My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Equestria. Out in the Wild. Afternoon.

In his hands, Volo held the Arceus-themed egg. The same egg that Lena Ketchum took a piece of in the far, far past. After defeating Lena and stealing her shards, he held a bonus item of equally great importance.

"That explains it all. It has the same framework as Arceus. This is how you've been able to match what I do." Volo commented while observing the egg, already feeling its Divine Power. His eyes were lit up as he could sense the bracelet resonating with the egg but for one reason.

Both served the same purpose. Tracking down the shards. And now that they were together, Volo would hold the egg close to the bracelet, seeing the glorious reaction that came from it.

"Amazing...With this...I know exactly where the remaining shards are. Their exact locations too! This is perfect!" Volo would shout with glee.

"Ngh..." Lena's body was limp, the strength to stand up having completely vanished. The chains were gone, and the power of the Life Plates and the Shards were no longer radiating off her.

"Lena!" Meowth would return, seeing Lena in a sorry state. "Lena! Lenaaa!"

"Meowth...Why'd you come back...?"

"Don't worry, she's fine. At least, she will be, eventually." Volo would smirk, seeing the Pokemon run over. "And now lacking in the power to retaliate against me anymore. Well, I suppose it's time for me to leave. I have no need for you two. You're no longer a threat to me."

"Volo, wait!" Lena would weakly reach out to him, her hand trembling.

"Hm?"

"Please, don't do this. You're going to destroy everything, Volo. Why can't you see that?!"

"Too bad. I've already made up my mind, so there's nothing left for me to see. Not like you can stop me anymore, Lena. Your only way of stopping me is in the palm of my hands. It's over. Victory is within my sights." Volo, who stayed true to his goal, would walk off, turning away from Lena.

"Volo, no!" She would use the last of her strength to say one last thing. "L-Listen...Cynthia isn't the last descendant you have. At least visit Celestic Town! Please!"

"...Have fun with your Pokemon friend here. And enjoy your time here in the present before I change it." He would then begin walking away, his Pokemon following him.

"W-Wait!" Lena would try getting up, only to fall to the ground.

"Lena." Meowth would run over, trying to help her. "Lena, stay with me."

"I'm sorry, Meowth. I'm...so sorry." Lena would grip onto the grass, her head lowered and her teeth clenched.

"It's okay, Lena. We'll get him. Right?"

"I don't know...I have no shards. No nothing. All my power is with him. He's not only taken what I could use to stop him, but the entire world's future...Akari. Arezu...Everyone. I'm so sorry."

Lena would remain silent, her body shivering. She was at her lowest point, unable to do anything. All her power, all her ability to fight back and the shards were now in the hands of Volo. She felt completely defeated as her body started giving out. Thus, she had passed out.

And thus, Volo's pursuit has led him to the edge of this part of Equestria. He had left Lena and Meowth behind and took the shards with him. Volo would gaze at the shards in his hand, admiring them greatly.

"With these, the power of the Life Plates, and the Dragon Shard, I'll be able to go anywhere and change the world to my liking. With this many of them at my disposal...I'm this close to matching the power of Arceus himself. All I have left are the Normal, Fire, Poison, Fighting and Grass Shards. I've already made sure Team Galactic focuses on getting that Poison Shard. As for me, I'll go straight for the Grass, Fighting and Fire ones next."

Volo set his sights on the next three shards that were out of his grasp. And he knew exactly what to do to make that a possibility. With so many shards and Life Plates in his possession, Volo was able to do so much more than he was before and he knew this, taking full advantage of one of the Life Plates. Specifically, the Mind Plate.

Volo would have the Mind Plate glow, utilizing its special properties for one purpose. He wanted to cover as much ground as possible and there was no better way than with immense Psychic Power. The plate would release a grand level of Psychic Energy that shot into the sky, hitting the clouds and quickly contaminating them. All the clouds promptly gained a pinkish colour as Volo's eyes started glowing the same shade.

He would then aim his hands towards the clouds, his eyes focusing on the skies. The clouds would then spread out, not only covering this area but a great distance. They were travelling further and further, spreading out and expanding. This was to increase the range of the Mind Plate's Psychic power, increasing its effectiveness.

"That should do it. Now, with the power of the Mind Plate, I should have a greater influence over the people of this world. My will shall become their will." Volo would smile, his eyes still glowing.

Over at the Crystal Empire, its residents stayed still, watching the storm above which had yet to affect them. So far, it didn't look like nothing was happening to their homes. All it looked like was a massive storm of Infinity Energy lingering there for the intimidation factor.

So far, Cadence and Shining Armor simply kept watch of the storm above, waiting for it to do something. The older Flurry Heart from another universe held onto her baby self, nervously looking up at the ominous sky of many Pokemon Types.

"Such a strange phenomenon." Shining Armor would comment. "It's not doing anything...But it could still mess us up."

"It's not the first time we've seen Infinity Energy. But to see it like this? It's unlike anything else. So much of it is gathered in one spot." Cadence observed. "That has to at least be on the level of a Z-Move. Maybe even higher."

"Yeah...Hopefully not." Shining Armor was hoping that wasn't the case. For something to be as strong or even greater than a Z-Move's power would be a huge problem for a plethora of reasons.

"Your majesty!" A guard would rush in, a panicked expression on her face.

"Yes, what is it?" Cadence swivelled.

"We have a problem! It's the citizens. Something's happened to them."

"What do you mean?" Shining Armor would ask.

"They're acting strange. Very strange. Many of them are panicking and screaming, causing chaos."

"Chaos?"

"Yeah. It's almost like they're in a frenzy."

"This has to be the result of that storm." Cadence would glance up at the sky. "I say it's some kind of a brainwashing wave. It has to-" Before she could finish, Cadence's pupils would shrink as she felt a powerful shock to her mind. "Ngh! Gaah!"

"Cadence?!" Shining Armor gasped as Cadence would drop to the floor, her head ringing with a strong Psychic Pulse.

"Mom!" Flurry Heart cried, seeing her mother on the ground.

"M-My body...I can't move!" Cadence would groan as she was affected by the pulse. This was all the work of Volo as she started hearing his voice in her head. Very soon, Shining Armor and the guards would feel that same shock to their minds, dropping to the ground.

All of them would react, their bodies feeling a strong surge of energy. Their eyes would glow the same shade as the clouds, the Mind Plate's power coursing through their veins. It would also target Flurry Heart, specifically the older one. The baby was left out of it completely, watching her older self groan.

However, Flurry Heart seemed to have some resistance to the mind control. She was fighting back, struggling to get to her feet. Due to her immense magical potential, she was about to resist it. To an extent, her mother was the same, but she was having a much harder time.

"Listen to me. I'm only getting your help temporarily." Volo's voice would travel through all their heads. "I already know that you've all searching for the remaining shards across the world. That's wonderful. So, I'll give you some help and tell you where the next shards are. And of course, you'll be bringing them to me. I want you all to meet me at one place and one place only. Mt. Coronet. I'll be waiting. And if you refuse, well, you'll be harming yourself and the rest of the world. I'll be awaiting your arrival."

"Mt. Coronet...?!" Flurry Heart uttered as she would use her magic to break free of the attempted Mind Control, negating it. She managed to beat out the power of the Mind Plate but it resulted in her shocking her own body. "Hah..." After freeing herself, Flurry Heart would lower her head, panting for a while before slowly looking up.

Even though she managed to beat out the potential mind control, the same could not be said for everyone else. She saw how her parents now had glowing eyes, unable to resist the power of the Mind Plate despite fighting against it. The guards and all the civilians of the Crystal Empire were now wired to one single goal.

Find the remaining shards.

Volo told them exactly where to go. Now that he had the egg with him, combined with the bracelet, he could properly deduce the exact locations and exact spot of the remaining shards without flaw.

"Mom! Dad! Everyone!" Flurry Heart would stand in their way, holding her hooves out. "Don't listen to him!"

However, Flurry Heart was promptly tossed out of the way via her own mother's magic. She wailed as she went hurtling across the air, skidding on the crystal floor. "Wagh!"

The guards, including Shining Armor and Cadence, would set out, rushing out of the empire. They were heading straight to the location Volo gave them, not stopping for a second.

"No...!" Flurry Heart would push herself up, her body trembling. "Don't...!"

Flurry Heart was left alone, watching her entire empire, her family and friends, and everyone else leave. They were going to deliver the shards to Volo, leaving her behind.

"Everyone...!"

Sinnoh. Valley Windworks.

Over at the Sinnoh Region, Team Galactic had found the location of the Poison Shard which had eluded Volo. The location in Sinnoh being a place known as the Valley Windworks. It was located near the Solaceon Ruins and the Oreburgh Mining Museum.

Team Galactic had forced their way here, finding the people who were tasked with protecting the shard, but they ultimately failed to do so. They were completely tied up as their area was also thrashed, showing that there was a struggle, but it all went in Team Galactic's favour.

Jupiter held the Poison Shard in her hands, admiring it. One step closer to bringing Cyrus. And thanks to Volo's action, that dream was looking to become a reality. With the Poison Shard in their possession, they immediately put it onto the machine that could restore shards into Life Plates.

The shard would vibrate, feeling the machine interact with it. The shard was then placed into the center of the machine, its power resonating with the Life Plate. The Life Plate would absorb the power of the shard, transforming it into a complete form. The shard would then turn into a solid plate, its power fully restored.

Out emerged the Toxic Plate.

Now that they had it in their grasp, they could depart from here, but not yet from Sinnoh. They knew where to meet Volo by the end of all of this. Mt. Coronet. And now that Volo had used the power of the Mind Plate to affect many minds, retrieving the remaining shards will be much quicker than before. No longer were they on Lena's side.

Now, they were on Volo's side.

And this showed as across the world, Equestrians were now following Volo's order, his voice ringing in their heads as many were affected by the power of the Mind Plate. It reached a vast distance all thanks to the Infinity Storm above.

The presence of the storm sent Psychic Waves that were invisible to the eye, affecting the minds of many. Some were able to resist, such as the Royal Guards of Equestria and the Princesses. Others were not so lucky, their mind being taken over by the Mind Plate's influence.

Unfortunately, one of the shards had was under the possession of someone in Equestria, who was affected by the Mind Plate. It was the Fighting Shard and the one in possession of it was none other than a Poliwrath.

It was all coming together for Volo. Because of the Psychic waves from the Infinity Storm, the more minds that were affected, the more were able to find the Shards. He had the locations of the Grass, Fighting and Fire Shards down to a T. The Grass Shard in particular being found in the south side of Equestria.

A group of ponies who were initially searching for it, mainly for Lena's side, were now searching for it for Volo's side. And since Volo was fully aware of where all the shards were now, he told them exactly where to go. The ponies had found the Grass Shard in a deep forest and were currently travelling to Volo's location.

Ash had come across Lena, finding her location and gasping at the sight that laid before his eyes. He saw his ancestor unconscious, lying there with Meowth by her side in this damaged area. "Grandma!" Ash would run over, dropping to his knees. "Grandma, wake up! Please, wake up!"

"..." Lena didn't respond, her body limp.

"Grandma?" Ash would gently shake her, hoping to get a response out of her.

"She's...been like this ever since Volo took those shards." Meowth would explain. "Even took that egg from her...She's been like this ever since."

"Kh...!" Ash would grit his teeth before looking over at Audino. "Please, Audino! Use Heal Pulse!"

"A-Audino!" Fluttershy's Audino understood Ash's worry, going right for it. With her hands out, she released a green light that would wash over Lena's body, healing her.

"Ngh..." Lena's eyes slowly opened, feeling the power of the Heal Pulse. She was still weak, but not as much as before.

"Grandma!" Ash would hug her, relieved to see her awake.

"Ash...You're here." Lena would weakly smile upon seeing the face of her descendant and his many friends.

"Yeah, I am. We all are. Everyone's here."

"Ash..." Lena would frown, lowering her head as tears began forming. "He has all the shards and my Arceus Egg. There's nothing I can do anymore. I'm sorry, everyone." Tears fell from her face as she felt completely defeated. This was the most vulnerable she's ever felt in her life, whether it was past or present.

Ash would hold onto his descendant's hands for comfort while Pikachu would nuzzle her leg. To see his grandma like this was heartbreaking to Ash. The loss she had against Volo was truly tremendous and it was the one thing she didn't wish to lose, even for a moment. Twilight and the others would watch Lena's sadness flow while Ash closed his eyes, standing up right away.

"Ash...?" Twilight uttered when seeing Ash clench his hands.

"It's not too late. We can still stop him." said Ash while facing away from them. He would then look Lena in her eyes, who would wipe her tears away. "Grandma. "It isn't over yet. You haven't lost yet."

"W-What?"

"You see..." Ash kneeled to face his ancestor once more. "My dad told me a few things when I was a kid. All the things he told me came straight from the past. The same things you and everyone back in the village used to say, right?"

"Right..." Lena nodded.

"A lot of the stuff I do, even before I started my journey, I got from you and everyone from the past. It's what Dad passed onto me. Giving up isn't one of those ways. I haven't given up once and I don't plan on giving up now." Ash would then look at all of his friends. "And it's all because of my friends. If I ever give up, that means I'm giving up on them too."

"Ash..."

"That's what Grandpa used to say..." Lena would ook to the ground for a moment. Such a saying was very reminiscent of what her own grandfather said to her. In fact, when looking at Ash, she saw a lot of her grandfather in him. It felt like Lena was speaking to her grandfather at this very moment.

She would stand up, wiping all those tears away once they had all gone through. "Thank you, Ash..." A smile would return to her face. "I'm so glad to have you as my descendant. It just means everything Grandpa and my parents taught me carried on to the future."

"Aw, geez." Ash would chuckle a bit while grinning.

"I need some time though, Ash. If you don't mind...I'd like to be alone for a while."

"Of course. We'll be waiting for you."

"Thanks."

Lena would take a deep breath, sitting down on the grass. She would look up at the sky, seeing the Infinity Storm above. It was still there, lingering. It had already affected the minds of many with Psychic Waves, controlling so many ponies and Pokemon across Equestria.

With that, everyone would leave Lena to her own devices, leaving her alone. "Pika..." Pikachu would look back at Lena, worried about her.

"It's okay, buddy. She'll be fine." Ash would assure his partner. "We're going to get Volo back for this. And we're going to stop him from changing the world. We can't let him win."

"Pi!" Pikachu would nod, agreeing with Ash.

"But how? He has all the shards now. Even the Arceus Egg. There's no way we can beat him now." Sci-Twi would point out.

"Oh, no he's not. He's anything but unbeatable." Sunset crossed her arms, refusing to let that be an absolute possibility. "Even if he gets all the shards, he's not winning this."

"Mhm. We'll make sure of it." Ash would grin. "We already know where he's gonna go, so instead of getting all the shards back one by one, we'll meet with him when he has 'em all at Mt. Coronet."

Sinnoh. Celestic Town.

Celestic Town.

A tiny town that preserves the history of Sinnoh and the old ways of life. It was also the place where Cynthia was born and a remnant of the Celestica People who go even further back than Volo himself. The place was very peaceful, even in the wake of the Infinity Storm above.

And speaking of Volo, when travelling to Mt. Coronet, he came across this town. The man from the past gazed at the old town that dates back to ancient times. This small town resonated with him a bit, only because it relates to his ancestors. Volo took the time to stop by here and see what it has to offer.

Since the town was so small, the residents were very few and it showed. Here, Volo would spot its residents, seeing how they all looked a bit familiar. This was due to this town housing most of Cynthia's family. Volo couldn't believe his eyes. He thought Cynthia was the last of the Celestica People around but that didn't seem to be the case. Some remnants of them still live here but Volo could see one reocurring thing.

They had no importance in them. They were just normal people living their lives. Volo would look at each of them, seeing how they were all doing their own things. He saw a woman watering her flowers, a young boy playing with his friends, and a couple talking to one another.

"Hm." Volo would smile, finding this sight to be amusing. "It seems like the Celestica People have been reduced to nothing more than regular people. What a shame. But I suppose it's better than being extinct."

Volo would walk through the town, taking in the sights. He would pass by the local shops and houses, seeing how simple they were. It was a rather relaxing atmosphere, something Volo wasn't used to. He was so used to the chaos of the world that he forgot what peace felt like.

But before he could continue further, meeting him here was the most important person to ever come out of this town. He turned around slowly to see Cynthia standing there. For a second time, they meet again.

"I told you we'd meet again." Volo said, smiling at Cynthia, who looked utterly displeased. The most displeased she's ever looked in her entire life.

At this moment, Ancestor and Descendant meet again, this time, here at the town that has existed since the far past. Once nothing but ruins in Volo's time and before that, but now a small, humble town in Cynthia's present. And hopefully, the future.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 530 End.