My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Kalos. The Nebel Plateau. Nightfall.

Out of the depths, Twilight Moonlight was alone. With no friends to accompany her, and having been abandoned by her colleagues at the Arcane Institute, she felt loney. Her body ached from the battle that had just taken place, but she couldn't afford to give in to the pain. She knew that if she were to have any hope of surviving in this hostile environment, she had to find a way to fend for herself if possible.

As she sat on the ground, her thoughts turned to the Arcane Institute and her fellow students. She couldn't help but wonder why they had abandoned her so easily, without so much as a backward glance. Had she not been loyal and dedicated enough? Had she failed to live up to their expectations in some way?

"..." Moonlight was silent as she tried to process all of this.

These thoughts plagued her, but Twilight Moonlight knew that she couldn't afford to waste any more time feeling sorry for herself. She had to find a way to get out of here and back to her universe. But without a way back to her universe and not knowing how to get out of this world, Moonlight had only one choice; find the Institute and confront them for abandoning her.

But before she could figure something out, she heard the shout of what sounded like Ash Ketchum. Rushing back up to see what the commotion was all about, she ended up finding Ash along with the others present.

"So it was you that knocked out all those Golurk...!" Ash was clearly enraged. "You let Twilight get captured!"

The angel simply shrugged in response. "Yes. I did. It was my absolute intention to ensure that the Arcane Institute returned safely home with their catch." Her tone was nonchalant and casual.

"Why?!" His fists clenched tightly as Pikachu leaped off of his shoulder, snarling at the angel.

"Pika!

"I've been aiming to see you brought to justice, Ash Ketchum. After all, it is because of you that such chaos has even sprouted. All of this is centered around you." She pointed at him. "You. You are to blame."

"Me?!" Ash bellowed, stunned at such a declaration. Hearing this by hiding behind a rock was Twilight Moonlight, keeping a low profile and listening in on this.

"Exactly. It all comes back to you. All of this..is your doing!"

"Hey, that's not fair! Ash has nothing to do with this! He didn't ask for any of this!" Rainbow Dash cut in and shot back. She would not let this angel bully Ash like this.

"All of this is the Institute's fault, not our Ash!" Rarity defended him, shouting at Strident Heart.

"You can't just pin it all on him like that!" Applejack bellowed. "That ain't-"

"Silence!" Using her Divine Voice, the angel was able to drown out everyone's words and make her voice boom throughout the entirety of the Nebel Plateau. Many were staggered, some even getting on their knees, unable to withstand this powerful and booming noise. Only Ash was able to stand properly. However, the loudness was too much for them and made them fall back onto the ground, struggling to stand back up.

"You Mortals. You will forever be too attached to what you believe in, struggling and failing to see the truth in front of you. Have I not made it clear already? That entire trial spoke many volumes. It was shown to the entire universe, ensuring that all knew of what Ash Ketchum had done. This is all because of that wish you made. If you had never made that wish to Jirachi, then all of this would be non-existent."

"No way! Doing that would get rid of everything and everyone!" Ash protested.

"Indeed. The Rift would have left much sooner, allowing both worlds to return to their normal states. Their normal timelines. Away from each other. There would be no Pokemon in Equestria, no ponies visiting regions. Nothing. But you mortals were far too enamoured with the possibility of such a future, that you even made it so that both worlds merge as one." The Angel scoffed.

"What's so wrong with that, huh?!" Ash barked at her, his anger being far more prominent than it ever has been within him. Rainbow Dash and the others have never seen Ash this heated and riled up in their life. He usually isn't this aggressive.

"It goes against the laws of reality. You shouldn't have messed with them in the first place. All you've done is create an ever larger mess than anyone could expect. Two Suns. Two Moons. An even larger Earth that is the result of both of them becoming one. And not only that, two universes merging to create an even larger universe. Sure, from a glance, it all seems like a wonderful paradise. But there's so much more than meets the eye, especially for you."

She moved closer to Ash. "It has caused instability throughout reality, resulting in many issues plaguing your worlds. It has also given rise and opportunity to enemies of new calibre. Do you honestly believe that the Arcane Institute are now a problem this suddenly? No. It's because your Wish didn't just unite both worlds, it also brought back what was once lost."

Strident Heart was right on the ark about that. Prisma, Twilight Luminara and even universes that already had Pokemon within them were all from the Rift's Creation of a universe with Humans, Ponies, Pokemon and various species living together. They were practically considered test universes that it experimented on, taking two worlds and merging them as one repeatedly to see what would occur.

The same thing has happened to this universe, but on a different level and by the power of Jirachi. In Strident Heart's eyes, much like those Beta Universes, this one should not exist whatsoever. It was a False Existence to her.

"All those worlds were gone. As they should have been. The same must apply to this one.." Strident Heart declared.

Twilight Moonlight heard it at all and it shocked her beyond belief. It was Ash's fault that the Arcane Institute was able to find their universe and emerge? Based on what she was hearing, if Ash never made that wish, she would've never exited and emerged from the Lost Universe.

Such a revelation made the Counterpart of Twilight Sparkle enter a state of existential crisis. All she had ever wanted was to stop Prisma and yet she has learned that her mission was only possible because of Ash.

She put her hooves on her head and shook back and forth, trying to piece everything together. This was all happening so suddenly, that Twilight Moonlight had no idea how to respond. She kept looking around her, trying to see if she was dreaming or not, but nothing changed.

"Twilight Sparkle being captured was a benefit. She should've been away from you in the first place. With this, these mistakes you've crafted will cease to be. After all, you are the ultimate goal of many now. Your end will potentially spell the end of this mess. I intend to see all of this vanish and everything return to how it was."

"..." Ash stayed silent for a moment, lowering his head while Pikachu looked at him, worried.

"Pika-Pi..."

"You're a foolish mortal that went out of line." The angel said, spreading her wings as she was prepared to leave. "Believe me. You will know of my interference here and there, all to ensure that everything is corrected."

"You're not going anywhere!" Ash roared, startling everyone and even knocking Strident Heart out of the sky with the force of the yell. Everyone fell back while Pikachu's ears flailed back, pushed away by this tremendous noise coming out from Ash. Ash's anger was overpowering. Ash stood his ground and his hands were shaking with fury.

To the shock of everyone, Prisma was awakening for a sixth time. This time, it was a bit weaker, the aura around Ash being minimal but still present. The soul still needed time to build-up since it was awakened minutes ago. Despite this, Ash's rage reached a point where this could happen once more.

"A-Ash...?" Raleigh nervously said, witnessing the awakening of Prisma.

"You have some nerve, Angel." Ash spoke, his manner of speaking changing once more. He started speaking like how Prisma normally would. "You assist in the Institute's capture of not just Twilight...but so many souls. Kimia. Volcanion. Flash Sentry. All of them have been taken. You talk about how all things must reset to how they should be...and you have the audacity to say that I'm responsible for all this?"

"Is that Prisma...?" Twilight Moonlight spoke, feeling the Aura of Prisma. Finally, she saw Ash being influenced by his soul.

"Watch who you talk to morta-"

"If you believe yourself to be right, then prove it!" Ash cut her off. "If you believe yourself to be better than all of us...then prove it."

"Who do you think you are to challenge me?" She snapped at him, insulted.

Ash responded by holding out a Poke Ball, instantly challenging her to a battle. "Battle me. If I win, you will do this for me, Angel. You will open up a portal of some sorts to the Arcane Institute so that I can save them all. All this talk, but I have yet to see you follow up. Where's your strength, angel? If you're all high and mighty, then prove it to me through a battle."

"Ash..." Rarity quietly said.

"Kh...If I could, I would. But my power has yet to fuly restore. I refuse to battle you in this state. After all, I know you well. You aren't the type to battle someone at their weakest. Even a mortal fool like you knows respect. Especially when dealing with a being far more superior than you."

A flash of light temporarily blinded everyone, with Angel disappearing completely. Strident Heart had vanished, leaving Ash behind and seething. But it wasn't enough. He was still boiling.

"That conniving...!" Ash was ready to scream into the sky, hoping that she'd hear every word he had to say.

It took everyone, including Pikachu, to bring Ash back from that point. Slowly, the presence of Prisma dissipated from his mind and he went back to his old-self, exhausted and sitting on the floor while leaning against a rock. He did not pass out this time, being conscious. After hearing all of that, Twilight Moonlight was speechless. She didn't know what to say at this point, nor what she would do.

What all this did was make her look at Ash much differently.

While Prisma's soul diminished once more, the tiniest bit of it remained for a brief second. And in that brief second, Ash decided on something rather wild.

"We're going to the Arcane Institute right away. I'll use a Travel Sphere." With that, the tiny bit of Prisma left him.

"Y-Yeah! Let's do it!" Raleigh actually agreed with him. But he was acting on impulse, wanting his big sister back desperately. He didn't want Kimia to remain with those creeps, whatever they're planning with her.

"But wait!" Clemont wanted him to slow down. "Ash, we don't even know where we're supposed to go! Let's take it easy for now. For a little while at least. The best thing we can do is head to Equestria, talk with Princess Celestia. Right?"

"..." Ash stayed silent. His true self knew that rushing in there now and taking the risk wouldn't be the best option. Still, it's hard for him to sit by while Twilight and the others are kidnapped by the Institute.

Clemont did have a point however. The best option for them right now was to rest and recover. They haven't eaten at all and have endured a tough battle. Plus, waiting for Princess Celestia was a wise choice. Surely, she would have an idea as to what they should do next, or maybe come up with a plan.

Still, they can't stand idle for long. The longer they waited, the more of a chance it gave the Arcane Institute to do something unspeakable with Twilight Sparkle, Kimia, Flash Sentry and everyone else they abducted. Ash was having none of that.

The Arcane Institute.

"Ngh..." In the Arcane Institute, while inside the chamber, Twilight Sparkle slowly opened her eyes. As soon as she got adjusted, she realized that she had been taken here. She tried to move around, but quickly noticed that she was trapped in a large container with a purple liquid.

She thought back to how she ended up in this place. After that blast, which knocked the Golurk out, they used this moment to teleport away back to their base, having taken not just her, but many other people and Pokemon. That blast had even knocked her out as well.

"Wha?" Quickly, she tried moving but found that she was trapped. Then she heard the sounds of electricity as she felt it course through her, making her feel weird.

Her horn began glowing as she was forcibly using magic against her own will. This made her struggle but no matter what she did, it seemed like this prison she was in prevented her from doing anything to escape or break free.

Not far from where Twilight Sparkle was held captive was the Soul Crystal, which would store all the magical energy obtained from their prisoners and channel them towards their Ultimate Weapon.

As Twilight Sparkle was trapped within the device, she noticed her body transforming into a human form. The electricity coursing through her amplified her magic and was forcing her to use spells against her will, causing the crystal to absorb even more energy.

Then, several other crystals were formed above Twilight Sparkle. One of the scientists reported to another group nearby. "With just one Twilight, this will take months, probably. If Moonlight were here, the process would be shortened to weeks. And if all four are present, we could complete the operation in days," the scientist explained to the group. "Maybe even in hours, minutes...or possibly instant."

"Yes, that makes perfect sense." One member of the Arcane Institute stepped forward. "We've successfully retrieved one part of the key; now we must retrieve the others. They belong together, after all." With that, they dispersed, leaving Twilight Sparkle imprisoned.

The Princess of Friendship was perplexed by all of this. But first, she had to find a way out of here. She was now within enemy territory, in another universe entirely. Groaning, she would feel incredibly stiff and weak. Was all this a result of that strange substance?

"What is all of this...?" She uttered, glancing at her surroundings, a container filled with liquid and being forced to generate Magical Energy. It was all very overwhelming. Her captors were putting a lot of effort into capturing her alive. Why, though?

As Twilight gazed down, she could see some sort of metallic surface beneath the liquid, sending electric shocks through her body. She screamed and writhed in agony, unable to do anything to prevent herself from absorbing them. Not only was the liquid preventing her from moving freely, but she also felt its weight on her chest, causing her to gasp for air as it continued to expand upwards. She could almost feel its texture, making her panic.

"Ugh, it's like being submerged in honey." she thought. "I can barely breathe..." Twilight thought, unable to properly take in deep breaths due to this strange substance. Every breath she took felt heavy. Looking at the surface closely, Twilight was able to notice some kind of pattern embedded in it.

Her eyes followed the trail of energy beams emitting from her horn. They traced down, leading her gaze to another device. That device was linked to a much larger one containing the most remarkable crystal she had ever seen.

"What...is that?" She asked in amazement. From the looks of things, she was somehow connected to that massive gem, or at the very least supplying it with magic. The princess didn't know what would happen if she stopped. Would she be released or forced to keep going? Before she could even try, the surface beneath her shifted and sent forth electric shocks through the gooey substance surrounding her.

"AH! AGHH!" Twilight yelped loudly. "OKAY OKAY OKAY!" She shouted, activating her horn and resuming whatever she was supposed to be doing. It was obvious she couldn't resist. The pain of those shocks were too much, forcing her to comply and keep the crystal fueled with magic.

"Sheesh! These ponies!" She thought in anger, glaring at the crystal as she wondered what in the world was going on. All she could gather so far was that she was fueling that crystal. What it was being used for, she had no idea.

Though at this point, she didn't care what these people were intending.

Before Twilight could come up with something, someone had entered the room. This time, it ended up being Silver Swirl. A quick glance confirmed that the prisoner hadn't managed to escape. The purple-haired girl kept her expression neutral.

Silver Swirl walked towards the computer screen beside Twilight Sparkle and checked over all the results and data coming through. Twilight could overhear her humming and the keyboard clacking. Silver Swirl wrote down observations, keeping an eye on vital signs, brain waves, and magic energy levels. It wasn't exactly interesting to hear about.

Silver Swirl froze up for a moment before turning to face Twilight. "Oh, hello! I didn't know that you were awake. My mistake," she remarked without any warmth or affection, her expression remaining neutral. "So, are you alright?"

"...Am I alright?" Twilight had her eyes lidded while raising an eyebrow, speaking in a deadpanned tone.

"Sorry. I suppose that isn't the right question right now. My name is Silver Swirl. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The woman greeted herself to the Princess of Friendship. Her words were genuine, but still lacked warmth to them. "...Okay. I really don't know what to say right now." She admitted with an awkward shrug. Her voice remained calm and composed throughout their conversation.

"Hmmph...What's all of this?" The lavenderette pointed at the contraption. She watched Silver Swirl adjust knobs and flip switches while observing the computer display and other machinery. Her eyes widened when she noticed that everything was set up to collect energy from her. "W-Wait, I'm charging this crystal?"

"That is correct. By drawing magical energy from your body, we are able to sustain the Soul Crystal." Silver Swirl replied simply, as if this was completely normal. At least she was nice enough to answer honestly and provide more details regarding the situation.

"But why me...?" Twilight whined. She understood what the Soul Crystal was, but not why she was hooked up to it in the first place.

"Sorry. I don't really have much control over this. I'm just a student here. My goal is the same as everyone else. To stop Prisma from returning." Silver Swirl said bluntly.

"By doing all of this?! You've captured the souls of others and even ruined the Nebel Plateau!" Twilight reminded her.

"I know. To be honest, I wish they would avoid that approach. If there was a more peaceful way of stopping Prisma, then it'd be preferable. I know what the others are doing is extreme, but I also believe that Prisma shouldn't be allowed to roam freely." Silver Swirl replied in a somber tone.

"And that means you're attacking everyone!? Is that really all you can do?!" Twilight questioned angrily as her expression contorted in rage at her captor's seemingly cold response to everything.

"I wouldn't take this approach normally. For you see, in the Universe I come from, I'm considered a Guardian Angel and a Princess. I protected and ruled over a land in my universe known as LightUp. I was it's sole ruler, defending the lands alongside my loyal guards. Everything was perfect until one day, until he showed up."

She sat beside Twilight Sparkle's containment unit. She sat on top of a machine and began explaining. "You see, before all of this, even though Prisma's soul is all that's left of him now, after his universe was destroyed, the smallest parts of his soul lingered across existence. Those souls raged on, manifesting Prisma's rage and attacking other Universes. One of those Universes ended up being mine."

"He attacked your universe...?" Twilight asked as Silver Swirl nodded in affirmation. "So even back then, he was still destroying things in such a state..."

"The man had no intention of doing anything. His mind was fractured. He didn't speak at all, unleashing violent attacks without warning. He wiped out over half of my land with ease. Only the power bestowed upon me was able to stop his destruction, but only temporarily."

Twilight was putting it together. For this to be possible, it would've have to have been in a split-second. After all, that's the Lost Universe vanished. It technically existed for only a second, while to its residents, they lived out centuries of progress. After it was destroyed, Prisma, in those missing seconds, caused destruction.

"We didn't stand a chance. I didn't stand a chance. And in the progress, I lost so many close to me...like my daughter, Swirly." Silver Swirl explained. "My baby daughter was lost in all of that destruction. I don't know her outcome at all. I never found out. By the time the destruction was at an all-time high, the whole universe was ruined."

Twilight blinked as she took the whole story. "Then, you..." She was piecing it all together.

"I woke up, saved by the Institute. They managed to bring me here while my Universe was slowly falling apart. With his soul vanishing once more, it caused the entire Universe to fall apart in less than seconds. They brought me here in an attempt to fix things, to prepare for when Prisma could fully awaken. So, I became a student here, losing my status as a Princess with no kingdom."

Silver Swirl glanced over to Twilight. "So no, I don't agree with everything that they do, but I'm trying to end this threat for good. If it means restoring my universe and getting my daughter back, so be it."

"..." Twilight stayed silent for a while, contemplating the situation. On one hand, she empathized with Silver Swirl's suffering and acknowledged her position, knowing that she had experienced a terrible loss. On the other hand, the Institute's actions went against everything she believed in. Capturing innocent individuals was cruel and unjust, especially since Prisma wasn't the one truly responsible for the destruction in the first place.

Twilight understood where Silver Swirl was coming from. However, that wasn't going to stop her from doing what had to be done.

She had to escape.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 668 End.