//------------------------------// // Fiery Aspirations // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Sinnoh. Hearthome City. Afternoon. Still to this day, the Despair Plants populated the city with Chimera and Cordyceps being the only ones around. Seeing that their prey had vanished, Despair Plant Chimera had no reason to take on this fused form anymore. Now, it was truly only the Despair Plants that populated this city. Chimera would defuse, forming a dark light that would reveal Scorpio and Cobra, who were the original two vessels for that fusion. However, despite being creatures of senseless destruction that only seek anarchy, the Despair Plants felt something else. Something that irritated them each. Their prey managed to escape. Not only that, but they also ended up fighting back with maximum efficiency. Scorpio, Cobra and Cordyceps could not forget how the Gym Leaders held them back. The moment when this crater formed was the moment the Gym Leaders received an advantage. With its memory, the Despair Plant recalled how Druddigon, the two Meowstics, Sylveon, Probopass, Hariyama and Scolipede combined their strength to form a massive wave of Infinity Energy. That wave crashed into the Despair Plant, dealing massive damage in the process. Cordyceps was even caught in the explosion with how destructive it was. After that, the Gym Leaders managed to escape after engaging in such a long struggle against the Despair Plants. The plants despised the fact they failed to stop them, hissing and roaring in frustration. "Frustrated? I know. No one is supposed to evade your clutches at all." The voice of the Lich Queen, Rosa Maledicta spoke to them all the way from Magehold. "Which is why no one will. You know what you must do. You've battled those Gym Leaders and their Pokemon. You now have their scent. Permanently. Hunt them down and finish off your prey. It'll be nice for you to explore the rest of the world, after all." By Rosa's command, the Despair Plants would depart. They would hunt Drayden and the other Gym Leaders down out of hostility and fulfilment. Hearthome City would no longer be populated by them. Now, they would spread out, targeting three specific regions where these Gym Leaders could be found. Hoenn, Unova and Kalos. Sinnoh. Jubilife City. Afternoon. During their journey to reach Michinia Town, Ash and his friends arrived at Jubilife Town. While they had a set destination, there was no shame in having fun in any location they can find and end up in. On top of that, Michinia Town was extremely far away, requiring multiple days to reach it, considering how scarce it was. And when entering Jubilife, Rarity was already swarmed by a few people as she had a proud smile on her face. "It pays to be a PokeStar Studios Star." Rarity happily said as this was due to her status as a PokeStar Studios Actress. The fame of a movie star was something that couldn't be ignored. "You don't mind the lack of free space?" Twilight said to Rarity, seeing how surrounded she was. Anyone else would do whatever they could to escape the crowd gathering that was prone to paparazzi. "Are you kidding?! I've been waiting for this for a long time, Twilight. PokeStar Studios is one the best things that's ever happened to me. And by extension, Sweetie Belle could reach that status with her contests." "Fair enough. But how come we don't have anyone swarming us?" Rainbow Dash pouted, noticing how no one would recognize her and the others but only Rarity. Fame was powerful but highly specific at times. "At least it's going well for Ash." Spike would point out how Ash was gaining some eyes. But it was mainly due to the battle he was currently having. It was another Pokemon World Championships Battle which was a way to help him reach the Strongest Trainer in the World. Champion Leon. "Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" "Pika! Pika-Pika-Pika!" At blinding speeds, Pikachu would take off, leaving a silver trail behind while moving across the concrete ground. "Stop him, Torterra! Use Earthquake!" "Tor...Terra!" Torterra would raise its legs, smashing them against the concrete ground and forming golden shockwaves that were prone to deliver a super-effective blow to the Mouse Pokemon. "Jump Pikachu! And then zone in!" "Pika!" Pikachu would then leap from the ground, taking to the skies. This allowed him to evade the Earthquake before then zooming through the air as if he was a rocket. And with the speed of a rocket, he would crash into Torterra by smashing his head against the Grass-Ground-Type, managing to get the first hit off. "Go, Ash!" Cheering him on and watching this battle was Fluttershy along with Pinkie Pie. "Ra! Raboot!" Raboot would jump around, flailing his arms in excitement of this battle while encouraging Ash and Pikachu. "Solar Beam!" "Tor...Terra!" After receiving a Quick Attack to the head, Torterra would quickly retaliate by unleashing Solar from its mouth. And thanks to the intense sun, the attack was instantly unleashed, approaching Pikachu, who hadn't gauged a good enough distance yet. "Iron Tail!" "Chu...Pika!" In the nick of time, Pikachu would harden his tail, swinging it at the beam of solar energy and initiating a clash. Now it was a matter of overpowering the beam with Iron Tail. "Boot! Raboot!" Raboot yelled, attempting to pump Pikachu up so that he could power through this. Hearing the cries of his friends, Pikachu would exert more of his strength into this Iron Tail. "Pika...Chuuu!" With brute force, he absolutely sliced through the Solar Beam, cutting in half. Solar Beam would combust from being cut in half, enveloping Torterra in its own attack. "Tor...!" "Now, Iron Tail, once more!" "Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu would then move through the smoke, using Iron Tail yet again. With Torterra being stunned by the explosion, this gave Pikachu the opportunity to strike at full force, swinging his tail at the Grass-Ground-Type and delivering a strong blow to its face. "Pika!" "T-Tor..." And with that staggering Iron Tail, Torterra would fall over, shaking the ground slightly. Torterra had fainted, meaning this battle went to Ash and Pikachu. "Torterra is unable to battle!" The Rotom Drone that spectates the World Championship Battle said. "Pikachu Wins! Thus, the winner of this battle is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" "Nice! Great job, Pikachu!" Ash pumped his fist upwards in celebration as Pikachu would do the same. "Pi-Pikachu!" "Type Disadvantage doesn't matter to those two, doesn't it?" Fluttershy applauded along with many others who viewed this battle from start to finish. "Due to this battle's outcome, the Pokemon World Championship Rankings will be updated." The drone would then leave, heading off to distribute the current rankings of each trainer after Ash's victory. "Pretty soon, he'll be very well-known," Twilight said after taking a glance at the battle. "Ash will be known worldwide. Mark my words on that. When he becomes the World Champion, it'll bring a massive crowd that's even bigger than what goes on over at Equestria. Hopefully, it's not too overwhelming." "It'll be overwhelming without a doubt," Starlight replied. "So, about Michina Town. How close are we to it?" "It's been two days now." Twilight showed off the map of Sinnoh to her friends. "The Map of Sinnoh's changed a bit thanks to the new world. The expanded landmass makes the journey slightly longer and creates a few inconveniences here and there, but it's fine. Michina Town was definitely affected by it, so it'd probably take us...not sure how long it would take for us to reach there. Unless we can find a shortcut." "Weird. How come it's this one place that takes so long to reach?" Rainbow Dash wondered. Compared to every other location, they manage to reach their destinations fairly quickly. But most of it was due to the gateways, which were now gone except for one. Then again, taking a plane was also a swift way to get around along with other vehicles. But for Michina Town, it seemed to ignore all of those advantages. "Without the gateways, all our fast travel options are done for." Applejack sighed, missing the easiness of travelling from place to place. "Cold and Emerald said they can't open any gateways up at all." "They can't? So we're stuck with the Pallet Town gateway forever?" Rarity uttered, pondering for a moment while posing for pictures. "Hmm...Well! I'm sure that can be fixed immediately. Why don't we check the news? Everyone's working hard to manage this new world after all." "I did...And you won't like this. Look!" Goh spotted something of crucial attention. He would soon show it to his friends on the Rotom Phone, revealing a news update. But it wasn't about the management of this new world. Instead, it was centred around the Despair Plants. "What?!" They all gasped as the situation with these Despair Plants had changed. The news revealed that the Despair Plants were seen elsewhere across different parts of Sinnoh. "The Despair Plants are on the move." Twilight read the news article. "Looks like they ditched Hearthome after all these months? But why so soon?" "What's up?" After finishing his battle and thanking the opposing trainer, Ash and Pikachu along with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie would return, just in time to hear the news. "Did you find something new?" "Unfortunately, yes. Those Despair Plants have been spotted elsewhere. Take a look." Twilight answered as the rest of her friends would lean in. "It's mainly the wild but they've even made appearances near other towns and cities. But they haven't launched that many attacks on them or stayed around for that long. It looks like they're in a hurry and only doing brief attacks rather than long-lasting ones compared to Hearthome." "That'll ruin Roseluck's whole plan if they keep moving," Applejack added, realizing that Roseluck's plan would fall apart because of the Despair Plants suddenly leaving Hearthome City. "What's up with that?" Rainbow Dash spoke. "Did they get bored or something?" "It says here that three of them were spotted two days ago. By now, they could be anywhere in Sinnoh. Whether near or far. But on the bright side, that means Hearthome's free from them, right?" Twilight brought the positives up, even though it was a singular positive. "So, they could be anywhere huh?" Ash crossed his arms as there was a chance that on their quest towards Michina Town, they could run into those Despair Plants. "Alright. If we run into them, we'll beat 'em. Simple as that." "You make it sound simple, but Drayden and the others struggled with just three of them. Or I guess, two since they can also fuse." Goh replied. "Let's just avoid them at all costs if we can and let Roseluck work her magic." "Yeah. If she can find them." Applejack shook her head. "But those plants gotta be heading somewhere if they just left Hearthome suddenly. Where though?" The sudden movement of the Despair Plants was troublesome. Though they have not attacked any towns or cities yet, it was clear that they were still a major threat. However, none knew their true intentions. The Despair Plants had set their sights on a few preys that managed to escape their horrible clutches. Nightfall would come as Ash and his friends would clock out for the night. Sleeping in the wild wasn't the style for some of them. Ash and Pikachu are fit for this due to their many adventures but for Twilight and the others, with how far Michina Town was, they would have to get used to it. But of course, knowing that they would be travelling great distances, they already came prepared for this. And each of them prepared for this in the best ways they knew how. Rarity brought along a portable bed that was set up for her to sleep. It even had all of her sleeping essentials on them as she would place it near the peaceful water just for that serene aura. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie brought sleeping bags while Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack brought tents. All essentials for sleeping in the wild. Ash already had his own sleeping bag along with Pikachu. Of course, they had nothing to worry about with a reliable bodyguard. That bodyguard was Absol, who was always awake at night just to keep a watchful eye for any potential threats. Whether by his natural senses of the power of his horn. They would all sleep in their respective objects, dozing off peacefully and waiting for a new day to come. But some would stay up for a while. One of those being Raboot, who thought back to Ash and Pikachu's battle earlier. Raboot would think for a moment. He certainly enjoyed battling. That much was clear. Out of all of Fluttershy's Pokemon, which was only three, he is the most prone to engage in a battle. But due to Fluttershy's nature, Raboot realized he doesn't partake in many battles unless it involves a dangerous threat. He's only really battled for fun during the Canterlot Tag Tournament where he teamed up with Ash's Pokemon. Battling for fun was right up his alley as he wished to do what Ash, Rainbow Dash and Spike do instead of just taking on another threat. And the Despair Plants looked to solidify that, unfortunately. Seeing all of Ash's battles inspired the Rabbit Pokemon to take on a similar path. "Raboot..." However, there was a caveat to that. Fluttershy wasn't exactly shooting for the goal of being a powerful trainer or participating in any leagues. Thus, battles for fun would be limited to just the Pokemon House via Raboot's own decisions. While that was fine and all, Raboot yearned for it. "Boot. Raboot." "Absol?" Absol turned to Raboot, hearing his words. Raboot requested a battle with Absol since he was in the mood. "Sol." But Absol refused. Mostly because a battle would wake up Twilight and the others and he needed to protect them from any incoming threats. Especially the Despair Plants. "Raboot..." Raboot was disappointed by this. The best he could do was wait until tomorrow morning or even find a random Pokemon in the wild to battle. The Fire-Type was hoping that while heading to Michina Town, he could throw down with multiple Pokemon along the way. However, he was still in that battling mood. To fulfil his urges, Raboot would bolt off, leaving this nice lakeside. Absol already saw his departure but so did another Pokemon from his friend group. Sleeping on the trees was Sceptile as he opened one eye to spot Raboot's rapid movements. "Sceptile?" Awake, Sceptile would take notice of Raboot leaving the area, wondering why this was the case. And why Absol wasn't going with him. The Forest Pokemon would generate vines from his arms, using them to swing along the trees. Absol would see them both off, refusing to pursue but instead, staying behind to guard everyone else. "Ra! Ra!" Raboot wanted to get some good exercise off as he would jump over rocks and logs to boost his athleticism. While moving rapidly through the forest, he would think of Ash and Pikachu once more along with Rainbow Dash. They were so lucky to be such battle-hungry trainers, in the eyes of Raboot. Ash set his sights on defeating Leon and becoming the World's Strongest Trainer which would take him closer to his ultimate goal of becoming a Pokemon Master. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash had the dream of being Equestria's first Pokemon Champion and the strongest possible trainer. Both had large goals centred around battling. Raboot also had a goal that was focused on battling but it was something that could be achieved at any time. Really, he just wanted to battle as much as he could and improve. "Sceptile?" Sceptile called out Raboot's name while pursuing him. He would swing beside Raboot, asking him where he was headed. "Boot? Raboot!" Raboot looked over at Sceptile, seeing this as a perfect opportunity. Absol was too busy guarding everyone, so Sceptile was the perfect choice. After requesting a battle with Sceptile, Raboot would lunge forward, going for a High-Jump Kick while Sceptile was still swinging. "Tile?!" After hearing Raboot's request, Sceptile gasped as the foot of the Rabbit Pokemon came flying in, nearly hitting his mark. However, Sceptile would swing out of the way, narrowly evading the kick. "Sceptile!" Sceptile would then descend, bellowing at Raboot for that surprise attack. "Ra?" Raboot pulled back after receiving a bellow from Sceptile. The Forest Pokemon did not instantly take Raboot's request as he was certainly not in the mood for a battle right now. "Raboot..." Raboot apologized, realizing he got a bit too ahead of himself there. The adrenaline rush certainly made him act on instinct. However, that drive was still there. Raboot would quickly explain to Sceptile while he would suddenly request a battle and go for a surprise attack. It was really just a way to try and fulfil his urges more than anything. "Scep...Sceptile." Sceptile understood Raboot, only punishing him with a slight nudge to the head once he approached the Rabbit Pokemon. Sceptile himself wasn't someone who craved battles, but he was known for being relatively good at them. But he had a more relaxed nature in reality. While he couldn't relate to Raboot, he understood Raboot's urges greatly. The only way Raboot was going to satisfy them was by having a chat with Fluttershy. That was all. "Boot." Raboot figured that was for the best. But knowing how Fluttershy wasn't one for battling, he wasn't sure what would happen. That was when the worst kind of thoughts kicked in for Raboot as he gasped at the possible outcome. "R-Ra!" "Oh. That's what you want? Alright then. I guess this is goodbye~" One of his thoughts involved Fluttershy releasing Raboot to pursue his goal. The thought of leaving Fluttershy forever to fulfil his goal of battling many opponents as much as he wanted was shocking to the Rabbit Pokemon. He could see himself being distanced from Fluttershy. "Sceptile..." Sceptile facepalmed. The Grass-Type knew that was definitely not a possible outcome. But that was only Raboot's young mind jumping to conclusions. "Tile." The Forest Pokemon assured Raboot that would not happen. All Sceptile wanted Raboot to do was talk to Fluttershy and the response she would give was something to prepare for, even if Raboot was jumping to conclusions. Raboot sat down, taking a moment to relax. By now, he should be asleep but aspirations do tend to keep someone awake. Sceptile would join Raboot as both would fall asleep around this part of the forest for tonight. The night would pass on peacefully with no disturbances from anywhere. Everyone could rest easily. But not for long. the three Despair Plants continued tracking down their pretty, moving across Sinnoh as fast they could to reach the other regions. With the scent of Drayden and the others, no matter how far they were, the Despair Plants would not give up. And at the moment, the closest was Scorpio, who was not alone. It was not joined by Cordyceps or Cobra. But rather, more of itself as under the moonlit skies and on top of a hill, a nest of Despair Plant Scorpios had eyed down the land below them, seeking destruction while on their quest to find the Gym Leaders. And right now, Scorpio, from this distance, saw some civilizations it could briefly terrorize as the journey continues. Chapter 15 End.