My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Sinnoh. Sandgem Town. Local Hospital. Day.

Eventually, enough time passed for Sci-Twi and her friends to make a full recovery as they stepped out of the room, meeting with everyone else. Once she stepped out, all eyes were on her as she had her hands together, looking down.

"Twilight!" Twilight Sparkle ran over to her counterpart, hugging her tightly. "Are you okay?!"

"Mm." She gave a light response as her counterpart flew back, giving her space. Sci-Twi then faced them all, knowing what she had to say. She was the one who willingly went with Volo despite Sunset having her suspicions. And now, she was going to take responsibility for it. "I'm sorry."

It was time she let it all out just so that she can be truly free of it, no longer needing to hold back any words towards her friends.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. I should've listened to you guys when you told me not to go with Volo. If I did, none of this would've happened. You wouldn't have gotten hurt and Volo wouldn't have those Life Plates. It's my fault. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too!" Sunset suddenly shouted, surprising Sci-Twi. "I'm sorry for not being honest with you! I knew Volo was up to something but I didn't tell you from the start. I messed up more than I ever have in my life and it almost led to everyone else losing their memories. That ended up hurting you even more. I'm so sorry!"

"Sunset..." Sci-Twi uttered for a moment. The two looked at each other for a while before suddenly hugging each other. They both cried into each other's shoulders, apologizing for their mistakes. This was very much needed as they held onto each other for a while. "We both messed up, didn't we? We're both to blame."

"Yeah..." Sunset nodded. "But it's okay. It's over now. We can move forward from here."

"Right." Sci-Twi agreed. "Let's do our best from now on."

"That's the spirit, you two!" Ash would place his hand on both their backs, smiling brightly. The two of the would laugh after Ash did that, feeling better about themselves. It brought an amazing feeling to Sci-Twi's heart. To be around her friends once more, making peace with them and smiling together.

Cynthia smiled when viewing this, but she knew this all wasn't over just yet. There were still things that needed to be done. But she would let them all have this wonderful moment, refusing to ruin it.

However, she wouldn't want to say anything as Ash already brought up what she was thinking. "Well, now we know what we gotta do next. We're all together, so we're gonna get those six shards before Volo does. Right?"

"Right. I'll make up for it by getting the last six shards." Sci-Twi declared. "But Volo has that bracelet of his that allows him to track down the Shards. So, we'll need to find a way to counteract that."

"Heh. That's why I've got this." Ash would show off the Watch that Professor Rowan gave him. "It's a new invention that lets us track down the shards. We can use it to find them before Volo does. Pretty sweet, huh?"

"Really?!" Sci-Twi gasped. "That's great!"

"Then it's best that we start moving as soon as possible." Cynthia spoke. "Now that Volo has decided to continue his goal with just Team Galactic and there are only 6 shards left, no doubt, he'll be picking up the pace. We need to be ready for whatever comes our way."

"I hear ya, Cynthia." Ash would then face his friends. "No time to slow down. Let's match his pace and surpass it. Twilight, Fluttershy and I are gonna head over to Equestria, so we'll give you all some time. You guys can meet up with us later."

"That's great to hear...Because I miss the feeling of my bed." Sci-Twi couldn't wait to lie down on her bed once ore. She had been through so much in such a short amount of time. A good night's rest was something she desperately needed.

"Me too..." Fluttershy added.

"I'm sure we could all use a break." Sunset said. "We'll see you guys later."

"See ya!" Ash waved goodbye as he, Sci-Twi and Fluttershy would leave the Pokemon Center. They would head over to the portal, which was located near the forest where they fought Volo. Once there, they would enter the portal, returning to Equestria.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, Volo was sitting on a rock, looking at the Life Plates in his hands. He was alone, having sent Mars back to the base. The Spooky Plate was placed inside of his bag as he looked at the five Life Plates.

"So, this is what it feels like to hold a Life Plate." Volo uttered. "To think that these are the same plates that Arceus used to create the world. It's amazing."

Volo was amazed by the power he felt from the Life Plates. He could feel their energy radiating off of them. This was what he wanted to obtain. To have the power of the Life Plates. But he wasn't satisfied with just that.

"And yet...it's not enough." Volo frowned. "Not until I meet Arceus himself. Not until I get the answers I seek. I'm so close now. So very close. And I won't let anything stop me. No one will stand in my way. I swear it."

Volo clenched the Life Plates tightly, holding onto them for dear life. He was so close to achieving his goal. Nothing would stop him from reaching it.

"I'll make sure of it. Only six shards are left. I'm this close to my goal, so I can't slow down for even a moment. I'm sure you know that already...Twilight." Vowing on it, Volo would stand up, aiming to pick up the pace as well, just as Cynthia predicted.

Equestria. Canterlot. Day.

As a new day arrived, over at Equestria, Princess Celestia had been informed by Luna about the shards and everything surrounding them. As soon as she heard about it, Celestia was immediately willing to help out. The shards that Volo did not possess were brought over to Princess Celestia over at Canterlot, aimed to be concealed by magic.

The Ground, Steel and Water Shards were presented to her while the other three were still in the possession of Lena and the Professor Kukui. The Fire Shard was still in Alola, hidden by many and unknown at the moment.

Once she had the shards with her, Celestia would use her magic to conceal them, hiding them away from Volo's bracelet. The Divine Energy they let off was subdued by Celestia's magic, making them undetectable.

"There we go." Celestia said. "Now, no one will be able to detect these shards unless they're right in front of them. But in the off chance Volo somehow manages to find them, I'll do my best to protect them."

"That bracelet that Volo uses..." Luna pondered for a moment, thinking about the bracelet and how it's been described to her. Since it was an ancient item from Equestria, it was only natural that she felt that it was somewhat familiar. "The way it works...Could it be the same as...?"

"No doubt about it. Volo is currently in possession of the Bracelet of Synchroneity." Celestia confirmed. "If an item is used on it as the starting link, anything related to it will be detected. That's why he was able to track down the shards so easily."

"Among other ancient items that were presumably lost. He's only been using the Bracelet, but if he were to use everything else he's managed to find there's no telling what he could do." Luna added.

"If he gets all those last shards and successfully reaches Arceus, there's no telling what might happen next. From this point on, we'll be supporting Ash and Lena in finding those last 6 six shards. We can't let Volo get his hands on them." Celestia declared. "We'll do our best to support them.

Out at Beach.

During all of this, Lena's group was currently at the beach, taking a break. They were all having a nice day, enjoying the sun and the sand. While they were all having fun, Lena was seen standing far away, staring off into the sea.

"Ah! What a sight!" Lena said, enjoying the view while Jessie was laying on a chair, wearing sunglasses. She had her hair tied up, looking amazing. James was also present, aiding her. "I'm so glad the next shard is potentially somewhere here. Just being here feel so great. It's almost relaxing."

"I'll say." Jessie hummed. "This is the life."

"But I don't get why you all have to wear such strange outfits here. Especially less." Lena, who didn't understand how people dress for the beach, was rather confused as to why they appeared as that. "I know it's hot around here but...It's not that hot."

"Oh, Lena. Ever a fish out of water." Jessie said while wagging her finger, giggling a bit. "You'll learn to appreciate it soon enough. If only we got you your own swimsuit. Then you would get the chance to enjoy the fresh waters here."

"I can still do that! And besides, I can sense the shard somewhere around those waters and maybe even some of the pieces of land!" Lena was more than willing to jump in with her clothes on.

"You'll ruin your clothes!" Jessie sat up, bellowing. "Do you really want to end up like that?!"

"Eh?" Lena looked over at Jessie. "Well...I don't think it's that big of a deal. They're just clothes. They can be replaced." Lena definitely had different values due to being from the far past.

"Hah...Different time, different values." James sighed while shrugging.

"I'll take you shopping the moment this is over, so you can get some summer clothes." Jessie would stroll on over, vowing to get Lena new clothes. Variety is a wonderful thing, if you must know."

"New clothes? What's wrong with the ones I already have?" Lena tugged her shirt, not understanding.

"Lena, Lena..." Jessie shook her head while patting Lena's back. "Next to diamonds, Ccothes are a girl's best friend~. The style, the glamour, the beauty. You can't just have the one outfit all the time. You have to change it up a little. That's how you get eyes on you. You remember when all those eyes were on you at Las Pegasus, right? That time you wore that dress."

"Not really." Lena shook her head as she was too focused on other things to really pay attention.

"Well, it's obvious that they have great taste. If you wear something stunning, you'll have eyes all over you. Not only that..you can use your looks to make them search for the shards."

"Really?!" Lena gasped, actually interested. "Is that true?!"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?!" Jessie nodded. "It's the best of both worlds. That way, we can find the shards faster than before."

"Amazing..." Lena had starry eyes when hearing this. "Wait. Isn't that like mind control?" But she did have her doubts when thinking about that kind of approach.

"Pfft! No, no." Jessie waved her hand. "Not at all. It's just getting them to find them for you. Nothing more. Now, come on. Let's get you dressed."

"Alright. But before that, let me see if I can find the shard anywhere around here." Lena would face the waters once more before holding out the Flying Shard. She would then hold the shard up, harnessing its power as her body would take flight, her legs leaving the ground. As a white aura appeared around her body, Lena would fly off, heading for the nearby lands in the distance.

Lena would fly around for minutes upon minutes trying to find this one shard, hoping to pinpoint its exact location. She would fly over the seas, the beaches, the mountains and many other places, searching for the shard.

Alas, she never found it here as her senses went off, indicating that the shard was never around here to begin with, just somewhere near this part of Equestria. That was the huge difference between Lena and Volo. Whereas Lena's ability to sense the shard comes off of hunches, Volo has that bracelet as his advantage.

Southhoof City.

After that failed search, Lena and Team Rocket would head to the nearest city which was located in the southern area of Equestria. Once arriving there, they would head to the clothing department, where Jessie would take the liberty of dressing up Lena.

"Right this way." Jessie would pull Lena along, taking her to the women's section.

"Can I choose my clothes this time? The last one I wore wasn't all that comfortable." Lena asked while being pulled away. She was not a fan of wearing dress for the first time since it felt so uncomfortable for her and she feared she'd have to wear another one.

"Nonsense. Leave it to me to have the best clothing options out there. I'm a master of fashion, after all." Jessie boasted.

"She is." James said. "Jessie's always had a knack for picking the best outfits."

"That's right, James. I'm a woman of many talents." Jessie smiled, posing a bit. Meowth would roll his eyes, knowing he and James also had that same talent thanks to all those disguises they wear.

"Why is it a talent to choose an outfit?" Lena asked.

"Because I have great taste." Jessie answered. "Now, let's get you dressed."

"Ow!" Once inside, the sound of Lena getting changed could be heard. Jessie would try to fit her in a few dresses and all of them seemed to fit Lena perfectly to the point where choosing one was incredibly difficult. More so than what Jessie initially thought. "Ow, that hurts!"

"Hold still! You're making this harder than it has to be!" Jessie replied as the sight of accessories flying through the air could be seen by the nearby mares in this place, the room was trembling from all the moment as it looked like a fierce struggle was happening in there.

"This is worse than that battle with Volo!" Lena grunted while Jessie was putting her in a dress.

"Don't be dramatic. This is nothing." Jessie rolled her eyes. "Now, hold still!"

After minutes of struggling, Lena would finally come out, looking absolutely stunning. She was wearing a blue dress, a pair of heels and had a tiara on her head. Her hair was even done as well. The mare's in the store were amazed by her appearance.

"Wow..." One of them uttered, admiring her.

"The dress fits her perfectly." Another said.

"Nice view." A third added. Needless to say, it was a hit. The girls all thought it was a well fit for Lena and the colour blue complimented her well. Then again, much like her descendant, blue was just a very nice colour for them. The signature colour of the Ketchums thus far. One might mistake Lena for some sort of princess with the way she currently looks.

"What do you think, Lena?" Jessie asked.

"Mmmrgh..." Lena grumbled while having her eyes closed. Even though she was getting compliments fro the other girls, the feeling of the dress and the shoes on her feet was quite uncomfortable.

"Not too satisfied..." Jessie frowned. "Maybe it's the hair. Yes, the hair's not doing it. Perhaps if we made it longer..."

"Longer?" Lena repeated while blinking.

"Yes. Longer hair is better. Hold on." Jessie would summon a pair of scissors, ready to cut Lena's hair.

"W-Wait!" Lena backed away, not wanting her hair to be cut. "I don't want my hair to be any longer! I'm fine with it as it is!"

"Nonsense. Longer hair is too much of an excellent addition to this combo." Jessie's eyes would light up as she had a devious grin on her face, the scissors snapping menacingly. The other mares felt the same way as they decided to join in, having their items ready. Needless to say, Lena's appearance was too much of a success to where they decided to get involved.

Lena gulped before letting out a harrowing scream that shook the entire shop and beyond, her screams could be heard throughout the entire city. "AHHHHH!!!!"

Later on, Lena was seen having much longer hair than before, going all the way down to her waist. It was styled in a unique way, looking similar to a mermaid's hair. Lena was not a fan of her hair being like this as she was looking in the mirror, frowning.

"I don't like it. I don't look like myself anymore." Lena said. "And these heels hurt!"

"Oh, you'll get used to them. Just give it time." Jessie assured her. "But what do you mean you don't look like yourself? You're beautiful, darling. Look at you."

"I don't know...I just don't feel like me." Lena said, looking at herself in the mirror. "I don't like it."

"There, there." Jessie patted her back. "Look on the bright side. This way, we can have more muscle in finding those shards. Look at those eyes on you. Everyone's eyes will be on you, allowing you to get the shards easier than ever."

"I guess..." Lena sighed. "But I'm not sure if I want to do this."

"Lena. Why are you so against looking so fashionable?" Jessie pouted. "It should be something that gets you excited! If you come from the past, you should be fully interested in brand new things all around!"

"Ahem." James knew the answer to that, sliding over while coughing. "Isn't it obvious? She's a lot like her descendant, the twerp. Those two aren't all that into fashion."

"Ah, right. I forgot." Jessie nodded as it all checked out. She should've figured it out from the start since Ash wasn't one for fashion. He didn't mind a cool-looking getup but he'll rarely wear a suit or anything fancy here and there. The same goes for Lena. She seemed to lean into that coolness factor based on what she had been wearing this entire time prior to this.

However, what Jessie said were true. Once the stallions got a glimpse of Lena's new look, they would all fall under her spell, swooning over her. Lena looked over to suddenly see multiple eyes on her, chatting about her. Naturally, this made all the mares near them or with them rather jealous right away.

It was a smash-hit, just as Jessie intended. Some stallions would receive smacks on the head for eyeing down Lena, but it was a small price to pay for them as they were completely entranced.

"See? Smitten." Jessie held Lena's shoulders while pointing at all the stallions. "We've got them right where we want them."

"She's more effective than this than you ever were, Jess." Meowth would grin and giggle, causing Jessie to grizzle her teeth, glaring at him.

"Shows what you know!"Jessie grabbed Meowth, stretching his face with pure aggression.

"Yeowch! Hey, watch the fur!" Meowth yelped, getting his face stretched.

"Hm." Lena thought about this for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "To be honest, I'd like for them to help me find these shards without relying on my looks. But I don't know if they'd do it willingly that way. So, I guess this is the best way to do it."

"It looks like it." James walked over. "Besides, I think you look amazing either way, Lena. Dress or not."

"You really mean that, James?" Lena asked before blushing a bit, scratching her face. "Thanks. I'm still not too sure about this, but I'm glad you guys are here to support me. I'm not really good with this kind of thing."

"Don't worry. We're here for you." James assured her.

"Mmm." Lena smiled at that before facing all the stallions, walking over to them and standing out in the open. "Hey. Everyone here. If you all aren't busy, could you help me out with one thing? It's very important."

"If it's about the shards, we'd gladly help out!" Instantly, the stallions already knew about Lena's mission, catching her off guard.

"Huh...?" Lena gasped.

"Yeah. We've heard all about it. You're the one who's trying to gather the shards, aren't you?" One of the stallions asked.

"W-Well, yes. But how did you know about it?" Lena asked.

"Word travels fast. Princess Celestia gave us all an update as well. It's all over the news." Another stallion answered. "We'll gladly help you find those remaining shards."

"You're only saying that because she looks good." The wife of this stallion crossed her hooves.

"What?! N-No, no...It's because of the news, I swear, sweetie!" He tried convincing her, but she saw right through him. All the other stallions made up that excuse and to their credit, they were technically telling the truth but most of it was influenced by Lena's Super-effective looks.

Lena smiled when hearing this, somewhat taken aback. On this day, she received more support than she's ever expected. It wasn't just the ponies here that were willing to help but potentially, others across Equestria. Since news broke out, they knew how serious this could be.

They've witnessed the power of Arceus before, at least things related to that power. Anything that could utilize that power in a dangerous way was nothing to be interacted with. Thus, they would try and get those last 6 shards before that can ever happen.

"Ash...So this is what it's like for you." Lena smiled, now knowing what Ash felt like when surrounded by many. Ash has already built a strong bond with many ponies here and Lena was now seeing what it was like. In all her travels, she's never had to receive support from so many outside of her own village. What a wonderful feeling this was.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 522 End.