My Little Pokémon: Grander World

The Human World. Camp Everfree. Afternoon.

Summer Camp was still a go.

Currently, the students were all having a blast with their newfound Pokemon. Many of them decided to try out different activities, such as swimming in the lake, fishing, doing arts and crafts, and even making smores. All in all, it was a pretty successful start to the day.

For the ones who wanted to do some Pokemon battling, there was plenty of space to do so. They used the field and area set aside specifically for battling, where Pokemon were going against one another. The Counsellors and Gloriosa were watching, making sure the battles went smoothly and safely.

While many were battling, Sunset and Rainbow Dash were hanging around, just taking a break from all that. But while they were doing that, someone else happened to show up. He walked in through the front entrance, arriving at the camp.

"Hm...? Ah! Ash, you're here!" Sunset spotted Ash walking in through the front entrance of the camp. She ran up to him with a smile.

"Sunset. Good to see you again. Sorry, I was late." Ash said as Pikachu hopped off his shoulder, landing into Sunset's arms.

"No need to apologize. You're here now." Sunset replied while holding Pikachu close to him. "Funny. I thought I would see you as someone older. Did you sort that problem out?"

"Nah. Right now, I'm using a Shift Stone to look like how I should. After this, Twilight and I are gonna get back to normal." He explained. "So, now that I'm here, what have you guys been doing so far? Any cool stuff?!" He asked, his tone becoming more excited as he looked around, seeing all the things happening in the campgrounds.

"Oh yeah, I'd say there's a lot of cool stuff to do here. So far, anyways. As soon as everyone else got their first Pokemon, they wasted no time trying it out. Lots of battling happening over there." She pointed over to the open field.

"Really?! Awesome!" Ash's eyes lit up, always loving a good battle.

"It's mainly because of you, Ash. I guarantee you, if you didn't have that battle that was shown to everyone, they wouldn't be doing all this." Sunset said, only for a sigh to escape her lips. "I bet once they see you, it'll be instant requests to battle you since they look up to you all."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Rainbow Dash nudged as she and Sunset knew that Ash loves battling.

"There he is!" And speaking of which, once Ash was spotted by one, word went around. Multiple students were looking his way, pointing fingers. Ash grimaces they all came rushing over, instantly surrounding him, just as expected.

Right then and there, Ash was bombarded with words from those who looked up to him, saying how they wanted to battle with him. Ash was used to this by now, but it was still so uncommon for him to be this popular, even after these 4 years.

"Poor guy. Not really all for fame, is he?" Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"Same. I couldn't imagine being surrounded like that so many times. I'm so lucky I'm not super popular even after everything that's happened." Sunset admitted.

"How about we give him a little help?" Rainbow smirked, picking up an empty Poke Ball. "The more the merrier, right?!"

"Heh." Sunset picked one up herself, throwing the Poke Ball which released a Pokemon from within. Out of it emerged Pyroar while Rainbow Dash's summoned her Staraptor.

"Alright, everyone! Space for the guy! He's only here to help out Twilight." Sunset spoke as Pyroar would snarl at the others, startling them a bit.

"Aw, what?! No fair!" The Human Counterpart of Amethyst Star pouted. "He's always around her the most. And sometimes around you two as well! Why does he never spend time with any of us?!"

"Tough, tough." Rainbow Dash taunted, proudly putting her hand on Ash's shoulder. "It's just fate. He hangs out with our counterparts on the other side a lot, so it's only natural he hangs out with us, right?"

"But if you guys want, I can hang around you." Despite that, Ash was willing to make an exception.

"R-Really?!" Everyone exclaimed.

"Sure thing. Doesn't hurt after all. If I can help you guys out, I'm gonna do it. There's still a bunch that you can all learn and find out about Pokemon. I'm willing to teach. No shame in asking questions."

Music to their ears. They were lucky Ash generally liked to share and teach what he could. In the distance, Fiery, who was busy petting her own Pyroar, spotted Ash in the distance. Her eyes lit up, as she turned her head.

"He's here! Oh, I'm not one to worry about my looks or anything. That's just lame...but this is gonna be the most time I spend around him ever." Fiery clenched her fist, feeling the excitement build up as her face flushed a bright red. "Where's a mirror in this place? Do I look good enough? Of course, I do."

"Py!" Pyroar snickered at that, teasing and taunting her own Trainer. Fiery grumbled, embarrassed that she was being taunted by her own Pokemon. As she was planning on approaching Ash, she spotted Team Rocket and the Dazzlings walking over, their heads spinning as they had just woken up after Dragapult's attack.

"Ugh, my head...What was that about anyway? Weren't we dealing with that Pokemon?" Jessie muttered, rubbing her head. Their memories were befuddled thanks to Dragapult. All of them stumbled, walking in a wobbly manner.

However, despite their memories being messed with, Adagio managed to keep hers in tact. She remembered Dragapult entering her and using her body as a vessel. Groaning, Adagio almost fell over, only for Fiery to catch her.

"Adagio?!" Fiery's eyes widened.

"Gh...The other Sunset..." Adagio said in a low tone, her body trembling.

"I have a name, ya know. A nickname, anyways. But what happened?! To all of you?! You look like you've been smacked upside the head multiple times." Fiery asked.

"It was a Dragapult...The crafty Pokemon took control of my body just to force us out of that spot." Adagio grit her teeth. "Pesky little..."

"Oh, no. You came across Dragapult already?" One of the Camp Counsellors walked over, hearing what she said. "Ah...on the first day of camp too?"

"That's the problem you've been having?" Adagio looked over at the Counsellor. "Seriously? You made it sound like it was big deal. Even though it did mess us up, it was annoying rather than threatening."

"But she said something about a Gaea..." Meowth recalled that part. "No idea what that's all about."

"Oh, dear. Looks like you all ran into Dragapult." Approaching was Gloriosa, spotting their current conditions. "Tsk, tsk. Quite the tricky one, ain't she? She's the one that's been causing us trouble. But more importantly, she's been going on about Gaea. The Legend around here."

"That's a Legend...?" Sonata weakly said. "Who even is Gaea?"

"Hm. Guess I should let you temps know in advance. Wouldn't hurt to share it anyways." Gloriosa cleared her throat. "I'll tell you all about Gaea Everfree."

Many Years Ago.

Many years ago, my great-grandparents came to this forest. Seeing its beauty, they decided that it would be the perfect place for a camp. But once they started building, strange things started to happen. One pitch black night, when the wind was howling, a tree branch crashed through the roof of their cabin! They screamed and ran outside, only to see the giant creature rising from the earth.

The tree branch aggressively broke through, the duo gasping in surprise, fear and shock. And after getting their distance from such danger, someone far more dangerous appeared. From below the earth itself, a being emerged. Her upper and lower body being an entire tree, her arms being tree branches as leaves were patterned around her like a lion's mane.

Her eyes opened, revealing yellow pupils, a ferocious growl escaping her lips, the fierceness being seen from afar. Her mouth and teeth were sharp, and her bark skin was rough and uneven, her limbs thick and sturdy. This was Gaea Everfree.

Her mouth had jagged rock teeth and her eyes were pools of black tar. But her aura shimmered like diamonds. Anywhere she went, she left a trail of gem dust in her wake. Trembling, my great-grandparents asked who she was and what she wanted. In a deep and hollow voice, she told them that her name was Gaea Everfree – an ancient spirit who held domain over the forest, and that my great-grandparents were trespassing on her land.

On that day, the grandparents begged. They begged this magical being for her forgiveness and mercy and a chance to stay here. They explained that they had no intention of harming her or the forest, and were only trying to create a place where young minds could explore their creativity.

"They begged her to let them stay and build their camp, to share this wonderful place with others. Gaea Everfree finally agreed but warned them that they would not be able to keep it forever. Someday, she will return and reclaim the forest as her own."

"That's how the legend goes. But as for why Dragapult is here, that's far more recent. Just by 2 years even. Dragapult and her children arrived 2 years ago. They were living happily and peacefully in the Everfree Forest. However, an incident occurred.

"One day, the forest was ablaze. The flames were burning brightly, engulfing the entirety of the Everfree. As the fire was spreading, the two were trapped, forced to flee from the flame. It was unlike anything they've seen before. Even greater than what Dragapult could handle. Just as it looked bleak for them, Gaea Everfree herself saved them, providing protection and sanctuary.

"Is that why she said she'd fulfil her wishes? In her debt, huh?" Adagio said. "Guess that checks out."

"But of course. Anyone would be. Not only did she save her life, but also the lives of her children, which is unmatched. Still, she won't tell anyone about this supposed magical power that's far too dangerous to even be near, so it's a constant back and forth with her. Shoot. I haven't even seen Gaea Everfree myself with how much Dragapult does things in her name."

"What kind of magic is there? It has to be something out of this world for Dragapult to be that defensive." Aria groaned.

"Can't say. Apparently, Dragapult can't even describe or comprehend the power herself, so it's a mystery. But if we had a clue or something, it'd be helpful. We've been trying to find a way to talk to Gaea Everfree herself but the issue is the fact Dragapult won't allow it." Gloriosa shrugged. "For now, I wouldn't think about it too much. Just focus on your work but also be mindful of Dragapult's appearances."

"You don't sound too bothered that a crazy strong magic is somewhere about here." Fiery raised an eyebrow.

"We live in a world with magical creatures now. Prior to all of this, I would've just thought it all to be a dream." Gloriosa chuckled before walking off. "If you see a trail of Gem Dust, you'll know that Dragapult's around."

"...Did you hear that?" Jessie looked at James. "Gem Dust. You know what that means?"

"Easy money." James replied.

"So we could get all the Pokemon and get rich fast." Meowth grinned. Team Rocket had something new they could try and take. And of course, that also meant approaching Dragapult once more, but only when the time was right.

Time passed and currently, some of the campers were in the kitchen. At this moment, Ash was about to cook up something for everyone as Sci-Twi, Fiery and Red surrounded him, watching him at work. And the way he cooked was absolutely chaotic as always. It made Sci-Twi and the others, plus the cooks in here grimace at this sight.

"Ash...You know how to cook, right?" Sci-Twi nervously said, seeing him chopping food at high speeds.

"Absolutely, I'm a pro." Ash casually stated.

"..." Red nodded, confirming this. He saw it for himself during that cooking competition Opal set up back at Ponyville. Ash's cooking, while messy and out of control, can lead to a meal so delicious it was out of this world.

"A-Are you serious?!" Sunset looked at Red's silent response, finding it hard to believe. How could something like that taste good? Sunset could even see purple and black lines rising from the pot.

"On the bright side, we won't be blamed for food poisoning this year." One of the cooks said. Afterwards, Ash was finished cooking up his meal for everyone else to try. Once it was ready, in its most horrid and chaotic form, looking like an absolute mess, he brought it over to serve it.

"Get a load of this! I call it the Thunderbolt Special!" Ash said to the other campers, bringing it over. All of their reactions were the same. Disgust and horror. The same purple and black energy was present in this, it was just erratic to look at, their eyes were tearing up and the colors didn't make it appealing.

"Oh..." Flash Sentry couldn't stand looking at it. "Man, this is evil. I can tell just by looking at it."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn't want to look at it at all anymore..." Trixie lowered her head, her eyes felt like they were burning.

"..." However, Red placed his hand on Flash Sentry's shoulder, prompting him to look at him. Red, without saying anything, gave a signal that told him that despite the appearance of this food, it would indeed taste like the greatest thing he's ever had.

"...Seriously?" Flash Sentry was frozen.

"Pi. Pikachu!" Pikachu knew this to be true, immediately grabbing a piece of this food and scarfing it down. The campers and their Pokemon gasped at Pikachu casually consuming such a monstrosity. Alpha Pikachu was even more mortified to see his descendant indulge in it. "Kaaaa!" However, his reaction surprised them even more as he looked like he was in absolute bliss.

"W-What in tarnation? It actually tastes good?!" Applejack and Big Macintosh both shouted in confusion.

"Unbelievable." Sci-Twi couldn't wrap her head around it. "It can't be...Can it?" She had to find out. All of them did. They paused and stayed silent for a moment, looking at each other before collectively using their forks to pick a piece. Slowly, each one would place the food in their mouths.

"?!" Their expressions shifted. Their eyes shrunk and their faces flushed, their hearts racing as their bodies trembled. This was insane, it was so good. How could something so menacing and disturbing as this taste so amazing, they could only wonder.

"This..." Carrot Top dropped her fork, her head dropping to the table in shock. "This is the greatest food I've ever eaten."

"Seconded." Berry Punch said, her expression blank, her heart pounding.

"Third, fourth...I can't even count!" Roseluck exclaimed as tears flowed from her eyes. "How wonderful!"

"Mmmhmm!" Pinkie Pie's face melted as she fell on her back with true joy. She didn't have the energy to bounce around. She could only fall in shock and awe, her face a mess.

"Delicious!" All of them said as they started indulging in this meal. It was a good thing Ash also made it massive for many of them to try out. Just like that, they all started eating. They felt like royalty, enjoying every bite.

"Glad you like it. But man. Does it really look that bad when you look at it?" Ash asked, unaware of how bad his food looks from a first glance. SciTwi and Sunset simply sighed, shaking their heads in unison.

And so, the day went on. This time, leading to camp's lake where some would take the time to have a dip or even fish. Those who received Water-Type Pokemon were keen on showing off their partners, having them be in their natural environment.

Rarity had Dratini, who could do well in the Water, swim around. She watched as her new partner gracefully swam, going deep and quick through the water.

"So beautiful!" Rarity beamed at the sight, seeing Dratini dive through the water. "You're such a beautiful Pokemon, Dratini! I'm so lucky to have gotten you!"

"Dra! Dratini!" Dratini heard her, the Dragon Pokemon surfaced from the waters, smiling and happy. Rarity would stroke her chin, smiling warmly.

"Such a sweetheart." Fluttershy smiled, sitting down and letting her new Pokemon play. Vulpix had no problem jumping into the water despite its Typing. It and many other Pokemon gladly jumped into the lake, performing cannonballs.

"So this is what it feels like. Having a Pokemon, I mean." Fluttershy gently patted Vulpix. "I've always wanted to have a Pokemon of my own. Now that it's real, I'm so happy."

"Vulpix." Vulpix snuggled up against her, warming her body. However, as she was enjoying this, a stream of water splashed against Fluttershy's face while another hit Applejack. Vulpix's eyes widened, turning around to see who it was.

"Hehe!" The culprit ended up being Sonata, Aria and their Pokemon. Vaporeon and Primarina respectively. "Sorry about that. I was aiming for someone else~" Sonata sheepishly grinned.

"Vul! Vulpix!" Vuplix barked at them, already growing attached to Fluttershy to the point where it would defend her.

"If that's how it's gonna be, so be it." Rainbow Dash in between them both, already having her Pangoro in the lake. "Pangoro! Hammer Arm!"

"Goro!" Using his brute strength, Pangoro would swing his arm up from the water, sending a mini tidal wave towards them. The Siren Sisters grimaced with their eyes wide along with the two Water-Types, the four of them spinning and hurling in the lake.

"Not fair!" Aria, who was on the floor, rose up, coughing a bit. "What's next? A whole tsunami?!"

"Oh, I'll give her a Tsunami before she does." Aria shook her hair, her eyes narrowing as she was about to return the favour. Now that this had been sparked by Rainbow Dash returning fire, Aria would do the same. "Primarina! Use Hyper Voice!"

"Primaaaaaa!" By letting out a beautiful melodic cry, Primarina summoned strong soundwaves that would approach the opposing side. It was far greater than the tidal wave as everyone in the lake had their jaws drop. Pangoro was flabbergasted, unable to think of anything to stop this incoming tsunami.

Soon, he and a few others were scooped up by the tsunami, screeching and already getting dizzy from the ride. Pangoro was slammed into the air, his vision and mind becoming blurry and distorted.

"Waaagh!" Rainbow Dash bellowed, unable to focus as her eyes were spinning.

"Ooh! Are we having a Water Battle or something?!" Ash immediately thought this was a battle and got involved right away, holding out a Poke Ball. "Dracaovish I chooe you!"

"Wait, Ash! Don't get involved!" Sci-Twi tried stopping him, knowing Ash would only amp the chaos, but it was too late. The Poke Ball had been unleashed and Ash was already in the zone.

"Dracovish!"

"Jump in there and have some fun, Dracovish!" Ash said while getting on Dracovish's back. Dracovish leaped from the shore, soaring through the air. Naturally, since Dracovish was once the Apex Predator in its time, it would have a greater advantage than any Pokemon here.

Soon, pure chaos broke out in the lake. A frantic Water Scuffle occurred as all of their Pokemon, including those who weren't originally from the group, were swept up into the fray. Some of them were having the time of their life, while others, like Fluttershy, were shocked.

"Hm. Kids." One of the Counsellors said, drinking some soda while sitting in a lazy position. This went on for minutes, the water of the lake rippling over and over again as moves were being thrown left and right. But they were all having a good time doing it and that was what truly mattered in all of this.

But as they were all having fun, Gloriosa was currently on her own, walking through the Everfree Forest, searching for the Pokemon known as Dragapult. Despite the story of Gaea Everfree, Gloriosa felt no need to worry. She's been here before and has encountered Dragapult before. The Sun was in its late afternoon phase, having an orange glow that beautifully covered the skies.

"Come on. You're in here. I know you are. Where'd you go?" She pondered, peering through the trees and bushes. "I know you're here. I'm the one person you can't hide from~"

"Draga..." Dragapult revealed herself rather early. Her sharp eyes were focused on Gloriosa, the Dragon narrowing her eyes.

"There you are. My you sure gave the temporary employees a scare. Even them? That's just not kind is it?" Gloriosa wagged her finger. "But, anyways...How are things? Still upset that we're apart?"

"Pult. Draga...!"

"If you ask me, it has to be this way. It'll help Everfree thrive to the fullest, especially with the existence of you and other Pokemon now. And that magic? One camper said that it was out of this world and I agree. Keeping them out is the safest approach, but even you shouldn't be around here if that's the case."

"Dra. Dragapult."

"But that's the thing. Technically, I should be allowed near it." Gloriosa snapped her finger. "After all, we're on in the same. By all accounts, I think I'll be just fine. Will you let me go through this time?"

"Pult." However, Dragapult shook her head, refusing to let Gloriosa go any further to this powerful magic.

"Hm." Gloriosa pouted. "That's a real shame...Money's eating me up right now and Everfree Forest could be purchased at any time. If you really want to repay that debt, then you would let me through. Do you have to be so stubborn, Dragapult?"

"Dra."

"Fine then. Be like that." Gloriosa puffed her cheeks, turning around and walking away. "But... just so you know, I have a good feeling about this week in general. I promise you, I'm saving Everfree and it'll thrive more than ever. Even you can't deny that's how it has to be Dragapult. I'll see you soon, as always."

Just like that, she was gone, as Dragapult stared at her. Eventually, the Dragon Pokemon vanished as well, turning intangible and entering one of the trees, disappearing until she would need to act once more. In the name of Gaea Everfree, as the journey continues.

Chapter 598 End.