//------------------------------// // A Desire to Match Him // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Ponyville. Late Afternoon. "Ah...What a weird day. Tauros Style? Seriously?" A tired Twilight entered her home, letting out a yawn. She had just finished dealing with another Desire. More specifically, Ash had dealt with the Desire in the simplest way possible. Very fitting of Ash. With the late afternoon Sun glowing, it would beam through the skies of Ponyville, bringing warmth to Twilight. "Twilight! There you are!" At last, Spike had returned home, meeting with Twilight. "I was wondering where you went! When I came back, you were gone!" "Spike! Ah, it's good to see that you're okay..." Relief was brought to Twilight's heart, seeing her friend safe and sound especially after the whole Nightmare Rarity debacle. "I tried calling you but you didn't pick up your Xtransceiver." "S-Sorry about that. I got caught up in a bunch of things. But listen to this! Rayquaza's back on his feet! Or...tail actually. All of his strength came back!" "Hm. That would explain why I haven't seen him at all since you're back. That's good to hear, Spike." The young alicorn smiled before placing her saddlebag down, jumping onto the couch. "With Rayquaza back at full strength, he should be able to handle anything else in the sky and beyond from now on, even if we don't know what caused him to crash into Earth in the first place." "Yeah. But I also saw him fly this way. It looked like he was heading to Ponyville but...That's about it. Haven't seen him anymore, so I don't have a clue where he is now." Spike would sit down on the couch too, sighing. "Probably out there fixing things." "Well, you can at least get that off your back, Spike. I'm sure Rayquaza will be fine." Twilight made sure those words stuck with Spike. And Spike definitely believed that. Rayquaza was the kind of Pokemon to take care of himself to the bitter end. For now, they could rest easy knowing that there was some form of normalcy returning to them all at last. They wouldn't just hope for happy days, they would also make those happy days become a reality as the Afternoon Sun was beginning to fade away. "But I do hope Potion Nova is safe out there...." In Twilight's mind, she was also thinking about Potion Nova, wishing for her safety and hoping she could return soon. 7 Days Later. Johto. Day. 7 days have passed. 7 days of freedom away from the alliance. Granted, Daybreaker was still out there, but for the most part, everything was well. But things weren't smooth for everyone. Such was the case for Sci-Twi. Currently with Volo, she was a the Johto Region. They would travel from place to place, always moving when trying to find them. She found herself in a Lagoon near a town, staring into the horizon with a lack of a cheery smile. That smile hasn't been present ever since that encounter back at Unova. "Kub! Kubfu!" Jumping up and tugging on her skirt was none other than Kubfu, attempting to grab her attention. "Hm?" "Kubfu!" Right now, Kubfu wished to train, wanting to get stronger. It's what he wanted more than anything right now. "O-Oh. Sorry, Kubfu. I can't train you right now." However, Sci-Twi would turn away, continuing to walk off as she shut down Kubfu's request. "Ku?!" Kubfu gasped after his request was made null. Sci-Twi didn't even think about trying it out. Quickly, he ran ahead, trying to convince her once more. The Fighting-Type got in front of his trainer, throwing punches and kicks, attempting to let her train him. "Hah, Kubfu...Not now." But yet again, Sci-Twi turned it down. "I'm trying to focus here on finding the next shards." "K-Kub...?" Kubfu was confused. Since when did the shards have more priority than his training? That's what was going through his head right now. Kubfu wasn't really caught up with everything surrounding the shards, so in his eyes, she was just neglecting his training for no reason. The Wushu Pokemon would lower his head right afterwards, bewildered. "Pika." Pikachu understood Kubfu's confusion, patting him on the back. "Fu...Kub!" Kubfu then noticed a small battle centre over at this town. Perfect for quick battles and a way to train and get stronger. Just what Kubfu was looking for. He would once again try and convince Twilight, aggressively pointing at it. "Kubfu!" "..." Sci-Twi looked ahead at this battle centre, but of course, she turned that down too. But this time, she would try and make Kubfu understand. "Kubfu. Please listen." She sighed while kneeling to get to his level. "I don't think I can train with you for a while, I'm afraid?" "Kub?!" "I don't think I can do much right now except for finishing finding all those shards. Right now, I can't stop or slow down, I'm afraid." She explained, a frown forming on her face. "I want to get them all, just so that I can get this all off my chest. And so that I can face Ash again. I never did face him back there at Lilycove...All of this is just troublesome. I hope you can understand." "Fu...Kubfu!" Kubfu didn't want to understand. He rejected this immediately, rushing off. "Ah! Kubfu, wait!" Sci-Twi yelled. "Pika!" Instantly, Alpha Pikachu would follow him while Sci-Twi stood there, a bit perplexed. Seeing Kubfu run off was rather disheartening. She was hoping another of her friends wouldn't distance themselves. Sci-Twi stood there for a moment, silent before letting out a sigh. "It's hard isn't it?" Walking up to her was none other than Volo, already witnessing it all happen. "But, you had to tell him regardless. He would've been restless." "Yeah...It's not like I don't want to train him, I just want to get this out of the way first before anything else. How close are we to the nearest shard?" "Let's see here..." He checked his bracelet which acted as a Shard compass. "Hm. I guess there isn't one in Johto. But the bracelet is telling me that we should try the Galar Region next. We could maybe find some there." "Alright. I'll get Kubfu." Sci-Twi turned, heading for the battle centre since that was obviously where Kubfu was headed. Johto Battle Centre. In the battle centre, Kubfu had arrived to see the thrill of action in here. Currently, plenty of Pokemon Battles were going on as to be expected. Just what Kubfu wanted. The heat of battle and in all of its various forms. A way for him to improve. This stadium-like location was too exciting for him to ignore as he was about to rush right in. "Pika!" Holding him back was Alpha Pikachu, preventing Kubfu from going any further. "Pikachu!" "Kub! Kubfu!" Kubfu aggressively flailed his arms and legs, trying to get involved. Pikachu could understand where he was coming from, but now was not the time. He didn't want to make Sci-Twi worry since she already had a lot on her mind right now. "That's enough, Kubfu." Speaking of Sci-Twi, she had entered the Battle Center, catching up already. Kubfu looked up at Sci-Twi and her rather downtrodden expression. "Please. Return." Not even hesitating, she would hold out his Poke Ball, bringing the Wushu Pokemon back inside. After recalling him, the ball went back to her bag as Sci-Twi could properly wrap it up. "Pika..." "Okay, Pikachu. Let's go. We're heading to Galar this time." Not wasting any more time, she was already setting a course for the Galar Region. Pikachu understood, but it was still heartbreaking to see her like this. There was no energy or soul in her words anymore and it was just disheartening. Sci-Twi wished she could have more energy behind her words. But she just couldn't muster them up at the moment. The incident at Unova with Sunset Shimmer and the incident at Lilycove stuck to her. Galar. It took another day for them to reach the Galar Region, travelling by plane. By the time they got there, it was currently nightfall as opposed to Johto's day. For tonight, they would stop for a moment so that they would have enough energy for tomorrow. This was the only time they could properly take a break. And unfortunately for Kubfu, there was still no training involved. Sci-Twi and Volo would set up camp somewhere around the Wild Area, calling it a night as Rapidash would start a fire for them, keeping them warm while also staying outside, guarding them. And as they were all asleep, even Rapidash needed to get some shut-eye, from Sci-Twi's bag, a white light would fly out. A light from a Poke Ball. Emerging from it was Kubfu, who was wide awake. "Kub." Once out, he looked back to see if everyone was truly asleep. Afterwards, Kubfu would run off, aiming to do some training of his own. If Sci-Twi won't train him, he'll do it himself, even if that means going out into the wild. He's already used to that. The first time he and Sci-Twi met was in the wild when was running about, trying to get stronger on his own. Not only that, he was back in Galar right now, giving him an advantage. Naturally, Kubfu was looking to pick a fight now with someone. He aimed to find a place where he could battle as many Pokemon as he could and the Wild Area was the perfect place for that. That is if he knew where it was. Kubfu was just running blindly, unaware of his direction. He completely missed the Wild Area, going elsewhere while keeping a smile on his face. Stow-on-side. The area he arrived at during this night was Stow-on-side. The vibrant town that has grown up around an ancient mural tucked away in the mountains. At this moment, it was silent with people and Pokemon asleep as to be expected. Kubfu didn't think he'd end up here honestly. No sign of anyone to battle. Really, Kubfu was essentially wasting his time for the most part at this time. The best thing to do was just wait for tomorrow morning to come, but the Wushu Pokemon was growing restless, needing some training right away. Right as he was about to depart from here, his ears perked up, hearing a rather familiar sound. It was the sound of training. Kicks flying through the air, piercing and wobbling the wind. Kubfu knew that sound anywhere. "Kub?!" Hearing it, Kubfu immediately dashed off, searching for the origin of the sound. It certainly wasn't coming from the Gym since there were no lights on. When dashing, Kubfu found himself at the town's eastern path, which led directly to Glimwood Tangle. During the night, Glimwood Tangle's bioluminescent lights shined brilliantly even from a far distance. But that wasn't what caught Kubfu's attention. It was the person standing near the path that caught his eye. None other than Bea, who was wide awake at this time. As always, Bea was hard at work training, trying to improve. But this time, it was bigger than ever. Bea sighed, ceasing her training for a moment to take a seat. There was something on her mind too, much like Sci-Twi. Dating back just 7 days, it was about seeing Ash progress. "No good...I don't think I'm advancing as much as I want to right now." Bea said to herself. "I can feel it. Ash is still above me. He's grown in strength so much it's ludicrous. I need to catch up..." Bea's drive to catch up with Ash was strong. Stronger than ever. It was always there ever since Ash defeated her, but after the whole debacle with Chrysalis and the Tauros Style just 7 days ago, it has grown. Grown to a point where her Desire was finally showing itself after so long. It was always in there, but now there was a catalyst for it. At this very moment, her desire kept growing and growing, having one thing in mind. And as always, the Desire went under the radar for those affected. "Kubfu!"Seeing that Bea was a fellow martial artist, Kubfu ran up to her, grabbing her attention. "A Kubfu...?" Bea said to herself as Kubfu came to a screeching halt. When looking at Kubfu, she saw the proud grin on his face, processing it for a moment. "Hold on! Are you that Kubfu from the Isle of Armor?!" Informed by Allister, who shared the same Gym with her, she was already aware of the Kubfu from the Isle of Armor. "Fu! Kubfu!" "W-What are you doing here? Don't you have a trainer with you? It was the other Twilight, wasn't it?" Bea questioned Kubfu. "Kub!" But Kubfu didn't care for that right now. All he wanted was to train and Bea looked like just the person to do so. The Wushu Pokemon rushed around in circles, expressing his drive to battle. "Ah...No doubt. You are that same Kubfu I've heard about from the Isle of Armor." Bea sighed. "Well, I should be interested in this, but I'm rather busy at the moment. Too deep in thought to properly train with you." "Kub?" "Recently, I've been trying to catch up with someone. You may know him as Ash. He gave me an amazing battle. The best I've ever had. I want to experience that kind of battle again and I believe he's the only one that can do so. But he's gotten so much stronger. Far stronger. If I were to battle him now, the wonder of that battle would be lost on me." "Kubfu..." Kubfu was actually getting where Bea was coming from. This was a general consensus among Fighting-Type Trainers. They don't just love to fight, but the thrill of it is what makes them happier than anything. A fight where both sides are having the best time and the victor is hard to decide. "I'm afraid I'm falling too far behind. I don't think I'll ever have that experience again. And it's rather frustrating." Bea clenched her hands, feeling that frustration. "Just what can I do to get strong enough to match him? I'm training as hard as I can..." Due to this frustration and the drive to match Ash once more, the Desire within her grew rapidly. Kubfu gasped as purple light suddenly flared out of Bea's body, causing her eyes to glow and her body to light up in the night. "Kub?!" Bea's Desire had awoken. Kubfu stepped back as the Desire shot a pillar of its light into the air. The desire to catch up with Ash was now active, preparing to spread its effect on others. But it wouldn't focus on those in Galar. Instead, the light would scatter, flying in various directions. Kubfu had no clue what this meant, unaware of the Desires and their power. Bea was unaware of this, having passed out from exhaustion. All she felt was her desire, now that it had awoken. "I need to get stronger. Much stronger." Equestria. Ponyville. SugarCube Corner. Day. As morning arrived, over at SugarCube Corner, the usual was happening. An order for some donuts. Serving them up was Pinkie Pie as always, humming a tune as she was working. "There! All nice and served up! Thanks, Pinkie Pie!" One of the customers smiled, taking the bag of donuts. "Anytime! Hope you have a suuuper good day!" Pinkie Pie waved, smiling. "Same to you!" The customer said, waving back before leaving. Once she was gone, Pinkie Pie was about to head elsewhere, but in an instant, her hooves were suddenly covered by something. It appeared to be boxing gloves. "Huh?" Pinkie Pie was confused, the boxing gloves suddenly appearing on her in a flash. And in a similar fashion, boxing gloves would appear on the hooves of other ponies in town. Not just Pinkie Pie. They were minding their business when all of a sudden, boxing gloves were granted to them. "What in tarnation?" Applejack was confused. "Oh dear...Why are these here?" Rarity raised a brow. Sinnoh. Canalave City. At a Wedding. It wasn't just in Equestria either. Somewhere else in the world, over at the Sinnoh Region, a wedding was occurring. The Bridge and the Groom stood before each other, their friends and family present. It was a wonderful moment for them. A day of true happiness for all. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of the bride and groom. Before the vows are given, we ask the couple to hold each other's hand." They both extended their arms with a high amount of love in their hearts. Their desires have already been fulfilled but now the desire of someone else was about to intervene, and just like that, boxing gloves were placed on their hands. "Wh-What?" The bride blinked. "What's going on?!" The groom exclaimed. This was happening in different parts of the world, boxing gloves suddenly appearing on random people, ponies and Pokemon. In no time at all, the boxing gloves were all over the world. Over at Unova, a meet-and-greet with a popular idol was going on. A huge number of fans were in attendance, with the idol giving out autographs, dressed in the most bombastic dress imaginable. "Thank you for supporting me. I love you all so much!" She cried out, signing the picture for a fan. As the fan left, she was about to sign another one when all of a sudden, a boxing glove appeared on her hand. "Oh?" She tiled her head when looking at the boxing glove. And as soon as she looked at it, at the moment, something in her head clicked. The effect of the Desire had gone off and her tone suddenly changed. "If you want my autograph..." Her eyes would close before reopening with a glint. "Then you better fight for it!" She slammed the table, knocking the photos and pens off, the pen in her hand disappearing. She got out of her seat and rushed straight for the crowd, leaping into the air and striking one of the fans in the jaw "Let's get wild!" "What the-?!" The fans were caught off guard as the idol began striking them with the boxing glove. They all shrieked, rushing away from the idol, only for her to chase after them, striking them with the boxing gloves. "I'm never washing this jaw ever again..." The fan who got struck said before promptly passing out. Back the wedding, the Bride and the Groom were now against each other. They were facing off, boxing right away "You wanna get married, huh? Then fight me! Earn that love!" The Bride declared, the boxing gloves still on her hands. "Alright! But you're gonna have to earn this too! Love doesn't come for free!" The Groom nodded, taking a fighting stance. "B-By Arceus!" The priest was backed up against the wall watching them throw down. At first, the friends and family were greatly confused by what they were seeing. But after it settled in, their reaction as all the same. They started cheering. "Yeah, that's my boy! Send her to the Moon!" The Father of the Groom yelled as the wedding was now filled with cheers. At least both sides of each family enjoyed the same thing. "Pummel his face in, sweetie!" "Fight for true love!" And as the Bride and the Groom were fighting, the effects of the Desire were spreading. More and more people, ponies and Pokemon across the world were starting to show signs. Some were in the middle of a workout session, or even in the middle of their job. But, when the boxing gloves appeared, they were ready. People were even getting knocked out of their homes, flying through the windows as they were caught off guard by their friends, family and more landing a blindsiding strike on them. Immediate chaos broke out. Over at SugarCube Corner, Pinkie Pie as already trying to swing on Mr and Mrs Cake, who were defending themselves. "I love you guys so much! Now fight me!" Pinkie Pie shouted, swinging her boxing glove around, attempting to hit her employers. "Did you let her eat at least 50 cupcakes last night?! " Mrs Cake cried out. "I didn't! I swear!" Mr Cake bellowed, scrambling across the shop. Outside, many ponies and even Pokemon started swinging at each other, all of them eager to fight. The whole town was in a frenzy, just downright confused about it all. All of this stemmed from Bea's desire to match Ash, but the boxing glove part was certainly unexpected since Bea doesn't even partake in boxing. It seemed that the Desire decided on the effect. Kanto. Pallet Town. Ketchum Household. Over at Pallet Town, Ash was no exception as he and Delia saw that Mr Mime had boxing gloves on its hands, which were also boxing gloves. "Mimey?! What's gotten into you?!" Delia asked, the Mime Pokemon was already striking at her. Delia cowered, screeching in fear, but thankfully, Ash managed to get in the way. More specifically, he slid over, only to be decked in the jaw. "Ack!" He would be sent flying through his own home, going out the window and tumbling on the grass. Pikachu gasped, running to its trainer. "Pika-Pi!" "Mime-Mime!" Mr Mime declared himself the winner, jumping for joy as he immediately ran out to find his next opponent. "Oh, man..." Ash groaned, slowly rising up. Once he sat up, he saw that his entire hometown was overrun with people wearing boxing gloves, going wiland swinging on others. It was quite the sight indeed. Ash was so confused since it just came out of nowhere. He had yet to realize who was responsible for this or the cause of this at all. And he was always unaware that it had something to do with him. As the journey continues. Chapter 488 End.