My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

Promise to Raine

Unova. Celestial Tower. Afternoon.

Recently, the Golurk of this tower had revealed something stupendous to Ash and the others. Mainly, Hisuian Zorua, who was the most taken aback by this. An old friend from the far past had been reincarnated as a Dusknoir by the name of Raine. Now it was all a matter of finding him.

"So, he's still in Unova. That's good to know. We would've had to travel elsewhere if he wasn't here." Sunset Shimmer spoke as Golurk confirmed the whereabouts of Dusknoir.

"By the way Golurk...Why did you help us? And how did you know about this?" Sci-Twi asked, wondering how Golurk immediately knew to bring Zorua to this very room.

"Yeah, that's a good point. It's not like Zorua's been here before," said Rainbow Dash. "That's gotta be some expert-level perception right there."

"I have been here before. Unova used to be my home." Zorua replied. "Raine and I used to play near Celestial Tower. That's why this place is so familiar to me."

"Golurk." Golurk nodded in confirmation. Indeed. It knew about this. It even explained to Zorua and the other Pokemon how and why this was the case.

"What's it saying now? Man, I wish I could translate Pokemon like Fluttershy..." Pinkie Pie questioned, leaning in to hear Zorua's words.

"Oh that. You don't need Golurk to tell you that. I already knew." In reality, Zorua already knew about this. "All of the Golurk are guardians of these gravestones and this tower too. They know everything. Even where someone goes after they reincarnate."

"They know all of that? Yeesh..." Carlita and the others were surprised by this impressive feat of the Golurk. This implied that those within Celestial Tower who ended up reincarnating, their whereabouts were known by the Ground-Ghost-Type.

"Golurk here also said that Raine's close. His home used to be near Celestial Tower. It's how we met each other all the time." Finally, Hisuian Zorua gave off the location of Dusknoir. "Thanks for your help, Dusknoir."

"So it's not that far at all. Good to know." Sci-Twi said. Raine's location wasn't too far from here. As revealed by Golurk, the reincarnated human wasn't too far. Looking through the gaps of the walls, a good option to start was the nearby forest.

---

Just west of Celestial Tower and through the few trees, a forest could be found. They wouldn't have to go too far just to find Dusknoir. They only had to crest a few hills. As for this nearby forest, it was rather compact and verdant. Its canopy was claimed by hawthorn, redwood, and magnolia, and cascading lights bouncing between the leaves allowed for a variety of ferns to dominate the stony grounds below. Silent branches clung to many trees, and a hodgepodge of flowers, which desperately tried to claim the last remnants of light, stuck out against the otherwise amber view. A medley of wild noises, belonging mostly to critters, echoed in the air and were out of sync with the occasional sounds of birds of prey gliding in the air.

"So, what was Raine like Zorua since you were such good friends with him?" Sci-Twi asked, wondering about how Zorua got along with Raine, especially considering this was before she ever became a Hisuian Pokemon.

"Yeah. You went to Sinnoh to become this Pokemon so what was it like before that?" Carlita questioned as the others wanted to know. Most could already suspect a dramatic change in energy compared to Zorua then and Zorua now.

"Oh, that. Well...I had more energy back when I was with Raine. I played with him more than I did anyone else. Then again, he was the only one I ever played with." Hisuian Zorua began recalling her time with Raine. Far back in the past of Unova.

---

Unova. Around. 200 years ago. Day.

The truth is, no other Pokemon ever wanted to play with me that much. Maybe it's because I was too energetic so I would often transform just to find some enjoyment. But that wasn't doing it for me. That's when I found Raine and his hometown.

At this time, Zorua was vastly different from how she recently appeared, moving around with a lot of energy to spare and being extremely outgoing. Very much a contrast to the timid and shy behaviour she exhibits.

During her journey to fulfil her excitement, that's when she found it. Found on the left side of a grove, the township that exists in Unova could be found at the west of the region with the view of the Celestial Tower being in the distance. This township wasn't built by a grove by accident, as it has escape routes, which is of great importance to the people of Perthlochry and its success. The township itself looked unexciting. With its decaying rooftops, galvanised steel walls and whistling wind, this small town had a peculiar atmosphere.

And calling this place home was the boy named Raine, who sat on the outskirts of it, meeting with Zorua. Raine would watch as Zorua transformed into various Pokemon from Unova before his eyes. And with each transformation, Zorua would use the opportunity to play around in different ways that she couldn't before.

"Wonderful! So...you can really turn into any Pokemon, Zorua? I've never heard of something like that before." To this young man, the concept of transforming into various Pokemon was outlandish to him. But of course, Zorua wasn't the only Pokemon capable of this.

"Only if I've seen them." Zorua giggled. "I can be anyone! Even you!"

"Even me...?" Raine pointed at himself. "You can become a human too? I'm not sure about that."

"Oh yeah?" To prove Raine wrong, Zorua would do just that. With a cheeky grin, she would instantly transform into the spitting image of Raine, startling the young boy.

"Gaah!" Naturally, Raine was taken aback by this, falling off the log he sat on.

"See?" Zorua laughed before spinning around by standing on one leg. "I can do anything!"

"Right but...Something is a bit off there." However, Raine was quick to point out one flaw in this Human Transformation that Zorua had not noticed until Raine pointed at it. "Zorua. Your tail is still showing."

"Huh?!" Zorua turned to see that her tail was still a part of her body. She then scrunched her face before reverting back to a Zorua. "Alright. I guess I'm not used to turning into humans just yet. That's embarrassing."

"Still though. That's a great talent." Raine sat back up. "But I have noticed you only turned into Unovan Pokemon. What about the Pokemon that come from other regions? I have never seen them before but I have heard about them."

"Other regions? Sorry. I don't know about that..." Zoorua grumbled, looking to the side and scratching her ear. "But...I could definitely do it if I saw any of them just once. Oh, wait...I have an idea!" Zorua gasped as an idea struck her mind. "Why don't you just travel and see them all?"

"I wish." Raine shook his head before timidly twiddling his fingers. "I'm not old enough for that, Zorua. Plus, it's far too dangerous, honestly. And my town might not allow it."

"Too scared to travel?"

"Well, it's because of you that I've gotten to see more Unovan Pokemon that I wouldn't have seen outside of my hometown. But the truth is...I would like to travel out there and see other Pokemon. The tales I've heard from other regions are so wonderful to me and the kind of Pokemon that call those regions their home are still a mystery."

"Then we should go together, Raine. What do you say?"

"On a journey? I don't know...The world is too big, Zorua." Raine held his arm, feeling a bit reluctant about it despite wishing to also explore other regions.

"Ah, it's fine!" Zorua would then jump onto Raine's body, making him stumble a bit. "With my power, you'll always be safe! No one's going to wanna come close to you if I appear as a Hydreigon!"

"I guess that's true." Raine chuckled. "Your illusions are something else. It's a promise then?" He held his a finger up as a way to seal a promise for the future.

"Mhm! It's a promise!" Zorua would return the favour by putting her paw on his finger. That promise was now officially made between the two. This was certainly one of the earliest cases of a potential Pokemon Trainer and a partner exploring the world.

But...I never got the chance to make up for that promise. By then, I left Unova. My illusions were so uncanny to people and Pokemon that I couldn't stay here.

Unfortunately, as proven by the massive gap of time and how Zorua turned out, that promise never came to be. Zorua could be seen standing on top of a hill during a dark night over at the Unova Region. This hill allowed her to see most of Unova as it was 200 years ago. And from this view, the town that Raine lived in could be seen.

Zorua thought back to her time with Raine and the promise she made to him. But from here on, that promise would never come to fruition as Zorua migrated from Unova to Sinnoh which was Hisui back then. As for Raine, Zorua never quite knew what he did later on once she left to Sinnoh.

As far as it goes, the two of them never spoke again or knew how the other was doing. But in Zorua's case, being flung from the past to the future gave her a different outcome than what Raine received.

---

Present day.

"I remember. Your Pokedex spoke about that." Sci-Twi recalled what the Pokedex said about Hisuian Zorua.

"Yeah...And, it's honestly my fault." Zorua suddenly stopped walking as everyone went past her. The group would also stop once Zorua ceased all movements. The Spiteful Fox Pokemon shuddered after recollecting her memories of Raine.

"Your fault?" Pinkie Pie repeated.

"I...I was warned back then. Everyone always hated my illusions in the first place. Especially the people and Pokemon from Raine's hometown." Zorua closed her eyes. "It's why I left for Sinnoh because I couldn't handle it. And...I didn't want Raine to get involved with it too since we were so close."

"So you left him and the region?" said Sunset Shimmer.

"I didn't mean to but I had to. I was chased out and they would've found out that Raine was with me and I didn't know what I was going to do." Zorua was starting to whimper. "I blamed it all on my illusions. I always knew that it caused so many others a lot of trouble but I couldn't help myself. Illusions are all I know..."

"Zorua. It's okay." Sci-Twi kneeled to face her partner. "I can suspect that back then, they were all just scared of you and every other Zorua. That's why so many of them migrated in the first place. You shouldn't blame yourself for what you're capable of."

"I know that but...I broke my promise to Raine too. I should've stopped when I had the chance." Zorua turned, feeling guilty for this. After all, she broke the promise that Raine and her made and now more than 200 years had gone by. "Things are different now, but it's not enough to change what happened."

"It is enough." Ash said otherwise, grabbing Zorua's attention. "You can still fulfil that promise, Zorua. It's not yet broken."

"Pikachu!"

"I-It's not...?" Zorua stammered.

"He was reincarnated as a Dusknoir, right? That means only one thing. Once he joins us, he's got the whole world to explore." Ash revealed that Raine's dream to explore the world could still come true. "Sure, it's gonna be a bit different now that he's a Dusknoir, but a view's a view and a journey's a journey. That goes for all Pokemon."

"Ash is right." Twilight nodded in agreement. "Zorua. I plan to fulfil that promise for you. You'll be with Raine together again and on our quest to find other Alpha Pokemon, he'll tag along. So you still have the opportunity to make up for what you couldn't do back then."

"Twilight...Everyone." Zorua's promise with Raine lived on. In reality, it just had a momentary halt in progress because of how things turned out. But now, in this current time, that promise could reach its conclusion. Not in the way both were expecting but it is what it is.

And knowing this, Zorua's emotions would show. She would let the tears flow as they were filled with gratitude. Such blessed friends she had. Willing to do whatever they can bring her happiness. It started with Sci-Twi finding her on that snowy day and it would continue with the reunion of an old reincarnated friend.

"Let it all out, Zorua." Twilight picked up the Spiteful Fox Pokemon. "This forest is where Raine should be so let's find him, okay?"

"Dusknoir..." Suddenly, the cry of a familiar Pokemon echoed across the forest. This cry alerted everyone immediately, making them all jolt. It was the cry of a Dusknoir. The very Pokemon that they were all searching for that was a reincarnation.

"That cry...It's a Dusknoir! Do you think it's Raine?!" Rainbow Dash gasped, navigating her head to try and find Dusknoir's visage. It sounded like he was nearby.

"It has to be!" Zorua exclaimed. "Dusknoir isn't native to Unova at all! Trust me...I know personally."

"Oh, you're right on the nose about that, Zorua. But where is he?" Ash wondered as everyone starting looking in various directions. Dusknoir's voice would echo through this forest once more as the clouds above were starting to close in.

"Aah...It's another Ghost-Type trick as always!" Carlita growled. "They always do this just to stay hidden and it leads to us trying to find them."

"That's how it always goes. Which means we're going to have to find the source of that cry." Ash replied, knowing the drill by now. It wasn't uncommon for Ghost-Types to do this. "It could be from any direction...Should we split up?"

"It could cover more ground for us." Sunset Shimmer replied. "I say we should. And if any of us find Dusknoir, we should call Twilight immediately. It's your call to catch him after all."

"I got it." Sci-Twi would be the one to catch Dusknoir, adding him to the team just to rekindle this promise and fulfil it. Of course, finding Dusknoir was the main challenge as his voice was coming from all directions.

"Raine...doesn't sound happy." However, the more Zorua listened to this cry, the more she realized that it carried something behind it. She could sense a sense of sadness behind this cry. And as an extent, a bit of anger. That made Zorua shudder once she heard the tones of the cry.

They would split up into groups, going in pairs. Ash and Sunset would go together. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash would tag team while Carlita would stay with Sci-Twi. Each would take different pathways to this forest which was starting to darken from the clouds above. Dusknoir's cries continued as it was only until now that they were heard by them. None of it was heard when they entered this forest earlier.

Carlita and Twilight took the right side of the forest, listening in on the echoes. They also noticed the absence of Pokemon around this forest. However, the more they advanced, the more they saw that this wasn't just a forest. The number of trees around here were surprisingly low. They could still mask parts of the rest but compared to everything else, most were ever cut in half or even wilted. That was when remnants of what looked to be building parts were also spotted, lying next to the broken trees.

"I know this pathway." To Zorua, this was very familiar. "I would always run down here to come and see Raine...This is the pathway to his hometown."

"It is? Then those parts must be from that town." Sci-Twi replied, seeing more rubble appear that was covered in moss from the passage of time. This rubble told a story and judging from how it was unfolding from what Zorua shared and the more parts of buildings and objects that were seen in this rather empty forest with a lack of Pokemon, Sci-Twi was afraid that it was not a pleasant story.

Eventually, they reached the end of this road that led to this old town, coming across it. But by now, there wasn't much of a town left. Instead, Sci-Twi, Hisuian Zorua, Alpha Pikachu and Carlita came across a Ghost Town.

The now quiet road that led to this old town was now a network of vines, grasses and roots that had taken hold of every bit they could get. Broken branches and leaves cover the roads inside the town while the tall grasses of the unkempt gardens sway in the wind. Most doors were either completely gone or mere remnants of rotten wood and rusty metal. The open doorways looked eerie as only darkness showed within. This town 200 years ago, once a growing town on the rise to a better future was now partially reclaimed by nature.

Despite the decay of the buildings, there was a certain charm about the town. Everything was greener as nature grew wild and the quiet during the day was almost peaceful. But even with all the animals that lived here now and made this town their new home you couldn't escape the feeling that so much had been lost forever.

"It's all gone?" Carlita commented as this town did not survive to exist within modern day Unova.

"Pikachu..."

"Raine..." Zorua whimpered. Seeing the town in this state only made her think that she had some involvement in this. This town was ruined at this point with no one left.

"Dusknoir..." Once again, the cry of Dusknoir rang out, alternating Hisuian Zorua and the others. This time, the echo was closer than ever.

"Raine. He must be here. He has to be here." Zorua said, hopping out of Sci-Twi's arms. "Raine! Where are you?!"

"Do you think he continued to stay around his hometown even as a Dusknoir?" Twilight asked.

"Maybe. But there isn't much to do here anymore. This town's nothing but a ghost town at this point." Carlita added. "Perfect for Ghost-Types to show up and live in but..."

"Pika? Pikachu!" But before anyone else could spot him, Alpha Pikachu was the first to do so. By pointing ahead, the Mouse Pokemon spotted someone else here.

Just near what looked to be a farm, the familiar silhouette of Dusknoir could be seen, cloaked by the shadows and the dark clouds that appeared above. Speaking of those clouds, with how close they were to each other, masking parts of the Sun, raindrops were already starting to appear. A small drizzle would begin as all eyes were on this silhouette.

"Raine!" Zorua said with an uplifting tone. Immediately, without hesitation and with pure instinct, the Spiteful Pokemon took off, rushing over to reunite with an old friend. At last, she had the opportunity to speak with him once after all these years. And yet, it didn't feel like it had been that long since Zorua came from the past.

However, upon staring at Dusknoir's visage, Carlita noticed that it was rather static. Eerily static. As if he didn't have any movements to go off of.

"Wait a second...Zorua, stop!" Carlita yelled, realizing that something was wrong. Zorua's eyes widened as the moment she got close to the visage of Dusknoir, it would finally react.

"Dusk!" It did exhibit some movement but it wasn't the kind that was welcoming at all. Instead, with another cry that had a louder echo, Dusknoir unleashed a spectral flare from his body. This flare blew away the rubble on the ground as well as Zorua herself.

The Spiteful Fox Pokemon was sent flying through the air, whimpering as she did not get the chance to even embrace her old friend. But right now, it didn't seem like there was a friendly nature with Dusknoir.

"Zorua!" Sci-Twi held her hand out, thankfully grabbing Zorua in the nick of time before any damage could be made.

"Dusknoir!" The visage of Dusknoir moved out of the shadows, revealing the rest of his body. Just like what Zorua heard earlier, this cry lacked any happiness within it. And judging by the spectral energy coming out of Dusknoir's body, hostility was very much present.

"Raine...?" Her old friend targeted her. This was not the reunion Zorua wished would've happened. With the drizzle soon turning into a full-blown downpour of rain, Dusknoir's reaction raised a few questions. But right now, it wasn't a matter of answering them. It was a matter of withstanding what Dusknoir would try and do next.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 39 End.

Comments

[Rider09]

Poor Zorua!

[ArcticAce01]

Oh no..

[Amarvax]

11501886
Well with how things are now, in the future, that will be very common, I can guarantee. There'll be way more Ghost-Type specialists than there are now.