//------------------------------//
// Eight Shards Closer 
// Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World 
// by Amarvax 
//------------------------------//

Unova. Castelia City. The Pokemon Center. Nightfall.-

The Sea Temple had arrived in Unova as the Moon was up, stopping by Castelia City for a brief moment. Here, Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were here to see their Pokemon. The girls would step outside of the Sea Temple, entering the city's Pokemon Center.

At this time, the Pokemon Center was still open, the lights shining through. In this Night Shift, many had gone but Nurse Joy and her Audino were always there. Present there were their Pokemon as well. Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie entered the room where their Pokemon were resting.

"You're back." Nurse Joy smiled.

"Nurse Joy." Rarity stepped forward, approaching her Pokemon. Pheromosa and Mew were in the same room, both in stable condition. Pheromosa was still resting, while Mew was hugging a ball, his eyes almost awake.

"Hey, Nurse Joy." Pinkie Pie smiled, approaching her partner, Mew.

"We were wondering when you'd show up. I'm afraid they'll still need more time to rest. The damage they took is beyond anything I've seen ever. Pheromosa still had it the worst, so she's been resting the longest. Mew is only half-awake, so he's recovering too. Kartana's been trying to force himself awake, but he can't seem to do it yet. Your Pokemon are strong, but the injuries they have is not something that's easily cured. And the fact that Mew is half-awake is proof that they're not 100%.

"Oh. Alright." Twilight slowly nodded her head. "At least they're recovering. Kartana obviously wants to cut something badly right now if he's trying to force himself awake."

"That's true." Nurse Joy chuckled. "They should be able to recover. Eventually. I'm sure they'll wake up and be back to full strength. You can talk to them, even if they won't respond."

Doing just that, Rarity walked up to Pheromosa, gently caressing the Bug Type's face with her hoof. Pheromosa would let out a gentle sigh, leaning into the touch. She was still not in a state to speak, but she did know that her trainer was here for her.

Pinkie Pie would hug her Mew, nuzzling against the Psychic-Type. Even if the pink feline's eyes were half-open, he would let out a soft giggle, hugging his trainer back. Pinkie's Slurpuff would also lick the cat-like Pokemon's face, showing their love for him.

As for Twilight, she would have to enter another part of this room to see Kartana. Unlike the other two, the Drawn Sword Pokemon was still laying down, his arms folded together. His eyes were closed, and he seemed like he was asleep.

"Kartana. You there?" Twilight would ask, hoping that her partner would respond. There was a brief moment of silence as the Pokemon continued to lay there, his eyes still closed. And for a second, Twilight feared that Kartana wouldn't be the same. "Kartana?"

Kartana didn't respond. He was currently resting as right next to him were objects that he would absolutely love to cut when he gets the chance. But alas, right now, he couldn't. Twilight would leave Kartana, letting him get the rest he needs.

"Sorry. I'm not sure when they'll wake up. But, you can count on me and Audino to take care of them.

"Thank you so much, Nurse Joy." Rarity gave a grateful smile. "We should get going now. We'll visit you again when we can. Take care, alright."

"You take care too." Nurse Joy nodded her head.

With that, the trio would leave the Pokemon Center, returning to the Sea Temple.





The Sea Temple. Samiya.

The Sea Temple would be on the move once more, heading out to the seas. Enough time had passed, allowing the Lightspeed Mechanism to be used once more. Thanks to the Slurpuff, they knew they had to head to the South, meaning that they would have to go past Hoenn and into the Southern Seas.

"Alright! It should have enough power to jump at lightspeed!" One of the Samiyan Guards bellowed. "Everyone, brace yourself! The temple will be jumping in a few moments!"

"Ready, everyone?" Ash glanced at the others, ready to see the temple jump in lightspeed.

"T-This thing's about to move at Lightspeed?!" Jessie and James were terrified.

"Ain't that dangerous?!" Meowth questioned.

"It's scary the first time but fun the second time. Trust me." Rainbow Dash grinned, already making herself comfortable.

The Sea Temple was ready to jump, using its mechanism to reach its destination in the blink of an eye. In a flash, it was moving at incredible speeds, causing ripples in the water.

"Wow..." Lena's jaw dropped when seeing this, feeling the speed the Sea Temple was travelling at. It felt like it was going faster than the average boat. The light of the Sea Temple would rapidly pass by thanks to this speed as everything happening around her was occurring incredibly fast. But in Lena's eyes and everyone else's, they were able to savour this moment, their perception of time and speed being altered.

The Sea Temple passed by many locations in Unova in the blink of an eye, causing a sonic boom that could be heard by everyone. In an instant, they were far South of Unova and even further East, passing by the Orange Archipelago and entering the Southern Seas. With a brilliant flash, the Sea Temple had entered the South, stopping at its destination.

It was now in the Hoenn Region.

Everything settled in for Lena and Team Rocket, their bodies unable to register the speed they just went at. They were not used to such speeds, the G-Forces getting to them immediately.

"Oooh..." Jessie was laying flat on her face already, completely bewildered.

"So it's Hoenn." Ash said now that they've arrived, gazing at the region before him. Comparable to Alola in terms of the heat, they found themselves close to Lilycove City.

"Does that mean they're currently at Lilycove City?" Twilight questioned before looking at the Slurpuff.

"Puff..Slurpuff." All 6 of them started sniffing the air, trying to see if they could catch a scent. Since they felt Sci-Twi's scent at the south and now they're arrived at the South which was at Hoenn, that meant that she could be here.

"Anything, Slurpuff?" Pinkie asked.

"Slurpuff. Slur. Sluuurpuff." Each of them would point in one direction, leading the group towards Lilycove.

"That means we're close." Ash narrowed his eyes. "If we're gonna find Twilight and Volo, then I'll bet it'll be here. We're gonna be going by foot!"

"Then we will be waiting here, Your Majesty." Alo nodded along with the soldiers of the Sea Temple. "If they are not here, then we will be ready to move once more. Best wishes, Your Majesty."

"Thanks!" Ash would then leap forward, landing on Lilycove City's grounds. His friends followed, leaving the Samiyans behind. Since it was Nightfall, Hoenn was a bit colder right now, its Moonlight illuminating the night sky. Lena stepped out with Team Rocket, hearing the sounds of the night permeate across the area.

The Slurpuff led the group to Lilycove's Beach, their noses pointed in the same direction. The five Pokemon would lead them towards the city's shore, sniffing the air to make sure they had the right scent.

"This is the spot, Slurpuff. Right?" Pinkie Pie questioned.

"Slur. Slurpuff." A Slurpuff answered with a nod. Just then, they were starting to pick up on her scent, making their noses twitch and their eyes sparkle. That was without a doubt her scent. No mistaking it. They then turned their attention to the north of Lilycove City, following the scent once more. 





In the distance, Lilycove was still active. With the Night, the people were still enjoying the sights and the sea, some of them having a midnight walk along the shore. The city was always a great spot to visit as well, having many activities for those who wished to partake in them, aside from Pokemon Contests which were closed for the night.

Right in the middle of the city, the Slurpuff continued to track Sci-Twi's scent, making their way to Lilycove's Pier. The large and bustling pier that extended over the water and allowed ships and boats to dock was where the Slurpuff had found the source of the scent.

"Slurpuff. Slur." One of the Slurpuff would approach the water, pointing at a ship that was currently sailing in the distance. "Slur."

"A ship?" Pinkie Pie repeated. "Oh! Maybe she's on that ship! If we follow her, then we might get there."

"She's on that ship? Positive?" Applejack questioned.

"Only one way to find out.2 Ash held out a Poke Ball, having one of his Pokemon ready. "Dracovish1 I choose you!"

"Draco! Dracovish!" Appearing in a flash of light was the Fossil Pokemon.

"Alright, buddy. We gotta chase down that ship and hopefully catch up with Twilight." Ash mounted his Dracovish, sitting on his back. "Ready when you are!"

"Vish!" Dracovish cried out.

"I'm coming too." Rarity had her own Pokemon summoned. "Come, Milotic!

"Milotic." Rarity's Pokemon appeared, her beautiful form shimmering. Both Water-Types, with their Trainers on their backs, would jump into the seas of Hoenn, making quite the splash. Joining them were their friends as Fluttershy and Twilight sat on Dracovish's back. Pinkie and Applejack would go for Milotic's back, joining Rarity.

"If they're sailing away, that means they probably found out where another one of those shards are." said Fluttershy. "Maybe."

"Hold on! How are we going to  follow you?!" Jessie questioned as she, James and Meowth were lacking a Pokemon to help them travel the waters. It'll take them some time to head back to the Sea Temple too.

"I have that covered." Thankfully, Lena had an answer to that. Digging into her pockets, she would hold out the Flying-Type Shards, relying on their power "I can use the shards to fly us over there. That'll be our way of traelling.

"Woah! You can do that Grandma?!" Ash gasped as this was news to him. He and the others weren't aware of Lena's unique ability to harness the power of the Shards.

"Yes. Now hurry before the ship gets too far!"

"Right! Full Speed ahead, Dracovish!

"Vish!" Dracovish would speed across the waters, his fins acting like the tail of a fish, helping him swim. Milotic did the same, both of them trying to reach the ship.

Lena grasped the Flying-Type shards in her hand, having a light blue energy envelop her body. Jessie, James and Meowth would place their hands and paws on her, allowing the energy to flow through them as well.

"Up!" Lena would lift her hand into the air and with her power, she and Team Rocket would float into the air, following the ship from the skies.

"What in the world?! What are they?!" Some people from Lilycove gasped and marvelled at the sight of these four floating in the sky. They left trails of energy behind in the night sky, following the ship that supposedly had Sci-Twi on it.





Sci-Twi and Volo were actually on a boat, currently on their way to the next location. As expected, they were still after the remaining 14 Shards of Arceus's Life Plates, the only thing keeping them apart. And Volo was more than happy to assist her with her journey. Sci-Twi was in a bit of deep thought at the moment while the boat sailed across the water. She was on a bed, looking at the ceiling above her.

She wished to just forget about it right now and focus on her mission, slowly closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. But she couldn't. Her mind was still lingering on that day. The moment when her friendship with Sunset Shimmer was tested, and it resulted in failure.

Even though's only been a few days since the fight, it's felt like an eternity. She had no idea how Sunset was doing and vice versa. Her body growing tired as she put herself to sleep.

As for Volo, he was busy reading up on a book, sitting in a chair while the ship was sailing. The night was peaceful, and the boat was travelling the seas, heading to the next destination.

"Hm." He then noticed how the Dragon Shards in his possession were shining brightly, their energy emanating from the stones. Curious, he picked them up, seeing that they were resonating with something. With a smile forming on a face, he knew what this meant. "Oh. For it to just start glowing? That means only one thing. More of the shards are getting closer and closer to each other. This is truly wonderful."

He was right on the mark. He and Sci-Twi had the Dragon, Rock and Ghost Shards, making that three, while Ash's group had the Flying, Fairy, Ground and Steel Shards. They technically would have the Fire Shard, but Lena cut her exploration in Alola short and never retrieved it. Thus, Eight Shards were approaching each other, making their energies grow and react.

"We're on the right track." Volo smirked. "The more we collect, the closer we'll be. This is exactly what I wanted.

He would then gaze up at the sky, his eyes shining under the moonlight. The clouds were thinning as the stars and the moon were becoming clearer.

"This is the path that leads us to Arceus, Twilight Sparkle. Just follow it and you'll understand." But of course, Volo didn't want anyone stopping his goal, not even for a moment. Knowing that the other shards were closing in, he decided to take action while Sci-Twi was asleep. Much like Lena, he could also harness the power of the Dragon Shards.

Lena could only do it thanks to the strange egg she ate many centuries ago during her travels but Volo had his mystical reason for doing so. Using the shards, his eyes would glow the same colour as the shards, a faint outline of a dragon's head appearing behind him.

"Let's make sure the others can't interfere." He whispered, knowing the power the Dragon Shards possessed. He would send a beam of energy down into the sea itself, a ripple forming on the water. His goal was not to sink the ship or anything. No. It was to send a message.

A message that would cause the sea to erupt, a burst of energy appearing, the water forming a pillar that shot into the skies.

Ash and the others immediately noticed this pillar as it illuminated the night, carrying the same draconic colouring as the Dragon-Type.

"Is that a...Tidal Wave?!" Fluttershy gasped, seeing the pillar of water suddenly appear. But that was certainly not a tidal wave. Not at all. The Pillar of Water was brimming with Dragon Energy, causing the bubbles to appear and dissappear at lightning speeds. Of course, such a reaction was beginning to affect the Pokemon in the Waters, sending Dragon Energy through the waters while they were just minding their business.

Lena gasped when seeing this energy flowing, recognizing this sight immediately. She's seen this before and knew where this was going. The Dragon Energy roared through the waters, blitzing through it and startling some of the Pokemon living down there. It wasn't until it came across a Lanturn that was shining his light on a group of Horsea that the Dragon Energy took action.

It enveloped the Lanturn's Light, the Pokemon startled when the Dragon Energy flowed through his body. Lanturn groaned his body was beginning o go through a transformation. The light shone brightly as his eyes glowed a bright yellow, the light surrounding him and his form changing.

"Lan...Lanturn?" The Pokemon's voice would sound more masculine, the light fading and revealing a brand new Pokemon. This wasn't Lanturn anymore, the Pokemon now a Dragon-Type Variant of his own form. Appearing as a rather large being, he emerged from the ocean, bestowing his new look to all those who could see it

He retains some elements of his original appearance but takes on a more dragon-like appearance. His body elongated and becomes sleeker, with scales covering its skin. His tail becomes more serpentine, and fins transform into wings reminiscent of a dragon's. The antenna-like structures on its head become more pronounced, resembling horns. There was still light emanating from it, but now it had a purplish blue colouring, much like the Dragon-Type Energy.

"Wyrlight!" He cried out, the name of his new form given to him. With the power of the Dragon-Type, his body and powers had evolved.

"What the...!" Ash and his friends gazed at the new Pokemon before them. They've never seen a Pokemon evolve like that before. Pikachu immediately recognized something like that. he recalled how Li'l Kanga, the baby of Kangaskhan, was affected by Dragon Matter and had her own Dragon Form. A similar scenario was happening here and of course, it was caused by the same man.

Taking out the Pokedex, Ash would read about this new Dragon Pokemon that resembled Lanturn. The Pokedex immediately registered something for it despite it being completely new, just now coming into existence.

"Wyrlight. The Brightening Pokemon. Once a humble Lanturn, Wyrturn undergoes a divine transformation into a Dragon-Type. Its body takes on the appearance of a dragon, with scales glistening like sapphires in the sunlight. With the antenna on its head, it can produce a raging Dragon Energy that brings about unknown effects."

"It's just like what happened with Li'l Kanga!" Applejack gasped. "It ain't even the same Pokemon anymore!"

"Did Volo do that?!" Fluttershy questioned.

"No doubt it is." Lena said while flying above them. "Because the shards are linked to Arceus, even when shattered and no longer Life Plates, they have the Divine Power to create new life. New Pokemon! This is the power of the Shards."

"Create new Pokemon!? Just like that?!" An astonished Twilight bellowed.

Wyrlight, upon entering the world, would perform its first major action, it's mind immediately racing to hostility. Wasting no time, it aimed its antennae at the skies, unleashing a massive Dragon Energy towards the heavens. All eyes immediately followed the energy, watching as it blasted off towards the skies.

Once it hit the Night Skies, it created a small crack, opening up the dimension itself. They all gasped, seeing a crack in the sky form as the clouds would tremble and the ocean would rumble. The Dragon Energy had ripped open the very sky and caused something to drop from the heavens.

Dragonic Rain started to pour, falling from the crack. The droplets fell across the land, some of them falling on the ocean's surface. The droplets would glow once they hit the water, the Dragon Energy flowing within the droplets. The colour of these rain droplets were a purple-ish blue, the colour of Dragon-Type, rapidly growing in numbers. The clouds themselves had changed colours, no longer the light grey and white, now turning to a dark and ominous purple.

"Oh, man! What's going on?!" Ash watched as the water started to boil, the heat of the rain being too much for the ocean. The waves grew, the winds started to blow and the rain was falling rapidly. The heat of a Dragon's Fires were present, causing the sea to rise, the waves forming a gigantic wave.

The wave would grow, the size of a mountain, the water taking the form of a dragon. Ash and his friends gawked at the sight, the gigantic wave now a beast in its own right. Volo watched from the distance his own creation, having used the Dragon Shards to create a Dragonic Rainstorm that will have unknown effects. 

"In order to reach Arceus, only someone willing to go above and beyond what an ordinary human can do is needed. Only I can achieve that, Twilight Sparkle. And with Arceus on my side, the world will change. It will become better. I'll make sure of that.





Equestria. Ponville. Twilight's Castle. Nightfall.

Back at Equestria, over at Ponyville and in Twilight's Castle, Rayquaza, who was currently resting up to heal, felt it. The presence of a Dragon was here, but it wasn't just any normal one. He felt the power of a Dragon, one that had the power to rival him and any other Legendary Pokemon. Even from all the way here, the King of the Skies felt the presence, his eyes snapping open.

The action that Volo has caused had a massive effect, the clouds and sky now a dark purple, the rain and droplets pouring and falling from the sky. Rayquaza let out a cry that immediately woke everyone inside of the castle up, their bodies trembling at the roar of the Legendary Pokemon.

"W-What was that?!" Spike gasped, falling out of his bed. Rayquaza's roar moved across all of Ponyville, waking everyone else up from their wonderful sleep. Some fell out of their beds while others were jumpscared, believing that they were being attacked by something.

Rayquaza obviously couldn't leave since his body was still recovering from the damage it sustained, but he wished ot be out there. As the Guardian of the Skies, he could just sit by idly and let it all happen. Spike rushed in to the room Rayquaza was being kept in, seeing the Pokemon staring up at the ceiling.

"R-Rayquaza!" Spike entered the room, gasping. "What's wrong!? What's happening?!"

Rayquaza's cries went on and on, informing Spike of what he felt. Far from here and all the way to Hoenn, a great power was tampering with Hoenn's climate and weather, the Legendary Pokemon's instincts being set off. He knew that something was volatile was occurring out there.

"Something's happening in Hoenn?!"

As the journey continues.


Chapter 460 End