//------------------------------//
// Worst kind of Freedom 
// Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World 
// by Amarvax 
//------------------------------//

Equestria. Canterlot. Afternoon.

Back at Canterlot, Princess Celestia still found herself occupied with the most pressing matter at the moment. With the combination of both worlds, regulations were needed. More importantly, Celestia was thinking about how Equestrian Magic would work.

"Nothing's happened yet." Celestia was in the midst of doing a full report. She spoke about this with the Ranger Union, her most trusted Pokemon Officials. "But something will happen. For the most part, both of our worlds only had their respective magics interact thanks to the Rift. Now, it's a different story."

"Good point. But it's helped us out a lot in the past, hasn't it?" The Ranger Union replied, mostly seeing this as a positive. And why wouldn't they? Previous experiences have shown how well Pokemon Magic and Equestrian Magic go together. Celestia and Gardevoir are a prime example of that unity when they become Celestial-Gardevoir.

"That's true." Celestia herself knew that to be the case. "But now, they're forever together. I'm mostly worried about what that means for the Pokemon. We have our fair share of magical creatures that originate from here."

"It could change a lot. But we'll get on that and watch out for anything off. Right now, we're expecting your nieces to show up with Giratina. It's about time that it returned to its universe. Is there anything else we should look out for?"

"Nothing at all, but I'll call you as always. Ah, but...since you'll be taking Giratina back, do you think Flurry Heart could keep his Ultra Ball?"

"Keep Giratina's Ultra Ball?" The people at the Union repeated. Celestia wished to find a way to sweeten the eventual departure with something to make her niece from another universe smile. "Hmm...Well, nothing's stopping her from doing so. The Ultra Ball would mean that Giratina is still her Pokemon. Whenever a trainer releases a Pokemon, they still keep the Poke Ball but some do end up giving the Poke Ball away depending on the circumstances. The distance between the Ultra Ball and Giratina's home will be vast though."

"That's fine with me. Giratina is only going there to maintain the Distortion Realm, right? So there's a chance he'll return."

"The best we can do is tell her that Giratina will always be her Pokemon. Whether Giratina returns has yet to be seen but we'll keep in touch with that universe, Princess."

"Right. Thank you." Celestia felt a bit relieved that Flurry Heart would get to keep Giratina's Poke Ball at least. That would be a sign of them being as close as possible to two different worlds. But it was at that moment that Celestia thought of another world that could be affected by this unification. A world that was always connected yet had its own portal. "Wait!" Her eyes lit up, thinking about Sunset Shimmer and her current home. "Um, thank you for this chat as always!" 

She would finish the call with the Ranger Union, instantly thinking about the Human World. The outcome of that world had yet to be seen. Arcanine, who was peacefully sleeping, was immediately startled by Celestia's elevated voice.

"I'll be right back. I just need to make sure of something." Celestia would leave in a flash in front of Gardevoir and Arcanine via teleportation. This moment of realization made Celestia fear for what could've happened to that world. Granted, Jirachi mostly did it as a positive outcome but with everything positive, something negative is bound to sprout up eventually. 

Such is the law of the Universe.



Holon. Holon Settlement. Afternoon.

By taking on a musical challenge by the Trickster Dragon, Ash's group found themselves going up against a Holographic Projection of Starlight. Meanwhile, the real Starlight was trapped within her own projection. Espeon, who was rushing to the aid of Twilight, would run up the stairs of Professor Pine's lab as fast as she could. The lower levels of the lab were for most of the research assistants. The crux of it all was at the very top and thankfully, Espeon knew her way around this place.

However, something was amiss. The more she ran, the more she noticed how she wasn't getting anywhere. The stairs were not originally this long and the further she went, the longer they became. It didn't take long for the Psychic-Type to spot the obscurity as she came to a screeching halt. Tricks were being played on her.

"Keep going." Suddenly, a mouth would pop out of the walls next to her, jump scaring the Sun Pokemon. This was the voice and mouth of the Trickster Dragon once more, speaking to Espeon from the walls. "You're not too far."

"Esp?!" The Psychic-Type stopped in her tracks, watching how high she managed to get despite the lab not being that large in the first place. The neon lights from the altered scenery were also present here, annoyingly flaring in Espeon's peripheral.

"What? Is this annoying for you? It doesn't seem to bother anyone else. It fits the mood and everyone is fine with it. Is it annoying if I do this?" Purposefully annoying Espeon, the Trickster Dragon would flash the neon lights repeatedly.

Espeon growled, closing her eyes to avoid this irritating flicker of multiple colours. The Trickster Dragon's multiple mouths would then laugh at the Sun Pokemon, only upping the intensity and abundance of them. Espeon's legs would nearly slip her off this elevated staircase, only for her Psychic fortitude to warn her.

"Espeon...!" Espeon managed to keep her balance even with her eyes closed but it only ended in her bumping her head directly at the walls.

"Hah!" The mouths all wheezed and cackled at her, further agitating the Sun Pokemon. Espeon would finally open her eyes, showing off a violet glow. This gaze was followed by Espeon's Psychic, which would grab one of the nearby mouths. The mouths would immediately shut up once they saw one of their own held down by a vigorous Psychic hold. "Mmm?!"

"Now, hold on!" One mouth from the Trickster Dragon spoke out. "I'm joking! Stop! Stop!"

"Espeon!" But it was too late for that. It was already too late once she saw Twilight's current predicament. Espeon would then throw this mouth into the others, causing a domino effect. Mouths would fall onto each other, all collectively saying the same thing with rising tones. 

"Ow!" Eventually, the chain reaction would end once the Trickster Dragon erased his mouth from every wall. "Alright. If you want to reach Twilight so badly, then start running. You can have the musical challenge just like them."

"Eon?" Espeon would take one look behind her to see how the stairs received another change. Piano keys. The Trickster Dragon altered them to become piano keys, keeping with the musical theme. However, the stairs that Espeon already ran across had been triggered. The piano keys would start off by playing a random tune before suddenly dropping, leaving a gap that was rapidly approaching Espeon. "Esp!" Espeon started bolting for the top with how the piano keys were all falling apart.

She was now part of this challenge, playing an ascending melody with each rapid step she took. But much like everyone else, it wasn't very consistent. Espeon managed to outspeed the falling piano keys but the distance was still a problem as the Trickster Dragon had not removed that little annoyance.

"Play something better than this if you want to get to her." The Trickster Dragon spoke, insisting that Espeon went for a better melody that was pleasant to hear.

"Esp...!" Espeon growled before using Quick Attack to move faster than before, zooming past the other keys. She wouldn't trigger these keys, finding a way to keep some of them stable.

"Bah." The Trickster Dragon scoffed at Espeon's clever tactics. She refused to play him anything at all. Only focusing on reaching Twilight more than anything. The Trickster Dragon was growing rather disinterested in Espeon at this rate. 

Espeon's Quick Attack made a difference in the speed she managed to gather. However, even if she had this speed boost, it didn't mean much when the top still looked so far away. So, she figured that if she couldn't just run up to the end, she might as well make a new entryway.

And that was done by using Dazzling Gleam. Espeon surrounded herself in an incandescent sphere of multiple colours before then launching herself. She would have to apologize to Professor Pine after this as she broke through the walls of the lab to quickly reach her destination.

That was the best choice she could've made as she found herself in the main research room. Right where Twilight could be seen standing before Professor Pine and her assistants who had all mutated. But not as badly as Professor Pine.

"Eve!" Twilight happily said once seeing her tried and true partner emerge from the cascade of broken walls and floorboards. Eve would catch Professor Pine's mutated tail nearly going for Twilight, only for rainbow rays to drop from above. After forcing the professor's tail back, Espeon would make a smooth landing as she was a cat-based Pokemon, getting in front of Twilight.

"Espeon!"

"Nice entrance!" Twilight praised. "Usually it's Absol who makes these entrances."

"You couldn't have just used the other Pokemon?" Professor Pine held her tail which was smoking from Espeon's Dazzling Gleam.

"I'm capable on my own. But it does feel nice when my Pokemon help out." Twilight added. "Eve. The professor and everyone in here aren't in their right mind at the moment. Don't go too hard on them. I need you to help me free them all."

The Professor, after healing her tail would then use what the Trickster Dragon granted for this musical challenge. Everyone here would use some form of music. And for her, she had a sold musical bar in her hands while her assistants all carried drumsticks.

"Oh!" Twilight would close her eyes and cover her ears, knowing what was coming. Anything that involved music involved strong soundwaves and she was right on the money for that. Professor Pine and her assistants would play a melody that was immediately pushed to the highest volume. This was immediately met with a soundproof barrier from Twilight which would cover herself and Espeon.

The music did not reach Twilight's ears at all and only managed to crash into her barrier, which stood strong. Twilight confidently stood there, knowing that this was the perfect barrier to block out any unwanted sounds.

"No fair!" Professor Pine groaned once she saw the music had no effect on them both. In extension, this would also annoy the Trickster Dragon since Twilight could just ignore this challenge with this barrier.

"Alright, Eve. Dazzling Gleam!"

"Espeon!" Within the barrier, Espeon would unleash a blinding light of magic. The light was strong enough to reach out of the barrier, catching the eyes of Pine and her assistants. They would all feel the blinding light of Dazzling Gleam which would stun them.

Now it's Twilight's time to try and free their minds. The music was put to a halt, giving her the chance to lower her barrier and take action. Magical rays would flow out of Twilight's horn, touching the foreheads of the Pokemon Researchers. The researchers found were paralyzed by Twilight's contact, dropping their musical weapons in shock.  "Sorry about this..." Twilight apologized before soon entering their minds. Her eyes would illuminate a vibrant to show her connection with each of their minds.



Twilight got a successful connection, gaining an astral body to move around the first mind she would come across. The Princess of Friendship's Astral Body would view four different minds, each belonging to Professor Pine and her assistants. Professor Pine's mind would be Twilight's first choice before clearing up the rest. 

However, when going for Professor Pine's mind, something already stood in her way. A fifth mind. This fifth mind would appear in front of her, acting as a brick wall that the Princess of Friendship would crash into. "Gouh! W-What...?" When floating back, she discovered that this fifth mind was fractured and disorganized compared to every other mind which all had bubble appearances to them.

The Trickster Dragon's mind was what she came across instead as she could already hear that familiar voice coming from this frantic mind. "Oh, seriously?!" The young alicorn growled as this mind stood in the way, appearing larger than all other minds here. It was a massive blockade that took up mostly everything around Twilight, making it impossible to see anything.

"Mm-mm! You won't get anywhere near them. Try mine instead." The Trickster Dragon reached Twilight within this mindscape. "It's more entertaining and full of surprises If you dare..."

"Pass." Instantly, Twilight passed on entering the Trickster Dragon's mind. The demon would flinch and twitch at Twilight's instant rejection.

"You didn't even consider it..." The demon uttered slowly. "You'd gain a lot from getting in my mind. You didn't even think of going after that first. Eh?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I already have a way to stop this. Plus, I know better not to mess with a Draconequus' mind. I wouldn't even dare touch Discord's mind." Twilight was already highly cautious of the mind of a draconequus. She immediately knew that her own mind wouldn't even compare to the vast array of imagination that this species possesses.

"Not his? Bah. He's not even that creative." The Trickster Dragon scoffed at those words before revealing his head from his mind. His head would extend to reach Twilight, looking her in the eyes with a visible semblance of jealousy.

"Not creative? Sure, whatever you say." Twilight would pull her head back. "Every draconequus I've met so far knows how to be unique. Discord's not an exception and neither are you."

"It's not even that many. You've only met three in your life." The Trickster Dragon would then encircle his long head around Twilight. "I bet you aren't even aware of how many there are. I don't blame you though. We are a rare species and I'm not even a full-on draconequus. But you won't find a simple-minded draconequus, I'll give you that. Plus, since I'm half, I have more to offer with my other side. Being a demon and all."

"That doesn't exactly change my mind...Actually, if it came down to it, I'd probably go for Discord's mind before yours." Twilight jeered, further rejecting the Trickster Dragon's suggestions and offers.

"Why's that? You trust him?" The demon questioned.

"He's a hoofful, but I do trust him. He's helped us out a lot." Twilight could show her appreciation to Discord. She's done so on a few occasions. "Especially with those Unown. That was his biggest moment yet."

"Mmm..." The demon showed a doubtful personality this time around. "Yet he didn't help you out later on, did he? Where was he when the Dread League launched a huge attack? I was unleashed during that time, remember? He didn't show up at all."

"Well, no, he didn't but-"

"Oh and that stairway. These months I've been here, I've been keeping up with things. He didn't do anything to help with that whole debacle. Where was he?"

"I-" Twilight paused for a moment before pondering the same thing. "Where was he, actually? He's rarely ever around now that I think about it."

"That's right." The head would then sprout hands from the side of the demon's neck, nudging Twilight. "He's only helpful when it counts. I bet you he'll only help in events that are sparse from each other in the future. Am I wrong?"

"Nice try." Twilight smacked his hands away. "But Discord's still a friend of ours. And an even greater friend to Fluttershy, Ash and the Unown. Try all you want, your badmouthing won't work. He'll help us, no doubt about it."

"Mmmrgh...You trust him too much." The Trickster Dragon pulled back, crossing his arms. "Why not me?" But one look at Twilight's eyes and this whole situation already answered that. "Oh, right."

"For a demon who was made in the box, you know a lot about Discord. And you're pretty jealous of him, aren't you?"

"I am jealous! I'd even say I'm jealous of Cosmos but maybe not now since you sent her away." The Trickster Dragon continued. "I mean, I barely look like a draconequus compared to them. They're multiple creatures put together and I just look like a dragon. It's even in my name. And being in that box...well, I've already shared my grievances with you."

"You have. These past months are the best form of freedom you've had. There's nothing much going inside of that box and the Dread League doesn't even know that you're gone."

"That's right! Well, their boss probably knows by now, but she won't find me." The Trickster Demon giggled. "And I plan to keep it that way. Plus, this Holon place isn't so bad and I'm thinking of reaching the other regions in this new world. By the way...was it really a good idea to merge them?"

"Jirachi's not the specific kind. Anyway, if you want freedom, what about the realms where Discord usually roams about."

"Eeehhh!" The Trickster Dragon mimicked the sound of a Game Show Buzzer. These kinds of places are better. I like a world with more life to it. It gives me more room to play. My creator had no idea I was even and while multiple demons were added from her imagination, the place itself had no creativity. It is nothing but a jagged mountainscape with a red sky. And that is about it. With our powers suppressed in that box, nothing new comes from it. The few demons who have the intelligence to form words and more, such as myself, yearn for something like this aside from the lesser ones who seem to be fine with their dull surroundings."

"You just want to be free..." Twilight said to herself. It was too clear that this demon wanted freedom.

"That's right. And I know a few more who would love to come out to all of this. You understand, don't you, princess? The joy of freedom. You fought for your freedom by reaching Jirachi. The freedom to be friends with whoever without worrying about a memory loss or a complete reset."

"I did...but that also means I want a peaceful world. Nothing like what you're shooting for." Twilight replied, revealing her form of peace. "Even though what you're doing is just mischievous at best."

"Yeah, but that's never going to happen." The Trickster Dragon chuckled. "Do you think a peaceful world is truly possible? Evil always shows up. It's necessary and needed to keep things steady. Peaceful worlds will never exist in any universe out there. The only way to get around that is-"

"To make the most of it." Twilight interrupted the Trickster Dragon, finishing his sentence. She knew of a way to almost reach peace. The best way for that was to make the most of what she had. The same goes for everyone.

"Ah...T-That wasn't what I was going for." The Trickster Dragon had something else in mind though.

"I get what you mean. You want to be free. Everyone wants to be free. But sometimes, that only leads to chaos and eventually, anarchy. Which is why I'm still set on stopping you, even after all you've said."

"And what? Send me back to the box?" The demon scoffed. "That won't happen again. Even if you do, I'm sure to show up again by choice. And what will you do when you eventually beat the Dread League? That box isn't going anywhere after all."

"You're not going back to the box." However, Twilight refused to let the demon return to the box, surprising the Trickster Dragon. She had something else in mind. "And I'll show you after we're done here. Where you return everything to normal!"

With this mindscape, Twilight would unleash an outburst of magic that radiated beautifully. The Trickster Dragon gasped before seeing the light rapidly expand at the speed of light, engulfing him and every mind in this place. Twilight added Rift Magic and Horizon Storm's magic into this expansion as she would reveal the higher points of her magical capabilities.



"Ugh!" The power of her magic affected the outside as Professor Pine and her assistants all had their minds captivated by Twilight's flash. The control of the Trickster Dragon left them but also resulted in each of them dropping to the floor.

Twilight's radiating eyes would simmer as she would release the barrier at last. Espeon would witness Professor Pine and the others drop with a beautiful array of purple sparkles flowing everywhere. Twilight did what she needed to do.

"Oh..." The assistants were not unconscious but they might as well be with how dazed and bewildered they looked, especially in their mutated bodies. Professor Pine looked the most out of it as her Beedril eyes were barely moving. If Beedrills had eyelids, Professor Pine would be blinking repeatedly right about now.

"Esp?" Espeon would turn to face Twilight after the outburst of magic.

"I'm fine, Eve," Twilight assured her partner that she was fine after that sudden outburst. "I got their minds and freed them. And more...I took the opportunity to reach the Trickster Dragon's mind."

Indeed, with five minds being within her reach, Twilight's light caught each of them, sparing none. Even the Trickster Dragon's mind had been interacted with. She would look outside to see Ash and the rest of his group still facing off against the Holographic Projection while the people enjoyed the musical feud. They also needed their minds free from the Trickster Dragon's lurking grip.

"And since I covered his mind, I might know where to find him." Twilight had a set location on where she could find the Trickster Dragon. 

After all, the demon even gave away the fact that he would never enter strange reals. The outside was more his style, making it easier to search for him. Twilight was set to put an end to this as the decision she would make with the Trickster Dragon had yet to be revealed as the journey continues.


Chapter 7 End.