My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

The Crusade Reaches Ponyville

Equestria. Ponyville. Nightfall.

Large and vicious with eyes as black as an abyss, the Despair Plant Bullfrog's advancement on Ponyville had been completed. This creature from Magehold made an appearance before the residents of Ponyville on this terrifying night. With a croak so strong it shook windows and trees, waking up those that were peacefully asleep. Led by the wrinkly vampire Shrivel, Ponyville inevitably became the next target for a disease infiltration.

"Sweet Celestia! A Despair Plant is here?!" Rarity, who had been disturbed from her sleep, exited her home to lay eyes on the Despair Plant Bullfrog. Her ears then trembled at the sound of this obnoxious yet intimidating croak.

"I thought you could calm that thing down?!" Amethyst Star questioned the Flora Ponies. From what she'd heard, she believed that Daisy and Paradise could automatically stop the Despair Plants in their entirety by just being near them.

"We did! Honestly! But a vampire ruined all of that!" Paradise exclaimed as her voice was nearly drowned out by the thunderous croak.

"Fools. You won't be sullying the legacy of the Despair Plants with your presence anymore." Speaking of Shrivel, she came along with the Bullfrog, being on its back the entire time. The eerie vampire crawled up Bullfrog's back to then stand on top of its head. "Her majesty's had her eye on Ponyville if you must know. This is where she was born and raised after all and where most of her annoyances come from so there's a bit of bias when aiming to destroy something."

"Rosa would really try and destroy her own home?" Mayor Mare uttered. She still couldn't believe that a previous citizen of her town would go this far.

"She'd prefer to have it be absolutely obliterated compared to everyone else. I just happened to be the first one here and I plan to carry out that goal of hers by first infecting you all. Get them, Bullfrog!"

With Shrivel's command, Bullfrog would attack. But instead of immediately using its unique ability, it would instead swing its massive tongue at Ponyville. This tongue would cause a wind pressure before then hitting the ground. The impact of the tongue striking the ground was packed with plenty of weight, creating a mini-tremor that disrupted the balance of Ponyville's residents. Rarity, who had just exited her home, fell out of her home by falling flat on her face. Daisy, Amethyst Star and other ponies fall because of this tremor as the nearby windows shattered.

"You will not lay a tongue on my town!" Mayor Mare, who adjusted her glasses, immediately yelled at Shrivel and the Bullfrog, rejecting their chance to destroy Ponyville. "Stoutland! Use Fire Fang!"

"Stout!" Quickly, Stoutland would retaliate, ready to defend his home. With his mouth opening, flames would envelop his fangs as he approached the Despair Plant. He then dug his fangs deep into the legs of the Despair Plants, letting out a fiery explosion. The fire was rather effective. Not as effective as Pure Light but it could still deal some noticeable damage. And it showed once the Despair Plant croaked violently, stumbling back after these searing fangs bit into it.

"Unless you have a special kind of light, your attacks will only annoy it," Shrivel commented with her raspy voice, unbothered by the Fire Fang.

"What about our plan to prepare for the Black Crusade?! It's not finished yet, Mayor!" Amethyst Star yelled, pointing out how the plan to prepare for the Black Crusade was incomplete thanks to the sudden arrival of this Despair Plant. They didn't have enough time to finish it.

"It's a shame...!" Mayor Mare groaned as she really wanted this plan to go through. Alas, another approach had to be taken since Ponyville was under attack. The flames on Bullfrog left a deep bite mark, lingering for a moment before fading away. The attack did more than just annoy the Despair Plant.

In response to this retaliation, Bullfrog's croak then prompted large warts to suddenly emerge from the ground, flying up like geysers. The time to infect Ponyville had begun. With the warts spawning in Ponyville, they would show themselves on top of buildings or on walls, choosing random locations on the outside.

Mayor Mare and the others backed away after seeing these warts spontaneously appear. Rarity, who was disgusted by the sight, dashed back into her home to avoid these warts. The only positive was the fact that they didn't affect the inside.

And once these warts appeared, they would unleash their disease-spreading magic. Diseases of all kinds would be brought to Ponyville in the form of purple mists. These mists would fly into the atmosphere, triggering the magic and replacing the air with a virulent energy.

And it didn't take long for the effects of this magic to reach someone. The first victim of this magic ended up being Amethyst Star. When standing there, she felt her head tense up all of a sudden. A sharp pain struck her head before simmering down but keeping the intensity behind.

"Ow...! Ow!" Amethyst Star cried out as a splitting headache emerged within her. This was then followed by black cracks forming around her hoof. The mist contaminated the air, making the disease spread faster.

"Ah...I feel thirsty." Berry Punch suddenly felt thirsty as her tongue went dry. Black cracks soon formed around her tongue, making the berry-loving pony screech. Horrific things were appearing on Ponyville's residents in the most uncomfortable ways possible.

Other residents would feel different diseases afflict them. A cold came up, rashes, even more thirsts, cramps, unknown forms of pox and more than the Despair Plant formed with different variations. Mayor Mare was hit with blisters on her hooves which made her stumble. These blisters released an odd aether-like essence from them, seeming pleasing. But they didn't feel pleasing.

"What is this...?" Mayor Mare looked at her hooves.

"Yes...yes..." Shrivel cackled. "You can either have the diseases torture you or be crushed by Bullfrog. Either way, it won't be a pleasant experience for either of you. And I prefer to see you all suffer like this."

"Not like this!" Roseluck frustratingly said as she had multiple marks on her body. The same went for Roserade, but she seemed less agitated by it.

"This isn't cool at all!" Scootaloo viciously scratched herself, trying to ease the pain that formed on her, only to fail in doing so. The black cracks were irritatingly painful to a point where she felt the undying urge to scratch it.

The only ones unaffected by this were the ones indoors. The mist did not enter their homes but they already saw what it had done to everyone outside. Everyone except Daisy and Paradise. The two Flora Ponies were noticeably unbothered by the disease essence in the atmosphere, standing there casually.

"You two are completely fine?!" An irritated Roseluck said after noticing Daisy and Paradise being completely healthy.

"We are?" Daisy uttered, oblivious to this until it was pointed out. Paradise didn't even notice it as she was too busy snarling at the Despair Plant. "Oh, we are!"

"Hm? That's strange..." Shrivel narrowed her eyes over at Daisy and Paradise, seeing that they weren't suffering in the face of this purple mist.

"Is it because you two are plants?!" Mayor Mare already guessed a reason as to why they were both unaffected by this. She didn't think that their plant biology went this far. These diseases only targeted living beings but it seemed that the Flora Ponies, being that they were once normal flowers, could ignore this.

"If you two are immune, then Bullfrog will have no problem crushing you." Shrivel grinned, seeing the second option of destruction being viable for Daisy and Paradise.

"Not if I have anything to say about it...Roserade! Use Petal Blizzard!"

"Stoutland, use Giga Impact!" But even when afflicted, this wouldn't stop the Pokemon from taking action. Stoutland's nose was dripping, coming down with a cold. Joined by Roserade, the Big-Hearted Pokemon would launch himself forward. His body becomes surrounded by an invisible energy. A bright flash of yellow light shot through the night which was then joined a barrage of petals.

The Bullfrog received a strong tackle to its chest by Stoutland's Giga Impact as it was powerful enough to knock it back. This was then followed up by Roserade's Energy Ball which struck the Bullfrog right after Stoutland's attack hit.

"Okay! I'll-" But when trying to send out her own Pokemon, Amethyst's hooves felt incredibly weak. It was as if she had noodles for arms as they would stay down, unable to go up. "Geez...! I can't feel my hooves right now!"

It was difficult for most trainers to send out their Pokemon. With the diseases affecting them, they couldn't focus properly and only thought about what was harming them. This allowed Bullfrog to attack, slamming its tongue onto the ground. This resulted in a wave of earth that erupted from below, heading for Ponyville's residents.

Taking the hit for them was Stoutland, who got in the way. The pieces of the earth would smack into his body, launching the Normal-Type back as he managed to halt the movement of these rocks but not the rest of the Despair Plant's attack. "S-Stout!"

One of the few ponies who could actually get her Pokemon out was Scootaloo. With all of her might, she summoned Rapidash onto the scene. But this also meant that whoever enters the battle would be affected by the mist. But it was better to retaliate than to just keel over.

Watching this mess occur was Rarity, who was still processing everything that went on. Going out there meant that the purple mist would get her for sure but she most definitely wished to help her friends outside. "Absolutely horrible. If we're going to go out there, we need full-on protection."

"Rarity? What's going on?" Sweetie Belle, who had also been disturbed, asked Rarity about Ponyville's current ongoings.

"Stay inside, Sweetie Belle." Rarity immediately told Sweetie Belle to stay indoors for her own safety. She did not wish to see her little sister get infected by whatever random disease these warts could do.

However, the mist did not get that far. It only covered a surrounding area, similar to what it did to the Everfree Forest. As such, some ponies were free from this mist. But so as long as the Despair Plant keeps on moving, it will surely infect the entirety of Ponyville. And watching this Despair Plant at work was Fluttershy. She finally laid eyes on the Despair Plant that caused all of this as its size was large enough to view from this distance.

And soon, all eyes were on this Despair Plant. Near of far. Sweet Apple Acres and its residents saw it for themselves as well. Applejack rubbed her eyes to see the Despair Plant whipping its tongue around like a whip while a purple mist infected the air and atmosphere. A truly odd thing to wake up to but it could go from odd to horrifying fairly soon.

---

The Crystal Empire.

At last, Ash and Twilight had arrived at the Crystal Empire. On the back of Dragonite, they reached the colder regions of Equestria. As such, Dragonite would slow down, descending onto the ground. She'd rather not have all of this ice affect her body but she still did an amazing job getting her friends here.

"Thanks, Dragonite. Get some rest." Ash recalled the Dragon Pokemon. His eyes then met with the Crystal Empire but something was amiss. Very amiss. The giant Shadow Spire from before had encased the entire Empire, caging it up and shrouding it in darkness.

"Are we too late...?" Twilight worrying said after witnessing the spire. It was so massive that the gaps that showed the Crystal Empire were incredibly thin. It made it seem like the Crystal Empire wasn't even there at all, but it was still visible to them. "What happened here?"

"No idea. Those shadows look like they're coming from the clouds." Ash pointed out how the shadows matched the shadows and the fact that they started from the skies.

"Pikachu..." Pikachu walked up to the Shadow Spire, wanting to try something out. "Pikachuuuu!" His first instinct was to use Thunderbolt. By unleashing 100,000 volts from his body, he attacked the Shadow Spire, attempting to break through and enter the Crystal Empire. However, this Thunderbolt had no effect on the Shadow Spire. He tried again, unleashing continuous lightning bolts at a rapid pace, only for each and everyone one of them to fail miserably. None managed to break through the Shadow Spire. "Pika?"

"Mmmrgh..." Twilight then looked at her Twilightium Z, which was still dim. It had yet to recharge, unfortunately, and she would have to wait until it was back to full power. But if there was a time when she could use it, now was the time.

"You won't get past it with Electricity." Speaking through Ash was King Sombra. Afterwards, he would reveal his full body, entering the scene. "That blasted Shadow Spire has no reason being this difficult."

"Do you know about this one, Sombra?" Ash asked.

"I do. It's something we Umbrum are capable of doing and by extension, the Dread League. That Shadow Spire is a way to block off any intruders that try to enter whichever location you've shielded. Not much can get past it but it's not impossible."

"Really!? What can get through then?!" Ash exclaimed, eager to know the answer.

"I never used it myself since I didn't anticipate Celestia and Luna arriving. Not even when those Rift Ponies brought my full body back either. But the best way to break it is with Light. Light always counters the Dark, unfortunately."

"Pikachu's Thunderbolt didn't work though," said Twilight.

"Not Electricity. I mean, Light. Similar to what that Z-Crystal of yours does. But instead of Arceus, I'm talking about what was here in our world before these Pokemon came into our lives. The only one who possess it in any capacity is Celestia but I'm not sure she even notices it. There are examples of it and you have definitely seen it. You've used it on me before."

"The Elements of Harmony, yeah. Well, at least I know a lot of things that can get past this. But I need to get there now. Who knows what's happened with Shining Armor and everyone else?!"

"Sombra. Is there a faster way for us to get there?"

"There is. We won't be needing light for this one. I can get you through." Sombra pointed his hoof at himself. "If anyone understands the shadows, it's me. I can easily move past the darkness itself and get anywhere that is blocked off by it. And besides, this was technically my Kingdom first before those two got in."

"Awesome! Then you can totally break whatever's keeping the Crystal Empire caged up!" Ash pumped his fists.

"Pikachu!"

"I can. But you'll be coming with me. And that means I will have to possess your body, boy."

"Possess? Hold on a second!" Twilight exclaimed. "You're gonna possess him?! How much of a possession are we talking about here?!"

"Full Possession." Sombra casually said, making Twilight scrunch her face. Tht wasn't exactly the response she was looking for.

"Full possession? Really? I don't know about that..."

"Ah, it can't be that bad." Ash shrugged. "He's only gonna do it for a moment, after all."

"Not for a moment." The former King of the Crystal Empire shook his head. "My possession will last for a while, boy. Minutes upon minutes. The kind of possession magic I will pull on you isn't as simple as a takeover. This entire time, I was unable to control your body because your own spirit and soul wouldn't allow it. I figured this out on the very first day. If I could, I would've taken over long ago. The only way for me to truly possess your body is if you relinquish your spirit and soul. Only for this instance."

"And that'll help?" Ash questioned.

"It will. By giving it up, I will have full control. Unless, you're willing to let that happen and have me at the helm for a while."

"I don't know about this, Ash...We can try waiting for my Z-Crystal to recharge!" Twilight was highly doubtful of this.

"I've got faith in Sombra, Twilight." But Ash's faith in King Sombra was absolutely staggering. "I trusted him to help Thorax and those other times he chimed in and I can trust him for this. No need to worry."

"Well...Okay. I'm just not sure if it's for the better." Twilight grumbled. "If you have faith in him, then I'll have some faith too. I've also got faith that you can overpower whatever he tries."

"Pikachu!"

"Okay, Sombra. I'm ready." Ash hit his chest, allowing Sombra to begin the possession process. "But uh...how am I gonna give up my spirit and soul exactly?"

"When you're asleep, I still couldn't possess you. It's only if you let it happen. It will make sense once I attempt it." Sombra tried explaining it but it was rather diffiuclt.

"Got it. I'll just wait and see what it feels like and I'll let it happen. It's all yours, Sombra. Go for it."

"Gladly." Sombra smirked before making his entire body explode into shadows. This outburst of shadows would blow the snow away before flying towards Ash. Like a sword through his chest, Ash was stabbed by the shadows, grunting for a moment.

Twilight gasped as she saw Ash's body squirm with shadows leaking out. He held his chest as the magic of Sombra was already reacting with his boyd. It was at that moment that Ash felt what Sombra meant by giving up his Spirit and Soul. It was an odd feeling but something he had felt before. It felt like what the King of Pokelantis and the effect the Prison Bottle had on him but on a stronger level. It was at that moment, he knew what it felt like to give up his Spirit and Soul.

And with that, it was temporarily replaced by King Sombra's own Spirit and Soul. Ash's eyes turned crimson red, similarly to what happened when Ghetsis took over his body. Twilight was reminded of that instance when Ghetsis took over. It was eeriely familiar but with less hostile intentions behind it.

Not only did Ash's eyes turn Crimson Red but his hair even stood up for a moment. Similar to how Sombra's mane would flow, Ash's hair was flowing as if it was made out of shadows. It truly felt like Sombra had taken over Ash's body. And by looking into the sky, the Shadows would flare out of his body similar to how Ash unleashes his Aura.

"Hah..." He took a deep breath before feeling the new body. Ash-Sombra looked at his arms, getting used to this sensation as this was his first time becoming human.

"Sombra?" Twilight said, calling out the name of the unicorn.

"Yes. This will do just fine." He spoke, having a mixture of Sombra's Voice and Ash's Voice. And that is what threw him off. But Sombra's voice was definitely the dominant one here. "Alright. I can bring a few of my Pokemon with me."

"Your Pokemon?" said Twilight, surprised to hear him refer to Ash's Pokemon as his own.

"Of course I-" It was at that moment that he paused for a moment, recognizing how his voice was Half Ash and Half Sombra. That caught him off guard. "Impossible! His voice should be drowned now that I'm in temporary possession?! I can't feel his spirit or soul...but I can still hear him!"

"You can? So you're not in full control?"

"I am in full control. But somehow, he's managed to get a part of himself out of me." He sighed putting his hand over his head. "Ugh. He's a strange one. And the body of a Human is just as strange. But I can manage it. Stay here until I solve something."

"If you get hurt while in Ash's body, I'll never forgive you, you know that!" Twilight said, expressing how she didn't fully trust Sombra to keep Ash's body safe, even if he planned to do so.

"Hmph. It's not like they can hit me anyway." He smirked at Twilight. "Refer to me as Ash-Sombra from now on-" His eyes then widened before putting his hand over his mouth. "I didn't mean to say that...That's a silly name!"

It seemed that a part of Ash was still coming out, unable to stay hidden as opposed to Sombra who stays hidden most of the time. This prompted Twilight, Pikachu and Espeon to laugh, knowing that Ash was still with them even with something in control. Ash-Sombra had enough of this as he would approach the Shadow Spire at last.

And with no effort, he casually moved through the Shadows as if they weren't there in the first place. He was a like phantom the way he moved past it as the were a pulse of darkness that came out of the Shadow Spire afterwards. Ash-Sombra was now in the Crystal Empire and it was just Twilight, Pikachu and Espeon standing outside in the cold. They simply had to wait for what Ash-Sombra could do and prayed for his safety. And the safety of those within the Crystal Empire.

Chapter 133 End.

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

And with no effort, he casually moved through the Shadows as if they weren't there in the first place. He was a like phantom the way he moved past it as the were a pulse of darkness that came out of the Shadow Spire afterwards. Ash-Sombra was now in the Crystal Empire and it was just Twilight, Pikachu and Espeon standing outside in the cold. They simply had to wait for what Ash-Sombra could do and prayed for his safety. And the safety of those within the Crystal Empire.

Hopefully they’ll be ok

[Magic135]

Sombra, you better bring Ash back safely, for Twilight's sake.