//------------------------------// // Desireful True Strength // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Galar. Stow-on-side. Day. As a result of Bea's frustration of catching up to Ash, her Desire had awoken. In the form of boxing gloves, people, ponies and Pokemon are suddenly in the fighting move, swinging on everyone they see. It was pandemonium with those affected picking fights with whoever they could. They didn't even bother bringing out their Pokemon. Back at Stow-on-side, Bea was resting in bed, just now waking up as she could feel the paws of Kubfu hitting her face. The moment she opened her eyes, they were still glowing as she was curretly pulsating with Desire Energy. "Kub?!" Bea stayed silent for a moment, looking rather ominous. Since she was affected by the Desire, her head wasn't all there at the moment, unable to process the situation. She would slowly get up, still silent as Kubfu hopped off her. "Fu-fu...!" "I can feel it." Bea finally spoke. "I can feel that it's there." "Kub...?" Kubfu was confused, tilting his head. "The strength I need. I can feel it." Bea stood up from the bed, her fists clenching. She looked rather scary. "That's why...I will become stronger. Strong enough to defeat Ash. Even if it means sacrificing others." "Kub, fu...!" Kubfu could sense something was wrong, but Bea was too preoccupied with her desire. Much like everyone else that has had their Desire unleashed, Bea was now completely controlled by her desires. Bea would rush out of her room, heading straight to, instantly knowing where Ash was. The power of the Desire allowed her to track him down and locate him, all with the intent of becoming stronger. Kubfu watched, a bit worried. However, as soon as she gained some distance, Bea would suddenly come to a halt. She stopped in her tracks, blinking a few times. The glow in her eyes had faded, her head was now clear, now realizing the situation. Bea, unlike everyone else, was actually fighting back against her Desire. "I'm fine." She said to herself, clenching her fists. "I'm fine. I need to take a breath and compose myself." She would do that for a moment, taking deep breaths and trying to think clearly. Bea as the first person to properly resist her Desire, aware of its existence. And not only that, she knew that by letting it roam freely, she would lose to it. Already, Bea was determined to destroy it as soon as possible and in her eyes, the best way to do that was to go to the source of why this Desire existed in the first place. Ash. "I need to find Ash." She said, still focused. "I can't let the Desire overtake me. If I can get to Ash, then the Desire should be destroyed. It's my best bet." Equestria. Ponyville. It was chaos. All across the world, the Boxing Glove Desire was causing all sorts of trouble. Over at Equestria, it was the same thing. Twilight and her friends had to take cover from the fighting ponies and Pokemon, all of them eager to fight each other. "What's going on here!?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, having to duck her head as a flying hoof went past. "Did someone put something in the water or something?!" Applejack almost struck Rainbow Dash, only for the pegasus to barely avoid it. Rainbow Dash grimaced, having to frantically fly away. She wasn't even safe in the air as other pegasus and Flying-Type Pokemon were also throwing punches, prompting Rainbow Dash to dodge the incoming blows. "L-Leavan!" All 12 of Rarity's Leavanny ran out of Carousel Boutique, fleeing from their own Trainer who was wildly swinging her boxing glove. "Darlings! Come back here and duel me!" Rarity roared, chasing after them. The streets were wild at this moment, no one knew how or why. Anyone that was knocked out would be lying there, utterly confused to the core. Over at the Pokemon House, half of Fluttershy's Pokemon were now trying to fight each other, their boxing gloves ready and their spirits burning bright. "Oh my..." Fluttershy covered her mouth, hiding behind a bush. "Please stop fighting, everyone. I know you're all just really passionate, but please, we can't hurt each other." But none of them listened as the Fighting-Type Pokemon were ready to duke it out, even the non-Fighting-Types were doing so. Fists were flying like crazy as many Pokemon were slugging each other. Fluttershy cowered at the sight of her Pokemon brawling. Raboot would try getting in the way, attempting to stop this himself. "Boot! Ra-" Only for him to sent flying by an uppercut, becoming a shooting star in the process. "BOOT!" As for Spike, he was at the library, taking shelter along with Princess Twilight. They had a barrier up to prevent themselves from getting struck, but they would notice their own Pokemon would be partaking in the action. Haxorus and Absol were boxing against each other as Absol had a horn-shaped boxing glove on its head. They both were showing a lot of passion in their attacks, the sound of their collisions would be heard all throughout the library. Bookshelves came tumbling down. "My books!" Twilight cried out. "Our place is being destroyed, Twilight!" Spike cried out, holding onto her as Haxorus and Absol kept going. "Do something! Anything!" "It's another Desire!" Twilight bellowed, sensing the energy of a Desire in all of them. "Another one so soon?! Who's Desire is this even?!" "Ah! Maybe it's a Hitmonchan! They love to box!" Spike guessed. Logically, that would make sense since Hitmochan is a Pokemon known for boxing. Alas, this was not the result of Hitmonchan. Kanto. Pallet Town. Things didn't fare any better over at Pallet Town. With the town's people now boxing it out, Ash would run across the area, seeing all these familiar faces slugging each other. To his shock, some of his Pokemon who were staying at Professor Oak's lab had been affected too. Professor Oak came running out of his lab as Sceptile, Pignite, Gible, Totodile, and Infernape were all going crazy, throwing fists. "Oh my...What in the world is going on?!" Professor Oak exclaimed, rushing outside. "Was it something I fed them?! "Star! Staraptor!" Ash's Starpator flew up, currently being pursued by Talonflame who had boxing gloves on his talons. "Tal-Flam-!" Talonflame's cry could be heard as the two Flying-Types flew off. Bulbasaur was doing his best to calm everyone down, but they were all so fixated on boxing, they couldn't hear him. "Man, oh man! Just what's going on?!" Ash put his hands on his head, completely confused. Just then, his Rotomphone started ringing. He took it out and saw that the caller was none other than Bea. "Bea?" Ash was surprised. He answered it and was about to say something, only for Bea to speak. "Ash...You're in Pallet Town, right?" Bea asked, wondering how nearby Ash was. "Uh...yeah. Things are pretty wild now. There's a whole lotta boxing here! What's going on?" Ash needed answers immediately. "I see. Then I can use the gateway that leads to Whitetail Wood. Can you please meet me there? This is all my fault." "Eh? Your fault?" "Yes...It's my Desire. It's the one causing all this trouble. I've come to realize it after I woke up. Most likely, it happened last night...I should've been more cautious considering I saw another Desire 7 Days ago." "Okay, okay. I got it. I'll meet you at the Whitetail Wood! Don't worry, Bea!" Ash would hang up the phone and stuff it back in his pocket. "Alright, now let's hurry over to Whitetail Wood." "Pika!" Equestria. Whitetail Wood. Bea would arrive in Whitetail Wood, already waiting for Ash. he stood there with the Aura of the Desire constantly pulsating from her. Bea was managing to get it under control, but she knew that it wouldn't be forever. She had to end it quickly. "Bea!" Ash ran towards her, waving his hand. He was glad to see her again, despite the fact that there were a bunch of people, ponies and Pokemon with boxing gloves on their hands. "Ash." Bea nodded, acknowledging his presence. "So, your Desire's doing this, huh?" "Yes. It's my Desire. It's the reason for all this frenzy. I'm deeply sorry!" Bea would bow her head, her eyes closed. "Y-You don't have to apologize, Bea! It's not like it's your fault! It's just a Desire!" Ash would shake his hands. "No. Not this time." Bea shook her head, denying it immediately. "Unlike everyone else that has had a Desire affect them...as you can see, I am still in control of my body. I have enough self-control to not be taken over yet. But...if anything, that makes it worse. I know the reason as to why this is happening. It's because I've been trying to catch up to you." "Wait...what? Catch up to me?" Ash was confused. "Yes. After our match, I wanted to experience that thrill again. I've never felt such a battle before. That was the best I've ever had, and it's all thanks to you. However, that caused my Desire to awaken. I want to catch up to you, no matter what. So much so, that I trained as hard as I could, but I knew that I was still far behind you. Even now, I'm not as strong as you. But..." "Bea..." "Pika..." "I didn't understand why I couldn't catch up. But own desire to battle you again in that moment got the better of me. I was far too weak to see it coming from the beginning. It's so simple now. If I were to fight you now, the wonder of that battle would be lost on me. You'd simply overwhelm me with ease. I'd rather have a proper match, a proper rematch." "Well...I don't really mind having another match with you, Bea." Ash smiled. "I'm aware. But, I didn't want it to be like this. I didn't want things to be so forced. My Desire wants to get stronger, but it's not the real me. It's the Desire within. And because of it, I'll lose the battle I desire so badly. Because of my own weakness, I've stirred up trouble for everyone. I was being truly selfish! Please! Forgive me!" Bea bowed her head once more, closing her eyes and letting the tears flow. Ash was rather speechless. He didn't expect something like this to happen. Bea would suddenly feel the Desire inside her growing, her eyes would flash as the Desire was trying to gain full control. "Ngh...!" Bea groaned, gripping her head. "It's...it's growing. I don't think I can resist it much longer..." But at that moment, Ash would place his hands on her shoulders, causing her to open her eyes. Ash's eyes were shining as the Aura from his hands was flowing into her body, soothing her and easing the pain. Bea's eyes were wide open, looking into his eyes. "Bea...you don't need to apologize. None of this is your fault. This is all because of a Desire. Everyone can have their desires and wishes. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get stronger. That's what you're aiming for, right? To get stronger? To get better? To become a champion one day so you can reach Leon? If you are, then that's fine! You can wish for that all you want!" "Ash..." "No way you're weak. I know that for sure. And plus, you're the first one to fight back against your Desire. The first one that's actually managed to keep some control over it. That's something that should be respected. Not looked down upon. I know you're stronger than you think, Bea. But, you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. There's no shame in that." "..." "And besides...I think we both need to get stronger. To have battles that really leave a mark, something that'll leave us in awe. That's what we both want. Right?" "..." Bea was silent, not responding. "Come on, Bea. Let's take that Desire and smash it into a million pieces. Just like the others. There's more than one way to have a thrilling battle, ya know. Sometimes, the best battles are the ones you have alongside your friends. And the truth is...I consider you a friend." "Alongside you?" Bea blinked. "Yep. We may be rivals, but I've come to see you as a friend. I mean, how can't I?" Ash grinned. "And you've made great friends yourself, haven't you? Pinkie Pie and the others. You can get stronger with the on your mind too." "I never really thought about it in such a way. Is that how you get stronger so quickly? With your friends on your mind?" "You know it!" Ash would then turn, facing the heavenly blue skies. "Whenever I'm battling, I always thinking about my friends. Especially if I battled with them. Sometimes I think, Man is Bea gonna get something awesome to show me in our next battle? Or something like, Paul showing up with a Z-Move or Mega Evolution or something! That's how I roll. That's what motivates me to get stronger!" "...Hoh. Such a strange way to get strength. But...I like it. Perhaps that's why I haven't improved much recently. All I had in my mind was defeating you. It was too much for me. But if you think it'll work..." "Mhm. But you can always try something new and exclusive to you. Or even both! Best of both worlds, am I right?" Ash stood proud. "It's always-" He was suddenly caught off guard, a hug reaching him. Bea had suddenly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. "Thank you." She said. "Thank you so much. I'm so glad I met you." "No problem." Ash smiled, returning the embrace. The result of this was the Desire being expunged from her body. The purple energy would burst out of her as it would scatter away. Bea's eyes stopped glowing as her Desire disappeared. It made its grand entrance with a final flash of light. Across the world, the Desire was finally gone, freeing those affected from its grasp. All those that were affected by the Boxing Glove Desire were back to normal, unaware of what just happened. "I'm the champion! Yeah!" The bride raised her fist, declaring herself the champion with everyone else from the wedding down on the ground, only to snap back to her senses, confused as to what was happening. "What a woman...She's perfect." The groom said before passing out, being the only one to recall it. From the idol to the residents of Pallet Town and Ponyville, they were all back to normal, unaware of the madness they went through. Bea would pull away, stumbling back as she no longer felt the Desire's presence. Ash's smile was wide, glad that it was gone. Bea's eyes were wide, staring into his own. "Ash...Thank you. You've saved me." She said, her face a little red. She then bowed her head. "I must thank you somehow." "Don't mention it. We're friends, aren't we? So we've gotta look out for each other." "Mm." Bea smiled a little, nodding. She would then stand up, her eyes closing. Her head was aching a bit after the Desire left her. She looked at Ash for a while. She would then put her hands together, twiddling her fingers slightly before looking to the side. Bea was certainly acting differently than how she usually is. Her serious demeanour was now absent in this instance. "Um, Ash. At some time, do you think the two of us could visit a sweet shop? Just the two of us. If you aren't too busy, that is." "Why wait? We can stop by SugarCube Corner right now and get some. Let's et some sweets for the day, okay?" Ash was more than eager to do so. Right now, he just wanted to help Bea. And as for Bea, this request of hers was personal, but it was on the same level as her drive for battling. Never before has she done this, but it was a wonderful feeling. "I'd like that." Somewhere in the sky. "Hah..." Moping around and sitting on a bunch of clouds was one other than Sienna, the Rift Human. And of course, near her was her brother Lucien. Both were still around to this even after the two worlds came together. As for what they've been doing? Not much since their presence has been lacking greatly. "I just felt it. Another one of the Desires. Gone." Sienna said, placing her hands on her cheeks. "Is it just me, or are they getting weaker despite evolving?" "Well, it's not that big of a surprise." Lucien shrugged. "This world is just improving constantly. Now that they're one, they have more room to grow than any universe out there. Which also means...there's not much else for us to do." "Not much else, huh?" Sienna pouted, looking up at the skies beyond. "That's a shame. I guess we should've been gone already the second they succeeded in their goals. We're not even with any team right now." "Nope. And frankly, I don't wanna be on any team. Team Plasma or the Solar Empire. Those two are just way too much. Look on the bright side. At least we left a mark on this universe. Dynamax exists in Equestria and Desires are more known by others. It's not so bad." "Easy for you to say. We don't have a purpose anymore...Not only that, Emerald Aura's gone. I didn't even know we could be destroyed. I thought the Rift made us truly immortal." That part really stuck with Sienna. Emerald Aura's defeat was a rather haunting one. "That is pretty scary..." Even Lucien had to admit. "We're pretty lost now, aren't we, sis? A Komala probably has more than us right now." "...Mhm." Sienna nodded in agreement. "Do you suppose...we just call it quits and head back to the Rift. Just put a pin on this universe and leave it be? They already won after all. What reason do we have to be here?" "The Rift just finds this universe fun and that's it. Nothing else to it. It'll leave once it's satisfied, but this universe is never gonna be the same again. It'll be the biggest odd one out. And as for us, we'll return to the Rift when that time comes, head over to the next existence and mess around there." "Well...That just doesn't sound captivating at all." Sienna would stand up. "It doesn't?" "There's more to us than this. There has to be. I mean, we're Lucien and Sienna. We're who the Rft used to be before the accident that day. Let's do more! More than this! We're not doing anything for the Rift right now, so we're as free as can be! Let's be free, Lucien!" "Uh...I guess so." Lucien shrugged as it wasn't really on his mind. "But ya know, we still have a lot of our power. The Rift probably won't-" 'It won't care anymore!" She grabbed her brother's arm. "You said it yourself. It finds this universe fun. Even after they won the challenge, it sticks around to see everything else. I say we do the same but really get involved. I'm not ready to leave this universe just yet." "Alright, alright, I hear ya. But what are we gonna do now? Honestly, I'm getting bored playing the bad guy. Well...kinda. Sorta. I don't mind causing some mischief." "My Desires can do whatever they want. If they all vanish, that's fine with me. I've got other things planned!" Sienna pointed upwards, aiming at the Sun and specifically the Sun. Lucien paused for a moment once he saw her focusing on the Sun. His pupils shrank, his mind jumping to only one conclusion. "...Oh, don't tell me!" As the journey continues. Chapter 489 End.