My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Universe 50. Mirados. The Temple of Galela. Afternoon.

A plethora of tune-ups were done to the vehicles of the racers, fixing the scrambled parts, replacing any that had been ruined from the recent battles, and modifying a select few with the consent of the racers themselves. After a couple of minutes, all of the vehicles were ready for the second part of the race.

Meanwhile, in Ash's team, Ash's own hoverboard was getting fixed. The board glided in midair, awaiting its next use, but now, the rest needed their new vehicles. Luckily, Cure had them covered. But instead of individual vehicles, since they were working together, Cure decided on a singular vehicle that could carry all four of them. So, Cure showed the four a large hovercraft that looked very fast and capable on the road.

"What do you guys think?" Cure smiled as the group looked at the large Hovercraft. This vehicle resembled a Gyarados, large, powerful and fast. A great combo. "That way, you don't have to worry about splitting apart."

Twilight, Spike, Applejack and Rainbow Dash examined it closely, taking in every aspect and feature. They had never seen a hovercraft of this magnitude before and its craftsmanship amazed them.

"This'll do greatly!" Twilight exclaimed. "This could work! This way, none of us will fall behind. We will just have one problem." She pointed her hoof at herself, then Spike, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. "Who drives?" Twilight could see that she, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack all knew the answer, while Spike merely shrugged. The group shared an awkward silence.

"Rock paper scissors?" Applejack suggested. The rest nodded in agreement. But there could only be two that could drive.

After a tense game between Rainbow Dash and Applejack...

"I lose." Applejack's shoulders dropped. Twilight could tell that she had really hoped to be able to control this powerful looking hovercraft. Then again, she wouldn't be surprised. They both shared a competitive nature that was not always shown to its fullest extent.

"Looks like you and I are working together, Twi!" Rainbow nudged the studious unicorn, making her smile.

"I'm surprised you actually wanted to win for once, Applejack." Spike said.

"Eeyup..." The orange pony sighed again, remembering she did, indeed, hope for the win. It wasn't every day one would be able to use such an awesome-looking vehicle. Ash tapped his foot on his fixed Hoverboard, feeling it out for a while. At the same time, he was worried about Sombra, hoping that he was doing well against the Institute.

Cure looked at the five. "Alright. If you need anything else, just let me know, ok? I'll be at the next pitstop." The five of them nodded. "Well. I guess I'm gonna watch you guys from the finish line! See ya there! You'll all be great!" Cure winked and began walking away. Her body would soon teleport away, making her way to the next pitstop where she'd await their arrival with a smile. And finally, with her help, Ash and the others would be able to continue their race.

Ash got up on the hoverboard. This felt much more stable than the one before it. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle entered the driver's seat of the large, mechanical vehicle that would take them towards their next goal. Applejack and Spike stepped onto it too, sitting on a comfortable leather bench that allowed them to rest as they continued onward to their goal.

"Hold on!" But they were halted before they could get going. By one of the racers. "Before you start moving, we gotta talk. All of this mess is because they're after you."

The other racers looked at Ash, and then at his friends. It was clear why. "If you're gonna race again, please, please, don't make those guys fire on us again. They already scrambled our vehicles earlier and even almost destroyed it. Can't you just drop out of the race?" Some other racers agreed, but it was in the end a lot less.

"Well?" One of the racers said. "We don't want you to continue racing and ruin this race. You got nothing to lose anyway. That prize isn't important for you, is it?" The other racers looked at Ash. He looked back at his group and his friends.

"Even if I don't, they'll just keep attacking us wherever we go. Plus, they've got that Soul Crystal that puts everyone in danger." Ash spoke the harsh truth. It didn't matter if he would race or not. Running from the Arcane Institute would just put everyone else jeapordy. From this world to the next. They were persistent and Alpha seemed to be the embodiment of that persistence. "Which is why I'm gonna try and defeat them during this race!"

"Ash's right!" Rainbow spoke up and added her support. She looked at the other competitors and tried to explain to them why they were doing what they were doing. "You know, we had no idea the Soul Crystal could be this big a problem until yesterday. If you guys knew about it and how dangerous it is, wouldn't you want to help stop that threat instead?" She asked them.

One of them scoffed at the idea. "Of course I wouldn't! Who cares? It's not our problem to solve. We didn't go out to save the universe. We came out here to race and that's all we care for." One of the others nodded.

"We wanna enjoy this race! But Good Flashstars, it's hard with those maniacs constantly firing and blasting away at you! You know they'll keep doing that until you are down! We just don't want you around!" The others nodded, though some felt it was a bit of a brash request. It was their right to keep on racing. Some of them had already given up because of the attack, but many had remained. The threat of the Arcane Institute didn't outweigh the dream of participating in such a wonderful event.

"Now hold on, everyone." Speaking up and deciding to get involved was Princess Galela, who had something to say about this.

"Let them compete." Galela spoke, her voice carrying the authority of her position as the Princess. She met the gazes of each racer with calm assurance. "They wouldn't want this mess either. This will be a great chance for them to stop this Institute to a great degree. Otherwise, the mess will transfer to the next world. And the next. And so on and so forth. After all, their own world is also at risk here."

"I guess so..." One of the racers scratched her mane. They seemed less upset, though some still wished Ash and his group had dropped out. They didn't say anything about it anymore, though some gave him a bit of a stinkeye.

"Even though I'm not really a major princess figure...I'm kinda just a ceremonial monarch to be honest, I'll at least try and support you with the power I have." Galela then turned to look at Ash and the others. "My magic is still important even in this technology-based civilisation, as ancient as it is."

"It is?" Twilight uttered. "Well, what can you do? You already put that barrier up to protect us? Shouldn't we be safe from them within here?"

"Yes, but I don't doubt that they'll find a way to pursue you even when you leave the temple and its protection."

"Yeah...they can track our souls." Ash said. "As long as Twilight and I have our souls active, they'll always be able to find us."

"And if they can't do that, they have the power of Aura on their side." Rainbow Dash added, revealing that the Institute had some strong options on their plate.

"In that case, why not something that can cloak them?" Galela winked, suggesting that her magic had something in store. "My family line actually specializes in Souls and Aura. And spirits and rituals and so on and so forth. There isn't much use for these spells in this day and age, but I always kept them close to me in the Ancient Library. Come with me." Galela began leading them inside, explaining some of the intricacies of the spell.

The Ancient Library.

The Ancient Library.

The room was full of old scrolls, tablets, books, tomes, and so much more. Many of these items seemed to be from a very old and ancient period from a time before the present day world, which had reached an incredibly high level of technological advancement. The technology and magic combined seemed almost impossible to comprehend and these items and the Princess were the sole reminders that a time before had once existed.

Galela went deeper into the library. Ash, Rainbow, Twilight, Applejack and Spike followed her. She led them towards a massive golden wall full of engraved runes that glimmered in a faint and subtle blue light.

"The Ancients once used this place to meditate and gain access to the higher realms of knowledge and thought. Their wisdom and knowledge is something we have long forgotten as we have left the land and taken to the stars." The Princess turned to Ash and the others. "But some of these relics of the past are of value even now." The wall seemed to glow brighter the more Galela spoke. She placed a hoof on it. The wall began glowing even further. Words appeared on the walls that Ash and Rainbow didn't understand.

"I'll just be a few seconds." Princess Galela told the group and then she went deeper. They all watched Galela walk into a dark room as the door opened and suddenly the lights turned on.

"Whoa Nelly..." Applejack couldn't help but let out an awed breath at the sight.

Galela returned a bit later and they moved further into the temple until they came upon a small chamber filled with crystals and stones that radiated with otherworldly light. "The crystals and gems here hold ancient magic, designed by my ancestors to harness the power of souls and aura." She explained as she carefully selected several gems, each pulsating with a different colour and resonance.

"The cloaking magic we need is here, in these three stones—the pink one for your soul and the blue gemstone to cloak your aura." Princess Galela turned to Rainbow and Applejack, gesturing towards them with a kind yet authoritative gesture. "You may carry the aura cloak since your friend is already occupied with his own."

The two of them nodded and the gemstones seemed to float and attach itself to them, the gems pulsating with a gentle glow. Galela focused on Twilight Sparkle next. The purple unicorn had already gotten herself a part of her own. She wanted to help Ash in the race and she wanted to become his partner in the team battle.

"Good, good. Now we need to transfer these powers to you two. That'll be a bit harder to do honestly..." Galela crossed her hooves while sitting down. "I've never used it on someone else. I've never had any reason to do so, so I don't exactly know the process."

"Well, are there any hints?" Twilight asked.

"The book says that it must be done by someone who can interact with souls directly. Back then, my ancestors relied on their own Pokemon or other friends who had that capability. But, now is not the case. None of my Pokemon are capable of such a feat and I'm the only one who practices magic in here. Advanced Magic, even" The Princess sighed, reaching an obstacle.

"Hmm..." Applejack thought for a moment. All they needed was someone who could interact with souls. Then it hit her. She had the perfect Pokemon for the job. "That'll do the trick!" Digging into her saddlebag, she would throw one of her Poke Balls out Out emerged her Delta Lucario. The Anubis Pokemon.

"Lucario!"

"Woah-hooooo....!" And upon seeing him, Galela's eyes were alit with absolute wonder and awe. Delta Lucario matched her style so he was a natural slam dunk for her. The princess couldn't help but rush over and give it a big hug, her expression filled with admiration and excitement. She seemed so amazed. "You are perfect!" She declared.

"Lu-Lu-Cario?!" The Anubis Pokemon was quite surprised at first, having expected anything else and being confused when Galela mentioned not having a Pokémon who could work with souls. Her Lucario had this power.

"The way you dress is so beautiful! It reminds me of the legends and ancient times. The times I'd rather live in! Oh, but look at this lower wesekh!" The princess gushed over him, stroking his wesekh and then his chin, making Lucario's leg thump the ground in happiness as though he were a Growlithe. His eyes were shut in happiness. Galela was over the moon. Her heart felt light and fluttery.

"Ahem." Twilight interrupted, making the two turn to face her, and everyone else, who were staring. Galela blinked.

"Hmm? What? What's going on?" The Temple Princess seemed genuinely surprised.

Applejack just giggled, finding this whole scene to be adorable. "Well, ain't that nice, Lucario."

"Rrr..." Delta Lucario blushed as Galela quickly snapped back to reality. She quickly cleared her throat, straightened herself, and did her best to regain the composure of royalty that had slipped so easily.

"Aheh. Sorry, sorry. My mind was wandering to how incredible that is!" She admitted. She felt embarrassed. "So, I'm guessing your Lucario can solve this issue for us? Interacting with souls?"

"He sure can. His Dark Matter can handle that for ya." Applejack assured her. Dark Matter could interact with anything, souls were not an exception to this rule.

"That's perfect!" Galela's eyes lit up. She was loving Delta Lucario more and more now that this fact was shared to her. "Let's get started right away and you can get back to the race." Galela began to gather her thoughts. The others waited for her. "Now let's see... In order for me to use the cloaking magic with a human and pony body, we will need to connect his and their aura."

The Delta Lucario nodded and stood between Galela, Ash and Twilight.

The Princess of the Temple closed her eyes and focused her magic on the gem. She then connected her and the Anubis Pokemon.

"Lu..." The Anubis Pokemon nodded. Now his eyes were shut, his aura sensing, his aura waves reaching out across the land around him. After a few moments of silence and a moment of deep thought and concentration, he began to use his Dark Matter to connect to Ash and Twilight's auras.

The princess watched as Delta Lucario, Ash and Twilight's auras connected. They were in perfect synchronization, almost as one entity, the auras mixing in perfect harmony. It was then that something happened within the Anubis Pokémon's mind. He suddenly felt a wave of energy flow through his being and then into hers and the other's, the gemstone began to resonate, its colour glowing more brightly.

Meanwhile, outside of the Temple, Sombra was fighting for his life against the Arcane Institute, doing everything in his power to keep them from reaching Ash. He took on a massive shadow form with tendrils that lashed out at anyone who tried to pass him and into the Temple. His eyes were glowing red as he defended the temple and the Shadow Wall that guards it. Any attackers trying to get past were simply sent flying by the tendrils.

"Dazzling Gleam." Alpha ordered her Gardevoir.

"Voir!" An array of rainbow beams struck the king's shadows, piercing through the darkness and obliterating it, causing Sombra to groan at the burning pain

An array of Pokemon from the Arcane Institute kept pouring their attacks on him. Every time they destroyed one of his shadows, another formed. From fireballs to water beams to sharp leaves. Sombra knew he had no chance of defeating them all alone, he had no army of his own to call on, and it was only because of Ash inside of the temple, and perhaps due to some magical effect that he managed to stay alive and standing thus far.

With a powerful and haunting roar, Sombra's shadows expanded, swallowing the opposing attacks and blocking his enemies' sight, preventing them from seeing what was happening next. Their vision obscured, unable to see what was unfolding in front of them.

He laughed. And with that laugh came the return of his mighty shadows. The new shadows came back fiercer than ever, ready to take on the opposing forces, launching at them with a ferocious, almost unearthly speed and power. It was as if the very fabric of the darkness was giving him strength.

Their attacks were nothing against him now. All the elements thrown at him simply got absorbed by the shadows before they reached Sombra himself. Fire turned into smoke and ash as soon as it made contact with his shadows. Water evaporated instantly. Leaves dissolved into nothingness. Even electricity was rendered powerless by the King of Shadows. Nothing could defeat the might of his shadows.

"Grrhh...We're wasting precious time here!" Phantasia barked. "Why is this one guy so hard to defeat?!"

"OUT OF THE WAY ALREADY, OLD GEEZER!" Violet screamed, absolutely furious with all of this stalling. Flawless raised her hoof.

"We'll find a way past him. And I know just the trick. Flawless Aura. Max Power." She ordered the maximum output of their Flawless Aura to claim victory. Her own Lucario was already prepared for this moment. He knew exactly what was coming as a bluish-white light enveloped Flawless BlueLight.

The magic energy swirled and intensified, growing larger and brighter with every passing second. The light became intense, almost blinding, engulfing everyone and everything around it. The intensity of the aura caused the air itself to feel electric and charged, humming with energy.

At the same time, Flawless would Mega Evolve her Lucario to further boost the Flawless Aura's potential. The Aura continued to glow ever more powerfully and brightly. Its aura becoming a searing light, a bright and fierce beacon that threatened to blind the eyes of all who dared to gaze upon it. The blue hue emanating from it glowed as it enveloped all of them.

"Ngh...!" Sombra grimaced and squinted his eyes at this mighty Aura. But he was prepared to fight back against it. After all, being a part of Ash has exposed him to his own Aura and Ash's Aura was on a completely different level to this.

He increased his shadows, pushing himself further as the Darkness would clash with the Flawless Aura. A ferocious battle ensued as dark tendrils collided with the Flawless Aura, pushing and pulling. It was an epic struggle, one which Sombra should've lost if he didn't have experience with Aura.

The clash between the Darkness and Aura as so great that the nearby Spiral Fields were starting to come apart, the force being unleashed here was threatening to shake other areas beyond it.

The earth shook violently, and the wind picked up, creating mini tornadoes across the fields, the rocks shaking furiously as they were tossed about. Cracks opened in the ground, threatening to swallow anyone nearby, and trees began to topple. The Pokemon living nearby would flee desperately and frantically.

The skies darkened, and lightning flashed across the sky, setting the stage for an epic showdown. The thunder growled like a raging beast, booming and roaring as the clouds clashed and fought for supremacy. Rain fell in sheets, drenching everything in a torrential downpour, soaking the two forces below.

"H-He's equalizing with our Flawless Aura?!" Flawless couldn't believe it. Even for a second she couldn't believe it. It was incomprehensible that Sombra, by himself, was matching the Flawless Aura's strength. "How?!"

"Foolish spoiled little girls." Sombra spoke to the BlueLight Sisters with a powerful echo. "You think your Aura is special? Perhaps in its traits, but I have been with the boy for a year now. Your Aura absolutely pales in comparison to his. My experience with Ash Ketchum's true Aura, with Ash himself, gives me greater strength! The shadows within me surge with power that far outstrip yours!"

"Ggrhh...!" Flawless snarled at him. But alas, she couldn't say anything to counter his words. If she was winning the struggle then maybe she could have something to say, but not at all.

Alpha simply stared at Sombra while this struggle continued, thinking of a way to snag victory. It wasn't until her eyes noticed some of his shadows tearing up parts of the wall of the Temple itself. 'That's it.' She decided on her strategy.

"BlueLight Sisters. Force him towards the opening." She said, knowing that he'd have to expose himself if he tore a hole through the Shadow Wall.

As her orders were carried out, Flawless forced herself to approach Sombra closer, forcing him to pull himself back as he resisted the Flawless Aura approaching him, tearing a larger chunk of the wall in the process.

"What're you planning?" Flawless asked.

"That wall can't possibly stand up to all this raw force we're unleashing. Sombra himself knows this, so he is still holding back a bit of his strength."

"He's holding back?!" Violet and Phantasia exclaimed in unison. This whole time, Sombra wasn't even using the full extent of his power. By extent, this also angered Flawless. The fact that Sombra was holding a bit back was insulting her, damaging her pride.

"I'll pave the way. Gardevoir!" Alpha spoke to her Gardevoir, who was prepared to attack. Sombra focused the Flawless Aura on him, hoping to break through and push Sombra further back. But then...

"Psychic." At this command, Sombra felt himself become paralyzed, and his eyes widened. He could resist the Flawless Aura as he could sense that Ash was doing something deep within the temple. If the Shadows were broken, if there was an opening created, Ash could be attacked.

In the end, he could only hope Ash's newfound abilities would protect him, and unleash the rest of his power, hurling himself back at the wall in one big push. This caused a massive explosion of darkness as he shattered the shadow wall in the blast radius.

Using all his might, the once formidable barrier gave way. There was a deafening sound as the walls broke apart, sending rubble and debris flying everywhere, creating a storm of dust and darkness.

There was a thunderous crack and a burst of black fog, and suddenly the Shadow Wall was no more. Its dark presence vanished, leaving nothing but the ruins of what had once been.

Sombra fell to the ground within the temple, startling the racers. They all looked down on the downed King, seeing him grunt in pain. That blast must've seriously injured him as the wounds were evident. "Ngh..."

Descending and landing in the entrance of the temple walls was Alpha, her mere presence startling and intimidating the other racers, none of whom wanted to mess with her due to how fearsome she was. The rest of the students appeared behind her, having found their way into the temple, unfortunately.

"Wait. Grab him." Alpha ordered the capture of King Sombra, wanting to make sure that he doesn't leave or return to Ash whatsoever. "He can return to Ash Ketchum and by do, has many ways to save his life. To prevent Ash Ketchum from having chances of safety, restrain him. His magic will be useful to us this time."

Following her order, the students would cast a spell on Sombra that would put him to sleep while he struggled, eventually making him pass out on the temple floor. With Sombra secured, they'd pick up his limp body and begin dragging him off.

But this time, the racers were actually willing to prevent Alpha from reaching Ash or Twilight. After the talk from Galela, some of them felt the need to do so. For their own safety. And this led to some standing in Alpha's way, risking the race.

"Hang on! You're not going anywhere!" One pony shouted. "You blasted those Torterra and messed with our vehicles. You even attacked our city when you showed up here! Plus, you've got our police force as hostages!"

"You must be crazy if you think we're letting you through." Another pony bellowed at Alpha and the others.

Seeing how there were obstacles in front of her now, Alpha was unfazed. Her facial expression was still just as serious as before as she looked straight ahead, unmoving. She didn't even look bothered or intimidated, as the students behind her made themselves known.

"Blah, blah, blah. Out of the way extras!" Flawless ordered the racers, causing them to recoil slightly as she approached them.

"So. You're actively going to be defending Ash Ketchum, are you? What other reason would you have outside of the race itself?" Alpha questioned, causing some of them to gulp. "In that case, you will be blown away for standing between us and our mission."

"...Get in vehicles! Quick!" Some of them ran for their vehicles while others would try and prevent the Arcane Institute from getting through. Those going for the vehicles weren't exactly fleeing. Because they believed by now, Ash would've already left the temple, so they could rush over and assist him. Others stayed behind to defend the temple since some didn't believe that was the case.

The Arcane Institute's army descended upon them like a wave of destruction. Spells flew wildly, and the air crackled with the energy of powerful magics. The temple interior was lit up by explosions and sparks of blue-green fire as the students forced their way forward.

This was instantly felt all the way over at the Ancient Library as Galela sensed this happening. Right on time, the spell had finished, successfully masking Ash and Twilight's Souls and Aura. It seemed to have ended just on time as the Arcane Institute started rampaging.

"Alright! That should be good enough! Go, now!" Galela yelled as Ash and Twilight's eyes would open simultaneously. This time, both of their souls were pure white, almost entirely identical. It was hard to tell which one of their souls was which. That was a sign the spell worked. A noticeable difference aside from that was Twilight's Cutie Mark turning a different shade of purple, just another side effect of the spell.

There was no time for them to stand around. They had to return to their vehicles and immediately make a run for it. Their new souls were weak and feeble right now. Any damage would harm them far greater than usual. They couldn't afford to battle right now, just run away.

"Oh, and Applejack, was it?!" But Galela had one thing to say to Applejack briefly. "After this, you have to show me where to find a Lucario like that!"

"You got it! See ya, Princess!" Applejack promised her, promptly galloping away. Galela herself would do what she could to buy Ash and his friends some time. That meant getting involved with the Arcane Institute. It was time for her to be more than just a Ceremonial Monarch. Her experience with magic could help Ash escape from these attackers.

Their vehicles were still intact in the middle of this chaos with all of these blasts flying about. The racers had summoned their own Pokemon to try and hold back the Institute as they did so, making them very resilient.

These racers could withstand many hits, though they had little offensive magic on their side and could only hold them back and buy Ash some time to run.

Ash got onto his hoverboard while Twilight and the others entered the Gyarados Vehicle. As soon as they got to their vehicles, however, they had to bolt at top speed because that caught Alpha's attention. In the distance, she saw two figures that had to be Ash and Twilight, immediately preparing to charge towards them.

"Sombra!" Ash spotted Sobra being carried away, wishing to turn back for him. But right now, he had to keep moving forwards and couldn't afford to go back, even though he truly wished to do so.

"Ash, your vehicle!" Applejack yelled, warning Ash of an incoming projectile.

Just barely, Ash managed to dodge an incredibly powerful spell by maneuvering away in time, nearly crashing as the spell smashed the ground just beside him, ripping it apart with its powerful magical properties. The Mirados Circuit would continue as the racers who managed to enter their vehicles were on their way out of the Temple.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 689 End.