My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Universe 30.

After dealing with the Dream Harvesters, Twilight Moonlight busted into the Dream Vault. Her magic would blow the doors down. Blasting it open, the ponies inside gasped, backing up in shock. "What?!" Ethan exclaimed as he turned to see Twilight Moonlight.

Twilight Moonlight stepped forward. She was ready to fight, but he knew she wasn't going to go down without one. The ponies behind her looked on in fear as Twilight Moonlight scanned the area, seeing the plethora of Dream Orbs in front of them all, floating in the air, and the multiple doors leading to them. The guards quickly moved to defend the Dream Vault, ensuring that Ethan wouldn't be found.

"Where is he?! Which orb is it?!" Twilight Moonlight shouted. "Tell me, now! Don't play games with me, or else." She said, holding her magic to her head. The guards, knowing what they had to do, immediately got into position and prepared to defend their vault.

Twilight Moonlight looked around at the numerous orbs, trying to identify the one that contained her target. But with so many of them floating around, she knew it was going to take time to find the right one.

"Fine then. I prefer doing it by force anyways." She narrowed her eyes, using her magic to launch a Poke Ball out. "Appear!" Samurott!"

"Samurrot!" Out emerged Hisuian Samurott, roaring loudly and intimidating the guards.

"Knock them out! Use Ceaseless Edge!" Twilight Moonlight called out as Samurott leaped into battle, slashing at the guards and sending them flying with his Ceaseless Edges. Their armour broke instantly, unable to withstand Samurrot's blades.

With swift movements, Samurott moved from spot to spot, slashing away at the guards and forcing them back. As he did, more and more orbs fell from their places and smashed to the ground. Each orb released its own unique dream, and it filled the vault with an eerie atmosphere.

Samurott then jumped in the air, unleashing a barrage of Ceaseless Edge attacks that shattered even more orbs and left the area in a mess of broken glass. The ponies of the Dream Vault were horrified, seeing the orbs shatter. All those dreams were being expunged, being destroyed. It was painful to watch.

"Our Dreams!" A pony cried, seeing all of them break.

"This just isn't working...!" One guard saw that they were losing terribly, unable to handle Samurott. One hit or more and he easily had them dazed, bewildered and out cold. And he was just one Pokemon, to add insult to injury. "Now's a good time to use it!"

"Hm? Oh, good call! The Fractal Mirror Barricade can help out!" Another guard spoke. Quickly, the guards would rush to the walls, ready to bring out more of their defences while other guards kept Samurott busy. As the Pokemon battled, the walls shifted and revealed hidden mirrors.

Samurott stopped, seeing the mirrors surround him, and Twilight Moonlight's eyes widened as she watched the mirrors form around them. "Samu?"

"A Mirror Barricade?" Twilight Moonlight muttered, noticing how the mirrors surrounded Samurott.

"Get a gander at this! It's a wall of mirrors that reflects the dreamer’s environment in infinite layers, creating a kaleidoscopic field around the protected area!" One guard explained as all the mirrors faced Samurott and Twilight.

"Samurott!" Samurott saw this as a minor obstacle, rushing over to slash at one of the mirrors. But as soon as he did so, he discovered that the Mirror distorted his attack, instantly reflecting it in another direction and hitting one of the orbs, shattering it. "Rot?!"

"Ahh! Another dream! Shattered!" The guards cried, but at least their defence was working.

"It's just a reflective shield! Nothing special!" Twilight Moonlight realized. "Tch!" Twilight Moonlight shouted as Samurott tried again to slash at another mirror. The same thing happened as the attack was instantly reflected in a different direction. "?!" She narrowly moved her head, seeing that the attack almost struck her, instead hitting the ceiling.

Twilight's horn would flash as she released a beam of magic directly at the guards who were operating the Fractal Mirror Barricade. However, despite going over the mirror, the magic it was giving off and the slight visage of the beam coming into view of the reflection was enough to distort it, bouncing the attack off at another wall.

"!" Twilight Moonlight's eye twitched, seeing her magic get reflected. She tried again, but the mirrors would continue to distort the attacks, constantly bouncing the beams away from the mirrors themselves. "Annoying little...!"

"As effective as always." One guard grinned as some of them would high-hoof each other. This defence mechanism of theirs was proving to be rather effective, much to Twilight's annoyance.

"I don't have time for this! The longer I waste on you all, Ethan could be making his getaway or something like that!" Twilight Moonlight exclaimed.

"You won't be able to get past this Barricade. You can surrender right away. Outside, all the Rhyperior and Arcanine are still restrained by our Nyx Chains, so as it stands, you are at a disadvantage here!" One guard informed, thinking this to be their victory. In a way, it was. Even though Twilight Moonlight broke in, she was still distant from Ethan's orb.

Speaking of Ethan, he sat there in the Dream, staying silent. He couldn't do anything but stay in the dream. His only choice was to hope that the guards could deal with the threat at hand, but even he knew that his time could come any minute now, with Twilight Moonlight on a war path.

He could hear all the commotion in the real world and it sounded like it was getting worse and worse with each passing minute. "This isn't good..." He thought. He could hear all the destruction, all the damage being caused by Twilight Moonlight and her Samurott. "I wish I could go out there and help out but...Medly told me to stay in here..." He muttered, knowing that he had to keep his word. If he were to leave, that'd be going against what Medly wanted.

He just had to have faith in them, and hope that they could stop her. But he knew that was easier said than done, given how powerful Twilight Moonlight and her Samurott were. Plus, there was that drive within Ethan. Much like how he and Ash have many similarities, the drive to help others in a time of crisis is strong.

As he sat there, contemplating, Ethan's mind began to race with possibilities and strategies, wondering what the right move to make would be. He knew that the longer he stayed in his dream, the more danger everyone was in, and yet he knew he was safer here. He just had to hope and pray that his friends and family were strong enough to keep him safe.

In the real world, the battle raged on between the Dream Guards, and Samurott and Twilight. The two of them were determined to get through the Mirror Barrier and get to Ethan, no matter what it took. However, as the battle continued, Twilight and her Samurott were growing tired and their attacks were beginning to lose their strength. The Mirror Barricade continued to reflect the attacks away, making the situation even worse for them.

Twilight's horn would glow once again. This time, it would grow bigger as she was charging up a powerful spell. While doing so, Twilight knew that this spell she went for would be one of grand proportions, especially with the Moon helping her.

"I can't fail...Not again!" Twilight Moonlight angrily said as her mind raced back to when the Professor spoke to her. Specifically to when he informed her of how she must do what is needed.

2 Months Ago. The Arcane Institute.

It was during a Full Moon at the Arcane Institute. Twilight Moonlight stood at the Professor's office, facing the pillar he was plastered on. Usually, being here meant that the Professor had crucial information to give Twilight or impart a lesson to her. The latter was happening during this night, concerning Prisma as always.

"Listen to me well, Twilight. You are already aware of how you failed to eliminate Ash Ketchum with all those moments you were this close to him. I would say I'd blame that you on your skills, but I know that you are capable." said the Professor.

"Yes. But I already promised that I would not fail the next time I encounter Ash Ketchum." Twilight Moonlight told the Professor, standing tall. "Or any of the counterparts. These past few months of training will pay off once we're ready to continue our mission."

"I don't doubt your skills, like I said." The Professor continued. "Sure, it will be beneficial for you to improve, but that is not the issue here, Twilight. There is a factor as to why you may fall short despite your potential."

""Fall short? Do you mean the number difference? I tried, but Ash Ketchum is surrounded by so many of his friends and allies that it made it increasingly difficult for me to even come close to capturing or eliminating him." Twilight explained. "And the times that I could have, I tried my best, but still failed. But, that's only because of how much he's protected. Even with our numbers we-"

"No. Again, that is not the issue." But the Professor referred to something else, confusing Twilight Moonlight. "I know for a fact that you can take on as many obstacles as possible. Numbers are not the problem, my esteemed student. The true problem is that you lack the will to do what's needed."

"What?" Twilight Moonlight's ears would perk, raising an eyebrow as the Professor was getting to his main point. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I am talking about what's truly needed to eliminate Prisma's return. That being Ash Ketchum." The Professor answered. "I have been keeping an eye on you and Silver Swirl, and as it turns out, you all share a weakness of not having that will."

"I don't understand...What kind of will am I lacking? I'm fully aware of the dangers that would happen if Prisma returned, so I don't think I lack any will to eliminate Ash Ketchum. I will not hesitate the next chance I get. But I'm not alone in this, Professor. As you're well aware." Twilight Moonlight stated.

"And therein lies the problem." The Professor pointed out, surprising Twilight Moonlight again. "Twilight. Prisma is not the only one you must have to the drive to expunge. To all those that get in your way, you must have the will to eliminate them as well."

"...?!" At that, Twilight Moonlight was speechless. She understood what the Professor was saying. But it just sounded too much, especially since this was a topic he rarely discussed. "E-Elimainte them? But that-"

"It is necessary. You cannot hesitate when dealing with those who stand in the way of protecting the universes, Twilight." The Professor spoke. "That includes friends. That includes families. That includes lovers and even the weakest of life forms. You cannot falter at the slightest moment. You must go all out and do what is necessary. And that is why you lack that will, that drive to eliminate any obstacles."

"..." Twilight Moonlight stood silent, unable to find a reply for such a drastic demand. It was true, she didn't have that will to eliminate those who weren't the main threat, but she had assumed that the Arcane Institute's mission was only to stop Prisma, not any and all life forms. It seemed that the Institute's true goal was to stop anyone that posed a threat, even if they had to eliminate them.

"...Even then, that should be the same for Silver Swirl, but the both of you have been lacking that will to eliminate all that oppose you. Especially Silver Swirl." The Professor stated.

"I don't know if I can do that. I mean...I understand but..." Twilight lowered her head. "Surely, I don't have to do such a thing, especially to those who are innocent!"

"I understand. But they are willing to defend the greatest threat to existence and the universe as we know it. I know what Prisma can do and I will not make any mistakes that will jeopardise everything. Listen to me well, Twilight. When dealing with a force so tremendous as Prisma, you must show no hesitation. Because in that crucial moment you do hesitate, the moment that matters the most...you and everything will perish." The Professor spoke with such intensity and seriousness.

Twilight was at a loss for words. Her Professor wanted her to go to the distance when needed. Obviously, he didn't want her to mindlessly destroy the innocent or the weak, but to do whatever it took to succeed in her mission. That's what the Professor was getting at. That's what Twilight needed to do. She had to go beyond and do the unthinkable to save everything, which was her sole duty as the best of the Arcane Institute, and a reincarnation of Twilight Luminaria.

Thinking back to that, Twilight's eyes expanded as she finished casting the spell. With her magic reaching new heights, her eyes became a blank white and her horn would glow immensely.

"I must do this! No matter what, I can't hesitate!" She exclaimed as she launched the attack. It was a massive blast that broke through the Mirror Barrier, shattering every mirror into millions of tiny fragments. All of the Dream Guard's defenses were broken by the powerful blast. Everyone watching gasped at the sight and all of the orbs that were held up by the mirrors now fell.

"No!" One guard yelled as he tried to catch the falling orbs, but they all shattered, breaking the dreams of countless ponies and other species.

The guards and Dream Harvesters were all in disbelief and felt their hearts sink at what they were witnessing. The sound of the shattering glass filled the air, and the dreams that had once been stored inside of them disappeared forever. "What have you done?!"

"Hmph." Twilight Moonlight huffed, not caring for their anger and sorrow. She then focused on the one Dream Orb that hasn't been touched yet. In fact, it wasn't even in this room. Using her magic, she would try and sense Ethan's presence and the single Dream Orb remaining.

"There! It's that way!" Twilight pointed her hoof in a certain direction as she and Samurott rushed to where Ethan's Dream Orb was being held. It was located in the lower levels of the Dream Vault, where only the highest-ranking officials had access.

Using her magic, she would blast a hole in the ground and jump through, with Samurott following her closely. She would levitate herself with magic while Samurott stabbed his scimitars into the walls to slide down

The two of them kept running down, eventually finding themselves in a large cavernous room with many different doors, each with a different dream symbol. "I'll prove it. I'll prove that I'm not afraid to hesi-" Before she could finish, one of the defences of the Dream Vault appeared, interrupting her.

From the walls, an Etheric Storm would be unleashed. Made completely out of Dream Energy, this Etheric Storm spiralled towards them, creating a chaotic field of lightning, wind and magical outbursts. "?! What is this?!" Twilight Moonlight was taken by surprise as Samurott quickly grabbed her, shielding her from the attack. The energy from the storm was too strong for her, but luckily she was able to protect her body from the worst of the storm with Samurott's help.

The two of them were then sent flying backwards, but Twilight used her magic to slow their momentum, allowing them to crash down to the floor with relative safety. As the two recovered from the storm, Twilight would shake her head, getting back to focus as the two would rush to find the room where Ethan's Dream was being held. "There! I sense him!" Twilight Moonlight would point to one of the doors.

"Rottt!" Samurott was about to slash at the door, but he would be interrupted. Suddenly, the door began to open by itself, revealing a figure inside, stepping out to face Twilight Moonlight and her Samurott. Or rather, multiple figures.

Creations known as Sleepwalker Sentinels appeared. Humanoid or animalistic constructs formed from the subconscious of dreamers. The Dream Guards were able to manifest their own Sleepwalker Sentinels to help out in situations like this one, with their being many of them appearing.

"Another obstacle...!" Twilight was getting sick of all this. "Night Slash!"

The Sentinels would charge, ready to take down Samurott, but Samurott was more than prepared for them, leaping forward to slash away with his blades. He moved swiftly and with deadly precision, cutting through the Sentinels with ease, leaving a trail of broken pieces of the Sentinels behind.

But the more he cut down, the more would appear. These Sentinels were strong, able to keep their distance and launch their own attacks at Samurott, forcing him back a couple of times.

Twilight Moonlight was getting tired of this. She wanted to get rid of the Sentinels as quickly as possible. "Enough of this! I'm going in!" Twilight shouted, charging towards the door, using a spell to blast it wide open. She was not going to be stopped by these obstacles any longer. The door would blast wide open as Twilight rushed into the Dream Vault, with the Sentinels and Samurott following suit to deal with the threat at hand.

Using a powerful spell, she would blast all the Sentinels in front of her, destroying them with ease.The sentinels failed to stop her, the last of them crumbling under her powerful spell. Twilight Moonlight then turned her focus on Samurott, who was now standing in front of her.

All that was left were the remaining ponies in this room, who kept guard of the orb. And these ponies were terrified, being simple workers who had to take a stand.

"Ngh...!" They cowered in fear once Twilight stared them down, but despite their terror, they weren't going to step aside. "S-Stop! Dn't come any closer!"

"You're all that's left, and I don't have any more time to waste!" Twilight Moonlight shouted, charging at them with her horn ready. "Hand over the orb!"

Her voice made them quiver. And yet, they would try their best, their horns lighting up. But this was all stopped by Twilight sending a magic pulse across the area, easily knocking all the Ponies down. They fell weak to their hooves, unable to resist such a superior magic. Twilight Moonlight sighed, seeing that it was the last of them.

This was the closest she's ever gotten to her goal. All that was needed now was to capture the orb. Her eyes widened as she saw it, the final orb in the Dream Vault. "Finally..." Twilight rushed over to it, seeing the dream contained in the orb. It glowed with a soft light and seemed to pulsate with a strange energy. The dream contained a world of possibilities and adventure, and Twilight knew she had to capture it.

But as soon as she got close, one final obstacle stood before her. Twilight would bump into something that seemed invisible before it finally revealed itself. Appearing invisible until being touched, a small barrier was shown. "What now?!"

And the one behind that barrier was the injured yet active Medly, who breathed in and out, rather exhausted. All that magic for that barrier used up a lot of what she had due to the damage dealt earlier. "You're...not getting your hooves on it."

"But how?! You should be experiencing those nightmares! How did you recover and find your way here so quickly?!" Twilight Moonlight said, utterly confused.

"Secret entrance...I know this place better than you, obviously. Pus...I don't sleep that much, so nightmares don't affect me too much." Medly answered.

"You're really willing to stand against me?" Twilight asked. "In your state?

"I made a promise. We all did." Medly's eye twitched as she held the orb close to her. "The others may be afraid of what'll happen if Prisma returns, but I'm not hesitant. I know how dangerous he is but that won't stop me from protecting our future. His future as well."

"Even though you know the dangers?"

"Yes." Medly confidently said. "And even if it means doing so by sacrificing my life. You won't touch this orb as long as I live."

"...Then so be it." Twilight Moonlight accepted it. She would use her magic to break the barrier, which would take time to crack, but she didn't have the time to waste. So, she'd do something to hasten it. "I will eliminate you and then Ethan's Dream."

The force of the barrier breaking would knock Medly back as she slid across the floor. She was now left defenceless, having used her last bit of magic to protect the Orb. She could only watch as Twilight Moonlight slowly approached her with a glowing horn.

"Medly! No!" Ethan exclaimed. Despite wanting to help, he couldn't leave the Dream world. Medly and all the Dream Harvesters made sure to keep him there, enchanting this one Dream Orb to the highest possibility. Ethan was helpless in this moment. All he could do was watch as his nightmare unfolded right before his very eyes. His closest and dearest friend, the one who had saved him from so much pain, was in grave danger.

"I still have it..." Medly weakly said as she saw Twilight approach her with the intent to end her. It would have seemed like this was the end, with Twilight Moonlight aiming to destroy her. Her magic was ready and all that was left was to finish her off and get the Orb. With her horn pulsating with overwhelming magical energy, Twilight raised one hoof up, looking down at the pegasus with great intensity.

Medly closed her eyes, bracing herself for the attack that was to come, but instead, Twilight Moonlight froze, her teeth clenched as she tried unleashing the blat. But she couldn't. Instead, in her mind, she could hear what the Professor told her, the words ringing loudly.

"You must go all out and do what is necessary. And that is why you lack that will, that drive to eliminate any obstacles."

"Gh!" Twilight Moonlight tried her best, but she couldn't. Her horn would flash, but she wouldn't be able to launch the blast of magical energy. "Curses!" Aggravated, she fired her blast elsewhere, hitting the walls of the room as Medly sat there, in confusion as she opened her eyes again to see that she wasn't hit by anything. "Why can't I...?!" Twilight cursed herself, but in her mind, she kept hearing the Professor.

Twilight Moonlight was starting to see it. The weakness that Professor sees in her, that inability to truly harm another being that gets in her way, even if it was for the greater good of stopping Prisma and protecting all of existence. Samurott looked at her, worried for his trainer.

"Samu.."

This moment of weakness was Medly's chance. She saw this as an opportunity to flee, even if she was incredibly weak and lacking magic. With her eyes closed, Medly took in a deep breath, focusing all her energy and power into her wings. With a surge of energy, Medly's wings began to flap rapidly, lifting her off the ground. But she was still so weak that this was too much strain on her body. She tried her hardest to flap her wings to create a powerful gust of wind that sent the Twilight and her Pokemon flying backwards.

"Ah!" Twilight Moonlight gasped as Medly used the last of her magic to both fly away and teleport elsewhere. In a flash, they were gone. Once more, Twilight Moonlight let a great chance slip by her hooves and it was the moment she truly feared. "I hesitated...! Urgh!" Frustrated to the core, she slammed her hoof on the floor. She had the opportunity to capture Ash's brother's dream right there, but failed again.

It was as the Professor said, she doesn't have the will, the true drive to eliminate those who get in the way, even if they are the innocent or weak. This moment of weakness would be something that would not only hinder her but put everyone in danger as well, a risk that she couldn't take.

Samurott walked over to Twilight Moonlight, trying to comfort her.

And watching all of this as the Professor. He saw how Twilight hesitated to destroy Medly. "Again, I was right." He muttered to himself. "Seems that she still needs to learn. Or rather, be pushed in the right direction. Either way, I refuse to let him escape when he is this vulnerable. For that entire universe, I do believe it's time to use it, even if he gets away. This will be an excellent example of our drive. Our new ace in the hole."

Failing to do so, Twilight Moonlight was frustrated. This mission she was sent had been botched. This time, not by her opponents, but by her. The drive to do what the Professor says needs to be done was not powerful enough. The reason for that was deep within. Perhaps, it was a part of Twilight Moonlight that she never acknowledged as the journey continues.

Chapter 644 End.