//------------------------------// // Lena Ketchum // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Vanhoover. Afternoon. Vanhoover. A snow-capped area that currently had a visitor from the far past. Lena Ketchum was said to be here, occupying the mansion that once belonged to Skyblue Shine and Premium Polish. Aware of Lena's presence, the residents of Vanhoover eyed down the mansion. They saw Lena here and there, going back and forth constantly. She would appear in the mansion and elsewhere, most likely in the wild. She said nothing to anyone and didn't interact with them at all. "Looks like she's still there." A young colt said, using binoculars to spy on Lena Ketchum's temporary base of operations. It was expected for a child to "It's not polite to stare, ya know? Or even stare." A little filly replied. "Ah, it's fine. She hasn't paid attention to us at all. Plus, I'm sure she's cool since she looks a lot like Ash." "Maybe we should go over there if she's like Ash. She might not mind." Another colt who was joining in on this spying process said. "Nah. I'm too scared. Plus, Mom says not to talk to strangers." Despite all of that, the colt who was spying on her refused to do so, following his mother's lessons. Continuing to spy on her, they noticed how Lena was leaving the mansion once more, off the wild yet again. It was unknown what she does when leaving the mansion. All everyone could guess was that she uses it as a place to stay. It wasn't under any ownership anymore after all. At least, not until Premium Polish reaches the right age. But considering she was an android, it was hard to tell if she would ever reach that age. On Lena Ketchum's back, there appeared to be a bag. A rather ancient-looking bag to boot. It looked nothing like a hiker's bag yet it was just as massive, having plenty of scratches on it. Clearly, she had something on her mind to possess such a large bag and to be moving back and forth like this. Delibird Snow Field. The Deliberd Snow Field. Another location that was formed thanks to the existence of the Pokemon. This was prior to the worlds merging as one. Equestria-exclusive locations mainly occur based on the area they're around. And in this case, Vanhoover was the nearest area, prompting a snow-capped land to be born that housed the Pokemon known as Delibird. "S-So c-c-c-cold!" Walking in the snow-capped lands near Vanhoover was none other than Team Rocket. Once again, they've ended up elsewhere and it was rather unfavourable for them. And unfortunately for them, they didn't have anything warm to shield themselves. "Great job deciding on skipping work at that school today!" "I wasn't thinking of showing up here but it was the only route! The Rocketship doesn't even have enough fuel! We're running low on that magic the Empress added." James exclaimed as his teeth clattered. "If only she were still here." "Vanhoover's just up ahead. We'll be fine." Meowith grinned as his noticeable fangs were completely stiff and frozen. They have clearly been here for a while. "Ah, forget it!" Jessie groaned before soon kneeling as her knees dug into the soft yet frigid ground. "I've lost track on how many times we've been in some cold place! I need something to eat and drink and there's no way I'm taking a fit from any of those Delibirds! "What's wrong with Delibird?" James sighed before coming to a halt, losing the strength to continue on. "Apparently, they're too good when it comes to judging character," Jessie grumbled. "They'll give either coal or something explosive and I'm not having that! Who do they think they are judging me?!" "I wouldn't mind taking something from them. As long as it's edible." A weakened Meowth would groan, falling on his back. He instantly made a snow angel of himself because of this. "Ahh...I'd love to be in that school again, working as a janitor." Team Rocket would stay here for a while, trying to recover their strength. It would take a while and they certainly didn't see this as the end. There have been worse situations for them. The cold in this area was punishing but not fatal, that much was true. But while they were lying and sitting around, the sound of snow crunching thanks to the footsteps were heard. These were rather heavy footsteps, not belonging to a Delibird. If it was a Delibired, the footsteps would be light and harder to hear. But these footsteps belonged to someone far larger than Delibird. Perhaps it was another Pokemon. Delibird wasn't the only Pokemon that would make this place its home. Ice-Types were to be expected. The Trio squinted to see who it was but it certainly wasn't a Pokemon. Neither was it a pony. These were Human Footsteps as a silhouette could be seen in the midst of this mist. A familiar silhouette with a familiar hairstyle. "It can't be!" Jessie stood up. "Even out here?!" By seeing this silhouette, they immediately believed that Ash was here, managing to find them at this very moment. It reminded them of how they were always in the same area as Ash, constantly moving at an equal pace. Team Rocket certainly didn't have the strength to confront Ash, needing time to rest. But it hasn't even been an hour and they were already about to be met with their archenemy. Or so it seemed. It was not Ash Ketchum. Instead, it was Lena Ketchum. "Afternoon! You three look awfully hungry!" Lena spoke, interacting with Team Rocket. Her voice was very much energetic and full of life, much like her descendant. Even if she wasn't her, Team Rocket could never forget that smile. "Wait...That's not the twerp..." James observed. "It's not even a Twerp Character at all and yet..." And yet, they still couldn't stop seeing Ash. The face was all that mattered. Those lightning bolt birthmarks were certainly in the family as well as that hairstyle. Plus that grin. "How long have you been out here? You must be starving." Lena immediately spotted their conditions. She could tell just by looking at their faces. They were most definitely hungry and thirsty. "You do not have to worry at all." By taking off her massive bag, Lena dug into it, having just what Team Rocket needed. Food and Drink. Lena came prepared, having hot food ready at all times. Even for those she meets along the way, such as Team Rocket. Seeing their status, she would bring out a box of food and drinks for them to partake in. "Here. I made this all myself for my mission. But you are free to have it. I can simply make another." "R-Really!? We can have this?!" Jessie would get back up, finding the strength to do so just by looking at the food. Not only that, but the scent was heavenly. It captured the noses of Team Rocket, letting them show the most blissful faces. How could they deny this offer? "But, of course." Lena put on a kind face. "Just be careful not to finish it all. I tend to finish my food sooner than I expect and I always have to make more." "Don't mind if we do!" Meowth exclaimed as he and Team Rocket would immediately snag all the food inside. Lena watched as Team Rocket did not hold back with the food that was built for the cold environment. Piping hot Noodle Soup, Apple Pie, Meatloaf, Flurry Pancakes and Buttermilk Corn Bread were theirs to consume. All were made by Lena Ketchum who had quite a variety in food. And it was all so perfectly packed. "Mmm! Tastes just like Grandma's cooking! And I never ate grandma's food!" Jessie said as her heart melted from this delectable goodness. "I did. It's just as good!" James added, slurping the noodle soup. All that food that Lena made was vanishing while also warming up Team Rocket. Any icy feelings around them would met thanks to the steamy food. The soup was the most effective. "Good, good." Lena lightly chuckled. "You should have enough energy to carry you through the rest of the day. Nightfall is nearing after all." "Thanks for the meal!" Team Rocket thanked her. "Glad to help. You should be getting home soon. This place is full of kind Pokemon but the temperature is unforgiving. Is your home nearby? Do you live in Vanhoover?" "We live wherever we want." Jessie crossed her arms, putting on a proud face. "Anywhere is our home. So as long as we decide on it." "For Team Rocket, the world is both our oyster and our base of operations," James added. "But this place definitely ain't it." Meowth shook his head. He'd much rather be elsewhere than here. Even though the food has warmed him up, the cold could still affect him in the end if something wasn't done. "We'd better scram from here before we freeze up again." When looking at Team Rocket, she saw that they could most likely suffer the same chill later on. Since they were near Vanhoover, it would be hard for them to get out of the cold and reach somewhere warm. There just wasn't enough time. Lena should know. She's been around after all. "You might not get far at this rate, I'm afraid," said Lena, already knowing that Team Rocket wouldn't get to a safe and warm place at this pace Not on their own. Thankfully, Lena was here to help. By going into her bag once again, Lena had something else for them. "Ah. Thank you, Adaman. Iridia." From her bag, she pulled out outfits. This bag seemed to be all-purpose, having food and clothing at the ready. And in this case, clothing that was fit for the cold weather. Lena showed off two sets of clothing that were similar in appearance but had different colours. A Diamond Blue and a Pearl Pink. "Ooh wow! Look at these!" Jessie's eyes lit up, finding these clothes to be absolutely striking. Something about the way they looked was rather appealing. "These look pretty ancient." James squinted. "A lot like that bag of yours. Is there a recent trend going on that I'm not aware of yet?" "These are Diamond and Pearl Clan outfits. They were made for a cold environment. They will do well to keep you safe and warm." Lena explained before passing it over to them. Jessie would receive the pink outfit while James would take the blue outfit. Lena also had great taste in clothing options as the Diamond and Peark Clan outfits perfectly fit Jessie and James. Jessie and James slipped into these clothes, overlaying them over their Team Rocket outfit. With this, they would keep themselves warm, having another layer of clothes over them. The colours complimented them well indeed. The colour of their hair is what truly made it work. Jessie's pink hair spoke for itself while James' hair was closer to the Colour Blue, being in the same pool as it. "Hey, what about me?!" Only Meowth was left out, having nothing to protect himself. "Hmm..." Lena pondered for a moment, trying to think what would work for Meowth. She certainly didn't have any clothes that were his size. But, Lena already had something in mind. Her bag had just what Meowth needed. From it, Lena Ketchum unleashed a scarf. A scarf was certainly a way to keep warm but it was far too long for Meowth. To fix this, with sheer brute strength, Lena would tear off a chunk of the scarf. She instantly made a respectable size for Meowth, making it easier for him to wear the scarf. Meowth was given the scarf as it would wrap around his upper body, being the perfect size. "Aah..." Meowth melted thanks to the warmth he received. "You should all be fine. Wherever you need to go, you can make it there." Lena said before packing her bag. She felt like she had done everything she needed to do here. "Who are you anyway?"? Jessie asked. She was very much curious mainly thanks to the fact that she looked a lot like Ash. "My name is Lena. Lena Ketchum." And there it was. Lena revealed her last name which as the most vital part. Even though Team Rocket calls Ash a twerp constantly, they were aware of his last name. And hearing the name Ketchum while also seeing her face immediately confirmed some suspicions. There was a good reason as to why she looked like Ash but they have yet to know about Ash having an ancestor running around. In unison, Team Rocket would huddle, whispering to each other just so Lena couldn't hear them. This needed immediate discussion. "Do you think she could be his sister..." James leaned in, thinking that she was Ash's sister. "May just be a grandma or an auntie," Jessie whispered back. Her suspicion was on the right track. But she was Ash's many-great grandma instead of just being a recent one. "No wait. She looks far too young. I never knew the twerp could look so appealing with his face on someone else's." "Hang on. This gives me an idea." Meowth had something brewing in his mind. "She doesn't know about us. But we know all about the twerp." "I already know what you're getting at. I was thinking the exact same thing." Jessie put on a devious smile, being on the same page as Meowth. "How's about we butter up to her?" "Get close to her? It's because those two are related, aren't they? I assume they are." James added. "You don't have to assume anything, just look at her. The resemblance is uncanny and the last name speaks for itself. I know that smile from anywhere. But she's a real sweetheart. Just like the twerp, she can't resist being kind. I say we use her to get to the twerp. But she can't know we're Team Rocket. The plan was to try and take advantage of Lena Ketchum. Naturally, this involved capturing Pikachu as this tied back to Ash. Team Rocket wanted to make sure that their reputation with Ash would be hidden just so that it would be easier to get close to Lena Ketchum. "You three look fine. I think I should get going." Lena saw that Team Rocket were perfectly fine and could now depart, continuing on her mission. "Hold on!" Jessie stood up, halting Lena. "Uh, let's talk for a moment. Forget about that whole Team Rocket thing we mentioned." "You want me to forget about your little group? It's only three of you, however." Lena observed, unaware that Team Rocket was much larger. "It's rather new but we'll scrap it immediately." James slid in. "We're just three friends going wherever. And trust me, we've been places. But right now, we're rather aimless." "Yeah. Plus, we ain't gonna get far like this." Meowth rapidly shook his head, playing along. "It's been a while since we've had somewhere to stay." "But you look like you know what you're doing and where you're going!" Jessie rubbed her hands together. "I mean, you are going somewhere with a bag that big." "Sorry. I am actually on a mission at the moment. There isn't a clear destination for me. This world is new to me even though it is the future. After I am done with my mission, I will have to head back in time. To my time, specifically." "B-Back in time...?" Jessie repeated, stuttering and blinking a few times. That was not the answer she was expecting. Neither did James or Meowth. Based on what Lena said, she was more than just a relative to Ash, she was his ancestor. They looked at each other, realizing that they may have struck gold with this. Lena had something important going on and Team Rocket would be foolish not to look into it. Anything involving Ash's family was bound to be crucial. "You three are the only people I have spoken to so far. I have been keeping distant from others, rather focused on my work. It is a shame. The future is so interesting." Lena looked around, gazing at the snow-capped lands. "Please tell us more!" Now they had to know as they collectively got close to Lena, who was surprised at their enthusiasm. It has only been a few days since she's shown up to the present but now Lena Ketchum was interacting with someone from the present. And it just had to be Team Rocket. Canterlot. Canterlot Castle. The Royal Phantasy. Many more minutes have passed here at the Royal Phantasy. The Rulers continued to discuss things while their guests mingled some more, waiting for it to be over. At this moment, Ash was already set to try and reach his ancestor. After Luna shared her whereabouts, Ash knew where he had to be. It was off to Vanhoover where he was hoping he could finally meet his ancestor. But before that, he had to find Pikachu and all of his Pokemon first. Pikachu and all the other Pokemon were currently hanging out in this small yet wide room that Celestia crafted not too long ago. With Passion sitting on her own throne, she watched over all the Pokemon. And with how much noise they were making, it wouldn't be hard to find them. Ash and the other young monarchies departed from the Dining Hall but no one expected what would happen next afterwards. They weren't just leaving the Dining Hall. "His majesty's ancestor has been spotted in Vanhoover. Do you think that their meeting will cause anything?" Discussions about Ash's ancestor Lena occurred, mainly from the Samiyans. "Probably not. It hasn't happened at all with those counterparts being present. But for her to be in the present must be because of an otherworldly force. Do you suppose the Legendary Pokemon Dialga could be behind this?" "Ancestor..." This greatly intrigued Diadora. She talked about Ash's ancestors before, mainly in a negative light. And now, during the Royal Phantasy, his ancestors have been brought up once more. Diadora couldn't just ignore this. So, without doubting for a moment, she decided to get into the action. Diadora walked off, much like Ash and his friends. She was also going straight for Diadora. "Has anyone seen the prince? He went with King Ash and hasn't returned since." The guards of Pegalysium noticed the absence of Prince Shooting Star. Not only that but there was an absence of Flurry Heart, Skystar, Raleigh and Shooting Star. They knew the princes and princesses followed Ash to the hallways of Canterlot, however, they haven't returned as of yet. And so far, they haven't been found. "They went with Ash," Princess Luna answered. "Most likely, they're heading to Vanhoover. Ash wouldn't hesitate to see his ancestor for a moment." "They surely wouldn't just leave now? Especially when the Royal Phantasy is ongoing." Some of the guards found that hard to believe. Ash was to be expected but the others were a different story. "Oh, they would." Luna thought otherwise. She knew for a fact that anyone surrounding Ash was bound to follow along. "If I were you, I would try and catch up. They are young and have the spirit of adventure in them." Hearing this, the guards from each respective kingdom would scatter, trying to reach their rulers. They weren't sure if it was far too late to catch up to them. And if they go missing now, who knows what their parents might do? Luna was completely unbothered by this, however, having a smile on her face. She knew the outcome of this already. And by looking outside the nearest window, she saw Ash's group already on the way. At this very moment, they were off to Vanhoover. Not just that, but all the Pokemon were with them. This involved Kimia's Gardevoir who was furiously yelling at them all. Luna watched as Kimia's Gardevoir was clearly unhappy about this sudden departure. They didn't have a care in the world, leaving the Royal Phantasy just to find one person. Passion had a different reaction, however. She had a constant smile on her face compared to her fellow Gardevoir. Kimia's Gardevoir tried ordering them to all stop, only to be dragged along, failing to slow them down. The princes and princesses didn't look worried at all. They had no qualms about leaving the Royal Phantasy and following Ash. Just as Luna said, they had the Spirit of Adventure in them. Luna would use telepathy from afar, concentrating just on speaking to Flurry Heart from the outside. "Leaving without saying a word?" "Great aunt Luna? Sorry...I couldn't help myself." Flurry Heart spoke back with her own telepathy. "All the guards are rather worried about you and your friends. To leave without a notice...Even though the destination is very much clear." "I'll be back soon, I swear! I just need to see this for myself! Plus, Vanhoover's not that far. We can get there while the Royal Phantasy goes on. I know how long meetings can be so we'll be back just in time for the meeting to keep going. B-But I can come back if you want!" "I know, I know. Next time, make sure you let them know you're leaving. I will keep everyone in here occupied until your return. I will also inform them just to ease their nerves." "That's a bunch, great auntie!" Flurry Heart was grateful to her great auntie. She was free to explore while Luna took care of everything. It was off to find Lena Ketchum and the destination was already set. So far, it has only been Vanhoover that's been spotted at consistently. Ash wasn't about to let this escape from him. He couldn't wait for Lena to head elsewhere. As the journey continues. Chapter 260 End.