four." Mellifera would flash back to centuries ago when she witnessed the emergence of another Lich King and how it played out.

---

Magehold. Centuries Ago. Nightfall.

A pony who came from afar showed up to Magehold, just like Rosa Maledicta. And much like Rosa, there was a voice that called out to him, promising this pony a wealth of power for what he was capable of."

Mellifera was there, still existing as the current Changeling Queen. She stood in the dark and grim land of Magehold, surrounded by thorns that her locusts would devour. Mellifera would see this pony who was invited to Magehold stand there with a soulless face. His face was devoid of any expression.

His pupils were desaturated, lacking any irises as he was as stiff as a statue. This was due to the voice that spoke out to him. And Mellifera definitely saw it. It was a strange mass of mystical energy that permeated through the ground and the air, speaking into the ears of the pony who was about to come into power.

This was made by the Lich King and Queen from the past, using their power even from the great beyond to interact with the land of the living. Mellifera did not say anything about this. Why would she? She watched as the voices of the previous Lich Rulers tempted this pony.

"The voices that called for Rosa Maledicta to come to Magehold were all the previous Lich Kings and Queens. The 5th Lich King was already set to live in Magehold but the temptation of the previous rulers brought him to newer heights. They most likely see the potential in someone and choose them as the next Lich King and Queen. And I was even invited to see the coronation of these new rulers constantly."

Mellifera even recalled how she would show up to Magehold over and over again, witnessing new rulers rise. And there was one consistent them. They were all tempted by the voices from beyond. The voices of the previous rulers were everlasting within Magehold, knowing exactly what to say to the ponies who happened to stumble here. And even when one Lich Ruler's time was up, Mellifera would be there to see their fall. Time passed with each ruler she saw and met.

"I had so many connections with each of them even if they were just earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi. Seeing a new Lich King or Queen rise would only make me think about how they were just destined to become one with Magehold, whispering into the ears of the next pony that is dragged here."

---

Present day.

"Is that what this!?" Celestia stood up, startling Mellifera and Chrysalis. "So...all of them have just been ponies from Equestria?!"

"Y-Yes..." Mellifera stuttered. "Every single Lich King and Queen are not originally from Magehold. Some come from Equestria and others come from places not associated with Equestria. This will be the case for the next Lich Ruler."

"So this whole time...they've been bringing in ponies from afar, appointing them as the new King or Queen..." Celestia stuttered as Magehold has been growing behind her back, taking many ponies and making them apart of this vampire-filled nation.

"Almost all of them." But with Mellifera's next words, there was an exception. "The First Lich King was not a pony who was dragged here. Neither was he a vampire."

"He wasn't? Then what was he?" Chrysalis questioned.

"Unfortunately, that is all I can share. It seems the origin of the first Lich King is the only thing that I have no knowledge of. But now you know, Princess Celestia. In the future, someone else from your land could be taken away from here. Maybe the next in line for the Lich Throne is one of your students. Twilight Sparkle, right? Can you imagine an alicorn as a Lich Queen?"

"Manners, mother...!" Chrysalis nudged Mellifara, wanting her to adjust her tone. But Mellifera could care less.

"No, Chrysalis. She's right." Celestia kept her cool, closing her eyes as she agreed with Mellifera. "It could happen again. Unlike the vampires, most ponies don't live for thousands of years unless they are alicorns. But with how there are more alicorns appearing, that could happen."

"It's the Lich Cycle. There must always be a Lich King or Queen. And thanks to what the first Lich King did, that cycle is permanent. Unless you were to find a way to root out the problem." Mellifera shrugged. "Of course, you'd have to get there first."

"There is something strong enough to force through it. But I refuse to ever use it after what happened back at Rustboro City." Celestia referred to Daybreaker as the magic of this alter-ego was deep within her. It was nearly unleashed because of Rosa's actions and even startled the Lich Queen. In Rosa Maledicta's own words, this world's version of Daybreaker was far more dangerous than the one from Universe 11.

Knowing this, Celestia would rather not unleash a stronger version of Daybreaker. The one her universe has to deal with is already a problem after all.

"The flames of Daybreaker, right?" Mellifera was aware of what Celestia was trying to contain. "I say go for it."

"What?! Mother!"

"What? Didn't it work for Princess Luna?" Mellifera didn't see the issue here. "Would it hurt to have two alter-egos out in the open? One in the day and another in the night."

"Nevermind..." Celestia would put the Daybreaker discussion to an end immediately. "I'll find a way. And without any massive destruction involved. Just tell me more that I might need to know and I could work with it."

"I can tell you a few things that can maybe get you into Magehold or even find its well-concealed spot." Mellifera still had more to share. Much more. Her years of knowledge could pay off here. Anything to help enter Magehold and retrieve Yveltal would be greatly appreciated.

---

Hulbury Town. Afternoon.

The time had come. Sci-Twi, Sunset Shimmer and Pinkie Pie found themselves wearing dresses that fit models. Sci-Twi found herself wearing a gown, Sunset wore a nifty street-style outfit while Pinkie Pie was rocking a spring outfit. It all fit them excellently. Especially Braixen.

Braixen was all giddy, wearing a classy dress that also fit her perfectly. Rainbow Dash's Altaria had been involved, rocking a beautiful sunhat. Altaria was exempt from a dress simply for how she was built. But she did have some bracelets. Mew transformed himself into an Arcanine just to put on a bowtie and a top hat, appearing just as classy as Braixen.

As for Nessa, she was obviously wonderful, wearing a white dress and fancy red boots while adjusting her hair slightly. The only one involved n this shot and exempt from wearing anything special was Ash. He would simply as himself.

"Now...pose!" The camera crew said as Ash stood next to Nessa just to promote her popularity. They all stood on a colourful stage with multiple lights going off. While Nessa posed for beauty, Ash posed to look cool, pulling off poses that someone as energetic as him could do.

And even with the look of a model, Pinkie Pie would be her usual self. Sci-Twi struggled to find a good pose, speaking to herself at great speeds while Sunset Shimmer already found a pose.

"You were serious about these kinds of poses?" Nessa said to Ash, watching him pull off poses that could be found in a comic book.

"Yeah! Pretty cool, right?!" Ash grinned before adjusting his hat. Pikachu was also involved, pulling off ludicrous poses as well.

"You're an odd one, Ash." Nessa smiled. "To think you're the one who beat me. But then again, I should've expected you to be like this. Sonia already mentioned you along with Leon. I'm rather glad to have met you, Ash."

"Gee thanks, Nessa. Glad to have met you too!" Ash replied. "Maybe one day, I can show you to Rarity for some outfit advice. She's the one who made these awesome clothes after all."

"I've heard Bea goes over to Equestria often for a reason. So...I might as well try it as well."

Another friendship was formed today. But it could also be seen as a rivalry. And that was between Ash and Nessa. Nessa respected Ash greatly now. From battling against him to having this small conversation with him. And yet, that drive to defeat him and become insanely popular was still there. But for now, they were all simply enjoying the photo shoot in the only ways they knew how as the journey continues.

Chapter 36 End.

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

So, there is a cycle of the Lich king and queen.

Once normal ponies who have to be the ruler