My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

Guardian Angel

The Ambrosial Plane.

The Ambrosial Plane. The place where those who have passed on enter. However, there was one stark difference. As a result of Jirachi merging both worlds, this also involved the Pokemon World's Afterlife.

Two afterlives became one, forming a larger afterlife in the process. This was where Lightwing, Strident Heart and other Angels reside. And speaking of Strident Heart, she had just returned after failing to punish Ash in the trial and to clear her head from that loss, the best place to be was the Ambrosial Plane.

One part of this vast plane was a sprawling meadow with vibrant wildflowers swaying in the breeze. The scent of freshly cut grass fills the air, lending an earthy sweetness to the surroundings. Rising from the centre of the field is an enormous ancient oak tree, its bark twisted into intricate patterns that seem to form celestial symbols.

Underneath the tree, many angels and those who have passed on can be seen floating in mid-air, performing graceful movements and singing enchanting melodies. Fragrances of roses and jasmine hang heavy in the air, creating an intoxicating ambience. A sparkling fountain with angel statues gushes crystal-clear water.

"Welcome back, Strident! Good job at the trial. You did your best." Some of the angels would support Strident Heart, attempting to cheer her up. Here at the Ambrosial Plane, all angels were supportive of each other, even to the strictest of angels. Strident Heart was certainly strict.

"Hmph. I didn't even get to use everything in my arsenal Everything I showed was just the tip of the iceberg." Strident Heart grumbled. "I honestly can't believe it That Ash Ketchum escaped justice. That shield of invincibility he has is absurd...!"

"Well, what can you do? We should have known that Arceus would be our Ruler alongside the Writing Glory." The other angels saw it as something they couldn't do much about.

"I suppose when you form strong bonds with unlikely friends, there is a lot you can escape from."

"That's exactly the problem." Strident Heart passed by them. "Friendship is a powerful force and he's managed to gather so many friends of all kinds..."

To Strident Heart, Ash Ketchum seemed like a major threat. She would stop by the crystal-clear fountain, gazing at it to try and clear her head. Looking at the beautiful water, the visage of Ash appeared for Strident Heart based on what she was thinking.

While all the other angels and those who have passed on frolicked and enjoyed themselves, especially those who originally came from two different afterlives, Strident Heart was too fixated on the trial to really enjoy herself. While others may see Ash as harmless, Strident Heart and some others think otherwise.

Strident Heart was also thinking about Prisma, completely aware of his existence. And closer to Twilight Moonlight, Strident Heart would prefer to see the character of Prisma expunged. Prisma was Ash by a massive extension and nothing was going to change Strident Heart's mind.

She was so fixated on what had occurred that the beautiful sounds of the Ambrosial Plane were starting to fizzle out. There was no way she was going to let the trial go Not yet anyway. With narrowed eyes and a deep voice, Strident spoke to the reflection of Ash, vowing one thing.

"This isn't over, Ash Ketchum. Not by a long shot."

---

Equestria. Ponyville. Afternoon.

Ash, Pikachu Jirachi, Celestia, Twilight and Luna had returned to Earth. Jirachi was sent back to where he originally came from while Celestia and Luna went back to Canterlot. Ash, Pikachu and Twilight found themselves back at Ponyville, safe and sound.

After practically everyone saw the trial thanks to the Astral Projections, they celebrated this victory which resulted in them keeping this Grander World and the precious memories that came with it.

"Oooh...That could've turned out very differently..." A relieved Twilight Sparkle said as she didn't expect herself to be pulled into the trial. "Thanks for the save, Lightwing."

"You're welcome. But you should really thank Ash and Arceus. It was supposed to be me defending Ash but he certainly speaks his mind, doesn't he? And for Arceus to be a good friend of yours is an amazing outcome." Lightwing said. "With Arceus at the helm alongside Writing Glory, I feel as though there might be nothing to fear."

"We were so worried after hearing your name being called out, Twilight!" Fluttershy and the others rushed over.

"i kinda wish I was brought along. I wanted to see what that place was like. I mean, how were you even breathing there?" Rainbow Dash asked as a part of her wished to be in that courtroom.

"Aw, man! We missed out on asking Jirachi for the gateways!" Ash realized the massive missed opportunity. If only he stayed behind to speak with Jirachi a bit longer.

"Oh, you're right!" Twilight soon realized it. "Oooh...!" What a waste!"

"It is what it is. But anyways, to go back to what I said back at the Astral Court, I decided to be your Guardian Angel. And that is currently being looked into by Judge Luceras."

"So you'll be our Guardian Angel?" Applejack cooed at that thought. "You're gonna protect us from harm or something?"

"Well, not quite. Guardian Angels have been around forever and have always been protecting others. This will be my first time taking on the role of a Guardian Angel. And as for what I'll protect you from, that has yet to be seen. Whatever it is, you can guarantee that I will be there to assist you."

"You helped out a lot back at that trial, so it'd be awesome to have you around again." Ash praised. "Plus, I got to see a pretty awesome place and I know where I gonna go someday."

"Mhm. And I just want to spend some more time on Earth. As if I'd miss out on the chance to be around the Pokemon?" Lightwing revealed the other part as to why she wished to be their Guardian Angel. "Angels can have dreams and wishes too. I mean, we have everything we need so it's hard for something new to come up. Right, Halo?"

The Star Wisp next to her would nod, dropping stardust from his body. The stardust would fall over Pikachu, making him sneeze right afterwards. "So, you'll be leaving now, I'm guessing?" Ash asked.

"I have to. But I will return. And I will be around at times when my role as a Guardian Angel is approved. In the meanwhile, I'll be watching over you and looking out for you." Lightwing winked before taking flight once more. The time for this angel to return to her home had come.

But she certainly left an impression and did a lot. With Halo right next to her, the Angel and the Star Wisp would depart from Earth, receiving farewell waves from those that she's met. As soon as Lightwing reached a certain height, she was gone. It wasn't clear if she just accelerated instantly or vanished out of thin air. The point is, she was just gone.

"Alright." Ash took a deep sigh. "That was something, wasn't it? I already wanna go back to that place and check it out."

"Really? After all that, you want to go back?" Twilight lowered her eyes before breaking out into laughter. "Of course, you do! Honestly, I wouldn't mind being there again."

"Wait until Rarity hears about this," Pinkie uttered. "But I'm pretty sure everyone saw this happen. And I know what this year's Pokemon Festival is gonna be all about~"

"You do? What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Just wait and see." A bright grin met Pinkie Pie's face as she pranced away. Ash already knew what she was referring to. There was a chance that this was not the last that they would see of these higher beings. And considering Lightwing was set to return one day, the scope of the world they live in was about to get even bigger than what they expected.

---

Faye Mountains. Changeling Lands.

Not everyone saw this trial go down. Some were either occupied with something else or the Astral Projection didn't show up for them. And in the case of Lena Ketchum's group, they certainly didn't see it, still on their way to the Changeling Lands.

And speaking of the Changeling Lands, at last, they had arrived at their destination. And according to Lena, this is where these mysterious shards could be found. Moving through the trees and bushes, the Changelings Lands would let out a faye shine thanks to the Fairy-Type energy that was brimming around it.

Already, the setup for the Pokemon Festival was being done for the Changeling Festival. Colourful tents and stalls line the pathways, showcasing exotic Bug-Types of all shapes and sizes. The air is thick with the gentle buzzing of wings and the faint scent of wildflowers.

"Finally! We're here!" Lena exclaimed while Team Rocket plus Diadora stood behind her. "The previous area didn't have any shards, but this one should."

"We're really going in there?" James scrunched his face, unsure about approaching the Changeling Lands. "I mean, I know they're not how they used to be but, we haven't been around the Changelings all that much."

"At least the Queen seems nice enough," said Jessie. "And aren't they going to point out your appearance since you look so much like the twe-" She would halt herself before mentioning Ash with a different and less insulting title. "Your very great grandson."

"And how do you even know those shards are there?" Meowth asked, wondering how Lena came to the conclusion that the shards were at the Changeling Lands.

"When I showed up in Hisui, I had an innate ability to sense the shards and where they might be. I thought some would be near Vanhoover, but I was off. The Changeling Lands is another place that came to mind."

"Ridiculous. Only my family have special abilities. I doubt the Ketchum Family ahs something going for them." Diadora grumbled, instantly insulting Lena's family line.

"Are you sure?" Lena winked before strolling over to the Changeling Lands. "Let me ask the locals if I can start digging for shards."

"This might pan out. They've gotta know that she's the twerp's ancestor. So they'll trust her from the get-go." Meowth pointed out.

"Maybe. Having her around is a huge benefit for us. I'm not sure about you, twerpette."

"Mind your own business, old lady. I only came here for Lena Ketchum." Diadora dismissed Jessie, pulling a trigger instantly.

"Old!?" Jessie grizzled her teeth after Diadora's comment.

Upon approaching the Changeling Lands, Lena was greeted by the Fairy Magic present here but also the eyes of the Changeling who spotted her. As to be expected, sharing a striking resemblance to Ash was bound to garner some attention. As soon as some of the first Changelings saw her, they shook their heads, even rubbing their eyes to see if they weren't seeing things.

Even the Pokemon looked confused. Something was amiss here and that was rather ironic considering the Changelings are known for transforming. So seeing someone who looked like Ash but there was obviously something off, caught them off guard.

"Ash?" One of the Changelings said. No one here had jumped to the conclusion that it was Lena Ketchum. In fact, none of the Changelings here seemed to know about Lena Ketchum's presence yet.

"Afternoon. I'm just stopping by here for a little while." Lena greeted while still getting various stares from the Changelings. Soon, a majority of the Changelings were looking right at her. "I-If oyu don't mind?"

"Who are you? You're not Ash. You don't sound like Ash either."

"Probably another shapeshifter." Coming to a conclusion already was Pharynx. A Changeling who had his own ideals that didn't fully align with what the current Changelings view. "You're just using Ash's face as a mask, aren't you? Whoever you are."

"That's what they think?" James said quietly as this was not the response he was expecting from the Changelings. It turns out, they didn't instantly trust her. There were some suspicions.

"No-no-no! I'm just his ancestor!" Lena vehemently shook her head. "This is who I am."

"Ancestor?" Indeed, they were not aware of Lena Ketchum being from the past.

"His ancestor, eh? How sure are we about that?" Pharynx questioned, not fully going with it.

"She's very much telling the truth!" Coming to Lena's aid was Jessie who slid in. She wouldn't want this mission to be over just because of some heavy doubts. James and Meowth would do the same while Diadora stayed back for a while. "This lady right here is the real deal!"

"It's obvious which gene is the most powerful of both sides," James added. "I mean, sometimes the descendant can look a lot like the ancestor. Even more than the parents or grandparents."

"I mean, we don't all look like Queen Chrysalis. Old and new, so..." One Changeling was seeing the angle.

"If you want concrete proof, get a load of this." James would support Lena, using his Rotom Phone to show visible evidence. The Changelings leaned in to see the image that showcased the news report of Ash's Ancestor going around. Thanks to Team Rocket, Lena's identity was validated, even if Pharynx was still putting on a doubtful face.

"Sorry if I gave you a fright because of my face." She apologized "But I just need to do something quickly and I will be out of your hair and off elsewhere. I'm searching for these shards that have been flung through time, just like me. And I have a feeling that there are some hidden here."

"Shards? Here?" The Changelings weren't even aware of there being shards somewhere in their hive. "Since when?"

"Well, only recently. I showed up to this era not too long ago. And at the same time, the shards followed after them." Lena explained. "I had these shards in my disposal until they were scattered. So right now, I'm on a quest to find my way home. To my own timeline."

"That so?" Pharyn slowly nodded. "Well, this isn't up our alley. You'll have to take it to our Queen."

"The Queen loves your descendant, so she'll obviously love you." Jessie was already giving high hopes to Lena, reassuring her that Chrysalis would accept her. "Don't worry about it."

"If she were here." That is until Pharynx revealed something extra that caught Lena off guard. "Except she's not. She's busy elsewhere and it still involves the upcoming Festival. You're going to have to wait for her to return."

"Wait for her to show up?!" Lena pulled back. "Aah...I have to get moving though...otherwise, he might beat me to them. How long will it take?"

"Hopefully not too long. The Pokemon Festival is something that she's been looking forward to this year." A changeling replied. "But...If you can't ask the Queen, you can always ask Thorax."

"Thorax? Not him..." Pharynx wanted to avoid this. It's why he avoided bringing up his brother Thorax. "He's not fit to be a ruler, honestly. Why go to him?"

"Queen Chrysalis left things in his care after she fell ill. She has high faith in him and so do we. How come you don't have the same faith for your own brother?"

"Eugh." Pharynx groaned, turning away from the other changeling, refusing to answer that. He already gave his answer in his previous sentence.

"Excellent!" Lena cheered. "I won't be too long with this! Trust me!" It was off to see Thorax who was currently in charge while Chrysalis was elsewhere, doing something else while the Pokemon Festival was being set up here.

---

The Human World. Sci-Twi's Home. Late Afternoon.

Speaking of shards, Lena's group wasn't the only one searching for them. Sci-Twi, who met the man from the past by name of Volo, was already on a similar mission. Volo requested her to help find these shards and so far, Sci-Twi is the only one who has managed to find some.

On her table, a few purple shards were lying around which were just the first of many. And next to those shards was her phone. Sci-Twi gazed at it, receiving a message from Ash, referring to the text she sent him last night. Sci-Twi wanted Ash to help her considering she was going to go places when trying to find these shards.

When picking up one of the shards, Sci-Twi noticed that the Arceus Pendant around her neck was glowing. It did this before when she first came across the shards. This intrigued Twilight. There was obviously a connection between these shards and the pendant for this reaction to happen. Nothing else so far has made the pendant glow.

"This pendant's always been strange to me. Even though it's related to Arceus, I don't know what's up with it." She lifted the pendant. "Maybe I should go back to Dahara City and get some answers. And I don't think these shards are just items that Volo can sell. There's something about them."

"Where are we going tomorrow?" Hisuian Zorua asked.

"Mmm..Depends. I'm honestly not sure where to start when it comes to finding these shards. There have to be plenty of them. But one thing's for sure...I think I can use the pendant to my advantage. It might act as a tracking device for these shards which will make things easier for me." Sci-Twi explained. "School's going to be out soon, so I'll have a lot more time on my hands."

"Are we going to the Pokemon Festival soon too? I hope we don't miss out on it."

"Oh, without a doubt. I wish it would come here but...our world's not ready for the Pokemon Festival. And if there's anywhere you want to go for this year's festival, let me know, Zorua." She picked up her partner, giving her a calming hug. "Now come on. Let's get ready to call it a day. We'll start searching for these shards immediately."

Today consisted of an Angel appearing, a Cosmic Trial, the arrival of the Alpha Pokemon and the further pursuit of these mysterious shards. Indeed, a lot has happened. But this was simply the beginning of something bigger than this. Much like how the vast expanse of the cosmos expands, the arc that stands between both sides was starting to swing elsewhere. The trial of Ash and Jirachi was only a sign of something else brewing as the journey continues.

Chapter 276 End.

Comments

[GamePlayer64]

Forgot to comment on the last chapter. To be honest, I thought that Angel, Strudiant Heart would say even if Ash won the trial, he would have gotten some sort of punishment at least. Like weaken his aura to be the same level as a beginner or something. I got the idea from The Simpsons Soul Donut.

[ArcticAce01]

Can’t wait to see how this year Pokemon Festival will turn out

[LightThatBurnsTheSky]

Strudiant seems like a huge Knight Templar...