Harmony of Heroes: Ultimate Multiverse Explorers [Parallel Quest]

by Cyrus Colter

Chapter 2: A New Ambition and First Contact.

Author's Note:

Hey! Chapter two!

I figured, since I never described my OC, Rota Bage, last chapter I would provide an image in this Author's note upfront.

Enjoy the story.

EDIT: This was indirectly brought to my attention, but I feel it pertinent to note two things right off the bat:
1) Terastallization is not a thing in this Pokémon universe, like in the original story.
2) Pokémon can know up to 8 moves each in this story. This is a nice number that just makes sense as a hard limit to me.

As Sweetie and Rota walked down the route towards Viridian City, they decided to talk about the universe they were currently in. Sweetie Belle was in awe at the sheer magnitude of wondrous things she’d heard about. The Pokémon of this world were really amazing, and the humans who had come up with such devices to work with them were not far behind. The Pokémon League Challenge, while a little complicated, really piqued the interest of the disguised filly. Questions flew from her mind and mouth as if at once.

“But if Ghost Types aren’t possible to get here in Kanto, why hasn’t anyone made it so they are?” was the latest such question. Thankfully, Rota was willing and able to answer, for the most part.

“From what I remember reading in the news, the Pokemon League Administration is trying to set up an area that Ghost Types feel comfortable roaming in. Considering they typically prefer places like graveyards and old battlefields, that’s easier said than done.” the Saiyan woman replied before spotting a city ahead. “There it is, Viridian City,” she said as she swept her arm in front of her as if presenting the city to the filly-turned-human.

Sweetie’s eyes widened as she took in both the City, and the large structure that seemed to loom over the city. Not to say the city itself was not impressive, given the size of it. It seemed more akin to a section of Manehattan than a regular city, but there was still plenty of open space for people and Pokemon to wander and train in. Entering through the gate, they immediately had their attention drawn by a young woman who seemed to specialize in Grass types training against a young man who seemed to be a Flying Type specialist. Seeing Sweetie’s attention fixated on the battle, Rota thought maybe a trip to a particular building was in order.

“If you think this is fun to watch, let me show you where the real fun tends to happen in this city,” she said as she led Sweetie Belle to a building that was located on a hill overlooking the city. “This is the Viridian City Pokemon Gym, currently run by former Pokemon League Champion of Kanto, Blue Oak. Remember what I said about the Pokemon League Challenge?”

Sweetie thought back to their conversation, recalling that Rota had explained the Pokemon League Challenge on the way to the city. “The one where trainers get eight badges so they can challenge the Champion?”

“Little more complicated than that, but good enough for now. This is one of the buildings where those trainers would face the person in charge of it to try and claim their badge. These are the Gyms, and the ones in charge are the Gym Leaders. While most Gyms have a type specialty and adjust their teams to the challenger, Blue doesn’t do either, using a team of various types that he handpicked to be a worthy test for those looking to advance to the Indigo Plateau,” Rota elaborated as she pointed to the building overlooking the town on the nearby mountain. “Come on, let’s see if he’s got a challenger, you’ll see what I mean,” the Saiyan said as she and the disguised filly entered the building, checking in at the desk as spectators. Entering the next room through a side entrance, they saw two people, one coming up a set of stairs, the other more prominent figure, Blue Oak, stood at the other end of the area the stairs led to.

Taking seats close enough to watch the battle, the girls saw Blue call out an Exeggutor, a bipedal fat palm tree with three faces, as the challenger brought out a Butterfree, a purple butterfly like Pokemon with white and black wings.

Settling in to watch the action, the challenger called out for the Butterfree to use Bug Buzz, launching sound waves from its wings to impact the Exeggutor, knocking it out near immediately. Calling back the Exeggutor and sending out a Rhydon, a bipedal gray dinosaur like Pokemon with a drill-like horn, Blue took out the Butterfree with Stone Edge, the Rhydon sending a pillar of stone to strike the butterfly Pokemon with a punch to the ground, knocking it out in one blow. The challenger called back the unconscious Butterfree, then sent out a Tentacruel, a Jellyfish-like Pokemon with a blue top portion that had two red hemispheres and a pincer-like extension coming down from its black body, along with 8 tentacles. Blue called out for Rhydon to use Earthquake. The Pokemon roared as it stomped on the ground, causing it to shake and causing Tentacruel to stumble before being struck by a rupture in the stone.

Sweetie Belle was amazed. “Whoa, these Pokemon are something else! Not just any creature can casually cause an earthquake on command!”

“And this is just the start. Watch and learn,” Rota said as the two continued to watch the battle.

The Challenger, seeing his Tentacruel was still in the fight, called out for it to use Surf, the Pokemon creating a massive wave of water that seemed impossible for Blues Rhydon to dodge.

Blue, however, smirked as he called out, “Break the wave with Thunder, then use Supercell Slam to attack!”

Rhydon’s horn began sparking with electricity before it launched a powerful bolt of lightning at the massive wave, causing it to break beneath Tentacruel. The challenger’s Pokemon fell towards the ground, only to be sent flying across the arena as Blue’s Rhydon slammed into it with its body covered in electricity. Tentacruel slammed to the ground unconscious as its trainer stood dumbfounded, before crying out, “WHAT?!?”

Blue chuckled as he pulled out a pair of plastic cases, each with a yellow disc inside. “I equipped my Rhydon against Water Types. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I let you beat my Exeggutor easily to let your guard down. Starting from me, relying on Type advantage to brute force your way through isn’t gonna be enough. As a former Champion, I happen to have a lot of experience with this. TMs exist for a reason. Watch and learn.”

From that point, the battle would be better described as a calculated deconstruction of the challenger’s team by Blue. Using moves, not only to damage, but to buff his Pokemon, debuff the challenger’s Pokemon, setting up hazards, and forcing the challenger to waste time healing status conditions from his Pokemon. He put up a valiant fight, managing to knock out Blue’s Pidgeot, but ultimately, the Gym Leader came out on top, and then some. The challenger, a boy no more than 14 years old, groaned in defeat as he said, “Man, no wonder you’re a former champion. Why aren’t you a member of the Elite Four, instead of a Gym Leader?”

“Eh, I prefer being a Gym Leader. It gives me the opportunity to teach promising trainers like yourself that things aren’t gonna be simple in the big leagues. Like I said, TMs exist for a reason. Starting from me, it’s gonna be important to know all the moves your Pokemon can learn, not just naturally, but through TMs and other means. Take some time after healing your team to study and train, and try again another day, OK?” Blue replied with a slightly dismissive air towards being an Elite Four member.

“Alright, I’ll do that and when I do come back, I’ll be better prepared,” the trainer replied with a determined fire in his voice.

“That’s the spirit!” the Gym Leader praised as he shook the young man’s hand. As the young man turned and left, Blue looked to Sweetie Belle and Rota Bage, the only two people sitting in the spectators' seats. Recognizing Rota from yesterday, he called out in greeting, “Hey Rota, finally taking me up on that offer or just watching again?”

“Just watching today, Blue. I’m also showing a new friend around the region,” the Saiyan replied, ruffling Sweetie Belle’s hair with one hand. The two stood up from their seats and met Blue, who was approaching them, halfway. “This is Sweetie Belle, she’s a ‘visitor,’ like me. Sweetie Belle, this is Blue Oak, one of Kanto’s former Champions, currently the Viridian City Gym Leader, and, for all intent and purposes, the unofficial Gatekeeper of Kanto’s side of the Indigo Plateau.”

“‘Visitor,’ eh? I gotcha. So, what’d ya think about that battle, Sweetie Belle?” Blue said, his smirk turning to a friendly grin.

“It was amazing! These Pokemon can do so much! I might just join the League Challenge myself, when I have the time.” Sweetie responded enthusiastically, though a tad down when she remembered she only had two days to be here.

Blue opened his mouth to speak, but then something sounded off in his pocket. Pulling out a small flat rectangle, a cell phone, if Sweetie remembered Rota’s explanation right, and checked the alerts, only to let out a sigh before moving towards the exit, as he said, “Looks like we’re gonna have to clear something up, if the message I just got from my Gramps is any indication. Come on,” he said as he waved for Rota and Sweetie to follow him.

“Can’t we just let them think I’m a Pokemon?” Sweetie asked.

“As funny as that would be, it would lead to a lot of trainers looking to battle and catch you. Better to nip this in the bud now, before it propagates,” Rota replied with a chuckle. “Though, I can name at least 3 people who would still want to at least see our fight, even after clearing it up. And I guarantee at least one of them will be watching personally, if I know him well enough,” she then mused aloud, with an air of resignation at the end.

“Mikey?” Blue asked.

“Mikey,” Rota confirmed with a nod, before turning towards Sweetie Belle, who had taken the moment they weren’t focused on her to turn her hair back to its natural colors. “This universe is no stranger to the concept of the Multiverse. Several Pokémon are actually aliens from other version of this universe, and I’m well known to be an interdimensional traveler, thanks to being friends with some people in high places,” she said as they spotted a reporter and a cameraman interviewing the three trainers that Sweetie and Rota had left staring at a hole in Route 22, along with an older man in a lab coat drawing something in a sketchbook.

“-when the smoke cleared, there was a hole where it was before the Explosion, so it must have used Dig to escape it. We stared at it for a while, but the Pokemon never came back out. It probably either kept digging or Teleported away," the young trainer, Ed, finished describing the encounter.

“And you’re certain this Pokemon was a Legendary one?” The journalist, a brunette woman with purple eyes, asked into her microphone before holding back towards the trainers.

“Either that or a ‘Visitor’, like that one lady with the tail. Uh.. what’s her name?” Ed’s friend spoke up.

“My name is Rota Bage, and the creature you encountered is indeed a Visitor, though not quite like me,” Rota said as she stepped forward, her tail swishing back and forth in agitation. “From what I can tell she’s from a species where her kind is capable of powers unlike anything Pokemon can do, though some are similar. One of them-,” she paused as she gestured towards Sweetie Belle, the filly dropping her human disguise with a twirl and a flash of light green, revealing her true Equestrian self. “-is the ability to shapeshift into other forms to better hide their presence. Though, as Ed has clearly explained by now, her adorable appearance hides a large amount of strength. Though my question is, how well can she control it? I plan on finding out tomorrow before she leaves, but let’s let the gal speak for herself for a bit.”

Both Rota and the Cameraman turned to Sweetie Belle, only to see her being hugged by the Journalist like a cat, though not exactly struggling to get out of it, what with the ear scratches the filly was leaning into. Rota, Blue, the old man in the Lab Coat, the Cameraman and the old man in the bomber jacket barely managed to stifle their laughter at the scene.

The younger trainers and a few nearby spectators, not so much, which caused both the Interviewer and Sweetie Belle to jump apart in surprise, the former picking her microphone back up in a scramble.

“Ahem, Right, um, I suppose the first thing is introductions,” she said as held the microphone towards the filly, who seemed a little nervous looking at the camera. Seeing Sweetie’s nervousness, the lady whispered to Sweetie Belle, “Just take a deep breath, pretend the camera’s not there, and focus on me.”

Sweetie Belle followed her advice and turned fully toward the Journalist, deciding to simply summarize herself entirely here and now. “My name is Sweetie Belle, I am an Alicorn, destined to be the Goddess of the Void, but until then, I’m just looking to explore the Multiverse, have adventures, make some friends, and make bad guys wish they never tried anything while I’m around.” She then teleported next to Rota, forcing everyone to turn towards her, “And Rota here’s been a massive help in understanding this universe. Unfortunately, I can only stay for a couple days, at most, since I’m not really sure if time moves faster here or at home, and I’m only here for the weekend.”

The Journalist nodded and said, “Well, I hope you enjoy your visit, and maybe we can catch a glimpse of what I imagine to be quite the battle from what Miss Bage has said.” She then turned to the cameraman. “There you have it folks, what was thought to be a new Legendary status Pokemon turned out to be an exceptionally powerful Visitor from another Dimension having a bit of fun. Will she enter the Pokemon League Gym Challenge? And if she does, will she be able to be beaten? Only time will tell, and I assure you, when it happens, you’ll hear it live on PokeNews Network.”

“Hey…” Rota and Sweetie turned around at the sond of the hesitant voice of Ed, who was looking at the ground as he rubbed the back of his head, “I wanted to apolgi-” he began before being interrupted by Sweetie Belle holding her hoof out, the filly flying in place in front of him.

“Don’t worry about it. It was still a fun fight, in my opinion,” the filly said.

Ed chuckled and gave Sweetie’s hoof a fist bump, both of them smiling. “Yeah, I thought so, too,” he replied, before turning towards a building with a red roof and the shape of some kind of ball, a Pokeball, Sweetie mentally reminded herself.

“That’s a Pokemon Center, the free healthcare facility for Pokemon Trainers to use to heal their Pokemon or switch them out in the PC, if they don’t have a PokeLink,” Rota said, noticing the filly’s raised eyebrow at the building. “They also serve as public housing, to those without a place to stay for the night including a free meal in the morning.”

“Oh, right I did a number on his Pokemon…” The filly said with a wince as she landed.

“Oh, well, that’s a part of Pokemon Battles. Not like they can’t take it,” The Saiyan said with a shrug. She then turned to the Lab coated Old Man, who was talking with Blue, “Hey, Professor Oak, you have some starters ready for Sweetie Belle to pick from?”

“Oh, uh, well, yes, but they’re back at my Lab in Pallet Town, so we’ll have to continue this there,” the old man, Professor Oak, said as he put his sketchbook away.

“Alright, Sweetie and I will meet you there. See ya.” Rota said as she led Sweetie towards the South Gate.

Grandfather and Grandson looked at each other for a moment in silence. Professor Oak, eventually, broke the silence. “This is going to be an eventful few days, isn’t it?”

“Probably,” Blue said with a shrug.

Comments

[Lucar]

It's nice to see changes compared to my story. Curious to see who this Mikey character is.

[Cyrus Colter]

11825226
Let's just say that this Pokémon universe's Hoenn has more than just teams Magma and Aqua.

[Xarmar13]

If only someone had published a book in the pokemon universe that details the nuances of pokemon including abilities, types, a type chart, natures, maybe EV and IV, Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Dynamax and Terastallization...maybe throw in a section about TMs. Things like strategy and tactics can still be left to the trainer but the book would still help the trainer to see the many avenues they could take to improve their pokemon's potential.

I have seen videos of the YouTube user, temp6t, tear into legendary teams using more common pokemon because he used abilities and tactics to their fullest.

[Cyrus Colter]

11832124
Was it the fact I used a Physical Electric Type TM (Supercell Slam) to attack with a Pokémon with a higher Physical Attack stat than Special Attack (Rhydon)?

Also, just to address this now, the Terastal Phenomenon does not exist here.