My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Sinnoh. Out in the Mountains. Afternoon.

Up in the mountains, Team Galactic pursued Volo after learning about the news report with only one goal in mind. To bring back Cyrus after all these years of his disappearance. They came straight to Volo when learning about his quest for those shards and anything relating to Arceus was an immediate Yes from them, leading to this scenario.

"I see...Having more people help with my quest would do wonders for me. "Volo pondered for a moment before turning to Sci-Twi. "What do you think?"

"Um...I'm not sure." Sci-Twi had no clue what to say here. She was just as confused as Volo was. I didn't think anyone else would come and help us. "Not when you're Wanted, Volo."

"Hm-hm. Good point." Volo couldn't argue there. Being wanted would make things harder for him even if he's created counters to these new issues. "But these three don't seem to mind. To be honest, a part of me wants to accept since it feels like I never left from my time in the first place. I know all three of your ancestors."

"Our ancestors?!" Mars gasped. That came as a shock to all three of them.

"Right, right. Granted, I've only interacted with them here and there. Nothing too grand. Minus your Ancestor." Volo turned his attention to Mars. "Only because of the clan she's in. That's all to it really. So I suppose meeting you three is an example of fate in a way. I assume the same goes for everyone else in your team?"

"Well, it's actually just three of us..." Mars admitted. "We're the only ones in what's left of Team Galactic."

"Oh? Is that so?" Volo raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the rest of the team?"

"They all disbanded after Master Cyrus disappeared. We're the only ones who stayed behind and kept the organization going. We've been searching for him ever since." Jupiter explained. "We don't blame them for leaving. Especially with the way he vanished."

"How did he vanish?" Sci-Twi questioned.

"It was when a dimensional portal opened up during our last mission all those years back. Master Cyrus stepped through that portal to reach his goal, what he's been seeking for so long. But as soon as he entered it, Dialga and Palkia destroyed the portal to that dimension, preventing anyone from entering or exiting it. We haven't seen him since then." Saturn answered. "And we haven't been able to reopen that portal.

"I see...So he's trapped in another world, is he?" Volo asked.

"That's what we believe." Mars nodded. "And that's why we're still here. To find him and bring him back. But we don't have the means to do so. Not anymore."

"That's awful..." Sci-Twi frowned. "So he's lost in that dimension?"

"He is. And we have no clue where it is or what it's like." Jupiter sighed. "Which is why we came straight to you. When we heard that those shards were connected to Arceus, we had to get involved since that's a way we can bring back Master Cyrus. If we try and tap into that same power that previously opened that portal, we might be able to open it again and bring him back."

"I see...So you want to use the power of the Shards to open a portal to that other dimension and bring him back." Volo smiled. "Well, it's not impossible. Believe. After all, before they split into shards, they were once Life Plates and they are the ones that caused me and Lena to end up here. If they can open up portals through time, no doubt they can do the same for other dimensions. Such is the power of the Arceus."

"S-So...You'll help us?" Mars stuttered as she was hoping this was the case.

"Aah...We can work in unison towards our goals. I'd prefer to keep a low profile though due to recent developments. It's not like I'm joining your team. The same goes for Twilight."

"R-Right!" Sci-Twi exclaimed once mentioned. "I don't have a goal like you two. I'm mainly helping Volo, just to see him through this. And if I can, I'd like to help rescue your Leader too."

"...Hm. Then it's settled." Jupiter nodded. "We'll be working together from now on. We'll do whatever we can to find Master Cyrus and bring him back. And we'll also help you find those shards."

"Understood. But before you go along, how about you all help with finding the nearest shard my bracelet is picking up on? You can start with that." Volo held up his arm.

"We might have the tech to find some shards, but we don't have anything like that." Saturn pointed out. "But we can help you find them. We've been searching for Master Cyrus for years, so we know the region like the back of our hands. But...I assume you do as well since you're from an older Sinnoh."

"To be honest, not really. The only place that really sticks out is Jubilife City and that has drastically changed since it's no longer a village. Hisui has really gone through changes in just 200 years, hasn't it?" Volo rubbed his chin before looking into the distance. There, he saw the ever-visible Mt. Coronet, which was another location he recognized. And while looking at it, he immediately thought about what Lena could be doing at this very moment. "What about you...Lena?"

Johto. Out in the Wild.

Over at the Johto Region, Lena was currently out in the wild with Team Rocket, preparing some food. Team RRocket were starving, needing something good to eat at once and luckily, Lena had them covered. She was cooking up a meal for them, using the ingredients she had gathered.

"Ahhh...I can't wait to dig in!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Me neither! I'm so hungry!" Jessie added. "How long until we have something, Lena!"

"Just a bit. This is my family's recipe after all." Lena smiled. "It's a dish that's been passed down through generations. My mother taught me how to make it when I was young. It's one of my favourite dishes."

"Ah..to have a family recipe...I've never had that kind of food in my life." James sighed with glee. "Usually, my parents would just have the top-class chefs cook for us. I've never made anything unique other than the best of the best.

"Tch! Lucky! I would've loved to have the best of the best!" Jessie barked. "To be sat in a beautiful room while eating the finest of foods. I bet you didn't even have to lift a finger!"

"Well, I did have to learn how to cook eventually. But I wasn't allowed to use any of the kitchens. I had to do it in secret." James admitted. "But I'm glad I learned how to cook. It's a useful skill to have."

"Okay...It's ready!" Lena announced as she finished making the food. She placed the food onto plates, serving it to everyone. "Here you go."

The food before their eyes was a delicious-looking stew with various vegetables and meat inside. The aroma of the food filled the air, causing everyone to drool. They wasted no time digging into the food, enjoying every bite of it.

"Mmm! This is amazing!" Jessie exclaimed. "I've never tasted anything like this before! Just what is this...?!"

"This beats any high-quality food I've ever eaten!" James cried out. "By a mile!"

"Aaah..." Team Rocket collectively closed their eyes, thinking about what they were feeling right now. It felt as if they were being transported to another world where everything was perfect. A world where nothing could go wrong. They then envisioned themselves floating in a vast and beautiful space in this fantastical world.

"It's so...warm...and...comforting..." Jessie muttered.

"So...peaceful...and...relaxing..." James added.

"I feel like I'm in heaven..." Meowth sighed.

"I'm glad you all like it." Lena giggled. "It's a special dish that my family makes. We call it 'The Warm Embrace of Home'."

"That's a wonderful name for it." James nodded. "I can see why you'd call it that. It really does make you feel warm and cozy."

"Yeah. It's like we're in our own little world." Jessie smiled. "I could stay here forever."

"Same here" Meowth agreed. "I don't wanna leave this place."

"Well, we do have to keep moving, looking for the shards." Lena giggled while approaching them. "But make sure you get your fill first and then we can-" Before Lena could finish, she heard many footsteps coming her way, prompting her to turn around. By swivelling her body, Lena witnessed multiple Pokemon standing before her.

All these Pokemon specifically gathered around Lena and her pot of stew. They all wanted some of the stew, which was understandable since it smelled so good that it reached across the wild, going great distances.

"Would you look at this. It's a full house of Pokemon." James commented.

"They must've smelled the stew from far away," Jessie added.

"A-All of you want some?" Lena asked. And indeed, all the Pokemon wanted what Lena had made. Every single one of them. Lena observed the number of them as it looked like the entire wild had shown up to feast. "Aah...Not again. This has happened before during my travels. I'm not sure I have enough for everyone."

Lena then took a look at her pot, seeing that this wouldn't be enough. She needed more to feed these stomachs. All the Pokemon were far too eager to eat the delicious scent that they all sensed.

"Don't tell me you're actually going to feed them. You don't have to." Jessie pointed out while drinking the stew. "Besides, this is our reward for working hard."

"Something tells me she's about to do just that." James could already see it coming from a mile away based on Lena's expression. She was a lot like her descendant, in which, she's always willing to help.

"I'll get more ingredients! I won't let anyone go hungry!" Lena exclaimed as she ran off into the forest. "You three! Keep an eye on them and let some them eat while I get the rest!"

"Hey! Wait! We didn't agree to this!" Jessie shouted.

"We're supposed to be relaxing right now!" Meowth added.

"She's gone..." James sighed. "I guess we should do as she says."

"Ugh...Fine." Jessie groaned. "But we're only doing this because we're starving. Not because she told us to."

"Sure, sure." James nodded. "Whatever you say."

Lena appeared in the forest, searching for more ingredients to make more stew. She would find plenty of berries, mushrooms and other things to use for the stew. She found herself a goldmine of these ingredients, allowing her to make more stew than she could ever imagine.

"This is perfect!" Lena smiled. "I can make even more stew with this!"

Gathering around Lena were some Pokemon who knew she was about to add more to her stew and wanted to see it made real simply because they wanted a taste of it. Lena noticed their presence, turning to them.

"Oh, hello there." Lena greeted them. "I'm making more stew, but it'll take a while. I hope you don't mind waiting."

The Pokemon didn't seem to mind, patiently waiting for Lena to finish. She continued to gather ingredients, adding them to her pot. MPokemo showed up and started helping Lena out, gathering ingredients for her.

Lena smiled when seeing this. This was normal for her as this was not the first time this has happened. "Pokemon seem to gather around me a lot here and there...It's always been like this, especially when I started travelling the world."

Lena thought about this while continuing to collect the ingredients. She felt nostalgic about all of this right away. When looking at all these Pokemon, she was actually reminded of her village and how everyone there would help gather ingredients for her. It was a wonderful time for Lena, especially when she was a child.

"I wonder if they're doing well..." Lena muttered to herself. "I haven't seen them in so long...Leaving to travel the world meant I wouldn't see them all that much but...I've been thrown through time twice. I'm not even sure how much time has passed."

It did get to Lena. She knew that once she gets all the shards and fixes everything, her timeline will reset, bringing things back to how they were and only then will she be able to reunite with her village. But right now, that wasn't the case. Lena was far from home and in this current time, her family and everyone she knew from the village were long gone. She could only meet them in the present.

Lena paused for a moment while thinking about this. It truly got to the heart as she held the mushrooms close to her chest, a frown forming on her face. Even if time was all messed up for her right now, she could still remember the words and experience from her Mother and Father when she was young.

It was when she had ambitions to travel and experiece the world. Her parents were against it, telling her that it was too dangerous. But Lena was adamant about it, wanting to see what the world had to offer.

Kanto. The Far, Far Past. Ketchum Village.

"But why? Why can't I go?" Lena asked.

"Because it's too dangerous out there." Her mother answered. "There are many dangers out there and we don't want you getting hurt."

"You could get lost or attacked by wild Pokemon." Her father added. "We just want to keep you safe."

"I know that. But I can handle myself. I'm strong enough to deal with anything that comes my way." Lena argued. "And I'm not weak or anything! I know I'm not!"

"That may be true, but we still worry about you. You're our daughter and we don't want to lose you." Her mother frowned. "Please, understand."

"I do...but..." Lena looked down, feeling conflicted. "I really want to see the world. I want to see what it has to offer. I want to see all the different places and people. I want to experience everything."

"I know, sweetie. And I'm sure you will one day." Her mother smiled. "But right now, you're not ready. You're still too young. Sendng a Ten Year Old out there is too much."

"Yeah...I guess..." Lena sighed.

"But listen. That kind of spirit is very much needed." Her father smiled, placing his hand on her hair. "You have that Ketchum Drive in you. The desire to explore and discover new things. It's a trait that runs through your bloodline. It's something that's been passed down through our family, only 3 decades ago."

"Really?" Lena asked.

"Mmhm. It's a part of who you are. It's what makes you special." Her mother nodded. "What makes all of us special. We all have our dreams that we want to pursue, big or small. Most of us are small while you dream big, sweetie. Our great-great-grandfather came up with a song for us all to remember."

"What kind of song?" She would sit on her mother's lap.

"Ah. I haven't sang it to you yet. It goes a little something like this." The mother looked up at the sunny skies above. "Chase your dreams keep them close, they'll eventually come true. And just like flower buds they will eventually bloom and all your dreams will soon come true."

"Wow...That's so pretty..." Lena gasped. "But it's also short."

"Grandfather didn't really have anything else to add." Her father laughed. "All he remembered was hearing a brief melody like that from a Bulbasaur and a Clefairy and it sounded nice to his ears. But still, we all keep that song close to our hearts, Lena. It's just a matter of waiting for the right time.

"The right time...?" Lena questioned.

"Yes. The right time." Her mother nodded. "When you're older and more mature, then you can go out there and explore the world. But until then, you have to stay here and wait. But don't worry. I'm sure the right time will come sooner than you think."

"I hope so..." Lena sighed.

Lena thought about those words as she was currently in the forest, gathering ingredients for her stew. She had grown older and more mature since then and she was even realizing her dream by going from place to place. She even went a step further due to being flung through time.

"I wonder if they'd be proud of me..." Lena muttered. "I've been thrown through time twice and I'm still going strong. I'm doing my best to fix everything and make sure nothing bad happens. I'm sure they'd be happy to see me like this."

Lena smiled when thinking about her parents. She knew they were long gone at this current time, but she still held onto their memory. She wanted to do right by them and make them proud. She would continue to gather the ingredients before heading back to the campsite.

"Okay! I got everything!" Lena exclaimed. "Let's get cooking!"

Once Lena returned, she made a gourmet's worth of food for everyone here. Pokemon and Team Rocket alike enjoyed the meal, eating it all up. They all felt like they were in heaven, enjoying every bite of it.

The Pokemon would soon experience what Team Rocket felt earlier, envisioning themselves floating in a vast and beautiful space in this fantastical world. It was a wonderful feeling for them, one that they didn't want to leave.

All the Pokemon were very much pleased with this, much to Lena's joy. As all the Pokemon conversed with each other, going to town on the meal, Lena observed the sight in its entirety, taking it all in. All of her previous thoughts were soon joined up with these new thoughts. Although she wondered about her parents and her village, she found further happiness with her friends.

But a part of Lena knew that eventually, even this would have to come to an end when she restores the shards and fixes everything. That is how it is suppossed to be and that certainly got to Lena. But for now, she simply wanted to enjoy this.

"This is what it's like for you...Isn't it, Ash?"

Sunwade Gorge. Nightfall.

Meanwhile, in another part of Sinnoh, Ash, Twilight, Fluttershy and Cynthia had arrived at a Mountain Pass known as Sunwade Gorge. The watch indicated that there was a shard nearby and it was located somewhere in this area. The group was currently searching for it, hoping to find it soon.

"So it's somewhere deep in here, huh?" Ash spoke when viewing the watch. "Guess we're going all the way in for this one. That way, we're really gonna see how good this watch really is."

"Careful though. Sunwade Gorge can be unpredictable at times." Cynthia spoke to the three of them. "I haven't been here at all before. I've only heard about it here and there."

"Then it's all brand new!" Ash grinned, eager to see what this place holds while also focusing on finding the shard. "Let's go!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out.

"Right behind you." Twilight nodded as Fluttershy would soon follow behind. Cynthia would be the last to walk but while she was walking, much like how Volo was thinking about what Lena was doing and how Lena was thinking about what Ash was doing, Cynthia was now thinking about what Volo was doing. All three of them had their own thoughts.

Back with Volo, he and Sci-Twi were currently in the truck with Team Galactic, heading for their hidden base. And while in this truck, Sci-Twi looked at the only three members of Team Galactic yet, seeing what they were going through in wanting to bring back their leader. There was a bit of awkward silence in the air with no one saying a thing until they got there. But Sci-Twi wished to say something at least as she looked directly at Mars.

She focused on Mars simply because she's met her ancestor Arezu already, making her comfortable in approaching her. "Hey um...Mars, was it?"

"Hm? What is it?" Mars turned to her.

"You know, I already met your ancestor for a while. Her name was Arezu." Sci-Twi explained.

"Hm...I don't think I really care all that much about my ancestor. Not right now at least."

"Oh. I guess bringing back your leader would be the only thing that matters."

"It is. It shouldn't have even happened to Master Cyrus in the first place." Mars looked down as her tone changed immediately. "If he were still around, maybe I'd care about this whole ancestor thing a bit more, but I don't. We spent years wanting to see him again, unsure of what dimension he is in. Is it exactly how he envisioned or is it a walking nightmare? I don't know and I won't know until we get him back."

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make you feel bad." Sci-Twi frowned.

"It's fine." Mars would then look at Sci-Twi. "To be honest, it's been a long time since I've had proper contact with anyone outside of Saturn and Jupiter. Talking to you or anyone else wasn't on my mind for the longest time. But...since you did meet my ancestor, what is she like?"

"She was fun to be around for a while. A great hair stylist too." Sci-Twi smiled. "I haven't heard or seen much from her since then, but I can say it was a good time, no doubt."

"That so? Hm. She's lucky she gets to have a life like that, even if it's in the past. The life I live is all for Master Cyrus and isn't easy. But it isn't something I regret either. Not when Master Cyrus's dreams are for the benefit of everyone." Mars would put her hands together, her eyes narrowing. "That's why when we bring him back, we'll be able to realize that dream once and for all, especially with how the world is now."

Every word from ars carried great weight and Team Galactic all felt the same way. Even if they were just three members, they refused to give up at such a disadvantage. Such determination was admirable no doubt. The question is if they can realize their goal. Sci-Twi was actually worried about that part considering how Lena's group were pursuing the shards. Would they even be able to get Cyrus back with another party after the shards? Only time will tell.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 516 End.