My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Equestria. Ponyville. Afternoon.

After learning about her ancestor's existence and actions in this world, Cynthia immediately went to Ash since this was a matter concerning both their ancestors.

After explaining it to Delia, Cynthia had arrived at Ponyville, passing through the gateway and entering Equestria. She wandered around Ponyville, searching all the places Ash would usually be around and visit. But he wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Hm...Where could he be...?" Cynthia muttered to herself. "I wonder if he's still in Equestria or not..."

She continued to search for Ash, hoping to find him soon since she could count on him. Cynthia asked around town, seeing if anyone had seen him. She managed to find a few ponies who had seen him, but were unaware of his current location.

As she continued her search, she came across the new and improved Pokemon House, admiring its new look. Right now, many were still present there, interested in its upgrades. But even with all these folks there, no sign of Ash just yet. Ponyville was a bust, so she would have to try somewhere else.

Cynthia was hoping she wasn't too late to the point where her ancestor might do something wild. She would give up on Ponyville, opting to head elsewhere. However, Cynthia wouldn't leave Ponyville due to something catching her attention near the outskirts of the town. A familiar face.

"Huh? Is that...?" Cynthia squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at the person she saw. She recognized him immediately even from this distance."Ah, wonderful! Ash!"

Indeed it was Ash, but at the moment, he was currently holding onto something that was moving at high speeds. He was holding onto a rampaging Whimsur that had the energy of a Desire emanating from it, allowing it to be bigger than usual. Once again, Ash and his friends were dealing with a random Desire, attempting to stop it. Latching onto Ash's back were Pikachyu and Fluttershy who held on for dear life.

The Whimsur's Desire was causing everything it passes by to remain silent, muting them completely. Ash had already been silenced by it so at the moment, he was currently screaming while being pulled but his voice couldn't be heard. The same goes for Pikachu and Fluttershy.

"Oh my." Cynthia was a bit surprised this, especially by the large Whimsur that was glowing aggressively. However, by harnessing the power of the Aura to the fullest, Ash managed to surround the Whimsur, targeting the Desire. With all his might, he diminished the Desire, causing Whimsur to slow down and even return to its normal size.

"Hah...Done." Ash sighed once that Desire had been dealt with. He laid on his back, slightly exhausted which implied that dealing with this particular Desire was rather intense and tiring.

"Sur? Whimsur?" Whimsur, who was now freed by the Desire, walked off confused by what had just happened. Ash would breathe in and out before looking up to see Cynthia standing over him.

"Cynthia...?"

"Pika?"

"Ash. I need to speak with you."

SugarCube Corner.

After dealing with the Desire, Ash and his friends returned to Ponyville, heading straight to Sugarcube Corner. They all sat at a table, wondering why Cynthia was here in Equestria.

"So, what brings you here, Cynthia?" Ash asked.

"I'm sorry for coming here so suddenly, but I need to speak with you about something." Cynthia answered. "Something that involves your ancestor, Lena Ketchum."

"My ancestor? What about her?" Ash questioned.

"Well, it seems that she's involved in some sort of news report. I saw it earlier today." Cynthia explained. "You see...my Ancestor Volo, has recently been labelled as a Wanted Man. And it seems that your ancestor is also involved in this. You've already encountered her, haven't you?"

"Yeah. I met her over Alola and we stuck around each other for a while. I don't know where she is right but...That stuff you said about Volo. If that's the case, then Twilight's in trouble!" Ash stood up, realizing what this meant.

"You've already met Volo?"

"I haven't met him, but I know about him. Twilight went along with him to help find all 18 Shards, just like my ancestor. If this is all true..." He thought for a moment, immediately attempting to call Sci-Twi. "Come on..."

But there was no answer.

Ash had seen this before. There was something blocking the call to Sci-Twi and while no one knew what the reason was, in reality, it was Volo disrupting the signal. He didn't want anyone to contact Sci-Twi, not when his plans were in motion.

"Just like before...I can't reach her." Ash closed his eyes before putting his phone away. "But...even so, right now, Sunset and the others went to go look for her. But I haven't heard a thing from them."

"Mhm. And Pinkie had one of her Slurpuff go along with them to try and track her down. If even he can't find her..." Fluttershy spoke up. "Then she must be somewhere far off."

"I see...So that's how it is." Cynthia nodded before looking down. "Ash. I came to you because this concerns both of our ancestors. It's clear that whatever's happening could spiral out of control quickly."

"I hear ya, Cynthia. My ancestor told me everything about what happened with her and Volo back in the past and how they got here. If Volo does get all the shards, then something wild could happen." Ash thought for a moment. "If we can't find Volo, then we're gonna have to go to my ancestor."

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out in response.

"Do you know where she is?" Cynthia asked.

"No, but I think I know someone who might. We promised we'd meet up again and it looks like we're about to do it again. I can ask the Sea Temple to help out too. They can get us around fast. And I say we search for some of the other shards before Volo does."

"I see. Well, you should also see this then. The Pokemon Professors are the ones who mainly brought this news out. Not only that..." Cynthia held out her phone, showing Ash extended parts of the report. "They've also been working together to create a device that will allow us to find the shards."

"Eh, really?" Ash took a gander at this report. Since this device was being worked on prior to the news report, it was nearing its completion.

"It should be ready today. Professor Rowan was the one to announce its creation and it was being crafted in Sinnoh. If we were to use this, we could easily find the remaining shards." Cynthia explained, bringing great promise about this item.

"Oh, yeah! This'll work!" And Ash saw that promise. "And if I can get them all to my ancestor, then we can stop Volo from doing anything crazy!"

"Pikachu!"

"Well, it seems that we have a plan then." Cynthia smiled. "When I first heard about this earlier today, I knew I had to get involved. Despite the surprise of learning about ancestor's presence here, I actually know who Volo is."

"You do?" Ash and Fluttershy collectively said.

"Mm. In my family, we were always told stories about him. He was a merchant who travelled across the land, selling items and trading them for other things. But he was also known as a collector, searching for rare and powerful artifacts. It was said that he would go to any lengths to obtain them. And he was also known to be quite eccentric. Always smiling and laughing, even when things weren't going his way." Cynthia explained. "But he was also very kind and generous. He would often give away his wares for free or trade them for something else. And he was also very knowledgeable, knowing a lot about the world and its history. He was a bit of a mystery, but he was well-liked by many."

"Wow...So your ancestor was a pretty cool guy, huh?" Ash asked.

"Yes. He was." Cynthia nodded. "But there was also another side to him. A darker side. It was said that he was obsessed with finding the truth behind the world and its origins. He believed that there was more to it than what we knew and that there was some sort of secret hidden within it. He wanted to uncover that secret and learn everything about it. And he would do anything to achieve that goal."

"Huh..." Ash muttered. "That's why he wants the shards. To make sure nothing bad happens in the past."

"It's possible." Cynthia nodded. "I don't know exactly what he's planning, but it's clear that he's up to something. He has this chance in the present, so he would never give up on it. Even if this is his only chance to interact with the present, he'll do what he can to see his dream a reality. For that reason...it shocked me that he would be labelled as wanted. I would've never imagined that he would do something like this."

"Twilight went with him because she trusts him. I'm not sure about right now but..." Ash wouldn't get his answers and resolution just sitting around here. He stood up, ready to set out. "Okay. Let's go. I'll have Twilight...well, this world's Twilight know about this. I always know I can count on her."

Sinnoh. Sandgem Town. Late Afternoon.

Ash, Twilight, Fluttershy and Cynthia had arrived at Professor Rowan's Laboratory, hoping to get their hands on the device that could track down the Shards. They picked the best day to show up since today was the day the device would reach its completion. Heavy resources went into aking this one item as plenty of scientists were currently in the lab, working hard to finish it.

"Thank you for coming, all of you." Rowan greeted them. "You picked a great time to arrive. It's creation is nearly complete. I expected you to show up especially, Cynthia. You've always been one for history. It's taken us just a few weeks to craft this item. The resources we had allowed us to get it done swiftly as possible."

"So, what does thing thing look like?" Ash questioned.

"We were informed that Volo uses a strange bracelet of some sorts to track down the shards. This device will allow us to do the same, but with much more efficiency, no matter the region." Rowan explained. "And once it's finished, it'll be yours to use. We made it into a shape that would fit, much like the bracelet that Volo wields. Take a look for yourselves."

Rowan pointed towards a table where the device was contained. It appeared as a Watch-like object, having a similar design to the bracelet Volo wore. However, it was bigger and had more features to it.

"Sweet..." Ash said when observing the Device.

"It's quite simple, actually. All you have to do is put it on your wrist and activate it. Once you do that, it'll start scanning the area around you, looking for any traces of the shards. If it finds one, it'll alert you by making a sound. And if it finds multiple shards, it'll make a different sound. It'll also tell you which direction the shards are in so you can easily find them." Rowan explained. "It's essentially just an advanced compass."

"That's amazing! It sounds like it'll be really useful!" Twilight smiled.

"Indeed. It should be very helpful in our search for the shards." Rowan nodded. "I'll entrust it to you all since I can count on you all to use it wisely. I hope it helps you in your quest. Here." Rowan held the Device, passing it over to Ash. Ash held his hand out as the device immediately latched onto his wrist in a instant, startling him and the others.

"Whoa! What the?!" Ash jumped back, surprised by the sudden movement.

"Worry not. It's just doing its thing. It's attaching itself to you so it won't fall off. It's also syncing up with your body, allowing it to read your vitals. This way, it'll know when you're in danger and will protect you from harm." Rowan explained. "It's also waterproof and fireproof, so you don't have to worry about it getting damaged."

"Wow...This thing is pretty cool."

"You did all this just for something to find the shards?" Twilight whistled, rather impressed. "Amazing."

"It may seem overboard, but it's neccessary. The location of these shards could be in places that are dangerous to approach, so absolute protection is needed. The way we made it work was by gathering the power of different Pokemon. Inside that watch are the Infinity Energies of the Pokemon that helped with its creation."

"All of that in here...?" Ash held his wrist up when observing the watch.

"The Energy of a Gardevoir, Blissey, Clefable, Wigglytuff, Chansey, Audino and Togekiss. All Pokemon that focus on protection. They're all inside that watch, protecting you from any harm." Rowan explained. "Now, test it out. See where the watch will detect a shard for you."

"Alright. Let's see..." Ash activated the watch, causing it to light up. A holographic screen appeared before him, showing a map of Sinnoh. There were several dots on the map, indicating the locations of the shards. "Nice!"

"Pikaaaa...!"

"Oh, yeah! It works great!" Ash nodded with his eyes becoming starry. "I can see all the shards on the map! Science is so amazing!"

"Excellent. Now, good luck with your search. I know you'll do well and prevent the worst from coming. One you succeed, all will be right in the end." Rowan would give them all his luck.

With this watch, finding the shards just became easier for Ash's side. And at the moment, Ash could already see a location that could be tackled immediately. His group would make their way there as soon as possible.

Volo and Sci-Twi were already on the move, heading towards the next shard. His bracelet led the way as the two of them were currently out in the mountains, heading upwards. The bracelet lit up some more, indicating that its location was getting closer. While not technologically advanced like the watch, the magical properties of the bracelet were on par with the watch.

When adventuring across these mountains, they would come across various obstacles that made Sci-Twi a little squeamish at points. Constantly having to climb up and down steep cliffs while avoiding falling rocks and other dangers was not her cup of tea. She was used to being in a lab, doing research and such, so this was a bit much for her.

"Ugh...Why does it have to be so high up...?" Sci-Twi groaned. "Can't we just teleport there or something?"

"I hear your Equestrian counterpart can do that. Can you?"

"Well...No." Sci-Twi twiddled her fingers. "I wish I could easily tap into magic, honestly. That'd be amazing, honestly. But no...Not since Midnight Sparkle left my body. I don't even know where she is right now.

"Don't worry about that right now. Worry about-" Volo would suddenly pause, his senses going off. He felt that something or someone was nearing them. "Hm?"

"What's wrong?" Sci-Twi asked. "Is someone near?"

"Hold on." Volo would hold his arm out in front of Sci-Twi, telling her to stop. "There's something here. I can feel it."

"Huh? What is it?"

"I'm not sure. But it feels like it's coming from behind us." Volo turned around, looking over the cliff. He saw nothing but the vast mountain range. But he wasn't about to lose his focus. Not when he was sure he sensed something. At that moment, he heard a sound go off in the distance. A sound that was nearing. It sounded like a vehicle of some sort, moving across the rocky landscape.

Volo turned his head to immediately see the vehicle in the distance. It was a large truck of advanced tech, heading straight towards them. But it wasn't just any truck. The logo on that truck had a certain symbol. The Team Galactic Symbol.

"Who are they?!" Sci-Twi exclaimed.

"That symbol..." Volo observed the symbol, seeing how there was something very familiar about it. "It can't be...The Galaxy Expedition Team?"

The truck would then stop right in front of them, causing the two to back away. They weren't sure what was about to happen, but they knew they had to be ready for anything. The doors of the truck opened up, revealing a group of people that looked familiar to Volo.

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn of Team Galactic had arrived when stepping out and Volo recognized them immediately. Not exactly as they were now, but the people who resembled them in the past. The most glaring one was Mars, who was the descendant of Arezu.

"These three...Are they their descendants...?!" Volo gasped at this genuinely surprised. Sci-Twi held onto her pendant tightly while nervously looking at the three members of Team Galactic.

"You're Volo, aren't you?" Mars spoke up. "We've been searching for you."

"Hm..." Volo's frown turned into a smile as he didn't even bother using the Shift Stone here. Seeing that symbol and the resemblance to the people of the past made him too interested. "Indeed I am. And you all are...the Galaxy Expedition Team, aren't you?"

"Galaxy Expedition Team?" Saturn questioned. "What's that?"

"It's Team Galactic." Jupiter corrected him. "But it sounds like you were already aware of that name. It was an old name in the past that Master Cyrus used and adapted. And since you're from the past..."

"Spot on. So I see this team still exists to this day. But I never expected descendants from those clans to be on that team. My, what a shocking outcome this is." Volo chuckled while walking up to them. "So it's Team Galactic now, is it? And what do you want from me?"

"Come with us right away." Mars ordered. "We came all the way here to find you. We spotted you earlier before you went into the mountains so we followed you all the way here."

"Here to take me in, perhaps?" Volo questioned.

"Not at all. We're here because of how much you can help us." Jupiter added. Volo was intrigued without a doubt. But he wondered if this could slow down his quest for the shards. However, that was not the case. Instead, this was something made to help his quest for the shards. All it took was Jupiter's next words. "It's about the shards."

Now Volo was truly interested. But Sci-Twi was a bit worried, especially when coming across Team Galactic. She only recognized Mars since she strongly resembled Arezu, who she briefly met when she entered the present for a while.

Volo felt a bit interested by this. He would hear them out and what they have to say. Of course, after he finishes finding the nearest shard in this location, if it was actually here that is. Team Galactic had their reasons for coming to Volo and by extension, gathering the shards.

There were now three parties involved, all with different goals in mind. Lena's was to fix time and let the shards go on safely to where they truly belong, Volo's was to find the truth of it all and reach Arceus while Team Galactic had the goal of bringing back the one who vanished all those years ago. Their Master Cyrus.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 515 End.