My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Equestria. Ponyville. Twilight's Castle. Afternoon.

"I see..." Delia finished reading all the vital parts, closing the book of the Luminaria Lineage. Now she and Twilight knew the truth. It was all clear to her. But before she closed it, the last part she saw was the fact that a majority of this text, mainly the one that goes over Selene's story, was all written by Selene's magic, even when she was restrained.

"So that's what happened...?!" Twilight was stunned, flabbergasted and bewildered beyond belief. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth hung agape in disbelief. The contents within that book revealed more to her. And in this case, this was the most crucial information yet.

The reason for all those resets was the work of both Selene and Thyrian and this entire time, Selene was the one ensuring that the Star Tyrant never succeeds in its ultimate goal. By finally knowing what was in that book, more answers were finally given. It felt like nothing was being truly hidden from her anymore.

"Well..." Delia would then stand up, placing the book down as she was deep in her thoughts for a moment. "Now I understand."

"Mrs Ketchum?"

"I think I should head home now, Twilight. But before that, would you be a dear and share this with everyone else? Especially Princess Celestia? I know the words will try and escape you, but writing them all down will make sure you remember it at all times."

"Y-Yeah! I will!"

"I know you will." With that, Delia was off, ready to head back home. Immediately, Twilight to work, grabbing as much paper as she could. To ensure she could remember it all, she used Rift Magic on herself to maintain the memories of what she had just heard minutes ago. That way, it doesn't escape her just yet. She started to write down everything, all of it. Word by word, sentence by sentence, she was doing her absolute best to remember every last bit of detail. It was a race to not only remind herself, but to make sure everyone would learn the truth. And her brain was processing it fast enough to have the speed to copy the whole book into a new one.

Kanto. Pallet Town. Ketchum Household.

Ash had eaten everything that Delia gave him while she was gone. He devoured all of the lunch to the point where he fell asleep once more. Delia opened the door to find her son snoring while on the chair. When looking at him and thinking about what she had just read, all it did was make her want to protect her son even more.

Even though he could protect himself and has proven that time and time again, Delia was his mother, and mothers had to take care of their children. That story she read resonated with her. Not just because she was a mother, but because her own incarnation did all that to keep Prisma safe from the danger posed by Thyrian.

The same situation applied to her son Ash right now. In this current predicament, the roles had been reversed with Prisma's forces coming after Ash.

It made her so worried. How could it not? He's been on adventures where he risks his own life to stop the likes of Team Rocket or worse such as Giovanni and Cytherea and her army, but this seemed even more personal than ever before.

Ash eventually woke up in front of his mom who was smiling. Even as she held the same worries he felt, she was hiding it extremely well.

"Had a good nap, Ash?" Delia said to Ash who responded with a yawn and rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah... Where'd you go. Mom? I woke up and didn't see you around the house."

"I just went out for a moment. Visited Ponyville for a while, nothing too special really."

Ash accepted the answer without further ado. He looked to his stomach and realized he was still hungry despite having eaten the food he left him. "I'm starving again..."

Delia giggled upon hearing that, already seeing it coming. She knew Ash liked to eat a lot. His appetite was unmatched. "You'll be happy to know I brought some of my Apple Strudel back for us!" Her face immediately showed horror, "Uh oh..."

"What is it, Mom?"

"Oh... I'm such a fool. I forgot the strudel back in Ponyville..." Delia placed a hand on her forehead in frustration, but Ash simply chuckled.

"I'll go back and grab it," he said to her and got out of his chair. Before he left, she stopped him for a moment.

"You sure? I wouldn't mind going back there myself, besides don't you want to rest after your training?

"I'm fine Mom," he answered happily, "it's a quick trip."

Ash began to leave out the door, waving goodbye to her, "Bye Mom! I'll be back in a second!"

Delia was hesitant to let him go, knowing something bad could happen while he goes, but she smiled at her boy, "Alright sweetheart, see you soon."

Back at Universe 42, the ponies led Calem to a place they could get him some distance from the Arcane Institute. The place in question was known as the Orthodox Sanctuary, a place of extreme importance within this Labryinth-like universe. When arriving there, Calem, who was viewed as a Great Savior after freeing their bodies from the Labrinth of Stars, saw what this place had to offer.

Just like the Labyrinth of Stars, those that tried getting past all the mazes were trapped, their bodies snatched by the world itself. The ponies that brought him here were already standing back, refusing to go any further due to how intimidating the place was. Calem was the only one to go in, and so he did, leaving his Pokemon with the residents of this universe.

"G-Good luck, Great Savior. This is as far as we can take you"

"Uh, thanks guys."

The mazes were no different than what Calem experienced when he was in the Labyrinth of Stars, only that this place was much less intimidating, and the puzzles weren't too complicated to handle, but Calem found it to be a chore. It was a lot easier with a Pokemon's help, but since he left them behind, he had to go through it alone.

Eventually, Calem found himself in a giant room, one with a statue of a pony and a pedestal with an object on top. It was the same sword that the statue of the pony was holding. Calem walked towards the pedestal and took a closer look at the object. The blade was a bright silver, the hilt was a golden color and had a design that resembled the sun, and the blade seemed to be radiating with magical energy.

Calem reached for the sword and the minute he got ahold of it, the entire room began to glow in a bright light. It was so bright that Calem had to cover his eyes. He then felt something on his back, something that wasn't there before. When the light died down, Calem looked behind him to see that the thing on his back was a cape. It was long, white and it felt warm. It draped over his left shoulder and went all the way down to his feet. It even had a hood attached.

"What the..."

Calem put the hood on and grabbed ahold of the sword again. He looked up to see a staircase appear, it went up and seemed to go on forever, but it wasn't the staircase that caught his attention. It was the woman standing in front of it. A unicorn who looked like a warrior. Her armor was a mixture of white, blue and gold and she had a red cape draped around her neck. She had short blonde hair and her eyes were a piercing green, but what caught his attention was the sword she was holding with her magic. It looked exactly like the one Calem was holding.

The mare walked down from the staircase and approached Calem. As she got closer, he could feel an intense magical energy emanating from her, it was similar to that of the sword he was holding. Once she got close enough, the mare stopped and looked down at him, her expression stern. Calem could sense that she was sizing him up.

"Uh, hi?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she pointed at the sword in Calem's hand. "You're not supposed to have that sword. It belongs to me, a warrior. You are not a warrior, are you? You certainly don't look like a pony either."

"Well, no. But I was told to come here and-"

"I am the guardian of this place and that sword, as I've said before, is meant for warriors. Those who are brave, strong, and have proven themselves in combat. You have not yet proven yourself to be a warrior, strange visitor. Are you ready to prove yourself in combat?"

Calem was taken aback by her bluntness. She seemed to be in a hurry and didn't want to waste time. "Well, I've done a lot of things that would qualify as 'proving yourself in combat.' What do you have in mind?" He asked.

"Simple." She responded. "If you wish to prove yourself to me, you must defeat me in a duel."

"A duel? Like a...Pokemon Battle?" He asked, a bit confused by her request.

"Pokemon? No, a battle with swords. If you can defeat me in battle, you will be deemed worthy of the sword you hold in your hands. If not, well, then I will take the sword back and you will have to find another way to prove yourself."

Calem was still a little confused, but he nodded. "Hang on! I don't know how to use a sword!" Calem shook his head. "And what's with this place?! All these ponies that are trapped in these crystal statues, what's up with this?!"

"No. This is my domain and the sword you hold is mine. Now, prepare yourself." The mare said, raising her sword. Without wasting any time, she launched the sword at Calem, the Trainer from Kalos narrowly avoiding it.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Calem exclaimed as the sword would fly back at him. Calem started running through the area, avoiding the flying sword as much as possible. He kept having close-calls, ducking and rolling out of the way of the sword's blade. As he did so, he looked around at the statues, wondering what the story behind them was. It was like something out of a fairytale, and he couldn't help but be curious. But right now, he had to focus on surviving this crazy sword fight.

"Stand and fight, strange visitor. All those that have come to this Labyrinth in the past have faced me in combat with bravery." She said, looking at him. "You are a coward. Just like the others that came here and lost."

"Forget this! I battle how I want!" Calem dug into his pockets, taking out a Poke Ball and throwing it. "Back me up! Aegislash!"

"Aegislash!"

Aegislash Pokemon appeared, floating towards Calem and then stopping in front of him. Calem quickly ran behind it, using it as a shield to block the flying sword. As the sword bounced off Aegislash's blade, it flew back to the mysterious woman's side, floating by her side. "How cowardly."

"I always battle with my Pokemon! No way it's me being a coward! Since you're talking big, I'd like to see you try and defeat Aegislash!"

"Aegis!"

"You think a creature can even hope to match my skills? I come from a long line of expert blade wielders" She said, looking at her blade. "All have done their part in ensuring that this Labryinth's secrets remain secret and that they serve their duty of protecting the world from the evils of the outside world. You're just another fool who has stumbled here."

"Well, if you want me to prove myself, I will!" Calem said, looking at Aegislash and nodding. Aegislash's blade glowed brightly. The mare swung her sword at Aegislash. Calem's Pokémon raised its blade to block the attack, causing a loud clash of steel and a shower of sparks.

"Shadow Ball!" Calem called out.

Aegislash formed a dark orb of energy and launched it towards the mare. She dodged it swiftly and countered with her own attack. She swung her sword again and again, trying to break through Aegislash's defenses, but it was too quick for her.

"Aegislash, use Sacred Sword!"

"Aegis!" With its entire bladed body lighting up, Aegislash lunged towards the mare. She tried to block the attack, but Aegislash was too powerful for her. It pushed past her defenses and slashed through her sword.

The mare stumbled back, shocked by the sheer power of Aegislash's attack. She tried to recover, but Aegislash was already on her. It unleashed a flurry of slashes, each one more powerful than the last. The mare's sword was barely able to keep up with Aegislash's attacks. She tried to counter with her own slashes, but Aegislash was too agile. It danced around her attacks and continued its relentless assault. Calem watched the battle with a satisfied grin. He knew that Aegislash was the perfect Pokémon for the job.

Suddenly, eyes would glow along with her horn, emanating magic as she began to fire an energy blast from her horn. Aegislash was quick to use its blade and deflect the blast, sending it flying to the right.

She then made her sword spin while it was imbued with that same magical energy. She then threw her sword at Aegislash, hoping to slice through the Pokemon. Calem quickly called out for Aegislash to dodge the attack. The Pokemon was able to do so by using its quick reflexes to jump out of the way of the sword's trajectory. However, the sword was too fast and managed to graze Aegislash's blade. The mare smirked and began to charge a ball of energy at the tip of her horn, which then grew and grew in size and intensity.

"Aegislash, use Iron Head on the sword!"

"Aegis!" Aegislash responded and flew straight towards the mare's sword, which was still spinning in the air. It slammed its head against the sword with a metallic clang, causing the weapon to fall to the ground, lifeless.

The mare gasped in surprise and stared at her sword with disbelief. Without her sword, she was powerless, and the energy ball at the tip of her horn dissipated. She glared at Calem and his Pokémon with anger in her eyes.

"Hey! Why you...You'll pay for that!" the mare yelled.

Calem laughed and said, "Oh, really? I don't think so."

He then turned to Aegislash and nodded. The Pokémon understood and flew towards the mare, ready to finish her off. The mare braced herself for the impact, but Aegislash didn't attack. Instead, it landed in front of her and raised its blade, challenging her to a duel.

"Alright, let's see what you can do without your sword," Calem said.

The mare looked at her sword and then at Aegislash. She hesitated for a moment but then picked up the sword and charged at Aegislash. The two Pokémon clashed, trading blows with their blades. But without her magic, she was no match for Aegislash. It easily blocked her attacks and retaliated with its own. With each blow, the mare's sword weakened until it was no longer able to withstand the force of Aegislash's strikes.

"Aegislash, use Sacred Sword!" Calem commanded once again.

"Aegis!" Aegislash obeyed and lunged at the mare. With a swift motion, it sliced through her sword with its blade, shattering it into pieces.

The mare cried out in pain and fell to her knees. She clutched her broken sword and stared at it with despair. Her body started to glow, and she slowly dissolved into particles of light. Calem and Aegislash watched as she vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a faint trace of magic.

"Tch...Fair play, strange visitor." She said before vanishing.

Calem breathed a sigh of relief and patted Aegislash on the back. "Great job, buddy."

"Aeg." Aegislash responded, happy to have won the battle.

Calem smiled and recalled his Pokémon to its Poké Ball. He looked at the shattered sword and then at the sky, where the mare had vanished. "Well, all that's left is to free everyone in here."

Calem approached the walls, preparing the Soul of Xerneas once more. He could just keep n going to avoid the Arcane Institute, but he wasn't about to leave these ponies and Pokemon behind.

On the outside, all those who vowed to protect Calem from the Arcane Institute were not bluffing whatsoever. They were so grateful to him that they truly would do it for him, even though they just met him. They appeared outside of the area, waiting for the Arcane Institute to appear.

And appear they did. The Institute looked over at the distance, trying to figure out what they were looking at. Right before their eyes, they saw a plethora of ponies suddenly lined up outside the area.

"What the...?" Flawless asked, confused at this sudden appearance. "Who are they?"

"A bunch of Ponies, I guess." Phantasia replied. "But why?"

Flawless would look down upon them, and eventually, her eyes would settle on Starlight Amell, who would be standing in front of the group. She was the only Unicorn there who wasn't affiliated with their institute, so the conclusion was clear.

"I bet...they're protecting Calem." One student noticed.

"Oh, is that it?" Flawless asked, smirking at her. "A big mistake."

The students would descend upon the ponies, all of them ready to barge through the. Despite the strength of all the ponies, the Arcane Institute would have the upperhand due to the expertise in magic, and their ruthlessness.

"Whoever you all are, step aside. We're here on important business." Flawless ordered as she looked over all the ponies that were in her path.

"We're not moving. Not for a moment!" Starlight said, determined to keep the Arcane Institute from reaching Calem.

"The Great Savior must be protected." A student replied. "That's all that needs to be known. Now begone!" Starlight and the other ponies remained unmoving.

"Ugh...I hate worlds that defend these counterparts..." Phantasia groaned, rolling her eyes.

Flawless looked at the rest and decided on a quick decision.

"Fine then. If you won't move, we'll make you move. All of you..." Before Flawless could give an order, Alpha suddenly appeared, interrupting her.

"Wait." She said, looking over the ponies.

"Alpha? You're here already?"

"...Leave them to me. All of you. You wish to protect Calem, is that right?"

"More than anything! For our thanks of him saving us from the Labyrinth!" A pony shouted. "Naturally, we must return the favour"The other ponies agreed, all of them determined to protect the savior of their lives.

"I see. Then you wouldn't mind truly saving him from the worst possible fate by letting me through." Alpha suddenly pointed at them, ready to use the newfound magic she'd obtained. From her finger, he would dig into not just Princess Galela's Magic but King Sombra's magic. Even though the two of them had their souls freed and returned to normal, Alpha still kept their magic, using it to her advantage.

"Hm?" Starlight Amell noticed the magic coming from her fingertips. It was unfamiliar, naturally coming from another universe. However, it was even more unfamiliar to even the students of the Arcane Institute for one reason. It was both Galela and Sombra's magic merged as one. "What is that magic...?" Flawless muttered to herself.

Alpha would unleash this newfound magic, an eclipsing flash of both Shadow and Light emerging. The ponies that looked into it were absolutely stunned by it, not having a single clue of what it is. They tried to shield themselves from it, but it would quickly cover their bodies, consuming them entirely and causing them to vanish.

Flawless and the rest of the Arcane Institute would look over to see all of them had vanished. They were gone, disappeared in a flash of light.

"What...?" Phantasia muttered to herself.

"What did you just do?" Flawless asked Alpha.

"Send them home." Alpha said, her words a bit cryptic. This was their home, but did she mean that in another way? "Let's keep going."

"Uh, alright..."

Back inside, Calem successfully freed all the ponies and Pokemon in there, once again using Xerneas's power. With all of them freed and their bodies healed, they'd be able to walk out on their own. Many of them would look over at Calem, wondering who he was and how he was able to get in here and save them.

"Is everypony here?" He'd ask them, not noticing the commotion outside. "I've freed you all from the Labyrinth." Calem explained to them. "It's safe for you all to go now. Is anypony else in here?"

"I don't think so." A pony said, looking around. "Everypony's right here."

"Alright." Calem said, pointing them towards the entrance. "It's safe for you all to go back home. I'll protect you all as we go." With his reassurance, the ponies and Pokemon followed Calem towards the entrance of the Labyrinth. For him, it was best that they all find their way out of here before he can also be on his way.

He was rather good at navigating the Labyrinth. Were many struggled, Calem seemed to have an easier time. And that was for one good reason. Being an adventurer. Something like this was second nature to him, coming naturally. Going on journeys certainly helps.

However, as he was leading them out of this area, getting closer to the entrance which was just up ahead, he was stopped in his tracks. Calem would hear something up ahead, and he immediately told everyone to stay back as he approached. He would then notice something tiny manifesting in front of him. It was faint, rather miniscule, but it was flickering.

Calem narrowed his eyes, trying to focus on this small spark. But he wouldn't have to focus for long. It would start growing, showing its true form. This tiny spark was none other than a gateway to another world. It was familiar, but at the same time, different.

"A gateway?!" He exclaimed, being at the ready, having a Poke Ball in his hand. He feared that more of the Arcane Institute were approaching here, locking down his exact location. But, he would have nothing to fear. Not after the individual inside showed himself poking his head.

It was Lucas.

"Hey, man!"

"Lucas?!"

"Ah!" Lucas was surprised to see Calem. He jumped out to greet his friend. "Thank goodness, I found you."

"Lucas, how did you—?"

"No time to talk! Get in, man! We're all grouping up!" Lucas would grab Calem by the arm, ready to leave here.

"Gah!" And just like that, Calem was gone, being pulled into the gateway with Lucas. After the two went through, the gateway would close behind them, leaving nothing behind.

Everyone would stare at the spot where both Calem and Lucas were. They didn't know what to make of it. Who was that boy who saved them, and who was that other boy who came in and took him? It didn't matter to them, they were finally free from the labyrinth. All they needed to do was escape and never come back. But outside, trouble still awaits them.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 717 End.