//------------------------------// // Volo's Ideals // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// The Human World. Canterlot High. Afternoon. Arriving here to give Volo an easier means of communication, Sci-Twi introduced the merchant from the past to her friends for a brief moment. By gazing at Volo, while others saw a uniquely dressed character that made his way into Canterlot High, Sunset Shimmer briefly saw someone else. She wasn't sure how or how a menacing presence suddenly shot through her heart. "This is the one I was talking about." Sci-Twi introduced. "This is Volo. The merchant from the far past of Hisui. And Volo. These are my friends." "Afternoon~" Volo greeted the six of them. with that innocent smile of his. " "I'll just be quick and on my way, if you don't mind. Twilight didn't bring you up. Or rather, anyone else so far." "I haven't? M-My bad." It was only now that Sci-Twi realized she's kept Volo to herself as of now. "Well, great to meet you! It's always fun to see a Time Traveller!" Pinkie Pie already introduced herself, zipping over to shake Volo's hand. And Volo, gladly indulged. "I mean, most of Twilight's team is full of Time Travelers, but ya know!" "I noticed. All Alpha Pokemon. You're lucky their existence here doesn't break anything. And neither do I it seems! I have nothing to worry about." "You've only been here for how many months?" Rarity questioned. "I hope you've done more than just wander around. The future, at least our own future, is exemplary." "Mmm...As a merchant, I just collect. But I've yet to really sell something to others." Volo wagged his finger, revealing that he actually hasn't done all that much. He's just been collecting, finding old poems and those mystical shards. "But...I think now might be a good time to start." "I don't think it's legal to sell anything here in the school. Unless its food or school property." Fluttershy added. There were rules here and Volo was certainly from an era were those rules didn't exist. But that wasn't going to stop him. "Hoh? But then you'll miss out on all of this." Volo knew how to hit their sweet spots and tastes. From his bag, he revealed and array of items that he's gathered from the past. Lo and behold, Volo had quite the options. For gemstones, he had Lapis Lazuli, quartz, diamonds and pearls, jacinth and even alexandrite. There was even food from the past that he had stored up in perfect condition which Sunset and the others have never seen before. Pinkie Pie already licked her lips upon seeing some of these options. Volo even packed some wonderful clothes to purchase. Ancient clothing was shown, tidied and cleaned to be as beautiful as possible. Volo had Gold Dust of all things, some sort of glowing pylon, a starry dress, an exotic-looking chew toy, an unknown cube, a glowing horn that resembled a unicorn and something that appeared to be a halo which was floating. "Oooh...!" The girls were naturally amazed. And the same went for Sci-Twi, who was seeing these for the very first time. She was missing out. "Are some of these...magical items?" Sunset Shimmer gawked. Some of these items looked a bit too fantastical to be simple merchant items. "I wasn't just collecting shards and poems. This universe is too interesting to pass on a good sale." Volo revealed that he didn't limit himself to this parallel world. He's already been to the other regions since he was previously in Arche Valley. "I have here magical items that I've collected." "S-Should we buy them?" Applejack shifted her eyes as she wasn't sure if taking magical items was a good idea. It was magic after all and it can catch anyone off guard. "Well, as a merchant, it's my job to also be careful about who I sell these to. Even though I grabbed some of them from the present, they are still considered ancient. I know very little about these forgotten items that were tossed away or either lost in specific scenarios." "I don't think you should be having them at all." Sunset Shimmer added, narrowing her eyes at Volo as she had a different tone on her. "Hm?" He glanced over at Princess Celestia's former student. "You found some of these in Equestria. And they're not forgotten since some of us study about these." But this didn't slip by Sunset Shimmer. Not when she was adept in magic compared to everyone else here. "Oh, really? You have magical knowledge?" Volo blinked for a moment. "Well, she's actually from Equestria, but she lives here with us now!" Pinkie explained when grabbing Sunset's shoulders. "If anyone here knows about magic, it's her!" "Ah. So this is just your human form, correct? Interesting. Not sure why you'd want to stay here forever though?" Volo shrugged while chuckling. "Your original world is leagues better than this. Based on what I've seen though. Just saying." "Hmph. This right here is a unicorn horn! The magic is still showing from it." "Really? Who's horn is it then?" "Well..." Sunset froze on that part, trying to figure out whose horn this belongs to since she was so well-versed in Equestrian knowledge. "I don't know. But the fact that the magic around it is still active isn't a good sign at all." "Sunset..." Sci-Twi tried calming things down since there was a noticeable rising tension between the two. "No worries. It's my job to keep them safe and out of the wrong hands. But...Perhaps I'll keep them with me for a bit longer before really selling the best of the best." "Who are you even planning to sell this to anyway?" Sunset questioned. She needed to know who would be receiving such rare items. Items like these would possibly head to powerful figures. Good or Evil. "Whoever deserves it. Items such as these only belong in the most capable of hands as you can imagine. Or in some cases, hooves. And you don't seem to be up for the task, Ms Expert." "Mmmrgh..." Already, Sunset was getting irritated by Volo. "Now, now. I'm sure Volo knows who deserves this and who doesn't." Sci-Twi got inbetween them. "At least I hope so." "Well, my bag isn't going to get full anytime soon, but I would love to sell this to someone who really needs it. However, the smaller items speak for themselves. Would one of you love a gemstone?" "Yes, please!" Rarity replied in an instant, holding out plenty of money. She eyed down the gemstones and the starry dress, wanting as much as possible. "I'd like the alexandrite and perhaps the dress! "Splendid. This world's currency is odd but...I'm sure I can make it work." Volo took the money before passing over the alexandrite and the dress. The fashionista was elated. "We're going to look wonderful when we finally enter the Pokemon Festival soon!" "I can't take it anymore! Let me grab a bite!" Pinkie Pie obviously went for the food, paying up. Volo was happy to do business with them. Sunset pouted as she witnessed the money pass by. Volo would simply look back at her with that smile on his face when trading these items with his newest customers. "Pleasure doing business with you." Volo waved farewell, continuing on his way to purchase a phone. And soon, he'll be out of here, continuing his search for the shards. Volo received his own phone, purchased by Sci-Twi's own money. It had a nice white and gold texture that was rather appealing to the eyes. With this, Volo could communicate with Sci-Twi easily even from a great distance. Of course, he still has to know how to work it. Thankfully, Sci-Twi would explain it to him and at a perfect pace so he wouldn't be overwhelmed. After that, Volo was on his way. Where to? Wherever he can. He was a travelling merchant after all and there was still a lot for him to see while on his quest to find the remaining shards. But right after walking out of Canterlot High, standing nearby just to meet with him was Sunset Shimmer, who was away from her friends and standing near the walls of Canterlot High. "You stayed this long just to talk to me again?" Volo turned to face Sunset, almost as if he knew she would be waiting for him outside. "Don't you think you're a bit too judgemental?" "I am. There's something about you. I can't tell but you feel like a handful." Sunset showed herself, still being cautious around Volo. "You don't have to worry too much about the magical items, Sunset Shimmer. Worry about spending time at the Pokemon Festival with your friends, alright? Unless, you do want something from my catalogue." "You're the one who sent Twilight on this mission to find these shards. And they aren't just regular shards. They don't even come from this time or world." "Well, of course. They're just as special as the magical items I'm carrying. If not more." Volo's eyes lowered a bit as he put on a rather uneasy smile. "I'd say, they're far more special. Because they're connected to the Hallowed God Arceus. Your friend Twilight seems to be catching up with all the Arceus knowledge there is which is wonderful to see. That's just what I need for my mission to find the shards." "What's your plan?" "Well, I'd like to return to my time after all of this is done. I doubt I'll come back once the shards are all found or even if your time leak problem is solved." "..." But Sunset Shimmer was still greatly judgemental. "Boy. You're a sharp-eyed one, aren't you?" Volo scratched his face for a bit. "To be honest, I'd say you sort of rub me the wrong way too. A bit too pushy and fiery honestly." "You're not going to sell some of these rare items to the people of your time, are you?" That was one of Sunset's biggest concerns. "If you do, who knows what that might do to our world? And the world beyond that. It'll completely ruin the flow of time." "You're the expert apparently. Even after having Pokemon around for only 4 years, you catch on fast. But you don't have to worry about time being disrupted. It's already facing a predicament and believe me, I wish to avoid the worst as much as you do. And so far, nothing can really fix the Time Leaks happening up there. Except maybe Arceus." "Is that why you're doing this? For Arceus?" "You could say that. It's something new that I discovered not too long ago and it's absolutely wonderful!" Volo expressed. "For the longest, I and many others at Hisui believed different things about Almighty Sinnoh and slowly but surely, I started to uncover the truth behind our region's Legends and Myths. I mused about the existence of a Pokémon that could equal Dialga and Palkia, who we all thought were the same Pokemon. And in a way, they are. But there is obviously more to it.2 "Are you talking about Giratina?" Sunset Shimmer let out a light gasp. "The one who was banished by Arceus. It's a peculiar Pokemon but...there's a reason why it's banished after all. You wouldn't want to get too knee-deep into it, would you? But I don't mind." Volo smirked. "I came close to uncovering the truth behind Hisui's Mythology and then, I ended up here. And I must say...I'm rather frustrated and glad. The state of the world in my time is...not really ideal." "But you said you would head bakc after all of this is done. Are you saying you want to stay here? And you have the nerve to call me out for sticking in the Human World." Sunset Shimmer pouted. "Don't mistake it, Sunset. I'm not staying here anyway. I still want to go home. But is it so wrong to want things to change? I heard about a region where Truths and Ideals run strong. And I lean more towards those ideals. Becoming a merchant of the Gingko Guild helped me chase those ideals. I've always sought answers when facing difficulty in my life. These larger-than-life entities were the key to those answers!" Sunset Shimmer was getting a bit worried. It looked like Volo was beginning to lose his composure just thinking about it. Like a child ranting about their favourite toy, food or show, Volo seemingly couldn't help himself. "Hisui eventually becomes Sinnoh. It's in a much greater state in the future. And yet, that doesn't matter. The answers I'm looking for never come into fruition in the future and will always exist in the past. The only ones who can change that are the Creation Trio. Dialga. Palkia and Giratina. And the One above All. Arceus. You can imagine how much I wish to meet such a Pokemon. There is just so much I wish to say and do in the presence of the Creator Deity." Volo took a deep breath, slowing down at last. He almost lost himself there, startling Sunset Shimmer. Once he regained his composure, he looked at Sunset Shimmer with that signature expression on his face. Sunset Shimmer was already judgemental of Volo but now she was just confused. Based on what she heard, it sounds like he was just itching to meet with Arceus who would answer certain questions for him. Sunset wasn't sure what they were, but they must be truly special if Volo is willing to go to Arceus of all Pokemon. "But...That's something I have to wait for and I'm still working towards. And those shards are a strong part of it. As for these magical items, they're just playing second fiddle. When I return to my time, I know for a fact that everything will change. And it will all be because of me." "What do you mean by that...?" The way Volo said it was rather chilling. "Well, you can help me out, if you wish to know. Twilight is already a ton of help, joining me in my mission to find all of the shards. You're a good friend of her. Mind chiming in." "I promised her that I'd help with her shard hunt too. All of my friends did. But I'm not 100% sure about this since I've finally met you. If this was before I met you sure but...There's a strong part of me that doesn't want to do this. You're serious about this but..." "I see. Nervous? That's fine." Volo shrugged. "You're still young after all. You have a lot to learn, Sunset. Perhaps if you were older, you would understand where I'm coming from. The biggest questions pile up with age. You have a lot to learn and so do your friends. Twilight is already learning quite a lot as you can tell." "I'd rather learn from someone else other than you, honestly." Sunset side-eyed him, continuing to be brutally honest. "Twilight's had quite a few teachers but I'm not sure you're one of them." "Harsh." Volo whistled. "Very well. How about I impart some more knowledge in my own way? For a young trainer such as yourself, how does a Pokemon Battle sound?" Volo surprisingly offered a battle with Sunset Shimmer, holding up a Poke Ball with a different style. It looked like it was made out of wood compared to the modern-day Poke Ball. "Fine. You're on." Holding out her own Poke Ball, Sunset would accept Volo's challenge. A short Pokemon Battle between the two of them was about to begin here at Canterlot High. It would happen at the back of Canterlot High where less damage would be done to School Property. The two Trainers stood away from each other, finding their spots. No one else would be watching their battle. It would just be between the two. Sunset Shimmer already knew that she was strong. She took on the role of Equestria's 3rd Gym Leader for a while until rearrangements were made. She definitely has the strength. But how does it compare to a Human Trainer? Especially one that comes from the far past. "Go! Braixen!" She went for her first Pokemon. Her trusted partner Braixen. "Braixen!" "Hm." Volo put on a light smile before summoning his own Pokemon. Appearing from that old Poke Ball was none other than a Gabite. "Gabite!" "Gabite...That's going to be a problem." Sunset already narrowed her eyes, knowing this wasn't going to be that easy on her. But she had to do her best. She had no clue how strong Volo was and had no way to gauge his strength at the moment. "Be careful, Braixen." "Xen." Braixen already had her hand on her wand, ready for the worst. "One thing is for sure. No matter the era, generation of century, people your age are always going to think the same. The questions I searched for aren't limited to the past, Sunset. Allow me to show you just how serious I am about my ideals." "Then show me. I'll go first! Braixen, use Flamethrower!" "Braixen!" While Braixen was weak to Gabite, that wasn't going to stop her from trying. Whipping her wand out, the Fox Pokemon released a quick but strong stream of scarlet flames immediately. "Agile Style. Dragon Claw." "Gabite!" Suddenly, the second the Flamethrower was unleashed, Gabite would intercept its movements. A glimmer appeared in his eyes, prompting him to move at greater speeds. He would zip forward, dashing past the Flamethrower with ease before summoning a draconic on his claws. "Xen?!" "What is that speed?!" Sunset Shimmer gasped as she suddenly saw Gabite incredibly close to Braixen. The Cave Pokemon would unleash Dragon Claw, slashing the Fox Pokemon and ending her Flamethrower. "B-Brai!" Braixen cried out, sliding back from the sharp hit. But despite how swift that attack was, there seemed to be a lack of force behind it. Or rather, the force wasn't as powerful as it should be. "Now, use Dig." "Bite!" After delivering a swift slash, Gabite would burrow through the ground the second he touched the ground. He dug at quick speeds, barely giving Sunset and Braixen time to really comprehend this swiftness. "Braixen! Get ready to use Psybeam when it pops back up!" "Brai!" Braixen understood, putting both her hands on the wand to anticipate Gabite's next appearance. She would looked around her, following the trail of dirt that was kicking up thanks to Gabite's movements. Once the trail came to an end, Braixen saw where Gabite was about to emerge from. She would try and intercept him the second he got up, unleashing a spiralling psychic beam. However, even that wasn't quick enough. Gabite burst out of the ground, evading the Psybeam which failed to catch up to him. Gabite was just too fast at the moment for Braixen to keep up. And once he avoided the Psybeam, he delivered a super-effective tackle to the Fire-Type. "Mm...I'm taking this seriously. But are you?" Volo questioned. "Of course I am!" Sunset roared. "Retaliate, Braixen! Use Trick Room!" "Braixen!" Seeing that Gabite was faster, Braixen opted to shift the dimensions so that she would be quicker instead. When flying through the air after being hit by Gabite, she shot out a Psychic flare from her wand. This flare would expand rapidly, generating a Psychic Field that reached her and Gabite. The Cave Pokemon looked around him to see the dimensions rapidly shift. But Volo just kept that smile on his face. "This should help us greatly! Psybeam once more!" "Brai!" Braixen would use this opportunity to use Psybeam yet again. This time, it should be fast enough to reach Gabite and properly land. "Dragon Claw." "Ga!" However, Gabite still had time to fight back. He used Dragon Claw once more, slashing at the Psychic Beam. There was a brief clash between the two of them but they inevitabley tied with Psybeam blowing up and fizzling out. "Go, Braixen! Flamethrower!" "Braixen!" After Psybeam failed, it was time to try out Flamethrower once more. She would release a stronger burst of fire from her wand which would tear through the grass. "Dig." "Bite!" But all it took was Gabite moving ahead of Braixen once more. And this time, instead of just immediately burrowing, Gabite would leap through the air instead. When moving through the air, he avoided the Flamethrower, outspeeding it as well. "But how?! Braixen should be faster under Trick Room!" Sunset Shimmer couldn't understand it. How could Gabite still be swift enough to make the right plays? Nothing has worked at all yet. "Truth is, sweet Sunset...Gabite was actually slower than Braixen the entire time." Volo winked. "Perhaps not by a large margin, but slow enough for Trick Room to matter. I've simply been using a unique style that you don't know about yet." "Bite!" Along came Gabite, who would finally start burrowing. But he would do it while divebombing himself towards Braixen. The Fox Pokemon's pupils shrunk once she saw Gabite heading her way. "Redirect it!" But even still, Sunset Shimmer was going to go down easy. "Brai!" As quickly as she could, Braixen unleashed Flamethrower at Gabite the second he started diving. The flames finally reached Gabite, engulfing his entire body. But it wasn't very effective at all. And immediately, Gabite started tearing through the flames, reaching Braixen with brute strength. Gabite would bring Braixen with him underground, biting the Fox Pokemon's neck while also burrowing through the ground. "Oh, no! Braixen!" Sunset gasped as a strong burst of dust emerged once the two of them burrowed underground. Now, Braixen was at the mercy of Gabite and Sunset Shimmer had no idea of knowing what was happening down there. Keeping his mouth on his neck, Gabite wasn't letting go of Braixen for even a moment. Braixen was being dragged underground, taking continuous super-effective damage. "Well, I'd say this battle is as good as done. Short but sweet, right?" Volo leaned his head. But Sunset Shimmer begged to differ. "I don't think so! It isn't over yet! If you can hear me, Braixen! Use Psybeam on yourself!" "Xen..." Braixen could indeed hear her partner. She closed her eyes, wincing at all the pain she was feeling. But by finding the strength she needed, she aimed her wand at Gabite's back, channelling all of her Psychic power into this one attack. She barely managed to turn the wand, unleashing a stupendous Psybeam. Underground, a beautiful yet destructive pink energy would erupt, causing Sunset Shimmer to flinch while Volo held onto his hand. This outburst created a strong gale as a chunk of rubble would also fly up. And out of it emerged Gabite who ended up taking damage from it. Braixen would also fly out, dealing damage to herself, but it was the only way. "Oooh...Daring." Volo nodded in agreement. "That's the kind of energy needed for this path." "Are you alright, Braixen?!" "Braixen...!" Braixen was hanging in there, but she did take considerable damage. From Dig, Dragon Claw and her own Psybeam. The effects of Trick Room were still active, unintentionally giving Gabite a strong advantage. "I told you this isn't over yet, Volo. As if I'd let someone like you walk all over me!" Sunset Shimmer grinned, glad to see that she was still in this. She definitely wanted to defeat Volo thanks to that strong drive within her. "You're good. You certainly have that drive to win, I'll admit." Volo nodded, giving props to Sunset and Braixen. "Honestly, you remind me of her a bit. And thinking about her...slightly irritates me, honestly." Volo's stare suddenly intensified. It was the same stare he always had but there was just something about it that rubbed Sunset the wrong way. "!" Sunset Shimmer backed up for a moment. "I've been holding back on you this whole time. Let me show you how far apart we are, if you don't mind." Volo still spoke in a friendly tone but there was something chilling about it. "Dragon Claw. Strong Style." "Ga!" A sudden surge of Draconic Energy erupted from Gabite's body as this Dragon Claw was going to be far different from the previous ones. The energy would flare fiercely while Volo just kept his smile. All the rubble nearby would also started shattering just from this force alone. "Brace yourself, Braixen! Psybeam, once more!" "Braixen...!" Braixen had to muster up something stronger than what she previously did. Alas, she couldn't so she had to put up with the current level. Gabite stomped onto the ground, creating a crack beneath him. After that, he would rush at Braixen, having the Trick Room to thank for a greater burst of speed. Braixen then unleashed a mighty Psybeam, attempting to overpower the Cave Pokemon. But she had no idea how different this Dragon Claw was from the rest. With ease, Gabite cut through the Psybeam with his claws, showing no signs of struggling at all. Psybeam meant nothing to him as it was as smooth as butter. Braixen couldn't even put any more into this attack. All she saw was the visage of Gabite rapidly approaching, tearing apart her purple beam. And just like that, she took a powerful Dragon Claw. The attack slashed past her as Garchomp appeared on the other side. With the beam fizzling out just from the force of the slash, Braixen dropped her wand. But right as her wand was about to fall, she was then launched back by a potent outburst of wind which sent her flying. Sunset gasped, quickly holding her arms out to catch her partner. She managed to do so, but in return, she took some damage as well. The impact of Braixen harmed Sunset Shimmer as she ended up falling down with her. The Trainer and the Pokemon both groaned, tumbling and sliding on the ground. Braixne had fainted, granting this battle's victory to Volo and his Gabite. "And that's that~," Volo said before returning Gabite to his Poke Ball. "Well...Are you convinced now? At the end of the day, you're still a bit of a rookie, I would say. All the more reason why you have so much to learn and who better to do it than someone from the past?" "Kh..." Sunset growled while holding her partner in her hands. "Everything here is just what I need to reach Arceus. Don't you understand?" Volo would kneel, getting his face close to Sunset Shimmer who was both intimidated and angry. "What I tried to accomplish in the past, I can get it done in the present and carry it over. You and your friends are great for chiming in. But I'm hoping you'll see beyond just a simple fetch quest. Alright?" Volo then stood up, leaving Sunset to hold onto her fainted partner. It was high-time he got going. However, this would not be the last time Sunset Shimmer saw him. Volo knew it. Since she and her friends would be assisting Sci-Twi, another encounter with Volo was very much possible. He was a rather odd character and Sunset Shimmer couldn't understand him. On top of that, he had many rare items at his disposal and his end goal was Arceus. But Sunset had to wonder what was beyond just receiving answers from Arceus himself. Based on their conversation earlier, there was something else Volo was looking for. As the journey continues. Chapter 342 End.