My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

No Rest for the Threatened

Equestria. Ponyville. The Pokemon House. Nightfall.

Previously, the Crystal Empire's sudden raid was still ongoing with the entire Royal Family in a bit of jeopardy. Whether that was dealing with the plentiful Sableye or the disappearance of the alicorns, the Crystal Empire was out of control thanks to the Dread League. But the Dread League's path of destruction had gone beyond the closest area. Twilight Sparkle was already being chased down by them, including the ever-fierce Despair Plants. And it seemed like the Black Crusade has already gone far beyond Magehold and the Crystal Empire's vicinity.

"A Despair Plant did this?!" Fluttershy returned to see Zecora and some of her Pokemon covered in reddish-orange spots, looking terribly unwell. All of this was the cause of what was apparently a Despair Plant. And the appearance of a Despair Plant over at the Everfree Forest meant that a vampire was near and the Black Crusade had already gone far past Magehold.

"Its appearance resembled that of a frog.." Zecora grunted. "I easily mistook it for an Everfree Creature when seeing it through the fog." She could recall the encounter herself. The Despair Plant's arrival utterly took aback Zecora.

Her memory brought her back to that very moment. Fog covered most of the area on this night, as if to match the imminent threat that was the Black Crusade. And by this time, Zecora was already heading home, having Zebstrika and Weavile beside her. Her two speedy Pokemon were carrying some bags, showing that they had some busy shopping today. However, that would all be sullied after what they witnessed.

There, she saw it. The Despair Plant in its infancy. Its webbed feet were plastered to the ground as if they were roots. Its eyes were as black as the abyss, just as what Zecora said about it earlier. And she was also correct on what it resembled. All Despair Plants resemble some sort of creature and this one easily resembled that of a Bullfrog.

Even with the fog being thick, Zecora could make out what she was seeing. The plant-like textures on its body which was all green with different accents matched the other Despair Plants, along with those sharp additions on its body. A sharp tongue that resembled a spear, red veins on its legs and vicious thorns growing from its back made this a foreboding creature indeed.

Someone planted it here, but it was unknown who. All that was known was that this Bullfrog Despair Plant had the common goal of bringing despair. And its first targets were none other than Zecora and her Pokemon, who already sensed the threat coming their way.

"So is it still there?!" After hearing about Zecora's encounter with the Despair Plant, Fluttershy asked if it was still present within the Everfree Forest. Otherwise, it might be slowly approaching Ponyville.

"It is since it didn't just target us in Everfree. All other creatures there fell victim to its power of controlling what seems to be a disease." Zecora slowly sat up. "I saw it summon other diseases onto their bodies out of nowhere. Most were familiar, but some rare."

"It's okay, Zecora. We'll get you some help. You said it was just familiar diseases, right? That means they can be fixed." There was some light to this. This Despair Plant apparently gave other creatures of the Everfree different diseases and some were familiar. And with them being familiar, that meant they could be treated, as opposed to what Chrysalis was suffering from.

Fluttershy had to hurry though. A doctor had to be called, even during this time. Zecora and her Pokemon needed to be treated, but not just them, the other creatures of the Everfree. They all needed caring for. Fluttershy could think of a few and definitely a lot that were probably affected.

The Manticore, Hydra, BugBear and many more that lurked within Everfree. But he also had to make sure all the Pokemon here were safe. This Despair Plant seemingly had the power to summon diseases and she couldn't afford to have them all be afflicted.

"Krookodile. I'm going to get a doctor. Please, look after everyone for a while just in case that Despair Plant comes over. I'll be going over to the Everfree later on, okay?"

"Krookodile!"

---

"What?! It's now?!" Meanwhile, Ash had already spread the news of the Black Crusade starting to his friends who were still awake. Rarity was among the few who were still awake on this night. All of them were caught up with what was going on now, even before Celestia's news could spread. The only thing they knew about was the fact that Twilight was being chased down by vampires and the Black Crusade beginning elsewhere in the world.

"Yeah. I'm gonna try and head to Twilight as soon as possible. She's been trying to reach the Crystal Empire for a while now, but the Dread League are slowing her down." said Ash. "I don't know where else this Crusade's gonna show up. There's already vampires in different regions."

"Well, thank you for telling us so soon, Ash. I'm sure Twilight would've wanted to plan something that would have protected us." Mayor Mare had also been informed. If anyone needed to be told about this, it was her. "That's where I come in. Mostly everypony is asleep by now, so they might not be ready for what's coming."

"I can totally count on you all to stay safe. I just gotta reach Twilight in time and see if she's doing okay. I don't know if I'll make it back here as soon as I can. Pikachu and I could run into some vampires along the way." Ash said, clenching his fists as he knew that danger was prone to appear anywhere.

"Are we really safe here though? Just to be sure. I'm fairly tired right about now and I need some sleep." A tired Octavia asked, hoping that she wouldn't have to deal with the Black Crusade at night.

"Same here. I'm not ready to be destroyed and turned into a skeleton." Berry Punch added. "Where's it even coming from?"

"Being a skeleton pony does sound interesting though..." Another pony spoke, thinking about the concept of becoming a Skeleton Pony.

"She's really going through with it?" Meanwhile, Roseluck, who was the little sister of Rosa Maledicta, couldn't believe that the Black Crusade was happening. This whole time, she's been hoping that her big sister was holding back the urge to fully let this plan enact.

In fact, the various delays of the Black Crusade made Roseluck believe that. She believed that Rosa Maledicta was hesitant to execute the plan and was forcefully holding back. Alas, that was not the case. She went through with it either. To say that this gutted Roseluck was an understatement. She was nothing more than another victim for the Black Crusade even if she was family.

All the remaining citizens who were awake babbled on, wondering what to do about the Black Crusade now that it had begun. At any point, it could strike them. There was no clear way to tell where it was coming from and the only one who could do that for them, Absol, was with Twilight. It was all up to what they could do. And of course, the guidance and authority of Mayor Mare.

Ash could count on Mayor Mare since this was her town. The same went for everyone else here. They may prefer their simple day-to-day lives, but recent events have made them into fairly capable Pokemon Trainers. With the Pokemon on their side, they could do things they never knew they could before.

"Ash! Ash!" Rushing over to try and find a doctor was none other than Fluttershy. But along the way, she came across the crowd of ponies and Pokemon standing outside of Town Hall, discussing the incoming Black Crusade.

"Fluttershy? Is everyone back at the Pokemon House doing okay?"

"They're all doing fine. But Zecora and some of her Pokemon aren't." Fluttershy knew she had to lay out what she learned. And unfortunately for Ponyville's residents, it was tied to what they were the most worried about.

"Eh?! W-What happened?!" Ash gasped along with the others.

"Pikachu?!"

"It's a Despair Plant. There's one over at the Everfree Forest." She didn't hold back on what needed to be said. Just hearing the word Despair Plant made the others gulp and freeze.

"There's one at Everfree?! Already?!" Ash leaned in.

"Mhm. But it sounds like it's staying there for now only. Everyone in Everfree's being hit with diseases from this Despair Plant. It already got Zecora, Weavile and Zebstrika."

"T-Them too...!" Ash's fists trembled. This sounded like they were hit with those incurable diseases. First Togekiss and now more of his friends along with the creatures of Everfree.

"It's fine though! Zecora said they're familiar diseases, so we can probably still cure them." Thankfully, Fluttershy brought some hopeful news that released Ash's fist into just an ordinary open hand. "I need to hurry to the local doctor though. I only stopped by to tell you this. Y-You're gonna go to the Everfree Forest now, aren't you?"

"Nah. I'm still going for Twilight." But Ash would choose to find Twilight. "You said it's staying in the forest for now. Pikachu and I will have a lot on our plate."

"You can go ahead and do that." Roseluck suddenly stepped forward. "After all, we still have that elixir. That thing was made for Despair Plants so now's a good enough time to use it on them."

The elixir that was made by Rosa Maledicta long ago and was recently reworked by Twilight Sparkle and Zecora was a factor in this. Roseluck saw this as the perfect opportunity to use it on the Despair Plants. Granted, its first effect was shown in the form of creating an entirely new species in the form of Flora Ponies with Daisy and Paradise being the first and only two. But that wouldn't stop Roseluck from seeing what it could do to something that was already active and very much alive.

"You guys rock!" Ash grinned, knowing everything was in good hands. Or in this case, good hooves. With a Poke Ball out, he would throw it into the air, summoning Dragonite.

"Dragonite!"

"I'll meet back with you guys as soon as I can." He hopped onto Dragonite's back, ready to set out. If anyone could travel fast, it was Dragonite with the capability to go around the globe in 16 hours.

"Dra!" With her wings spreading, Dragonite took off with grace and majesty, making the manes of everypony blow from her take-off. It was off to the countryside to try and meet with Twilight before it was too late. Fluttershy went on her way to reach the town's local doctor. By this time, the hospital would most definitely be open.

As for Roseluck, the only place where the elixir could be was Twilight's Castle. The Despair Plant that lurked within the Everfree Forest could come here once it was done with it. There was no telling what diseases it could bring with it.

---

Out in the countryside.

Twilight was currently hiding in fear of the Dread League. She managed to escape the scuffle on the train, but not from the vampires and the Despair Plants. Especially the Despair Plants, with their ability to track down their prey just by attacking them once.

Twilight managed to get some distance from the Despair Plant Cobras, which had fused into a Despair Plant Chimera. Its massive roots arms carried it through the land, allowing it to move menacingly.

"I can't go to the Crystal Empire with these things chasing me...If I do, the Despair Plants will leave their mark there as well." Twilight said to herself, hiding behind a vast acre of trees. She was currently devising of a way to stop the Despair Plants all in one go. "My Z-Move will take them out but I need to have them all in one place. That's it. If I miss, I'll have to wait for it to recharge."

Twilight was depending on her Z-Move which possessed a bit of Arceus' light, allowing it to greatly damage and break through the Despair Plant's stellar durability. She held the Twilightium Z in her hoof, banking on its effectiveness. Currently, she had Espeon and Absol by her side and both were eligible to use it.

Since the Z-Crystal had no typing, it was available for all types. Twilight then heard a crack in the sky along with strong slithers that shook the ground. The other Despair Plant Cobras were tracking her down as well as Chimera. Twilight had to keep on moving.

She wasn't anywhere close to the Crystal Empire at this rate since this was the countryside. Twilight also couldn't afford to have those living in the countryside be threatened by the Despair Plants. However, the Dread League were closer than she expected.

The moment she moved past the acre of trees, some of the vampires were already there, appearing from the shadows. Twilight gasped, almost being caught off guard by their appearance. Dark Magic was shot at her, grazing the mane of the Princess of Friendship.

Quickly, Twilight would shoot back with her magic as a purple jet of light struck the vampire that almost got her. That vampire would have her horn receive damage from TWilight's retaliation, falling over. But there were more vampires to deal with it.

It wasn't just their magic she had to worry about, but their strength. A vampire was far stronger than the average pony and this strength showed when one of them ripped a tree from the ground. Twilight's eyes widened as the tree completely left the earth, becoming a weapon for this vampire. She viciously grinned at Twilight before using all of her strength to swing the tree, knocking the others aside.

"Absol, use Night Slash!"

"Absol!" But even with the vampires having superior strength, Absol could easily match that with his horn. The Disaster Pokemon sliced the tree in half, preventing it from striking his trainer.

"Eve! Dazzling Gleam!"

"Espeon!" Leaping over Absol after he cut the tree in half was the Sun Pokemon Espeon. She became a temporary Sun, illuminating her body with beautiful rainbows. The vampire hissed at the sight of this bright light but would also receive some damage from incoming rainbow rays. The vampires would be fended off and knocked back when the rays rained down on them.

This gave Twilight the opportunity to keep on moving. Her plan was still a possibility and it was all matter of how she could pull it off. Espeon and Absol would follow her, continuing to flee from the vampires. But the more Twilight moved, the closer the Despair Plants came.

The Cobras already slithered past some of the trees, hissing ominously as their mere movements knocked down these trees as if they were nothing. Their large bodies certainly gave them staggering strength. Chimera, who was slower than the rest, was approaching as well and could easily be seen in the distance. Twilight could feel herself being closed in by these forces. She's already been at this for a while and each minute that she dealt with the Despair Plants was another minute where she worried about the Crystal Empire.

Twilight searched for a place to gather all the Despair Plants in one, but with how wide the Countryside was, that was easier said than done. The many trees here were her best option but they were already being destroyed by the movements of the Cobras.

And it seemed like the vampires always knew how to intercept the Princess of Friendship. A fierce stream of dark magic blazed in front of them, destroying the trees that stood in their way. Twilight and her Pokemon came to a halt, nearly being struck by this blaze of dark magic which would wither away the beautiful leaves.

But this was merely a distraction from what was actually coming for them. The trees behind them were manipulated by the vampires who would cause them to fall over. "Espeon?!" Espeon swivelled her head to see multiple trees threatening to crush her friends.

Twilight and Absol soon saw it before having their instincts act for them. Only Twilight and Espeon managed to avoid the trees, quickly running to the side. But the same couldn't be said for Absol who was too late to stop them. The trees fell onto the Disaster Pokemon, downing him.

"Oh, no! Absol!" Twilight yelled as the trees shook the earth with how hard they dropped. Each of them covered Absol's body, practically masking him from the sight of Twilight and Espeon.

"A-Absol...!" But this only angered Absol as he could be seen pushing the trees up. He growled viciously as his back had been injured by all these trees falling on him. And yet, that did not deter the Disaster Pokemon as she viciously sliced the trees apart with his horn, roaring afterwards. "Absol!"

A smile formed on Twilight's face, pleased to see Absol back up. After Togekiss was poisoned, she couldn't afford to have another one of her friends receive something horrifying. All Absol received was some damage on his back that also showed a bruise.

But at this rate, the damage could continue raking up, further pressurizing Twilight Sparkle. And that pressure only kept going as the vampires would unify their magic to form multiple walls of Dark Magic. Dark green fire would erupt from the earth, howling out into the night sky and giving this part of the countryside a different green aesthetic than what it usually was. These walls would form around Twilight and her Pokemon, enclosing them in this one space.

The vampires trapped Twilight at this moment, still aiming to bring her in. Against a wall of dark magical flames, Twilight had to think of something else while also having to worry about the approaching Despair Plants. Now that Twilight was in one space, the vampires casually moved through the flames, being the ones who made it in the first place and having immunity

Espeon and ABsol stood side by side with each other, keeping watch of Twilight with a Night Slash already being prepared by Absol and a pre-emptive Dazzling Gleam from Espeon. It was at this point that Twilight wished that she could have all the Despair Plants in one space in the same way the vampires did.

The lack of trees and the tight gap made this rather risky as they didn't say they could return with Twilight unharmed. They were most definitely willing to harm her. But it was thanks to the vampires that she had a way to keep them in one space with her magic. Now all she had to do was leave them in the dust and have the Despair Plants to herself.

"What do you even want with me?" Twilight asked. "I thought you wanted to destroy all life and yet the Lich Queen wants to see me?"

"Why? It should be obvious. Our majesty may rule over all of us, but she's not a vampire." A vampire replied, being rather cryptic about it. Twiligtht wasn't sure what she meant by that.

"You'll be destroyed afterwards, much like everyone else. But not after you make yourself useful. Her majesty is the best Lich Ruler we've had in centuries. No one comes close to what she's done. Which is why she has to continue ruling, far longer than the others."

"Far longer...?" Twilight repeated before clicking on it immediately. It didn't take long for the young alicorn to realize why they needed her. "You're trying to give her my lifespan, aren't you?"

"That's right. An alicorn can live for an incredibly long time. And if we just take that amazing lifespan, her majesty will live as long as an alicorn. Multiple times over!" The vampires expressed. "And of course, that means you'll lose it all."

"Yeah! You'll just be an average pony who lives as long as the others that just so happens to look like an alicorn!" Another vampire taunted as they were planning to make Twilight's lifespan obsolete, giving it to Rosa Maledicta.

It was a terrifying thought and Twilight already figured out that they would most likely want Celestia and the others since they have long lifespans as well. Rosa Maledicta with a long lifespan was mortifying and displeasing to many. The only thing holding Rosa Maledicta back was her lifespan. Even after becoming a Lich, she does not compare to the lifespan of a Vampire.

Somepony like that could cause destruction forever. And considering she was aiming beyond just this universe, with how boundless the number of worlds was, she could have all the time in the world to spread her Black Crusade. Twilight pictured a Multiverse of Destruction, filled with nothing but Vampires and Sekeltons of creatures that once thrived. No longer would they thrive. Everywhere would be catered to Magehold.

"Sorry...But I can't have my lifespan taken away from me. There's still so much to see and do when it comes to Pokemon. I've only scratched the surface and I can take all the time I can with these wonderful creatures." Twilight replied.

She did have her whole life ahead of her. And with her further pursuit of Pokemon knowledge, her lifespan gave her that wonderful opportunity. There was no way she was going to let a land that most never knew about prior to all of this, ruin that for her.

"It doesn't really matter. Once you're a skeleton, everyone is practically immortal, just without some flesh on them. Now hold still and let's get this over with!" The vampires grimaced, ready to pounce at Twilight and show her how much stronger they were physically.

But before that could happen and before Espeon could unleash Dazzling Gleam, the Despair Plant Chimera found Twilight Sparkle. The sound of Chimera roared through the air, alerting Twilight's ears. But this also meant that the Cobras were near. They encircled the wall of dark magic, waiting for Twilight to emerge out of it. Despair Plant Chimera was also patiently waiting, wanting Twilight to be destroyed instead of saving her for the Lich Queen.

"Espeon!" Another Dazzling Gleam was used by Espeon. This was the most amount of times she's used this attack as it proved to be effective on the vampires. But not this time.

With the aesthetic the wall of magic made, the vampires managed to weaken the light that Espeon formed. The Sun Pokemon gasped as her Dazzling Gleam had lost most of its brightness. Espeon was then smacked away by the vampires, crashing into the wall of magic.

"E-Esp!" It even had a solid texture to it despite being made out of magical energy. Espeon hit the magical wall before dropping off of it. As for Absol, he swung his horn at the vampires, managing to keep them at bay. But not all of them.

Some flew to the other side, reaching Twilight, who also tried giving off some light. But the magical energy around this wall of dark magic prevented her from getting the right amount of brightness. As such, Twilight was swarmed by the vampires, being collectively grabbed by them.

"Ngh!" Twilight Sparkle groaned as the brute strength of the vampires restrained her hooves, making her squirm a bit. Absol gasped, taking his attention off the other vampires the moment Twilight was harmed. This only gave them the opportunity to strike the Disaster Pokemon with a sneak attack.

But even when being held by the vampires, Twilight refused to let them succeed. She was already struggling, using her own physical strength to break free. Being an alicorn meant that she was also above an average pony. But compares to a vampire, that was a different story. They were all collectively stronger than the average pony. Twilight fought hard to get the vampires off her and just like how vampires were usually depicted, their sharp fangs were near her body.

They wanted to sink their teeth into her and were very close to doing so. Twilight wasn't looking to have her blood sucked or anything like that, which only drove her will to resist. She used magic around herself to keep herself as safe as possible while also wrestling with the vampires.

"Chimera, come here!" A vampire yelled out, prompting Despair Plant Chimera to arrive. It easily passed through the wall of magic, being highly resistant to it because of its fused body.

Twilight's eyes opened as the Fused Despair Plant arrived, being close to Twilight Sparkle. The other Despair Plants would follow, slithering through the magical wall. Their urge to bite Twilight was as strong as the vampires, but the Princess of Friendship was still needed at Magehold. To make up for it, they would target her Pokemon.

"Y-You're still resisting this much?!" An annoyed vampire said, aggravated at the fact that Twilight Sparkle could still retaliate effectively. Even with multiple vampires around her, she could still stand strong, even if she was struggling.

Espeon, who received a devastating slap and impact afterwards, shook her head before standing up to see one of the Cobras near her. The Sun Pokemon backed up against the magical wall while Absol did the same, trying to find a way to remove the vampires away from Twilight. But first, he had to remove the ones who were surrounding him.

It did look rather dire. The only thing keeping them in here was their will to resist. Twilight could still fight back but with the wall of magic, her own magical capabilities had been weakened. She could count on Absol and Espeon to do something but they had their paws full. The young alicorn tried to think of something otherwise she could be taken away eventually.

"Dragonite!" Just then, a familiar mighty roar bellowed through the sky, pausing everything for a moment. The vampires would look up, wondering what made that mighty sound that pierced through the night sky. But Twilight, Espeon and Absol knew exactly what that was. Or who that was.

"It's Ash!"

"Say what?" A vampire replied before the visage of Dragonite appeared. And indeed, that was Ash's Dragonite, followed by Ash himself and Pikachu, arriving at the scene. It wasn't that hard to miss it thanks to the destroyed train and wall of magic that was seen. Ash, Pikachu and Dragonite had finally arrived at Twilight's location.

And it couldn't have been at a better time as the journey continues.

Chapter 128 End.

Comments

[schorpioen007]

11580185
I've same asking as you

[ArcticAce01]

Yes! Ash has arrived