My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Sinnoh. Sandgem Town. Professor Rowan's Lab. Nightfall.

Back at Sandgem Town, there was a young boy walking down the street, heading towards Professor Rowan's lab. He was wearing a hoodie, jeans and sandals, keeping a low profile. This was none other than Volo, who was disguised as a child.

He would soon arrive at the lab, knocking on the door. It would be opened by one of the assistants, who was surprised to see him. "Hm? Oh! Hello there. Are you lost?"

"No. I'm here to see Professor Rowan. Is he here?" Volo asked.

"Professor Rowan? Ah...It's a bit late, don't you think? By now, we've closed up shop." The assistant explained. "Come back tomorrow morning and we can help you out."

"Hmm...Next morning. That could take a while. But I guess I can wait. I have all the time in the world, after all." Volo shrugged. "I'll come back tomorrow."

"Alright. See you then." The assistant waved goodbye as Volo would walk off, leaving the area. Once he was gone, the assistant would close the door, locking it. Volo watched carefully as the last of the assistants left, making sure that he was gone.

Once he was out of here, he would smirk, pulling out both the Shift Stone and the Spooky Plate which was once the Ghost Shard but was now in its original form. "Now...Let's see how this goes."

Volo knew that entering with brute force just wouldn't do. He had to do it with absolute silence and what better way than utilizing the Spooky Plate? But he wouldn't just utilize it in the normal way. Volo had something he wanted to test out with the Shift Stone.

"I wonder. If I were to transform into a Ghost-Type Pokemon with the Shift Stone..." He looked at the Shift Stone before gazing at the Spooky Plate. "And then utilize the power of the Spooky Plate...How powerful would I be?"

This was something he was curious about. He was already aware of the fact that Ghost-Types can pass through walls but he wasn't sure if the same applied to those who transformed into a Ghost-Type.

"Let's find out." He would activate the Shift Stone, transforming himself into a Gengar. He would then grab the Spooky Plate, feeling its power coursing through him. He would then phase through the wall, seeing that it worked. "Perfect."

He would enter the lab which was completely shut down for the night. Total silence everywhere along with darkness. Volo's body as a Gengar was perfectly hidden in here, not that it mattered since no one else was present.

He would float around the lab, looking for the Poison Shard anywhere in here. Most of everything Professor Rowan owns have been stored away, packed up and turned off until tomorrow morning. It wasn't that large of a lab so Volo didn't have to search for that long, but so far, he hadn't found the shard at all. That was when he decided to try and use the Spooky Plate's power to see what he could pull off.

But before he could do so, a sound caught his attention, causing him to turn his head. He saw three small figures move by in the darkness, attempting to escape his gaze. But Volo could see them clearly, knowing they were there.

"Hm?" He floated towards the source of the noise, wondering what it was. He noticed how these figure were intentionally avoiding his gaze, knowing that he was here. Volo wasn't alone at all. More than that, while observing the area, one of the figures revealed itself, leaping into the air and landing on a table.

"Chimchar!" It was a Chimchar.

"A Chimchar?" Volo spoke as Gengar before turning his head, seeing other two Pokemon appear. One was a Piplup and the other was a Turtwig. However, they weren't displaying any friendly expressions at all. Instead, the three of them all seemed serious, ready to fight.

"Piplup! Pip!"

"Turtwig! Tur!"

"Chimchar!" The three of them would bellow at Volo, telling him to leave right away. To Volo's surprise, these Pokemon were aware of such an action being possible tonight.

"Oh? You're trying to protect the Poison Shard?" Volo questioned. "So, my arrival here was anticipated. I'm impressed. But you won't stop me from getting what I want. Whoever told you to protect the Poison Shard made a mistake. The three of you certainly won't stop me, I can tell you that much. So kindly step aside, or else." Volo would narrow his eyes, intimidating Turtwig and Piplup. But not Chimchar.

"Chimchar!" Chimchar absolutely refused to do so, being incredibly stubborn about it. He would leap off the table, landing on the ground. He would then run forward, charging at Volo with a Flame Wheel as his body would spin rapidly. Volo would simply float to the side, dodging the attack.

"Chimchar!" Chimchar would land on the ground, skidding across it before turning around, glaring at Volo. He would then unleash a Flamethrower, firing it straight at Volo. Volo would hold out his hand, creating a shield that blocked the flames.

"I warned you." Volo said before using Shadow Ball of a sudden. Thanks to the Spooky Plate's power, he was able to use moves that a Pokemon normally would. He harnessed its power, forming a blob of shadows in his hands before throwing it at Chimchar.

"Chimchar!" Chimchar gasped as he was hit by the Shadow Ball, crying out in pain as he was sent flying back. He would roll across the floor before stopping, groaning in pain.

"Piplup!" Piplup cried out as she ran over to her friend, helping him up.

"Char...!" Chimchar groaned, shaking his head.

"Tur!" Turtwig would act next, using Razor Leaf and sending a barrage of leaves towards Volo. Volo would create another shield, blocking the attack once more.

"You're wasting your time. But more importantly, my time." Volo said before floating forward, heading towards Turtwig. Turtwig would try and use Bite, but Volo would grab him by the beak, holding him in place.

"Tur?!" Turtwig struggled to break free, trying to escape Volo's grasp. But Volo was too strong for him.

"Piplup!" Piplup would try and help Turtwig, only for Volo to look at her.

"Don't even think about it." Volo said before looking at Turtwig. "Now then, let's see if this works."

Volo would focus on the Spooky Plate, trying to utilize its power. He would attempt to put them all to sleep as a burst of shadows would emerge from his body, preparing to envelop them. Piplup was greatly worried of what would come next and knew she had to do something pronto. Staving off her fears, she unleashed a Bubblebeam as fast as she could, managing to strike Volo.

"Gh!" Volo grunted a bit as he was hit by the bubbles, letting go of Turtwig. Turtwig would fall to the ground, landing on his feet.

"Tur!" Turtwig would run over to Piplup, trying to get her to safety.

"Chimchar!" Chimchar would join in, running over to the two of them. The three of them would stand together once more when facing Volo.

"You little brats...!" Volo growled, rubbing his cheek. "You're really starting to annoy me now. I'll make sure you pay for that."

"Char!" Quickly, Chimcar would use Flame Wheel once more, charging at Volo. Volo would create another shield, blocking the attack once more. But Chimchar wasn't done yet. He would jump into the air, unleashing a Flamethrower.

"Flame Wheel!" Chimchar would spin around in the air, covering himself in flames as he would fly towards Volo. Volo would create another shield, blocking the attack once more. However, Chimchar would keep pressing onto the shield by spinning his body as fast as he could, trying to push through it.

"Chim!" Chimchar would continue to spin around, pushing against the shield with all of his might. Volo would grunt as he felt the pressure of Chimchar's attack, feeling it getting stronger and stronger.

"Piplup!"

"Tur!" In unison, Piplup and Turtwig used Bubblebeam and Razor Leaf, firing their attacks at Volo. Volo would create another shield, blocking the attack once more. But this time, he was being pushed back by the sheer force of both attacks.

Volo growled a bit, already having enough of this. He didn't expect the three of them to be this persistent, actually pushing him back a bit. But that was as far as they were going to get. Harnessing the power of the Spooky Plate, he would unleash a huge flow of shadows that would envelop the entire room.

The three Pokemon gasped as they were engulfed by the shadows, unable to escape it. They would cry out in pain as they were trapped inside of it, struggling to break free.

"Piplup!"

"Turtwig!"

"Chimchar!"

Volo would watch as the three of them struggled to get out, but it was no use. The shadows would soon vanish, revealing the three of them on the ground, unconscious.

"That takes care of that." Volo said before floating over to them. "Now then, let's see where the Poison Shard is."

He even tried breaking anything that could contain an item like the Poison Shard, but nothing worked. He was starting to get frustrated, wondering where it could be. "Where is it?! Where did you hide it?!"

But there was one thing he didn't notice. A small device that was hidden in the corner of the room. It was a camera that had been recording everything that happened here. And it was still recording.

The Dream Realm. Sci-Twi's Dream.

As for Sci-Twi, at this very moment in her dream, she heard everything from Princess Luna. At least, from what Luna has learned about thus far. And the information made her drop to her knees, shocked.

"It...can't be." It was all shattering for her. Once again, bad information about Volo had come up and it was consistent each time, making Sci-Twi wonder hard. Luna looked to the side, feeling bad for telling her this since she genuinely put her faith in her. But now, that faith had been struck and once more, Sci-Twi's trust in another had been damaged. "It just can't."

"I'll only say that it's what I've gathered thus far." Luna said. "I'm going to speak with Volo next to hear his side of the story. But if he's truly lying to you, then you know what must be done."

"..." Sci-Twi was silent, not knowing what to think anymore. She was conflicted, unsure of what to do. "I don't know."

"You don't have to make your decision right away. But please, think it over." Luna said before vanishing from the Dream. Sci-Twi was left there to think it all over. She had to wonder if she made a massive mistake going with him. That chat with him during the campfire came to mind right away. She recalled how genuine he was and how much he cared for her.

She wanted to believe in him so badly. But she also didn't want to be betrayed again. She was scared of being betrayed once more. She didn't want to go through that experience again. Not after what happened with Sunset Shimer back at Unova.

"What do I do...?"

In her mind, there was only one thing she could do right now. She had to speak with Volo as well but to also speak with the rest of her friends. Only then could she find some peace. Sci-Twi has been feeling rather distressed as of recently because of all of this.

Sandgem Town.

No matter what, Volo did not find the Poison Shard here. He would phase through the building once more, exiting it and returning to his original form. He would return to his normal form, sighing as he held the Spooky Plate in his hand.

"No luck. I guess they hid it somewhere else." Volo said before looking at the Spooky Plate. "But I did learn something new. The power of this shard is incredible. I can use moves that I normally couldn't. I can even utilize its power to put others to sleep. This shard is quite useful indeed."

His next destination was to see how Sci-Twi was doing at this very moment. He also wondered if Team Galactic have dealt with Sunset Shimmer's group by now as he utilized the power of the Spooky Plate once more, turning into a spectral mist that flew off into the distance.

Back at the forest, Sunset and Rainbow Dash were still dealing with Jupiter, Saturn and their Pokemon. They were trying to buy time for the others to reach Twilight Sparkle. However, things weren't going so well for them.

"Pangoro!" Pangoro cried out as he was sent flying back, crashing against the ground.

"Volcarona!" Volcarona was also sent flying back, crashing against the ground as well. Both of them were struggling to get up, having taken a lot of damage from the battle.

"Ngh...!" Sunset grunted as she was on her knees, holding onto her arm. Her clothes were torn in some places, showing her injuries.

"Sunset..." Rainbow Dash was in the same boat, groaning as she was on her knees, holding onto her side. She was also covered in scratches due to the explosiveness of this battle.

"You two are persistent, I'll give you that." Jupiter said. "But we're not letting you go anywhere. We've already wasted enough time as it is. Now, let's finish this."

"Bronzong! Use Earthquake!" Saturn commanded.

"Bronzo!" Bronzong slammed its body into the ground, causing a powerful tremor to erupt from below.

"Not this time. Volcarona! Quiver Dance!"

"Vol1" Volcarona would ascend into the air as the golden shockwaves of Earthquake would split the earth once more. Volcarona just managed to avoid it, spiralling in the air as he boosted his speed and attack power.

"Now, use Bug Buzz!" Sunset ordered.

"Rona!" Volcarona unleashed a powerful soundwave that would travel across the area, heading straight for the ground instead. By hitting the ground, the Soundwave would cause a huge crack to appear, splitting the ground apart. The soundwave would also strike at Bronzong while shaking the ground, staggering it.

"Zong?!" Bronzong gasped as he was hit by the soundwave, being pushed back. Saturn and Jupiter felt the soundwave as well, grunting as they struggled to keep their balance. This was the opening Pangoro needed since the Soundwave had stunned them all for the time being.

"Now's my chance! Pangoro! Use Hammer Arm!"

"Goro!"Pangoro saw this opening as well, running in as fast as he could with both arms out. He would then clothesline Bronzong and Toixcroak, pinning them to the ground.

"Bronzong!"

"Toxi!"

"And now, Volcarona! Use Fire Spin!"

"Car!" Volcarona would unleash a vortex of flames while Pangoro held Bronzong and Toxicroak down. He wasn't going to let them go and would willingly let the Fire hit him as well. The flames would engulf the three of them, burning them all.

"Pangoro...!" Pangoro grunted as he took the brunt of the attack, but he didn't care. He wanted to make sure that these two were taken out of the fight. Both Toxicroak and Bronzong were unable to defend themselves, taking the full force of this damage.

Once the flames died down, Pangoro would let go of them, falling onto his knees. He was badly burned, struggling to get up. But he did it, managing to stand tall. Toxicroak and Bronzong had fainted, shocking Saturn and Jupiter.

"No way..." Jupiter gasped.

"They...beat us?" Saturn questioned.

"Hah...Victory!" An exhausted Sunset Shimer said with a bright smile on her face while holding her arm. Pangoro would then run over to the three of them, picking them up and dashing away while they had the chance. It was best to leave now before Jupiter and Saturn unleash their next Pokemon.

"Hey! Get back here!" Saturn yelled as the two of them were already pursuing them even after their defeat. They still had more to give.

Meanwhile, Slurpuff was currently battling against Purugly along with Pinkie Pie. They were trying their best to defeat Mars' Pokemon, hoping to buy the others sometime. Purugly was a swift one for her size, constantly zipping around, forcing Slurpuff to try and keep up. He would unleash Dazzling Gleam, sending an array of rainbows everywhere to try and tag Purugly.

"Come on, Slurpuff! You've got this!" Cheering her on was Pinkie Pie as well as the others who were just wishing for Slurpuff to win this battle.

"Pinkie! Do you know any other moves that Slurpuff knows?!" Rarity asked. "Any of that instinct you spoke of?!"

"Uhhhh...Maybe Fairy Wind?"

"Slupr!" To everyone's surprise, Slurpuff did know Fairy Wind, using it right away. A gust of magical wind would emerge from his body, blowing towards Purugly while sending beautiful sparkles her way. Purugly would zip to the side, avoiding the attack.

"Purugly!" Purugly hissed as she unleashed Night Slash, slashing at Slurpuff. Slurpuff would jump back, dodging the attack before firing another Fairy Wind.

"That cat's too darn fast!" Applejack ranted. "What gives?! How can it move so darn fast?!"

"It's probably because of its weight." Fluttershy pointed out. "Purugly is quite heavy for its size, so I'm sure it has a lot of strength in its legs."

"I wish my cat was that fast..." Rarity silently said.

"Give it up! You can't win! Not against me and Purugly!" Mars declared with a bellow. "There's too much at stake for me, Saturn and Jupiter to stop here!"

"We just want our friend back!" Pinkie Pie puffed her cheeks while replying to Mars. "That's all!"

"Shows what you know!" Mars growled as her elevated voice startled everyone else. "You have no idea how dear Master Cyrus is to us...! You've got some nerve trying to take him away from us!"

"Uh..." Pinkie wasn't sure how to respond to that. She didn't expect Mars to be this passionate about her boss. It was a bit weird, but she could understand why she felt that way. "Well, we're not taking him away. We just want Twilight back"

"She's important to our goal of bringing him back. Her and Volo equally. Any chance of bringing Master Cyrus back is something we need to take. You can talk all you want about what we're doing. We won't stop until he's with us again. We owe everything to Master Cyrus! So get out of our way! Her rage would show as Purugly would move even faster than before with the next command. "Use Aerial Ace!"

"Purugly!" Purugly would charge forward at high speeds, slashing at Slurpuff with a repeated Aerial Ace. Slurpuff would try and dodge, but Purugly was too fast for him. He would cry out in pain as he was hit by the attack, being sent flying back.

"Slurpuff!" Pinkie cried out.

"Don't stop! Aerial Ace, again!"

"Ugly!" Purugly would persistently attack Slurpuff, slashing at him with Aerial Ace over and over. Slurpuff would try and defend himself, but Purugly was too fast for him. Slurpuff just couldn't keep up and at this rate, he might faint, leaving the girls vulnerable.

"What do I do...?!" Pinkie Pie bit her fingers, fearing the worst as she wasn't sure where to go from here. She wasn't like her Equestrian Counterpart who would know what to do in this scenario. But there was a ray of hope in this.

"...Maybe you can use his scent!" Fluttershy had something that came to mind.

"Huh?" Pinkie blinked.

"Slurpuff's nose is really sensitive. If you can utilize that, maybe you can find an opening."

"Oooh...I guess that could work!" Pinkie nodded. "Okay, Slurpuff! Use your nose! Find that cat's scent!"

"Slurpuff!" Slurpuff would nod as he sniffed the air, trying to focus on Purugly's scent. This obviously meant that he'd take repeated hits from Aerial Ace back to back while standing there. Slurpuff closed his eyes, focusing as hard as he could.

Slurpuff had to wait at the right moment when he finally has her scent down. For him, everyone went silent and the only thing active was his nose. For a few moments, he stayed there in complete silence before finally picking up Purugly's scent.

"Slurpuff!" Slurpuff opened his eyes, seeing Purugly coming towards him. He would quickly jump to the side, dodging Purugly's attack.

"What?!" Mars gasped.

"Now, Slurpuff! Use Dazzling Gleam!"

"Slur!" From his body, a bright and beautiful light would emerge, blinding Purugly. Purugly would cry out in pain as she was blinded by the light, unable to see anything.

"Purugly!" After being blinded, Purugly was then bombarded by a barrage of rainbows that struck her, pushing her back. This time, she was the one unable to keep up as Slurpuff just kept unloading on her. One by one, the rainbow rays would land on her, lighting up the area with a colourful lightshow.

She would soon crash against the ground, sliding across it before stopping. She was struggling to get up, but she managed to stand tall. However, she was clearly weakened, having taken a lot of damage from that attack.

"Amazing!" Pinkie Pie wildly cheered for Slurpuff who now had the advantage. The girls all cheered on as the odds were now on their side.

"Not like this...!" Mars clenched her hands, her mouth quivering as she was about to lose. If she lost here, that meant the chance of bringing back Cyrus would drop, potentially fading away. That couldn't happen. It must not happen. In Mars's eyes, such an outcome would be the worst thing ever. The fact that she finally had a potential way to bring back Cyrus was uplifting but there were those getting in her way.

That only fueled the rage within her and her drive to win more than anything. She had one more thing to give in this battle that she believed would grant her victory.

"I won't let it happen! Purugly!" Last Resort!"

"Purugly!" Purugly would unleash a powerful roar, causing the entire area to shake. Slurpuff and the others felt the tremors, staggering them. Suddenly, blue and white energy would flare from Purugly's body like a furious flame, lighting up the area. She was using all of her strength for this one attack as the energy would expand swiftly, engulfing the whole area. Slurpuff narrowed his eyes as a pink glow erupted from his body the second the light reached him.

An outburst of energy went off that could be seen from afar. Sunset and Rainbow Dash saw it from where they were, wondering what it was. "Huh?! What's that?!" Rainbow Dash pointed out.

"Mars!" Jupiter and Saturn collectively bellowed once they saw the energy.

Back at the battlefield, the explosion of energy would die down, revealing Purugly standing tall. She was panting heavily, exhausted from using that move. But she was still standing, ready to fight. Slurpuff was also on his knees, struggling to get up. He was badly burned, having taken a lot of damage from that attack.

"Puff..." Slurpuff had actually taken the full brunt of it, shielding Pinkie Pie and the others from being harmed.

"Slurpuff...!" Pinkie Pie gasped, seeing how hurt he was. She wanted to run over to him, but she knew she couldn't. Not while Purugly was still around.

"Hah..." Mars was also felt exhausted as she fell on her knees. So did Purugly. Both Purugly and Slurpuff were spent, unable to continue from this point. However, Purugly was still conscious while Slurpuff was on the verge of passing out. And yet, Mars still had more Pokemon with her as she promptly returned Purugly. "Return, Puguly."

"Slurp..." A weakened Slurpuff tried staying conscious but was struggling to do so. This was where he reached his limit as he did the best that he could, passing out.

"It's over." Mars would then stand up slowly, having another Poke Ball out and ready. "Do me and favour and just leave."

"What?" Applejack questioned.

"That's enough!" Suddenly, screaming at the top of her lungs while in the distance was none other than Sci-Twi. She was running towards them, having finally shown herself.

"Twilight!" Everyone gasped as they saw her.

"Mars. Please don't continue from here." Sci-Twi, who was currently disheartened, simply wanted all of this to end immediately. "The same goes for all of you. Please."

"...Tch." Mars would place her Poke Ball back.

"Twilight! We've been looking all over for you, darling!" Rarity and the others ran over to her, hugging her tightly.

"We're so glad you're okay!" Fluttershy said.

"Yeah! You had us worried sick!" Applejack added.

"I'm sorry." Sci-Twi apologized. "But I couldn't stay away any longer. Not after everything that's happened. I need to speak with Volo."

"Did you come to your senses?!" Please tell me you did!" Rarity was begging that Sci-Twi had given up on Volo. But based on that look on her face, there was a bit more to it. "Twilight?"

"Don't go..." Mrs would suddenly speak to Sci-Twi. "You can't go. Not after you promised to bring Master Cyrus back."

"Mars..."

"That Arceus Pendant on your neck. Don't think we didn't notice it from earlier. That right there is another key to bringing him back. Not just the shards of the Life Plates. You yourself were willing to help us after hearing it all and are you already planning on leaving?"

"Mars. I'm not too sure about everything right now. I just need to clear some things up. I'm so conflicted right now but...I don't think I'd really give up on helping you bring back Cyrus."

"Huh...?" Mars was actually shocked to hear it. Sci-Twi hadn't given up on that part. Hearing that struck a chord with Mars that caught her off guard. She never expected Sci-Twi to care that much despite meeting her recently.

"But if I speak with Volo and it all turns out to be true...then I'm not sure I can continue being around you. Volo might stick around with you all since he does know a lot about everything relating to Arceus. I'm not sure what I'd do after that."

"You don't have to see me." Suddenly, manifesting behind Mars was a Spectral Mist, which would soon disperse to reveal the man himself. It was Volo. He had finally arrived.

The girls all stood together once Volo arrived while Sci-Twi stood alone, staring at the man from the past. Mars would walk back, letting Volo take centre stage.

"What's this all about, Twilight? About you being around them?" Volo questioned.

"Volo..." The counterpart of the Princess of Friendship clenched her hands, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I heard everything from Princess Luna. She told me everything she knows about you. Everything that she learned from the Professors...So, is it all true? Did you really do all of that?"

"..." Volo was silent for a moment, wondering how to respond. He knew that Sci-Twi wouldn't believe him if he lied. But at the same time, he didn't want to lose her. "You know why I do this. To see Arceus and-"

"Is that all you want to do, Volo?! If you really wanted to see Arceus, you wouldn't be causing all that destruction?! Was it really you who messed up Circhester Bay?! Was it you that attacked Sonia?! I know it didn't look like she was attacked but from what I heard...!"

"..." Volo didn't say anything, making Sci-Twi even more frustrated.

"If you're really my friend, you'll tell me the truth, won't you? I just have to know, Volo. Please. As my friend."

"...!" Volo gasped for a moment, stunned by the first words she brought on. She did view him as a friend, genuinely. And even Volo had to admit that he shared a similar sentiment, which is why he wished to keep her safe by having Rapidash stay out of her Poke Ball to guard Sci-Twi for the night.

"That talk we had at the campfire that night told me a lot about you. At least, that's what I thought. But now, I'm not so sure. I'm not so sure about everything I'm doing and how it's affected my friends. I'm afraid it's because I've been around you that everything seems to try and fall apart so soon...Was that all a lie? Did you trick me?"

"Twilight..." Volo closed his eyes, deciding to be upfront about it. There was nothing else he could do expect say what needed to be said. "Everything you heard at that campfire was true, yes. And the same goes for the rest. Yes, I am responsible for those things you've mentioned and then some.

"Volo..." Sci-Twi's eyes widened upon hearing him admit it. She had hoped that he would deny it, but he didn't. He admitted to it.

"I'm too enamoured with everything surrounding Arceus. Unlike the past where my resources were limited, this is the best opportunity I could hope for. The truth I seek can be achieved at a better pace in this present time. I've been chasing that truth for so long, wanting all the answers that I can from the only being that can do so. And those who want to stop me, I can't let do so. Not when I have that chance."

"But why...?" She would remove her glasses as tears began flowing. "Why'd you have to go about it in such a way? I trusted you. I put all my faith in you. I believed in you! I thought you were genuine. I thought you cared about me."

"The truth is...I do." But Volo had another thing to admit, being genuine once more. "That chat we had during that night still rings strong to me. Initially, I was jealous of you since I thought you had met Arceus, but when it was revealed that you've never met him either and that you're in a somewhat similar position to me, I came to respect you. Out of everyone I've met in my life, next to Lena, you're the only one I can truly call a friend. That's why I want you to come with me. Together, we can reach Arceus and our goals.

He held his hand out, hoping Sci-Twi could understand. But alas, the next batch of words would say otherwise. "I don't know if I can anymore." But Sci-Twi couldn't just go with him anymore. Volo retracted his hand, seeing that she wasn't going to take it. "I'm sorry, Volo. But I can't go with you. I can't trust you anymore. I'm not sure what to do after this, but I can't be around you any longer. I'm sorry."

"Twilight..." Volo sighed, knowing that this was the end. He knew that Sci-Twi wouldn't be able to stick around him anymore. He was aware of the fact that he was losing her. "I see. So be it."

With Sci-Twi deciding to no longer go with Volo, Volo himself had decided that this was where he and Sci-Twi would part ways. Their team-up had come to an end.

"In that case...before I leave, could give me the Life Plates?" Volo had his hand out once more as Sci-Twi was the one carrying the shrunken Life Plates. He already had the Spooky Plate in his possession along with the Dragon Shard. All he needed now were the Insect, Icicle and Stone Plates that were with Sci-Twi and currently being held back to cause a dangerous reaction.

"I can't." But she refused to hand them over. She knew how dangerous they could be and now that she's distant from Volo, Sci-Twi just couldn't hand over Life Plates. "I can't let you have these."

"Urgh...!" Volo held onto his hair, gripping it a bit as that was the answer he didn't want to hear. Normally, he would just take it by force, but he couldn't bring himself to do so against Sci-Twi. However, there was no other way available. Volo would then hold out the Spooky Plate, deciding to go through with this. "Fine then. Just know that I won't harm you."

"!" Sci-Twi gulped as Alpha Pikachu suddenly stepped forward, ready to defend her.

"Pika...!" His red sacs would crackle as he growled at the man from the past.

The truth of Volo had finally been revealed to Sci-Twi, leaving her in shambles as her trust issues have been greatly elevated now. Thus, it led to this scenario where Volo and Sci-Twi were now on opposing sides and yet, there was that bond that they shared lingering in the air. But it was a bond that had absolutely been struck greatly.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 520 End.