The morning was set upon the region as its warm light bathed everything. Gone was the night and its darkness as everything lit up. It seemed peaceful as some nearby Pokémon were moving, some even chirping. It was nothing but peace and silence.
"Ahh! My hair!" yelled out a voice.
Okay, almost peace and silence.
"What's going on?" asked Sky as he awoke to the shouting and let out a yawn.
"Quiet, please," said Twilight, peeking her head out from her tent.
Applejack was nearby at a table, as she had gotten up bright and early. The girl got some firewood so that they could start on breakfast. She had just come back when she, too, heard the scream.
"Was that one of y'all?" asked the farm girl to the pair.
They shook their head before the voice shouted out again.
"This is a disaster! Why me-e-e-e-e-ee..." sobbed Rarity from within inside her tent before gasping, "WHYYYY?! Why? Why-y?! And of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!"
"Rarity?" shouted Sky.
"What's happened? Are you alright?" said Twilight.
"Don't you dare come in here!" threatened the fashionista to her friends. "My hair's a complete mess, and nobody sees it!"
"Aw, stop being a drama queen, Rares. It can't be that bad," said Aj.
"You have no idea what I'm going through!" shouted the girl.
"Just put a hat on your head. That'll hide your bad hair day," said Sky.
"Well, isn't that a typical male response!" yelled Rarity, taking offense to what the boy suggested.
"What's that supposed to mean?" questioned Sky.
"Sky, unlike you, a lady takes pride in her appearance. Get it?!" yelled the girl to her male companion.
"Yeesh, you girls take everything out of context," scoffed the boy as all three sent him glares for making that comment. "Look, I'm just saying it's not worth fussing over hair."
"That's your opinion! And a typical boy, one at that!" yelled the girl.
"Alright, that's it! I'm coming in!"
"No, don't enter!"
The three teens all had their heads popped out as they peeked in on their friend. The girl was turned away from them before looking at them as her purple curly hair was all messed up and out of place. Rarity quickly tried to straighten out her hair to have its natural curly locks before it jolted back into a mess that resembled a Tangela's vines. While the girls were not liking Rarity's duo, Sky was trying to hold back a burst of laughter at seeing the fashionista's head.
"What do I do with this mess?" asked Rarity to her friends as she was about to cry. "It looks like I slept on my head."
"Anybody got shears?!" said Sky as he fell back and let out the laugh he was holding back.
The boy was dying at what he saw as Aj and Twilight shook their heads at seeing their friend act immature before looking back at Rarity, who was starting to sniff. The girl then saw her male friend still rolling about on the ground as a light bulb went off in her head.
"Idea!" said Rarity in a sing-along tone. "Sky, dear. Can you call out your Buizel?"
"Huh?" said the boy as he stopped laughing and sat up. "Why?"
"Just do it," said the girl.
"Okay," said the boy as he pulled out Buizel's Pokéball and called out his Pokémon.
"Bui."
"Everybody step back! Buizel, be a dear and come here," said Rarity.
Buizel looked at his trainer, hoping he would know what the girl was doing.
"Just go along, bud," said Sky as his weasel nodded and walked inside the girl's tent.
Aj and Twilight retracted their heads as the water Pokémon entered Rarity's tent.
"Buizel, use Water Gun!" stated the girl.
The weasel blinked and tilted his head before he shrugged and fired a burst of water at her. The tent was shown moving about in all directions before it settled down.
"What was that?" said Sky, taken aback by seeing the tent move about.
Buizel emerged from the tent, and following him was Rarity. Everyone was shocked as they saw Rarity's hair was in her normal curly state as she spun around for all to see.
"Well, do you like it? I just had the worst case of pillow hair when I awoke, but thanks to Sky's Buizel, it's back to its beautiful state. Thank you, Buizel."
"Bui," responded the Pokémon as the girl petted his head, and he thumped his foot on the ground.
"I'm impressed," said Twilight.
"What a weird way to use Water Gun," said Sky.
"And it'll work on boys. So let's give you a makeover," stated Rarity to the boy.
"My hair's fine the way it is," said the teen.
"Alright, let's get breakfast started," said Applejack.
The teens got to work as their Pokémon also helped out. Soon, the entire Pokémon and humans were chowing down on their food. Once they finished, Aj began to clean up the dishes as Sky was with Twilight as the girl had her book spread out in front of them.
"So, what's the next gym that me and Aj can challenge, Twilight?"
"Well, there's two, actually. This is the Mount Aries Gym, located at the base of a mountain and surrounded by an ocean. And here is Hayseed Junction. A small town, but the gym is nearby a swamp." said Twilight as she pointed at the map. "However, we can't get to them from where we are. We can only get there if we circle back to Canterlot City and take this path."
"Looks like we're gonna make a quick stop at your home," said Sky.
"Seems so. Can't wait to see my family," said Twilight.
"Then let's get going!" stated the boy.
"Dishes are all washed up!" said Aj.
The four teens then were on their way as they continued to travel through the forest. It was only a short time before they came to a city as they entered the place. According to Twilight's map, the city was home to many accessories for teens and young adults. And it caught Rarity's attention as the girl grabbed Twilight's book and looked at it while walking ahead.
"Where would it be?" wondered the fashionista.
"Rarity, what are you looking for?" asked Applejack.
"Well, when Twilight said this city is full of accessories, I remember there was one thing I wanted back in Manehatten but could never get my hands on."
"Which is?" asked Sky.
"A Pokétch."
"What's a Pokétch?"
"You've never heard of Pokétches?" stated Rarity to the boy.
"I... don't think so," responded Sky.
Just then, the teens heard an announcement being made. They all looked at a nearby billboard with a commercial playing as the woman began advertising.
"Feast your eyes on the latest feature-packed Pokétch! It's like a laptop on your wrist, with more features to keep you right on time and looking way cool! Pokétch, in style, in stock, and here now! Available in every color!"
"Oh yeah! I've heard of those things!" said Sky, as he knew what Rarity was talking about.
"They're very popular in Canterlot. My parents got me one for one of my birthdays," said Twilight.
"So, you have one, Twi?" asked Aj.
"Yeah, but it's a different model. It still works, but I've considered upgrading to the latest one."
"Well, you can. The shop allows any previous Pokétch owners to upgrade to the latest model for a discount," said Rarity.
The group soon made it to the shop that was selling the accessory as true to the advertisement, they were very popular. Nearly tons of kids and other teens were in the shop as they were browsing the many different Pokétches. Twilight could trade in the one her parents got her as she got the latest model, a lavender color with a sparkle pattern.
In addition to getting a Pokétch in a white color pattern with diamonds stitched into it, Rarity also started to buy some earrings and other makeup stuff. As for Sky and Applejack, they were looking through the other sections of the store, hoping to refill on any supplies.
"So, Aj, you gonna get one?" asked Sky.
"Eh, I'm not the frilly kind of gal like Rarity," said the country girl. "I have other ways of telling time."
"Your family?" asked Sky.
"Granny always used to say whenever you're out and about, you can tell how much daylight is left using your hand. The first is to locate a clear view of the sun. Then line up your hand with the horizon. Hold your arm with your wrist bent so that your hand is horizontal and your palm is facing you. Line up the top edge of your index finger with the bottom of the sun. Your pinky finger should be between the ground and the sky, but if your bottom finger is below the horizon, the sun will set within the next hour."
"Huh, interesting," said Sky as he looked at his hand.
The boy was trying to imagine using Aj's technique as the farm girl chuckled at seeing her friend try it. Soon Twilight and Rarity managed to get what they wanted as they exited the shop. Sky and Aj followed suit as they exited the shop; the boy had bought himself a Pokétch.
"Not bad," said the boy looking at the device on his wrist.
"Stylish, isn't it?" said Rarity, "One feature of these Pokétchs is that they can measure a Pokémon's friendship."
"What?" responded Applejack.
"That refers to the friendliness and good relations between a Pokémon and their trainer," explained Twilight.
"Wow," said Sky, amazed that the small device on his wrist could do that. "So, how does it work?"
"I'll show you. Espeon!" said Twilight as she called out her Pokémon.
"Espeon!" said the Pokémon.
"You push the button and aim it at your Pokémon," said the bookworm as she held her Pokétch in front of her partner.
The device was scanning as it came online. Graphs and wavelengths appeared on the small screen as it calculated the friendship level between Twilight and her Espeon. Soon the result came in as it showed a heart and the different sizes to show how much friendship the girl had with her Espeon.
"Like that," smiled the bookworm.
"Wow!" said Sky, amazed by how close Twilight was to her Pokémon.
"Of course, I did raise Espeon since it was little. So that's why our friendship is so high."
"I wonder what mine is," said Sky as he tossed a Pokéball.
"Turtwig," said the small Pokémon as he raised one of his stubby little legs to say hello.
"Hey, Turtwig. What find out what our friendship level is?" asked Sky to his Pokémon.
"Twig!" smiled the Pokémon.
Sky touched his Pokétch and held it in front of his Pokémon. The device was scanning the pair as it ran numbers and graphs. Wavelengths moved about as soon the final calculations were in. The heart was shown as it registered on the scale, and safe to say, the girls gasped, especially Twilight, at what it read.
"Goodness gracious!" shouted Rarity.
"What?" said Sky.
"You two are almost off the graph!" said Twilight, seeing that Sky's bond with Turtwig was higher than hers with Espeon, and she had the Pokémon almost her whole life.
"Is that so?" stated the boy as he looked down at his buddy, who merely smiled.
After their small shopping, the teens stopped by a local restaurant for lunch.
"So, Twilight, any info on what type of gym the Mt. Aries is or the one in Hayseed Junction?" asked Applejack.
"The gym at the base of Mt. Aries is a Water-type gym. And the one in Hayseed Junction is a Grass-type gym," said the bookworm.
"Here you are," said the server as she brought the teens their food trays. "Enjoy!"
"Thanks," said Sky as the four looked at their food.
"Time to dig in!" said Aj.
The country girl was about to take a bit of her food when something passed and ate her entire tray. The girl blinked for a minute, stunned by what she saw. The thing that ate her food continued to slide by the others as it ate their meals.
"My word!" said Rarity to the thing sliding by and gobbling their food.
The thing eating their food was a green Pokémon with a black spot on its back. On top of its head was a "feather" that was yellow, skinny, and long. It had no eyes, and it had small fat hands.
"What's that?" asked Sky.
The Pokémon stopped to face the teens as they stood up from the table to examine the creature. The boy pulled out his Pokédex to see if he could get any info.
"Gulpin, the Stomach Pokémon. Gulpin's stomach takes up most of its body, so there's not much room for its other organs. Its powerful digestive enzymes make short work of anything it swallows."
"So that's a Gulpin? Well, the name fits it," said Aj, looking at the small Pokémon.
"No kidding. That thing ate our food!" complained Rarity.
Just then, the teens heard a noise as the Gulpin they were looking at retreated and disappeared.
"Attention! This is an emergency! Residents must evacuate! Repeat: All residents must evacuate immediately!" said the voice over the speaker.
"Evacuate?" said all four.
True to what was said just moments ago, the entire city, once full of people, was now deserted. In a matter of seconds, the thriving boom town was now... a ghost town.
"They weren't kidding. Seems people follow orders around here," said Sky as all four were in the middle of a street. The buildings around them were all shut and locked down.
"I don't see anybody," said Aj.
Just then, a scream was heard.
"What was that?!" said Sky as he turned in the direction of the screaming.
"Sounded like screaming!" said Twilight.
Sky didn't wait before he took off. The girls called out to their friend, and they soon followed him. The shout came from a woman in her shop, just about to lock up when something came in. She was currently on the floor as she backed up into the wall.
"Stay away!" said the shopowner.
"What is it, ma'am? Are you okay?" asked Sky as he came into the story.
"There! Those things!" spoke the woman as she pointed behind the boy.
"Hey, those are Gulpin," said Sky as he turned and saw many Gulpin near the shelves.
The Pokémon were swallowing up just about everything they could fit into their mouths. The girls had managed to locate their friend as they entered the shop and were also surprised to see how many of them were present.
"They're eatin' everything off the shelves," said Applejack.
"Turtwig!" said Sky as he threw his Pokéball and called out his Pokémon. "Help me get these guys out!"
Turtwig nodded as he took a step forward. But all the Gulpin then began to dogpile on the small green creature as if to hold him back and not interrupt their lunch.
"Hold on, buddy! I got you!" said Sky as he began to dig into the pile of Gulpin, even tossing some out to the side.
The teen soon saw the small twig on his Pokémon's head as he reached in and began to pull. Soon Turtwig came out as he had swirls in his eyes from being at the bottom of the pile of Gulpin.
"You good?" asked the boy.
"Twig," responded Turtwig.
"Anybody hear rumbling?" asked Rarity.
Everyone else stopped to hear what Rarity was saying as the building did shake a bit. The vent opened from one of the vents above, and more Gulpin began to fall through.
"Gees, how many are there!" shouted Applejack as they started to pile up.
"Outside!" shouted Twilight.
Sky grabbed the woman's hand and dragged her outside with the teens before they were buried in the sea of Gulpin. They got out and looked behind as the Gulpin inside finished their meal and then exited in one big group before strolling down the street in search of more food to swallow.
"Talk about a feeding frenzy," stated Twilight.
"You okay, ma'am?" asked Aj to the shopowner.
"I'm fine. Thanks, kids," said the woman.
At that moment, a siren was heard as a police car pulled up. A person exited the vehicle as the badge on it read Lieutenant.
"You know you folks shouldn't be out here. The order said to evacuate," spoke the officer.
"Sorry about that, Lieutenant. We wondered what was going on when we heard this woman scream," said Twilight.
"Apparently, some Gulpins were eating everything off the shelves," said Aj.
"It's dangerous to be out here. You all need to go home," responded the officer.
"I will," said the shop owner as she didn't hesitate and took off.
"That includes non-residents as well."
"But we don't have any place to go to, Lieutenant. Plus, we just arrived after a long journey," said Rarity as they were hoping to get some rest before heading out.
"In that case, follow me. I'll take you all to the Pokémon Center."
With one drive by the Lieutenant, the four teens were at the Pokémon Center. However, it was no ordinary center as it seemed to be a home of operations.
"Lieutenant, we just finished evacuating the residents. We're now initiating the measures to drive the invading Gulpin out of the city," said one of the men at the consoles.
"Good work, men. Continue to monitor the situation," spoke the Lieutenant.
"Never seen a Pokémon Center like this," said Twilight.
"That's because it also serves as the Defense Center for the Gulpin," responded the officer.
"So what's the deal with the Gulpin in this city?" asked Sky.
"Well, believe it or not, this stuff actually happens every year," chuckled the man.
"Seriously?" said Aj with a raised eyebrow.
Every year, about this time, a huge number of Gulpin wreak havoc in our city. One of the reasons is that this is also when the population sees a huge rise in number. Their intent is to consume everything and our losses are staggering."
"Makes sense. For a population or certain species to thrive, they need a substantial food source. So when it gets overcrowded, species tend to consume more than anticipated. Therefore it sometimes forces animals to migrate in search of new food." said Twilight.
"Exactly. And it seems our city is their location," said the Lieutenant. "This year, our goal is to stop them once and for all. We finally found a place where they could thrive without worrying about food."
"Lieutenant, we managed to find where they're heading. And you were right, sir. It's the center of town," stated one of the men.
"I was worried about that. That's where all the food is stored, " the officer responded.
"So, if the Gulpins eat all that food, then there won't be any left for the city," said Rarity.
"Don't worry, kids. We got something to get rid of them."
"Sir, they're on the move again!" said one of the men.
"Quick! Initiate immobilization immediately!"
"Lieutenant, is there any way we can help?" asked Sky.
"You sure you kids want to get involved?" asked the officer.
"Of course," nodded Sky as the others, minus Rarity, shared his thought.
"Very well, come on!" said the officer as he left with the group.
Soon the plan was in motion. Sky was running along the city streets as he turned the corner and came to a section where many Gulpins were chowing down.
"Alright then! Turtwig, Buizel, come on out!" shouted the boy as he threw two Pokéballs, and out came his Pokémon.
"Turtwig!"
"Buizel!"
"Turtwig, Razor Leaf! Buizel, Water gun!"
Turtwig heard the command from his trainer as he flicked the twig on his head; several sharp leaves spinning quickly came out and collided with some of the Gulpin as they were sent flying. Buizel fired a water stream from his mouth as it began to wash away some of the Gulpin. Some of the Gulpin launched by the attacks landed and then began to move in the opposite direction, with others following.
"Alright, guys. Keep driving them back," stated Sky as his two Pokémon saluted and did what they were told.
Applejack was doing the same thing as she was running about the city, looking to direct any wandering Gulpin to where they needed to be. The farm girl was in a park when she saw many Gulpin knock over an ice cream cart and began to dig into the frozen liquid cream.
"Not even Big Mac has an appetite like this," stated the farm girl before pulling out two Pokéballs and tossing them. "Heracross, Breloom, use Bullet Seed!"
The two Pokémon appeared before opening their mouth and firing off rounds of seeds. They collided with the Gulpin as they were tossed back. Some of them got scared from the ice cream cart as they began to head away.
"Yeehaw! Get along, lil doggies!" shouted Aj as she felt at home herding some Pokémon.
"Lieutenant, the last of the Gulpin was being rounded up," said one of the men in the Defense Center.
"Good work," responded the officer.
"Thank heavens," said Rarity as she had decided to stay back from all this excitement.
The girl sat at a table with a sandwich in front of her. She grabbed it and looked to take a bite out of it when the lights turned off, and everything went black. The only light visible was given off by everyone's eyes.
"What happened?" shouted Rarity.
"We have a blackout, ma'am. Switching to emergency power," said one of the men.
Seconds later, the power came back on, and light returned to the room.
"See, nothing to worry about," said one of the officers to the fashionista.
"Oh, thank you. For a second, I was worr-" said Rarity when she turned to take a bite of her sandwich.
The girl came face to face with a Gulpin. The small green Pokémon was shown opening his giant mouth as he was about to swallow her sandwich. The Pokémon, despite not having eyes, knew the girl was looking at it as he closed his mouth and smiled sheepishly.
"Oh no, you don't!" shouted Rarity. "Delcatty, get rid of this sandwich thief with Iron Tail!"
The girl shrieked as she threw her Pokéball and her Pokémon appeared. Delcatty appeared as it meowed before having its tail glow and smacking Gulpin. The small green Pokémon flew through the window as it crashed down below while letting out a sound.
"Filthy disgusting little glutton," scoffed Rarity.
"Men, what's happening?" said the Lieutenant as he contacted the center. "What caused the blackout?"
"It seems one of the underground cables was cut, sir."
"Sir, we have another problem. Something fast is moving in the tunnel," spoke another officer. "It's heading for the central storage."
"It must be the Gulpin. Close the gate, and we'll force those Gulpin above ground!" instructed the Lieutenant.
"Yes, sir!" responded his men.
The gates to the central storehouse were sealed down in the tunnels. The Gulpin changed direction as they turned to the only open tunnel, hoping to find another path to their destination. The camera in the tunnel came online as it showed the Gulpin moving to the center.
"Lieutenant, we got them. They're heading your way."
"Roger that," said the man.
"So what's the plan?" asked Twilight as she stood next to the officer. "Once they get above ground, won't they just turn back and go again?"
"That's where this device comes in," said the Lieutenant as he pulled off a sheet of the object behind him. "The only thing I ask is that you and your friends keep those Gulpin at bay till it's ready."
"Hey, Twilight!" shouted Applejack as the farm girl appeared, running toward her with her Pokémon out.
"Aj!"
"Are we all set?" asked Sky as he ran from another direction with Turtwig and Buizel.
"Just about. I need to make some final adjustments to the device. Hold the Gulpin back for as long as you can." stated the Lieutenant.
"Espeon!" shouted Twilight as she tossed her Pokéball. Her Pokémon appeared as it landed next to her. "Mind giving me a hand?"
"Espeon," answered the feline.
At that moment, one of the sewer lids popped off, and out came Gulpin like it was raining. They gathered and began to move forward in the direction of the storage center. The teens could feel the Pokémon closing in as soon they spotted them over the horizon.
"Remember, kids!" said the Lieutenant as he bent down.
"Don't worry! Those Gulpin aren't going to get any further than this!" stated Sky.
The Gulpin were closing in as they were determined to get to where the food was.
"Turtwig, Razor Leaf! Buizel, Water Gun!"
The two Pokémon did what their trainer asked as they fired their attacks. It collided with some of the Gulpin as they were flung back.
"Heracross, Breloom, Bullet Seed!" instructed Aj.
"Espeon, Swift!" stated Twilight.
The girls had their Pokémon launch their attacks as they joined in. They were helping Sky to keep the massive group at bay. Some of the Gulpin jumped over the ones in front of them hit by the attacks as they kept chugging. Even after throwing all the attacks, the Gulpin were still moving forward.
"None of our attacks are working!" stated Applejack.
"I guess the food in the storage house is too big of a draw," said Sky.
"How much is in there?" asked Twilight.
"About twenty years worth," answered the Lieutenant nonchalantly.
"Yeah, that'll do it," responded the bookworm.
"Well, they're starting to get close," stated Sky.
The Gulpin were now inching closer and closer as they were about to be right on top of the teens.
"It's finished!" said the Lieutenant as he stood up.
"What is?" asked Aj.
"This!" said the officer as he stepped to the side to reveal the device he was working on.
"What is that?" asked Sky.
"Watch," said the officer as he began to push some buttons on the device.
The machine started up as soon it fired several nets. The nets landed on top of the Gulpin before it reeled the Pokémon back in. The machine took in the Gulpin it caught before aiming upwards. One by one, the Gulpin were shot out. A cage was set up near the landing zone where the machine was calculated to shoot. The Gulpin landed in the massive holding cage as they began to stockpile up.
"With this device, we can capture the Gulpin and then shoot them into the holding pen we made. Once we've rounded them up, we'll then transport them to the location we picked out for them." stated the Lieutenant.
"Well, ain't that something," smiled Aj as the teens watched the Gulpin being shot into the air as they landed in the holding pen the other men were around.
"All this launching is making me hungry," said Sky as his stomach growled, reminding the boy that they hadn't eaten all day.
"Here, sugarcube," said Applejack as she presented the boy with a slice of apple pie. "Managed to bake this in the center."
"Thanks, Aj!" said Sky as he took the slice of pie in his hand and began to munch on it. "Mmm. You make the best apple pie!"
"Appreciate it," said the girl, turning red at seeing Sky enjoy the pie she made.
The rest of the operation took most of the night. Morning came as the teens were with the Lieutenant as his men were preparing to transport the pen. A giant magnet was shown as it hovered over the pen. The cage attached to the magnet as the machine began to roll down the street as it was heading to where they would release the Gulpin in their new home.
"Thanks for the help, kids," said the Lieutenant.
"It was no trouble at all, sir. We're just glad we can lend a hand," stated Sky.
"Are you sure the Gulpin won't bother you guys again?" asked Twilight.
"Positive. Where they're going will be full of food so they won't ever go hungry again!" the officer.
"Speaking of going, we'd better get a move on y'all," said Applejack to her friends.
"Stay safe, kids. And good luck in your Gym battles," stated the Lieutenant.
"We will!" exclaimed Rarity as they began to walk.
The four teens waved goodbye to the Lieutenant and some of his men as they walked on the path leading out of the city. After a weird adventure involving the hungry, hungry Gulpin, the group was starting to make their way back to Canterlot City.
Author's Note: A little adventure with some hungry, hungry Gulpin it seems out heroes have encountered. Especially, Rarity who didn't hesitate to protect her meal from the hungry little things. You can only imagine how much trouble these things cost given how their digsestive systems work. And in addition, we got mentioned of two new Gyms that will be coming down the line, but to get there we have to circle back to Canterlot City, which means stopping by Twilight's home. As always leave a review, expressing your thoughts and comments.
Also, I finally managed to finish Pokemon Violet and man... did that ending get to me. I can say this is the best Pokemon game to come out in recent years. Aside from a few bugs, it's still a good and fun game. Glad I got to play it.