Feeling the warmth of the predawn sunlight was the first thing that roused Twilight Sparkle from her slumber. At first, she was taken a bit off-guard by her unfamiliar surroundings, but her mind soon settled once she remembered where she was.

”Good morning.”

Twilight turned to see Noah was standing in the doorway, already dressed and ready for the day. The Princess, with her ruffled hair and still-sleepy expression, looked like she had just tumbled down a mountain.

“Morning.” Twilight replied in a quiet voice, using some magic to straighten out her hair. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

“Not too much. Though, Professor Sycamore’s meeting with two other professors later in the day, and your team of Pokemon from the Pokemon League should arrive by dusk.” Noah nodded. “I guess that I'll leave you be so you can change.”

Noah promptly closed the door, and Twilight quickly located her bag and suitcase, which lay on the far side of the room. After quickly picking out her usual choice of attire, she stepped onto the tile floor of the bathroom to freshen up.

After taking a shower, she vigorously brushed her hair and washed her face with some moisturizer. Once she was finished, Twilight looked at herself in the mirror and gave a nod of approval.

”My first full day in the world of Pokemon.” she said to herself. “Let’s make it a good one!”

As she stowed her toiletries in her bag, Twilight did have to admit that her bag had a great carrying capacity. There were pockets and pouches for every sort of thing you could fit inside. Some even had labels pre-patched into them.

"That's neat, they really thought of everything!" Twilight cheered. "Alright, let's go!"

====

“Ah, you’re just in time for breakfast, Princess!” Professor Sycamore greeted her from the dining table. “Was everything comfortable?“

“Yes, it was, thank you.” Twilight nodded as she sat down. “I heard you’re meeting with two other professors today.”

“Indeed I am.” Sycamore replied. “Professors Mangrove and Aster, to be exact. They’re the resident professors of the Urobos and Eldiw regions, and both came a long way. I also believe they’d be thrilled to meet you, Princess.”

“Really?“ Twilight replied, a bit surprised as she had never heard of Eldiw or Urobos before now. “Back in Equestria, Cynthia only told me about the Kanto region through the Paldea region.”

“That’s because their introduction into the Global Pokemon League was put on hold when we made contact with Equestria.” Sycamore replied. “Now that it’s been six months, we can get back to business regarding them.”

“That’s good to know.” Noah said as he entered the dining room, carrying his breakfast on a clean porcelain plate. “I wonder what Pokemon they have in those regions…I’d imagine they’ve got some we’ve never seen or heard of before.”

“That's correct, Noah." Also, Pokemon from Eldiw have some unique features as well. For example, they have Pokemon belonging to the Sound-type. Here in Kalos, Noivern is a Dragon and Flying type, but in Eldw, it’s a Dragon and Sound Type. There’s plenty of Pokemon that follow that example as well. I’ll have to ask Professor Aster about getting a full list of them…” Professor Sycamore replied. “Anyway, our food’s getting cold, so dig in!”

At hearing this, Twilight and Noah proceeded to do just that, and their plates were emptied in no time.

About a half hour later, as Noah and Twilight strolled through the busy streets of Lumiose City, Twilight was caught off guard when Noah suddenly stopped walking and began to stare at a pair of humans, a boy and a girl, watching a video appear on a large screen mounted on a building nearby. A yellow, mouse-like Pokemon with a tail shaped like a lightning bolt was perched on the boy’s shoulder.

“Noah?” Twilight asked, confused at the sudden stop and her friend’s awestruck expression. “Is something wrong?”

Noah didn’t respond as he continued to keep his gaze centered on the two of them, as he took a few tentative steps forward.

“There’s no way that's him…” he murmured. “This is my chance! I can finally…”

“Noah, what’s going on here?” Twilight asked in a louder voice, snapping Noah back to reality. “Is everything okay?

“Yeah, everything’s great!” Noah replied in an excited manner, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry, I just can’t believe I’d see him in public so soon!”

“Who exactly are you talking about?” Twilight was visibly confused, not knowing why Noah was so pumped up all of a sudden. She turned to glance at the two humans, who were now deep in conversation.

”Twilight, if I’m not mistaken, that male trainer over there is Ash Ketchum, and his partner, Pikachu.” Noah replied. “He's the current Pokemon World Champion!”

Twilight’s eyes significantly widened as she processed Noah’s words, especially the “World Champion” part. From Noah's tione of voice, he was thoroughly hyped up.

“At the World Masters Tournament a while ago, he beat multiple region Champions, including Steven Stone, Cynthia, and Leon.” Noah continued speaking. “He’s considered the strongest ranked Trainer in the world! I never thought I’d get to see him like this until now.”

“Well, go introduce yourself.” Twilight suggested. “What’s stopping you?”

“I’m going to, right now I want to savor the moment.” Noah replied sheepishly, turning to face Twilight. "It's not every day you get an opportunity like this."

Twilight raised an eyebrow, and wanted to speak, but she heard footsteps approaching, and the two of them turned to see the the couple had noticed them, and was walking over in a relaxed yet curious manner.

“Hey, you’re Noah, right? From the Sinnoh Region?”

Noah’s jaw dropped slightly as Ash and Pikachu stepped forward, followed by a girl with shoulder-length honey blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a gray sleeveless cardigan, with a red and white skirt and gray boots. On the other hand, Ash wore a black shirt with a Poke Ball logo, pale blue jeans, and a gray long-sleeved jacket, with a gray duffel bag.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Noah replied. “And…you’re Ash Ketchum.”

“The one and only. I've been following your Gym challenge." Ash replied with a smile, offering a handshake, which Noah accepted. “This is my partner, Pikachu, and my girlfriend, Serena.”

Serena gave a friendly wave, and Twilight gave a smile in response before she breathed in and introduced herself. Serena then perked up like she just remembered something important at hearing Twilight's name and title.

“I believe Ash and I heard about you from Cynthia, Princess Twilight. I didn’t think I’d get to meet you face to face though, Princess! Or, your Highness…what exactly should I call you here?” Serena asked.

“Just Twilight is fine, thank you.” Twilight responded. “Noah and I were just walking around when he recognized you, Ash. I didn’t think I’d meet this world’s strongest trainer so soon.”

“Well, I may a strong trainer, and the current World Champion, but I’m not a Pokemon Master just yet.” Ash said, his Pikachu giving a cry of approval. “That’s what I want to be more than anything.”

“A Pokemon Master?” Twilight asked. “What exactly does that mean?”

It means I want to be friends with all the Pokemon out there, and experience everything that goes with it.” Ash said, with an almost soft yet proud voice.”I set out with Pikachu all those years ago back in Kanto, aiming to be a Pokemon Master, and I like to think that there’s still a long road ahead of us until I reach that goal.”

"Woah." Twilight said, sufficiently awed at Ash's outlook. There was a few moments of silence, before Ash noticed a few passersby were staring and whispering at them.

”Well, anyway, Ash and I were going to surprise Professor Sycamore at his lab before we head back to our hotel.” Serena chimed in. “Would you like to come along?”

“Sure.” Noah replied. “Let’ get moving!!”

As the four of them began to head back towards Professor Sycamore’s laboratory, Twilight took in a breath and composed herself. She had wanted to see more of Lumiose, but it seemed Noah was really enjoying being in Ash and Serena’s company. He seemed more open and even happier, which was a contrast from the direct and to-the-point attitude that he had when they met at the Transfer Gate.

It was strange seeing Noah like this, Twilight mused, sensing there was something else behind the shift in his mood.

“Hey, Twilight, are you coming?”

Realizing that the group was waiting for her, she quickly called back that she was fine and quickly walked to catch up with Ash, Serena, and Noah. However, a good distance away, a larger man wearing a duster coat and trousers took a small drone out of his pocket. He tossed it into the air, and it immediately began to hover in place.

The man tapped a few buttons on his wristwatch, and the drone flew off towards the four trainers, keeping itself at the perfect distance to remain undetected. The man nodded in approval, and took out a cell phone. Tapping a number on the speed-dial, it didn’t take long for the person on the other end of the line to pick up.

”Derek.” An elderly male voice spoke. “Do you have an update for me?

“Yes, Boss. The drone’s up, and it’s tracking the target as we speak. Are you getting the feed on your end?” Derek asked.

”Yes, clear as can be.” the other voice replied. “Your reputation is holding up splendidly, bounty hunter. When I asked for the best in covert retrievals, I am glad it was you who responded.”

“Well, thanks.” Derek replied. “When should I move on the target? I take it time is of the essence, based on your health.”

“Time is of no concern.” The voice chided. “Make sure there are no mistakes made, and expect the unexpected. Equestrians are dangerous, even more so when you throw Magic into the mix. I want the target unharmed as well. Can you manage that?”

“Yep. Not a problem.”

“Good. Keep me updated on her movements in the meantime. I leave the rest to you, bounty hunter.”

As Derek ended the call, he gave a quiet huff before vanishing into the dark alley behind him.

Author's Note

Update!
EDIT - 10/10/2024 - Reworked a few short sentences, changed up a few things, will have next chapter soon.