My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Universe 11. Years Ago.

It was a few months ago since Daybreaker made up her mind. Since then, there has been no proper peace. All threats that Daybreaker expected to happen came into fruition. And after losing Cobalt, any slither of happiness Daybreaker had was gone.

This lack of happiness affected her subjects greatly, but none of them could do anything. They feared her, yet loved her. It was a conflicting feeling, but all they could do was follow her.

Feeling the same way as everypony else was Applejack, who has been in charge of the farms. Ever since the Solar Empire had taken over the planet, Daybreaker had tasked her with running the farms.

She was in charge of getting the ponies to grow the best crops possible. With the use of the best magic and technology the empire has given her, the crops have grown more than they've ever had.

The farms have been doing a lot better thanks to this technological assistance, but there were many who had mixed feelings about how this was done. Some were happy that they were being fed and the farm life was made easier, but the others, especially the Earth Ponies, felt it was unnatural.

"It just don't feel right, Applejack." A stallion said to her. "These machines are a great help, but the fact that our hard work has been replaced by machines is not sitting right with me."

"I get you. I do." Applejack nodded, understanding his feelings. "But there ain't nothing we can do. Daybreaker has made it clear she wants us to keep farming the best we can. Even if it's with these magic and machines, she's given us. We gotta make do."

"I don't see what the issue is." Another Earth Pony commented. "I mean, sure, the machines have made our lives easier. Our farms have grown more than they've ever had and all our problems are solved. Why would anyone complain about that?"

"Cause the way we've grown all of this is unnatural!" The stallion explained. "All this machinery and magic is not a substitute for our hooves, teeth, and tails. What does it say about us if we don't use the land we've grown up with the natural way anymore?!"

"No. After what Daybreaker went through, I don't blame her for all this. She lost her sister and someone she almost got with. I couldn't imagine losing any of ya'll. She's just trying to keep us safe, is all."

Applejack understood Daybreaker clearly and couldn't bring herself to go against her. Not even for a moment. It didn't matter what she did. Even if it went against her morals. Daybreaker's reasoning was clear. Thus, they continued to work, creating new things for the Solar Empire. Not just Apples, but all sorts of foods.

The items in question were fruits and vegetables, and they were all grown by the Equestrians. The ponies used their magic to control the plants and their teeth and mouths to bite off the ripe ones.

The process was a combination of both nature and science. Magic and technology were being used to produce food at an accelerated rate, with the assistance of the ponies' magic. The crops were harvested by a robotic machine with a giant metal claw, and then sent down the conveyor belt to be processed.

It was a simple and efficient system, but many were starting to have their doubts about it. But despite all this, even after she believed she had stoped all potential threats, new ones sprouted up months later.

There were reports of strange creatures lurking around. Daybreaker had dispatched a small team of Solar Soldiers to deal with the issue, but they were quickly wiped out. Daybreaker took action immediately, sending out each of her forces.

She wanted all possible threats neutralized and the Solar Soldiers were no exception. But she would soon find out the creatures were more difficult than anticipated. They were fast, strong, and capable of using their powers on the soldiers. Soon, these unknown creatures managed to affect the towns of the Solar Empire and such towns involved Ponyville.

It eventually reached Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and her family were doing their best to stay safe and away from these bizarre creatures and their strange effects. But on that day, was the day that Applejack underwent her strange transformation into the Suntree. And it was made responsible by these creatures.

Apple Bloom's body was seen levitating by the effects of these creatures, causing her to levitate. Her eyes were glowing and her body was surrounded by a strange aura.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack cried out, seeing her sister in such a state. "Put my sister down!"

The creatures responded by wrapping their strange energy around Applejack's body, lifting her up and causing her to levitate. Applejack, unlike Apple Bloom, was managing to resist thanks to her strength. She groaned, trying to push her hooves out of the energy

"Applejack!" Big Macintosh and Granny Smith were worried, seeing their sister and granddaughter in such a state. At that moment, Applejack would undergo a sudden transformation as all that energy flowed into her.

Her body would glow, her eyes would glow, and her mane and tail would glow. The energy would flow into her, causing her to undergo a transformation. Her body would grow, her limbs would grow, and her head would grow.

Her body would grow larger and larger, her limbs would grow longer and longer, and her head expand. Her body would grow so large that it would break through the roof of the barn, causing the roof to collapse.

And from it, she transformed into the Suntree. A massive tree with a face that resembled her own. Her body was made of wood, her leaves were made of fire, and her branches were made of light. Whatever these creatures were, they were responsible for this transformation, but they also did to imprison Applejack, making sure that she doesn't resist at all.

Applejack's consciousness was still strong as she was well aware of her current predicament, trying her best to break free. But the creatures would not let her, keeping her restrained. And very soon, this entry would try and capture Granny Smith and Big Macintosh as well. Applejack did her best to break free, but nothing was working. She watched as the Suntree spread out its branches, reaching for her family.

The two were caught, being wrapped up by the Suntree's branches. Once caught, they found themselves becoming a part of the Suntree as it would ravage the farm. A weak Applejack could only watch as everything she loved would be restrained in such a state. But the worst part of it all, was that it was actually her doing. The energy of the Suntree attacked her mind, forcing her to submit.

However, this was not truly her doing, but it felt like it to Applejack. It saddened her that this had happened. Unable to protect her family and far, forced into this horrible state. But before they could spread any further, Daybreaker had arrived, burning away at some of the branches.

These branches were immediately destroyed and any item that they've surrounded would be lost too. This involved apples and other foods. Daybreaker stepped forward, looking up at the Suntree and Applejack's face on it.

Daybreaker's flames were more than capable of destroying these branches with ease. However, because some of them had encased Applejack and her family, she could not bring herself to destroy the Suntree or the strange creatures within it. Applejack looked at her with a weak and saddened face, which Daybreaker felt for.

Much like Applejack, she could not protect the ones that she loves and thus, they shared a similar fate, trapped in this horrible state. However, Daybreaker didn't see this as the end.

"I'm terribly sorry for this, Applejack. While we've dealt with all of those Nuwisps, we can't save you from this state." Daybreaker said to her, placing her hoof on the Suntree. "But...it's not over yet. What I can do is temper those Nuwisps inside of you, giving you control. You'll be able to use the power of the Suntree for yourself, and you'll be able to protect your family."

"Y-You can...?" Applejack was surprised, hearing this.

"Yes. It's not over. Not until you've become one with the Suntree. Then, you'll be able to protect the ones you love. You'll be able to protect your family, friends, and the world."

"The world...?"

"That's right. If you can't break free from it, then you must use its magic to the fullest as a compromise. But the Nuwisps will not be in control. You will be."

It seemed to be the only option right now. Applejack accepted it. There wasn't much she can do at all and to make sure something like this never happens again, she would have to be at the forefront of uniting others, especially those she cares about, keeping them close to her.

Universe 1. Pegalysiu. Present Day.

The Alternate Applejack remembered it all too well. So when looking in the eyes of the Main Applejack, seeing how angry she was, the Suntree Applejack couldn't exactly blame her for feeling this way. But she also wanted her to unify with the Suntree, much like how many have done before.

"You're going to regret this." Applejack narrowed her eyes, having Sceptile ready his vines. "We're gonna have to knock some sense into you."

"Uh! Whatever you're about to do, I'm still here, remember!" Pinkie Pie screeched as she was still being pulled by the roots and branches from both sides.

"Don't worry. I'm just going for the centre. Sceptile! Leaf Blade!"

"Sceptile!" Sceptile would lunge forward, landing on top of his own roots. He then started dashing in, attempting to approach the giant Applejack face. The branches would try and stop Sceptile, but he was able to slash them apart, clearing a path. The branches multiplied, aggressively moving towards Sceptile from various angles.

"Tile!" He would jump, dodging the branches, and dash right through the air, heading straight for the giant face. The branches would reach for him, but he was too quick. Knowing this, the Suntree Applejack would have her branches unleash a blinding light, stunning Sceptile. "S-Scep!"

After being blinded, Sceptile would be struck by the branches, unable to move. Sceptile was sent flying, but Suntree Applejack wouldn't allow him to recover. The branches aggressively beat down on him, preventing him from moving. Sceptile soon found himself almost falling off the island, only for him to use one of his vines to grab ahold of the island's edge. "Scep...!" Sceptile then launched himself up, getting back into action.

"Use Dragon Pulse!"

"Scep...!" The Forest Pokemon held his breath in before expelling a powerful stream of draconic energy at the Alternate Applejack. The blast was enough to tear through the incoming branches. However, a mish-mash of them would come together, blocking the attack.

"Kh!" Applejack grit her teeth, intending on amping up the pressure. All the while, Pinkie Pie was closer to being covered in branches.

"Hurry up!" She wailed, her body halfway through the roots. "It's hot!"

"Sceptile won't be able to save her at this rate! Gengar, use Ice Punch on the branches!" Ash figured that they should slow down the branches, hoping the chill from the ice would freeze them in place.

"Gengaaaaaarrrrrr!" A chilling blow was dealt to the roots once Gengar approached them. His fists were cloaked in a frigid blue energy as he would strike the branches, freezing them solid.

"Chuuu!" Pikachu also assisted, striking the frozen branches with his Iron Tail. It was a good thing to know that they weren't indestructible, but they still posed a major problem. Mainly because within the Suntree, Applejack's family were somewhere in there, making it harder to take it all down.

And it showed the second Sceptile went in for another Leaf Blade, getting closer to the Suntree's face, only for the Suntree to pull out a branch mould of what appeared to be Granny Smith. Sceptile held his attack back once he saw her, not wanting to harm her in any way. But that was the distraction the Suntree needed, catching Sceptile off guard.

The giant Applejack would then swing a branch, slapping Sceptile's body, knocking him aside and onto the ground. "SCEP!"

"Sceptile, no!" Applejack cried out. After Sceptile hit the ground, the branches began wrapping around him, trapping him and pulling him. "Sceptile, get outta there! Use your vines and get out!"

"Sceptile..." Sceptile tried using his vines, only for the branches to grab ahold of them. The branches would yank his vines, pulling him even further. But the branches intercepted that, grabbing his vines and holding him in place. Soon, the branches would start wrapping around hi entire body, encasing him in a cocoon of light.

"It ain't over yet!" But Applejack didn't see this as the end. She immediately tapped on the Mega Stone pin on her hat, prompting a bright golden energy to emerge from the stone. "Mega Evolve!" This energy would engulf Sceptile, causing him to burst out of the branches, entering his Mega Evolved state.

"Tile, Sceptile!" Mega Sceptile broke free.

"That's playing dirty!" Applejack barked at the Suntree. "Using Granny as a shield like that!"

"This isn't a game." Applejack's Alternate self explained. "In order to unite, everyone has to become a part of the Suntree. There is no other way."

"I get that! But that doesn't mean you have to force ponies, including their families, into becoming a part of the Suntree! No matter what's happened, it's just wrong! If you really are me, you'd snap out of it and be honest with yourself!"

"I have. There's no other way."

"It's no use. She's fully along with what she believes in." Twilight replied. "I don't think she's gonna stop, Applejack. Just like how Daybreaker never stopped at all."

"It just ain't right..." Applejack lowered her head, annoyed by this. "Everyone that's in there...How are we gonna get them all out? If we hurt any of them, then..."

"And now we know there are other ponies in there. Can we really use everything on it?" A worried Fluttershy asked. The risk of harming everyone else was very much prominent. They may have the means of defeating the Suntree but the lives of others came first.

"Well, there's another option we can go for." Ash stepped forward. "Dark Matter."

"Eh?" Twilight and Applejack collectively said.

"Delta Lucario can use Dark Matter on the Suntree and get 'em out, just like how he forced those souls out of those vines from Rosa Maledicta before. If we use Dark Matter on these branches, then I bet we can free everyone inside!"

"Of course! It's fully capable of that!" Twilight hit her head as it was an obvious decision.

"Y-Yeah...Yeah!" Applejack soon realized this. In her defence, she's only been battling the Suntree for a few minutes so it never crossed her mind until now. "That'll do! It has to!" Digging into her saddlebag, she whipped out a Poke Ball, throwing it out right away. "Go! Lucario!"

"Lucario!" Upon release, Delta Lucario had arrived.

"You'll need a good hit on one of those branches. Mainly the ones that might have ponies inside of them." said Twilight. "That'll be hard to pull off unless the Suntree uses them as shields and I doubt she'll do that now that she knows our next approach."

"Then we'll just have to force her to show them." Ash grinned, deciding to give Applejack that opening. All of them would try and do so. "Once we do that, it's all yours, Applejack. Lucario."

"Thanks, ya'll." Applejack smiled at her friends, who returned the favour. They didn't need words. Hearing this from the other side was Sunrise Sparkle, knowing what they planned to do next. She had one of the soldiers to thank for relaying this message.

"This could be troublesome." Sunrise narrowed her eyes. "If they pull it off, that could mean the loss of our Suntree. That Dark Matter can most definitely expel them from the Suntree, which would cause them to return to their original bodies, freeing them from the prison. We can't allow that."

"What do we do? Do we call for Applejack to return?"

"No. I'll go out there myself." Sunrise Sparkle decided to get involved with this one, getting up from her seat. It was time for her to get involved with the action. "In the meantime, open a gateway underneath the island they're on. Summon a Sunstorm underneath that island at once."

"Right away!" The soldier would carry out her command, getting right on the intercom and communicating to the scientists. They began summoning another gateway, this time underneath the sky island that Ash and the others stood on. They prepared the activation of this gateway, materializing its cosmic form as a small glint which would gradually start growing.

This gateway needed some extra buildup for one reason. The size of it would be far larger than what was used to bring the Suntree through. This was due to the fact that it would be used to summon a Sunstorm, a type of storm that was summoned by the Solar Empire.

The Sunstorm in question was a massive culmination of blazing lights, creating a beautiful sight. However, the beauty of the Sunstorm was not its main purpose. It was designed to scorch the land and anything on it while also pulling everything into its light. It was currently being kept in a container, ready to be unloaded.

The gateway grew and grew to massive proportions, eclipsing the many clouds that held the sky island up and even the island itself. Ash and the others noticed the change in the atmosphere as a cosmic howling sound could be heard.

"That sound...Another gateway?!" The Champion of Alola looked around.

"Pika?"

"It is...It's coming from underneath!" Using her Rift Magic, she was able to sense this other gateway's location and it shocked her to find out that it was below them. At that moment, the Sunstorm had been unleashed, escaping from its containment.

It was unseen by everyone on the island as multiple blazing lights came flying through the gateway, rising into the skies. The Sunstorm would grow and grow, eventually taking shape.

All the clouds underneath would be struck by the blazing suns, evaporating them one by one. The force of these Sunstorms would be felt by everyone on the island, even the giants themselves. Once felt, all of them would have their balance disrupted by the shockwaves travelling through thanks to the combustion of the Sunstorms.

"What now?!" Rarity screeched, feeling the ground shake. Each of them either lost their balance or tried keeping their balance, unsure of what was going on. That is until Twilight figured it out.

"Don't tell me! Something's attacking the clouds below! They're being destroyed!"

"Destroyed?!" Ash exclaimed before feeling an even greater shockwave. All those clouds that Rainbow Dash, Braviary and the Sky Serpents gathered up were coming undone thanks to the Sunstorm. At this rate, all of the islands would surely fall.

The Sunstorms also threatened other islands nearby with their intensity. Either they fall or they are scorched. Both outcomes are absolutely terrible and it doesn't help that not every Pegalysium Resident is off the nation.

"Not at all!" Rarity groaned while getting up, looking at her Dynamax Band. She couldn't use it since all the energy was done for her, but someone else could utilize its strength. "Ash! Here!" She would pass the band back to the original owner.

"Thanks!" Ash placed the Dynamax band back on, easily slipping it in once it was thrown to him. Since Rarity couldn't use it anymore, it was back to Ash and thankfully, he had a Pokemon capable of flight that could try and stop this. But before he could bring out his next Pokemon, she had arrived.

Everyone looked onward, spotting a certain figure emerging from the gateway, flying past the Suntree Applejack. None other than Sunrise Sparkle herself. She made herself present, finally showing herself to everyone here. Twilight's eyes widened as she had seen yet another one of her many variants.

"Another me...?" Twilight gawked at her. "Wait. Are you Sunrise Sparkle?"

"..." Sunrise merely scowled at them, not saying a word for a while. She then looked at Delta Lucario with narrowed eyes, knowing she had to get him out of the picture. But she also had to get Ash and Twilight out of the picture as well. The two of them posed massive threats and it has been shown time and time again how dangerous they can be. "It was inevitable for us to finally meet up. All of you. And it doesn't bring me any joy seeing your faces."

"Ugh! Rude!" Rarity pouted at her.

"Time and time again, you go against the Solar Empire and slow down the Queen Daybreaker's goals. You're not different from other universes that have fought back against us, but you are certainly the most persistent and dangerous out of all of them. I can't let you interfere with the Suntree's growth."

"You're not the first evil counterpart I've come across." Twilight replied. "It feels all too familiar seeing someone like you."

"Evil? Say what you want about us. By the end of this, we decide what is good and what is evil. Not you." The Former Princess of Friendship scoffed.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The Princess of Friendship questioned.

"It means that the Solar Empire is the only way to ensure peace and prosperity. We've conquered many worlds and brought them together under the same banner. We've united countless species and races, and we've created a world where everyone can live in harmony. A world without conflict or suffering. A world where everyone can be happy."

"And what does absorbing all light in the universe has to do with that?!"

"Your Universe is a strange exception. It's known as the main one. The most important out of all of them. Even being known as Universe 1. It's the one that has the most potential and the one that has the most influence over the others. It also means you're the one universe most likely to ruin everything and it shows."

The shockwaves intensified, showing that time was running out for the clouds. Sunrise Sparkle smirked for a while, having her horn light up while the Suntree prepared its branches. It had already fully captured Pinkie Pie, continuing its unification plan. Some of the flames of the Sunstorm would then break through the land, appearing in the distance as a menacing pillar of flames.

The roots would then fly out, attempting to grab onto Ash and Pikachu next. And on the other side, the flames would keep approaching. "Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!"

"Chu..Pika!" Pikachu managed to cut some of the branches in half, preventing them from grabbing onto him. Everyone would have to speed up their actions now that the island was on the verge of falling once more, or being engulfed in flames.

"And then! Dragonite, I choose-" But right before he was about to bring Dragonite just to Dynamax her, he spotted Sunrise Sparkle firing a beam at Twilight while she was looking at the flames. Quickly, Ash would dash as fast as he could, pushing Twilight out of the way.

"Twilight!"

"Ash?!" Twilight was surprised, not expecting him to push her out of the way.

"Kh!" Ash would take the blast as it struck his back. He grimaced at the powerful impact that pierced his jacket and his shirt, dealing major damage. The shock of the blast tore up the back of Ash's clothing, staggering him as he was about to fall over. All of his friends were in shock after seeing him take such a hit, leaving them crying out Ash's name.

"ASH!" All of them cried out. Never before have they seen Ash take a hit like that, if not ever. And for Ash, it was unbelievably painful. That blast had the full intent of absolute harm and it showed. Everything went silent for him for a while as the screams of his friends drowned out the slight snicker from Sunrise Sparkle which quickly ended.

"T-Thunderbolt...!" Ash groaned while falling over, still managing to get an attack off for Pikachu.

"Pika...!" An enraged Pikachu would do just that, firing an intense blast of lightning. The lightning broke through the air at tremendous speeds, forcing Sunrise Sparkle to move out of the way as her mane had been clipped by the Thunderbolt. She gasped for a moment as the blast of 100,000 volts struck the branches of the Suntree, stunning it for a moment.

And then, Ash fell over, flat on his face as his back was now smoking. Ash was down, his eyes closing and his balance failing him, the magic pulsating in his back for a while as Sunrise Sparke looked down on him with disdain.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 553 End.