//------------------------------// // A Timeless Adventure // Story: My Little Pokémon // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Pocket Monsters. Pokemon for short. The awe-inspiring creatures of infinite numbers and endless possibilities. Populating the planet in every corner, bringing life to it in their unique ways. For every species of Pokemon out there. Some Pokemon are small, some are larger, ridiculously large at times, some can be a perfect balance of both. They can be energetic, silent, timid, bold, sassy, modest or anything else. That only adds to their variety. Whether it's on the land, the sea or the skies, this is their home. Rather, two homes. Two separate worlds both teeming with Pokemon life. Many forms of life already bond well with these Strange and Wonderful Creatures. From the humans who have been with them since the beginning to the ponies of another world. Followed by an assortment of other species such as dragons, yaks, changelings and many more. These are known as the Pokemon Trainers. Bonded by their Pokemon, many if not all of them are capable of creating their own phenomenons, miracles and feats that can only be done via their bond. Which brings us to Ash Ketchum, who hails from Pallet Town. Alongside his partner, Pikachu, are aiming to perfect the art of the Pokemon Battle while also shooting towards the fabled yet impossibly legendary goal of Pokemon Master. These two are on an endless adventure with no signs of slowing down. And by their aside, assisting and having a great time with them are their friends. Ranging from princesses, farmers, gym leaders, professors and many more. Such as Twilight Sparkle and her friends, who also have their set goals in life. But one goal they all have in common is finding the Legendary Pokemon that eludes them to this day. The only Pokemon that can keep both worlds intact before the Rift can leave. Jirachi. This journey continues with so much left to explore and experience. Whether wondrous or terrifying, a multitude of possibilities and events are just another adventure away. Much like a story such as this one. 28 years ago. Kanto Region. Pallet Town. Day. "Dad! Dad!" A young Ash Ketchum was running up to his father. This was a time when Ash's father was still around the household before setting off on a massive journey. "Hey, kiddo." said the father. "So, have you figured out what you want to be?" "Mhm! Mhm!" Ash nodded his head aggressively before coming to a screeching halt. "I'm gonna become something greater than a Pokemon Champion! I'm gonna be a Pokemon Master!" "Oh? A Pokemon Master? That's a new title. Aiming to be the strongest trainer to ever exist are we?" "No, no!" He shook his head. "It's something more than that! Way-way-way bigger!" He then spread his arms out before jumping up and down." "You've got my attention even more. And what's bigger than that?" He asked. "Uh...Um..." Just then, the rambunctious scamp of a 5-year-old pondered for a moment. He scratched his hair before reaching an obstacle in his mind. "I don't know." "You don't know even though you made it? You've got me confused right now." He chuckled, scratching his hair. "Whatever it ends up being...I'm gonna do it anyway!" Ash exclaimed. "And I'm gonna show them all. Everyone in school made fun of me when I said I'd become a Pokemon Master. But I am gonna be one, no matter what! You told me not to give up on my dreams, right?" "I did. I haven't given up on my dreams and neither should you." He gave a thumbs up. "So, go for it. Aim to be a Pokemon Master. But I'm curious. What are you gonna do after that?" "Well...Um..." Ash was stumped again after this question. But he at least knew how to answer it. "I guess I' m done. Right? I finish, don't I?" "You could finish." The father shrugged. "But, even if you reach your goal, that doesn't mean your journey is over." "It's not?" Ash sat next to his father, looking up at him. "Nope. It doesn't have to be the end unless you choose it to be. When you become a Pokemon Master, you can always shoot for the next goal within your sights. Looking far beyond, searching for a new dream and adventures." "Wow..." Ash gawked as he was all ears. "You can be the very best like no one ever was. Unbeatable and unstoppable in every way. Perhaps you can have every single Pokemon out there. But...I guess I'm talking about myself here. I can never see an end to my adventure, even right after I met your mother. It's the thrill that keeps you going. Wanting to know more and see what your eyes have never even seen before. The world is massive, Ash. There's so much to discover, no matter how enormous it may be." "No matter how enormous?" Ash repeated. "I've still got a lot of places left to venture, Ash. Me and your grandfather. I want to see more since everything can be so short-lived sometimes. Pursing my ideals and the exciting challenges that come with it. It gets the blood pumping as much as a Pokemon Battle. Probably even more." "More than Pokemon Battles?" Ash gasped. "I thought they were the coolest thing ever!" "They can be if you want them to. You can have short-bursts of happiness, Ash. But having long-lasting satisfaction tops them all. It's all about dreams and ambitions that seem otherworldly and out of our reach. It's the value that comes with it. There's so much to do. But you don't have to just do it for yourself." "I don't?" Ash bit his thumb. "Sometimes, you can do great things for the good of others. For the people around you. But, I guess that-" "I wanna do that!" Ash stood up, cutting his father off. "I wanna do that for everyone!" "Oh, really?" "Yeah-yeah! I mean..." Ash then closed his eyes before digging deep. "Even if I don't become Pokemon Master I still have you, mom, grandpa and everyone. All my friends." "You'd put aside your dream for your friends?" "Yeah. But I want them to help me there too. We'll be awesome together! We'd be like superheroes!" Ash started running out, holding his arms out like a superhero. He ended up falling on his back afterwards. "Heh." The father chuckled. "Well, you can be a superhero too if you want. Just remember this, Ash. Live out your own adventures. Succeeding or failing. But, you're my son. I don't have to tell you that, do I?" "No way, sir!" Ash saluted before sitting up. He then stood tall with his fists on his waist, bringing a wide grin. "Just watch! I'll go on the best adventure possible and I'm gonna be the very best! A Pokemon Master!" Current day. Kanto Region. Pallet Town. Nightfall. In his room, Ash thought back to the words given to him by his father. If there was one person Ash could thank more than ever, it was his father. He taught him many valuable things that shaped Ash into who he was. Ash laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling and thinking of moment his father. How he would always encourage Ash to keep pursuing his dreams whenever people made fun of said dreams. And indeed, Ash has decided about what will come next once he becomes a Pokemon Master. This came to mind during his last days in certain regions. The lesson his father gave him had been passed on each time. His last days in Johto and seeing Ho-oh pass by led him to go to Hoenn. And even words from Olivia in his last days in the Alola Region with how gigantic the world is rekindled the inspiring words his father said to him all those years back. And due to the existence of untouched regions, the other world and countless other universes with their own outcomes, scenarios and events, Ash had enough reasons to keep going. He truly aimed to go on the best adventure possible. "Yeah. Thanks, dad. Ho-oh. Olivia." Ash said to himself in the dark. He already had a strong spirit, but there was always something to strengthen this spirit. It certainly is unbreakable. Come morning, Ash's endless adventure will go on. Even past the grandiose title of a Pokemon Master. A mysterious goal that has yet to be reached by its own creator. Equestria. Canterlot. Day. Over at Canterlot, Ash had shown up to see Celestia and Luna. But he wasn't here to hang out as usual. Ash decided to get down to business with events involving a certain sea temple. The guards opened the door, allowing Ash to pass through. At the same time, the students were over at the Pokemon School, studying as always. "Ash. What brings you here?" Celestia asked. "Hey, Celestia." Ash greeted her as Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder. Celestia held her hooves out, hugging the Mouse Pokemon. "I'm here to get things started. For the Sea Temple." "I was hoping you'd say that. With your experience with the Sea Temple, we'll have a greater advantage and possibly arrive there before the Empress and Daybreaker's forces do." "Yeah. But we're gonna have to get there without teleporting or flying. The Sea Temple's always moving with the currents. So what we need is a ship!" "A ship, hm? Simple enough. I can commission a ship to be made." She nodded. "Pardon me. W-We've never had ships before?" Luna looked at her big sister. "We do, but we've rarely had usage for ships at all. The ship we have hasn't been used in so long. But this will be a first for everything and the best possible way for us to head to the Sea Temple. We'll have the first ship ready by let's say..." Celestia bit her lip for a moment. "Tomorrow. Hopefully, they aren't there before us." "Awesome. I bet it'd be a super awesome ship too!" Ash got excited. "How big is it gonna be?" "Oh, it'll be big." Celestia nudged her head. "Nothing wrong with being grandiose sometimes after all. Wait for tomorrow, Ash and the ship will be ready. And while you're at it, have you cleared out the other corrupted gateways?" "I've only done 4 four so far." Ash held out four fingers. "Trottingham, the Crystal Empire, Vanhoover and Appleloosa's gateways are all free to access right now. Been harming my body some more with Ataxia but it's cool." "I worry about you sometimes, Ash," said Luna. "What if eventually, the Delayed Aura Ataxia is too much to take in for you? Then what?" "Not sure. But I won't let anything happen until I solve it. Anyway, I'll be back soon. Bye!" Ash gave a saluting farewell as Pikachu hopped on his shoulder. "Pikachu." After exiting the throne room, Ash had something else he knew had to do. But there were a few of them to keep up with as he looked at his fingers. It was a bit tough knowing where to start. He could head to the human world and help Twilight there plus the parallel Sunset Shimmer that he found, visit the Changeling Hive or head for the next gateway to try and fix it. After thinking about it for a while, Ash concluded on what he should do first in line. Fixing another gateway was the top priority for him. However, finding the rest of them would prove to be an issue. "Hmm...wish we could get to them sooner." "Pika-Pika." "Oh wait! The Changeling Hive has a gateway nearby leading somewhere now that I think about it. We'll finish two things at the same time." "Pika." "Wait." Ash then stopped for a moment, heading back into the throne room. Something came to his mind as he had a question he wanted to ask Celestia and Luna. Something related to the mother of Lofty Skies' last words. "Hey, Celestia! Luna!" "Yes?" The two sisters said as Luna was currently holding Musharna, preventing her from devouring Celestia's dreams without her consent. "I've been meaning to ask you something. Do you guys know about a Dread League?" Out in the fields. Emerald Aura's mansion. Peacefully sitting around, Emerald Aura was minding her own business with her eyes closed. She had used her magic to make the room have a nice and soothing ambience. It helped that she lived in a beautiful area with many Pokemon residing around it. She felt at peace right now. Nothing could interrupt her and ruin this for her. Except for what actually could. Without warning and a sudden arrival, the Rift had made an appearance, causing its usual booming sound and startling Emerald. "Gaaah!" She screeched, falling off her couch before bonking her head onto the floor. "Ow! Ough...!" She held her head, groaning. "What was that all about?" "Emerald Aura." "Oh!" She stood up, hearing the familiar voice boom through her home. She looked outside to see the Rift showing. "T-The Rift?! What are you doing here?" "I'm here to change a few things about you." "Me? Uh...W-What needs changing?" She shrugged nervously while also chuckling. "I should've realized this long ago. But you're making things less...exciting." The Rift then shrunk, phasing through her room before circling the Rift Pony. "There are many things I looked forward to, seeing how they would play out as time went on. Such as the destruction of the portal to the parallel world, the mystery of where other gateways might be and many more that just fill me with such curiosity and joy." "And what does this have to do with me?" "What do you think? You've been fixing it all. Your Rift Magic has been cutting it all short. So, I'll be weakening you so that nothing like that happens ever again. Without me knowing, you could possibly lead them to Jirachi before the exciting parts even happen." "Whoa! Wait, what?!" Emerald jumped back. "You can't do that! I'm just living my life here! Plus, Cold's my friend so I help him out when he needs my help." "That's why you can help him next time with limits. Riveting, right? Doesn't that fill you with the excitement of all the tense things that could happen?" "Yeah, right!" Emerald growled as her horn started glowing. "I won't let you take it away from me. Besides, I love all this power!" "As if you can stop me." The Rift scoffed before focusing all of its attention on Emerald. However, Emerald was truly going to defend herself at all costs. A pulsation of cosmic power flowed through the house, making it and the skies tremble. But this pulse from the Rift was quickly counteracted by a cosmic shield of magic from Emerald Aura. She also protected her body from the inside, just in case. The sound of two cosmic forces colliding against each other caused an unusual sound that resembled the noise of a bass boosted speaker mixed with the furious roar of the sun. Truly otherworldly and enigmatic. Cosmic particles ranging from every possible colour in existence started flowing outside of the building, grabbing the attention of the nearby Pokemon. Emerald was giving out her best resistance, better than what the Rift was even expecting. The Rift expected to have just instantly weakened Emerald Aura much like it did for Cold Colt and Obsidian. But instead, Emerald, unlike those two, was pushing back against it. Emerald then exuded more effort into herself, pushing back the pulse of cosmic to the Rift as she had surprisingly saved herself momentarily. The Rift was impressed. But of course, it could just do it again. And so it did. The Rift had another go, this time, surrounding Emerald Aura with an array of cosmic lights. Emerald looked around to see that she was surrounded. She still had her protective magic around her to make sure nothing would happen to her. The lights all simultaneously went off, causing a befuddling flash that could blind anyone instantly. Emerald closed her eyes to avoid this blinding effect. The light eclipsed the mansion she lived in with cosmic power. The Pokemon nearby ran for the hills as the light expanded. The only reason why it hasn't faded yet was due to Emerald still resisting. She kept her magic stable, resisting the Rift's force. But due to this clash of cosmic forces, Emerald Aura's mansion had vaporized from this clash. The light had wiped it away from existence, leaving only the vibrant field that it was made above. However, the light was expanding, threatening to vaporize everything else. It wiped out parts of the land below, making a massive gaping hole while continuing on its way. This light threatened the Pokemon that lives around here as well. Emerald saw that the Pokemon were on the verge of being wiped out if this light were to continue moving. She had to stop this immediately, so she purposefully lowered her magic to halt the potential vaporization of the fields. Just barely, she stopped the light before it could harm someone. A Rattata's tail had been caught by the light, being erased completely. "R-Rattata?!" Rattata gasped as it now had half a tail. "Ugh..." Emerald groaned as her limitations were showing. Her horn was slightly burnt after using so much magic to stop a powerful vaporizing force. She was strong, but the Rift was stronger. Naturally. "That was surprisingly fun, Emerald. I didn't realize how entertaining something like this could be." "W-Whatever." Emerald scoffed, almost falling over with weak knees. She didn't have the strength left to protect herself from the inside and outside. "I won't let you take it from me." "I won't take it from you. Just diminish it. But after going through that fun little clash, I'll do a slight diminish. Like so." Once Emerald was defences with little magic remaining. "There. That wasn't so hard now, was it? Now, this is where everything gets interesting." "Even if you've taken away some of it, I won't let whatever comes next happen. When Cold's this happy." "Emerald Aura. You and I both know that you can't do that anymore with you how you are now. At best, you can maybe stop the sun from imploding. If that somehow happens." "There's still Cold's magic. You've seen it yourself. If anything, he might be better at Rift Magic than me, Lucien, Sienna and whoever else. Maybe even you." She pointed her hoof at the Rift. "I highly doubt that. At worst, the most I'm intimidated by is Jade Skies. Besides, I doubt any of them are ready for what's to come with how young and new they are. Especially with the Unown." "Unown?" Emerald stood up. "The Unown have a bit of a grudge against me and anything relating to me. They see anything Rift related as a cosmic interference. And they're not wrong. They will do what they can to make sure that I, you or anything with even a semblance of my magic is wiped out." "Then that means..." Emerald kicked into realization. The dangers that would come from this were too stellar to ignore. And considering that the Unown are insanely powerful when together could spell trouble for not just Equestria, but this world in general. "When together, the Unown have the power capable to threaten anyone. But it's better to see than speak. I'll be off now, waiting for that mess to take place. Good luck." The Rift had left, vanishing into millions of small blue and purple cosmic particles, leaving Emerald Aura in a stunned state. Emerald looked over at the seemingly endless pit now made from the flash of light. Anyone that could fall through there might be lost forever. Unwilling to let any dangers come from this, Emerald used her magic to try and repair the damage caused here and hopefully bring back her home. However, the Rift had taken away important parts from Emerald's magic. Parts that made her seemingly capable of doing whatever she wanted without any repercussions. She could not restore her home. But she could just barely repair the land with what she could muster. Emerald managed to replace the giant hole by multiplying the amount of land that already existed here, filling it. But just then, as she was doing so, Emerald felt something unusual. Something that should not be possible with a Rift Pony considering their origin and what they were made of. Emerald felt tired. "That's not possible." She breathed in and out. "I can't get tired...No way." Not only did the Rift cut off parts of her magic, but it had made her extra vulnerable. No longer did she have the endless stamina she possessed before. Now, she could feel exhausted, faint on the spot or even go to sleep from burning herself out. "This sucks so much!" She cried out in frustration. She was at least happy that she could repair the land. However, for the first time in forever, she felt drained performing such a huge task while also still feeling the effects of her clash with the Rift. "I have to warn them all about the Unown. Just have to concentrate..." Emerald closed her eyes, aiming to teleport to Ponyville. However, he concentration was off due to sudden exhaustion, something that she would have to get used to. In a flash of magic, she had performed teleportation. But to her, it was unknown if it was successful yet. Pegalysium. Galesummit Afternoon. Meanwhile, in Pegalysium, there exists another city that was massive like everything so far in Pegalysium. A place that was known as the Galesummit. The city of Galesummit resided at the base of a modest mountain only slightly hidden by the clouds. Its beauty was matched by the backdrop of modest hills which have helped shape the city into what it is today. The skyline was riddled with various towers that were close to Skyscrapers more than anything and even from afar they manage to display their beauty. Unlike most locations in Pegalysium, this city was interested in something else. The power of science. And currently, hiding in this city from the Sky Monarch was the runaway Grand Judge of the Indigo Alliance. Second Wind. She had found herself here. She was currently wanted due to her crimes and anywhere else for her was a danger zone. All except for Galesummit. A place where Second Wind felt safe. But more importantly, Second Wind was approaching a specific building up ahead. One that looked like the many noble homes in the main capital of Pegalysium When approaching this nobility home, just next to it was the garden. A lush garden of grass that was neighbored by fragrant hedges. A lone, pudgy boulder sits near the back, and on top of it grows a climbing, flowering plant. The flower beds were clearly in need of a little care, but they're hanging in there; they're a pit stop for these odd glowing bees that illuminated night-sky lights. The hedges reached 1.2m/4ft high, but that was about as tall as they could reach. Overall, a beautiful place that clashes well with this house. As for the house itself, eleven strong, round towers were low, but set firm and strong for a great defensive line and are connected by strengthened, heavy walls made of greenstone. Small windows are scattered here and there around the walls in seemingly perfect symmetry, along with symmetric crenelations for archers and artillery. It looked more like a castle than anything. Second Wind stood in front of the door, waiting for a response. She didn't even have to knock. A strange magical light appeared below her as it examined the pegasus. It did this for 2 seconds before turning green. Afterwards, the door had opened, welcoming Second Wind indoors. Second Wind held her breath as she seemed nervous about something. And it wasn't the appearance of the room. It was too standard to be intimidating anyway. Upon arriving, waiting for her was a pegasus who was the reason why she was so nervous. The pegasus didn't personally come out to see Second Wind. Instead, up against the walls of this room, a wide mirror could be seen. The face of this pegasus came into view as she rubbed her eyes. "Second Wind." She spoke. "I heard about what happened in Pegalysium from the Daily Cloud." "M-My apologies, Mrs Winter Gust. It all happened so fast. I and nopony else at the Indigo Alliance expected those other pony tribes and creatures to prove such a threat to us." "I know. I even heard about how they could break Dynasite. You, I and everypony know that Dynasite is indestructible. The thought of it even being damaged or shattering is absurd. And yet these strangers could do so with...whatever that blue stuff was?" "I know right?! That's why it was so surprising! The courtroom we had back at the capital has been compromised. I may have to use the courtroom here and discuss with the remaining Indigo Alliance." Second Wind said. "I don't know about that..." Winter Gust whistled. "Not sure if I can permission for that." "I don't need permission! I'm the Grand Judge!" She roared at Winter. "Yes. But I'm not in the alliance, remember? You have no power over me." She smirked as Second Wind twitched. "Plus, if anything, my position of power is equal to yours, isn't it?" "I still think a Grand Judge exceeds a Consul..." She spoke under her breath. "Either way, I'll need it for the time being until I can get everything back to how it used to be. And I still have access to that Rift Magic. They should've at least put that information in that newspaper of yours." "Hmm..." Winter lifted the Daily Cloud, an old one from last month, searching for something about Rift Magic. She ended up fighting news about it that covered the events of Jade's capture. "Oh, right. That. Don't worry about that liability." She tossed the newspaper away. "Liability?" Second Wind pulled back. "This is possibly the best form of magic we can ever have. The power to do anything! How is that a liability?" "It has potential, but it's clear that's not going to happen for a long time with how recent events are. Besides, we have something greater." "What could be greater than Rift Magic?" "Well...Something very hostile against it. And has the potential to surpass and destroy it too." Winter then used her magic to bring over a dome of reinforced Dynasite that was protected by magic. This made the Dynasite stronger than it already was. But within the magic-protected Dynasite is what mattered the most. Winter placed the dome down, showing Second Wind what was within it. Unown. The Symbol Pokemon that had a singular goal of destroying anything related to the Rift was currently trapped within this domed cage. Not just one, but five more, making a total of 6. They moved around the cage, trying to break free, but it was no use. There were too few of them to do something outstanding like they usually do. "W-What are those things?" Second Wind wasn't sure what she was looking at. "I have no idea." Winter Gust shook her head. "But what I do know is that these little symbols hold a disgusting level of power within them. I came across them not too long ago. It seems they arrived at Pegalysium after feeling the heavy usage of Rift Magic." "They're attracted to Rift Magic?" "Very. And they have the power to eliminate it. At least...when they work together. I've found out that if these symbols form a massive group, they are capable of amazing things. Just two of them together was fairly terrifying. Keeping them contained was not easy. Not it was not." She shook her head. "I was lucky to get six." "And these symbols are meant to be superior to Rift Magic? How so?" "Well, for starters, we don't have to worry about fainting when using too much of our power." Winter winked, bringing up the fact that many of the Indigo Alliance members fainted due to the usage of Rift Magic. Their bodies could not handle the awesome power it came with. "These little cuties can be a power source without our bodies being affected. They share the same odd and incredible power Rift Magic holds. A perfect replacement." "And six of them are enough, right?" "Just enough. We could gather more possibly. With these by our side, capturing one won't be an issue. But if we want more of these symbols, then attracting them to Rift Magic is the key. Otherwise, they won't even bother. You still have some Rift Magic with you, don't you?" "I managed to gather some leftovers from a few members. But it's not much. All I need to do is attract them all with the same magic?" "All you need to do, Grand Judge. Look alive." Winter Gust chuckled before tapping the dome. "We might be looking at the greatest force to ever exist." The Changeling Hive. Afternoon. "Papa!" Excited to see the person who she believed to be her father, but he wasn't at all, was Anthophilia. She sensed Ash showing up earlier via his Aura. She flew far just to see him before giving a surprise tackle to Ash. "Oof!" Ash cried out as he was tackled by the baby changeling. He fell on his back. Anthophilia hugged his face out of happiness. "H-Hey! I'm back!" "Ash. Thank goodness..."Chrysalis sighed before walking up to Ash with Ribombee by her side. "It's been a bit. She was starting to get so upset because hadn't shown up for days." "Sorry about that. Got a bit occupied with a lot of things." He sat up as Anthophilia sat on Ash's shoulder, waving to Pikachu. "Pikachu." "Glad to have you here. While you were gone, Thorax has taken your role. Helping others improve as Pokemon Battlers." She said. "Awesome stuff. So, you're all strong trainers now, huh?" "Strong isn't what I would use." Chrysalis shrugged before looking over at Ribombee. "But I don't mean to brag...as the Queen of the Changelings, I can safely say that I'm the absolute best battler out of all of them. Thorax only comes second. A bit too close if you ask me." "The best, huh? If that's the case, how does a Pokemon Battle soon, sound?" Ash nudged Chrysalis, wanting to test her strength with a Pokemon Battle. "Hm-hm." Chrysalis thought about it for a moment before nudging back at him. That was her way of accepting his request. "Sweet. Oh, by the way. I've got a question, Chrysalis. I couldn't get an answer from Celestia and Luna about it." "And what's that?" "Do you know about a Dread League?" "Dread League?" After the question had come her way, Chrysalis' mind started acting once more. This time, choosing to select her memories. Ash was hoping to get at least something about this mysterious Dread League that had resulted in the disease of Lofty Skies' mother. "Hm. Actually...while I may not know much about it, my mother, Mellifera does." "Really?!" Ash exclaimed as he finally had something. "Really. But I know a bit about them. Apparently, when I was fairly small, my mother knew about a place that resided in the far frozen north, even past the Crystal Empire. There existed a place called Magehold." "Magehold. That's the place she mentioned." Ash recalled the mother mentioning the disease originating from a place called Magehold. "It's the capital of where they reside. My mother has been there before, learning some magic from that place. I was never allowed to go there, but I heard that place was home to necromancers and vampires. But that is as far as my knowledge of the place goes. Sorry." "It's cool. You've given me something to work with. So they're at the frozen north somewhere, here? They must have a super-secluded place if not many know about it." "Hang on!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "Don't tell you can't possibly be thinking of going there? That place is known for being a calling for nothing but doom and possibility the inevitable end of one's life!" "I totally am." Ash grinned. "I've gotta find a cure from there. It's one way I think of so that no one else gets that same disease Lofty Skies' mom had. But I can ask your mom if she knows one." "My mother will most definitely not bother with you. I'd say she despises you more than she despises me. And I'm certainly not going to her in this form." "Your mom hasn't seen you like this yet?" "No." Chrysalis sighed, lowering her eyes to the ground. "Neither has she seen every other changeling here and what we have now. If she did...well, I can think of a few possibilities of how she'll react." "Ribombee." "Maybe I could try showing her but...I don't think can risk it." The Changeling Queen shook her head with Ribombee giving her some pollen to cheer her up. Chrysalis was still distraught about her and her mother's relationship. She wishes it could be better than how it is now. "Thank you, Ribombee." "You and your mom can sort it out one day. I know it." "Hopefully. She's more stubborn than Pharynx, honesty." Chrysalis pouted before eating the pollen. "I'll ask her myself sometime else. Right now, I gotta get ready for tomorrow I'm going out on a journey to the Sea Tempe Samiya. I'll be pretty occupied by then." "No!" Anthophilia cried out, tugging on Ash's face as she didn't want him to leave for a long time again. "Ow-ow!" Ash grunted after his face had been tugged. "Anthophilia, no." Chrysalis pulled the baby away with her magic. Ash is very busy doing what we can for everyone. He can't stay here at all times." "Mmmph..." Anthophilia whimpered as she was on the verge of crying. However, that was promptly stopped by Ribombee giving her some pollen to eat. The Pollen Puff seemed to be the ultimate method of happiness, only rivalled by Blissey's egg. "Ribom." "Anyway. Let's not waste time and have this battle of ours, shall we?" Chrysalis said as Ash's excitement was boosted. "Alright!" He cheered. "Pikachu!" Both Ash and Chrysalis stood from separate sides. Many of the changelings stopped what they were doing just to see their queen battle. Taking the role of the referee was Thorax in this scenario. "Are you two ready?" Thorax asked as they both nodded in unison. "Okay then. Just send out your Pokemon and we can start." "Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash chose his tried and true partner, Pikachu. "Pikachu!" "Ribombee is all I have. So it's obvious. You go on ahead and show them what you can do." Chrysalis said to the Bee Fly Pokemon. "Ribombee!" "This'll get me warmed up for my journey to Samiya in three days. Let's do this!" Ash spun his arm around. "Battle Start!" "Pikachu, use Quick Attack to start!" Ash put his arm out swiftly, making the first move. "Pika!" And so did Pikachu. He leapt off the ground before covering his body in a flaring white light. "Pika-Pika-Pika!" Pikachu then ran at lightning speeds, moving faster than the eye can usually see. "Ribombee! Hidden Power Ground!" "Ribom!" Ribombee had put her arms together, summoning the power of the earth itself. Her body let off an orange light as she sent a ray towards the Mouse Pokemon. "Pika!" Pikachu jumped over the ray of Hidden Power before boosting through the air with Quick Attack. He landed the first hit, tackling Ribombee at great speeds in the head. "R-Ribombee!" Ribombee had been staggered as Pikachu moved back. "Ribombee, quick! Use Moonblast!" "Bomb!" Ribombee quickly recovered before drawing on the power of the moon. She formed that power into a pink sphere. But Ribombee went above and beyond. Instead of one, she summoned multiple Moonblast spheres by splitting the main one. Soon, she had multiple small Moonblast spheres by her side. "Pika?!" Pikachu was taken aback by the sudden multiplication of Moonblasts. "Bombee!" With just the push of her arms, Ribombee had sent all these Moonblasts forward like a bombardment. She lived up to her name because of this. "Counter them with Iron Tail!" "Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu hardened his tail, using the hardness of Iron Tail to counteract these incoming moon-powered spheres. With swift swings, he was able to knock away some of the spheres, but there were too many of them to count and keep up with. Thus, some of them had hit the Mouse Pokemon before he could deflect the rest. A pink explosion happened afterwards. "P-Pika!" "Excellent hit, my partner! Now, follow up with Hidden Power!" "RIbombee!" As Pikachu was being hurled through the air, Ribombee followed u with Hidden Power Ground, throwing the ray of orange light towards the Electric-Type for super-effective damage. "Dodge with Quick Attack!" "Pika!" Pikachu's eyes flashed white as he managed to dash through the air, narrowly evading Hidden Power Ground. However, with a sudden smirk from Chrysalis, Ribombee followed up her attack. "Ribom!" Ribombee then turned the ray of Hidden Power, manipulating it to move freely. As Pikachu seemingly avoided the attack for good, a surprise attack had occurred. The ray hit him in the back without him expecting it to. "Pika!" "Ah! Pikachu!" Ash gasped after seeing this surprise attack. Pikachu tumbled on the ground before heading in Ribombee's direction. Chrysalis wouldn't take a break as she kept the offensive up. "Now, Psychic!" "Bomb!" Ribombee's eyes then flashed blue as she aimed her arms at the tumbling Pikachu. She sent an invisible wave of Psychic energy his way afterwards. "Spin with Thunderbolt!" "Pika...Chuuu...!" Using the signature Counter Shield technique, Pikachu sid on the ground before sparking his body with 100,00 volts. The Mouse Pokemon then started spinning around, using Thunderbolt as a frantic wall. Psychic was promptly cancelled out by Pikachu's spinning Thunderbolt as it was unable to breakthrough. Not only that, since Pikachu was close to Ribombee, one of the frantic bolts from the Counter Shield had zapped her. "Ri!" Ribombee cried out before being knocked back. "You're good, Chrysalis!" Ash grinned. "I didn't see any of that coming." "It's only natural. Most of what you see is what I was capable of doing before Pokemon. Hohohoho!" Chrysalis laughed pompously. "Now, let's finish this as soon as we can! Heal yourself with Pollen Puff!" "Ribombee!" Ribombee formed another one of her delicious pollen, ready to eat it as she ascended to the skies to get some distance. "Here goes! Electroweb! Slam it!" Ash punched the ground. "Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu roared before summoning an orb on his tail. He then slammed his tail down on the ground, summoning Electroweb. "Jump and use Iron Tail!" "Pikachu!" Pikachu then used the web on the ground as a way to gain some buoyancy. And with how he manipulated it, it was no different from a trampoline. The Electric-Type bounced off the net of lightning, leaping into the air while gardening his tail. "Ribombee, Hidden Power! Now!" "Ri! Bom! Bee!" Ribombee put her all into this next attack, and she did so by making the ray spiral into different directions. It was a way to close Pikachu in. "Ride it!" "Pikachu!" In a twist, Pikachu flipped through the air, using his tail as not only a shield against Hidden Power but also a way to reach Ribombee. The Mouse Pokemon used the speed he gathered to slide on Ribombee's ray with Iron Tail as the base. "What in the?!" Chrysalis gasped. "Chu...Pika!" Pikachu then smashed his tail onto her head at full force. Ribombee was not only staggered but she was sent rocketing to the ground afterwards. The Bee Fly Pokemon hit the ground hard with some dust emerging from the impact. Pikachu landed safer than her with his tail smoking a bit. The dust settled as the fragility of Ribombee showed itself. She had fainted. "Ribombee..." "Ouch." Thorax cringed as he could feel Ribombee's pain after that hit. "Ribombee is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! Which means the winner is Ash!" "Nice! We won!" Ash cheered along with Pikachu and a few other changelings. "What a shame." Chrysalis sighed before going over to Ribombee. "A job well done, either way, Ribombee." "Ribom." "Thank you for the short battle, Ash," said Chrysalis, picking Ribombee up. "If you were officially king of this hive I would only be the second strongest Trainer here." "Hehe. Ya think so?" Ash chuckled. "You're pretty good too, ya know. Makes me wonder how great you'll be with more Pokemon." "More sounds pleasant to me. If only I Had the time." She shrugged. "Either way, I believe you should be preparing yourself for your journey, correct?" "Yeah, but I wanna hang out here a bit more. Let me see what all of you can do." Ash looked at the changelings, curious about how well they battle considering that Thorax was teaching them. Ash would stay here for a bit and then fix a gateway before finishing the day off. That would only leave him with fewer days before the departure to Samiya. It will be a long one considering the unpredictability of the Sea Temple. One day later. The Human World. Twilight's home. Day. "You're leaving for a while?" Twilight spoke to Ash. He had come over to tell Twilight about his departure soon. "Yeah. I won't be able to teach you all about Pokemon for a bit. But no need to worry. I'll be back soon and we'll try seeing more evolution like you said you wanted to." "Okay. It's gonna be a bit tough without you here to help." "Ah, it's fine." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Sunset's good with Pokemon too. She'll teach you what you need to know. No problem." "Pika-Pika!" "Going faraway sounds too scary." Zorua shook her head while on Twilight's shoulder. "Is it safe?" "For him, yeah." Spike nodded as he was still able to talk. The magic inside of him never left. "We can still stay in touch with our Xtransceivers. Plus, since Samiya moves with the current around the world, it could be in Unova maybe. The gateway to Eindoak is still there if you wanna show up." "Right. That's all reassuring." Twilight laughed before having a relieved sigh. "Good luck on your adventure. Wish I could see this Sea Temple for myself." "Maybe one day, I can take you there." He gave the recommendation with the snap of his finger. Pikachu did the same with a lighter snap. "Pika-Pika. "Speaking of taking, could you maybe come with me somewhere one day? I don't usually go out with others. If ever since I was a kid." "Sure. Where are you thinking?" "I hear cinemas are a good place to start. There's a movie I really want to see. From my favourite series! I've only ever watched it on my own when the cinema's less packed. Or when it comes to DVD." She twirled her hair. "But if I can see it on the big screen with someone else. Like you. It comes on this coming January." "A movie sounds good to me. I'll be there." Ash agreed to it before hearing his Xtransceiver ring. "Oh, that's our cue. Pikachu and I are gonna head off now. See ya soon, Twilight. Spike. Zorua. Come on buddy!" Ash and Pikachu then ran off, heading straight for the parallel world. "Goodbye! Take care you two!" Twilight waved goodbye. "Bring me something good to eat when you get back!" Spike cried out. Equestria. Canterlot. Lapras Lake. The place to be at right now was Lapras Lake since it had a massive body of water that led to another land in the distance. It also a had gateway as a bonus. And waiting there was Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor and the Pokemon that can guide them to the Sea Temple, Manaphy. Also waiting there to give their departure were the Ponyville residents and a few Crystal Empire residents. Ash had shown up, witnessing the ship that hasn't been used for years. This was the Canterlot Royal Ship. Massive in size and worthy of royalty as it was just slightly bigger than the Royal Unova. But it had more shine and dazzle to it as the main flag was the Equestria flag. Most of it was gold that covered this cruiser as the sun beautifully beamed off of it. Coming along were Shining Armor and his guards, Manaphy Princess Luna and a surprise guest. Adagio. She was also an expert with the sea as Celestia requested she come along. "What a beauty..." Applejack took her hat off to admire this ship. "They kept this in hiding?" Rarity uttered. "What a tease." "Alright. You all seem ready. Everything you will need for your journey is inside the Grand Equestria. Ash, I can count on your knowledge about Samiya for this." said Celestia. "You're not coming, Celestia?" Ash asked. "I still have my duties as ruler. But, you can always call for me with your Xtransceiver and I will give you as much assistance as I can. Shining Armor and his guards will be by your side as well." "Wish us luck, sister," said Luna. "Give us a week or less and we shall return in one piece." "Maybe find some treasure there too, eh?" Flash Sentry nudged Ash. "Wish we could come along! After you told us the story about the Sea Temple we wanted to visit it too!" Scootaloo exclaimed as the CMC went up to Ash. "At least bring back something for us!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "I'll see what I can get." Ash chuckled before patting them each on the head. "Take care, Manaphy. You don't want to upset Flurry Heart now, do you?" Cadence looked at the Seafaring Pokemon. "Mana! Mana!" "Be careful out there, Ash. The sea is dangerous, but the Empress' forces are just as threatening." Twilight warned Ash. "We don't want to see you getting hurt or worse." "It'd be a shame if something horrible happened along the way," said Fluttershy. "No need to worry. I live for this kind of stuff." He gave a beaming grin. "I'll come back with the Sea Temple safe. In the meantime, I know you guys are gonna do just fine." "You bet we are!" Rainbow Dash nodded while in the air. "If you ever need help though, you know who to call." "Sure do. Well, best get going now, huh guys?" Ash turned to Shining Armor and the others. They all boarded the ship as it was ready to go. Everyone gave their final goodbyes with Sonata and Aria waving to their big sister from afar. A trusted captain was commandeering this ship while Manaphy would be the true guide. They were ready to go on this journey to the Sea Temple and stop the power that it had within from being taken. The ship then started sailing as Ash and Pikachu looked on at the sunset, eager to start this new adventure that reminded them of a previous one. Truly, they will always be on an endless adventure. One that will never come to a close. Perhaps one day it will, but one thing is for sure, it's not anytime soon as the journey continues. Chapter 600 End.