//------------------------------// // Crystal Siege // Story: Pokémon: Equestrian Champions // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// Having arrived at the Crystal Empire, the group had enjoyed themselves by learning much about the long lost city and its many mysteries. That is, till they now found themselves under attack by its own security team. Now surrounded by Guardroid, its leader Androrg stared down at them. "Androrg!" Cadance yelped, "Stop this! What's wrong with you?!" Androrg didn't reply, instead raising its arm again as the hand began to spin and spark with electricity. "Galladin!" Shining took out his Pokeball and threw it, "Iron Defense!" The ball opened to reveal the Pokémon between Cadance and Androrg. "Gall!" It roared as it raised its glowing shield arms, Androrg's blade of lightning clanging into the shield, only to absorb the blow, "Din..." Shining turned to his wife. "Whatever's happened to them, we're not gonna figure it out while they're attacking us." The Guardroid all began charging up their Flash Cannon attacks at this, "We're gonna need to take them down before we can find a way to help them." Cadance and the others nodded as all but Flash, Spike and Sombra took out their Pokeballs. "Crystardian!" "Shine!" "Lairon!" "Suncess!" "Primoon!" They threw the balls as they yelled together, "GO!" The balls opened and in a flash of red light, the five Pokémon appeared and took battle stances alongside Springer and Galladin. Peewee jumped down off Spike's shoulder as well, all just as the Guardroid all fired their Flash Cannons. "Protect!" Cadance ordered as Crystardian flew up and used its crystals to form a shield in front of them, blocking the Flash Cannons. And as the attack hit the barrier, it stood against the blow, only to stop just as the force-field began to vanish. As it did this, Suncess and Primoon let out a light that formed a barrier of night and day energy around them. Flash turned to Sombra at this, "Aren't you gonna help? Don't you have that Tyrandark?" Sombra just shook his head, "I'm afraid I didn't bring any of my Pokémon with me." As he said that, Androrg charged at the group, Galladin leaping in front of him as he used Iron Defense to block the Bullet Punch. "Gall!" He roared, not even being pushed back. "Sacred Sword!" Shining commanded, Galladin pushing Androrg back before raising his other arm and extending a glowing light blue blade. He swung the sword into Androrg's chest, making it cry out as it staggered back. But as it did this, the Guardroid began to charge at the Galladin. "Aura Sphere!" Flash added, Springer leaping up and firing an orb at a Guardroid. It hit the machine and exploded, Springer landing as Flash ordered, "Double Team!" The Guardroid all raised their arms as they saw Springer suddenly multiply into an army that equally matched theirs's. The Guardroid then fired gears from their arms, hitting the clones, but not the original as the other trainers began to speak up. "Mystical Fire/Incinerate/Flash Cannon/Flame Burst/Sun Burst/Moon Burst" The others all fired their attacks, hitting the Guardroid around the remaining Springer clones, blasting them back. "Aura Sphere...BARRAGE!" The Riolu all brought their paws together and formed a tiny sphere, then charging and slamming them into the Guardroid. Androrg saw this and despite not being in its right might right now, its programming made it want to protect the Guardroid. So after jumping back to avoid Galladin's sword, its chest-plate folded down to reveal a pair of cannon-like devices. Those cannons began to light up as it prepared to use Flash Cannon, Androrg leaning back as Springer leapt up. "ANDRORG!" It roared as the Flash Cannon exploded, striking the Springer cloud, destroying them all before they could use their tiny Aura Spheres on the Guardroid. "RIOLU!" The real Springer screamed as he was blasted by the attack, getting thrown back and smashing into the ground in front of Flash. "Springer!" He cried as he ran up and helped him, "You okay?" Springer gave a positive bark as Flash glanced up at Androrg, its chest closing up. "Man, that thing's strong." "This isn't gonna be easy," Shining grumbled as Galladin charged at Androrg again. "Slash!" As Galladin swung his sword around, Androrg's hand spun and formed a lightning blade. The blades collided, the two pushing against one another as Shining nodded, "That's it! Keep that thing occupied until we take care of the Guardroid!" As he said that, both Suncess and Primoon charged ahead, "Mach Punch!" The sisters yelled as their Pokémon both leapt at a pair of Guardroid, throwing a punch right into their chests. The Guardroid staggered back at this, only to fire their jetpacks, taking to the air. But as they tried to get away, they found themselves facing Peewee and Crystardian. "Dragon Rage!" "Terra...GONE!" Peewee roared out a stream of blue fire, burning into Guardroid's metal. But as they were struck, they began to charge up a Flash Cannon from their shoulders. "Psychic!" Cadance commanded, Crystardian's head gem glowing pink along with the Guardroid. Seconds before the machines fired their attacks, they were suddenly turned to face one another. Boom! Their Flash Cannons struck one another, causing an explosion that knocked them back, only for Crystardian to use its Psychic to keep them from crashing into the ground. But they were down for the count, their eye lights vanishing at this. "Psybeam!" Twilight yelled as Shine shot a rainbow of light from her horn, hitting a trio of Guardroid back while another dodged the attack, only to bonk into Larion. "Metal Claw!" Lairon's claws began to glow as he grabbed the machine before thrusting it to the ground, Guardroid crying out at this. "LAIR!" Lairon roared as he lifted the Guardroid and swung it around, "LAIRON!" The Guardroid was sent hurtling a second later, toppling into another Guardroid before hitting a third like a stack of dominoes. "Strike!" Doc arm pumped before seeing some more Guardroid all opening their arm compartments to fire Gear Grind again. "Extreme Speed, then Drain Punch!" Springer's body sparked with blue lightning, speeding up as the his fist began glowing green. He quickly punched one of the Guardroid, knocking it down before speeding over to punch another Guardroid, and another and another. "RIOLU!" He roared as he slammed into the last one, draining its energy as he did this. He then landed several feet behind Androrg, the machine not noticing him as he was busy throwing Bullet Punches into Galladin's shield. "Ri..." he formed a small Aura Sphere and fired it at Androrg. "Riolu!" The orb struck the back of its leg, causing Androrg's stance to buckle. "Sacred Sword!" Galladin lowered his shield and held out both arms, which each extended a blade. The knight Pokémon then swung them both, slashing at the machine in a flurry of blows. And after the fifth cut, he jumped up and planted a kick into Androrg's chest. "An!" It cried as it was knocked over, falling onto its back as Galladin turned to Springer and gave him a thumbs up. Springer returned to compliment as everyone else blasted the last few Guardroid with long distance attacks, the robots staggering back in response. "Let's try this again!" Flash told Springer, "Double Team!" Springer multiplied himself, the clones all doubling as Androrg picked itself up, only for Galladin to slam his foot down on its chest plate, preventing it from using Flash Cannon. "Now! Aura Sphere Barrage!" The Springer army charged, forming tiny orbs between their paws before thrusting them into the Guardroids' chests. KABOOM! They all exploded, knocking the Guardroid back. And as they did this, they all flopped over, their eyes no longer glowing. "ANDRORG!" The Bio-Mech Pokémon cried as it pushed Galladin off, pushing its back to its knees as three voices rang out. "Mystical Fire/Incinerate/Flame Burst!" Shine, Peewee and Crystardian all shot a blast of fire at the Androrg, an explosion consuming it. And as smoke faded a few moments later, the Androrg could be seen with its arms raised to cover its head. "An..." It groaned, its body swaying side to side. The machine slowly pushed itself to its feet, only to fall back, making the crystal ground shake as it hit the dirt, its eyes closing at the same time. With the last of their attackers knocked out, everyone sighed in relief before Flash turned to his partner, "Nice work bud." Springer gave a thumbs up as Shining said the same to Galladin, everyone else also doing that to their Pokémon. "Now that we're out of danger," Spike turned to the others. "Can someone please tell me what the heck just happened?! Why did Androrg and the Guardroid attack us?" "I wish I knew," Cadance added as she walked over to Androrg. "Careful!" Twilight told her, "It could attack again!" "Maybe, but we need to figure out how what happened to them." She kneeled down beside the Bio-Mech Pokémon and glanced it over, only seeing the damage from the battle and nothing else. Frowning at this, she turned to the others, "Help me turn him over." Shining, Flash and Doc moved over and lifted the heavy Pokémon onto its side, Cadance now noticing something attached to the back of Androrg's shoulder. "Hello..." she reached over and pulled it off, "What do we have here?" Twilight and the professors moved up, now seeing the coin-shaped device. "It appears to be some kind of micro chip," Luna commented. "So that's what caused Androrg to go nuts?" Spike asked before Doc took the device and turned it over in his hands. "I don't think so," he replied, "It appears to be more like a software injection device. It uploads whatever data it's carrying into whatever it's attached too." "So I'm guessing that means Androrg wasn't cured when you removed it," Twilight asked. "I'm afraid so," Doc responded, "Whatever was uploaded into Androrg will probably be bedded in deep into its systems." "We'll need to see what software was uploaded before we can attempt to undo it," Celestia told them before reaching into her bag and taking out a small laptop. "This should be able to scan the device." Sombra glanced back at the temple at this before looking up at the ceiling of the mountain protecting them from the elements. "We shouldn't be out here. If any more Guardroid show up, they'll attack before we figure out what's happening." He pointed to a building several streets away, "We should hide someplace the Guardroid won't be to closely guarding." "He's right," Cadance nodded before standing up, "Follow me. I think I know where we can hide out!" The others nodded and followed her away from the temple, leaving Androrg and its minions out cold. And as they did this, Sombra used his watch to take an image of the temple and smirked. Outside the city... Helicopters had now appeared from behind the mountains, now flying over the ice mountain that housed the city. Once above the construct, the doors opened to reveal Chrysalis and several grunts. "Time to begin phase three!" She yelled before the grunts nodded and jumped out of the copters, all falling toward the ice mountain while a rope connected them to the vehicle. That same rope slowed them down enough to land on the ice safely while taking out power tools and began carving through the ice. Chrysalis watched as her subordinates slowly formed holes in the ice, big enough for a human to jump through. She then stared down into the city, only for a beeping sound to ring out. The woman glanced down at her watch, which showed the image of the temple. "So..." she chuckled, "That's where are target is. Excellent." Back inside the empire... They had now arrived at another street, Twilight, Sombra and the professors now inside a building while Flash, Doc, Spike, Shining and their Pokémon were on the lookout for any other Guardroid. "Alright..." Celestia put her laptop on a table and opened it up. A small device on the side popped open, revealing it to be a flat screen as Cadance placed the device they had found on Androrg. "Let's find out what the heck this thing is." The screen began to run a light over the device as the boys remained outside. Peewee was up in the air, sniffing the air, only to hear a bunch of loud footsteps. "Terra!" He yelped before flying down, "Terragon!" "Hide!" Spike cried, Shining jumping into the house the girls and Sombra were in while the others hid in the alleyways between the houses. They all stayed as quiet, Flash glancing around the corner and seeing a single Guardroid march in front of the street's entrance. It turned in their direction and Flash pulled back out of sight, the Pokémon glancing around before walking away. "That was close," Shining sighed in relief, "Good thing Peewee was able to warn us." The Terragon smiled as Spike scratched him under the chin. Shining then turned to the girls, "Any luck figuring out what that thing is?" Celestia glared at her laptop, the scan now finishing as she declared, "Got it. This thing is big. Its filled with files..." She began to open several folders, only to frown as she read through the information, "That's not good." Everyone shared a glance at this as she continued, "It's some kind of malware that infiltrated the security systems and deleted the entire security list." "That explains why the Guardroid attacked us," Cadance added, "They're directly linked to that system. If they see anyone not on the list, they're programmed to attack without question unless they hear the override. But Androrg shouldn't have been affected." "There's more," Celestia sighed as she clicked her mouse several times, opening another file, "It also uploaded a virus, cutting off Androrg's emotions and biological systems from his mechanical ones. Without the organic systems, it's only running on the inorganic systems like the Guardroid. That means it can't fight against its programming." Flash and Spike looked at each other, their brains barely keeping up as Spike then asked, "So uh...what do we do?" "The only way to solve this is if Androrg scans us again," Cadance replied, "And without its organic systems, it's not gonna think to do that. It'll attack anything that's not a Guardroid." They all frowned at this, Flash chiming in, "Wait...this sounds really hard to do. How did this happen?" "Someone put this device on Androrg," Cadance responded, "Someone who wanted to take down the defense systems and get us out of the way. But who could of done it?" As this question was asked, Sombra took in inward breath. A small bead of sweat appeared in his brow, the man showing the straightest face he could. That is, till Twilight spoke up, "There's only one way I can think that this happened." Everyone turned to her, Sombra's eyes slightly squinting as she continued, "Someone must have snuck the device onto Androrg last night, when it was dark. Or took it by surprise and knocked it out before putting it on." "But why? Why do all this?" Spike asked, only to hear Celestia gasp, making everyone turn to her. Flash then commented, "I'm not gonna like what you're about to say, am I?" "Nope. The device didn't delete the security system." "Why not? Wouldn't it be easier to get rid of that?" Twilight responded. "Yes...unless you have different plans." Celestia sighed, turning to laptop around for the others to view, "It swapped it with another security system. One that means Androrg and the Guardroid won't attack certain people." "Which people?" Flash asked right before they saw the list, now seeing it was a bunch of different people that were all wearing the same clothes. "Those are..." "Team Shadow," Shining growled, only for a certain image to appear. A woman that wasn't in Team Shadow clothes. "That's Chrysalis!" Twilight gasped, "She's a commander in Team Shadow, like Doom Raizer!" "I know her," Celestia replied, "I met her a few times during my Pokémon journey. She was strong. So strong that she got to become a Gym Leader...until she was impeached." "So Team Shadow were the ones that planted that device on Androrg?" Spike asked, everyone else nodding. "But why?" As he asked this, everyone went wide-eyed at his question, their brains going to the same thought as Flash chimed in, "What were we talking about right before this all started?" "They're going after the Heart Fragment!" Cadance gasped, the group quickly running out of the building. But as they began to make their way, they saw a large number of Guardroid now walking down the street back to the temple. "We don't have time for these things!" Flash growled as he and Springer prepared for battle, only for Celestia to run in front of him. "Hold on! You guys need to get to the temple." "Celestia and I will handle these things," Luna added, the group all nodding as Cadance turned to her Crystardian. "Use Psychic and fly us over those things!" Crystardian's gems began to glow, everyone except the professors and their Pokémon shining as they flew into the air. They began to float over the Guardroid, all preparing to fire their backpack jets. "Sun/Moon Burst!" The sisters yelled as their Pokémon fired a barrage of pink and blue energy spheres, striking the robots, knocking them back. This allowed Crystardian to continue floating the others over, all landing on the other side, "Go!" Celestia exclaimed, the group now running off. "You ready sister?" "I'm ready," Luna nodded as the Guardroid picked themselves up. As they did this, both Suncess and Primoon's abilities activated. The dome appeared around them, giving it the appearance of being both day and night. "Primoon, Mach Punch!" Primoon slammed a fist into a Guardroid, knocking it back into two others. "Dazzling Gleam!" Suncess leapt straight up as her body began to glow a rainbow of colors, the light forming into a sphere around her body as she charged at her opponent. When she slammed into a Guardroid, the light exploded off her body and blinded the Guardroid. Primoon had her eyes closed, the light fading she was able to open them again. "Foul Play!" Primoon charged at a Guardroid and kicked its legs out from under it, then shot over to another Guardroid and threw a kick into its head, knocking it into another. It was here it hopped onto another, getting on its back and reaching into its opening to mess with the insides. She then jumped off as the Guardroid's jets exploded, shooting it into the air as it flew out of control. Meanwhile, Celestia gave Suncess her next command, "Solarbeam!" Suncess brought her hands together before a small ball of light formed, slowly growing larger. A Guardroid charged at her at this, but Primoon used Mach Punch to keep it in place until Suncess finished the attack. "SUN!" She roared as she fired the beam, hitting the Guardroid as Primoon leapt out of the way. The Guardroid was blasted back, Primoon then rolling back to its feet. "Future Sight!" She raised her hands into the air as a ball of blue sparking light appeared between them. "Prim!" She thrust her hands up, sending the ball up before it seemed to phase out of sight. Celestia and Luna turned to one another, nodding before hearing more footsteps, now seeing another group of Guardroid appear. "How many of these things are there?" Luna asked. "More than we might be able to handle," Celestia told her before taking out a Pokeball. "But we don't need to beat them. Just hold them off until the others can figure out a way to stop them. Champagoon!" She threw the Pokeball, her Dragon Fighting-type now appearing in a flash. "CHAMP!" It roared as it landed. "Right," Luna took out two Pokeballs, "Slumberam and Tantabagot!" She threw them upward, now revealing the two bovidae Pokémon. "Slumber!" "Tant!" The two then turned to the Guardroid around them. The two sister ordered the attacks for their Pokémon and stayed back to back, not wanting to be taken by surprise. All the while, hoping their friends had gotten to the temple by now, ready to stop Team Shadow. The sections of the roof had finally given way, creating holes big enough for a person to jump through. Chrysalis went through first, the woman suspended by a rope as she was lowered down into the city. She glanced around, gasping, "Beautiful..." From her height, she could see it all. And within seconds, she saw the building Sombra had sent her a picture of. "There it is!" She pointed to it, the other grunts now descending as she glared at the rest, "Everyone, we have eyes on the target. Get ready." She took out a Pokeball before throwing it, "Skullvoc!" The ball fell through the air and opened up, a Pokémon that appeared to be a larger version of Skulerror, but with several changes. It now looked like a metal armored human with a metal tail instead of legs, its height from its head to the tip of its tail being about twelve feet. Its chest armor was purple while the skeleton body beneath was silver colored, its silver skull face surrounded by a purple helmet with spikes on it. Its arms ended with the same metal scorpion claws, only now they were purple. Its bat wings were now huge, and the stinger on the end of its tail had been replaced with a large silver club covered in yellow spikes. From out of its tail, six spindly insect legs made of purple could be seen with yellow spikes on the end of them. Lastly, yellow gems could be seen on the armor where its waist became the tail, as well as its chest armor and its forehead. "SKULL!" It roared as Chrysalis released the rope, falling as Skullvoc grabbed her, using its legs to wrap around her and fly her back into the air. "Skullvoc!" The other grunts threw their Pokeballs, multiple copies of the skeleton Pokémon appearing and grabbing their trainers in the same way. They all then flew down, Chrysalis now seeing the Guardroid attacking anything that moved. "Perfect." Flash and the others continued to run through the city, avoiding the Guardroid as best they could. And as they got closer to the temple, only to find more Guardroid marching out from the alleyways. "I'll handle these guys!" Doc yelled as he jumped to the front of the group, "You guys just get to the temple." They nodded and ran down another alleyway, leaving Doc alone with four Guardroid. "Incinerate!" Doc heard before a blast of fire hit one of them, knocking it off its feet. He turned to see Spike and Peewee, both smirking. Doc nodded back and took out his other three Pokeballs. "Higear, Tockwork, Flitanium, LET'S GO!" He threw them into the air and in a flash, his three other Steel-types appeared, all standing beside Lairon. Peewee landed on Tockwork's head as the other three Guardroid attacked. The three all began to form Zap Cannons, which were both powerful but highly unfocused. "Air Slash!" Doc commanded Flitanium, who pulled his wings back before flapping them. The Guardroids fired their attacks, right as Flitanium unleashed the air blade that flew into the Zap Cannons and collided with them. They exploded, a safe distance away as Doc ordered his other Pokémon, "Gyro Ball, Bullet Punch and Body Slam!" "High!" Higear began to spin like a buzzsaw, smashing into one of its evolved forms while Tockwork suddenly sped up and threw its clawed fist into another Guardroid. Lairon then leapt at another Guardroid, curling itself up before slamming his back into three of the Guardroid. The five machines fell back whie the other Guardroid charged. The group then ignited their jet-packs, flying above as they raised their arms as slots opened up, now shooting out gears at Doc and Spike. "Peewee/Flitanium!" They yelled as their Pokémon flew between them and the oncoming Gear Grind attacks. "Dragon Rage/Steel Wing!" Peewee unloaded a blast of blue fire that struck several gears, melting them as Flitanium extended its wings and swung them around to deflect the remaining metal blades. "Now!" Spike added as the Guardroid tried to fly away, "Incinerate!" Peewee took a deep breath. "Terra...GONE!" He roared as the flaming missile exploded out of his mouth, slamming into one of the Guardroid, blasting it toward the ground. The sight made the other Guardroid stare at the dragon, not seeing Flitanium fly up. "Iron Head!" The bird's head glowed as he headbutted one of the Guardroid, knocking it back as the other Guardroid fired another Gear Grind attack. But Flitanium dodged the gears and flew straight up, "Drill Peck!" Flitanium began to spin and morphed into a tornado that struck another Guardroid, knocking it down as well. As this was going on, Doc glanced to the side, noticing Flash, Shining, Twilight, Cadance and Sombra just now getting out of sight from a nearby alleyway. "Good luck guys." He turned back to the battle as one of the Guardroid they had knocked down got back up to punch Tockwork, making Doc order, "Overclock!" "Tock!" The gears on its body began to spin, increasing its attack and speed, Tockwork now avoiding the punch and slamming the Guardroid with its own attack. "Rock Slide!" Lairon let out a roar as the portals appeared above him, causing rocks to rain down upon the Guardroid. They began firing Flash Cannon attacks, blasting as many rocks as they could, only for Higear, Tockwork, Flitanium and Peewee to charge at them. "Wing Attack!" Peewee's wings shined as he accelerated, remembering back to the Battle Tournament and aiming for the joints as he slashed at them. "Guard!" It cried while Higear, Tockwork and Flitanium got up close to their opponents. "Slam, Iron Head and Overclock!" Higear grabbed one of the Guardroid and despite the size difference, was able to spin it around and pull its evolved form over it before slamming the machine into the ground. At the same time, Flitanium smashed his metal helmet into the Guardroid's chest while Tockwork's gears spun again, speeding and powering it up. With a single powerful punch, the Guardroid was knocked to the ground along with its friends. Doc smirked at the sight, only to glance up and see a group of Pokémon flying above them. He then noticed those Pokémon were carrying something in their insectoid legs. Something that appeared very human like and all wearing the same type of clothing. "Team Shadow!" Spike turned to him before following his line of sight, seeing the Skullvoc above them. "Looks like we were right about them going after the relics." "So what do we do?" Spike asked. "We have to help the others!" Doc shook his head with a sigh, "We handle what's in front of us. Only then can we help the others stop them. Until then, we'll just have to hope they can hold out without us." The others had got back to the temple, passing by the still unconscious Androrg and Guardroid. They headed inside, their Pokémon standing watch outside as Cadance reached the altar first, only to sigh in relief. "Good...they're still here." "But not for long," Shining added as she shut the Shadow Spear's case. "We need to get them somewhere more secure before Team Shadow shows up." Cadance nodded and shut the Heart Fragment's case. "Alright guys," he turned to the others. "Go make sure the cost is clear. We don't want the Guardroid and Androrg to see us running outside with the cases. Especially if they think we're thieves." The three nodded before turning to head back out, Flash, Twilight and Sombra now seeing that the streets were clear. But as they did this, Flash looked up and gasped, "Look!" Twilight and Sombra followed his gaze, now seeing the Skullvoc all carrying the Team Shadow minions. "What are those things?" "Skullvoc," Twilight gulped, "Very dangerous Pokémon." Flash took out his Pokedex at this. Name: Skullvoc Category: Havoc Pokémon Type: Ghost/Flying Info: The evolved form of Skulerror. This Pokémon is drawn to destruction and chaos. It is said that if this Pokémon appears, then mayhem is sure to follow. "Sounds like the kind of Pokémon Team Shadow would use," Flash growled as he put his Pokedex away. In that moment, the Skullvoc had reached them, releasing the humans they were holding. One by one, the Team Shadow members fell, all landing with varying levels of poise. At the front of the group was Chrysalis, shining a big smirk as she calmly sauntered forward. "Well, well, well, well, well. I had heard the champion was here along with the professors of the region, but I didn't think I'd run into the brats that helped my no good sons stop my attempts to retrieve my Pokémon. I heard you also caused some issues for my friend Doom in the Grand Desert, though you also ended up helping him in that situation." "Well this isn't gonna be like that time," Flash told her as Springer let out a bark of agreement. "This time, we're taking you down and putting you away for good!" "Oh, I don't think so." Chrysalis snapped her fingers and the Skullvoc flew down, all snapping their claws in response. "Our Skullvoc can easily fly fight through you and grab the cases holding our target. Twilight went wide-eyed at this, only to turn to the door controls. She hit a button on it, the metal doors swinging closed and slamming shut. "Nice try!" She barked back as the system began to lock, "But now the cases are locked inside. Even if your Skullvoc can get through the walls, they won't be able to make the cases intangible." Chrysalis's eyes narrowed at this, "Annoying twerp. Skullvoc, ATTACK!" "SKULL!" The Ghost Flying-types roared as they charged, Flash, Twilight and their Pokémon standing firm while Sombra stepped back. The Skullvoc all opened their bony mouths as Shadow Balls began to form. "Dazzling Gleam!" Twilight ordered, Shine now illuminating her horn. "Rapid...DASH!" She neighed as the light exploded off her horn, forming a laser that she swung around to hit the Shadow Balls as they fired. The attacks then exploded, all right in the Skullvoc's faces. This caused them to be knocked back, only for one to charge at her, ready to use Vice Grip, only for Galladin to appear and raise his shield to use Iron Defense. The claw grabbed the shield, but couldn't do any damage as Galladin used his other arm to extend his sword, which glowed purple before it slashed the Skullvoc away. "Nice one!" Flash cheered, only to see more Skullvoc charging from up above. "Ri!" Springer yelled, jumping up to use Aura Sphere. "No Springer!" Flash responded, "None of your attacks will work against a Ghost-type!" "RI!" Springer groaned as the Skullvoc got in close, only for Flash to take out a pair of Pokeballs. "Skyler, Astro, I CHOOSE YOU!" He threw the balls into the air, the Pokeballs opening to unleash the Tornavian and Starvern. "Steel Wing and Dragon Rage!" Skyler shot up and slashed at the Skullvoc while Astro spat out a barrage of blue fire. "SKULL!" The Skullvoc cried as the fire pushed them back before Skyler struck them. "Aerial Ace!" Skyler dive-bombed the opponents, smashing into them at incredible speed. He knocked each Skullvoc down, one after another as he barreled through them. "YEAH!" Flash cheered while Skyler smirked, only for some Skullvoc started to fly after him. "Mystical Fire!" Twilight ordered, Shine shooting blasts of flames at the approaching Ghost-types. They struck the Skullvoc, pushing some back, but others managed to continue. This was when Galladin shot up and used Night Slash, cutting them all down. But with his slower speed, he couldn't get to all of them. "I don't think so!" Twilight took out a Pokeball and threw it into the air, "Owlicious!" In a flash, the Owlolar appeared and took flight. "Mind Force!" "Owl!" He hooted as he glowed, then beat his wings to fire the attack. It struck one of the Skullvoc, but another kept coming. "Time for something new," Flash smirked before pointing at the Skullvoc. "Use Crunch!" Astro leapt at the Skullvoc, landing just behind its back before opening his mouth. "Star!" He then bit down on the neck, the force causing an explosion that made Skullvoc cry out. Twilight turned to Flash in shock, "He learned it?!" Flash smirked back, "We did a little practicing last night before heading to bed. That rubber bone really helped him power up his jaw muscles." Twilight smiled back before glancing at the door behind them. "Hold on," she told her brother and sister-in-law. "We'll keep them away from you." Inside, Shining was listening at the door while Cadance held both the cases in her hands. "We can't just sit around in here." "Twilight locked us in to keep the relics safe," Cadance told him. "We shouldn't do anything that makes her efforts worthless." "But what does she expect us to do from in here?" Shining asked. "At least if I were out there, I could help." "But you being in here means the relics have another defense if Team Shadow get past them and the door. And if they do manage that, at least Flash and Twilight will have tired them to the point that they won't stand a chance against you." "Maybe...but there's still a lot of them. And Chrysalis was a Gym Leader, so beating them won't be easy. Plus, the Guardroid might show up and start helping them." Cadance sighed at this, only for a bulb to go off in her head, "I might have an idea." She reached into her bag and pulled out a small laptop. "Do you professors always carry a small laptop with you wherever you go?" "Any scientist worth their salt has the right equipment for when the situation calls for it." She started typing away, logging into the same server Celestia's laptop was using. "It's possible I can undo what Team Shadow did to the Guardroid. If we can get them back on our side, that might help us turn the tables." "Alright," Shining nodded, "Then get to work." He looked down at the cases, "And leave protecting the relics to me." "Tornado Burst!" Flash yelled as Skyler spun into a tornado, heading straight into a group of Skullvoc. "Dazzling Gleam and Psychic!" Shine's horn glowed before exploding with light, the laser hitting several Skullvoc and blasting them back. Meanwhile, Owlicious' eyes glowed along with several Skullvoc as they were all slammed into one another as hard as possible. This was when Skyler exploded out of the tornado, smashing into them. As this happened, Chrysalis growled along with the rest of the Team Shadow grunts. "Enough of this. Skullvoc, use Phantom Force!" The Skullvoc on the ground heard that and the gems on their foreheads glowed, causing portals to form beneath them. They phased into the portals and vanished, leaving the other Skullvoc to all fire Shadow Balls at them. "Aura Sphere and Shadow Ball!" Springer and Astro shot multiple spheres into the air, slamming into the balls, all exploding while Skyler, Shine, Owlicious and Galladin charged. "Steel Wing!" "Psybeam and Sky Attack!" Skyler slashed at a Skullvoc as Shine unleashed a blast of rainbow colored light, Owlicious flying straight up as Galladin used Night Slash. Flash smirked at this, only to then notice several portals behind Springer, Astro, Shine and Galladin. "Guys, MOVE!" The Pokémon turned to him and when they did, they saw the portals. Seconds later, the Skullvoc that used Phantom Force all leapt out, all slashing at them. Galladin was able to bring his shield up in time, but the others weren't so lucky. "RI/STAR/RAP!" They were all knocked back by the Skullvoc, who let out hisses of victory. But before they could attack again, Owlicious shot down with a fully glowing body. "OWL!" He slammed into one of the Skullvoc, then smacked it away before tackling two more. "Owlolar!" He hooted before flying straight back up, the others picking themselves up as Galladin pushed his Skullvoc away before hitting it with Night Slash. "Augh!" Chrysalis growled, "I'm done with this!" She took out another Pokeball and threw it, "Queensect!" In a flash, the black Bug Pokémon appeared. "Queen," it hissed before staring down at them, "Queensect!" "Bug Buzz!" Queensect spread its wings and took flight, its horn beginning to vibrate and send out red shockwaves at Shine and Owlicious. It struck the two Psychic types, making them cry out as the horrible sound attacked their ears. "Drain Punch!" Flash ordered as Springer leapt onto Skyler before hopping off the bird and throwing a Drain Punch into Queensect's face. "Yes!" Flash arm pumped, "Now Springer can actually fight against something." "Just be careful," Sombra told him. "That Queensect's gonna be powerful." "Yeah, I know." Flash replied as his mind flashed back to the battle in Fillydelphia. If it hadn't been for Viper learning Flamethrower, they might have been in trouble. "But I'm a lot stronger than I was back then. Springer," he pointed at Queensect, "Aura Sphere!" "Ri!" Springer roared as he brought his paws together and began to form a sphere. "Copycat!" Queensect opened its mouth as the orb Springer was making also appeared there. Both it and Springer fired their attacks, both clashing as an explosion rang out. The blows rocked the temple, only for Queensect to charge down as Chrysalis yelled, "Giga Drain!" "Queen!" Queensect's horn glowed before it fired out a green light. "Oh no, you don't! Double Team!" Springer multiplied on command, the Giga Drain hitting one of the fakes and causing it to vanish. The rest of the Riolu clones began to run around, the Queensect and Skullvoc now glancing around at the Riolu army. Chrysalis frowned, her eyes now landing on Sombra. The two stared at one another for a second, then Sombra nodded. She nodded back and reached behind her, pressing a button on her watch. Over where Androrg and its Guardroid were laying, still deactivated and completely still, Androrg's eyes suddenly shot open, now glowing red. The Guardroid followed suit and all woke up, their eyes also glowing red. And it wasn't just there. "Mach Punch!" Celestia and Luna yelled, their Pokémon punching another Guardroid in the face while Champagoon slammed one in the head with Brick Break before the two ram Pokémon knocked their opponents out with Dark Pulse and Extrasensory. "I think that's all of them," Luna sighed in relief. "Now we can go help-" her voice stopped as the Guardroid all stood up again, "Oh, come on!" "They should have all gone into shut down and stasis mode," Celestia added as they picked themselves up. "Something must have reactivated them." The Guardroid turned to them and all began to fire Flash Cannons, forcing Celestia to turn to her sister, "Try putting them to sleep!" Luna nodded back, "Hypnosis!" Both Slumberam and Tantabagot leapt up, Slumberam's helmet gem glowing along with Tantabagot's eyes. The light then shot off and hit the machines, causing them to deactivate and slump over while still standing. The sisters smiled at this, but that smile vanished when the Guardroid began to power up again. "Something's forcing them to reactive. And that could be a problem." "It means they won't stop no matter how much damage they take." Luna gasped, "If we don't stop this, they could be irreversibly damaged." Doc and Spike were also in the same situation, Spike yelling, "Incinerate!" Peewee fired a flaming missile at a Guardroid, knocking it over. "Gear Grind, Zap Cannon, Iron Head and Metal Claw!" Flitanium and Lairon charged while Higear and Tockwork attacked from a distance. Higear sent its gear hands flying at one of them while Tockwork pointed its gun arm at another and fired. The attacks struck, knocking both down as Flitanium and Lairon ran past them. "FLY!" The metal bird smashed its head into a Guardroid and knocked it back while Lairon's claws glowed, slashing at a pair of Guardroid. They both fell over, leaving only one Guardroid left. "Dragon Rage!" Peewee unloaded a blast of blue fire, hitting Guardroid in the face. And while it wasn't enough to damage the machine Pokémon enough to defeat it, it allowed the overclocked Tockwork to get in close. "Bullet Punch!" With one powerful strike to the chest, the robot was thrown back, its eyes vanishing as it shut down, just like the others. Doc and Spike sighed in relief, only for the Guardroid to activate again. "What the heck!?" Spike yelped as the Pokémon got back into a battle stance. "This isn't good." Doc commented. "Slam and Shadow Ball!" Queensect shot down and crushed a Springer clone under its hooves while the Skullvoc all fired orbs at the others. All but one of them were destroyed when the attacks hit, that one leaping back before the Shadow Ball hit the ground, causing an explosion. "Ri!" He cried, being thrown upward before spinning around and firing an Aura Sphere, hitting Queensect and knocking it back as Skyler caught him. As Queensect fell down, the others took the chance to attack. "Mystical Fire and Peck!" "Shadow Ball!" Astro fired his dark energy ball and struck a Skullvoc while Shine drew a circle of fire before shooting a projectile. Owlicious charged at this, his beak glowing and extending while Galladin ran up beside him. "OWL!" It roared as it pecked a Skullvoc while Galladin used Iron Defense to block a Skullvoc when it tried to use Knock-Off by slamming its mace tail into him. Once he deflected that attack, Galladin used Night Slash to send the beast flying. It was here that Flash noticed the Skullvoc were mostly unconscious, a smirk appearing on his face. "Looks like you're running out of troops." He pointed at Chrysalis as she glanced around, "Why not make things easy on yourself and give up? Then maybe you can cut a deal and only spend a few years in prison." Chrysalis just chuckled back, "Oh, I don't think so." Flash raised an eyebrow, only to then hear a crackling sound. He turned to it, just in time to see a blade of lightning shoot through the air and hit Skyler in the wing. "TORE!" He squawked before falling, Springer losing his grip on the bird as both fell with a thud. "GUYS!" Flash cried before turning to where the attack came from, only to gasp, "Androrg?!" Twilight and their Pokémon turned to see the Bio-Mech Pokémon marching up, the Guardroid following behind. Chrysalis laughed at the sight as she, the grunts and their Pokémon all stepped back, allowing the city's security force to walk in front of them. Androrg and the Guardroid turned to the trainers, its eyes no longer finding Flash and the others' faces in their databases. "AN!" The cyborg roared while the Guardroid all got into a battle stance, their shoulder cannons lighting up as they began to build power. Androrg then raised its arms and began to spin its hand, now sparking it with lightning. "ANDRORG!" "GUARDROID!" They machines fired Flash Cannons while Androrg swung its arm, unleashing the Electro Blade. The attacks shot right at them, the group quickly jumping out of the way. Flash, Springer, Astro and Galladin leapt to the right while Twilight, Sombra and Shine leapt to the left. Owlicious grabbed Skyler and pulled him into the air, allowing the attacks to fly past them and hit the metal doors blocking the temple. KABOOM! Inside the temple, Shining and Cadance yelped as the doors exploded. They flinched at the door flying over them, thankfully missing them and skidding along the floor. The champion quickly turned to the exit, now seeing a single figure begin to saunter inside. Outside the temple, Flash and his friends were all coughing up a storm from the smoke from the explosion. And as they began to pick themselves up, they heard a stomping sound, turning to see the Guardroid had formed two lines. One was in front of him, Springer, Astro and Galladin while another was in front of Twilight, Sombra and Shine. The lines allowed Crysalis and the Shadow Grunts to calmly walk between them, the woman chuckling as she reached Shining and Cadance, "Hello champion, Professor Cadenza." She then pointed at the cases standing at Shining's feet. "Why don't you make things easy and give me the Heart Fragment?" "I don't think so," Shining told her as the Queensect and Skullvoc walked up behind them. "We know you're up to something with the Crystal Heart, and we won't let you get away with them." "Now now, champion," Chrysalis giggled, "We really have no desire for excessive violence. Just give us the Heart Fragment and we'll be on our way." "Not on your life!" Shining took out a pair of Pokeballs, "You're not getting any more of Equestria's treasures!" With that, he threw the balls. He knew the odds were against them, but he wouldn't allow Team Shadow to do what they want. But the question was, would they be able to stop them, or will Team Shadow be able to complete their evil plans? Stay tuned.