My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

The Beginning of the Crusade

Kalos. Shalour City.

Crashing next to Shalour City was the Deep Black Pokemon Zekrom. The interference of the Pony of Shadows blindsided him greatly, launching him towards Shalour. Shadows loomed over Shalour City with Korrina and every other citizen looking in awe. Not just at the shadows but at Zekrom as well.

The Deep Black Pokemon stood up from the rubble he caused as he just barely managed to prevent any destruction to Shalour City. The only damage done was to some of the roofs here.

"Zekrom?! And what's that?!" A stunned Korrina said, looking up at the Pony of Shadows. He appeared larger than the clouds themselves, blocking the Silver Moon.

The Nightmare Pokemon that the Pony of Shadows summoned would hover over the skies of Shalour, still under his influence after their shadows were dragged out. This involved the vampires that Zekrom knocked out, who were using a power that was not theirs.

Zekrom was now focused on keeping the citizens here safe. The Black Crusade had finally begun and it seemed that Shalour City might be the first victim of this horrid act. The Dragon of Ideals knew that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had to know about this, but he couldn't just leave everyone here when there were so many hostile opponents present.

"Look at you all..." The Pony of Shadows spoke to Korrina and everyone at Shalour City, having a voice loud enough to reach them all. "Everyone one of you sided with Equestria ever since these 4 years. Getting comfortable with your alliance with them?"

"What's it talking about?" The words of the Pony of Shadows were lost on them all. Gossip filled the area, mainly filled with fear and worry since a giant Dragon just crashed next to their city, followed by a figure of darkness with rather intimidating forces alongside it.

"Those wings...They look like vampire wings!" Korrina soon noticed that there were vampires here thanks to their wings. And some of them had fangs that gave it away. "The Dread League's been this close to us?!"

"You can all freely feel the pain I endured as well!" The Pony of Shadows bellowed with all of the Water Pokemon here crying out in response. Each and every one of them had been filled with the pain that Pony of Shadows injected into them.

Zekrom was always ready to confront whatever dared to attack him. However, there was an issue. Shalour City was potentially in peril. If he were to battle here, destruction would certainly ensue, putting the city in jeopardy and harming the innocents. The Deep Black Pokemon could not afford to let anyone get hurt, especially considering the Black Crusade had started, leading to a potential future of skeletons.

For the sake of everyone's safety, Zekrom would stay here until he can figure something out. The Dragon of Ideals was willing to do so, ironically, believing in the truth considering the circumstances. This was more up Reshiram's alley.

"What's wrong, Zekrom? Too intimidated to do anything else?" Opal taunted Zekrom, believing that he was scared of the Pony of Shadows. This whole time, he hasn't gone on the offensive at all. This was only for the consideration of others. And the only one who saw this was Korrina. Everyone else was too busy trying to figure out what to do in the face of these massive forces. Only Korrina saw why Zekrom was so silent.

"Zekrom's trying to keep us safe..." said Korrina to herself. Being a Fighting-Type expert allowed her to know when someone's guard is being heavily shown. And Zekrom was certainly keeping his guard up at all times just for this one city.

"Hey!" Korrina bellowed at Opal Vivacity, grabbing her attention. "You've got some nerve!"

"Pfft. Who are you?" Opal said to Korrina. "Speaking to me in your jammies with that bed hair."

"Hmmrgh...!" Korrina growled at the beautiful vampire above.

"I have no qualms with this world at all. But I refuse to let you side with Equestria." The Pony of Shadows continued. "You're better off without it and everyone there. I will give you a head start."

"What makes you think that?!" Korrina, being the only one brave enough to speak out at the intimidating forces before her, replied, catching the attention of the Pony of Shadows once more.

"You're running your mouth a bit too much there, girl," Opal said, having enough of Korrina's replies while Zekrom was still on guard.

"Don't provoke them. Or get involved." Zekrom replied, wanting Korrina to settle down a bit. Korrina was definitely someone to get involved in a fight when needed and that is something Zekrom wished to avoid, even if it seemed impossible.

"Zekrom?" Korrina said, surprised to hear Zekrom speaking. All of them did. Granted, he was using Telepathy to speak to them all.

"It spoke to us...?" The people of Shalour City said. So far, they were safe but they were certainly at risk.

"I'll make it quick. By bringing out the worst in you!" The Pony of Shadows exclaimed, finally taking action. And when taking action, he did it in a big way. His massive presence was already a large shadow that blocked out the moon and most of the clouds, giving him an abundance of shadows. Everything at this time was dark, giving the Pony of Shadows all the advantages that he needed.

Shadows from the nearby Route that Zekrom landed at were controlled, taken from trees, bushes and wherever a shadow may be. This involved the shadows from Shalour City which were under his control as well. There was too much for Zekrom to focus on. The shadows were everywhere. He just recently managed to get them off him, having a powerful resistance thanks to his Legendary Status.

The same could not be said for everyone else at Shalour City. The people and Pokemon were immediately caught off guard by the shadows emerging from wherever they stood. They would have their bodies engulfed by the darkness.

Zekrom was far too late and unable to protect them all. Those who just managed to see the shadows ran for their lives, fearing that it would harm them. But that was not the case. The shadows had only one purpose and the Water-Types were already victims to that purpose. The pain that Pony of Shadows spoke of would affect them, bringing out the worst in them.

"W-What's happening?!" A lady and many others who were caught by the shadows cried out, feeling the pressure of these shadows. It was strange since they weren't in pain, but a pain of a different kind was flowing through them. The feeling was rather null yet effective.

Their eyes would soon turn hollow as shadows would then pour out.. It was as if black goo was flying out of them, paralyzing them in place. The worst parts of them all would be unleashed and feeling the pain that the Pony of Shadows possessed. Zekrom was already a target as larger shadows came after him.

The Dragon of Ideals would slash at the shadows, cutting them into pieces. Quickly, he tried to see if he could save some of the people and Pokemon here while had the time. The Deep Black Pokemon would rush as fast as he could. This time, he wouldn't use his wings, but his legs instead.

There were still those who hadn't been caught by the shadows yet but were on the verge. Zekrom would shoot out a Thunderbolt, piercing the shadows with 100,000 volts. He would continue this as this was his fastest way of destroying them. Streams of lightning would continuously fly, destroying any shadows that would appear.

Korrina was one of the few who hadn't been caught yet, escaping the shadows that crept up on her. But around every corner, shadows would continue to emerge. So as long as the Moon was up, the Pony of Shadows would have an advantage. And it didn't help that the Water-Type Pokemon would get involved, bringing down a downpour of Water-Type Attacks. It was as if the storm never stopped and only got worse.

And of course, the vampires above would add to that, sending their magic down. And especially Opal Vivacity, who was once again using that Psychic Grip of hers. Holding her hooves out, she tried focusing on Zekrom to hold him once more. He was the biggest one in this crowd so it was impossible to miss him.

However, while Zekrom was busy saving others from the shadows, those that had been caught by it were already feeling its effects. Their worst parts were brought out of them, making them nothing but furious vessels of shadows. They stood up, seeming like nothing happened earlier. They were now as silent as the Pokemon in the seas that were already corrupted.

"I still have the warn Luna of what's coming! I can't afford to sleep now. Not when this city is under attack. And finding Reshiram as well..." Zekrom had a lot on his place. Saving the city and warning Equestria of the Black Crusade. How could he accomplish this as soon as possible? He just had to try.

He used his massive wings to grab as many people and Pokemon as he could, keeping them close to him. He couldn't do anything about those already corrupted, unfortunately. The best he could do was leave them behind. Those who were saved by Zekrom were reasonably terrified by what was happening. Shadows were flying out near their homes and other places that had shows to control. Which was practically everywhere. The Deep Black Pokemon would then look up, past the pouring water and the dark magic dropping from above to see Opal Vivacity.

"If I can't just get rid of that mane of hers..." Zekrom thought once more, planning to destroy Opal's Fate-Changing mane since it posed a big issue in so many ways.

But amidst all the chaos, Zekrom noticed how Korrina was the only one managing to keep herself safe from the shadows the longest while others have unfortunately succumbed to them. But with how many were showing up, eventually, she could be caught by them. Zekrom saw that there was not enough time left to do much about this. He had to do what he could in these circumstances.

The Dragon of Ideals narrowed his eyes to the sky, looking up at the Pony of Shadows, who was relishing in this. The worst in those being brought out pleased him, greatly, summoning rather hostile tendencies. Those corrupted by his shadows would look over at Zekrom, who was the biggest one here.

"He's a persistent one, isn't he...?!" Opal growled, trying to grab Zekrom with her Psychic Abilities, failing to do so with his constant movements.

"He can't resist for long. Wherever there are shadows, I will be there. This city is only the beginning of my vengeance, and I have waited so long for this."

---

HYperdream. The Dream Realm.

Meanwhile, Luna was patrolling the Dream Realm, unaware of the chaos happening over at Shalour City and the fact that the Black Crusade was starting. Luna was rather focused on Reshiram's dream, waiting to see if any developments would arise. But she also had to take care of everyone else's dreams.

After sorting one dream out, the Princess of the Night flew out of the bubble, ready to head for the next one. But before doing so, her eyes gravitated towards Reshiram's minuscule bubble for good measure. Nothing yet. It was still the same size. Reshiram was barely dreaming, still recovering from his injuries. Luna had to make sure if something else had sprung up, entering his Dream Bubble.

Reshiram was still sleeping, resting around a bed of beautiful flowers, where nothing could disturb him. Not even the presence of Luna as a giant head. "Nothing at all..." Luna sighed. "Reshiram. Just hang in there, please. Wherever you are, you have to be safe."

However, before Luna could leave and patrol another dream, she felt something. Something within Reshiram's dream went off. The Princess of the Night most definitely felt this as it was something she could not ignore. Luna gasped, followed by Darkrai who entered this dream as well. A pulse was felt, but it was faint, incredibly weak. Reshiram still did not have enough strength left.

But there was something there. Luna and Darkrai knew it just from what they felt. It sounded like Reshiram was trying to tell them something. But they were unable to hear it due to how weak the pulse was. "What was that? What did he say, Darkrai"?

"I'm not sure." Darkrai couldn't answer that either. It was obscure to him as well. "Perhaps this is a sign of something. He might be calling out to us since we're the only ones here."

"Then...he must be getting better." Luna thought of the only answer. Reshiram could be healing to the point where he coudl do more. But it was unclear what he was trying to say. To figure it out, Luna and Darkrai stuck behind for a bit to see what developments would arise.

---

Equestria. On the Train.

"Absol?!" Absol certainly felt it. On the train back to their homes, Ash, Delia, Twilight and Fluttershy had left Mareflower a while back. Potion Nova was back there busy with her work as it looked to be another peaceful night with Ash resting on his mother's shoulder peacefully.

Unfortunately, peace was the last thing that would come from this. Absol sensed a coming disaster. His horn went off, shaking violently as he hopped out of his Poke Ball forcefully.

"Absol?! What's wrong?!" Seeing Absol jump out of his Poke Ball, Twilight Sparkle took notice of his shaking horn. It was hard to ignore as Fluttershy would do the same. Absol's horn meant that a disaster was either about to happen or it was already happening and it was only growing. The latter was the correct one.

Even from within his Poke Ball, Absol felt it. The Black Crusade was one of the biggest disasters he's ever felt. He knew it was coming eventually with how it was spoken of. But now his horn was picking up on it. "Sol! Absol!"

"Hmm...What's going on?" Ash was woken up by Absol's cry. So did Pikachu but Delia was still asleep with a smile next to Mr Mime, unbothered by the sounds that came in the train.

"The Black Crusade?! It's starting?!" Fluttershy translated.

"Wait, what?! Now?!" Twilight nearly fell out of her seat after hearing that. Those words blindsided her and Ash. The biggest threat to them so far had begun and they had no idea where it was. They looked outside the train windows to see where the crusade was happening, however, everything seemed fine from here.

However, Absol's horn always meant that the disaster was still present, just not anywhere near here. This was prime for attention. Heavy attention as they had an idea where it was. Audino couldn't even hear it if she tried.

"Of all the nights they could've started it..." Twilight shuddered. "The Lich Queen did say it would come soon. I just didn't think it would be now!"

"W-What do we do?! It's started and we don't know where it is?!" Fluttershy asked, worried about what could come from this. The Black Crusade was described as something rather horrific considering what it sets out to do. The possibility of her life ending could be swift and she wouldn't even see it coming.

"Canterlot is nearby! I'll get off here and tell Princess Celestia as soon as possible." Twilight Sparkle already knew what she wanted to do. "Maybe she might know where it's happening from. A crusade is something that can show up anywhere. It's a bit like the invasion we had two years back. They'll be coming for us."

"And the closest place to Magehold is...!" It took Ash a few seconds to realize that there was one place at risk due to how close it was to Magehold. Twilight soon realized it as well. Home of ponies that were very close to her. Her brother, sister-in-law and niece.

The Crystal Empire.

---

Magehold.

"Good..." Meanwhile, Rosa Maledicta was rather pleased with the fact that the Crusade had now begun. And with the Crusade being launched, many vampires were already prepared to head out to the rest of the world and begin their work. This was, of course, the vampires who were associated with the Dread League instead of those who were normal citizens. They would stay behind and wait for Fantina's Pokemon Contest.

Outside, numerous vampires were lined up, standing at the edge of Magehold. Only they could exit the field that shielded Magehold and with the crusade being active, the biggest number of vampires would appear from that field and enter the rest of Equestria, where they could spread as much havoc and destruction as they could.

"Much like the Pony of Shadows, the Wendigoes will be at your command. Take some from the Hyperborean Island." Rosa Maledicta spoke to them all. "On this night, the world will be enveloped in a wave of destruction that will fulfil the mission of the Black Crusade. Even if takes days and nights to achieve, we will succeed. Exact revenge on those who have persisted against us...and take back the Box of 100 Demons from those Changelings. Our alliance with them is truly over now. Now go out into the world at once."

With her order, the vampires would all take flight, revealing their dark wings. The skies were littered with vampires who would soar as fast as they could, leaving the field and Magehold in its entirety. Vampires with numbers unlike anything seen before were flying out, holding dark magic in different forms. And of course, the seeds of the Despair Plants, which were the replacements for the Box of 100 Demons.

Fantina, who was still working on the contest just to try and break the field in some way, looked outside the window of the Contest Hall to see this tide of vampires flying away. Fractured Note saw it too, hoping that this plan to end the Lich Cycle would succeed. And it needed to happen as soon as possible since the Black Crusade, after many delays, had begun.

Equestria, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, no matter the region or land. All would become victims to the vampires. It was already shown what they were capable of doing back at the third Pokemon Festival, even if it was the demons behind it, but they were still just as dangerous either way. Especially in large numbers.

Rosa Maledicta, who was perfectly conserving her magic at this point, cackled lightly as she waited for this day for so long. Her eyes would be watching her subjects as they were about to bring a wave of destruction to the world. No matter how long it would go on for, she was ready to revel in it all and see that her plan was fit. And right now, one of the first things on her mind was the Box of 100 Demons.

And with the Changelings possessing it, there was only one place to go for that box.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 123 End.

Comments

[ArcticAce01]

The Crusade has started.. and I worry for are heroes. This will be their toughest battle yet