//------------------------------// // Attempted Exposure // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Unova. Ventstone Pass. Nightfall. With the Moon up in the air, Sci-Twi and Volo found a spot away from the fearsome wind, having a little fire going on. In front of them was a small campsite with the two sitting near the fire. Sci-Twi and Volo ate whatever snacks they had on them, eating them as it was a quick meal for the day. Sci-Twi shuddered, still feeling some of the coldness around her. "Hooh..." She held onto her arms. Even with the campfire, the chill in this area was certainly strong. "I didn't think the cold could still reach me, even when we're like this. Are you not cold?" "I'm used to it by now, honestly." Volo was relaxed, completely unbothered by the cold. "I need some more heat." Digging into her bag, another Poke Ball was taken out. This time, emerging from it was Alpha Rapidash. This particular Alpha was the one that belonged to Sci-Twi. With Rapidash, she could easily warm herself up some more as the flames of a Pokemon are definitely stronger than natural fire. "Rapidash!" The Fire Horse Pokemon trotted a bit, letting her flames flare out in the middle of the night, giving this area some extra glow. "She'll keep us warm for the night." Sci-Twi sat near her Pokemon, holding onto her. Rapidash was happy to be out and about, feeling the wind blow through her fiery mane. "So, Volo...What will you do after you find all of the shards? "What will I do? For starters...I'll return to my own time. I'm obviously not supposed to be here, after all." Volo looked up as that much was obvious. "I'm surprised you don't want to stay here. You seem so interested in the modern age." "It is wonderful but, there are things that I have to sort out in my own time. And when I retrieve all the shards, well..." Volo paused, staying silent for a moment. "Once they're all retrieved and put together, then that way, my chances of meeting the Original One will increase. I'll reach my goal." At last, he revealed his final goal to Sci-Twi, bringing up the Original One, also known as Arceus. And that title didn't escape Sci-Twi at all. "You mean...Arceus? Arceus is who you want to meet?" "Exactly," Volo confirmed it. "I failed previously when I was so close. But I'm not one to give up and I can still have a chance in all of this." "Huh. Well, that's great. I wish I could say the same." Sci-Twi looked down, holding onto her Arceus Pendant. "Even I haven't met Arceus at all." "?" That response caught Volo off guard. The complete opposite of what he initially thought when he first saw Sci-Twi with the pendant on her neck. He assumed that she had strong connections to Arceus based on it. "You...haven't met Arceus?" "No. Not even once." Sci-Twi sighed before looking up at the night sky. "When I got this pendant and went to Arche Valley, I was sure I'd get the chance to meet Arceus at least once. Ash has met him multiple times, so has my counterpart and her friends back at Equestria and so on. But...not me." "Hm." Volo would keep listening as this piqued his interest. Hearing this was beginning to stagger this time traveller in ways he didn't expect. The things he expected from Sci-Twi were being thrown out of the window due to this recent development. "But I guess it's not that big of a deal, honestly. Even if I do want to meet him just once, the most I get are visages and I still don't understand this pendant fully. I'm not sure what I'd do if I'd ever meet Arceus but...I guess it's my love for Pokemon that keeps me going for that goal." "I see." Volo spoke. "So...We are in the same boat. And here I thought you already met Arceus." "You thought I met Arceus?" She let out a slight gasp. "Just a bit." The man from 200 years ago chuckled. "You're surrounded by big figures after all, aren't you? I would've expected you to have already encountered Arceus in some way. I suppose not." "Sorry. It sounds like you really want to meet him. If I met him, I would've told you so much, I just know. It but..." "It's fine." But Volo had no qualms with that at all. "Besides, looking at how things are now, it looks like all thos encounters with Arceus haven't changed much. No one's seeking those answers that I've been yearning for That just means I have a greater drive to reach him." "You want to ask Arceus questions?" Sci-Twi leaned forward, getting more information on Volo's goals. "There is a lot I need to know but no one but Arceus can tell me so. What about you?" "Wel...I've always been into science, honestly. The existence of Pokemon threw me for a loop when I found out about it and there are some things I still don't understand. That's why I'm getting new mentors. I was even surprised that Magic existed in my world before the Pokemon showed up. From my world, the merged world and what lies beyond...it's a lot to take in, honestly. And I'm over here with Alpha Pokemon who also come from the past." Sci-Twi would huddle her legs, taking it all in. Quite the drastic change in her life has occurred. The same goes for everyone else but she was definitely feeling rather perplexed by it all. It's only been around 2 years after all. "And here I am talking with someone else who also comes from the past. The same time as the Alpha Pokemon." She glanced at Volo, smiling. "It's all so weird and it feels like new surprises are flying in regularly. All this and I haven't even met Arceus once." "Then..." Volo stood up, holding his hand out. "How about we work hard to reach Arceus together?" "Huh?" "You want answers, right? And I do too. We've been working together from the start either way, so why not put in more effort? Together. Let's reach Arceus by the end of it all. What do you say? We could use the help. We'll be stronger and have the power to meet the Original One." "Okay! I'll do my best!" She would meet with his hand, giving him a shake. "We'll find all the shards and meet with Arceus!" On this night, the two of them had strengthened their resolve and bond, growing closer. Now, they truly shared a goal. "But uh...Can we sleep now? I'm so tired..." Sci-Twi would yawn, still feeling out of it. "Haha. Of course. It's been a long day." Afterwards, they would let the night pass on as always. Rapidash was kept out to guard them both along with Pikachu. Zorua was already fast asleep along with Spike as the winds of Venstone Pass blew on. While Sci-Twi fell asleep almost instantly, Volo was left awake, thinking to himself. "It's just the two of us, huh? So, she hasn't met Arceus yet. It seems my initial theory was wrong. I was very wrong about you, Twilight Sparkle." Volo thought, seeing Sci-Twi's pendant glimmer a bit from the fire. It felt like Arceus was watching from the pendant. Somehow. But that could just be in Volo's head. As a smile met his face, Volo let out a light chuckle, rather amused. "Goodness...Things aren't going to be the same, are they? The present is an odd place indeed."Afterwards, his eyes would shut off, soon falling asleep as well. Elsewhere in Ventstone Pass, Sunset Shimmer and Carlita had already arrived, but had no clear directions unlike Volo and Sci-Twi. They had no idea where to look for those two, not knowing they were sleeping for the night. "Ugh! Where are they?!" Sunset Shimmer said, feeling a chill run down her spine. She and Delphox were shivering, feeling the winds getting colder. "They're not here." Carlita pointed out, looking around the area. "Maybe they went ahead, but this place is rather large. They could be anywhere. We might have to walk a little further to find them." The trek was not easy for them. Even with Delphox here, the winds were a challenge. They were blowing rather strong, causing Sunset and Carlita to cover their eyes. It was also making it hard for Sunset to hear properly as her ears were being clogged. The rocks of this mountain pass were constantly being carried by the wind, almost like they were floating. Some were being smashed up against the walls of the mountains, shattering into smaller pieces. "Gah! What is this place?! Why is the wind so strong?!" Sunset gripped onto Delphox's dress for safety. "This place is dangerous! It's too windy and the air is thin! If we're not careful, we'll fall down and hit the rocks!" Carlita cried out, having a hard time breathing. "Well, I'm getting tired here!" Sunset yelled. "But I can't just stop now even with all of this wind! I can't stand this!" "Over there! Let's try that spot! It looks a lot more stable and calm!" Carlita pointed, seeing an area that seemed safer than the rest. The wind levels were weaker there, most likely being a safe spot, much like what Volo found. "Okay, okay! Let's hurry!" Sunset Shimmer agreed as she and Carlita ran towards that area. But while approaching it, the rocks would start flying their direction, being sent by the strong wind. "W-What?! Rocks?! What's happening?!" Sunset shrieked, seeing the rocks flying around. One of them came straight for her, only for Delphox to catch it with Psychic, sending it elsewhere. But those weren't the only rocks they had to worry about. They ran as the rocks were moving around in an erratic matter, smashing and crashing everywhere. Delphox shielded her trainer and Carlita, constantly using Psychic to catch as many of them, redirecting them or sending them flying elsewhere, only for the ferocious winds to catch them. "Hydreigon! Go!" "Hydreigon!" Carlita released her Hydreigon once more, using Dragon Rush to knock some of the rocks away the second he emerged from the Poke Ball, but not every single one. As they continued their run, Sunset would have Delphox throw the rocks into a wall, having them break apart. Closer and closer, they were reaching their spot, avoiding as many rocks as they could. And the ones that got too close were either stopped by Delphox or broke upon hitting Hydreigon. His body was durable enough to the point where some rocks would break upon contact. But as soon as they made it, the area would start to break apart, forcing the two girls to fall. It happened again much like what occurred at Blizzard Ridge. "Grab my hand!" Carlita quickly stretched her arm, barely managing to catch Sunset Shimmer. Hydreigon would swoop in to catch Carlita while using one of his heads to grab Delphox. Carlita pulled Sunset up, saving her from another hard fall. They would safely ascend with Hydreigon, sighing in relief. "That was close!" Carlita exclaimed after pulling Sunset up. "Too close. Thanks." Both would breathe in and out, trying to recompose themselves. Ventstone Pass was not being kind to them all, throwing harsh conditions at the girls and their Pokemon. But it looked like they would have the chance to rest. As the two would take a moment to breathe, they reached the area they were originally heading towards, seeing how safe it was. Already upon getting close to it, they could feel a strong lack of wind that threatened them. A perfect place to take a breather. "At least the winds aren't that strong. And there's no sign of snow here anywhere." Carlita checked her surroundings. "This'll do just fine for tonight." "Yeah..." Sunset was glad, getting on her knees and taking in a deep breath. She was just relieved to be out of the cold. Delphox and Hydreigon felt the same way. Staying here the entire night wasn't ideal but needed. She would sit near the wall while Carlita recalled Hydreigon to his Poke Ball. "Well...We didn't get to Volo at all." Carlita spoke. "We can try again tomorrow if the two of them are still here. It'll be tough, but it's better than nothing." "Yeah. At least we got somewhere to stay." Sunset rubbed her neck, stretching it. "I wish I did something about Volo from the start. To bring her out here in such a dangerous place? What's he thinking? And now here we are..." In perspective, these past weeks have been rough on Sunset Shimmer since there was a lot to worry about. Right now, she didn't want to think about it and only wished to rest it all away. She would lie back against the wall, yawning and letting the stress of the day go. Carlita saw this, seeing the weariness in her eyes. No use in talking about any of it right now since Sunset Shimmer was absolutely exhausted. "Get some rest, Sunset. I'll watch the place." Carlita said, taking a seat near her. "Thanks," Sunset said, her eyes drooping. She couldn't stay up, not for a moment longer. She'd be out before she knew it. As the Sun rose over the horizon, the next morning came, showing that the weather in the Ventstone Pass was still its frenzied self. Strong winds blew the rocks around, continuing to cause a ruckus. Sci-Twi and Volo were already up, continuing on their mission to find the Rock Shards. Volo led the way, letting his bracelet do all the work as they were getting closer and closer to the item. "Just a bit more. Based on what the Bracelet is telling me, it looks like it's over there." Volo pointed ahead, showing Sci-Twi the spot where the rocks could potentially be. Right in front of them was a rather steep cliff that seemed to drop a long way down. The wind was stronger here, making it a risky climb. "We can get down from here." Digging into her bag, a Poke Ball was taken out. And from it, she summoned Alpha Kirlia. It was Kirlia's time to get into some of the action when searching for the shards. "Kirlia!" "Alright, Kirlia. I need you to levitate us down safely." Sci-Twi kneeled to meet with Kirlia, giving her a command. "Ria." The Psychic Pokemon nodded. As soon as she nodded in response, Kirlia then noticed Volo on the side. With a smile on her face, it quickly dropped once she saw Volo. It was like she was glaring daggers at the man, feeling his presence. "Is something the matter, Kirlia?" Twilight asked. "Kir..." Kirlia's senses went off. Her ability to sense emotions was going off the charts, alerting her of Volo's true intentions. It wasn't exactly what was shown on the outside. Kirlia had sensed a strong malice within Volo, one that could potentially lead to disastrous events. "Kirlia? You alright?" A worried Twilight Sparkle waved her hands in front of Kirlia's face. "..." But the Psychic and Fairy-Type wouldn't do anything. Not just yet. She observed Volo who looked back at her, focusing on his emotions. What she saw was an aura that was filled with ambition and drive. His goals were not malicious at all, but they did have a tinge of it. And when glancing at the bracelet, the same thing can be said. "Scared of something?" Volo said to the Emotion Pokemon, seeing her eyes widen. He could tell that something was wrong, but it was best not to let it show. Kirlia's face shifted from fear to curiosity. She had a strong suspicion, but didn't know why. But as soon as Volo glanced at her, he smiled a little. "You're a Kirlia, no? Your species evolves through emotions, no? Well, I hope you're not scared of me. There's no reason to be." "Kirlia..." The Pokemon nodded, but had no clue what to think. She looked back and saw Sci-Twi giving her the usual smile. "It's alright, Kirlia." said Sci-Twi. "Volo's a friend. You don't have to worry about anything right now. So please, work with us." "...!" Upon hearing those words, Kirlia would turn and nod, smiling back at her trainer. If her trainer had no problem, then perhaps the problem was just in her mind. But Kirlia was still cautious. And since her trainer trusted this person, so did Kirlia. "Kirlia. Kir!" "Great! Thank you." Sci-Twi smiled and petted her Pokemon's head. Sci-Twi believed in Volo, especially after their conversation last night. She felt like she gained a stronger connection with him because of it, allowing her to see a part of him that she's never seen before. Facing the area, Kirlia used her impressive telekinesis to levitate both her trainer and Volo down to the floor. As the two were descending, Sci-Twi had the chance to admire the view below while Kirlia managed to clear some of the many rocks. Her impressive Psychic Powers allowed her to effortlessly move them despite being so small. Like a gentle feather, they were brought down to the lower lands of Ventstone Pass, finding themselves in a rather flat section of the land. And once they touched the ground, the bracelet went wild, telling Volo that the shards were right here. "It's here! The shard!" Volo noticed. "Really?! Where?!" Sci-Twi jumped, looking around. "I don't see it." "The shard's buried beneath the rocks." Volo explained. He would walk up to a spot and place his hand on the wall, touching the rocks. "But...the power is coming from here. It has to be somewhere underneath." "In that case..." Thankfully, Sci-Twi had a nice range of Pokemon for various actions. With another Poke Ball up, she threw it into the air. "I need your help! Machoke!" From the Poke Ball, emerging was Alpha Machoke, ready to assist his trainer. "Machoke!" "Machoke. I need you to lift this wall and pull out the shard from the inside. Pikachu. Use Dig and help Machoke out." "Pika-Pikachu." With a salute, Pikachu could do that, along with Machoke. Sci-Twi could count on Machoke's Super Strength to help rip the shards out. And if not, Pikachu would always enter the Earth himself. "Okay. Go!" Pikachu and Machoke went straight to work, using their abilities to do their best. Pikachu would jump forward and begin digging into the wall, tearing it open. The ground below would tremble a bit while they went to work and at the same time, Kirlia shifted her eyes at Volo, keeping an eye on him. She wasn't sure what she felt from him. It felt like there was something dangerous there but at the same time, there was something else. The Emotion Pokemon was struggling to really understand it. The two Pokemon were doing a splendid job, working hard to help Sci-Twi. The girl could only hope the shard was right there, not wanting this trip to be for nothing. After minutes of standing around, Machoke and Pikachu would finally finish the job, pulling the shards out. "Chu!" "Machoke!" "You two did it!" Sci-Twi cheered as the shards was finally out, being revealed to the world. The Rock Shards have finally been obtained. "At last. This is a great relief." Volo took the shards, smiling with glee. "Now, we have three shards. Dragon, Ghost and Rock. Now, all we have to do is find the remaining ones. Each shard of each type. That means we have a total of 15." "Just 15? That covers all the types, right?" Sci-Twi asked, making sure she was getting the numbers right. "Mhm. There are 18 types and we have 3 so far. It'll be a long way until we complete this, but I have faith that we'll make it. Let's call this one a day, shall we?" Volo grinned, placing the shards in his bag. "Twilight! Twilight!" Suddenly, Sci-Twi and Volo heard someone screaming her name. And upon checking the direction, they would see Sunset Shimmer and Carlita running over to them, both with tired expressions. "Sunset? Carlita? W-What are you dong here!?" Quite the surprise for Twilight, easily exceeding the shards. "Finally...we found you..." Carlita was wheezing, trying to catch her breath. "We were looking everywhere...and had no luck...until now. How do you still have more energy than us?" "Volo..." Sunset glanced at Volo, seeing him give her the usual smirk. The look of seriousness in Sunset's eyes said it all. The fact that she came this far and put herself in risk just because she was judgemental of Volo's actions. "Sunset Shimmer. How nice of you to join us." Volo was a little too relaxed with Sunset, having no issue seeing her here. "And unexpected. Who's this?" "Don't worry about that." Sunset stepped forward. "You came all the way out here to a place this dangerous just for those shards. Even if they were always here, this is a bit too much, don't you think?" "Hm? From what I hear, dangerous scenarios aren't too much of a big deal for you and your friend group." Volo shrugged. "Why would this be any different?" "Yeah. And look, Sunset. Carlita. We got the Rock Shards now! Slowly, but surely, we're getting them all!" Sci-Twi held the shards out. "Twilight, listen!" Sunset exclaimed. "I should've told you this before, but I just have a bad feeling about him. I think we should leave." "A bad feeling?" Sci-Twi repeated. "About Volo? Why?" "After our battle, when we lost...he showed me a part of him that I bet he hasn't shown you at all. He went on about why he wanted to meet with Arceus, and the look in his eye and the way he said it all didn't seem right." "What gave you that idea?" Volo chuckled. "I only told you about my objective to reach Arceus. Meeting with the Original One will give me closure. The burning questions I have can only be answered by him." "I can believe that. But everything else behind it, not so much. You're hiding something from us, Volo. I know it. And the look on your face said it all." Sunset pointed out. "There's more to your goal than you're letting on and I bet it's not for a good reason. "H-Hold on, Sunset." Sci-Twi would stutter, holding her hands up. "Don't jump to conclusions just yet. Let's slow down for a moment." "A bit harsh, honestly." Volo scratched his hair. "Do you really think that little of me, Sunset? I'll admit, I did go a bit overboard during our battle but...there's no need to judge. And if I am hiding anything, why don't you find out yourself? You've already been chasing us this whole time." "Huh?" Hearing that made Twilight turn her head, facing Volo before looking at Sunset Shimmer. "Thought I didn't recognize you this whole time? Don't you think I didn't notice you when you followed us from Eindoak all the way to here? It's kind of obvious. And here I thought you didn't want to tag along." "?!" Hearing that made Sunset and Carlita tense up, knowing what he meant. Volo knew all along. "You were following us the entire time?" Twilight said with confusion in her voice. "W-Why didn't you say anything or show yourself?" "Probably because she just doesn't trust me all that much." Volo guessed. "Sunset, why would you follow us and not say anything? You should've just talked to me about it." Sci-Twi was rather shocked. "Twilight. It's not like that." "Then, what is it? If you didn't trust Volo, why didn't you say anything sooner?" Sci-Twi questioned, seeing her friend shake her head. "No, no. It's not that. Look, it's complicated." "She probably didn't want to bother you." Carlita guessed. "But..." Twilight didn't really have the best response, seeing her friend and her friend's companion not have the words. "To be fair, I kept your presence a secret even though I knew you were following us." Volo spoke. "Guilty on that part. But it made it all the more fun." "It's just a feeling, Twilight. I had it when I first encountered the Dazzlings and I've been getting the same vibe since I battled him. He's not exactly someone who's safe to hang out with. And the fact he brought you out here without warning? Something's definitely off." "Why didn't you tell me then? We're friends, aren't we?" That was Sci-Twi's own burning question. If that was the case, then Sunset Shimmer would've told her from the start. "..." Sunset looked down, unable to come up with a response. She could tell the truth and say that the main reason she was going along with this was because she was still shaken up by Volo's words. The fact that he was so driven to reach Arceus and the way he acted about it. "I don't know why I didn't say anything from the start...To you or the others...But..." Sunset lowered her head before looking back at Volo. "In any case, I just want you to be careful." "Around Volo? Why would I? He's not dangerous at all." Sci-Twi had a different opinion of him. "I get what you mean but, Volo's not a threat. I trust him. Honestly." "You trust him?! You barely know him, Twilight!" She outstretched her arms out at Volo, who just shrugged it off as well. "She does have a point. We only met a few weeks ago and it's not like you know everything about me." "You're right, but..." Sci-Twi tried to think of the right words. "If you think I can't trust him, Sunset, I don't know if I can trust you. And after all we've been through together. And the others...You and your friends are my new mentors. My new friends. But if you think he's dangerous, then I can't just agree." "Wait, Twilight. Hold on-" "You didn't tell me anything about you following me. Spying on me too. Can I even trust you?" That question hit Sunset like a truck. Now, Sci-Twi was having her doubts about the trust she had in Sunset. She knew Sci-Twi was being honest but, the way she phrased her words were rather painful. "Look, Twilight, I'm sorry. But I did what I thought was best. Maybe I was wrong and everything...but I just can't let you stick around Volo. Not when I have this feeling." "Well, I disagree." She shook her head. "You haven't given him a chance, Sunset. I'm heading back home and pretty soon, when Summer vacation comes along, I'll have more time on my hands to go and search for the shards with him. You'll do the same, won't you? But if you can't trust him, I can't trust you." "..." Sunset grumbled, closing her eyes as this was one of the hardest scenarios she's ever been put in. Even harder than when she was once evil and obsessed with power. "I don't want that. Not from my own friends. But I also make sure that my friends are safe. I'm not gonna give him the benefit of the doubt when I have this strong gut feeling, Twilight. That's all it is." "I can take care of myself, Sunset. I don't need your protection of anything." Sci-Twi was getting visibly angry, showing it by folding her arms. "If you can't accept Volo, then fine. Go on ahead." "Now, now. Let's not get too heated here." Carlita tried calming things down between them. "I'm not going anywhere without you." Sunset said. "And I have a lot I want to say to Volo, so I'm also taking him with me." "No, you're not." Suddenly, Sci-Twi held out a Poke Ball, causing Pikachu, Spike, Kirlia and the rest of her Pokemon to gasp. By holding the Poke Ball out to Sunset Shimer, Sci-Twi was telling her that she wasn't about to take any of this. "W-What...?" Sunset was flabbergasted by what she was seeing. Once more, Twilight was an obstacle in her path. But this time, it was much like the second time as opposed to the first time when she encountered Princess Twilight. It felt like history was repeating itself. "I'm not going anywhere without him." Sci-Twi said, having everyone go wide-eyed. "I won't let you bad mouth my friend. Even if you're also my friend." "Fine then." Sunset would reluctantly hold out her own Poke Ball. "Then, there's only one way we can settle this. Twilight. If I win, then you'll stick around and see what I have to show and say." "And if I win, then you'll at least give him a chance." It was settled. Here at Ventstone Pass, Twilight and Sunset would have a Poke Ball as the two stared each other down. Carlita grimaced at this sight while Volo was quite intrigued. This was quite the development as these two good friends were about to throw down. And for what reason? Volo himself. But the outcome was clear. Either Sunset would succeed in revealing Volo's true intentions or Sci-Twi would succeed in proving her innocence. Only one side could win this battle and whoever does will certainly change things up to a large degree. Kirlia, Zorua and Machoke all had bad feelings about this and so did Kirlia. But Volo remained rather unphased by this. All he wanted to do right now was watch it all play out. As the journey continues. Chapter 456 End.