My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Sinnoh. Sandgem Town. Nightfall.

After successfully retrieving the Poison Shard by saving Sunwade Gorge, Ash, Twilight, Cynthia and Fluttershy would soon return to Sandgem Town to Professor Rowan. They were all glad to be back here after such a long time.

"Professor!" Ash called out as he and the others entered the lab.

"Ah. You're back." Professor Rowan smiled. "I take it you were successful?"

"Yes. We were." Cynthia nodded as she held out the Poison Shard. "We managed to get the Poison Shard on our first go. We found the location right away without having to take another path."

"Excellent work. That just confirms the effectiveness of the device." Professor Rowan nodded. "Now we can start tracking down the rest of the shards with little problem, aside from when you have to eventually come across Volo."

"About that...Since this watch can track down the shards, I already saw some of them on the map it has. I bet those are the ones Volo has and where Sci-Twi is..." Ash held his wrist up. "We can use this to find them too."

"You're going for her already?" Twilight questioned. "I thought you said you would wait for her and only meet up with her when all the shards are finally together.

"Yeah. But after the talk we had on the phone and the news I got, I gotta check up on her." Even Ash couldn't deny this. If his friends were in trouble in some way, he had to go and help them. He would then activate the watch again, seeing the shards were. Since Volo was in Sinnoh as well, he would also get results.

"Hm. Let's see." Professor Rowan would gaze at the map, showing that Volo was still in possession of them. "There they are."

"Got it." Ash narrowed his eyes. "Then we'll head over there right now."

"The same goes for me. I've been meaning to meet up with Volo from the start of this." Cynthia placed her hand on Ash's shoulder. "I need to speak with him."

"In that case, knowing how dangerous things get if 5 shards are around each other, allow me to hold onto the Poison Shard for you." Professor Rowan suggested. "That way, you won't have to worry about it."

"Alright. That works for us." Ash nodded before handing over the Poison Shard. Once passed onto Rowan, Ash would look at the map again, seeing that Volo was still in the same place. But there was a very good chance he might start moving again, so Ash had to reach him before that could happen.

Team Galactic's Hidden Base.

Meanwhile, at Team Galactic's secret base, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter were busy working on restoring the shards to their original forms. Using all the tech they had available, they were trying to restore the shards to their former glory. But that proved to be easier said than done. Their tech was being pushed to its limits as they tried to bring out the power of the shards.

The shards were hovering in the air, surrounded by a surge of energy. The three of them were using all of their equipment to try and restore the shards, but it wasn't easy. It was taking everything they had just to keep the shards stable.

Volo would simply observe while Sci-Twi looked on in awe. Despite how difficult it was, some progress was actually being made. Right before their eyes, some of the shards were starting to change shape, resembling what they used to look like.

"It's...It's working! We're doing it!" Saturn gasped. The shards would then grow in size to their original sizes, becoming much bigger than before. This caused the entire room to shake as the reaction was getting stronger and stronger.

"It's getting a bit out of control, isn't it?!" Sci-Twi held onto a pillar for support. Volo simply stayed silent, watching this all unfold. He was curious to see where this would lead.

Afterwards, a bright flash enveloped the room as the shards would return to their original state. They were now Life Plates, no longer shards. The light would soon fade away as the plates would float in the air, glowing brightly.

"We did it! We really did it!" Mars cheered as a wide smile formed on her face. This was the happiest she and the other two have been. They felt a great spark of hope within them. "Now we can finally bring back Master Cyrus!"

"Not bad. Not bad at all." Volo walked over to observe the Life Plates. "I was right to trust in you. This team-up has its perks, doesn't it?"

"What now? Do we use the shards again to open up the portal?" Jupiter asked, wanting to open up the portal, if it was possible this time.

"No. Even with this, it won't work. We need the rest of the shards and to bring them back to their original states." But Volo shook his head, believing that more than this was needed. "Now that we've accomplished this, let's move onto the next shards. Granted...It'll be harder to carry them around now that they're their original sizes..."

"We can try and shrink them." Saturn would turn his attention to another piece of technology nearby. "That way, we can carry them around but also enlarge them at any time.

"Works for me. Go on ahead and do that and right afterwards, we'll make our way to the next shards. My Bracelet is already informing me of one that's still in Sinnoh...But it's been on the move as of recently. Almost as if someone has already found it." Unbeknownst to Volo, it was Ash's group behind this one.

Right now, the Poison Shard had stopped moving now that it was in possession of Professor Rowan, but Volo knew that another group was currently on the move.

So, are we going for that shard too?" Sci-Twi questioned. "And after that, which region's next?"

"Hold on now. Let me think for a moment, Twilight." Volo had to think this through. He wasn't sure if it was Sonia again or if it was Lena. But if it was Lena then he would've picked up on more than one shard, meaning it was someone else. He had to be cautious about this one. "Hm. Shrink the Life Plates and let's get going. I'll give us directions."

"Right." Saturn nodded as he would go over to the Life Plates, beginning to shrink them down. The process would take a bit longer than before, but it was still being done.

After shrinking them down, they would leave the base, taking the truck once more. They were heading towards the next shard that was located in Sinnoh. Volo checked his bracelet, deciding on his next move and where to go. "We're not quite ready to leave Sinnoh just yet. There are few things we need to do here before we head on to the next region."

"Which region is that?" Sci-Twi asked.

"From what the bracelet is telling me, we should head to Kanto. That's where the next shard is." Volo answered, confident about the next location. "For now, let's stop by somewhere close. It's getting a bit late and I know you'd like to rest, Twilight."

"Yeah...I am pretty exhausted." Sci-Twi yawned as she did need her rest. "Anywhere is fine. Do you think you all could continue without me?"

"We don't need rest. We've barely had any rest for these past years since we've been so focused on bringing back Master Cyrus." Jupiter commented in response. "You can go ahead and rest while we handle the rest. There's a nearby Lake that'll be good enough for you to stop by."

Speaking of which, they were nearing that lake, being around its area. The lake itself was surrounded by rare trees and other rare plants, making it seem like a nice place to relax, especially with the Moon beaming down on it.

"This will do. You can go ahead and rest here, Twilight." Volo smiled.

"Alright. Thanks." Sci-Twi nodded as she got out of the truck, walking over to the lake. She would sit down next to it, gazing at the water. This was a nice change of pace from everything that has been happening.

"If you're ever in danger, don't forget about your Pokemon. I'd recommend keeping one of them out to guard you at night. Rapidash seems to be great at that part. Now then, let's get going." Volo nodded as the truck would drive off, leaving Sci-Twi alone.

The truck got a move on, heading to its next location which was Sandgem Town. It would take some time for the truck to reach its destination, making this trip rather silent. And while they had a silent trip there, Volo was in his thoughts once more, thinking about what would come next and all the obstacles he'll have to go through.

There was another reason for him wanting to stay in Sinnoh for a bit and it had to do with his ancestors and descendants. He wondered if the Celestica Ruins were still present in this time and what his descendant was currently doing since she took a different path than him. Both may be interested in the history of the world and the Myths and Legends that surround it but they go about it in very different ways.

Volo believed that they would eventually cross paths at some point. From what he knows about Cynthia, it seemed like it would happen eventually. Volo, while dissappointed in Cynthia's path, saw him as the only other part of his lineage left, at least in the present. Even back in his time, the Celestica People were no longer abundant at all.

But in Volo's eyes, once he gains all the shards and restores them to what they used to be and then meets with Arceus, that can all change. He'll learn the truth of it all and more.

Just then, while driving, the truck would slow down as Mars noticed some faces up ahead who were approaching the truck. Volo saw them as well as they were riding on a truck themselves. It was none other than Sunset Shimer's group, who managed to find him at last.

"Who are they?" Saturn questioned, checking out the rearview mirror.

"My. Persistent, aren't they?" Volo smirked, impressed they managed to find him all the way here. "Stop the truck. Let me handle this one."

Jupiter nodded as she stopped the truck, allowing Volo to get out and confront them. Sunset's group would have their truck come to a halt was well as they got off the vehicle with haste now that they've finally found Volo.

"Volo!" Sunset bellowed The way they found him was thanks to Slurpuff as always, who allowed them to reach Sinnoh. They tracked down Sci-Twi's scent but the second they saw Volo, they followed him right away.

"Well, well. Congratulations on finally finding me." Volo applauded the girls who stood before them. "I'm impressed. To do this while you're all still students is quite the effort, I must say."

"It's Summer Vacation. We've got plenty of time on our hands." Sunset said with narrowed eyes. "Where's Twilight?"

"Exhausted and taking a rest? I'd respect her on that part and let her sleep until tomorrow's light. You can at least do that since you've come all the way for her, right?" Volo winked.

"Ooh, the way you talk gets on my nerves!" Rarity grizzled her teeth, shaking her fist at Volo.

"You're gonna get away from Twilight, ya hear!" Rainbow Dash ranted at him. "Now that you're wanted, she's just around bad company!"

"I see...So that's how it is." Volo chuckled. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted by that."

"We don't care! Just give us back Twilight and the shards!" Applejack demanded.

"I refuse." Volo's tone suddenly changed, startling the girls. "It's my destiny to have those shards and I don't want to hear some country girl and her friends tell me otherwise. Okay?" His tone became light again as he put on a smile right afterwards.

"You...!" Sunset growled as her hands were trembling a bit. "Whatever! Because of you, she's grown distant of us and gone on this search. Its lead to trouble and we can't let her keep going through this. Not only that but we...I need to speak with her after what happened back at Unova and make things right. And you're just getting in the way of that."

"Whoever you girls are, get lost!" Mars stepped out of the truck, barking at the six of them. "We've on an important mission that's well above you all and your troubles! So get out of here!"

"Yeah! Get lost!" Jupiter added.

"Not without Twilight!" Pinkie Pie shook her head.

"Volo! I challenge you to a Pokemon Battle!" Sunset pointed at him. "If I win, you're bringing Twilight back to us and coughing up those shards!"

"...I refuse." But Volo shut it down, shocking them all. He refused the Pokemon Battle right away. "As Mars just say, this is well above you and your troubles. I refuse to entertain you with a Pokemon Battle, Sunset Shimmer. I had to deal with your counterpart already who was far more aggressive in battle than you were. You are just far too weak to stop me. You'll never hold a candle to someone like me and that is a fact."

"Oh, yeah?!" Sunset held out a Poke Ball. So would Rainbow Dash as she and Sunset Shimmer would try and battle Volo. Go, Volcarona!" Sunset would bring out her Volcarona.

"Volcarona!"

"Go, Pangoro!" While Rainbow Dash brought out her Pangoro.

"Pangoro!"

Volo simply scoffed at this sight, not even bothering to summon his own Pokemon.

"You two are wasting your time. I'm not going to fight you. You're not worth my time." Volo shook his head before facing Team Galactic. "You three...Do you think you could fill in for me?"

"With pleasure." Saturn stepped out of the truck along with Jupiter. "Anyone who tries to stop us from bringing back Master Cyrus is automatically our enemy."

"Glad to hear it. I'll walk the way there. You'll know where to find me." Volo smiled before walking off, leaving this to Team Galactic.

"Hey! Don't you dare walk away from-" Sunset would try running forward, only for Mars, Jupiter and Saturn to summon their Pokemon. They would send out their Toxicroak, Purugly, and Bronzong respectively. The three of them would stand in front of Sunset, blocking her path.

"You're not going anywhere." Mars said with a scowl. Sunset and her friends couldn't quite keep moving with this obstacle in this way. And it was quite a dangerous obstacle considering what Team Galactic were capable of. For the sake of Cyrus, they were prepared to pull out all the stops to defeat them.

Volo would walk onwards with a smile on his face, knowing Team Galactic would give him all the time he needs. He already knew the location of the next shard but he certainly couldn't show up with his normal appearance. Thus he would use the Shift Stone right away, changing his appearance into that of a young boy. He would then continue on his way, heading towards Sandgem Town.

"Now then...Let's see how this goes."

Sandgem Town. Professor Rowan's Lab.

As for the Poison Shard, back at Professor Rowan's lab, he was already thinking of a way to conceal it. He was aware of the dangers that came with having a shard out in the open since Volo could track it down.

"Hm..." He rubbed his chin, trying to come up with a solution. He didn't want to keep it in the lab since that would put everyone here in danger. But if he took it outside, that would also cause trouble. He needed to find a way to hide it while keeping it safe. Thus, he spoke to his fellow Professors via a computer. "Have any of you figured out a way to conceal the shards as of yet.

"No luck here." Kukui shrugged. "I can't really think of anything."

"I should say the same thing. I've been trying to think of something but nothing has come to mind." Oak sighed.

"It's tough. I haven't thought of anything either." Sycamore shook his head. "The only way we could realistically hide them is if they lose their strength. That way, he wouldn't be able to track them down since he relies on their energy. But I don't think that's possible."

"We could create something that may be able to conceal their power, but that would take some time. Instead...I believe we should resort to other means" Rowan would look at the Poison Shard. "Perhaps magic will do."

"Magic? That would be a good option." Magnolia agreed right away. "Especially over at Equestria. They would have the means to conceal their presence from Volo with whatever spells they have.

"But that would mean Volo would give Equestria trouble as well. Equestria is still new to the World of Pokemon. Only 4 years old. We can't let them get involved with this." Kukui pointed out.

"I'm afraid we have no choice. It's either that or risk Volo getting his hands on the shards." Rowan said. "And I'd rather not let that happen. We'll speak with Princess Celestia right away. By now, she should be asleep, so by tomorrow morning we'll-"

"Ah. I can handle that." Oak raised a finger, having a quicker way of reaching Princess Celestia. "Why don't we inform Princess Luna? We'll just have a nice and wonderful sleep and let her enter our dreams, that way, we can speak with her right away. Of course, we'd have to make our dreams stand out and alert her. But that shouldn't be too hard."

"That works for me. Let's go ahead and do that." Sycamore nodded.

"Alright. Then it's settled." Rowan nodded. "We'll speak with Princess Luna about this matter. And hopefully, she'll be able to help us out."

While Volo may be moving fast in his plans, the Professors were no slouches either. They had their ways of trying to stop Volo. By this point, some shards have been restored to their original forms, the Life Plates. Volo had once again come into contact with Sunset Shimmer but left Team Galactic to handle her. All the while, another party was heading for Volo based on the shards they were tracking down thanks to the nifty device.

All of this took place in Sinnoh as an incoming clash of two opposing sides was about to escalate to greater levels than what happened in Lilycove.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 518 End