//------------------------------// // The Flames of Encouragement // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Ponyville. The Pokemon House. Afternoon. After Incineroar's sudden out-of-control rampage came to an end, Rainbow Dash was currently resting up to get her strength back. The Pokemon House was thankfully in one piece even after all that. Any damage was quickly repaired by the Pokemon themselves. As for those who came here to view the upgrade and choose new Pokemon, they would still get that chance even after today's event. "Hah...Thanks." Rainbow Dash sat up once she was back to full strength. "All that lightning really did a number on me. Now I know how Flying-Types really feel." "Bravi..." "That got way too close. I'm surprised you had enough strength to finish that battle. Incineroar looked like he was getting way too strong." Dawn pointed out. "Yeah. But when Braviary and I put our all into it, nothing seems too impossible." The pegasus proudly said while crossing her hooves. "It got pretty close there. I banked it all on that one attack. Otherwise, Braviary and I would've been totally fried." "I'll say. I didn't think Incineroar would get his own unique form like that. It didn't look finished though." said Ash, referring to Lightning-Incineroar. "Still...What do you think she's doing now? Going through that must be rough." May questioned. "She looked pretty guilty about it." Ash saw it in her face while she was leaving and even before that. "Lighting probably thinks she got way too careless with that stone." "Well, she did just find it somewhere in the world. But I don't think she even saw that coming." Zoey shook her head before thinking for a moment. "Ash. You said that something like that has happened before, right?" "Mhm. If you aren't a Rift Pony or Rift Human, using Rift Magic isn't totally flawless." Ash would look up at the sky when gazing out of the window. "Using way too much of it or for too long brings a bunch of drawbacks to your body. Fluttershy's Bayleef can't use her special ability as much as she wants without risking some leaves, for example." "Bay." Bayleef could confirm such a thing. She was only liimited to the number of leaves on her and she even had to hope that the Sun was up in the sky to heal her, not blocked by any grey clouds or transitioning into the night. There were other examples of too much Rift Energy being used by others that have happened these past 4 years. "Mmrgh..." Rainbow Dash grumbled for a moment while looking down. This isn't how she wanted it to turn out. Her first battle against Lightning Dust and it ends like this. All that boasting and taunting the two of them did seemed pointless now. In that moment, Rainbow Dash saw how vulnerable Lightning Dust looked. "I wanted our battle to end way differently than that. Without something like that happening." "Don't blame yourself." Ash placed a hand on her back. "Lightning Dust didn't know what would happen when she gave him that stone either." "Almost made me forget what we were battling about. But now I don't even care." The pegasus sighed. "What about those rookie trainers that were hit her?" "They went away, probably to find Lightning Dust since she flew off." said Dawn. "That's kinda it. But hey. You had a great battle either way. Everyone enjoyed it, until those last moments though. It kinda scared a lot of them." "Yeah...I have a feeling the next time I meet her, things are we gonna be way different. And I don't even know how different they're going to be." Lightning Dust was far from Ponyville by now, standing near a vast lake. She was gazing into the distance, reminiscing about everything that just happened. The guilt in her eyes was visible but they slowly started changing to a more serious expression. Her gaze turned towards Incineroar's Poke Ball, gripping it with one of her hooves. She remembered how powerful he was when using the stone. To think she could use that same power. Despite how wonderful it was, the fact that it did that to Incineroar was heartbreaking. That was the kind of power she wanted but not in such a way that it puts Incineroar at harm's risk. In fact, she also felt that she was the one who brought harm to him. The pegasus then held out the Rift Stone, clenching her teeth before throwing it as far as she could. "Stupid stone!" Lightning Dust yelled as it landed in the middle of the water. Now, the stone was gone from her grasp. She had thrown it away. "Whatever...I'll find another way of getting stronger. Without any of those lame drawbacks." Lightning Dust stated, turning away. Her eyes were full of determination as she took flight. The mare had other plans for herself, but first, she had to do some reflecting. For now, she would fly away from the area. As for the stone, it would drift further down the river, going in an aimless direction. Canterlot. The Pokemon School. Over at the Pokemon School, the return of Potion Nova was wonderful for the students who missed her. She would return to teaching as if she never left, even though she's been in space for many weeks. For the entire school day, the children spent their time around Potion Nova, asking questions and wanting to learn more. But even though she was happy to be back, her mind was on Galaxy Master, thinking about his condition. She didn't know why Galaxy Master was mute or where he ran off to. After school, everyone was leaving, including Twilight, who would return to her castle for the day. Potion Nova, however, would stay behind and continue her research on her own. The potions she had created while gone in space were still here, waiting for her to experiment on. She had many ideas in mind. "I'll make even more potions while I'm at it." Potion Nova would say to herself. "It's been a while since I've crafted new ones." After everyone had left, Potion Nova was left in the classroom alone, the only sound being the bubbling of the potions. The light was dim, making the room seem dark and eerie. Potion Nova was sitting at her desk, mixing different ingredients together in order to make a new type of potion. She would use her magic to combine the various components together, making a variety of new mixtures. "What should I make next..." She wondered, seeing the cauldron with different kinds of potions. One was a potion that caused you to shrink and grow, another one that would allow you to breathe underwater and yet another that would allow you to talk to Pokemon and Animals. "Already made that...Hah." She sighed, thinking of something else and starting from scratch. With that, Potion Nova would get to work, combining the ingredients and working hard to make something new a reality while also thinking about Galaxy Master. Hoenn. The Ranger Union. As the Moon began to rise, the Ranger Union was yet again hard at work. Due to recent events, they have been more focused than ever. A lot of things were under their radar now. Such as the movements of Daybreaker's group. That group was getting a bit smaller now that Nightmare Rarity was out of the picture but it was still massive thanks to Daybreaker's empire. But of course, that didn't stop them from focusing on other issues as always. There were still Pokemon out there that need help. And one of the many things that they've been looking out for was located at Unova. Somewhere in the Unova Region, there was a strange disturbance occurring that they just couldn't ignore. The energy coming fro it was unusual and has been going on and off constantly with small gaps of time. "What do you think it is? Is it Daybreaker?" A dispatcher questioned. "It doesn't look like Daybreaker." Another dispatcher pondered. "If it was, we would've known by now. We can easily detect energy and even magic now but...whatever this is, our tech can't pick up on it." "That's impossible. These things are even made to detect Legendary Pokemon and the like. What could be great enough to ignore this?" "Maybe it's something far beyond what we know. It might be something from the Rift but...Even we can pick up on that." It was a mystery for them as they were unsure of the cause. But there was a clear cause for it that only a select few out of that area know about. The most they were able to get out of it was that it was coming somewhere from Unova. But the location in question was currently shielded by something. Something Divine. Galar. Wild Area. Meanwhile, as the Moon rises on the world, Sci-Twi was currently walking with Volo. Both of them were still at Galar, continuing their search for the shards they were seeking. They found themselves at the Wild Area, where wild Pokemon roamed freely, living their lives without much worry. Sci-Twi couldn't help but think about Ash, worried that she may not be able to face him ever again. The mere thought of facing him after what had happened made her heart race. It wasn't something she wanted to happen. Even worse was if he knew the truth about her and her universe. That would break his trust with her. Another night was passing and it would be another night without Kubfu or even Bulbasaur being trained. Not only that, but it was also another day where the two didn't make any progress on locating the shards. As the pair continued to walk, the moon would shine down upon them, illuminating the area. Volo looked at the sky, seeing how the light came down upon them, reflecting off his eyes as he saw how big the moon was. "The Moon looks bigger tonight. Well, I guess that's an odd thing to say, huh? That it looks bigger?" "Mm..." Sci-Twi hummed, keeping her eyes forward as she would adjust her glasses. "I suppose so. Why did you mention it?" "Well, it makes me wonder how the moon could grow larger than normal? Maybe it's a sign that something grand will occur soon. Something truly amazing." Volo chuckled. "I'm sure you've seen it many times before, so I bet this isn't anything new." "Mmm..." Sci-Twi nodded. "And besides, the moon's presence doesn't affect our plans at all. We just need to keep searching for those shards. But hey, we haven't failed yet, right? We've still got plenty of time to find them." "Yeah..." Sci-Twi lowered her head, having been rather down ever since she met Ash. Now she was filled with so many doubts. "But what if we don't find them, Volo?" "Hmm?" Volo raised his brows, hearing Sci-Twi question his plan. It wasn't the first time she brought this up, but it was never like this. "What if we never find the shards? What if there are none to begin with? Or we take too long to locate them? You said they were moving around. What if they stop and go somewhere else?" Sci-Twi questioned, stopping in her tracks and looking at Volo. "That would be the worst possible outcome, wouldn't it? If we fail, that is." Volo smiled, knowing that this wouldn't happen to them. "But as a descendant of the Celestica People, I'm destined to find them regardless. Because I am meant to." "I guess that makes sense, somewhat..." Sci-Twi trailed off, thinking about what Volo said. "By the way...your Pokemon are getting restless aren't they? At least two of them are." Volo uttered, already knowing about Kubfu and Bulbasaur. He was referring to how she hadn't been training them. "I wonder why that is? "Oh. W-Well, I just figured that I wouldn't need to. Not when we're focused on finding the shards. That should be the number one priority." Sci-Twi spoke. "Ah, yes. I see what you mean." Volo nodded, understanding what she meant. "But at the same time, during our search, you're bound to come across some formidable obstacles, I can guarantee that. Will you even be strong enough to make it the end of this search by then?" "Umm..." Volo walked over to Sci-Twi, placing a hand on her shoulder as he looked at her in the eyes. "As a Pokemon Trainer, you still need to train, Twilight. To be ready for what comes next. No matter how strong or weak our opponents are. That's what I believe. Besides, what do you think your friends would say if they found out you didn't train while they were busy with their own tasks?" "They'd probably not want to associate with me anymore. Not that they would be able to see me again if things went poorly." Sci-Twi muttered. "Hm. Probably."Volo would turn around, facing away from Sci-Twi as he gazed up at the moon. "In any case, I'd recommend you focus on improving for the future. Besides...you and I both know that eventually, we'll have to cross paths with your friends again. Especially since some of them have the shards." "Yeah..." Sci-Twi closed her eyes, feeling a chill go down her spine when thinking about facing them once more. She knew Volo was right and that she had to get stronger. But something inside of her hesitated. The part of her that wanted to hide everything about herself. "Right." "But no need to fret. Right now, my compass is informing me of four shards right now. Some seem to be here in Galar and they're a bit nearby. We'll keep going until we find those shards. And then after that, we'll head on to our next location." "Got it. Where are we heading off to next then?" "From what I can tell from the compass and the map we have...Perhaps Circhester will do." The Human World. Out in the City. Elsewhere in the Human World that was a direct parallel to Equestria, Sunset Shimmer was currently out at night, walking along the streets of Canterlot City, trying to find something to do. It was rather late in the evening. Most of the stores were already closed and she couldn't visit anyone since they were likely asleep. Sunset sighed, lowering her head before she looked at her phone, wanting to contact someone. Twilight's number was there but she wasn't exactly feeling the spirit to contact her. Not after what happened. She then went to contact Ash since she could always count on him. She waited for him to pick up but received no response. Not even a ring. It was possible he was already sleeping and didn't hear his phone ringing. So much for contacting someone at this hour. "Well, now what?" Sunset grumbled, pocketing her phone before looking around. There were still plenty of lights on which indicated that some people were still awake. Sunset decided to try and find one of those places, maybe spend the rest of the night there. As she walked, she would stop by a small area that has recently been filled with Pokemon finding their way here. They must've come here through the gateways or possibly a hidden portal somewhere in this world. This was normal, especially in recent times. The Pokemon here would gather together, roaming the city as they saw fit, having no issue being in such a place. Some were rather cautious though, especially a few Rookidee who stayed close to each other. They looked at Sunset with great caution, wondering if she was going to harm them in any way. To prove they weren't dangerous, Sunset would take out an apple she kept on her person, tossing it over to the flock. One of the Rookidee would go up to the Apple, inspecting it carefully before eating it. With their concerns eased, the flock would start eating away at the Apple that Sunset gave them. "You're welcome." Sunset giggled, enjoying the sight of them eating the Apple. At least she made some of the Pokemon happy tonight. But now that she was here, Sunset wasn't sure what to do next. Maybe she should've brought along one of the girls from time to time. Right after she fed this Rookidee, someone had spotted her. Sunset's senses went off as she swivelled her head, gazing at the one behind her. It was none other than her own Human Counterpart that originated from this world. The other Sunset Shimmer, sometimes known as Fiery. "Oh." Sunset blinked, surprised to see her counterpart. "What are you doing out so late?" "I could ask you the same question." Fiery snarked before pointing at the Rookidee, eyeing her down. "It's way too late at night for someone like you to be up this late. For me, it's natural. I did it all the time." "Yeah. I should be getting home by now. But I've just been down about something for a while." Sunset lowered her eyes before looking at the Pokemon. She had a lot to share with her counterpart. It only took 7 minutes for her to say everything. Her counterpart got it all from start to finish. "And you haven't told anyone about your worries?" Fiery asked. "I wanted to talk about it with Ash, but he isn't answering his phone. He's probably asleep right now." Sunset sighed. "Maybe tomorrow. But now you know it all. I was way too late to do anything about it and now Twilight's with Volo." "No duh! You took that long to tell her?!" Fiery suddenly stood up, glaring daggers at Sunset. "What's up with that?!" "Eh...B-But I wanted to make sure that I-" "No buts! What's the matter with you/ If you had a bad hunch about him from the start, why didn't you just say anything from the get-go?!" "I...I didn't want to be too judgemental about it all just yet. I had my suspicions but I couldn't be sure since from the start. Volo was just strange compared to everyone else I've encountered...Twilight and even Adagio turned out to be better than I thought. I didn't want to repeat the same with Volo." "Still. You totally let Twilight in a bad mood after that! No wonder why she went with him!" Fiery groaned. "Hey! I was struggling with myself at the time! I just wanted to wait things out! There was no point in just throwing out accusations like that." Sunset retaliated. "And besides, I've tried contacting her several times before and I've always gotten nothing. I'm not even sure if she'll come back or not. Maybe she just won't return anymore..." "I wouldn't do the same either." Fiery crossed her arms, making Sunset gasp. "What was that?!" "Betraying someone's trust like that? That's just plain rude. And Twilight must think that you're keeping secrets from her. And you mean to tell me you're also one of her newer friends?" "What do you even know about all of this?!" "You hothead!" Fiery, with full assertion, grabbed onto her counterpart's shoulders with maximum aggression. This scenario reminded Fiery about when Ash held her shoulders but now she was doing it to her counterpart. And much like her counterpart, she understood it clearly. "You know exactly why. It was because of me that you got the blame for that crime and went to Juvie. I wanted to be free from that place for the longest and I would've stuck with that...but it was Ash who helped me through it. "..." "If Ash never encouraged me to come forward, you would still be stuck in that place. I wasn't a huge fan of going back there. Not one bit. But Ash was the first great friend I've had in ages. Hearing him encourage me and how he'll always think about his friend's best interests stuck with me. He didn't want to see me locked up, but he knew it had to be done to help you. And I even did all of my time and got out of Juvie in the end. Don't you get it? Just like how he was my first friend in so long, Twilight felt the same way too." "...I" Sunset lowered her head, realizing what she was saying. She didn't say much at all, just listening to her counterpart. "I learned from Ash that friends are honest with each other and always care for them. Even if some of the stuff is way too rough and hard on them, we gotta get it out of the way to really be happy. If you told her about Volo sooner, yeah, it probably would've brought something bad...but you'd figure it out wouldn't you?" "I guess. But it's too late for that right now." Sunset's eyes would tear up as these words were resonating with her. Fiery saw the similarities once more. She also teared up when Ash spoke with her, showing that she's learned a lot from him. "It's not too late at all. You can fix this as soon as you can. You can go to her and make things right again. And then you guys will talk things out and make amends." Fiery placed a hand over Sunset's chest. "But you have to believe in yourself. And trust in others. That's the only way you're gonna get through this. Trust in your friends. Trust in Twilight. Can you do that?" Sunset nodded, finally agreeing with what she was saying. "Yeah. Yeah! I-I can do that." She stood up, feeling a surge of courage within her. "I'll fix it all! Before it's way too late! I can do this!" "That's my counterpart! Now get some rest before you do that. And while you're at it, take me along, why don't you? I wanna have a word with this Volo guy too." "Thank you." Sunset smiled, wiping away her tears. "Really, thank you. I guess I needed to hear that." "Well, I guess I'm kinda like you after all." Her counterpart chuckled, remembering how they both came from a world where there weren't many friends around for them. This was especially true for Fiery, who wasn't on good terms with everyone else, always finding trouble wherever she went. Well, she used to anyways. Now, it was a far different story. The two counterparts would then walk off together, leaving the Rookidee behind, letting them continue their feast as the journey continues. Chapter 508 End.