My Little Pokémon: Grander World

Alola. Akala Island. Day.

At Alola, the training session for Ash and his counterparts had begun. Instructed by Calem on what to do, the 8 of them would work to utilize the Legendary Souls inside of them to the best of their abilities.

They were all at the beach where there would be plenty of space. The only one who had some experience with the soul within him aside from Calem was Lucas, who he used to open gateways and travel from place to place, but not much else.

And already, they were starting to get somewhere.

In Ethan's hands, he was currently generating the flames of Ho-oh, trying to maintain its form as he did so. "Man, this thing's a handful. This is why I don't play with fire that much."

"Just keep trying." Calem instructed.

Ethan was sweating. He tried to control the flames in his hands but he didn't want to burn anything. Eventually, he got a better handle on it and the flames became less wild and more under his control, forming into an orb. Ethan grinned and laughed, feeling the intense heat around his hands, but not being affected by the fire.

Nate was using Zekrom's soul to generate lightning of ideals, which manifested in his right hand while he held a small piece of wood in the other hand. "Okay...let's try this out..." He focused on the wood, trying to channel the power of the soul. Suddenly, lightning erupted from his hand, engulfing the wood in a bright, blue spark, obliterating the wood.

Nate gasped, staring at the charred remains of the wood. And at that moment, a grin appeared on his face. And so did Ethan's. "Check me out!" Instantly, Nate started zapping lightning everywhere, laughing maniacally.

"This is awesome!" Ethan got the hang of it as well, spraying fire into the air. "Look at me go!"

The duo then started shooting their fire and lightning into the air. Meanwhile, Brendan, who was currently trying to use Rayquaza's soul to take flight, fell from the air. He landed on the sand with a grunt and then pushed himself up. "Ow." He got up, brushing the sand off of himself and glared at Ethan and Nate who were causing mayhem with their newfound powers. "Hey! Knock it off!"

Calem sighed, knowing this wasn't the first time. "Idiots, quit it!"

"Hahaha! Come on! We're having fun!" Nate laughed and started running. He dashed towards the sea, his lightning powers trailing behind him as he laughed and laughed.

"Man, we haven't had fun with this stuff yet!" Ethan grinned, blasting a stream of fire from his hands.

"Hmmrgh..." Brendan would try one more time to fly. He tried to concentrate on Rayquaza, imagining the power and speed of the dragon Pokemon, his soul. But when he looked around, all he could see were trees, grass, and the sea. He closed his eyes again and tried to visualize flying. But as soon as he did so, his eyes snapped open as he felt something hit his back.

"Wha-?!" He looked behind him, only to find nothing there. Then, another blast hit him, this time on the head. He fell to the ground and growled in frustration. "Come on!"

Calem, who had been observing the entire time, walked towards him. "You're thinking about it too much. It's natural for a dragon like Rayquaza to fly, you don't need to do anything but feel the soul within you."

"Feel...the soul." Brendan muttered. "Right...okay, I think I've got this."

Brendan concentrated, closing his eyes once more and focusing on Rayquaza. He could hear Rayquaza's cry within him and it was enough for him to feel something powerful in him. He could feel it in his heart and his body. And suddenly, he felt a surge of power within him. He opened his eyes, his hair blowing wildly in the breeze and his clothes rustling in the air. "Whoa! That feels great! It's working!" He jumped up, hovering in the air.

"Yes! I'm doing it!" Brendan laughed. He flew around in circles, doing a couple of loops before flying off towards the others. "Haha!" Hilbert felt as free as the wind itself, flying through the sky and enjoying the view. He felt the air rushing through his hair, his arms spread out as if he were an eagle. The sun was shining down on him, and the ocean was sparkling beneath him. It was a beautiful day and he was enjoying it to the fullest.

"You guys are so lucky...!" Hilbert grizzled his teeth. "Grr...! If I wasn't a spirit, I would totally be shooting fire like crazy right now! Ash! Swap with me! Let me take over your body for a while!" He was desperate to try it, but it was clear he was a spirit.

"Hmm..." But Ash was deep in thought.

"Ash?" Hilbert tilted his head as Lucas was suddenly seen jumping through portals, teleporting everywhere in the surrounding area. In mere moments, these counterparts were ualready realizing how to use the Souls of the Legendary Pokemon, laughing and having the time of their life.

Naturally, all this ruckus would draw the attention for certain individuals who would take a peek at this. Mallow, Lana, Sophocles and Kiawe popped their heads out of some bushes nearby, eyeing down the scenario.

"What are they doing...?" Lana asked.

"No idea...but it seems really fun!" Mallow beamed.

"At a time like this, they're goofing off..." Kiawe shook his head before smiling. "Honestly. They all truly are Ash's counterparts."

"I'm gonna join in!" Sophocles jumped from his hiding spot and ran over to them, leaving the others shocked. They then followed suit. "Wait for me!" Kiawe ran after Sophocles, as did the others. The eight counterparts looked to see Sophocles, Mallow, Kiawe and Lillie coming out. However, the instinctively ducked and had their eyes bulge out as soon as a streak of stray lightning came their way. It just missed them, but still left a nasty scorch mark on the sand.

"Hahahaha!" Nate laughed like a madman as lightning was aggressively flying out of his body. It looked like he was going out of control.

"Nate!" Ethan exclaimed as his friend was suddenly engulfed by the lightning. Suddenly, the electricity started to get out of control. It started to spread and expand, covering everything in sight.

Ethan was caught off guard. He tried to contain it with his fire, but the lightning was too much for him. The flames just added fuel to the electricity, making it stronger and larger. Soon, everyone was engulfed by the lightning and they were unable to stop it. The electricity crackled and surged around them, causing everything around them to be fried.

Brendan got the idea to fly up and try to pull Ethan up. But as he was trying to grab Ethan, a stray lightning bolt hit him. The two boys were electrocuted and sent flying across the beach, crashing into a tree and getting burnt to a crisp.

"Ough..." They both groaned as Calem walked over to them, looking down at the two boys. He shook his head, disappointed at the mess that had just occurred.

"On the bright side, at least it shows when you're all together, it's way easier for all those powers to show up. But you still need some control over it." Calem cackled. "Like yours truly!" He was already getting a good grasp of his abilities. He could easily heal anyone using Xerneas's soul, restoring any damages done to his targets.

"Show off," Ethan grunted as Calem helped him up to his feet, dusting himself off.

The Human World. The Park.

At the same time, Sci-Twi was going through practice of herself. Over at the local park, she was about to be tutored by Princess Celestia and by extension Sunset Shimmer. "So. This competition is apparently a way to negotiate the outcome of things. But I'm not 100% sure that isn't going to be rigged in some way or even be a type of trap." Princess Celestia said to them both, with Sci-Twi nodding. She then added, "To be honest, I don't believe Twilight Luminaria is a liar. She doesn't come off as one. But I also can't risk it." Celestia looked down at her.

"I understand. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do my best. Although...when it comes to magic, I'm not 100% sure on if I can use it again. My inner magical self, Midnight Sparkle, left me a while back." Sci-Twi spoke.

"Same here." Sunset scratched her hair. "Daydream's out of me too, so I'm not too sure. The only way we can is by using Shift Stones but..."

"No magic? Bahahaha!" Celestia started laughing, catching them by surprise.

"Princess Celestia?" Sci-Twi looked confused.

"Ho ho ho...!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Just because that version of you left, doesn't mean you don't have any magic left! Even I don't need my own version of me. I just have to do it myself."

Celestia walked towards the two and placed her hand on their shoulders. "Magic comes from within you. You don't need an external source of power to make yourself strong. The two of you can do this."

"Really?" The duo said in unison.

"Of course. You would've known that if you stuck around a bit longer, Sunset." Celestia nudged her a bit.

"R-Right..." Sunset blushed.

"Ignore your external selves. Look deep within yourself. Twilight. I mainly want you to interact with the soul inside of you, and use its power." Princess Celestia stated, pointing at Sci-Twi, who nodded her head. She closed her eyes, and let the magical energy of the Soul inside her to resonate with her body and soul.

All she had to do was forget about Midnight Sparkle entirely and focus on herself and her soul. "Feel it. Let the magic flow through you, Twilight." Princess Celestia's words of encouragement helped her, as she began to concentrate. Suddenly, she felt something in the pit of her stomach. She felt her body get warm, and she felt the energy flowing through her. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, which had changed into a brilliant purple. Her body was now covered in a shimmering aura. Her eyes were glowing brightly as well.

"And it's just that easy." Celestia crossed her arms.

"I actually still have it?!" Sci-Twi looked down at her hands. "I still have magic!" She exclaimed.

"Of course you do. Midnight Sparkle was never the real you to begin with. You're your own self." Celestia smiled, patting Sci-Twi's shoulder. "The same applies to Twilight Luminaria."

"Really?"

"Mhm. The time will come when she will try and have you awaken. And when that time comes, you will have to fight back against her control over you."

Sci-Twi gulped, but nodded her head, determined not to let it happen.

"As backup, there's something I need you to do, Sunset Shimmer. In case Sci-Twi ever becomes a victim to her alternate self's power, and fails to hold back, it's up to you to keep her under control and fight her if necessary."

"Got it!" Sunset was already up for it.

"And as extra backup..." Celestia put her hands on both their shoulders. "You two will have to fuse."

"...Huh?" The duo's eyes widened.

Unilight.

Out in the countryside, within the train that came to a halt, Mayor Mare and all the others were still trapped by the Fairy Matter, completely asleep and unresponsive. Their bodies had been brought over to One Light by The Monstrified Gothitelle, a being created from a Gothitelle being transformed into a monstrosity.

Once here, Twilight Luminaria looked down on them all. At the ones who tried stopping her, the ones that stood in her way. The ones that are allies with One Light. Very little emotion came from her face, even when looking down on Harmony, who she once knew, as she saw her five past selves in the same body.

"It's a shame it turned out like this, Harmony. For you to ally yourself with them, of all people." Twilight Luminaria spoke to her, even if she was unconscious and unresponsive. "What a shame..."

"Shall I destroy them, Your Majesty?" Grogar asked her, walking forward with the Bell in hand. He would be willing to wipe them all from existence if that's what Twilight Luminaria wanted, to make it easier to take over this world and prepare for Prisma.

"No." But she refused to do that. "There's no need for something like that. Instead, we'll render them unable to stop us and use them against One Light. I don't want to cause harm. I'm not Prisma. Not like that." Twilight Luminaria turned around, walking back to the Professor.

"Of course, my Queen. You know what you're doing." Grogar said to her.

"But who is this?" Twilight Luminaria's eyes would look over at the odd one out. The only other alicorn here. That being Azurelia. "She doesn't seem to be Princess Celestia..."

"No clue. She must be from another universe. I'll find out soon enough. But she's nothing compared to your power." Grogar said.

Twilight Luminaria nodded and looked to the Professor. "Now then. Are the preparations ready for the competition?"

"More than ever. The Star Trials are ready, my queen. I assure you. And with you and the Arcane Institute at the helm, the competition is ready to begin. With our knowledge of how the Star Trials work, victory will be ours rather soon."

As for the stadium itself, it was actually multiple stadiums, not just one. There were a total of 5 stadiums, all built on 5 large platforms. They were connected to one another by bridges. It looked very large.

But there was one final stadium in the center of all of the rest of the Stadium. A gigantic stadium known as the Unity Stadium.

This stadium was a special one that was built in the middle of all of the other stadiums. It was made of pure, white marble. It was also very shiny and polished, as if it was new, even though it was built many years ago. The inside was very big and had many seats, all in different colors. Stars would twinkle brightly, even during the day.

To say that these stadiums were huge would be an understatement. These were massive stadiums, and they were also very high above the ground. This made it easy for everyone to see the events happening below them, even if they couldn't see them up close.

In the main stadium, there was a large stage in the center of the stadium, surrounded by a pool of water. This stage was made of glass, with many different colored crystals. On top of the stage, was a giant, golden chalice. The Unity Chalice. It was an ancient, magical object, with a history dating back to Unilight's early days.

The Unity Stadium is the center of attention in the Star Trials, a competition that only the citizens of Unilight knew of and how they worked. In this world, they had never happened before, and were exclusive to the Lost Universe, which is why no one here had a chance of winning. And Twilight Luminaria and her Arcane Institute would make sure that it would happen.

The Dream Realm.

But within the dreams of Mayor Mare and everyone, they all found themselves in the Dream Realm, where all of their minds would be trapped within a prison that would hold them all together. All done by Gothitelle.

This was a dream specifically design to contain them, ensuring that they wouldn't interfere and cause problems. Their minds would be held captive within a dream, trapped inside of a massive, dark void that would consume them, keeping their bodies asleep and unable to escape. The dream would be designed in a way that they would be trapped inside of a massive dark void.

Everyone was completely silent, unable to say anything or even open their eyes. It was like being inside a dream but not being able to do anything. They were all asleep and unable to escape the dream that had them all captured, unable to move, talk or do anything. All except Azurelia, who managed to keep her eyes opened.

"A dream..." She realized, as she looked around, seeing everyone. "Everyone! Wake up!" She yelled at them all, hoping to snap them out of their sleep, but they all stayed asleep and unable to move. Azurelia tried to reach for them, but they were all far away from her reach. "Please, you must wake up!" She tried again, but they were still unable to hear her. She began to worry about them and what might happen if they didn't wake up soon. "I'll try to wake them up!" She said, but they all remained still and unable to respond. She was unable to move them as well.

The Pony-Pokemon Hybrid grit her teeth, but she was unable to do anything to save them.

"Hrrr!" Her eyes would start glowing a beautiful golden color, the golden magic would surround the sleeping ponies and poke-pokémon. Slowly, their minds started to clear up and they began to awaken. Slowly, they were waking up from the sleep that they had fallen into, even though it was not easy. Their eyes were opening slowly and they were waking up from their slumber. But the spell would break as they were released and their bodies were no longer asleep, their eyes opening to the dream.

"W... What happened...?" Mayor Mare rubbed her eyes and woke up, her voice hoarse, but still understandable.

"Oh, thank goodness!" She rushed over to all of them, checking on each one to make sure they were alright. She looked around the area. "We're in a dream. I think I saw a Gothitelle."

"Urgh...What was that all about? Why was that Talonflame so hideous?" Trixie groaned. "Ugh. My head hurts."

"It didn't look like a regular Talonflame..." Fluttershy said. "Something's wrong with it..."

"Same..." Pinkie Pie felt the same. All of them did. Their heads were ringing, and their eyes were burning. They couldn't see straight and were stumbling around. In fact, their senses were being attacked, mainly within their heads. They all groaned in pain.

"I feel the same. My head hurts..." Roseluck groaned. "My eyes burn. And my ears are hurting..."

"And my nose feels like it's burning. I smell smoke..." Rarity coughed, covering her mouth. She was also feeling weak. "My throat hurts. My skin is itching. I'm tired. My legs hurt..."

All of them couldn't think straight. Something was attacking them from within, and it wasn't something that could be cured. The truth was that Gothitelle's Psychic Power was doing more than just keeping them asleep. She had an abstract ability, an ability that could make her targets feel any sort of sensation that she wanted, all without ever having to touch them. She had the power to make her enemies feel any way she wanted.

"Ngh!" Azurelia was starting to feel it too. She felt dizzy, nauseated, and tired. Her body ached, her stomach was churning, and her skin itched. It felt like they were all going to perish from this powerful force.

But she wasn't going to let it win. Not this easily. "I need something...maybe...a Refresh!" Using her Pokemon Biology, she was able to cast a Refresh. By flashing her eyes and horn, a glorious green light would flow outwards, washing over everyone here. The others felt a wave of relief as the symptoms were fading away and their health was restored.

"Ahhhh...!" Everyone was sighing in relief.

"Phew, thanks..." Applejack sighed, falling on her back. "That was horrible..."

"Now...what are we gonna do? We're all trapped here..." Azurelia wondered, as the Dream Realm that they were trapped within looked to be some kind of dark void. A massive, endless abyss where they would remain in an endless sleep.

"Duh! We break out!" Amethyst Star exclaimed. "This isn't our first rodeo when it comes to being in the Dream Realm. I say we all break out or wake up and teach that Gothitelle a lesson."

"Mhm!" They all agreed, all having experiences being in the Dream Realm.

"I would advise against that, all of you." A voice spoke to them as someone had arrived in the Dream Realm. A blue light manifested, having the texture of the night sky. And out of it emerged none other than Nightmare Moon. "You're not in friendly territory out there in the real world." The Princess of Darkness told them. She looked over them with her eyes narrowed.

"Nightmare Moon?" said Roseluck.

"Apologies for the late arrival. I would've freed you myself if I were here. But anyways, I don't recommend waking up right now." Nightmare Moon explained. "Currently, you all are in Unilight's City."

"We are?!" Fluttershy gasped along with many others. Their bodies were in enemy territory, which means that the moment they would wake up, the rest of Unilight could attack them.

"If you do, you'll be overwhelmed without a doubt. Already, Unilight's main city has a plethora of ponies and Pokemon there. Very soon, it will have humans, dragons, griffons and other species that have awoken their dormant souls. They greatly outnumber you all."

"Oh dear..." Rarity was worried about what was going to happen.

"I'd suggest staying asleep for a while. You all will not wake up just yet." Nightmare Moon suggested. "But not to worry. Just because you'll be asleep, doesn't mean you won't be able to do anything from the outside." Nightmare Moon would float upwards, the moon shining bright. The others were looking up to her. "While I am busy with the battle ahead, you all will be helping in your own way." Her magic would shine around her body. "You'll all be providing support from in here, the Dream Realm."

"Really? How?" Pinkie Pie questioned.

"Hm-hm. As the embodiment of Nightmares, I can provide some assistance in my own way. Luna would usually assist you all via dreams, but I...I can assist you with your nightmares."

"Our...nightmares?" They repeated.

"Yes...The power of Dreams are boundless, yes. Infinite and full of capabilities. When utilizied, they are one of the greatest powers in existence. But...nightmares, while not was freeing, can have a lot of potential. They can cause immense damage and be used to bring absolute despair to people, making them fear you, giving you the chance to defeat them."

"So we'll be using our own nightmares against someone else? That's new.'" One pony spoke.

"Can we even do that...?" Another scratched his hair. When it came to dreams, they understood clearly that they could use their dreams to their advantage, mainly with Luna's help. But Nightmares were a different story. Everyone hated Nightmares. They'd rather not experience one.

But Nightmare Moon's gaze told them otherwise. She wasn't kidding when it came to the use of Nightmares.

"Don't fear the nightmares. Use them. Well...you'll still fear them and I'd prefer if you were all still fearful of them.'" Nightmare Moon proudly said with a smile. "But regardless, for once, use your worst fears against your enemies."

"Can we really?" They were unsure.

"Trust me." She said to them. She looked up to the sky as she levitated in the air, her body floating in a stance that looked as though she was flying towards the moon. The moon shining behind her as her magic grew stronger and the dark auras surrounding her became more visible.

"Now, it is time for the real nightmare to begin...! For Unilight!"

Everyone would stare in awe as the moon behind Nightmare Moon glowed with a brighter, dark aura. Her own dark magic was enveloping her and her magic. Right now, you'll have the honor of assisting me! To affect the real world, you will all form your own Tantabus!" Soon, a bright light would spread out, enveloping the sky of the Dream Realm and very soon, everyone from within.

They were about to do more than just use their nightmares. They were about to realize their own Tantabus, much like Princess Luna herself.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 731 End.