My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

Sensing a Greater Storm

Equestria. Ponyville. Nightfall.

Another night in the world. At this moment, while many were asleep, some were, as always, still awake. Such as Absol, who stood outside Twilight's Castle. Another night where he couldn't sense any disasters.

Absol knew that the world was still adjusting itself to the existence of the Dragon Matter, Fairy Matter and the fearsome surge that Daybreaker and Gardevoir created but he just couldn't sense where another disaster would happen. All thanks to Malamar.

Absol was well aware that someone was behind this. His horn wasn't faulty but there was obviously something blocking it from sensing danger. Absol knew that someone didn't want him to pick up on suspicious activities. WIth his eyes narrowing, gazing into the night sky, Absol felt that enough time has passed.

To solve this, the Disaster Pokemon re-entered the castle, heading straight for the one thing he believed would solve this issue.

The Rift Cauldron.

The Dark-Type stood before the Rift Cauldron, gazing at its Blue and Pink glow. He's never used the cauldron before, let alone dabbled in Rift Magic. Absol needed to gain his ability to sense disasters once again and the Cosmic Power of the Rift could break through it. That was a no-brainer due to how erratic it is.

"Absol? What are you doing?" Awake and lighting up the dark room was Twilight. She appeared to see her Pokemon standing before the Rift Cauldron, hearing his footsteps in the night.

"Sol. Absol." Absol nudged his head over at the cauldron.

"It's about your horn, isn't it? I know how you feel but let's not get hasty right now." Twilight spoke. "Next thing in the morning, I'll do my best to restore your ability."

"Absol..." Absol grumbled. He wished he could restore it now and get into action. But taking Twilight's advice, the Disaster Pokemon would call it a night. It's not often he gets to sleep anyways, so now would be the best time to do so. Twilight smiled, glad that Absol could heed her request and she was certainly going to live up to his promise.

---

Alola. Out on an island. Nightfall.

As the moon rose high in the sky and most inhabitants of the merged world drifted off to sleep, Malamar and his minions emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malevolence. Under the cover of darkness, they set their sinister plans into motion.

Malamar, perched upon a jagged outcrop, surveyed his assembled minions with a calculating gaze. The other Malamar, their hypnotic eyes glinting with malice, awaited their master's instructions, poised to carry out their dark deeds. Right now, he was also looking for a way to find Solgaleo and Lunala.

"With our Psychic Surveillance, we can possibly track down those two. The Dread League did everything in their power to try and force Yveltal and even Xerneas out. But as for us, we will take a different approach to finding Solagelo and Lunala." The Head Malamar spoke.

With a subtle gesture of its tentacles, Malamar dispatched its minions to various strategic vantage points across the land. Each minion possessed formidable psychic abilities, capable of probing the minds of other Pokémon and ponies and scanning the skies for any signs of Solgaleo and Lunala's presence.

One group of minions descended upon a secluded grove nestled deep within the forest, their telepathic tendrils reaching out to touch the thoughts and dreams of the slumbering creatures within. With delicate precision, they sifted through the subconscious minds of the forest's inhabitants, searching for any whispers or echoes that might lead them to the legendary Pokémon.

Meanwhile, another faction of Malamar ventured to the highest peaks of the mountain range that stretched across the merged world. From their lofty perches, they gazed skyward, their psychic senses attuned to the celestial energies that pulsed through the heavens above. With focused concentration, they scanned the stars for any anomalies or disturbances that might indicate Solgaleo and Lunala's presence.

As the night wore on, Malamar and its minions continued their vigil, their psychic surveillance encompassing every corner of the merged world. Through their combined efforts, they sought to find the two Pokemon of the Sun and Moon.

Malamar could do all of this freely since he didn't have to worry about Absol's interference. Even if Absol couldn't reach the Alola Region in time, he would at least give the warning to his friends if he sensed this. But not anymore. This allowed Malamar to go wild, not needing to hold back his actions.

Of course, he was doing all of this while the Dragon Matter and Fairy Matter were still active, only adding more fuel to fire.

---

Equestria. Canterlot. The Pokemon School. Afternoon.

Another day had passed at the Pokemon School. Lessons were over and students were heading home. Among them was Sandbar, who was soon joined by two of his friends. Silverstream and Gallus.

"Are you heading over to see that Contest Facility get built?" Silverstream asked, bringing up the Contest Facility that was spoken of during Career Day. "A lot of us Hippogriffs are going to be there."

"Not really." Sandbar wasn't really looking into Pokemon Contests at that moment.

"If you don't want that, then let's go to one of those Gyms. Maybe see a Gym Battle. Unless you want to be in one."

"No. I'm not looking to take on the Gyms." But Sandbar wasn't up for that either. "I thought you wanted to."

"Uhh...I haven't gotten into it just yet." Gallus shrugged. "I still haven't trained up my Taillow yet, so there's that."

"Well, you'd be too late to enter it though?" Silverstream giggled. "Everyone's already ahead of you. The Equestria League is right around the corner. I can feel it. Personally, I'm rooting for Princess Luna to win it. It only makes sense."

"That'd just be boring. She'd probably win because she's Celestia's sister."

"Well, not really." Sandbar said otherwise. "I think she has a high chance of winning. More than anyone else based on what she does when training. When she's not dealing with a threat anyways."

"How do you know?" Gallus asked.

"I keep records of each Pokemon Trainer that's qualified to be in the League." Sandbar revealed, stunning the both of them.

"Wait, you keep records?" Silverstream exclaimed, her eyes widening with curiosity. "Like, detailed records of every trainer? Like us?"

"No, just those entering the Equestria League. I've been doing it for a while now. It's just something I do in my free time. Helps me stay organized and keep track of everyone's progress. For 4 whole years, I've been doing it and eventually, it'll be 5."

Gallus scratched his head, clearly impressed by Sandbar's dedication. "That's... actually pretty cool. I had no idea you were into that sort of thing."

"Oh, you have to show us that!" Silverstream asked, wanting to see the records now. She immediately threw the Contest Facility out of the window. Gallus was of the same opinion.

---

Sandbar's home.

They had arrived.

Sandbar beckoned his friends to take a seat at the wooden table in the centre of his room, where stacks of neatly organized notebooks and folders awaited their perusal. With a smile, he reached for a thick binder labelled "Pokémon League Records" and placed it gently on the table before them.

"Here it is," Sandbar said, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. "My collection of records from the past four years. I've kept track of every trainer who's qualified for the Pokémon League, along with their Pokémon teams, battle strategies, and competition standings."

"Nice. Very nice." Gallus approved. "It's like a roadmap to success," he remarked, "It's like a guidebook. So, what are you gonna even use this for? It has to have some use, right?"

"No. It's just fun to do. One of the other Trainers, Daylight Blazer, did the same thing and that's how he developed fast as a Pokemon Trainer."

Silverstream and Gallus leaned in eagerly, their curiosity piqued by the prospect of delving into Sandbar's meticulously compiled data. With bated breath, they flipped through the pages of the binder, marveling at the wealth of information contained within.

And it was truly packed. From when Rainbow Dash was the first Trainer to take on Equestria's First Gym Battle, Spitfire's rapid growth, the establishment of the many smaller tournaments that were held in Canterlot plus the rankings of who was Equestria's top trainers. It was all in here. Sandbar even went the extra mile to include the battles that involved the fate of the world.

Naturally, he held back and didn't get himself involved in those massive threats but he made sure to keep track of them. Even the most fearsome foes have interesting ways of battling.

The most prominent ones here were Ash and Luna, who had plenty of pages. Both were on here for their own reasons. Ash for his mentoring and his varied strategies and Lua was here for her rapid growth and training sessions.

"Wow, this is incredible!" Silverstream exclaimed, her eyes scanning the pages filled with detailed notes and statistics. "I never realized just how much goes into preparing for the Pokémon League. It's like a whole other world!"

You know, Princess Luna goes out to Deerling Forest or Kingdra Durance a lot to practice." Sandbar said. "Only at night though. Sometimes when I go fishing or exploring with Ponyta, she's just there. She's always working hard with every type."

"Well, if you're not gonna use this. I might. Just imagine!" Gallus exclaimed with wonder in his eyes. "Anyone who uses this can't lose!"

"I don't know about that. Even if you know everything about everyone, there's still a chance for you to lose." Sandbar had a different opinion, seeing vast knowledge as something that can also be countered. "If I showed this to Rainbow Dash or somepony else, I'd still bet on Princess Luna to win."

"Do you think she's training now?" Silverstream questioned.

"Probably. Or maybe she's busy doing Princess things." Sandbar wondered at this very moment.

---

Deerling Forest.

Right as Sandbar said Princess Luna was out at Deerling Forest at this very moment. When there aren't any duties for her to do since her sister does most of it, she trains herself for the upcoming Equestria. To become Equestria's first Pokemon Champion, Luna felt that she couldn't skip even a week of training.

As Princess Luna traversed the serene landscape of Deerling Forest, her resolute gaze was fixed on the path ahead. The forest, bathed in the gentle glow of the Afternoon Sun, seemed to come alive with the whispers of the ancient trees and the rustle of the underbrush.

And so, in the quiet moments between her royal duties, Luna dedicated herself to rigorous training in preparation for the upcoming Equestria League. However, while practising, Luna couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. She looked up at the Afternoon sky while her Darkrai, Gliscor, Aurorus, Florges and Musharna were practising in the background.

She wondered if she would see the Dragon Matter pop up again by surprise. Or perhaps even the Fairy Matter. Luna refocused her attention on her Pokémon companions, determined not to let her unease distract her from her training.

"Hmm..."

---

Alola.

As Princess Luna and her Pokémon companions continued their training in Deerling Forest, unbeknownst to them, sinister forces were at work elsewhere in the world. Malamar, with its cunning intellect and formidable psychic powers, had been relentless in its pursuit of Solgaleo and Lunala since the previous night.

Even at this moment here at the Alola Region, their psychic surveillance extended further, probing the depths of the merged world in search of any sign of the legendary Pokémon. Hours and hours went by with no success.

As Malamar's forces scoured the land, their telepathic tendrils reached out, probing the minds of Pokémon and ponies alike for any traces of Solgaleo and Lunala's presence. With each failed attempt, frustration simmered beneath Malamar's calm exterior, driving it to redouble its efforts in its relentless pursuit.

"Where are they?" Malamar spoke. "Could they be in Ultra Space? That is the only other location I can think of them being in than there."

With a flick of its tentacles, Malamar extended its psychic tendrils further, delving deep into the recesses of the minds of Pokémon, Humans and Ponies alike. It probed the boundaries of reality, searching for any trace of Solgaleo and Lunala's presence, but to no avail.

As the minutes stretched into hours, Malamar's frustration grew, a simmering anger bubbling beneath its composed exterior. It had come too far, invested too much of its energy and resources in the pursuit of power, to be thwarted by the elusive legendary Pokémon.

All the action from Malamar and its minions extended all the way to Equestria, searching for any clues.

As Malamar's psychic tendrils extended across the merged world, reaching even into the realm of Equestria, the inhabitants of the land felt a strange sensation wash over them. Whispers of unease fluttered through the air, stirring a sense of disquiet among Pokémon, humans, and ponies alike.

In the bustling streets of Ponyville, ponies paused in their daily routines, their ears twitching as if attuned to a distant echo. The sound was rather familiar to them. As if they have heard it before. Malamar was already all too familiar with Ponyville since he launched quite a large attack on it, including Canterlot.

Even within the tranquil confines of Deerling Forest, where Princess Luna and her Pokémon companions trained diligently, a sense of foreboding hung heavy in the air. Luna herself felt a shiver run down her spine, a primal instinct warning her of unseen dangers lurking just beyond the edge of perception.

With each passing moment, its frustration grew, fueling its determination to uncover the whereabouts of the legendary Pokémon no matter the cost. All of it was failing with no progress being done. As the minutes stretched into hours, Malamar's forces were practically doing nothing. That's how it felt to them anyways.

"Nothing..." Malamar grumbled. "Pointless. I would at least expect Equestria to have something. But...if I can't even find them in Alola or anywhere else, then perhaps I'll need another approach. I won't go into Ultra Space. I need them to come to me. And perhaps, the way to do that is to force an Ultra Beast out."

Malamar formulated a new plan to continue his efforts and it involved the Ultra Beasts. But before he could get to work, he suddenly felt a familiar presence. It went all the way back to Equestria, specifically, Twilight's Castle. At this moment, Malamar could sense another powerful energy source that was not Infinity Energy or Dragon Matter.

Instead, it was Rift Energy. Noticing this, Malamar would stick around to see where this Rift Energy was coming from. After all, he didn't feel at all this entire time.

"Absol." Absol's eyes flared as the Rift Energy was currently being used on him by Twilight Sparkle herself. Thanks to Malamar's actions, Absol was blocked from sensing disasters, making sure Malamar could get away with anything. But with Twilight using the Rift Magic on her own Pokemon, she was beginning to break the effect that Malamar cast.

With each passing moment, Absol's senses sharpened, its instincts honed to a razor's edge as it detected the subtle shifts and fluctuations in the world around it. As Malamar watched from the shadows, he realized that Twilight's use of Rift Magic was beginning to unravel his carefully laid plans, threatening to expose its dark machinations to the light.

And once Absol's senses returned, his horn went haywire. Absolutely haywire. It was vibrating at such rapid paces that Absol has never seen before. But Absol fixated on one thing. He was beginning to sense the origin of the problem that blocked his senses.

He picked up on Malamar, who was classified as a disaster. Malamar gasped as he and his minions immediately removed their tendrils from the ground once Absol sensed them.

But it was too late. Absol's senses were attuned to the faintest whispers of danger, and nothing could escape its vigilant gaze. "Sol! Absol!" Absol relayed its findings to Twilight Sparkle, alerting her to the presence of Malamar and how he was the cause of this.

"What?" Twilight gasped. At last, now she had been caught up. "Malamar?! That Malamar?!"

With Malamar's presence exposed, The sinister Pokémon knew that it was only a matter of time before Absol and potentially other forces would come seeking retribution. "Drat. That Absol will ruin everything. We've barely made any progress here."

Malamar wasted no time in implementing its backup plan. His minions approached, carrying something with their tendrils. It appeared to be a bucket but the liquid inside of it was not normal. Not at all. Much like the Rift Cauldron, in it was Rift Energy.

Thanks to Daybreaker's alliance, he was able to get his creepy tendrils on them. This was how he managed to block Absol's Disaster Sense in the first place and now he felt that it was once again a good time to use this power for himself.

"He won't get to me. Not at all." Malamar chuckled. "Not if I have someone in Equestria stop him for me. Those citizens won't do. They're far too fragile for Absol. I need someone efficient but weak-willed. Perhaps someone with enough potential for me to exploit."

With the plan to use Rift Magic to influence innocents in Equestria, Malamar devised a sinister scheme to sow discord and confusion, turning the inhabitants of the land against Absol and its allies. Malamar sought out an individual with enough potential to serve its purposes, yet weak-willed enough to succumb to its influence.

Scanning the minds of Equestria's inhabitants, Malamar's psychic tendrils delved deep into the thoughts and memories of ponies and Pokémon alike, searching for the perfect candidate to do its bidding. And then, it found what it was looking for: a pony with untapped potential, yearning for power and purpose, yet vulnerable to the whispers of temptation.

At that moment, he found them. Malamar sensed three candidates who were elsewhere. Sandbar, Silverstream, and Gallus.

Each of these young ponies possessed qualities that intrigued Malamar. Sandbar, with his meticulous record-keeping, showed potential for greatness yet harboured doubts and insecurities that could be exploited.

Silverstream, with her boundless curiosity and adventurous spirit, longed for excitement and purpose, making her susceptible to the allure of power. And Gallus, with his sarcastic and independent nature plus quite an ego made him vulnerable for other reasons. He didn't seem to have the same weakness as the other two but Malamar could work with it.

Malamar began seeping Rift Magic towards Sandbar, Silverstream, and Gallus, intending to manipulate their desires and ambitions, it encountered an unexpected obstacle in the form of Sandbar's Galarian Ponyta who was sleeping peacefully in his favourite spot.

"Ta?" Ponyta's horn would go off, sensing the incoming Rift Magic from below. He already sensed the Psychic Energy but didn't think too much of it, unlike this. "Ponyta!"

"What's wrong, Ponyta?" Sandbar asked as his partner came rushing in with his horn glowing.

As Galarian Ponyta attempted to repel the encroaching Rift Magic, he threw himself into the emerging cosmic energy that was also packed with Psychic Power.

With a surge of malevolent power, the Rift Magic overwhelmed Galarian Ponyta's defences, seeping into its being and corrupting its radiant aura. The once-pure light that emanated from Galarian Ponyta's mane began to flicker and fade, replaced by an ominous darkness that spread like a creeping shadow.

Sandbar watched in horror as his loyal companion was suddenly struck and infected by Rift Magic, its form shrouded in an eerie glow as it fell under Malamar's control. Just like that, the entire room was overtaken by Rift Magic in a flash. Sandbar, Silverstream, Gallus, and even Galarian Ponyta found themselves engulfed in the swirling vortex of cosmic energy, their forms obscured by the ominous shadows that danced and flickered around them.

Thanks to Twilight breaking the effect, Malamar was advancing his plans, even if it meant he had to get his tendrils dirty with Equestria once more. But this time, Malamar was going to make sure he wouldn't fail.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 410 End.